Ali Brady delivers a heartwarming tale of friendship, nostalgia, and second chances in *Until Next Summer*. The novel captures the magic of summer camp and the bittersweet reality of growing older, while exploring themes of reconciliation and personal growth.

Jessie and Hillary are compelling characters whose contrasting personalities bring depth to the story. Jessie’s determination to keep the camp alive and Hillary’s journey to rediscover herself both feel relatable and authentic. The dynamic between the two friends—strained by past disappointment yet rekindled through shared memories—is one of the novel’s most poignant elements. Brady does a beautiful job of highlighting how friendships can evolve, mend, and deepen over time.

The setting of Camp Chickawah is irresistibly charming, with the “adult summer camp” providing a clever backdrop for humor, romance, and reflection. The inclusion of romantic entanglements—Jessie’s connection with the reclusive writer and Hillary’s fling with the camp chef—adds a delightful layer of tension and escapism to the story. These relationships also serve as catalysts for each woman’s personal growth.

While the camp’s impending closure creates an emotional weight, the story balances it with lighthearted moments, like skinny dipping and campfire shenanigans. Brady’s storytelling shines in her ability to weave these contrasts together, making the novel both heartfelt and fun.

Ultimately, *Until Next Summer* is a celebration of friendship, resilience, and the memories that shape us. It’s perfect for readers who love stories of second chances, idyllic settings, and the enduring bond of summer friendships. Have you read it? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Whether you were a camp kid growing up or not, Until Next Summer is a fun read that brings all the nostalgia of those fun, adventurous, awkward years to an adult reunion of former camp friends who lost touch years ago.

Even though the fictional Camp Chickawah differs from my own Camp Shawadassee where I happily spent two weeks every summer (no boys at our camp), Brady brought those idyllic days back to life for me through her characters, the lake, the woods, and all the fun events that we loved as kids and that I, along with her characters, would be on board to experience again as an adult. Maybe with accommodations a bit more comfy. I loved experiencing everything along with former best friends, Jessie and Hillary, and the others who gather to give their beloved camp a rousing send-off...and maybe a second chance. Actually, there are multiple second chances - at restoring friendships, exploring new career paths, and discovering love and romance in unlikely corners.

Brady has infused this story with plenty of layers that enriched my enjoyment. There's found family, romance, grief, healing, friendship, self-discovery, finding that special place where you are your authentic self, and learning that home really is where your heart is, wherever that may be. It made me laugh, brought forth tears, and left me with a smile in my soul and an inescapable craving for s'mores.

Until Next Summer by Ali Brady completely won me over! The idea of two estranged best friends from summer camp reconnecting as adults had me hooked right away. I loved how the camp element brought them back together, and the way the summer camp setting was written felt so real and relatable—without feeling juvenile. I didn’t go to summer camp myself, but this is exactly what I always pictured it to be like!

The dual POV really gave me insight into both characters, and watching them navigate their second chance at friendship was everything. It was especially heartwarming to see how their friendship developed again after all those years apart. The side characters were so well written, too—I loved seeing their stories unfold throughout the book, and the side romances added even more layers to the story.

The mix of friendship, romance, and a strong sense of belonging made this book a perfect read. If you’re looking for a feel-good, second-chance romance with tons of heart and fantastic characters, Until Next Summer is definitely one to grab!

This was such a sweet book! This is a perfect summertime read. I loved the concept of the camp romance. The characters had great chemistry. This book made me smile and even made me cry!

I loved this book that took us back to summer camp. I thought the characters and the story were a perfect blend of reminiscing and thinking of the good times in the past and moving forward. I loved the confident main character who kept fighting for what she believed in. I also loved the idea of revisiting old crushes, adult summer camp, and the antics that can happen at any summer camp.

I really liked this story! I thought that the story moved quickly with the dual POV storyline. The characters were fun and the story was entertaining.

UNTIL NEXT SUMMER was just the perfect poolside read I needed!

I loved the summer camp feelings of childhood, and the themes of found family and friendship. With themes of love, grief, and finding yourself. I curled up with this book and fully immersed myself in dual formats and loved every moment of it.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-summertime feels
-found family
-dual romances
-summer camp nostalgia
-Jewish rep

*many thanks to Berkley Romamce, prh audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Alison and bradeigh are incredible. I love all their books. This summer camp setting is so interesting and pulls you in. The world Alison & bradeigh create is so truly amazing. I love how there writing blends together and how original there ideas are. When I saw they were writing an Adult sleep away camp… Sign me up!

Read if you like:
Dual romance
Found family
Women’s fiction
Jewish rep

This is really my favorite type of rom com. It has a couple with some obstacles, but so much chemistry and a whole lot of fun. You got not one but two romances. And even better you get a book about best friends and sisterhood. And their second chance.

This screams summer and camp as you are immerse yourself as Jessie and Hilary are trying to save the camp. The last hurrah and sadness of such an important time in their life ending balances with the newness of love and their potential rebirth of their friends go hand and hand. And the relief from all their hijinks had me smiling. I spent summers at camp and it brought up all those old memories.

It is a slow burn that is worth the wait. And while I didn’t like Luke so much for most of the book, he turned it around for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Until Next Summer by Ali Brady!

I really wanted to like this one - a story of summer camps and friendships and figuring out what’s important in your life. And while it was entertaining, and I kept reading to see what happened, I had a hard time not being annoyed by the characters. Some of the choices they made drove me nuts and I felt like all they did was create more problems for themselves. And maybe as someone who wasn’t a camper as a child, I just wasn’t its intended audience.

I loved this book! I actually was not a summer camp person, but I remember my cousins and a few friends going to summer camp every year and I was so envious. Many of them have retained friendships with people they spent every summer with at camp. Even without much personal experience, I found the themes of Until Next Summer easy to relate to. Friendships formed at a time in our life where we are most open to finding our soulmates. Falling out and losing touch as we grow up and get different lives. A search to reconnect with the happiness of youth. The possibility of new romances.

The book centers around Jessi and Hillary, who were best friends at Camp Chickawah and spent their summers together every year. They had big plans to eventually become camp counselors together (I’d imagine this is an aspiration of many summer camp kids!), but Hillary took a different job the year they were to reunite as counselors, leaving Jessie alone. Jessie eventually worked her way up the camp ladder to the Director of Camp Chickawah. She and Hillary have lost touch. But when she learns the camp is to be sold, she invites former camp friends back for one last reunion and summer of fun.

Does adult summer camp kind of sound like the best thing ever? If it weren’t for the heat and bugs I’d say it sounds like a blast. I was anxious to see how Hillary and Jessie would reconnect, but as with the best of friendships, they picked back up right where they left off (with a few things to work out, obviously). Of course, this isn’t only a book about friendship, there’s a romance or two as well! Hillary is running the arts and crafts, but her heart is drawn to the camp cook, Cooper. Years ago, Cooper was her first kiss. Nothing like love revisiting, amirite? Meanwhile Jessie is in one of those classic “you infuriate me but I’m into you” situations with a quiet and slightly grumpy writer who came to work on his novel and be left alone.

Romances are blossoming, friendships are rekindling, and these two dynamic friends may just be able to save the camp after all, if they work together. Cocktails and ghost stories by the campfire, classic camp games of capture the flag, good-natured pranking between cabins, and friendships that have the comfort that can only come from those who knew one another their whole lives. The two romances are fun, but I felt the star of the story was the friendship between Jessie and Hillary. Sometimes the best soulmates aren’t romantic at all!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Until Next Summer is my first Ali Brady novel and it won't be my last (in fact, I read their holiday novella last month). I adored everything about this story! I've only gone to overnight camp a couple of times but I would totally do an adult week at Camp Chickawah if given the chance. Especially during musical theater week. (I also love that Jessie was listening to show tunes!)

I loved getting to know Jessie and Hillary and seeing if they could rekindle their friendship after ten years of not speaking to each other. The romantic storylines were great too and the bedroom scenes were really steamy (just how I like them). While there was humor throughout, there was this one part in the story where I just couldn't stop laughing.

There's a nice blend of harmony and conflict that kept the story moving along at a good pace. I was surprised at some of the things that happened, and it never felt predictable. The setting was easy to visualize and it made me feel like I was hanging out at Camp Chickawah the entire time.

This is definitely a great romcom for ANY season!

(Trigger warning below.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Jessie: Meghann Fahy
Hillary: Emmy Rossum
Lucas: Scott Eastwood
Cooper: Robbie Amell

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TW: death of parent (off page)

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I could not get into this book, it was a DNF for me.

was such a fun book! I haven't read anything like this and was interested within the first few chapters. a good quick read for the summer! 4/5!

Until Next Summer is a tale of second chances and finding true happiness. Jessie has her dream job as the director of her beloved childhood camp. When it is announced that this will be the camp's last summer, Jessie invites former campers for an adult sleepaway camp. This includes her former best friend, Hillary, who abandoned Jessie in their dream of becoming camp counselors together. Hillary and Jessie, both at a crossroads in their professional and romantic lives, try to navigate forgiving one another while coming to terms what really makes them happy in their lives. All while trying to save their beloved camp.

I thought this was a cute read and I was drawn in IMMEDIATELY because of the nostalgia factor! I grew up going to summer camp and the atmosphere and vibes of this book were giving me everything I wanted to feel like I was reliving my own camp memories! However, I thought the main character was totally unlikable. I enjoyed the romance and the relationships in this book and watching the characters develop throughout the novel, however it isn't something I would highly recommend to others.

This is such a great summer book. It's campy (get it?), full of friendships old and new. I loved the camp setting of the story and the friends to enemies to friends again storyline. Yes, there is romance involved for both Jessie and Hillary, but this was way more about rekindling their friendship than anything else and I loved that about this book. Fantastic any time read. Read it in the summer, read it in the cold to escape in your mind to summer camp. Either way, it's a must read.

I received an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Until Next Summer by Ali Brady is a new standalone contemporary romance novel. The story in Until Next Summer is one that does change the point of view between the characters in the book to give all sides of the story.

Growing up Jessie found the one place she wanted to spend the rest of her life in Camp Chickawah where she spent her summers. Jessie thought her best friend Hillary also had the dream of them one day becoming counselors at the camp with each counting down the days until summer began and they could return to their friendship and the camp. However as they got older Hillary found other interests and took an opportunity away from the camp and their friendship ended.

Now Jessie is hanging onto her Camp Chickawah dreams by the thinnest of threads being head counselor for the last several years now but has just learned the owners want to sell. If this is going to be her last summer at her beloved camp Jessie wants to make it memorable and invites all past campers for an adult camp and one last hurrah which Hillary decides to attend to rekindle the friendship they’d lost.

I just have to say first off that with Ali Brady being the pen name of authors Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey that this pair has certainly found magic in writing together. Until Next Summer is the third book the duo has penned and I have loved each and every encounter. I’m a sucker for a summer camp setting even still picking up young adult in that vein so Until Next Summer immediately drew my interest and pulled me right into the story. This one is a double romance for readers too with both women finding someone as they repaired their own relationship and I was rooting for everyone every step of the way. Great book that I’d definitely recommend!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

4.5 stars!

As I kid who went to summer camp sessions for several years, and was a Girl Scout Camp Counselor in college, I get living ten months for two, as does Jessie in Until Next Summer. Camp Chickawah is her home away from home and provides stability after her parents divorce and form new families: sleeping in the same bed, until of switching every week per the custody agreement, is a luxury. She becomes a CIT and then a counselor and when the book opens, she’s employed year round as the director. The previous director/owners have passed and their children want to sell and develop the land. Heartbroken, and low on early enrollment, Jessie scraps tradition and decides to operate an adults-only camp for returning campers, grouped by age. She hires a skeleton crew to help run the place, hoping to maximize any profit to give a significant bonus to Dot, an administrator of many years, and Billy, a handyman/caretaker with even more longevity. Hillary, the bestie Jessie had a falling out with when Hillary betrayed Jessie by choosing not to return as a counselor, comes back to run the arts & crafts program; Hillary’s first kiss, Cooper, returns as the chef; and Luke, the counselor Jessie had a massive crush on rents a cabin for the summer to work on his next novel. It’s a motley crew, with unfinished business.

Chapters alternate between Hillary, on a break from her almost-fiancé with permission to have a summer fling, and Jessie, trying to present an upbeat demeanor while coping with heartbreaking loss and trying to crack through Luke’s grumpy persona. The friends pull together to come up with an alternative plan to save Camp Chickawah for good.

This novel is so evocative of summer and the camp experience, it practically stinks of sunscreen, lake water and insect repellent. I feel like I can give the characters permission to revert back to some teenage-like immature behavior: miscommunication, insecurity, being a little tone deaf. By the end, each has become accountable and vulnerable—playing roses and thorns, something my family incorporates into Shabbat dinner some weeks, is a clever mechanism.

The camp sessions focus on universal experiences: color war, pranks, putting on a play, etc. Catering to adults means wine at dinner, condoms in the canteen, and late-night skinny-dips. The evil inheritor Jack adds drama though it’s not clear why his sister Mary, who doesn’t seem to be in agreement, doesn’t stand up to him. The sophisticated menus Ben presents are mouthwatering—so not your average camp fare!

My only criticism is that of a missed opportunity: why not a Jewish summer camp? Ben and Hilary are coded as Jewish by their names. There’s a technology ban except for the directors cabin. Camp runs Mon-Sun to allow for not traveling on Shabbat. Jessie mentions shiva. One of the two authors gives gratitude for Jewish book circles, indicating Jewish roots, in the afterward. It would have deepened the story to have this cultural layer. Perhaps there was concern over limiting the audience or even facing outright anti-Semitism? For me, it would have added a lot for the meals to be kosher, to see havdalah at the lake, and for the campers to craft hamsas and mezuzot in the arts & crafts lodge.

I borrowed a print copy of #UntilNextSummer from my local public library, and it was no less charming having read it over a sunny October weekend.