"The Summer of You And Me” by Denise Hunter is an absolutely delightful read that captivates from start to finish. This inspirational romance is both poignant and uplifting, artfully weaving a story that touches the heart. Denise Hunter has mastered the art of sweet romance, creating a narrative that feels genuine and relatable.

The characters are wonderfully developed, each with depth and complexity that brings them to life. As the story unfolds, you can't help but fall in love with them as they navigate their lives and relationships. The chemistry between the protagonists is palpable and beautifully written, making their journey together both believable and compelling.

What I appreciate most about this book is its ease of reading. The prose is fluid and engaging, allowing you to become completely immersed in the world Hunter creates. It's one of those books that you can curl up with and lose yourself in for hours.

Overall, "The Summer of Me and You" is a perfect blend of romance, inspiration, and character-driven storytelling. Denise Hunter has crafted a gem that resonates long after the last page is turned. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a heartfelt and sweet romance!

Denise Hunter is one of my favorite Christian Fiction authors. She weaves wonderful, heartfelt romances with a little drama and a lot of emotion. The Summer of You and Me is no different. For Maggie, she is still recovering from her husband's death five years earlier. She brings her daughter Zoe to her hometown to spend the summer in the cottage her in-laws have vacated. She's connected with her best friend and sister-in-law and brother-in-law who still holds a torch for her. But then she knows she has seen Ethan, her late husband, and convinces his brother Josh that she is not crazy. They embark on solving a mystery into who this stranger truly is and how is he connected to Ethan.

I connected with Maggie as I am less than two years into losing my husband. Although I don't believe I'll see his twin, this was an intriguing mystery to take you on a roller coaster ride of emotion and suspense. You will turn each page with the anticipation of learning the truth and navigating through the twists. There is a second chance at love, one we all hope we will get if in the same situation, and that makes this story all the more sweeter.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME by Denise Hunter. It was a quick and easy read thanks to short chapters and nice pacing throughout the story. I also appreciated the clean romance that was included.

I did enjoy most of the characters in this story and thought that their struggles were relatable and appropriate given their pasts. My favorite of course was little Zoey. I usually find authors write children’s dialogue and interactions either too young or too old given their ages, but Zoey’s character was charming, age appropriate, and a wonderful addition to the book.

Where I struggled a little bit was Will’s storyline. I understand that his part in the book was to be a catalyst, but there were many parts of his story that I didn’t love. While him as a character was fine, and enjoyable in the scenes he was included in, I felt the mystery around his lineage seemed far-fetched. First, because in my mind, if a young man looks like the twin of an older man, wouldn’t you wonder if HE was the child’s father? And not just start believing that 75% of the way into the book? And then, the ‘answer’ to that lineage was something that I’m not sure I loved. Not because of the happiness found between the characters at the end, but more so the circumstances that happened almost 20 years prior. I don’t know- it just came across strange and a little icky to me given the characters ages and circumstances at the time.

Overall, I did enjoy THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME, and the believable, well-crafted relationship between the main characters. It didn’t skirt around difficult circumstances or feelings, making it a relatable read.

I'm thankful and lucky to have received both the eBook and audiobook of "The Summer of You and Me". Both were fantastic and the narrator was great.

It seems like a lot of other readers really enjoyed this book & I can understand why! However, for me, this one felt so unrealistic & I couldn't get over the FMC's brother-in-law calling her "honey" even before they got together. Also, the entire Will storyline felt so rush & there was a good chunk of the novel where it seemed like he was completely forgotten about. And, the fact that Josh ended up being his biological father was way too much of a coincidence.

Overall., this one just wasn't for me and I found myself rushing through it at the end. I felt no real connection to any of the characters.

firstly if you need a reason to read this book it will be Josh. and if this character doesnt get his happy ending then im never reading a book again. i jest. but i dont. but i do....but dont hurt be please Denise! give Josh all the happy endings and make more like him, please?
this book hard a constant stone in my throat where the emotions and tensions choked me up.
it was such a heartfelt and heartwarming book and took me up and swirled me round in all the right ways. but boy was i not ready for just how much id love this book.
the characters all felt so real. their reactions were storybook cliche and there werent people in moments without their flaws and as such perhaps flawed emotional reactions. but how would you react to what comes up in this book? well read on to find out is all i can say. you will not regret this book for one second.
Maggie was so brave. and i found her timeline and where she was in this book was apt for how thing might play out after becoming a widow. but what she wasnt counting for was Josh. and what she definitely wasnt counting on was seeing her five year dead husband in a crowd.
what follows is a discovery for everyone.its a whole shovel full of emotions. the mystery was perfectly mixed with the human connections and love story of it all. it was a tension not only because the story of who this missing or found man was but also because of the emotions every character was either going through or in certain characters cases causing!
this is a book id like to buy or get given so i could keep it forever.

This story excels in building suspense through a tightly crafted mystery. The plot revolves around secrets from the protagonist’s late ex-husband, and as the truth slowly comes to light, the tension never lets up. Each revelation raises the stakes, keeping the reader on edge as characters dig deeper into the past.

The pacing is deliberate, with each twist adding complexity to the mystery and revealing new layers of betrayal. The characters are well-developed, and their reactions to the secrets they uncover feel grounded and authentic. The emotional weight of the story is carefully balanced with the growing suspense, making the discoveries all the more impactful.

The mystery is what drives the story forward, and the way it unfolds keeps you engaged, with enough surprises to keep you guessing until the very end.

I just love Denise Hunter's writing and this is another memorable book.

Five years after her husband's death, Maggie is back in their hometown to let him go. There is an ash spreading ceremony set for later in the summer and she's ready to start moving on. Until she swears she sees him at the town fair - and talks his brother, Josh, into helping her find out what's going on. They spend the next few weeks together getting closer and trying to track down the guy she saw. It's a really sweet story, with some twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

A summer in Seabrook is just what Maggie needs to find closure five years after the death of her husband. With brother-in-law Josh by her side, Maggie sets out to share a summer of lazing in the pool with her daughter and possibly letting herself find love.

But when she runs into a man that could pass for her late husband, she’s set on a crash course to answer impossible questions. With Josh’s help, Maggie’s search leads to more questions than answers … and possibly more than she can handle.

I enjoyed this read. It was my first by the author and she did a great job of building suspense around the mysterious Ethan-look-alike. Honestly, that was what kept me turning pages. At times, I felt like I was getting bogged down in the details of the setting around the characters, and skimmed a bit here and there to get to the conclusion. Overall, this was an enjoyable escape and I look forward to reading more from the author.

Thank you to Denise Hunter, Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for a gifted digital advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely, complex, sweet, and angst-laden, second chance at love novel this was, and with plenty of twists and turns I didn't see coming. I haven't yet read many books by its author, Denise Hunter, but that's about to change because this excellent novel was most definitely a 5-star read.

The Summer of You and Me touched on so many deeply-felt emotions--Maggie's grief at the wartime loss of a loved one--her husband, Ethan, a now widowed, single mother raising her adorable daughter, Zoey, alone, her close friendship with her brother-in-law, Josh, a brother-in-law who seemingly had forever wanted more than just a close friendship with his sister-in-law, Maggie's manipulative single mother, the reaction of family and friends, all too ready to judge the slowly building relationship between Maggie and Josh, and if that wasn't enough, spotting someone at a carnival bearing a very striking resemblance to Maggie's dead husband, followed by the doubts, fears and questions the sight of this young man, Will, raised about his parentage, the hunt for answers, and the surprise ending I never saw coming. As heart-wrenching romances go, this novel hit the mark at every turn.

All in all, the complexity of the relationships between all of these well-drawn characters, the depth of their emotions, and all the doubts and twists and turns, kept me glued to this novel until the wee hours of the morning. Ms. Hunter now has a new fan among her readers.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions stated are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. I really had higher hopes for this book. The concept was great the execution just seemed to fall flat. This is the first book by Denise Hunter that I have tried. I will definitely give one of her other books a try before I make a judgement on her as an author.

I really enjoyed this book especially the further it got along. It was funny to me that Josh kept calling Maggie honey over and over again, even before she realized he liked her. Just something random that distracted me from what was actually going on. The theme of them trying to find Maggie's late husband's doppelgänger was a little stalkerish to me for a while but improved further in the book. There was so much to love in this book though. There were deep issues of grief, abandonment issues, childhood illness, parental narcissism, along with a mystery that didn't get solved til the end of the book. I loved that what happened wasn't at all what I expected. All in all, I enjoyed this book and am glad I read it. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

BOOK REVIEW:

Wow! Where to even begin! This story! Oh this story! I felt such a wide gamut of emotions as I read this one... love, anger, hurt, sadness, laughter, tears, protectiveness, pain, bewilderment, confusion, joy... truly an emotional rollercoaster and so worth every bit of it.

Denise Hunter has crafted a unique and complex story that grabbed hold of me from the start. I loved the relationship Josh has with his widowed sister-in-law, Maggie and her daughter, Zoey. I truly love how unselfish Josh is, though he struggles with feeling he is very selfish. He truly lives out Phil 2:3-4 that tells us to consider others above ourselves. My heart hurts for him as he keeps his feelings tucked in to protect and honor Maggie and Ethan. I wanted so much for Josh and was overjoyed with what Hunter had in store for him.

I loved the bit of mystery and all the twists and turns and what ifs that played out. And the revelation! Oh my! I had considered parts of the outcome, but wasn't sure how it would have happened. The explanation was absolutely realistic and plausible. For that, I am thankful.

I loved the various emotions and reactions from Josh's family as things played out. Again, I felt they were realistic and true to character.. not contrived and forced.

I loved Zoey. How could you not! She is too cute and fun and just delightful.. and honestly so needed as parts of this story are a bit heavy at times and she adds just the right amount of glee to lighten the load.

Denise Hunter has long been an author whose works I enjoy. This one and her last book are both 5 star reads for me. She's always been a great writer, but it is as if she's leveled up to a higher standard and I, for one, love it!

Readers who like small town fiction will enjoy this cozy story. When Maggie sees someone that appears to be her dead husband is thrown into turmoil. Her relaxing summer becomes a hunt for the truth. This emotional story about Maggie trying to move on and brother-in-law hidden attraction to her keeps readers engaged. When the truth comes out about the mystery man it is quite a twist. For me, the twist was unbelievable and unlikely. Enjoyable story.

A sweet, heartwarming story. There are some heartbreaking moments along the way. Family is at the heart of this story. Likeable characters. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

DNF this one. It wasn’t catching my interest as much as I hoped. Maybe if I tried to read this at a different time I could have liked it but unfortunately it never clicked for me.

The Summer of You and Me is a heartfelt and layered story that took me by surprise in the best way. While it delivers all the emotional depth and romantic connection you’d hope for in a summer read, it never crosses into overly cheesy or one-dimensional territory. Denise Hunter strikes a perfect balance between warmth and weight, making this book stand out in the contemporary romance genre.

Maggie and Josh's shared grief over losing Ethan adds a profound emotional core to the story. Their journey felt authentic, and their pain was portrayed with such care that it gave the book a rich, resonant undercurrent. This grief made the characters feel real and gave the romance more depth—it wasn't just about sparks, but about healing, growth, and second chances.

One of my favorite elements was the mystery surrounding Will and his uncanny resemblance to Ethan. It added an unexpected and gripping twist that kept me flipping pages. The plot twists—especially toward the end—completely caught me off guard in the best way. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, another curveball was thrown. I genuinely stayed on my toes the whole time.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has that perfect summer beach vibe, making it an ideal companion for a day of relaxing in the sun. With its heartfelt storytelling, surprising twists, and emotional depth, The Summer of You and Me is more than just a beach read—it's a story that stays with you long after the final page.

A heart-rendering second chance romance.

Although I've heard lots of great things about Denise Hunter, I've not read any of her books... until this week.

I enjoyed Maggie and Josh's story, especially with all the complicated layers within their relationship. Shared grief, familial challenges, physical distance, unrequited love and guilt... there was plenty to fill the page with! Whether the moment dealt with angst or anxiety, hope warring with fear, there was plenty to keep the story rolling along.

I loved Josh and his selfless heart, and I felt for Maggie and the huge things she overcame and still had to hurdle. Both dealt with things in a believable way. Their interactions with friends and family amused and endeared me, especially the times spent with Zoey.

An emotional read.

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

Five years after her husband's death, Maggie is finally ready to let go of him and the dreams she had for their future. A summer at Seabrook, where she and Ethan first became childhood sweethearts, seems the perfect time and place to find closure. Plus, she gets to spend time with his family, the Reynoldses, whom she loves like her own.

Unbeknownst to Maggie, her brother-in-law, Josh Reynolds, has been in love with her since they first met all those years ago. But his brother ultimately won Maggie's heart, and Josh's unrequited love has ruined all of his relationships. If Maggie is ready to move on, then Josh is ready to lay it all on the line and come clean about his true feelings for her.

But his plans soon get put on hold when, shortly after Maggie returns to Seabrook, she runs into a man who could pass for Ethan's twin. But he disappears into the amusement-park crowd before she can confront him. The twist and turns that this triggers work their way through the rest of the story, as both Maggie and Josh must reflect on their relationships and the past before they can face their future head-on.

I really enjoyed this book and liked the warmth and relatability of the relationships between the characters. There were times that I found myself frustrated with Magige because of her thinking, but at the same time, given all that she had been through, it was probably very realistic. In the end, it was a wonderful story and I was very happy with how it turned out.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

What to expect in The Summer of You and Me:
- a slow-burn summer romance between our FMC and her late husband's brother.
- a single mom with a cute kid!
- a realistic widow's grief journey, and the ongoing struggles.
- a mystery element, where they work together to learn more about her husband's passing five years ago (while overseas in the military) and what really happened. Expect fun twists and turns!
- a cast of great supporting characters, in the form of her late husband's extended family.
- single, third-person POV