I enjoyed this debut. I love a good comedy and second chance romance and this was a very enjoyable one. I definitely would recommend,

Second chance, small town romance 💓💓

I loved spending time in evergreen with Eddie & Del!!

My only complaint is that the ending was a little abrupt.

Rating: 3.75⭐️

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I really liked the sub-plots in the book. However, I just felt that the story was just too rushed. Meaning, all of a sudden the main character is going back home and then she gets back together with her childhood crush/ enemy. I felt that the relationship with Eddie and the main character just went too fast after all the history they had together. It seemed that the main character was very hurt with Eddie's actions back in high school, and I felt that their past history was never fully processed. One character that I really enjoyed in the book was the main character's grandmother, and I would've liked to see her in more scenes. Despite, my feedback I enjoyed reading this book, and it's definitely a perfect summer read.🍉☀️

3.5/5 stars:

This is the PERFECT beach read for the summer. A second-chance romance that actually made sense.

In a lot of 2nd chance romances I find myself frustrated because it’s all led by a lack of communication. However, in the instance of Eddie and Delfina it was the case of two young kids who just didn’t know how to reconcile their feelings. So, it felt natural and romantic the way they’re able to rekindle that love 10 years later when struggling comedian, Delfina, finds her way back to her hometown of Evergreen.

The main characters were wonderfully flawed & lovable. The supported characters such as Nan and Sam were just what the story needed. The believable small-town of, Evergreen, was a perfect backdrop for this happy ever after.

Overall, a beautiful story about 2nd chances and finding your way home.

Easy read, had me hooked from the start. The sub plot was meh . Good Summer read

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A great breezy beach read. I loved the small-town setting and could really feel the boardwalk. Love letter to a place vibes. I enjoyed Del and Eddie’s romance, and the dual POV only added to the angst. I was a little nervous about the MC being a stand-up comic, as that feels like it could easily veer into cringe, but the brief sets we witnessed weren’t bad. Seeing Del and the dad she had major issues with growing up start to mend their relationship was the highlight of the book for me.
There was a subplot that was really set up for firecrackers that ended up fizzling out. The explosion I’d been waiting on was not only a dud, it veered into comically positive. Still, this romance checks all the boxes.

"It's not enough to read it, I need to snort it." - Actual quote from me as I was reading this book. It! Is! So! Incredible!! Del and Eddie are everything to me. It's so funny, yet the emotions are so deep and personal, with Eddie's feelings about his daughter and his divorce to Del's feelings about both of her parents. Every character in this felt so real to me, and the book itself felt like one of Del's jokes--vulnerability offered to us with a palatable punchline, making everything easier to swallow. I could not get enough of the whole story, but I truly wanted to dive headfirst into the flashback scenes and never come up for air. So many romance novels fail us in teenage flashbacks, but Betty Corrello makes Del and Eddie complicated, two teens who make mistakes and hurt each other, whose relationship is absolutely fraught with misunderstanding and angst and, underneath it all, incredible tenderness. So many books have made me say, "Honey, you don't love that guy from high school - you don't even KNOW him anymore! He's been 10 different people in the last decade, and so have you!" But not these two. Eddie and Del have spent a decade shedding their pasts just to become the versions of themselves that can be unguarded and in love with each other. They! Are! Soulmates!!

I absolutely adored Summertime Punchline! I was so shocked that this was Betty Corrello’s debut novel, the writing was amazing and so captivating! I loved the dual timelines and learning about how Eddie and Del’s past impacted who they are now! The two had great chemistry and the slow burn was so good! The side characters, like Sam and her Nan, really brought the world to life! I thought the story between Del and her father was fantastic and handled so well! With all the summer vibes, it is the perfect book to read this summer!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for this honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great summer read. I'm familiar with the eastern shores and connected with the landscape.. I couldn't fully connect with the characters but over all I did enjoy the book. I give it 3.5 stars...

Dels life blows up right before a big career opportunity which forces her back to her hometown where she reconnects with local bar owner Eddie. The present timeline offers them a second chance, while the story’s past timeline unfolds and gives readers a glimpse at the two of them navigating high school and difficult upbringings.

For me this story was take it or leave it. I mostly enjoyed Del and Eddie, but I didn’t feel any real urgency or tension in their relationship (I actually felt more moved and that her character shows more growth by her relationship with her dad). I also felt that some of the other characters could have been developed a little better.

Overall I don’t feel that this book was poorly written, but it also didn’t feel super memorable. Will it change your life and make you keep thinking about it? Probably not. Is it a good option for throwing in your bag and reading at the shore? Yes.

Ahhhh this book looked like it was going to be so much fun, however I think I may be in the minority. I just couldn’t get into it at all, couldn’t connect or even get in to the storyline.

DNF at 10%

Summertime Punchline is a delightfully funny debut novel which follows Delfina, an up-and-comer who’s finally receiving her big break in comedy…. Meanwhile everything else in her life is falling apart. She’s lost her job, her apartment and her boyfriend all in the course of the worst day ever. Forced to move back up and face her past, she reunites with an old flame. Can the fire burn a second time?

Told in alternating timelines of present & flashbacks to the past, this story packs the comedic punch it claims but also brings the feels with it. This second chance romance shows just how much love is worth fighting for!

Great beach read! 3.5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Summertime Punchline by Betty Corello is a fun enemies to lovers romcom.
Del’s life has just imploded. She walked in on her boyfriend and friend in a compromising position, now she has no place to live, and her comedy career revolves around jokes about her and her now ex boyfriend. So where do you go when the world is falling apart? The place that means home, even if it’s a small town in New Jersey that is a ghost town in winter, and a tourist trap in the summer. Del makes the trip to Evergreen NJ to stay with her grandmother, unfortunately she has some not so pleasant memories of her home town, or more of a certain person that lives there.
Evergreen hasn’t changed all that much, although Del sees some positive changes, like the Ferris wheel being repaired. But when she runs into her childhood bully, Eddie, she goes down the path of remembering things she didn’t want to remember. I love the way the author goes from the present to the past, painting their story from memories and giving them both a new perspective.

Living in a small shore town in the very southern part of New Jersey, I loved the picture the author painted. Her description is accurate describing how the short tourist season can make or break a business, and the way the scents and smells are so nostalgic. I have never been to Evergreen, but it easily describes towns like Ocean City or Wildwood.

I truly enjoyed the characters progression, both as individuals and eventually together. The interactions with other characters were great, loving Nan Roger and Sam. Eddie is definitely swoon worthy. Definitely an enjoyable story. I will definitely check out more books from Betty Corello, especially if her future books are as sweet and heartwarming.

fun romcom
enemies to lovers
Second chance romance

Del is a working comedian whose life gets upended and she finds herself having to go home to pick up the pieces with her Grandma who raised her, her father who failed her, and Eddie, the guy she blames her heartache on.
I loved these characters, Del and Eddie, Roger and Nan. The relationship development built through the book and the dual timeline was perfect for explaining where Del’s fight or flight attitude came from.
This was a great read for readers who love:
It’s always been you
Second chance romance
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Del is finally getting her big break in comedy, but the rest of her life has fallen apart. After a job loss, break-up and apartment loss, she heads back to her hometown that she left behind years ago. While there, she reconnects with Eddie, as well as some other pieces of her past. The story provides some flashbacks (which I generally always dig), so you can also see where Del and Eddie have been. While this book is touted as being about comedy/funny, it's also got some heavy feels. Del has navigated a lot of things in her hometown, and she revisits those as she's back again. There are moments of levity and even ways she turns this into her comedy, but this one was a bit more emotional (and that's not a critique just a noted fact) as a second-chance romance than I anticipated going in! This is a good summery read, and a thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this May 2024 release!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5)

This book was like cracking open a cold one with the boys…refreshing and wholesome. Born and raised in Jersey and having experienced Jersey shore summers, I absolutely loved that this was the setting. This debut novel was EVERYTHING! The dual timeline worked so well here and I absolutely love the author’s style of writing. I do wish we got a little more of Eddie’s story with his dad and why he’s so broken but I loved the progression of Del and Eddie’s relationship. Second chance romance is slowly becoming one of my favorite tropes. I’m excited to read more from this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley, AvonBooks, HarperVoyagerUS, and Betty Corrello for this arc in exchange for my honest review. 🫶🏻

Quick but meaty read, highly enjoyable. When Del's life in New York City implodes, she goes back to New Jersey to stay with her grandmother and prep for a prestigious stand-up comedy showcase. While there she re-connects with high school frenemy Eddie, their past told in flashback segments. As Del becomes closer to her roots, she makes some big decisions about how she wants the rest of her life to look. Del and Eddie are childhood frenemies (is "frenemies to lovers" a formal trope?). I enjoy a good childhood to adulthood love story. Nice level of sparks, it made things more interesting and I loved the push-pull between Del and Eddie. The author has a fun voice, I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading more from her! Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautiful second chance romance book. Del goes back to her hometown after her life falls apart in New York and while there she reconnects with people from her past. I really enjoyed Del as a character, she felt very real and relatable, and you get a deep understanding of her through flashbacks, jokes, and songs. I do wish we got a bit more of Eddie's backstory and feelings during some of the key scenes, but I still enjoyed him as a character. Overall, a cute summer read!

This was such a delightful and breezy read! Summertime Punchline is Betty Corello's debut novel. It follows comedian Delfina as she reluctantly moves back to her hometown after losing her job, boyfriend, and apartment in one bad afternoon.

The way Del fell into old rhythms in her gentrifying hometown was a relateable charade. The dual timelines really added value to the story and helped me better grasp why the characters were who they were in the present-day timeline. The backstories also supported the second chance romance, which sometimes feels frustrating to me. Del and Eddie's relationship unfolded naturally but I wish I knew more about Eddie! This book was reminiscent of Funny Feelings (not just based on the comedian main character element) and it felt like a good representation of relationships that are imperfect but worth fighting for.

This is a perfect summer beach read! 3.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this one for an honest review.

This was SUCH a great debut! I adored it. Del was such a good main character; she was relatable, funny, and overall provided a really fun perspective to read from. Watching her self-discovery was really great! I also really enjoyed the dual timeline and getting to see the progression of Del and Eddie's relationship both in the past and in the present. All of the side characters were really well written as well, and they all stood out individually! I loved Sam and Del's friendship, and Del's relationship with her Nan.

The romance in this was absolutely adorable, tender, and perfect. The chemistry between Del and Eddie was so well done, and I honestly couldn't believe this was a debut novel! It was really well-paced, the writing flowed well and was easy to read, and it had so many hilarious moments. There are also some heavier topics in the book, but the author writes them very well. I think this is going to be in my top books of 2024. Overall, I would completely recommend this book!