Thank you for arc! Ugh Annabel Monaghan’s characters are so solid. They feel so real, the chemistry is there and it makes me want to root for them. Her stories have always stuck with me and this one is no exception

Yes yes yes!

Annabel is back with another outstanding summer beach read! I am absolutely obsessed with Ethan and Ali.

This book has so much emotion, it’s starts with Ali, coming off two year after losing her mother, and one year after her husband asking for a divorce. The divorce is honestly the best thing that could happen to her because her ex is a complete tool.

Once I had an inkling of where this story was going I was so pumped to see how it unfolded, and it did not disappoint.

When Ali meets Ethan she is immediately drawn to him in a somewhat familiar feelings, as there relationship progresses Ethan helps Ali back to the girl she use to be, someone who was fiercely herself. She always is a professional organizer and she talks about how it’s easier to help others get rid of their stuff but harder for her to do it herself. I love that aspect of how she cleaned out things and the process behind it. It has me ready to do a deep clean of my house. 🤣

This is the P E R F E C T beach read that will hit you in the feels in the best way.

I loved this book!! A fellow book reviewer recommended it, and I’m so glad she did! It is a warm, sweet Summer Romance. Not a ton of spice which makes it a really sweet read. I loved that the character was in her late 30s. Definitely would recommend?!

Thank you so much Putnam and sons and net galley for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review! My reviews are linked below! I really enjoyed this book! Thank you!

I've really enjoyed reading @annabelmonaghan's previous books so I was thrilled to get an advance copy of Summer Romance through @netgalley.

This book was had a great mix of themes --
☀️Small-town romance
☀️Dating a best friend's sibling
☀️Divorce
☀️Grief
☀️Reinventing yourself
☀️Owning your own story

Ali and Ethan had the sweetest relationship, and their story flowed nicely. Summer Romance is one I'd definitely recommend adding to your summer TBR. It comes out next Tuesday!

4⭐️

Summer Romance is the perfect romance book to read this summer. It was super fast paced but such a sweet book. This was my first Annabel Monaghan novel, and I instantly fell in love with the writing. She sure knows how to write about a couple that you’ll be rooting for from the start.

While I wasn’t able to relate to the characters within this book, I found myself still being completely interested in them and their life stories. Ali’s character was very admirable. I enjoyed watching her discover who she was as her own person while falling in love with a man who allowed her to do just that. Ethan’s character was so incredibly sweet and I admired the love he had for Ali. Although Summer Romance followed two people falling in love with one another, there was so much more depth to this book regarding the two main character’s families which I really enjoyed.

I’ll definitely be reading the rest of Annabel’s books this summer as I’ve heard nothing but amazing things. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read an arc of Summer Romance.

I just couldn’t get into this book. I tried and kept pushing to read it, but it just wasn’t it, and fell off for me. I finished the book but it truly did take a while. Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the arc in exchange for my review!

First time reading this author's work and I am instantly a fan. I love a good slow burn romance. Ethan is everything Ali has needed in her life. After losing her mother, and then her husband telling her on the anniversary of her mother's death he wants a divorce, things can only go up in her life. Her meet-cute story is exactly how she knows this is her person. Ethan is the man every woman needs in her life, a great partner and the best cheerleader. I was instantly addicted to this story. It melts my heart. It's a perfect summer read for all romance book lovers.

Ali is a professional organizer whose life is a mess. 2 years ago she lost her mother to illness, a year ago she lost her husband when he walked out on her while she was still under the haze of grief, and much longer ago she lost herself to the chaos and upheaval of mothering three children. Just about the time Ali decides she has to do something to get her life in order she has a meet cute of sorts with a hunky man at the dog park. While he may not be Mr. Right, he's Mr. Alright-For-Now and Ali is willing to add a little mess to her life in the form of a fun summer fling because she deserves a little fun! But Ali might just be in for more than she bargained for.

For the last 3 years I have had the pleasure of ushering in summer with an Annabel Monaghan book and in my opinion Summer Romance is her best yet! Ali is a heroine to cheer for with a relatable arc of struggling to find herself amidst the chaos of raising kids and managing a household. I always appreciate that Monaghan's stories feature more mature MCs; middle aged moms deserve a little romance too! I loved Ali and Ethan together and adored the New England small town setting. This story has romance, redemption, cute dogs, a quaint setting, descriptions of highly organized pantries, and grown up skater boys - truly what more can one ask for in a beach read?!

A Sweet Summer Read

Summer Romance is a heartwarming novel about a newly single mother grappling with grief and rediscovering love.

Ali, a former accountant turned home organizer, is in a tough spot. Her husband has left her, and she’s mourning the loss of her mother, who was her biggest supporter. Her three children bring her happiness, but it’s not until Ethan arrives in town that she realizes she lost her voice and joy long ago.

Though a large portion of the novel revolves around Ali and Ethan's romance, a significant portion is devoted to Ali’s journey of self-discovery. Ali, is easy to identify with, making it even easier to root for her. She is honest, flawed, and very realistic.

The narrative is straightforward, and while the plot may be predictable, it's filled with endearing moments, some humor, and plenty of PG-13 chemistry between Ethan and Ali.

What I love about Monaghan's characters is that they have lived life--they are adults with real-life problems. They grow but make mistakes, and still, they evolve.

Overall, Summer Romance is a feel-good summer read with a charming setting and relatable characters. I recommend this one for a sweet escape.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam in exchange for an honest review.

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan is a fantastic story. Ali Morris’ life is not what she had planned. Her mom died two years ago, her husband left a year ago, and she is feels like things are very messy. Ethan is just visiting Beechwood for the summer. He thinks Ali is wonderful. What can be wrong with a summer romance?

Visiting Beechwood and making new friends was a highlight for me. I enjoyed the characters and town. Ali was such a relatable character that I enjoyed watching transform in the story. Ethan was a great guy. I loved his backstory and the life he had made for himself. The story shares about the risks we take in life and why they are so important. The themes of walking through grief, becoming who you were meant to be, and the value of loving someone resonated with me.

For me Summer Romance had all the things including a honest and transforming heroine, a hero who really listens, and romance that grows through the story. I am a huge fan of author Annabel Monaghan and this may be my new favorite of her books.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a review.

Drawn into the life of Ali from page one! My first Annabel Monaghan novel was Nora Goes Off Script, which I adored. Her characters are so relatable and her writing makes them easy to binge in a couple days! Summer Romance will capture your heart and leave you with all the happy, sweet, dreamy feelings.

I am a more action-oriented reader. I don't especially like books where we are subjected to a characters every thought or recollection. Lengthy trips down memory lane bore me. I'm much more interested in the here and now. But all that introspection and navel-gazing does make knowing the characters and being invested unavoidable for the reader. The first-person narrative isn't my favorite either. I liked Ali. Her struggles with the death of first her beloved mother and then her marriage while raising three children make it tough not to. Add to that her struggles with finding herself again and starting a new relationship make it a sweet, heartwarming tale.

My thanks to the Publisher, and Author, for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

Ali is going through a divorce and taking care of her two children while grieving the loss of her mother. She's a professional organizer, but with her personal struggles, is unable to organize her own home or life. All in all, things are not going great. That is, until her dog pees on an extremely hot guy at the dog park and he is completely charmed. He's only in town for the summer, which gives Ali the perfect opportunity to start moving on with a low-pressure summer fling. But like, what if they fall in love?

This is extremely sweet. The relationship development between Ali and Ethan is really well done. He's really supportive of her during her grief, and his relationship with her kids is really precious.

I think if you've read and enjoyed Nora Goes off Script by this author, this one will be right up your alley. Annabel Monaghan does a really good job a writing protagonists who are more mature, divorced with children, but making sure that they are full, complete characters separate from all of that, with their own lives and desires independent of their family situation.

Wonderful novel about a newly divorced mother of three. This book has a great love story but also tackles themes of grief and resilience. The setting of the small coastal town is charming, making this a perfect summer read!

I loved this one! Annabel Monaghan writes such compelling characters and stories. I was nervous to read this because I loved Nora Goes Off Script so much I didn't think I could love another book as much but this one was a close second that I binge read in one evening. Perfect summer read!

Review will be posted on 5/30/24

Ali Morris is not in the best place. Her mother died two years ago and she is still grieving. Raising her three kids is difficult, especially when she is going through a divorce from her husband, Pete, who seems to care more about his biking schedule than his kids. She has been in a rut, wearing mostly sweatpants, and hanging out with her geriatric neighbor, until she takes her dog to the dog park and her dog pees on gorgeous Ethan. Ethan and Ali hit it off and this reminds Ali of who she used to be and starts to get her out of her rut. That is until she realizes Ethan is none other than Scooter, her friend's little brother, who was a real pain in the ass in high school. She couldn't possibly date him, right? Scooter seems entirely different than the man before her eyes and he has had a crush on Ali since high school. Ethan is determined to make her take him seriously. Could their romance be something that lasts more than just a summer? Annabel Monaghan's Summer Romance is beach read gold. I loved every second of this relatable story filled with characters that I actually liked and was rooting for.


Ali is one of my favorite characters of the year. I adored her, along with many of the secondary characters in Summer Romance, which rarely happens in books lately. Most of the characters, other than her ex-husband, were extremely likable. I enjoyed being in Ali's world and as a mom in my 40s, I could relate to her. Monaghan gets women in their late 30s/early 40s better than any writer out there today. How could I not root for Ali and the return to her former self in Summer Romance? I was so happy to watch her relationship unfold with Ethan and for her to gain some confidence back.

The dialogue was, as usual, done so well and there were some laugh-out-loud moments in Summer Romance. Monaghan's realistic (and hilarious!) dialogue is right up there with Emily Henry and Carley Fortune. Also, Monaghan has created such a happy beach read. I didn't want it to end. Summer Romance is one of my favorite beach reads of the summer, if not one of my favorite books of the year. I adored Nora Goes Off Script as well as Same Time Next Summer , so it's safe to say Monaghan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. If you love a beach read that is happy, sweet, relatable, and is believable, look no further than Summer Romance. I am convinced Monaghan can do no wrong.

So, do you plan on reading Summer Romance? Are you a fan of Monaghan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I felt the title is a little misleading in that one of the reasons I chose to read this book was that it would entail a summer romance, only to find that was a small aspect of the story. The story really centers around Ali's divorce and mother's recent death, with a slight dusting of Ali falling for her best friend's little brother Scooter. Part of the dialogue is Ali talking to her deceased mother while in the car and the other part is her cruising on autopilot, waking up one day to her husband Pete saying he wants a divorce and her responding by continuing in her autopilot manner while raising three kids on her own. Enough was going on for me to finish reading the book, but it kinda fell flat.

Matching its' title, Summer Romance is the light, fun, and short beach read to add to your summer TBR.

Ali is a separated mom of two who has recently lost her mother and fees like her life is absolutely at a low-point. Despite being a professional organizer, her own life feels disjointed, chaotic, and the last thing she needs is a messy summer romance. Fate, and her dog, have other plans for her when she collides with a younger handsome skateboarder names Ethan. Ethan is Ali's childhood best friend's younger brother who is only home for the summer to help sell his parents' home. He is a lawyer who agrees to help Ali in her divorce case in exchange for her help clearing out the home to sell. Sparks fly and the two agree to a low-stakes summer fling. What happens when the both catch feelings?? You'll have to read this one to find out!

Monaghan writes the most relatable middle-aged heroines in the romance world while also crafting CAPABLE swoony men who anticipate and support the needs of their partner. Is anything sexier than that?? This romance is fun, sexy, and allows room for growth in both main character's arcs. The 4.43 Goodreads average rating is well-earned and this will absolutely be another bestseller for the author!

Synopsis: Ali is grappling with some major life changes - a divorce, the loss of her mother, and a minor identity crisis. As a professional organizer, she is struggling to organize her life to get it back on track. After a delightful meet cute with Ethan, Ali starts to feel a way out of her slump. With the help of a summer, her children, her friends, and Ethan, Ali might just rediscover that she can create a life she loves again.

My Thoughts: This romance hit hard on many life changing events: grief of a parent and divorce. With that being said, this was more contemporary than the usual romances I pick up. I enjoyed the rediscovery aspect of this Ali’s journey as well as the playfulness of the portrayal of summer. However, I thought there could have been more depth to the romance. Ethan was swoon-worthy but did not seem to have a full arc like Ali. If you are looking for a summer beach read, this is an awesome choice.