I loved this book. Denise Hunter is quickly becoming a new favorite author of mine. the complexities of life that were navigated in this book were difficult to say the least. I had an inkling how the end would turn out, but def not from the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to my bookish friends.

thank you netgalley for the advanced copy of the book. the review above is entirely my own honest feelings and in no way swayed.

This was the first book I read by Ms. Hunter, and I really enjoyed it. Josh has been in love with Maggie for years but respected the fact that she fell in love with his brother. Years after his brother passed away, he has finally decided to tell her how he feels and let the chips fall where they may. Unfortunately, just as he is about to tell her, she shows him a picture of a person who looks just like his deceased brother. Maggie has always looked at Josh as her brother but has always felt comfortable with him. She tells him about the man she saw because she doesn't want to hurt the rest of the family if she is wrong.

While searching for the look-alike, they grow closer, and she starts having feelings for him. She is surprised because she never looked at him that way before and she feels like she is betraying her husband. Josh is also the only man her daughter has ever known as a father figure. The bond her daughter and Josh share is fantastic and the relationship that develops between Josh and Maggie is just as wonderful.

When the secret is revealed, it has the chance of being great or catastrophic for the family. All of the scenarios they come up with are reasonable and I was so happy with the truth. There were some moments where I felt the characters were being redundant, but I tried to not let that override my enjoyment. I would definitely read more books by this author. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

This was a great story! The characters went on such a journey, and I was riveted from start to finish. I didn't guess the twist either! Highly recommend!

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

I read Denise Hunter’s The Summer of You and Me in a day. I had to know how it was going to end! I’m a long-time fan of Hunter’s books and I’ve read every single one. Of her recent “beach read” books, I think this one might be my favorite. The storyline was so interesting and memorable and had a bit of mystery thrown in. I felt like Josh and Maggie’s relationship was handled well, despite the potential awkwardness of brother and sister-in-law falling in love. Josh dealt with a lot of guilt over his feelings for Maggie, but what won me over was how he handled himself all that time. It speaks pretty highly of his character that she never suspected he felt more than family affection for her until well after her husband’s death.

I didn’t see the twist playing out how it did! The ending is so rewarding and sweet. I’ll admit to being super mad at Maggie and how she handled things at one point, but I give her a lot of credit for really doing some self care and figuring out her issues in order to move forward. As much as I didn’t “like” that part, it did feel authentic in a book where some pretty crazy things happen.

I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I was not asked to leave a positive review and my opinions are my own.

Sweet story of a romance that finally got its turn to thrive.

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

THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME by Denise Hunter squeezed my heart relentlessly over and over again. It is all about family and faith and totally heart tugging. It had me flipping through the pages like a woman on a mission. I had to know what was going to happen to Maggie and Josh and all the secondary characters. All of Denise’s characters feel genuine and relatable and put your emotions on one heck of a roller coaster ride. As you are reading, you will find yourself cheering for all of them, praying they can work out their problems and be happy once again. You will also wonder how much heartache a person can stand before they completely break down and shatter.

THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME is filled with family drama, forgiveness, mystery and romance. It is also an emotional rich story, so much so that it just might be the best novel that I have read by Denise Hunter so far.

THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME is the story of Maggie, who lost her husband five years ago. She decides to spend the summer in their old home town once again even though she knows the memories will probably be many and very painful. She is supposed to spread his ashes with her in laws, but before that happens, she spots someone who looks exactly like Ethan. Hang on people, THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME is an intense and crazy ride.

THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME is a quick read that you can easily read in one sitting and love every minute of it. It is one heck of a crazy emotional roller coaster ride! I have never met a Denise Hunter book that I didn’t love and once I started reading I knew I was going on one heck of an emotional journey! Whatever you are reading, put it down, and run and get this book! If you’ve never read a Denise Hunter novel (and you know who you are) this would be a perfect one to hook you!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

Denise Hunter is an auto-read author for me. Her books don't disappoint and this one is included in that number. A little mysterious, a little romantic, a little about grieving and moving on, a little about setting boundaries.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Maggie Reynolds has returned to the coastal town of Seabrook, NC five years after her husband's death. She is at a small town carnival with her daughter Zoey and suddenly sees a man who looks exactly like her husband. With her late husband's brother, Josh, she goes on a search for this mysterious man ... becoming closer to Josh in the process.

I wanted to read The Summer of You and Me because I love Denise Hunter's books. I try to read them all as they are released! I also liked the beach read sound of this book.

This was perhaps my favorite Denise Hunter book so far. It has everything - a small town coastal setting, summer vibes, a compelling mystery, and a slowly unfolding romance. The mystery aspect was especially strong (and kept me up reading late!). I highly recommend this novel for other fans of beach reads and women's fiction.

The Summer of You and Me looks at family ties in times of grief and confusion, while not being heavily emotional.
Five years ago, Maggie lost her husband while he was deployed. She has tried to move on and make a life for herself and their young daughter. She has come to spend the summer at Seabrook, their childhood home. Without a supportive family of her own, she is lucky enough to have a great relationship with her husband, Ethan’s family, including having her sister-in-law as her best friend. But maybe these titles don’t mean so much because she has found herself becoming extremely close to Ethan’s brother. But her summer comes to a complete halt when she suddenly sees a man who is a spitting image of her dead husband.
Denise Hunter creates a story about family. It’s a little different than the traditional family, and that’s what's intriguing here. Hunter looks at the boundaries families set and when they are ok to be broken. This is mixed with family grief and how that affects bonds, especially in the light of having dysfunctional family members. Then there are twists on how family can expand past just those that we first see as family. While it doesn’t get too deep, it still makes you think and feel about everyone involved.
This wasn’t the best, well-written book I’ve read. I had an ARC, so I know there are things that have been fixed by the time it gets to your hands (I hope). But there are long sections of dialogue where there aren’t identifiers about who is talking, and clarity is lost. The other issue is build-up and resolution. For example, there is a huge deal in the book about the anniversary of the husband’s death. It’s a big plot point to the characters, but it gets only one small chapter with very little emotion or insight from most of the characters. This holds true for bigger, spoilery plot points in the book.
An interesting summer read, The Summer of You and Me would have been an emotional journey in the hands of another writer. As it is, Hunter gives you a book for when you need to kick back and not think too hard. And we all need these days.

This story took me by surprise. Not that I wasn't expecting to enjoy it, I certainly was. I've enjoyed every Denise Hunter book I've read. But because of how much I enjoyed it! From page one, I enjoyed every detail of this story. I liked the characters, the setting, the progression, the friendships, all of it! There's a twist in the storyline I hadn't expected, and I thoroughly enjoyed that! The story flows well as we've come to love and rely on from Ms. Hunter. All around an excellent read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

2025 has been the year of trying new to me authors, and reading the synopsis of The Summer of You and Me immediately intrigued me. Small town romance are my current catnip and I was excited at the premise of Maggie thinking she spotted her husband, someone who died in the war five years ago. The thrill of her chasing down this mysterious person with the help of her brother in law, who has been secretly in love with her since before she married his brother.

I enjoyed the story, but it was very slow to start and dragged until about the 75% mark where it suddenly took off like a rocket. I enjoyed the characters, and Maggie's daughter Zoe. The relationship developing between Maggie and Josh didn't feel believable to me, it felt more like she was just relying on his help to solve the mystery of who this person is that looks exactly like her dead husband.

I was invested in the story but there were several things where I had to suspend too much belief. And the ending left me with a lot of unanswered questions that really throws a damper and leaves me not satisfied with the conclusion. It was not a bad first read of this new to me author, and I will look up her other works to see if any of them intrigue me.

After reading Before We Were Us last year I knew I needed to pick up the latest Denise Hunter book! What a great premise...a young widow and her brother-in-law join forces to find out who a man is that looks like her deceased husband. This not-so-new relationship is complicated with a long history, lots of emotions and skepticism, mystery and...a sweet unfolding of faith-filled lives. Hunter has a way with words with lots of great dialogue among her characters. This is a clean, sweet romance, but definitely has some unexpected elements of real life interspersed. The characters are not perfect, making them more relatable. This would be great for you if you enjoy Christian fiction, romance, or even mysteries.
Not sure if this will be continued as a series but I'd love to see what happens to Maggie and Josh next!
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

I can't even tell you how much I loved this book! You don't even have to wait for the story to start. Before the end of the first chapter, you'll be hooked.
I could not put this book down. It's a sweet story with all the vibes of summer. You'll feel like you're enjoying the carnival, walking along the beach, and eating seafood at a local restaurant. The characters are so well-written and relatable. I loved watching the romance bloom between Josh and Maggie--but I was not prepared for the twists! Yes, more than one!
This is the perfect book for a summer read, but make sure you have some tissues nearby. Denise Hunter is one of my favorite contemporary fiction authors, and this might be my new favorite of her novels!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Second book for me by Denise Hunter and both have left me wanting to leave more than 5 stars. It has the sweetest of clean love stories. But it has depth for the male and female leads. There was loss, learning boundaries with family, healing, and a couple moments that I needed to reach for a tissue in the best of ways. This made me cheer on the main couple that they could face all the obstacles in their paths and get to a happy ever after.

Thank you NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I always enjoy reading Denise Hunter’s books. She is a phenomenal author. I adored this book
The characters are great, the storyline flows, the books are easy and quick to read.
This book is beautifully written, well developed characters, and has the ability to evoke very intense emotions while reading it.
The Summer of You and Me was an incredible read and I highly recommend it.

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter is a romantic story of healing, family, and love. Denise Hunter's writing tells the story without forcing readers to read graphic details that most of us can imagine.

This was such an interesting, emotional book with wonderful characters. Maggie and her young daughter have returned to Seabrook for the summer where they will celebrate the fifth anniversary of her husband's death. She was hoping this would give her the closure she needed.

The book had many emotional twists and turns and amazing revelations as Maggie thought she had seen her husband or a man that could be Ethan's twin. She began to question if he could have survived. Her brother in law has always had feelings for her and was planning to let Maggie know since it had been five years but now his plans are derailed.
I could not put the book down! I loved it! I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Summer of You and Me" and all opinions expressed are my own. This story kept me interested. Definitely a lot of emotion throughout. I loved getting to know the characters. Overall very good.

It's been awhile since I've read a Denise Hunter book. As I set down and began reading this one it felt different to me. It had a bit of a mystery to the plot and this intrigued me. Honestly, this mystery was what kept me reading.

The characters in this book were just so-so for me. I didn't feel a huge connection to them, but I also didn't dislike them. They fell a little flat and kinda boring.

The plot was ok. The romance was not my favorite part. I didn't have a problem with the dynamics and there was no eww factor for me. I just wasn't into the romance between the two main characters. The mystery held the appeal for me in this book. Who was Will and what was his story? That kept me reading this book. When it was revealed who Will was I was surprised because I hadn't even considered that as an option.

All in all this book was ok. I don't regret reading it but it's also not my favorite by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter is a deeply emotional and captivating story about love, grief, family, and finding hope again after heartbreak. Maggie Reynolds has spent the last five years mourning her husband Ethan’s death, raising their daughter Zoey, and holding onto the life they once dreamed of. This summer at Seabrook—the place where their love story first began—is supposed to be her moment of closure. Instead, Maggie is thrown into emotional turmoil when she spots a man who could pass for her late husband’s twin.

From the first chapter, the story pulls you in with its emotional intensity and rich characters. Maggie’s journey feels raw and honest. Her grief is layered and complicated, especially when feelings for Josh—her late husband’s brother and her steadfast friend—begin to surface. Josh’s unspoken love for Maggie is tender, patient, and heartbreaking, making him one of the most genuine romantic leads I’ve read in a while.

The mystery of the lookalike adds a tense, page-turning element to the romance. Every time Maggie and Josh think they have answers, new secrets emerge, shifting everything they thought they knew. The suspense is perfectly woven into the emotional core of the story, never overshadowing the real focus: healing, forgiveness, and the courage to choose love again.

Denise Hunter’s writing shines with emotional depth and vivid descriptions. Seabrook feels like a real place—full of sun, ocean breezes, family gatherings, and memories both sweet and painful. She portrays grief with sensitivity and allows Maggie’s journey toward healing to feel realistic, not rushed or simplified.

The supporting characters add warmth and complexity to the story, especially Zoey, who brings so much heart to the narrative. The Reynolds family is beautifully portrayed, showing unconditional love and support, while Maggie’s relationship with her difficult mother adds another layer of emotional realism.

The audiobook, narrated by Kim Churchill, is outstanding. Churchill captures the emotional nuances of Maggie and Josh so well. Her distinct voices for each character, pacing, and emotional delivery make it feel like you’re living inside the story rather than just listening to it. I highly recommend experiencing this one in audio form too—it brings another level of life to an already stunning story.

The ending is heartwarming, satisfying, and absolutely worth every twist and tear along the way. The Summer of You and Me isn’t just a love story—it’s a story about finding your way home after life has shattered your plans, about how grief shapes us, and how love, even after loss, can still bloom in unexpected, beautiful ways.

This book will stay with me for a long time.
5 enthusiastic stars.