The summer of you and me

I loved the mystery in the story. The twist in the story. A really great book. Maggie sees someone that looks like her dead husband, suspense and mystery of finding out who he really is. I loved all the twist and turns in the story. Loved Maggie and Josh and Zoey who is Maggie daughter. It was such an interesting book.

I received an advance copy of the book from NetGalley. This book review is my own opinion.

I found this story to be overly dramatic and quite a bit cheesy. It didn’t feel like it would be true to life at all. I almost stopped reading it, but decided to see how it would end. Overall, it was just an ok romance.

Romantic drama with an exciting blend of mystery!

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Josh and Maggie—the connection was undeniable! However, I wish their relationship had more buildup. Yes, the connection was there, but it felt like things moved too fast with them romantically, which missed a lot of the emotional depth that could’ve made their story better.

There was something about the pacing and structure of this that felt a bit off to me—I can’t pinpoint it, but certain parts didn’t deliver.

The plot twist was the best!!! I didn’t see that coming at ALL. I was literally freaking out, but it turned out to be so wholesome that I cried.

Even though the story didn’t reach its full potential, it was still an entertaining and emotional read that I’d recommend! Definitely worth diving into.

The audiobook was the best pair for this read; if you read it, PLEASE listen along to it. It makes it so much more engaging!

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾 & 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠!

Book itself: 2.6 ★
Audiobook: 4.1 ★

I'm not sure how to review this book. I liked it, I liked the characters, and I really liked the twist. A lot.

But, the story seemed to drag. Maybe the author couldn't cut out some of the minutiea to make the story flow more naturally.

I'm not sure. I'm not a writer, but there was just something that made the book not as good as it could've been.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. It connected me and had me hooked. It was so heartfelt and warming. I could not recommend this enough.

Maggie is shocked to see a person who she thought might be her dead husband of five years while attending a carnival. She searches frantically, but cannot find him. Could it be possible that her husband is still alive. His body never was recovered. This scene reminded me of when my father died. About a month later, I would have sworn I saw him in the Mall. Your mind can play funny tricks through grief. The search for the truth is an interesting story. Maggie's brother-in-law helps her in her search for the person who looks like her husband. I'm not one who likes a lot of "touchy/feely" dialogue in books. The romance in this book is clean. But in the middle of the book, it takes up too many pages for my taste. I skimmed over much of the dialogue that explored feelings. But don't give up on the book. The ending is well worth the read to the end. While some may think that some parts are unrealistic, it all could happen.

I received a copy of the book for my honest opinion. I was not required to leave a review.

This was a sweet read! I flew through it because I was so eager to find out how the story plays out. It was wholesome and light and a perfect book for the summer.

The perfect Summer read. This is my first Denise Hunter book, so I had no idea what to expect but wow - what a captivating writer who hooks you right from the beginning. I came for the mystery but stayed for the forgiveness and growth in and with both Maggie and Josh. The Summer of You and Me is a must add to your Summer TBR!

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC!

An interesting combination of mystery, approaching new life events and the case for questioning the what-ifs of life, and the opportunity to embrace a new path.

The Summer of You and Me
By: Denise Hunter
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction, NetGalley and Denise Hunter for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. The opinions and thoughts shared in this review are my own.

Maggie Reynolds lost her military husband while she was pregnant with their daughter. Josh Reynolds has been in love with Maggie since she first walked in with his sister years before. However, she married his brother. At long last Maggie has come home for the summer. While at a carnival with her daughter, she spots a person who she thinks is her dead husband. Immediately she gets Josh involved and when he sees the picture and realizes she isn’t making it up, they begin looking for the guy. In the process of spending time together in this search, his old feelings come to the surface and she is starting to realize her feelings.

Denise Hunter definitely knows how to write compelling books that keep your attention, but this one had some problems for me. I loved the mystery aspect of the story and the plot twist at the end. However, the book had some things that bothered me. Without being spoilery- I will do my best to explain. In the book there was a divorce situation that was not addressed. There is nothing wrong with divorced characters, but in this instance the divorce was something that should have been dealt with and apologized for. The mother/daughter terrible relationship was kind of annoying. Maggie needed to get a backbone when it came to her mom. I loved the resolution of the mystery, but the reasons for it felt a little icky. Also, the whole “I am in love with brother’s wife” felt wrong- I am referring to his loving his sister-in-law even when his brother was alive. These reasons, along with the total absence of faith content kept this book from being a five start read. As I stated earlier, Denise Hunter’s writing draws the reader in and makes you keep reading. Her characters and family dynamics (outside of Maggie her mom) are spot on. I loved the summer beach town setting.

I would recommend this book to the person looking for a summer love story that is clean. I would not recommend this for a person that wants deep Christian content.
#TheSummerofYouandMe #NetGalley

I truly loved this book so much! I loved the mystery within the story and how the love story developed between Maggie and Josh. I really appreciated the found family aspect of Maggie's relationship with Josh's family. The epilogue was a beautiful ending to the story. Overall, great story of second chance love!

I love this read. I was unable to put it down once I started. It felt so realistic and relatable in areas. I love the main character and the growth throughout the book. Definitely will be reading more by Denise Hunter!

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter gripped me from the start and wouldn't let go. A wonderful friends to lovers story.

Josh has been in love with Maggie for years, but she only saw him as a good friend. In fact she had married his brother. However, his brother, her husband Ethan, has now been dead for 5 years.

However, Maggie suddenly sees someone at the carnival who has an uncanny resemblance to her husband. But that can't be, can it?

This is the start of an investigation Maggie and Josh undertake, trying to figure out who it was that she saw, and no, it's not just her imagination as she caught the guy in the picture she was taking of her daughter .

There were so many twists and seeming dead ends as they undertook this mission. And as they did, they grew even closer together. But will Maggie ever see Josh as more than a good friend? Will she be able to open herself up to love despite the devastation in her past, and when certain truths are brought to light?

An awesome, emotional book dealing with loss and grief. It has become my favorite of this author. I zinged through the last half of the book as I needed them to solve this mystery.

Highly recommended.

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

This was such a good book! I enjoyed the story and the writing style! Would recommend for a summer read as your next

I am soooo sad. I have never DNF'd a Denise Hunter book but this was my first. I read everything Denise puts out and I usually LOVE her books. This one I just did not like. I wasn't connected to any of the characters. I didn't feel the love between the two. I thought the character development was flat and I didn't feel what I normally feel in her books. I wanted to love this book so bad as I loved the synopsis of it. Unfortunately I only made it about 30% of the way through before I DNF'd it. I will definitely pick up her next release and hope for more character development and background on the love interests!

I’ve always enjoyed reading Denise Hunter’s books and I own almost all of them in ebook format. So when I seen The Summer of You and Me on NetGalley I had to request reading it and I’m so happy that my request was fulfilled. This is such a great story. It’s a romance but it’s an unconventional romance with some really surprising twists and turns to the storyline. It was definitely not a dull read and it kept me glued to my kindle as much as was possible. The characters were all really wonderful people and I felt as if I really got to know them and I could feel all the emotions of love and heartache that they were going through. This is certainly a book I would recommend to others because it was just so good. I’d like to thank Thomas Nelson Fiction for accepting my request and NetGalley for the arc. This was a great read, I really enjoyed how the story came together and the ending was absolutely perfect. I’m rating this book with a much deserved 5 star rating and I look forward to reading more by Denise Hunter very soon.

As a fan of Denise Hunter, I found this book to be a wonderful edition to her collection of work. While it read as a stand alone, I would like to see some of the characters mentioned in this book explored in another book.

Overall a good story from Denise hunter. I can count on her for clean romances that will have some faith elements and deeper aspects without being heavy. This book started strong but I struggled with the pacing and the ultimate conclusion of the story- I wish it had felt like a bit more of a reveal instead of revealing some many things along the way- I just wanted a more satisfying ending especially with what the ending was. I also felt like sometimes the story was going too fast, especially at the end and other times it went too slow. I thought some of the strongest scenes were ones with Maggie’s mom. Overall, I enjoyed it and it’s a solid book with some modern elements from DH. Not a new fav though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book in exchange for my opinion!I

When Maggie is at a carnival with her daughter and brother in law, she sees a young man in the distance who looks exactly like her deceased husband. The curiosity of who this person is drives Maggie and her brother in law Josh on a search that will reveal many surprises. Maggie is also dealing with her narcissistic mother, causing her to suffer from insecurity. The story is a pleasant one, and the book is a good summer read for lovers of women’s fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

new beginnings. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Seabrook, the novel offers readers a blend of mystery, romance, and emotional growth. While the central relationship may challenge traditional norms, the story's exploration of love, loss, and healing resonates deeply. For those seeking a poignant summer read that delves into the complexities of the human heart, The Summer of You and Me is a worthy addition to your reading list.