Thank you to Putnam for the advance copy of this book!

I love a friend's sibling storyline, and also a book where parents are involved because it's very relatable to me. However, I just could not stand the main character in this book. I like strong, empowered females, and I just felt like even though she was taking her life into her own hands after her divorce, she was just SO naive and unintelligent. It was hard to look past that to the better points of the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan.

This book dealt with a lot of topics - loss, grief, divorce, losing yourself, family, moody teenagers, single mom, friendship and so much more. I will admit this was the first fiction book that felt kinda like a self-help book. Not in a non-fiction kind of self-help, but as in you are going through the main characters grief and how she picks herself up and starts taking care of her and her family again. Made me want to organize and clean up my house a bit.

It was a wonderful story about failing and learning how to find yourself again. About friendships and trying new things. About letting people in and loving them for who they are.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to read this book early. Definitely getting this one for our library once it is published.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the early reader of this book.

This book is a perfect summer romance! Ali and Ethan have great chemistry and I was rooting for them the whole time. Highly recommend if you like an easy feel-good romance.

Annabel Monaghan is the queen of summer romances. She understands the magic of summer at the beach.

Ali is struggling to find herself after the loss of her mother and divorce. She is busy raising 3 children and finalizing her divorce when someone from her past brings her back to life.

What a lovely story about finding yourself after life has knocked you down. I wouldn't call this a second romance but more of a second act romance. Very inspiring for someone going through life altering changes and wondering what's waiting on the other side.

TW: cancer, death of a parent, divorce

Thank you to the author and publisher for this Net Galley read

SUCH a cute Summer Romance. 4.5 stars 🩷

This is my second book by Annabel and she might be a new auto-buy author!

In this one you meet Ali. She’s a separated mom of 3 who organizes other people’s junk…just not her own. She “meets” Ethan at a dog park when her dog picks him out of a crowd and marks him as a keeper. They go on an amazing first date only to soon find out…he’s her best friend’s little brother that she didn’t recognize.

Their banter is great and I giggled the whole book! This books deals with divorce, motherhood, new love, grief of losing parents and friends. Ps: I wish there was more Phyllis…. 🩷

I found Ali so relatable as a woman. 4 boxes of cornstarch in her pantry because she doesn’t check before she goes to the store…been there! Not happy about wearing “hard pants”…everyday. 😂 Wants to love on her neighbor…make her eggs everyday.

All of the characters were so lovable! Except for Pete…nobody likes Pete. I feel like she writes the ex’s in her book so well. They’re not overally villainized, but you can see why they wanted to move on. You know men like this in real life. This is a closed door romance, but you won’t miss anything. It’s just so sweet. The chapter sizes are perfect! You make great progress in the book, but find easy places to stop.

The only thing I questioned was her friendship with Frannie. Frannie told her to stay away from her brother and Ali just ignored her and kept her in the dark. I feel like she should have kept her more in the loop so she would maybe understand. Felt like a selfish and wrong move on Ali’s part.

Random-In chapter 6-7 she makes a big deal about buying expensive hamburger meat for burgers that her child wants for that night…and then the next thing you know she’s grilling chicken.?!? Where did the burgers go girl?!

Favorite Quote “Because that’s what life is—joy peppered by loss.”

Thank You to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! 🩷

Thanks to Putnam for the eARC.
This was absolutely delightful. What a joy it was to be with Ali as she figured out single parenting, divorce, and added a summer romance. This was a beautiful exploration of how messy life can be and how others can help you through hard times. There is also an exploration of grief here as she figured out how to live without her mom. I really liked how this leant itself to some tender moments between her and her dad because even adults can have complications with their parents. I think this story showed Monaghan's ability to perfectly balance so many aspects of a story while also creating such rich, vivid characters that I had to root for. I had so much fun reading this, and it reminded me all over again on why I love her books so much. Highly recommend!

I am so thankful for an ARC of Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan! Summer Romance is a meshing of Ali’s upturned life. A separation and impending divorce while trying to find her footing as a newly single mom of three, leave Ali stymied. She works to create order, calm and cleanliness for her clients through her organizing business while feeling the pain and stagnation of her own disorganized life This book was impossible to put down, especially as Scooter/Ethan arrives back to town and leads to the upheaval of Ali’s status quo. Put this on your must read list to kick off summer with a feel good story. Not a trite romance or rom com, but a deeper look at later life and its complexities as only Annabel Monaghan can masterly do!

Ali, a separated and soon to be divorced mom of three who is still grieving the loss of her mother feels like her life is a complete disaster. She is a professional organizer but her own home is anything but organized. Amid the chaos of her life she meets Ethan at the dog park and can't get him off her mind. But when she find out who Ethan is can she see through his past?

Summer Romance is the kind of book that brings out all the emotions. I found myself laughing one minute and in tears the next. It was beautifully written. The character development is so well done. You fall in love with Ali and Ethan as they heal from the past. All the supporting characters are great as well and play an important role in the story. By the title, it may appear to be a simple romcom, but there are some really deep moments in the book that will make you evaluate relationships in your life.

Overall, I loved the entire book! I instantly connected with Ali and all the emotions she was feeling. Her feelings of inadequacies are real and relatable, and I loved the conversations she had with her mom. Having lost a parent it was easy to connect with her grief as she tries to put her life back together. The descriptions of the scenes and scenery made me feel like I was right there in the action and added to the experience.

Grab a copy of this June 4th!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and #NetGalley for the advance read of #SummerRomance!

This book was such a joy to read. Ali, a mom of three whose own mother has recently passed away, is navigating a divorce, single-parenting, rediscovering herself, and finding her voice again in this beautiful contemporary romance about second chances.

I found Summer Romance to be especially relevant as a commentary on modern marriage and relationships, how easy it is to lose pieces of yourself willingly or unknowingly for the sake of "keeping the peace" in a relationship, and the long term consequences of allowing oneself to fade a little bit at a time.

The romance in this book was so realistic in terms of what challenges actual couples face, and the juxtaposition between Ali's past and potential future is a reminder to all women that they are worth being made to feel valued and seen.

Another 5 star from Annabel Monaghan! I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book through NetGalley. I read her other two books last summer and absolutely loved them. Summer Romance was no exception! She writes much more than just a fluffy romance and I relate so much to her main characters as a woman in my 30s. I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!

I am a sucker for a romance with a dog.

Anabel Monaghan does an excellent job featuring characters that are realistic and relatable. I love how quick and easy her books are, while still having depth and evoking emotion.

Things I Loved:
- Characters that are MY AGE! I feel like all the romcoms I read feature characters in their early 20s- it was so nice to read about characters struggling through life in their 30s (like myself)
- Best friend's brother trope
- The love Ali has for her kids!!
- The way the book stayed sweet and cute, while tackling deeper subjects like grief

Things I Didn't Love:
- The romance felt a little bit insta-love to me
- Some parts were a little repetitive, especially when Ethan and Ali weren't together

Overall, this was such a sweet and tender romance. It is my favorite book by Anabel Monaghan by far- I felt like it had so much depth to it and I can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy when it comes out!

I’m a fan of Annabel Monaghan books and this one was no exception. It’s a quick, light romance read, and about finding yourself again after letting a relationship control you. I couldn’t put it down. Great read! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!! Oh my gosh, it was so perfectly written. I had a smile on my face the entire story and didn't want it to end. The budding romance between Ali and Ethan felt so real. And all of the characters felt real, like you know them personally. (even Pete the jerk) The ending was everything you wanted. There were so many laugh out loud moments, too, especially Ethan and his wardrobe choices during mediation meetings. I laughed so hard, I had a to take a break from reading to catch my breath. There were poignant moments with Ali and the memory of her mom, her relationship with her dad, and with Phyllis next door. Everything about this book was spot on. This author has quickly become one of my favorites. Read this!!

Thank you NetGalley and Annabel Monaghan for this ARC! I flew through and loved this second chance summer romance with the sweetest HEA. It was poignant, easy and safe (in the best way). I’ve read all of Annabel Monaghan’s books and her writing is always the perfect balance of hopeful and real, making it ways to both fall in love with and identify with her characters. Ali, Ethan/Scooter and the whole gang were no exception. Can’t wait to read what she writes next.

I usually really enjoy Annabel Monaghan novels, but this one didn’t quite do it for me. I loved the premise - meeting a man because your dog pees on his foot at the dog park? Seems like a great romcom setup, but I found myself pretty bored throughout most of the book, and almost a chore to keep picking it up to read more. I felt like I was waiting for some sort of big build up, some plot twist, some excitement….something. And that something just never really got there for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you like a simple romance, this book is definitely for you. It took me a little while to get into the story, but by the end I was absolutely in love with Ali and Ethan. It was honestly a nice change of pace from reading other romance books that focuses on physical attraction. This story shows the reality of trying to date as an adult and trying to find a way to make two lifestyles blend together.

4 out of 5 stars.
This is a beautiful story. I'm a mother of 2 kiddos and I would def do anything for my children.

Ali and Ethan's interactions were so cute and I loved reading them. After going through so much, Ali deserved to be loved.

I loved the emotional journey this story took us through.

“Spring is coming, and I know for sure that I will always have a dog.”

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Dog lovers and Romance Readers this one is for you! We loved Annabel Monaghan’s Same Time Next Summer and were thrilled when we found out we had been approved for the ARC of Summer Romance!

MC Ali is navigating grief after the loss of her mother and the end of her marriage. She hasn’t felt like herself in a while and wonders often how she found herself at this point in her life. This summer, she is not looking for anyone serious and is focusing instead on simply trying to get “back out there”. Her dog Ferris chooses the perfect man for her to engage in a summer romance—only for Ali to find there is a twist in the “champagne summer” narrative that she had hoped for. Will Ali be able to be the architect of her own experience by putting her heart on the line?

We found ourselves laughing along at these very relatable characters. Their best friend kind of love was SO believable. That, along with Monaghan’s ability to build romantic tension kept us reading into the late hours of the night! We were rooting for this couple instantly.

Our favorite part Monaghan’s writing was her ability to balance Ali’s grief with her fear of love. Of course, you can’t really have one without the other and we found this again, so genuine to the human experience without being heavy. This is a lovely light, summer romance read that you do not want to miss!

Thank you to Putnum and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review! Out June 4th, 2024!

Ahhh this book! I have been anticipating this book since reading Same Time Next Summer last year. Annabel Monaghan does not disappoint when it comes to beautiful romance books. The banter, the romance, the setting ahhh. I could go on and on about this book forever. It’s the perfect beach or summer read and I cannot wait for my book friends to experience this romance as well!

This was the second book by this author that I've read, the first one being "Nora Goes Off Script," and although I enjoyed it, it wasn't a favorite... felt like something was missing.
But guess what? Everything I felt was lacking in that one, the author managed to deliver here!

We've got a slow burn romance, character development not only for the female protagonist, Ali, who narrates the story but also for the male lead, Ethan. Plus, the whole journey of grief and self-discovery Ali goes through was so inspiring for me.

It's the kind of book I finished and couldn't stop thinking about it! So yeah, it definitely earned a solid 5-star favorite rating from me!

P.S: I gotta say though I wish the author would do epilogues. I mean, I really wanted to know how they're doing years later 🥲

Thank you so much to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!