"Summer Romance" by Annabel Monaghan was a wonderful story that I will recommend to all of my friends! Through the main character, Ali, we experience love, friendship, motherhood, grief, resiliency and every emotion in between. I was rooting for Ali and Ethan the whole time, but I wasn't sure how the book was ultimately going to end.

Here are a few things I enjoyed about "Summer Romance": (1) the growth Ali has within herself after the death of her mother and her divorce from Pete, (2) the relationship between Ali and her older daughter Greer, (3) the love story with Ethan, (4) Ethan's background and learning more about him, and (5) the ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Like all of Annabel Monaghan’s books, Summer Romance was an unputdownable read! Her books are the perfect beach read. She always manages to capture the sense of place and the feeling of summer so perfectly, and the romance is *chef’s kiss*.

Similar to Nora Goes Off Script, Summer Romance focuses on a mom going through a divorce. Monaghan is so good at taking a character who is messy and imperfect, and then revealing to the reader (and the character themselves) that they can still be deserving of love and a second chance at happiness. Reading Summer Romance is like watching the sunset on the beach - the book has a warm, golden glow that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan releases 6/4 and is a warm hug of a story. Ali, a mom of three is newly separated from her husband and is navigating the grief from the death of her mother. As her divorce looms closer, Ali meets Ethan, a lawyer from out of town at a dog park. They hit it off and go on a date only for Ali to realize that Ethan is her best friends younger brother! Unable to ignore their simmering chemistry, they decide to have a summer romance. This book was a fast paced read and I was able to read it in one day. The narrative played into all the feels and has something for everybody. If you’ve ever lost a parent at a young age, you can empathize with Ali and she tackles her grief. Anyone with children can cringe as Ali’s teenage daughter copes with the trials and tribulations of middle school friendships. Finally, anyone who has stepped back into the dating scene after being gone for awhile can laugh along at the awkward situations that play out between Ali and Ethan. Every chapter left me smiling and happy. Ali is also an organizational guru and everytime she describes cleaning out a closet and organizing things into clean containers, it’s a zen moment! As with her previous books, Monaghan has left us with a clean, feel good summer romance. Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam books!

Annabel Monaghan is on my must-read author list. She has this amazing talent to write love stories with a strong pace and sense of place, but they somehow feel softer with natural, real life characters and challenges without all the angst and drama that can come from some authors of this genre. This second-chance romance is the perfect book for summer, and would make a great vacation read - it is the kind of book that has you smiling as you read. I’ve already told several friends about this book, and hope they enjoy it just as much as I did! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is it: the perfect summer book. I went in hoping for a love story that made me swoon and a reflection on losing a parent that felt real, and I got both in spades. An absolutely beautiful second-chance-ish romance with a delicious cinnamon-roll of a MMC with a real heroine’s journey of finding herself after abandoning herself entirely in her former, shitty marriage - I just ate this one up. If you’re looking for the perfect summer read with heft and heart eyes, look no further. 💖

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review an early copy.

Annabel Monaghan has become a must-read, auto-read author for me and Summer Romance did not disappoint!

The story opens with a realistic picture of modern day separation - not yet divorced or finalized, but very much living different lives. Despite losing her mother, attempting to please her husband as a picture-perfect mother to his children, and running her organizing business, Ali is stuck in neutral. Add to that getting peed on at the dog park on the day her husband decides to file for divorce on the anniversary of her mother's death. Cue the plot twist as she meets a swoon-worthy gentleman, with instant chemistry! Not only does Ali's life start to hit the gas pedal, but her "summer romance" with darling Ethan has a few twists and turns as she navigates her divorce and second act of life.
Annabel's character development is divine and I found myself rooting for the changes Ali and Ethan were making for themselves as the story went on.

This is a perfect beach read - but also an amazing book to read anywhere you want to put a smile on your face!

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for the opportunity to read this advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

So beautiful! Loved the sort of nostalgic feel as well as the contrast of the new relationship. I found myself feeling happy and sad with all of the reflections of motherhood.

Like her other two books, the characters were easy to fall in love with. Their stories were easy to connect with and relate to. The plot felt natural and real, not forced or like a fairytale. There was a great mix of "moments": thought provoking, heartwarming, funny that moved the story along quickly. With no true epilogue, I found myself wishing to see further into Ethan and Ali's future - however, the ending speaks to the piece that made this book and their relationship real.

I love this author and knew this would be a great, easy read to put me in the mood for summer! This one did not disappoint. The main character was easy to love and cheer on during her summer romance. Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and of course the fantastic author, Annabel for this wonderful ARC.

Thank you to Putnam books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Summer Romance tells the story of Ali, who is separated from her ex-husband and mourning the death of her mother. She meets Ethan when her dog pees on his shoe and a summer romance ensues.

This book was absolutely delightful. I stayed up far too late to finish it and absolutely will have a book hangover from it. Annabel Monaghan’s writing transports you into the story, in fact I can perfectly picture Beechwood and felt like I was there with the sand in my toes. Ali and Ethan are well developed characters and I really enjoyed Ali’s evolution in the book. I genuinely was smiling reading the book even in the emotional parts. I really enjoyed their love story. Ali’s relationships with her children, particularly Greer, and Phyllis added richness to the plot. I really enjoyed this book!

“𝓘 𝓪𝓶 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓬𝓴 𝓫𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓪 𝓹𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓾𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰. 𝓘𝓽'𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝓭𝓮 𝓱𝓲𝓶 𝓼𝓸 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓽'𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝓭𝓮 𝓶𝓮 𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓭𝔂. 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓫𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓶𝓮𝓪𝓷 𝓫𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓪𝔀 𝓸𝓯 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻: 𝓶𝓪𝔂𝓫𝓮 𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓘 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓽.”

✂️ P L O T L I N E
Ali Morris has been stuck in her old ratty sweat pants for way too long. Her Mom passed away two years ago, and her husband wanted a divorce a year later. Even though she is a professional organizer, her life is nothing but a mess. In comes Ethan, the one person who makes her want to put on regular pants and get her life back in order. The only problem is that he will only be around for the summer.

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
This is my 3rd book by Annabel Monaghan and she left me smiling from ear to ear once again! What a perfect book for summer. A story that makes you smile but also makes you reflect on life as a whole. Both of the MCs in this book were so relatable and I loved seeing them find their true identities throughout the story. This book is such a happy feel good story, book also deals with loss and overcoming grief. It also reminds us that it’s never too late to organize our kitchens, get rid of the extra baggage, and find our happy! One thing I didn’t like….Pete! He’s 100% a d-bag.😜Bonus points for the authors note. I needed some tissues for that one.🥹

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💫Second chance love💕
💫Best friends brother💙
💫Forced proximity👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨
💫Single parent👩🏻
💫Closed door romance🚪
💫Small town vibes🏠
💫He falls first☝🏾
💫Swoon worthy🥰
💫Adult MCs👫🏻
💫Cute Dogs🐶

☀️𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾☀️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕Q U O T E: "𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃'𝓉 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅 𝒹𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓇𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝒶𝒾𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒾𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝓊𝓇𝓃 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝒶𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓎."

🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Putnam Books, and Annabel Monaghan for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

Will I always read anything she writes? Yes, I will. I always end up being an emotional mess after reading any of her books. She truly knows how to write heartbreaking stories that tug at your heart and yet bring you back whole as the characters find their story. 
Summer Romance brings Ali out of her funk. She definitely had a rough year; she doesn’t recognize herself lately. Thankfully, she was able to slowly snap out of it when summer came around. She is slowly discovering who she is and what she wants to do, especially when her divorce is coming along. It also doesn’t help that she meets a cute stranger while she walks her dog.
I know what you are thinking, and no, that man didn’t change after so long. Ultimately, it was her. She just needed time after her mother's death and her unexpected divorce. That’s a lot for anyone. They are allowed to process, which Ali did. And now, she is rediscovering who she is.
Ali isn’t who she was years ago. Everything changes after getting married, having kids, a parent dying, and getting divorced. That was a different Ali before the present Ali. She is now discovering who she is without her husband. She didn’t even love him as much as she thought she did after some time reflecting. It sounds harsh, but that husband isn’t for her at all. It was the wrong pick from the beginning.
Ali's rediscovery of herself is truly therapeutic. She is finding what she deserves in her life. And guess what? She ain’t going to take anything less than she deserves. That’s why I support Ethan going after her.
Ethan doesn’t fix her or make her into something else. He is just there for her, no matter what. He will always support any of her decisions. He just loves her for her. And she doesn’t think of her kids as baggage, as men typically think of single moms. He will be there for them.

Such a good one! I love the blend of romance and real life situations. I really connected with Ali- we don’t always have it together. I loved how their relationship started and progressed. Beautiful story!!!!

“I myself am a ball of unfocused longing. When I’m quiet I can hear my heart yearning for impossible things. I want a perfectly pared-down home, and I want to hang on to every scrap of the past. I want a break from my kids without missing a single minute of their lives. I long for a partnership, and I long for freedom. I long to be enmeshed with someone without losing myself. I want all of it."

Ali is known for helping her clients keep their lives nicely organized, but her own life is a bit of a mess. One year after her mother’s passing, she husband tells her he wasn’t a divorce. Her life is falling apart around her, but when her dog picks a new friend for her at the dog park, she is shocked she can feel a spark. He is only in town for the summer, but a little summer romance never hurt anyone right?

Ok so two things I will always remember about this book, Costco underwear (IYKYK) and the moment went Greer’s friends ditched her and were all together without her. Oh how that hurt my little 15 year old girl heart. I totally remember those moments from high school, and honestly, it was bad enough with AIM, I cannot even imagine how bad it would be with social media. I felt so much for her. (Spoiler alert-I’m still friends with people from that time in my life, and none of those girls are included in that list!) Those are two moments that will super stick with me, but the romance won’t be far behind! I loved Ali and Ethan, and how he helped her to get back to who she really was, and push back on Pete for being the absolute worst ex husband and father! I so enjoyed seeing Ali gain her confidence back through his support, and her conversations with her dead mother. I really felt for the kids and the issues they will face growing up because of their father and how much of a dingus he is. I just adore Annabel Monaghan this book was a good reminder of why!

This book was such a fun and refreshing time!! I will say this is definitely a women’s fiction book with a plot of romance in it. I am not or anywhere near being a newly divorced mom of 3, but I still really enjoyed following the main character’s story. I enjoyed following her journey about finding her identity again amidst grief and newly divorced. I think everyone can relate on some level to going through a life changing event that makes you feel like you have to find yourself again. There were some really good quotes and I really loved the quote and theme of “you are the architect of your own experience” in this book. And the analogy how we still choose to get dogs and love them even while knowing they will one day not be there but the experience and love you get from it is worth it. Overall I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a short women’s fiction book surrounding finding yourself and love again after going through life altering experiences. The romance that was in this was very sweet and I loved reading about both of the characters lives, what they were going through and how they both grew by the end of the book. The setting also makes this book perfect for the summertime!!

I love everything Annabel Monaghan writes. I read it so quick and can’t wait to re-read this summer!

Thank you so much for allowing me to ARC read this book. I wanted to love it, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading a YA romance despite the fact that that characters were over the age of 30. I do think the author did a great job handling the topic of grief.

The title says it all - you want summer and romance, pick up this book! Monaghan delivers again. Might be my new favorite of her books. So good that I'll read it again this summer!

This was definitely my favorite Annabel Monaghan novel yet! Very sweet story, likable characters, but not too light or frilly, which makes it a very engaging rom com. I also love how it’s a story about a single mom falling in love again - you don’t see those as often in the rom com book world.

Thank you for the ARC!

3.5 Stars!

Thank you NetGalley, Annabel Monaghan, and G.P. Putnams Sons for letting me read an ARC of Summer Romance!

I loved this book. The character development that you can hear not only throught the inner monologue of the main character, but through her actions, was absolutley outstanding to read.

Personally my qoute of the year has been "don't spend another year doing the same things" and Ali (FMC) really embodies that. The fact that you can see her mentally working through her responses to things when an outside perspective asks her why she does responds the way she does, and then adjusting her behavior in the future, was really inspiring to read about. I am no where near in the same phase of life as Ali, but I still really related to her.

Now Ethan.... SWOON! I loved this man, would do anything for this man! His patience, his heart, his attention to detail was really something to fawn over, and everyone deserves an Ethan!

Some of the book I found a little mundane, that's why there a few points were taken off. I always appreciate when a book finds the joy in everyday life, and how you really do fall in love during those moments, but it was a lot of mundane tasks, some of it could.ve been taken out. I did enjoy Alis organzational tips, probably will use some in the future!

Overall, a nice rom com read, with heart to it. A story, no matter what phase of life you are in, you can relate / get inspired from.

Now go find yourself a Summer Romance!