Today, I want to share my quick review of The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter. This story is about Maggie, a widowed single mom and teacher, who unexpectedly spots someone at a local fair who looks exactly like her late husband, Ethan. The shock sends her on a journey with her brother-in-law Josh to uncover the truth about this mystery man.

Josh, a boat tour business owner and all-around great guy, has been harboring feelings for Maggie since childhood, adding a layer of unspoken tension and hope to their search. As Maggie balances her grief, the possibility of new love, and the mystery of the man who might be Ethan, the story weaves a heartfelt tale of second chances and moving forward.

If you love summer vibes, a touch of mystery, love triangles, and stories about personal growth and healing, The Summer of You and Me is a must-read.

Five years ago, Maggie's husband, Ethan, died while serving in the army. Need to confront her grief and let Ethan go, she decided to spend the summer in Seabrook, which is also Maggie and Ethan’s hometown. One day, when she and Zoey, her daughter, were at a carnival, she saw her husband. With Ethan's brother, Josh, she spent the summer searching for answers and unexpectedly found healing and the answers she needed.

I guess my lack of reading romance books affects how I see the plot. I can’t help thinking about husband-lookalike plot leading to a mystery thriller one. Lol. Thankfully, the romance, relationships between characters, and character development overcame my odd thoughts. I had no trouble connecting with the characters and I enjoyed Hunter's exploration of unrequited love, trust, forgiveness, and abandonment issues.

One aspect of adult fiction that I have always appreciated is the way characters deal with their emotions and problems. They are willing to take a step back and breathe, and ask for permission from the other person to process their emotions. It’s wonderful. We need to normalize it in our society. Understanding ourselves and our limits. Having boundaries. Taking space. Choose to think carefully before speaking when we’re in emotional turmoil, as our emotional words can hurt people unintentionally.

It was such a compelling and uplifting read.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this story so much, it might be my favorite story of hers! I love how each of her stories are written with such heart and realism. The characters are perfectly flawed like all of us and you feel all the emotions they feel!

Maggie is a war widow and coming to terms with living without her husband. It’s been almost 5 years and her and her 5 year old daughter are visiting her in-laws seaside town for the summer. While at the carnival she sees someone how is the spitting image of her deceased husband. She immediately calls her husband’s brother Josh, and he rushes to the carnival to try to help her find the guy. What is going on? Why is there someone in their town that looks exactly like her husband who supposedly died 5 years ago.

Maggie returns back to Seabrook for the summer. The place where she grew up and fell in love with her now late husband. Maggie hopes that this summer spent in Seabrook will give her closure, so she can find new love again. She also goes to Seabrook to meet up with her family in law.

Josh, Maggie’s brother-in-law, has always had a crush on her. When he hears that Maggie is looking for love again, he has to confess his feelings for her and see where it goes.

Then Maggie goes to an amusement park with her daughter and sees a man that looks exactly like her late husband. But how can this be, when her husband died 5 years ago. Maggie and Josh start looking for this man everywhere but they can't find him. When they finally discover who this man is, it raises a lot of questions that they maybe don't even want the answers to.

This book is a cute christian romance story. There were a lot of things happening, so it was never boring. When they started looking for the man who looked like her late husband, it was at some points like I was reading a mystery.
I did think that the book was a bit too long. I feel like some things could have been left out.
I liked the characters a lot but I feel like they missed a little bit of depth at times. But overall I really enjoyed the book.

The plot summary and the cover hooked me in; unfortunately the writing style wasn’t my thing. The mystery did resolve itself in a way that surprised me, which I appreciated.

Denise Hunter is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her latest, The Summer of You and Me was a winner.

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter is an emotional and heartwarming journey that blends romance, mystery, and healing in a truly captivating and thrilling way.

Five years after losing her husband, Ethan, Maggie Reynolds, is finally ready to let go and move on. Hoping to find closure and maybe a new direction in life, she decides to spend her summer in Seabrook. However, things don't always go as planned. Her world is thrown into chaos when she encounters a man who looks exactly like her late husband.

The story is a beautiful mix of Maggie’s grief and the blossoming of a new relationship with Josh Reynolds, Ethan’s brother, who has secretly loved Maggie for years. The chemistry between Maggie and Josh is palpable, and watching them navigate their feelings—while also uncovering the mystery behind the mysterious man—keeps you turning page after page.

Denise Hunter does an amazing job at balancing the romance with deeper emotional themes, like loss, healing, and second chances. There’s an element of suspense with the mystery of the look-alike man, which adds a unique twist to the story. It definitely kept me guessing, and the ending is satisfying, though bittersweet.

The setting is beautiful and idyllic, creating the perfect backdrop for the summer romance and self-discovery. The characters are well-developed, and you can’t help but root for Maggie and Josh.

If you love stories about love, second chances, and navigating the complexity of relationships, The Summer of You and Me is a great read. It’s emotional but uplifting, with just the right amount of mystery to keep you turning pages. Perfect for anyone looking for a thoughtful, heartwarming romance with a dash of suspense!

Definitely 3.5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley, Denise Hunter and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Denise Hunter's latest book, The Summer of You and Me is a total home run—an absolute winner from start to finish. It's a beautifully romantic read, with all the warmth and charm you'd expect from Hunter, yet refreshingly clean and wholesome. Denise Hunter masterfully weaves in an air of mystery that keeps you engaged without overshadowing the tender relationships at its heart. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy a heartwarming story with a touch of intrigue. I always love to read this author and enjoy that so many of her books are based in North Carolina. This one may be the top of Hunter's works - it's definitely one of my favorites.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview.

3.5 stars! Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I love small town, family sagas. This story did present a different type of plot that I wasn't expecting, but very creative which I appreciated. Kudos to the author for the nice twist on the paternity. I didn't see that coming until near the end.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Denise Hunter is on my list of favorite authors and I usually love her books, but The Summer of You and Me was a big letdown for me. The story follows Maggie, who still mourns her husband's death but falls for her brother-in-law and has a summer romance. I was not a fan of this plot or the main characters. I had a hard time staying interested in this. Thanks to the author, publisher Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

There was a lot to unpack in this story! The mystery behind who the man was at the carnival was very interesting to me.

The interest between Josh and Maggie was a little bit different to me since they were in-laws.

Brad and Becky had to have so many emotions as the story unfolds.

Will and Zoey were such great kids and were the highlights of the book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

After 5 years of Maggie's husband Ethan's death she and her daughter Zoey go back to Seabrook to spread his ashes. Maggie is finally ready to get on with her life. Josh, Ethan's brother has always been a big help to her and his sister Erin and her are like sisters. Maggie was brought up by a very narcistic type mother . The first night Maggie is back and she and Zoey are at the carnival, she sees a man who is the spitting image of Ethan. She tells Josh about it and they go on a search to find him and find out who he is. The results is a shocker. Join Maggie and Josh on their search, Josh has always loved Maggie. See what happens with them. A GREAT READ.

What a beautiful story! I could not put the book down even reading well into the night as I couldn't sleep for wanting to know what happens. Loved the characters too.

The Summer of You and Me is heartwarming and family oriented. This is a story that deals with grief, feelings of abandonment, the possibility of infidelity, but also the love of family. Maggie is shocked to see her late husband, Ethan’s, doppelganger at a carnival. Her brother-in-law, Josh, helps her search for him as they both grapple with the possibility of Josh’s dad fathering another son years earlier. In the process, Josh and Maggie explore the possibility of moving their friendship to the next level. After a slow start, the story evolves into a heartwarming conclusion as the mystery of Ethan’s lookalike is revealed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I have read several other books by this author and this one is as good as any of the others. This is the story of Maggie and Josh coming to terms with loss, love and rediscovery. I enjoyed the mystery twists as the story unfolded. A great read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC of this book for the opportunity to read and give a honest review. This is not my first book I have read by Denise Hunter and wont be my last. She is a amazing author that I always recommend! I have read many of her books and have loved a lot of them. This one was by far one of my favorite. This book gives a bit of a mystery twist that leaves you wondering all the way up to the end. Then the romance just adds to the story. In this book we follow Maggie who was married to Ethan but Ethan sadly passed away at war. I felt a deep connection to this story since my husband also served as a solider in Iraq and sadly he lost one of his friends from his unit in a close similar fashion. So I could relate all the feelings Maggie felt. In this story its been 5 years since Ethan has passed and she comes back "home" for the summer with her daughter. There at the county fair she see someone who looks like her dead husband. That brings in the mystery of this story as she tries to find out is this her husband or is it someone who looks just like him. I wont give spoilers since it was very interesting and I didn't guess the answer at all. I loved reading to find out!

What a great book! Josh was my favorite character because of his extreme patience with Maggie. He’s also such a great father figure for Zoey. I was definitely caught off guard when the identity of Will’s father is revealed. I can’t really say much more without giving spoilers. Suffice it to say, when I see a Denise Hunter book I know I will enjoy reading it!

The Summer of You and Me is emotional and heartwarming. There are plenty of twists, as Maggie and Josh work together to discover the identity of a young man who is the spitting image of Maggie’s late husband, Ethan. They also navigate the changing relationship between themselves, and deal with the 5th anniversary of Ethan’s death. The story was a bit slow in parts, but it all came together in a very real, touching, and delightful way.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Maggie Reynolds is finally ready to move on after the death of her husband, Ethan. This is good news for her brother-in-law, Josh, who has been in love with Maggie even though she chose his brother first.

Maggie is finally ready to move on and begins dating Josh to see where things between them go. But it isn’t smooth sailing as they tell their family. To add to that challenge, they see a man who looks just like Ethan, except his name is Will. At first, Josh and Maggie assume it’s his Dad but when he vehemently denies it, they begin to think maybe Will’s father may be Ethan’s.

I really liked this easy-reading novel by Denise Hunter, it had some twists that I didn’t expect but it still came with a side of HEA!

My gratitude to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson. All opinions expressed are honest and mine.

Thank you very much for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I feel like I'm definitely in the minority based on other reviews, but I had such a hard time getting into this story for some reason! I love the idea of a widow falling in love with her late husband's brother so I was immediately intrigued by the description. Still, something wasn't doing it for me unfortunately when I jumped into it.

I thought the story was sweet and definitely entertaining, but I don't think it's anything that I would recommend for everyone.