I really enjoyed this book, though the ending felt a bit rushed after such strong story development throughout.

I got pulled in right away. The second chance setup worked so well, and having it set in Italy just made everything feel warmer, more intense. It wasn’t just about them finding each other again — it was how much time had passed, how much was unsaid, and how much still lingered between them.

Their reunion hit me. It wasn’t rushed or dramatic in the wrong way — it felt earned. Every moment between them carried weight. I could feel the history, the hesitation, the pull. Watching them navigate that space between old love and new possibility kept me hooked.

Italy added something extra — not just scenery, but a kind of atmosphere that matched what they were going through. It felt emotional, but grounded. I wasn’t just reading about them; I was right there with them.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review ✨

I was really excited for this book as I love a good second chance romance and this book is set in Italy (!!!). Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me and I decided to dnf. First, I want to start with what I liked: representation!!! Especially now, I thoroughly enjoy reading books that have autism/neurodivergent representation, as I find this to be very important. Also, the Italy setting was so romantic, and I thought the author did a wonderful job implementing the beauty of this setting into the romance.

Unfortunately, it was very difficult for me to get into the book—the pacing was off and it seemed to be so slow. Second, I didn’t fully understand the backstory and conflict between the two main characters. Their relationship felt forced and uncomfortable? By 53% in, I decided that since I was struggling so much with this book that it wasn’t worth finishing.

This was okay but not my favorite. It had all the elements to be a book I loved, I LOVE second chance romances and summer reads. The pacing of this book felt off at times and it didn’t feel like the backstory had enough substance for a second chance.

I struggled with the pacing in this story… I was eager for it to pick up but (perhaps intentionally) it was a slow pace and slow burn.

I was hoping for a fun, second-chance summer read, but I disliked many parts of the book. I thought the relationship lacked substance and history to be a second-chance romance or an earnest relationship. Also, the pacing of the plot felt inconsistent throughout the entire book. Overall, I'm sad to say I did not enjoy reading this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I picked this up on a whim and was completely swept away. Jill’s storytelling is so immersive, I felt like I was living inside the book.
This is the kind of romance that sneaks up on you—tender, gradual, and deeply emotional. The characters felt real, the family relationships added so much depth, and the summery Italian backdrop was pure escapism. By the time I turned the last page, I was already daydreaming about a trip to the Amalfi Coast.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

3.5 ⭐️

Ellie is a sports psychology podcast host who made a bad hot mic moment after an interview dissing athletes, who also was just diagnosed autistic. Fortunately (or unfortunately) she has her grandmothers wedding in Italy immediately following her error. A wedding in which her childhood crush and first heartbreak will be at, as it suits grandfather Ellie’s grandmother is marrying. Cris has just retired from swimming and as he is on his way to Italy, an article is published that he was caught with illegal substance in his system. Ruining the ending of his career. They reunite for the first time in 10 years as both families prepare for the upcoming wedding. It’s awkward at first, but then they decide it would be beneficial for him to be her first interview of the new season for her show, and he can come clean on why he took the substance he knew he shouldn’t have. Through their prep for the interview, they realize the feelings are very much still alive between them.

This was cute, but long! I am a sucker for second chance romance so I was excited for this. However, it just felt… lacking? I didn’t feel the initial connection strong enough or heartbreaking enough to result in the turmoil and years of resentment Ellie had towards Cris. Also, the chapters were very long when they could have easily been broken up because it swapped POVs within chapters. Overall, I enjoyed it. I would recommend as just an easy pool read for the summer!

This second chance romance set in beautiful Italy will definitely make you want to visit, and eat all of the food that was so well described it made me hungry 😋😂 However, the romance was a bit cringey to me, especially the “spicy” scenes which just, didn’t work, it felt awkward and just not the vibe. It’s definitely an easy read, but I skimmed quite a bit of it because I felt like it dragged on for a while. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The world they built was great, but I just didn’t click with the characters or their relationship. They kept dwelling on what was or what might be, and honestly, it got a bit tiring.

2.5⭐️/5

To me this book felt like I jumped into a conversation half way through and never really caught up.

The characters weren’t relatable and I just couldn’t connect with them or the story. Their romance was so focused on their past mistakes and all the guilt and shame that went with it. I liked the representation of autism.

I liked the setting. It was set in Italy. It was full of sunshine, seaside, and wine country.

The setting of this book is beautiful, the story of two families that have known each other through the generations in Italy. The description of this book was intriguing, but overall it was lacking something. It didn’t get me hooked until around 60% into it, thats when I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen with Ellie and Cris. I was disappointed that there were so many Italian phrases, as I had to keep doing the translation on my Kindle to understand. If I had read this as a physical book, I would have probably given up.

I really wanted to love this book. Thank you St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin for this eARC in return for my honest review. I know Jill Francis’ writing has potential to be great, so I will keep a lookout of her next book

thank you netgalley for the earc!! this was a solid beach read but i am not the biggest fan of the miscommunication trope so it fell flat for me.

I would like to thank St. Matin's Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I used to think that I loved all romances with an Italian setting. Turns out I was wrong. I don't hate this book, or even dislike it-I just didn't care about the main characters. Ellie is a psychologist who has a sports talk show. Until she makes a major on air mistake.Cris is an international swimmer, who took an illegal ( performance enhancing)substance and retired( or retired then took the substance-it was murky). Their families were close friends and even now , they ae going to Italy for a wedding between his grandfather and her grandmother.Ellie and Cris had a moment some years back, but are not together now.The whole book is based on this. It is not spelled out until late in the story as to just what happened, but it is the miscommunication /second chance storyline.I like these storylines generally, but this one is awash in a lot of other plot lines. I feel like it was someone checking off plots-second chance-yes, romantic setting yes, autism diagnosis yes( and this was poorly handled), gay relatives yes, parents long term marriage in crisis, yes. It all seemed perfunctory . I just didn't care about the characters or the story.

This was a 3.5 star read for me. It was ok, but not great. I think the premise is cute, but it wasn’t executed in the right ways. First of all, it was pretty long for a romance. It could have been wrapped up much faster and had the same, if not more, or an impact. We start with a large chunk of the book in New York and then end with a big chunk in Mew York, but the main story is happening in Italy. I think the times in New York could have been cut in half. I also think the dialogue is a little juvenile and awkward. There were some cute moments, mostly being in Italy, but it feels stale the longer we are with these characters.

I can't recommend it enough! I really enjoyed this book, I couldn't put it down, I finished it in a couple of days!

The Summer You Were Mine gave me all the bittersweet, nostalgic feels in the best way. From the very first chapter, I could feel that mix of summer heat, old memories, and the kind of heartbreak that never really leaves you. It’s a second-chance romance, but it’s also about growing up, letting go, and figuring out who you are outside of someone else’s expectations.

I loved the tension between the past and present. It felt so real. The characters felt like people I’d actually know, and their emotions hit hard without ever feeling overdone. There’s love, loss, and a whole lot of what-ifs that had me totally invested.

If you’re into emotional reads with strong characters, small-town vibes, and a love story that feels earned, The Summer You Were Mine is absolutely worth diving into. It’s one of those books that quietly sticks with you.

The Summer You Were Mine had a great concept and all the ingredients for a fun summer read, but for me, it fell a bit flat. I really liked the characters and enjoyed the current-day storyline—watching Ellie and Chris go from cold and distant to flirty and sexy was entertaining and well done. Plus, the setting in the Italian Riviera was a wonderful touch; as someone with Italian heritage, I appreciated the glimpses of language, culture, and delicious food throughout the book.

That said, the past relationship between Ellie and Chris, which is supposed to be so deep and passionate, felt underdeveloped. The whole falling out was based on a single kiss under a ping pong table, which didn’t quite convince me of the heartbreak that kept them apart for years. Similarly, Ellie’s autism is mentioned frequently, but I never got a real sense of how it impacts her daily life or why she sought a diagnosis—it felt glossed over. Chris’s grief over his father’s death was also touched on briefly, but not explored enough to add emotional weight.

Honestly, if the story had focused more on the present and less on the underdeveloped backstory, I think I would have enjoyed it even more. It had all the bones of a great summer read but didn’t fully come together for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Jill Francis for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this story! I rated this book 3 stars, making it an okay read for me, but nothing that stands out in my mind. Here are more details for what I liked and what fell a bit flat for me:

What I liked:
- The writing style was so fun and I loved the lush descriptions of people, situations, and settings.
- The setting was gorgeous and I loved being transported to Italy! As someone who spent a year there, it was very reminiscent and felt authentic. My knowledge of Italian was also very helpful for understanding the italian words and phrases included, but the inclusion wasn’t heavy enough that someone without that pre-existing knowledge of Italian would be confused (i.e., they’d still understand and hopefully find it a fun inclusion!)
- The autism representation in the FMC
- Main characters with flaws. Both Cris and Ellie were written with flaws that made them feel like real people. They weren’t written to perfection which I appreciate.
- I loved the funny side characters with their added wit such as Graziella and Ben!

What fell flat for me:
- I wish there would have been more background and depth provided on Ellie’s autism diagnosis and how it affects her daily. We almost got there but I just wish we got a little more.
- I found the history between Cris and Ellie to be hard to understand. Maybe I just missed it while reading but I feel like it got touched on without ever receiving a clear reason for why they fell apart which led to me feeling confused and wanting for more detail for the rest of the book. This made the relationship between Cris and Ellie felt a bit insta-lovey and I just wish I had a better understanding because it would’ve made the progression of their relationship feel more real. I also am not a huge fan of miscommunication being one of the main factors to move the story forward, and felt like that was all Ellie and Cris had as a main conflict.
- I felt there was limited character growth for both Ellie and Cris by the end. They felt very much similar to how they felt at the beginning of the book and I just didn’t see growth in their characters.
- I didn’t quite understand Ellie’s job for the first chunk of the book, but did understand it by the end, I just remember being confused initially.
- The book just didn’t capture my attention at many points, leading to me getting bored and putting it down.

Overall, this book was an okay read, I’m giving it 3 stars because it was enjoyable enough that I finished it and wanted to continue, but I did find that parts of the story felt slow and fell flat for me. This book could be a 5 stars for another reader though, it just wasn’t a favorite for me.

My review on GoodReads and Fable was posted on 6/8/2025.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read *The Summer You Were Mine*!

To be honest, I had to DNF this book at 62%. It wasn't that I wasn't enjoying it; I just didn't feel invested. The chapters felt quite lengthy, making the story seem endless. I appreciated the Autism representation through the main character, but it often felt awkwardly introduced rather than seamlessly integrated. While I adored the setting, the use of another language was a bit confusing at times