Sometimes books can be overwhelming. They break you down to build you back up and sometimes that what you want, but sometimes you want a book that just breaks a few small pieces off. That’s what “Summer Romance” was for me. I got all the feelings, the romance, the love, the grief but I still felt good through out the book. The way grief is portrayed throughout the book feels real, the main character is still dealing with grief years after her mom passed but she still going through her every day and taking care of her kids. This summer romance turned forever was so wonderfully written. And because of this I will be stealing the new feeling of being “carbonated”

"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."

March is always when I start craving warm weather so while we're on spring break, I decided to dive into one of my most anticipated summer reads, 𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘.

I love the way Annabel Monaghan writes women. The questions Ali is forced to confront when her marriage falls apart are so realistic and relatable. It was like I was reading my an entry from my own journal when I read the lines above. (Not that anything in my journal is nearly that well-written! 🤣) There's also something about the way she captures the dissolution of a relationship that I find really compelling. This isn't a plot-driven book; it's an emotional journey with mature characters who feel like friends that will make you smile and touch your heart.

Oh, and I totally agree with Ali - hard pants are the worst, especially during the summer. Overalls are better but a breezy sundress is best of all.

Thanks to Putnam Books for the copy to review.

I just love the way Annabelle tells a story. She really makes you feel this whole gambit of emotions. I loved Ethan. I’m in love with Ethan. I empathized with Ali. I loved her friendship with Frannie. I want to hold baby Theo and I really don’t care if he ever learns to walk. I want to dick punch Pete repeatedly. Ethan showing up in a 20 yo prom suit and a velour athleisure jump suit to be a lawyer was hilarious. I just love this book. I love it: I think you should read it and be happy like me.

(I got this as an ARC through NetGalley – it will be out on June 4.) Annabel Monaghan is one of my must-buy authors, and her newest book is no exception! Ali is recently divorced, has been living in sweatpants, and is a professional organizer who feels like her life is an absolute mess. One day, though, she puts on “hard pants,” takes her dog to the dog park… and he proceeds to mark a handsome stranger there. Ali and the man start chatting, agree to go on a date, and she thinks maybe she has the perfect summer romance ahead of her. But of course, nothing is ever quite that simple or clear cut. I think this is my favorite of Annabel’s books so far!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Putnam, and Annabel Monaghan for the ARC of Summer Romance. This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and I was so excited for the opportunity to read it early. I am such a huge fan of Annabel Monaghan, and this book did NOT disappoint. I absolutely adored this book and fell in love with Ali, Ethan, and the amazing supporting cast of characters. This is such a heartfelt book with so much heart and tackles a wide variety of topics -- grief of losing a parent, coming out the other side of a divorce, parenting, finding your voice again, opening your heart to love, and so much more. This is a closed-door romance, but the chemistry is off the charts; just like with Nora Goes Off Script, I found myself cheering Ali on as she waded through life and came out stronger on the other side. I pre-ordered a copy for my library, as I know this is one I'll reread. Summer Romance publishes on June 4, so add it to your TBR/pre-order now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! Annabel has DONE IT AGAIN! I swear, if she has 1 fan, it's me, if she has no fans, I'm dead. This book is perfection. Ali, grieving the loss of her mother and facing a divorce, realizes that her life is slipping through her fingers... and her sweatpants. Facing reality, her messy kitchen, and denim, Ali's dog pees on an attractive, charismatic, and smart man at the dog park who is *definitely* flirting with Ali. A summer romance can't hurt anything, right?
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This book is beautiful. It's a story of growth, grief, and undeniable, unrelenting love in the face of real life. Annabel tells such beautiful stories of real women who live realistic lives in beautiful, magical small towns, and Summer Romance is no different. This book is a dream. 100000/10 recommend.

This was so cute! I loved the idea of the summer romance and of course you’re hoping it will last for longer! I love the small beach towns she writes about. I love the close knit families! This had great themes about dealing with grief, becoming a version of yourself you can be happy with, and finding love in different stages of life.

This book wasn’t too cheesy which I appreciated but there were some words or phrases that became overly repetitive. I also am a little wary of the single mom trope but I thought it was endearing in this book.

Overall it was such a delightful beach read!

Perfect summer beach read.
Ali in a single mom over 30 going through a divorce who falls for Ethan (her best friend Frannie brothers) who decide to have summer fling while he is visiting for the summer.
I love both Ali and Ethan chemistry together as well watching Ali balancing motherhood while in a new relationship. As with any romance book i would prefer dual pov.

4.5 stars

This is a delightful book full of characters that I keep thinking about days after reading. I want to check back in on them and see how they are doing and what they are up to now!

If you like books featuring…
Single mom protagonist OLDER THAN 29
Books set by the water and on the water
The cutest age gap couple that will stay with you for days

Great for fans of…
The River Runs South by Audrey Ingram
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfield
Better Things (FX)

I would give this book 10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! So many amazing characters! I wanted to punch Pete in the face! Shake Ali until she stood up for herself and hug Scooter for turning into a fantastic human being! Pick this book up as soon as you can , you won’t be sorry

Easily a 5 ⭐️ read!

I know it’s fall and everyone wants cozy holiday romances, but let me tell you this book will be the perfect summer read in 2024!

Ali might be a professional organizer, but she doesn’t quite have her own life in order. Her mother recently passed away and she is currently going through a divorce. While trying to navigate being a single mother, she finds herself in a summer romance! No strings attached, light hearted fun, what could possibly go wrong?! This story has so many life lessons in it from handling grief to learning the importance of self care. This is a closed door romance, but there is still plenty of chemistry and intimacy. All my heart strings were pulled while reading this! ☀️👙⛱️

“Life is going to do what life’s going to do. You might as well have a dog” 🐕

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC!

Ali Morris' life is a bit of a mess right now. She is soon to be divorced and still morning the death of her mother. She is a professional organizer who really needs to hire herself. And she is struggling to get out of sweatpants. Something we all struggle with sometimes. Admit it. Then one day her dog pees on the foot of Ethan and.....maybe her life is moving in the direction of a Summer Romance. I have found the Annabel Monaghan is a must buy author for me. I love her wit and her very relatable characters. Definitely a must read book this summer!!!

Receiving "Summer Romance" as an ARC from NetGalley was a treat and this book was just an all around good time. The initial banter between Ali and Ethan had me genuinely giggling, setting the perfect tone for a charming romance. Ali and Ethan were such a down-to-earth, not dramatic, charming couple, and I loved how Ethan was always so straightforward and smitten with Ali. I do wish Ali had stuck it to Pete just a liiiiiiittle bit more though!

I'm a sucker for the nostalgic, small-town, beachy vibes, and this book delivered exactly that. "Summer Romance" is a sweet, lighthearted story that feels refreshingly authentic. It's the perfect escape for anyone craving a feel-good read, and it'll make you want to go clean your house for the satisfying, spring clean feeling.

I adore all of Annabel Monaghan's books and this is no different. Summer Romance was a cute and quick read for me and I can't wait to get the actual book to add to my collection.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan. I greatly enjoyed Monaghan's earlier two books, Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer, but this book is in a league all its own. While it is a (closed-door) romance like the other two, it has a depth to it that is rarely found in a "romance" novel (though this author does have a knack for bringing *more* to the average romance/romcom IMO!).

Summer Romance is a special novel, with a layer of grief throughout that adds emotional honesty to a genre that can often seem fluffy and unrealistic. The reader finds out in the very first pages that Ali, our main character, is a year out from her husband moving out and two years out from her mother's death (Yes, her ex-husband left her on the anniversary of her mother's passing. Yes, he is totally self-absorbed.). These two losses are part of Ali and so they are part of the story. She doesn't get over them or move on to find her HAE (happily-ever-after). They are interwoven in her life and love story, and that is the beauty of this book. The people are real - they are happy, they are sad, they laugh, they cry. All the things, all wrapped up in a whole person - just like we all are.

Truly such a special book that I can'y wait for even more readers to discover. What a gift this author is to the romance genre (and readers in general!).

Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam for the early copy. Truly, thank you!

SUMMER ROMANCE by Annabel Monaghan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is for you if you love older main characters (in their late 30s), self-discovery, and the best friend's brother's romance set in a cute small town. I promise you won't regret reading it.

I adore this book and its wonderful characters (especially Ethan, my new fictional boyfriend). I love that Annabel Monghan's characters are very relatable (maybe because I am also in my early 40s with young kids, or maybe because Annabel knows how to write relatable characters—probably both). Either way, I love Annabel's voice and her funny and heartwarming stories, and I am already looking forward to her next book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group, for the ARC of this novel!!

This book is a perfect mix of quirky, laugh-out-loud writing but also had me shedding a few tears. It’s so much more than a fluffy romance read. There are so many lessons and themes around personal growth and navigating life after loss and divorce. I was rooting so much for Ali to find herself and joy again. I also loved the scenes with Ali and her kids, the impact that Ali’s mom had on her, and Ali’s actions had on her daughter.

The whole book was also so wholesome, taking place in a small town in NY, with sweet next-door neighbors, and a family that runs the local diner and inn. This was such a quick and easy read, it will be the perfect beach read for this summer.

Ali is separated from her husband (a complete tool) and mourning the loss of her mother when she meets Ethan, who is just…*chef’s kiss*. But he’s only in town for the summer. She has three kids to think about, and he has a life elsewhere that makes him happy, so they decide to embark on a “summer romance” with the understanding that it can’t really last.

She’s done it again. I LOVED this. Could not put it down. The writing is elegant but accessible, the story pulled me along effortlessly, and the characters are so vivid. I FELT every moment of their respective transformations, as well as the pain of being pulled in two directions by their lives. I could also very much feel the chemistry and the longing between the main characters, and there was a perfect balance between conflict and swoony resolution. In terms of *steam*, I’d say that it’s….not a <i>closed</i> door, but also not an open one. It’s slightly ajar?

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam + Netgalley for the arc!

This is a sweet read!

Read this if you…
like an older FMC
love the small town life
need someone to organize your pantry
have a crazy close bond with your mom

This definitely gave me a lot of Nora Goes Off Script vibes. Her ex was awful. This author is really good at writing terrible ex husbands lol.

Ethan was so perfect. I loved the pining and am a sucker for a childhood crush.

Highly recommend this book! I really enjoyed Same Time Next Summer and knew I was going to love this book too. It was an emotional story with humor and banter. I really enjoyed Ali’s character development, starting the book at a low point in her life and watching her confidence grow. And I loved the summer romance between Ethan and Ali.