Annabel Monaghan just doesn't miss! This book is the absolute perfect book for summer, talk about a beach read! I flew through this one and yet, it still packed such an emotional punch. Annabel has become one of my favorite writers, she is a star!

Reading this on Mother’s Day was the cherry on top. I can’t stop crying. I loved Ethan and Ali’s story but I loved Ali and her relationship with her kids and her mom and Phyllis the most. There were moments with her kids that reminded me so much of my mom and how hard middle school is and ugh I could go on forever.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the ARC

Really sweet romance novel and a perfect summer read. Ali is a great female main character and her family and friends are really interesting and truly make you invested in the story. Ethan is a really well-written love interest. This was a really easy read and would easily recommend it to anyone looking for a heartfelt love story.

This was amazing!! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher that I got to read the arc!
Ali is over 30, a single mom of three cute kids, going through a divorce and grieving the death of her mom. While I'm not currently going through any of these things I did relate to so much in this story! I'm realizing that I love romance books like this. They are so real and not only perfect and lovey dovey.
The fact that Ali struggles with grieving her mom whilst also being there for her kids and trying to manage everything but also being able to feel what she feels was so refreshing to read about. I loved the takes on relationships between kids and parents and also staying true to yourself.
The romance was perfect in my opinion. Ethan was just so amazing and head over heels for Ali and she needed that!! That Ali got to help the people in Ethans life to see that he changed and most importantly that he's happy made me so happy. The way the were there for each other through the meetings with Pete (special shoutout to one of the shittiest people), family gatherings, and everything else was amazing.
Also Ali's relationship with her dad made me sob and I couldn't stop crying until I finished this book! The ending was so sad but so good. There is no way I'm not going to read Annabel Monaghan's other books soon! This one sold me on her writing and storytelling and I just loved it.

This was such a fantastic summer read. I got the chance to read Same Time Next Summer as an ARC copy previously, so I was just thrilled to have the opportunity to read Annabel’s new book. A must-buy author for me!

Annabel writes such atmospheric summer reads that just make you want to visit the town they are set in. Her writing is so beautifully done and it’s so specific to her writing style. She writes romance that’s filled with connection, longing, history and the feeling of first love (even when it might not be).

I love reading about more mature characters, and Ali was such a wonderful main character you can’t help but fall in love with. The relationship she has with her kids, finding herself as her adult life changes, and the grief of the loss of her mother, were all beautiful. Her and Ethan’s relationship is precious and genuine. They have such chemistry and ease with each other.

I’ve never highlighted lines in a kindle book before but I had several highlights throughout this one! I feel like this book had such great messages about finding happiness in life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Annabel blew another one out of the water!

‘Summer Romance’ was everything I hoped for and more! I was introduced to Annabel Monaghan’s writing in ‘Nora Goes Off Script’, and that one quickly became one of my favorite books of all time. While ‘Summer Romance’ didn't quite reach top-tier favorites for me, it was genuinely such a wonderful read.

My heart ached for Ali as she navigated the hole that losing her mother two years prior had left, and my anger was intense every single time her soon-to-be ex-husband graced the page with his presence. He was the actual worst?! What an awful husband, dad, and human. Her three children all had unique personalities and her determination to be the mother they deserved was admirable.

Now let's get to Ethan! I will say that it took me a moment to fully warm up to Ethan as a plausible long-term romantic interest for a mom of three, but he won me over pretty quickly and, boy, was that guy charming or what! I loved his communication with Ali, and I was desperate for them to never reach the end of their summer romance. Watching them fall in love had me feeling all the butterflies and swoony feelings!

I laughed a lot and I cried more than once. Monaghan officially has a lifelong fan in me, and I cannot wait to read whatever she comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am so in love with Annabel Monaghan’s books and was so excited when I was approved to read this ARC ❤️ Her writing is so comforting and the characters she creates are so relatable. I loved going on Ali’s journey of finding herself while going through a divorce. I also admire the relationship she has with her kids. Her meet cute with Ethan was the cutest! And oh my goodness Ethan is a breath of fresh air. He is the sweetest and when he teaches her to skateboard 🥰 This is a feel good story that you won’t want to end ❤️

Oh I loved this so much, this is my new favorite from Annabel Monaghan! I found this to be so refreshing - following a recently divorced mom of three. I laughed, I cried, I truly had such a great time with this book, I was absolutely charmed by the main characters.

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan was literally nothing short of a really great, bingeable book – go ahead and pack it in your pool or beach bag now. It is the perfect summer read, and I immediately fell in love with both Ali and Ethan. Ali is just sort of just going through the motions of life (taking care of her kids, neighbor) and has just become really complacent since the loss of her mother and the inevitable separation/divorce from her husband. Welcome Ethan, literally the day Ali decides to take control of her life, take off her wedding ring, and wear real pants. He actually sees her for who she is and it’s only going to be a Summer Romance…or is it? I really could not put this one down, and wish it could have been all the pages. This book isn’t all fluff, and definitely deals with some heavier topics, including grief, loss of self, etc. But the way I will immediately purchase and read Annabel Monaghan’s books, I have yet to be disappointed.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Annabel Monaghan and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Annabel Monaghan can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. She is 3/3 in writing the sweetest summer love stories that I just can't get enough of. Dare I say that this might be the best one yet?! Summer Romance is more reminiscent of Nora Goes Off Script in terms of the single mom aspect, but it had all the best summer vibes of Same Time Next Summer. I love how this was kind of like friends to lovers but not really. Ethan is a great MMC, and I just loved him (and Brenda!).

This novel has a lot of depth, which is what I think I enjoyed the most. I really appreciated Ali's journey with grief. I also liked that through both Ethan and Ali there was a strong message about finding yourself and living the life that you want to be the architect of. Also, there was a lot of humor as well as some great secondary characters, which is always a plus!

I think this book healed me. Which is I am pretty sure how I also felt about Annabel’s other two books. She is a must-read author for me and this book is no different.

Just like with Nora Goes off Script, this book features 30+ characters navigating life during divorce and death of a parent. This story follows Ali, a newly single mom of three navigating divorce with an unsupportive partner while still reeling from the death of her mother over two years ago. This book is about regaining confidence, self-worth and finding your voice again after losing yourself in a loveless marriage. Ali meets Ethan at a dog park, and realizes he is someone from her past. Both Ethan and Ali are fully fleshed out characters with complex but relatable struggles, and you can’t help but root for them. The romance was so sweet, and they had great chemistry. It was so beautiful to see Ali realize the type of love she deserved all along.

There are a lot of lovely side characters in this book that just make it even better— you really feel like you’re a part of their world, and this cute little beach town. This was the perfect summer read and totally bingeable. I couldn’t put it down, and make sure you have some tissues at the end!

Summer Romance confirms that Annabel Monaghan is an auto-buy author for me.

I don’t have children and my husband isn’t a complete twat like Ali’s ex-husband, so I couldn’t relate to those parts, but I really liked reading about a main character closer to my age. Ali is dealing with the grief of losing her mother and losing herself. I enjoyed the journey of Ali trying to get her life back together with the help of a “summer romance”.

I loved Ethan and you can’t go wrong with “the best friend’s brother” plot. Although I think my favorite relationship in the book was Ali’s friendship with her elderly next door neighbor. It was so sweet and was one of the few times I cried while reading.

This is the perfect summer read. Loved it! Now I’m bummed that I have to wait another year for Annabel’s next book though.

“SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO THROW SHIT IN THE pantry.”

I knew instantly I was going to love this book by the first page. I’ve read this author’s other books and all were so well written. I love how relatable her book’s feel and how well I connect with the characters. If you’re looking for a summer romance that also deals with loss this is the perfect read.

“It’s funny how you’re meeting me for the first time, and I’ve known you forever,”

<bw><i>Tropes & What to Expect</b></i>
🌷it’s always been you
🌷best friend’s younger brother
🌷summer romance
🌷loss of a parent
🌷small tight knit community
🌷FMC is a recent divorcee and single mom
🌷both FMC and MMC are late 30s
🌷closed door

Overall thoughts: this is such a beautiful, tender summer romance. If you love romances in a small community you will love this one for sure.

ARC REVIEW

Summer Romance
By Annabel Monaghan

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (5 out of 5)

Publishing Date: 6/4/2024

Ali is going through IT. Her mom died 2 years ago, and she has still not recovered (understandably). She is going through a divorce and a mom to 3 children. She helps take care of her elderly neighbor, and she can't remember the last time she has worn REAL pants. She has a lot on her plate.

While at the dog park, she has a "meet cute" with a fellow dog owner. There is a definite spark between them, and she feels things she didn't experience over the entire length of her marriage. The problem is, he is leaving at the end of summer. But perhaps this is what she needs? A no strings attached summer romance?

REVIEW:!
This was so great! I loved the evolution of the MC Ali. It's a total "coming of age" story for an adult woman.

The story tackle real life situations that we all may deal with at some point in our lives....divorce, single parenting, finances, friendship, grief, family, new love...it touches on a plethora or relatable circumstances that make it easy to connect with the characters.

It was a great length, and it kept my interest the entire time. I loved the setting. Summer love is one of my favorites, and it made this book extra appealing!

I definitely recommend checking this one out next month! I loved it!
Super appreciative of @netgalley and @putnambooks for the chance to read the ARC.

And @annabelmonaghan thanks for this gem of a story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc!
Ali has been in a depressive rut, struggling to piece her life back together. Ali’s mom, who she was very close to, passed away two years ago. To top it off, Ali’s husband Pete asked her for a divorce last summer, on the one year anniversary of her mom’s death. Although she’s not exactly too upset about her marriage ending, she is still very much grieving her mother- so much so that her house is almost always a mess and she struggles to get dressed in the mornings, instead wearing sweatpants everywhere. Ali also has 3 kids that she is almost solely responsible for, besides when Pete picks them up for their soccer games.

One day when Ali brings her dog to the dog park, she meets a handsome stranger under mortifying circumstances. The two end up running into each other again and go out on a date, but Ali is confused when he doesn’t kiss her, doesn’t ask for her number or suggest they go out again despite how well the date went. Ali quickly learns that her new interest, Ethan, actually isn’t a stranger at all- he’s someone she’s known for years, she just didn’t recognize him.

As Ali and Ethan continue to spend time together, they are unable to deny their attraction and agree to a summer romance- Ali isn’t ready for anything serious, and Ethan lives about 4 hours away and is only in town for the summer. The more time Ali spends with Ethan, the more she realizes about herself. Coming to terms with the fact that she let herself become subdued within her marriage with Pete, Ali is finally inspired to get back to her old self.

Even though the summer is going great, Ali is scared to see the end of it and have to say goodbye to Ethan. As much as she would like him to stay, she knows he has a life elsewhere, somewhere he loves and is an important part of the community. Can it really just be a summer romance, or can it survive long past Labor Day?

I really enjoyed this book and thought the characters were so genuine and endearing. (Except for Pete) I’ve read Nora Goes off Script and Same Time Next Summer, so I was very excited to get this one early! Summer Romance is a great beach read and will be enjoyable to anyone who loves romcoms. The storyline is also so inspiring, and I think anyone who might feel like they’ve lost themselves could benefit from Ali’s journey.

I went into this one blind, without reading the premise, and it was really good!

Alice, a thirty something mom to three, is going through a divorce, grieving her own mom, and is finding herself all over again. Ethan is a lawyer, Alice’s best friend’s little brother, recently dumped, and is two years younger than Alice. Their meet cute takes place a dog park of all places (I’m sold). While Alice does not recognize Ethan as her best friend’s little brother, she agrees to a date the next time they run into each other. Once she puts the pieces together she’s already kind of enjoying time with Ethan… so she continues enjoying time with him, and I love that for her.
Their relationship builds and for some reason I had a hard time imagining Alice and Ethan as a couple. I kept imagining Alice as much older than Ethan. There was also the fact that Ethan had been pining over Alice since he was a sophomore in high school, and Alice never knew it…

The story is great. It’s cute but not overly romance, she finds herself, she finds her backbone against her ex-husband, and also finds her family again.

If you read and enjoyed Just For the Summer (Carly Fortune) you’ll also love this, as it has very similar trope (best friend’s brother and didn’t know it).

Thanks, Annabel Monaghan, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam publishing for this eARC. Publishing June 4th, 2024! This story is a perfect summer read!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book will be a classic summer romance read for years to come, and absolutely deserves to be made into a movie! Everything about this stony was just perfect.

The Author wrote with such raw and poignant writing, you felt like you were in the story feeling all of these emotions. She covered so many topics like divorce, the death and grief of losing a parent, being a single Mom, navigating your happiness as a Mother while also being your own purpose, dating after divorce, figuring out your worth as a woman. I mean she covered so many things and did it all so well. If you’re looking for a love story that captures the raw emotions of real life love and loss, but also has all the magic of summertime sprinkled in, please pick up this book, you will absolutely fall in love with Beechwood and these characters.

Still dealing with the grief of losing her Mother, Ali must now also deal with getting divorced, and being a Single Mom of three kids. She’s managing to barely make it through each day by surviving, but not thriving. One morning she unexpectedly meets a man named Ethan at the dog park when her dog ends up peeing on him.

The two strike up a friendship and go on a date before she discovers who he really is. But determined to give them a real shot at being a couple Ali decides she’s all in. Before she knows it every day is getting easier and brighter for her, and she knows in large part it’s thanks to Ethan.

But the stark truth is that at the end of the summer Ethan is leaving Beechwood to go back to his life in Massachusetts. Ali decides the inevitable heartbreak she will experience when he leaves is worth having a Summer romance. But when it’s time for summer to end she realizes her decision isn’t going to be so easy after all, and she begins to regret and second guess everything. Is there happily ever after for them? Or was this just a summer romance?

Fans of Emily Henry will want to devour everything Annabel Monaghan has written, and this is no exception.

Summer Romance features Ali, a mom of three who has lost her mojo since her uber-supportive mom died almost two years prior. She's been separated from her husband for a year, and he is now wanting to push ahead with the divorce. Ali just can't find the motivation to really give a damn about anything but her kids. This changes when her best friend's handsome and fun younger brother returns to their hometown. Ethan is dealing with his own family drama and has no intention of staying. Ali agrees to take this plunge, but only for the summer; then it's over.

As a mom of three, I can absolutely remember the days of overwhelm when you did a lot, but it didn't look like much to anyone outside your house. The mental load of trying to do everything and do it well is exhausting. This book is such a resounding wake-up call for women who have lost themselves in the midst of "it's just easier this way." Ali's struggle to maintain a relationship with her adolescent daughter is spot on. The cold-water-in-the-face moment when Ali's daughter shares what she's observed about her parents' relationship is such an important reminder of how much our kids need us to model what a healthy relationship looks like.

Monaghan is added to my shelf of "auto-buy" authors. This will be a fantastic summer read!

This was a fast read for me. I liked the character development and relationships in the story. Ali’s kids and family were ones you find yourself wishing were yours. There were so many memorable quotes and moments that made me pause and let sink in. Such a sweet and emotional story,

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book is not bad at all, but unfortunately, I found it hard to connect with the main characters -- possibly because I am not a middle aged divorced mother. (though I have enjoyed other books where the MC is a divorced mother, such as Finlay Donovan). It seems that unfortunately Annabel Monaghan's books are either a hit or miss for me, and this one while not the worst book in the world, was also not my favorite book. I am still not interested in completely abandoning this author though, as I have enjoyed some of her other books. I hope I enjoy the next book more. Also, please don't my let my iffyness about this book turn you away from reading it.




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Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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