Thank you so much to NetGalley, Avon and Haper Voyager, and Betty Corello for this early read!

Publication Date: May 21, 2024

This was such a cute, short romcom. It was face paced and so entertaining.

Delfina is a comedian down on her luck. Her boyfriend cheated on her with her roommate, she just quit her job, and now she has to rework her entire set for the biggest comedy show she’s ever been invited to. She moves back to her hometown just to cross paths with the kid who teased her when she was younger.

I loved the vibe. It was set in Jersey. AND it had one of my favorite songs quoted.

Hard to believe this is a debut novel. It is swoony and romantic, and I love the flashbacks to high school. Both MCs work so hard for their HEA, and it is so well-deserved.

Del returns to her hometown at the Jersey Shore and reunites with an old flame in this debut novel. Perfect for fans of authors like Kristian Higgins or Tessa Bailey, it is both poignant and funny (Del is a comic by trade!). I love second chance romance, and this one does not disappoint. Eddie the afore mentioned old flame, is a single dad / bar owner / musician, and the story offers lots of flashbacks into both their history and Del's tumultuous backstory with her dad. It's a feel good novel with a lot of heart.

Let me start this review off by saying that Del and Eddie actually EMBODIED Suburban Legends by Taylor Swift. I think that is one of the highest compliments I can give to a fictional couple, given my obsession with that song. A sincere thank you to Betty Corrello for giving me the opportunity to bestow that honor on a romcom.

One thing I really appreciated with this book was that it was interesting. I was actually eager to get back to reading it after I put it down. I think that I have unfortunately encountered too many boring romcoms, which sucks, because I do love this genre. Not the case here! I found myself pretty invested in Del and her life, not just her romance. I was definitely rooting for her throughout the novel, and I am proud of her character development and where she ended up. It was satisfying to read.

As for the romance, I did like Del and Eddie together a lot, and I totally bought their chemistry. However, I found the progression of their relationship in the book’s current-day timeline to be a little bit boring. I could call it too fast, but they did go a decade without speaking, so technically I guess it was slow in the long run. I kind of wish we had spent more time in the high-school timeline, which I found a bit more interesting. I also would have liked more pining.

I was also kind of surprised that this book was not as funny as I hoped it would be. I’ve definitely had some romance novels NOT centered around a comedian protagonist where I’ve still laughed out loud multiple times. This is absolutely not to say that this book is bad, but don’t go into it expecting to be constantly giggling or anything.

MINOR SPOILERS HERE. One aspect I want to praise about this novel is the lack of a third-act breakup. I was truly expecting one and was happy that the characters communicated with each other instead.

Overall, I had a good time reading this book, and I think other people should try it too. I look forward to see what Betty Corrello does next in her writing career!

I read this book in one day, I couldn’t put it down! I really enjoy a second chance romance with a switching timeline. This one had me hooked from the beginning. That said, I did feel there was a bit of a disconnect between the two timelines. I was hoping for a little more insight into Eddie’s thoughts and actions from the past. Overall though, I loved Del and Eddie together and I appreciated the low conflict ending.

This book was well written and the premise and romance were cute, but overall I found this book to be more frustrating than enjoyable.

My biggest issue was the ending, * I really hate that the FMC gave up her dream of being a standup, that she was just finally becoming successful at, to stay in central Jersey because she falls in love with a man.*

There was also what I felt like was an unresolved plot - *all of the flashbacks were about the main characters’ relationship, and their up and down. We saw each time they got together and broke up, but the final break up, we never got a reason. Why was he so different after two weeks with his dad in PR?*

Also, so many of the main character’s internal dialogue revolved around her weight - both during the highschool flashbacks and present day. That felt like one of the main plot points, and it was overwhelming.

Good story, a clean romance with fun characters. I enjoyed the writing style. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

So, so lovely. This was such an elegant, self-assured debut with laugh-out-loud humor and really tender prose. And truly, I was laughing rather hard. But it's far from funny fluff, it's very much a Romance with substance, levity, swoon, and a hint of steam. Corrello is a fantastic writer, and this especially shows in how she details setting. Jersey Shore really comes to life with her writing, from the characters that populate the town, to the descriptions of weather, the landscape, the sunlight, etc--all just lovely, lush and evocative. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Avon and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Put this summer read on your list! While the book promises comedy, it’s actually much deeper than a few superficial jokes on a page. It’s a second coming-of-age, where our main character Del returns home and finally, finally, comes into her own. There’s romance, family strife and reconciliation, a small hometown, and a cast of side characters who bring more depth to Eddie and Del. In a few places, the story wraps up conflict with a neat bow that feels a touch unrealistic in our complex real world, but we want to root for our main characters, regardless.

Del returns home to regroup and prepare for the chance of a lifetime. She reconnects with her high school nemesis Eddie and sparks fly. A contemporary rom com that’ doesn’t feel contrived. I enjoyed his one!

This book focuses on a comedian forced to return to her hometown after catching her boyfriend cheating with her roommate. She then is forced to reunite with her high school nemesis/first love. I enjoyed Delfina and her character growth. She was funny and very dramatic. I wish the author had explored more of Delfina's relationships with her friends. I enjoyed Eddie as a MMC and I loved how much he cared for Del. It was an enjoyable summer read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited to request this book and it was such a pleasure to read! Betty Corello has given us a splendid debut summer romance!

This is such a fun and relatable romance that features realistic, believable characters. It’s a vibrant second chance romance, full of humor and vulnerability, engaging and entertaining, kept my interest throughout. The flawed, imperfect characters of Del and Eddie are three dimensional characters, with complicated lives and personalities. Side characters—Del’s best friend, her grandmother—were also three dimensional and fleshed out. The story pacing was great and kept me engaged..

This is an excellent debut! I’ll be looking for more by this writer.

Summertime Punchline was a wholesome book that took you from heart break to heart warming.
The pacing and the events that happen are a bit odd but so long as you don’t think too much about it - it remains enjoyable. A cute rom com.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Spice: 🌶🌶/5. (open door, but not super descriptive)

Pros
- loved the backstory
- loved the build up
- them being young and dumb was so relatable
- was crying by the end in the best way

Cons
- I skimmed some of the side plots because I lost interest but I tend to do that with any book

Delfina Silva-Miller is trying to make it to her comedy festival breakthrough when she loses her apartment, boyfriend and quits her job all in the same day. These three events take her back to her hometown of Evergreen New Jersey that she has been trying to avoid since graduating high school. Being back in Evergreen has her thinking about her dead beat dad and running into her crush , Eddie, from high school has caught her off guard. She starts to enjoy being back in Evergreen and being around her family and friends. Will she find a way to stay in Evergreen and accomplish her dreams or will she have to give something up?

I really enjoyed this book! Delfina, "Del" is hilarious and I loved the dual timeline that allowed me to better understand her relationship with Eddie, Nan and her father. Eddie is a sweetheart, but is kind of a tortured MMC that always had a hard time dealing with his feelings for Del. I loved Del's journey in finding her comedy again, starting to heal her relationship with her father and finding Eddie. This story is a romance, but I think it has many elements of women's fiction that I also enjoyed! Highly recommend! 4.5⭐️

So, this is 4.75 / 5 stars for Me, so to be far I’m rounding up.

I loved this book.

The FMC (Delfina) was realistic, she knew she wasn’t perfect, she knew she wasn’t what some would call “easy” to get to know. She was honest, had hard conversations and was talented.

The MMC (Eddie) was equally well written. I enjoyed the way he cared about the ladies in his life. How he withheld important facts until he was comfortable, this will make sense when you read it.

As someone who had a, let’s say strained relationship, with my father, I appreciated the way Del handles the situation. Having lost my dad in 2021, I don’t have the option of fixing things and it’s nice when adults can see growth and can forgive someone.

Ya girl loves a good solid ending.

The spice wasn’t ghost pepper level, but it was good.

Great summer read.

LOVED this second chance rom com that takes place on the Jersey Shore. It gave Emily Henry vibes, in that there was a MC who I wanted to be friends with. Del, a comedian from NYC, is jilted by her boyfriend and overnight loses ALL of her joke material and is forced to move back home with her grandmother. Turns out that her high school friend/bully (she refers to Eddie as her childhood bully but it doesn't really jive with the flashbacks) still lives in town. They rekindle their friendship, as Del tries to understand how she's changed, how he's changed, and what on earth she's going to present at one of the largest comedy festivals in North America. She also grapples with her fraught family history, and the fact that her dad, with whom she's never had a real relationship, is also nearby, and maybe she's ready to get to know him after all.

My only complaint is that I wished the relationship with Megan was more fleshed out. It was a great twist, but she seemed so nice and in hindsight, I wish we would have known her better. I STRONGLY identified with the feeling of "you can't go home again," as someone who cringes to think of my high school experience. This was a quick, delightful read.

this was a beautifully done love story and I was invested in the world and characters. The plot has a great overall feel to it and was realistic. I'm glad I was able to read this and enjoyed the overall concept of this. Betty Corrello has a great writing style and I loved the cover going on.

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 was a light and fluffy romance and the perfect beach read. Like the description of the book says, I do believe this book is perfect for fans of Carley Fortune. I am definitely going to be adding Betty Corrello to my must read list!
–

Connect with Me <3

My blog is https://bookreviewsbyjules.blogspot.com/


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/44083250-julia (follow me and/or send a friend request!) - This is how I keep track of all of the books I read each year. I also crosspost all of my NetGalley reviews here.

Instagram/bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookreviewsbyjules/ (I try my best to follow back all Book accounts back in 48-72 hours)

2nd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookreviewsbyjules_/ (This account is used as a backup Instagram because my original bookstagram account which I created in 2022 has been getting action blocked quite frequently (I was hacked in February 2024 and lost access to my account for about 5 days, and I think that has something do with why I have been having issues with my account. I have reported the issue to Instagram several times). I try to post on Instagram at least 3x a week. I post many NetGalley ARC books on Instagram, but I also enjoy talking about previously released books that I love. With the exception of NetGalley books, I enjoy both listening to and reading all the books I read.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556223311374

Substack: https://bookreviewsbyjules.substack.com/ (feel free to subscribe!)

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bookreviewsbyjules?lang=en

StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/bookreviewsbyjules

Beautifully written and exquisitely atmospheric, this enemies-to-lovers second-chance romance is an exceptional summer read. Chef’s kiss. Five stars. Wouldn’t change a thing!