Summer Romance starts off with the cutest meet cute (cue: my puzzle🐶) at the dog park. Ali has lost her mom, her husband, and her sense of self over the last few years. When her dog “greets” a cute stranger at the dog park, a budding summer romance ensues. 🥰
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What I loved:
🐶fun meet cute
🐶best friend’s brother
🐶single parent
🐶sweet MMC
🐶dreamy setting
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I appreciated an older FMC in Summer Romance, one in the middle stage of life with kids, an ex husband, and just trying to balance motherhood, adulthood, and a new relationship. It was relatable.
I am currently crushing pretty time big on Ethan. 😍
Men: take notes 🗒️
This was a sweet and heartwarming romance. Add this book to your summer TBR!
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Thank you Netgalley and G.P Putnam’s and Sons for the opportunity to read this book!
It releases June 4th!
4.5 stars!

I loved this so much. I'm always on the hunt for romance novels featuring adult women with whole lives, because so many romance novels are focused on women in their early to mid twenties, and I am decidedly no longer in that demographic. Those books are fun and great, but I truly relish the opportunity to read about women in their thirties and beyond. Anyway, I loved Ethan so much, he was the absolute perfect male lead, and I just felt for Ali as she luxuriated in her grief, feeling totally stuck after the loss of her mom and then her divorce. She was written in such a way that the reader could truly empathize with her, rather than see her as a pathetic mess who couldn't move past hard things. I got her and wanted the best for her, and as soon as she met Ethan, it was ON. I loved their romance, I loved the spice level of low to medium, and I loved the side characters. This was a true winner for me and one of the best books I've read this year.

My favorite summer read so far! Again, I hugely appreciate that this wasn’t about a 20-something finding her person, but instead about a woman in her late thirties with kids, and a marriage, and a career.

Monaghan is fantastic with witty banter, and pacing and finesse. She is up there with Henry, Jimenez, and Bailey for me. Her characters are complex and unique, and this is true of the worlds she paints too. I was impressed by how she wove death and grief into the story without making it fully sad.

If I have one piece of feedback for Monaghan, it’s to please add one or two more peppers to her spice level. Please! Your books are deeper than romcoms; so let’s fully go there!

Thank you for the arc. Can’t wait for the world to have this book in their hands.

I love Annabelle Monaghan’s books and this one is another good one. I read most of this book while on the beach. It was fast paced and so cute. It's not all fluff either. There's depth to this story. It's about Ali Morris who has three children. Her marriage is over, and her mother has passed away. She unexpectedly meets someone from her past, Ethan, and he really helps her get through some tough times. Reading about the times they spend together over the summer brought a smile to my face. This book is very relatable and enjoyable. Highly recommend picking this romance book up. There's just something about the way Monaghan writes romances that just brings joy while reading.

Out June 4.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'm such a fan of Annabel Monaghan's books and this new one is no exception! I also love stories about how it is never too late to make changes to your life and this book describes that marvelously. It is sweet and funny and made me tear up a couple of times. The perfect poolside/beach read!

Fun-tastic (to quote Cliffy)! This is a summer beach read that hits all the right notes. Ali (Alice) is struggling to get her life together while her soon to be ex-husband is living his best life. She is juggling her business, taking care of three kids, one dog, and a house that is in serious need of being organized. One fateful day at the dog park has Ali connecting with someone from her past; someone who admired her from afar and will help her be that spontaneous and hopeful girl she once was. This story takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions with much laughter, some tears and heartbreak and the promise for a champagne summer!

This book is a fantastic summer read. Ali is a great FMC. She has so many layers and is discovering all of them throughout the book. The side characters are just as interesting and fun. I don't want to give too much detail, so I will just say this one is worth the read. Highly recommend getting this one and putting it in your beach bag.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

I really enjoyed this summer book while on a summer vacation! It was a fun romance but also included depth that I wasn’t expecting.

This was so cute and had a deeper meaning all wrapped into one book!

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Ali. She is a mother of three who lost her mother a couple years ago and has been separated from her husband for a bit and now he is ready to get the divorce going. So much was put on her place and even though she had some close friends, some more like family, she still wished her mother was around and would talk to her when she was alone. I definitely felt her pain. I have been privileged to have my mother still by my side and I can’t imagine what it would feel like to not. Her mother helped her with the kids and kept pushing her to be a better wife and have a perfect marriage, but when her mother is gone and no longer there to keep everything afloat it all shifts.

I loved seeing Ali learn who she is once again. There are times we get glimpses of what her marriage was like and I don’t know how she lasted so long. Although, it is easier to let things go than have to deal with change. Someone also comes into her life and he changes everything for her. I can’t give any clues because it would be a spoiler, but I enjoyed being surprise by Ethan. He was exactly what Ali needed and appreciated her in every way.

Both Ali and Ethan go through their own changes and jump over hurdles to be with one another and to also let each other grow even if it means this budding romance is only one that lasts the summer. I loved their moments together!

Overall, this was another great book by this author and I know I will come back to it again. This is the perfect book for summer.

Annabel Monaghan writes great romances! This book was very sweet and a great, fast-paced read. I think it’s the perfect book to read while on summer vacation and to dream of transforming your life with your own summer romance.

4.5 stars! I absolutely ADORED this book. Definitely my favorite AM book! Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down and finished it in just over a day! All the mom and parent stuff was sooooo relatable and real. I was giggling and had butterflies throughout the whole book. The perfect summer read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC!

This is exactly what I needed. The definition of a one day summer read! This definitely brought me back to my skateboarding years, and how it made me feel. I remember loving it so much just like Ethan did...not this making me want to skate again😜 Also, I need a movie adaptation now!!!

Summer Romance is a contemporary adult romance about a thirty-something mom of three who navigates love again after the back-to-back losses of her mother and her marriage.

When Summer Romance opens, Ali is living in old sweatpants and barely keeping her house together a year after her husband announced he was leaving. She has never quite recovered from losing her mother and keeps busy doing the bookkeeping for her friend Frannie’s diner and working as a professional organizer. But a chance encounter at the dog park brings an exciting opportunity for love and romance into her life when she least expects it. She’ll have to decide if pursuing a relationship that could end when summer does is worth risking her heart.

This is a sweet and swoony romance between a mom who is finding herself and her voice for the first time, and a fun and thoughtful man. I loved the banter between the characters and their chemistry. It was nice to enjoy a well-written grown-up romance without a bunch of the same old tropes. This couple faces real-life obstacles and must find a way to be together without giving up who they are. I also appreciated the lesson about living in the moment and not regretting loving someone (or a dog) even when you know that you’ll most likely lose them.

I highly recommend Summer Romance!

This book was everything I love about a romance!
I finished this story in one day because I was so invested in these characters. Ali the single mom, who is carrying the weight of the world. She is carrying grief and worry while caring for three precocious children and dealing with a soon-to-be ex-husband.
Then she experiences a meet-cute with Ethan, the charming lawyer at the dog park and her life begins changing little by little as their summer romance unfolds. A perfect beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

Anabel Monaghan has become a must-read author for me. This book is the perfect summer read. The small town and full cast of characters game me Gilmore girls vibes and I loved that both our male and female MC’s were on a journey to take ownership of their lives. Also loved the concept of a champagne summer. ✨

I was rooting for Ali the whole time! It feels easy to love the main character when you can laugh and feel emotion on the same page. Thankful for another fun summer read from AM. Great comfort read!

Summer romance = your next summer read! You won’t want to put this one down as Ali embarks on a “summer romance” and learns that it’s possible to get lucky in love the second time around even while grieving the loss of her mom and navigating life as a single parent.

Ali is 38; she has been separated from her husband Pete for a year. Finally he has filed for divorce, and they will share custody of the kids. Having their oldest as a bit of a surprise and rushing down the aisle, Ali is finding out who she is and what she wants apart from her dissolving marriage. She is a former accountant and current mom and professional organizer.

I believe that a marriage doesn't have to last forever to not be a "failure." Sometimes relationships just run their course and people grow apart and are better parents apart than together. We can't really know who we are going to become and what life has in store for us. This time around Ali has the opportunity to figure out for herself what healthy love looks like.

Enter Ethan, the somewhat "mysterious" stranger Ali meets at the dog park. Well, maybe not so "mysterious" after all.

I really loved the writing in this, I was in the mood for a lighter beach romance, and this perfectly fit the bill. Not going to change your life or anything, but reading it was definitely enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC. This book will be released June 4, 2024.

What a perfect pool read!! I loved Ethan, I loved the kids, I loved the cleaning/organizing, I loved Phyllis. I felt like the pacing was a little off and Ali’s development happened really fast. But still just loved it!

SUMMER ROMANCE is a triumph. Monaghan's books are always full of heart and hope, and this one in particular elicits the best kind of butterflies. The book is deeply relatable, authentic, and sparks the same mental clarity and drive as Marie Kondo did in 2018. Everyone should do themselves a favor and grab two copies - one for themselves, and one for someone they love dearly who may need a reminder that hard pants don't have to be a burden.