Honestly how dare Annabel Monaghan call this book Summer Romance and then proceed to write so poignantly about navigating grief, finding yourself, and dog ownership (iykyk). I wanted to punch Pete in his stupid face, but seeing Ali bloom throughout the story was worth his presence. This was tender, complex, and hopeful, which feels very on brand for this author.

thank you @netgalley @penguinrandomhouse and @annabelmonaghan for the advanced readers copy of this book!

i thoroughly enjoyed reading this book- i was entertained, swooning, and rooting for the main characters! it had everything you need in a summery romcom with a title that fits perfectly.

my 3.5 star rating is because the tropes weren’t my absolute favorite- we have some skateboarding and an unrecognizable best friends brother!

i was rooting for the main character to progress in her grief process and start living for herself and it was a great journey of character growth to follow.

i absolutely recommend this book to those looking for a fun, easy summer romance! Annabel Monaghan continues to be an author that i will always recommend!

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for my #gifted advanced copy and thank you PRH Audio for my #gifted listening copy of Summer Romance! #PRHAInfluencer #PRHAudioPartner

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

★★★★★

Annabel Monaghan has done it again! Her books hold a special place in my heart, but I felt such a strong connection with Ali, the main character in Summer Romance, and this book truly stole my heart! It was such a delightful book and one that you are going to want to add to your summer reading list!

Ali helps other people organize their lives, but her life is anything but organized. She lost her mother two years ago, and her husband left her exactly one year after that. She doesn’t even remember the last time she’s worn “hard pants,” but the first time she puts herself together, she has a meet-cute at a dog park with a man named Ethan. Ali doesn’t need to add anything to her life right now, but a little summer romance wouldn’t hurt, right?

Monaghan creates the best characters. I loved Ali so much and found her to just feel so real. I lost my father almost two years ago, and I was so close with him and I could really relate to Ali and her experience with losing her mother. I loved Ethan and found him to be so likable. He was such a great support to Ali as a lawyer and more. He was just so charming and I adored him!

🎧I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook, narrated by Kristen DiMercurio. I LOVED DiMercurio as the narrator and found myself getting lost in this audiobook. She was perfect for the role of Ali and I think she did an amazing job bringing Ali and the other characters to life.

🩷Single Parent
🩷Meet Cute
🩷Best Friends Brother
🩷Grief - Loss of a Parent
🩷Closed Door Romance
🩷Navigating Divorce

Posted on Goodreads on April 30, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around June 4, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on June 4, 2024
**-will post on designated date

Annabel Monaghan is my kind of romance author! She writes stories that feel mature and realistic. I loved the chemistry between Ethan and Ali, and I also appreciated Ali's motherhood struggles. Another positive was the summery vibes!
This novel was a huge hit for me! Highly recommended.

The way this author writes is for all the 40+ women out there. I love a good rom com but sometimes I feel like they are all too young for me. Loved the banter, the roles the kids played in this book and unpacking a marriage of hurt, some grief and adulting. I think this is my favorite book of hers so far!

AHHHHHHHH when i got this arc i was so excited because ive read her other books and loved them!! they’re always such the perfect light but also you’re so emotionally connected!! i just loved this romance book so much!! highly recommend!

Summer Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m a little late to the game with Annabel Monaghan’s books I feel like. Rest assured I’ve already got at least one of her other books downloaded on my kindle!

Ali is going through a divorce and needs to sort out her life when a summer romance lands on her doorstep. As a mother of three, she learns to navigate single motherhood while still taking care of herself.

I really liked Ethan in this story. Ali had so much growth as a character and he was there for it all. Cute way to kick off the summer when this comes out in June!

Thanks to @netgalley for this arc!

This book started out very slow for me, I had a hard time getting into it. The first three chapters felt slower than molasses in January, then of a sudden it's like you're on the freeway and you realize that your brakes don't work. Ok, not that extreme because this obviously isn't a thriller but this book is like mainlining dopamine from Chapter 4 and beyond. I was literally blushing on my living room couch, eating Goldfish in my sweatpants and a messy bun like I myself was having a summer romance.

The FMC starts out sad. Her life is full of endings and she can't seem to get her shit together. She's 38, she has 3 kids, and btw, Fuck Peter. That's all that I have to say about that. I like that the MCs are in their late 30's. They're full-on fucking grown ups and isn't that refreshing.

This is a fade to black romance so if it's smut you're searching for, search elsewhere. It is meaningful with a hint of sadness. It's got the vibe of a 2nd chance romance but it's not.

What happens when the guy you date after the divorce "just for the summer" turns into someone you catch feelings for? Why do we get a dog when we know they're going to die and break our hearts? What happens when the pages of a book are laced with crack cocaine? Ok, I'm KIDDING. Can this book be serious and discuss some sad topics? Yes. Can it makes you do damn happy anyways? Abso-fucking-lutely.

Other reasons to read this book:
Skateboarding lessons
Carbonation
Pelican Island
Charm bracelets
Powder blue tuxedos

I promise you, this book feels very light, happy and airy somehow. I can't explain it other than Annabel must be magic. I finished this book in less than 24 hours. Just read it. You won't regret it because you'll close this book with a smile on your face.

This was so sweet. I love when the main characters like each other right away, and I loved that this was a personal growth story mixed with a romance. Again, lots of nature and imagery mixed with a quirky cast of characters-the author’s trademark. I’ll read anything she writes. She has such a poignant way with words, and this is the perfect book for the summer.

4.5 give me a summer romance stars

This one gives us a complex and realistic main character, Ali Morris. She’s still feeling off-kilter after her mother's death and her pending divorce. And as many women can relate, none of her pants have zippers. Her three kids keep her hopping.

Then, one day at the dog park, her dog decides it’s time she meets someone. After a memorable introduction, Ethan and Ali embark on a summer romance. The beauty of a summer romance is that you know it’s a short-term thing; there's no need to get emotionally attached.

I enjoyed that Ali’s career was organizing other people’s things, yet her house was a mess. Her character was perfectly believable, and I liked the writing in this one. There are some realistic parenting scenarios in this one and I loved how Ali cared for her aging neighbor. I grew to root for staying power for Ali and Ethan.

There were even some skateboarding parts of this book and cute dogs!

I had to round up my rating in this one because I shed a few tears at the end.

This is my second book by Annabel Monaghan, and she is quickly becoming a favorite. In fact, I liked this one so much that I bought her first book, “Nora Goes Off Script.”

Cute story but I think this author just may not be for me. I never was captivated by the story although I did love and feel sympathy for the FMC but that’s just about it. I did love Ethan— he is a complete cinnamon roll but other than that, I just wasn’t amazed.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishing house for an advanced copy of this book!

I couldn’t put this book down. Ali’s journey through grief, her marriage ending, and allowing herself to open up to love again was beautiful. The emotions were real and relatable. Loved!

A great quick Romance read!

This was just ok for me. The story kind of meandered along and I wasn’t surprised or shocked by anything that happened. Cute story, albeit a bit boring.

Not all authors are for everyone and even though I loved Nora Goes Off Script, Annabel’s last book and this one were unfortunately not a fit for me. I do think people will really enjoy it, but I had a hard time with it and ultimately DNF’ed it at 40%,

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I had the priviledge of reading Annabel's previous two books before they were published (both were five big stars for me!) so getting an advance copy of this book certainly made my day! I also took a trip to my local bookstore last summer and was able to meet her! What a wonderful experience!

Monaghan has a way with her words. She writes with details that make the reader feel as though they are in the story with the characters. The emotions her characters feel are ones that you can empathsize with as you turn the pages. I also love that her protagonists are always a bit older and demonstrate what it is like to move on in relationships after children and lives have been created.

In this story, we meet Ali, who is feeling all the feels as it is the second anniversary of her mother's passing and the one day anniversary of her husband leaving her. However, a walk in the dog park changes everything for her. Her dog, Ferris, pees on a stranger's leg. That stranger isn't just anyone though, he is a handsome man named Ethan and he is not upset about the incident at all.

Soon, Ethan and Ali get together and she realizes that Ethan is the younger brother of a close friend of hers that she once called "Scooter." There is chemistry between Ethan and Ali though. What will become of this Summer Romance?

I loved that this story encourages us to take chances, to not be afraid, and to do the things we love. It reminded me of the Garth Brooks song, "The Dance." "I could have missed the pain, but I'd of had to miss the dance." I loved the dog references in the story and the humor.

Annabel Monaghan is a delightful person and incredible writer. I will read everything she writes! How lucky are we, as readers, that she keeps writing amazing books every year?

4.75 This is not quite a five star read but I LOVED the characters so much!! Main character Ali is in the midst of a divorce soon after her beloved mother passes away. She is struggling to take care of her 3 kids and feeling lost in her career as a professional organizer. She meets Ethan at a dog park and that ends up changing her whole life!
I cannot state in enough words how much I love Annabel Monaghans books. She writes very likeable, relatable characters. The story has great pacing and so easy to read. The setting was perfect and has a great summer vibe! I love that this is a closed door romance but there's definitely that romance aspect! The only con and why it wasn't a full five star for me is that Ali's inner dialogue kept repeating over and over. I think that might be a trait of women's fiction but its not my cup of tea.
I always recommend Annabel's books to my friends and am looking forward to her next book!
Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons publishing and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ali was grieving over the loss of her mother when only a year later (to the date), her husband told her he wanted a divorce. Ali, the organization QUEEN to many, saw her life in shambles. What more could go wrong? …Her dog peeing on the hottest guy at the dog park aka her best friend’s brother.

Meanwhile, Ali’s best friend’s parents were moving to Florida. They were leaving their house with Scooter, Frannie’s brother. He planned to clean it out and sell it. Meanwhile Ali needed a lawyer to help with her divorce. So what did they do? They swapped services. Ali would organize and clean the house for Scooter and Scooter would be her lawyer.

I loved how Scooter showed up for Ali at her meetings and stood up for whatever choices would best benefit her and her children. It was so endearing to watch that play out. They showed their relationship to one another in ways that were unusual for most romance books. I mean how often do you see the “lawyer” falling for the soon-to-be divorcee….not often.

My only gripe with this book was that I wish we had a better perspective on how the kids felt about Ali’s relationship with Scooter. It seemed like things moved quickly and the reality of that (with 3 kids) is nearly impossible. Did the kids like him or warm up to him and the idea of a step-dad figure well? I felt like there could have been more on that. A lot of the book focused on the kids getting picked up and then that’s when the relationship would take place when the kids weren’t around and that’s just not the reality for parents. A majority of the time, the kids are around.

All in all, this was an adorable summer read and I would definitely recommend it!

Annabel Monaghan is queen of the slow burn. I binged this book in one day and completely fell in love with the characters. Summer Romance is the perfect feel-good beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is like a warm hug. While romance is in the title and most of the book is about a summer romance it is a much deeper book on an emotional journey about finding yourself again. It tackles the hard stuff in life and not just putting on the “hard pants” but standing up for yourself and asking for what you want. I think a lot of us live life with the flow and just going with what is easiest but sometimes we need to learn to fight for what we want. This book is probably one of the slowest slow burns I have read. Once it finally kicks in it is downhill from there. I did almost give up on this one but so glad I finished it because it was all worth it and such a beautiful story all together. I went into this thinking it would be a whirlwind summer romance and it’s a lot more than that. There are tough, deep , hard topics like death and grieving a loss of a loved one that need to be dealt with. Ethan was always so supportive of Ali and she just needed the encouragement to find herself again. Seeing her character change over the course of the summer was wonderful. There is a wide range of emotions I felt while reading this book. A good summer beach read. Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you #netgalleyfor the ARC, I loved Nora goes offscript so much and had high hopes for this one but it fell a bit flat. I had no sense of urgency to keep reading to see what happened, I just meandered along, kind of like the story. The 'secret' was very predictable and not suprprising at all. Hopefully I will enjoy the next book by this author more.