"The Summer You Were Mine" by Jill Francis is an absolutely adorable story that captured my heart. This beautifully crafted novel explores the tender theme of second chance love, woven seamlessly with the journey of self-discovery.

Told from the alternating perspectives of the two leading characters, the narrative offers an intimate glimpse into their thoughts, emotions, and personal growth. The dual viewpoints add depth and authenticity, making it easy to connect with both protagonists as they navigate the complexities of past regrets and present hopes.

What truly sets this book apart is its strong emphasis on family. The characters' relationships with their families are heartfelt and realistic, adding layers of warmth and relatability to the story. The dynamics are touching and genuine, underscoring the importance of support, understanding, and unconditional love.

As the story unfolds, Jill Francis masterfully balances moments of heartfelt emotion with lighthearted charm. The pacing is perfect, and the writing is engaging, pulling you into a world where love is rediscovered, and personal growth flourishes.

The happy ending is the cherry on top, leaving me with a heart full of joy and a smile on my face. "The Summer You Were Mine" is a delightful read that resonates long after the last page. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about love, family, and the beautiful journey of finding oneself.

Thank you to NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer You Were Mine is a heartfelt, thoughtful second-chance romance set against the gorgeous backdrop of the Italian Riviera. If you enjoy character driven stories with real emotional depth, a bit of family drama, and just the right amount of romance, this one’s worth checking out.

The story follows Ellie and Cris, childhood friends who haven’t seen each other in years, now reunited in their hometown of Chiavari for a very unexpected family wedding, his grandfather and her grandmother. Both are returning with some emotional baggage: Ellie is trying to rebuild her career after a very public crash and is also coming to terms with her recent discovery that she’s neurodivergent. Cris, a former elite swimmer, is dealing with the fallout of a doping scandal and the sudden end of his career. So when they reconnect, it’s complicated, to say the least.

What I really appreciated is how layered their relationship felt. There’s plenty of chemistry, but the book takes time to explore their past, the way life shaped them, and why things didn’t work out the first time. Their deal an interview for Ellie’s comeback, and a platform for Cris to tell his side sets up the perfect opportunity for them to reconnect, but nothing about it feels rushed or overly convenient. There’s a genuine tenderness in how they navigate not just each other, but who they’ve become.

The Italian setting adds a lovely sense of place without taking over the story. And while the romance is central, I also liked the way the book explored themes like identity, self worth, and the pressure to constantly perform or meet expectations whether it’s in a career, a family role, or a relationship.

That said, some parts felt a little slow in the middle, and a few of the side characters could’ve been more fleshed out, especially given how family focused the story is. But overall, this is a really satisfying, emotionally grounded read that still manages to feel like a vacation.

A great pick if you’re in the mood for a romance that’s more than just surface level, with two characters who feel flawed, real, and easy to root for.

4 Stars!

#NetGalley, #StMartinsPress, #TheSummerYouWereMine, #JillFrancis, #ItalyVibes

Beautifully written book, set between New York City and the coast of Italy. Ellie and her family has spent the summers in Italy with her extended family. This summer, her grandmother is getting married.

Ellie has a popular podcast counseling athletes. Right before she is leaving for Italy, she has a hot mike issue and the future of the podcast is in jeopardy. As she heads to Italy, she vows to keep her distance from her childhood friend/ crush who crushed her.

This is fun read with thoughtful dialogue. Perfect summer read. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin Publishing for this advance read.

Thank you, @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the gifted ARC!
Rundown:
✨️second chance romance
✨️childhood friends
✨️Italy
✨️autism rep
✨️swimmer/sports talk show host

Synopsis ✒️
Ellie's career as a sports talk show host is imploding after a live mishap. She travels to Italy to take a break and celebrate a family wedding. There, she runs into Christano, a childhood friend she hasn't spoken to in years. He's also there to take a break from his own scandal and asks Ellie for advice. She was always the one that got away, and he's hoping there's a chance for more.

Thoughts 💭
I was drawn to this book for the second chance romance set in Italy. There were many things I enjoyed, including the autism representation, the fact that they were childhood friends and their families knew each other, so there was a lot of history. The setting alone has its own charm. I struggled to get through this, though. I couldn't fully connect to either main character. They were stubborn and wouldn't communicate even years later. There were also parts where they spoke in Italian (which I took in high school). With that background, I could piece together what was being said with the help of my Kindle translating some. But there was no context to help those who don't speak it to understand what was going on. This one was a little disappointing for me.

This was not good. I read the entire thing and have no idea what any of the “conflict” was about. It was all so minor, yet these characters turned everything into life-altering drama every single time. Would have DNFed for sure if it wasn’t a NetGalley copy. I do appreciate the opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest review.

Jill Francis’s debut novel, The Summer You Were Mine, introduces readers to Ellie and Cristiano—two childhood friends whose families have been close for generations, all sharing roots in the same region of Italy.

After a falling out years ago, the two are reunited for the first time in over a decade when Ellie’s grandmother marries Cristiano’s grandfather. Both are headed to Italy for the wedding, each at a professional low point: Ellie is reeling from an on-air mishap that’s gone viral, and Cristiano is facing doping allegations in the high-stakes world of professional sports.

From there, the story unfolds in a fairly familiar romcom fashion. I found myself easily distracted while reading and listening, though I did appreciate the storyline around Ellie’s recent autism diagnosis and her journey of self-discovery. That element brought some depth and uniqueness to an otherwise predictable plot.

While the audiobook’s voice actors did an excellent job bringing personality to the characters, the writing itself just didn’t land for me, earning three stars. That said, this book may still resonate with many readers—it simply wasn’t the right fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jill Francis, St. Martin’s Press, and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read and listen to The Summer You Were Mine ahead of its July 1st release.

Jill Francis, I don't know what kind of magic you infused this story with, but I finished it in a day. 🥹 Ellie and Cris were so flawed, and even though they were celebrities, somehow their concerns felt super relatable. I wish I could spend summers in Italy with an amazing family, but since I can't, I will live vicariously through these amazing characters you created. 😍

A sweet, albeit trope-y, second chance romance set in Italy with swoon worthy characters. Ellie and Cris has a moment all those years ago and now they're reunited for the wedding of their grandparents. They're both struggling with the implosion of their careers and so it seems only natural that they fake a relationship and set up a friendly interview of Cris by Ellie. Fans of this genre know how things will turn out but Francis has built some differences into Ellie, who is neurodivergent, and Cris, who was a world class swimmer. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A pleasant beach read.

I'm always up for a beachy, second chance romance. Second chance romances are one of my favorite tropes. Especially when it is set in Italy. Unfortunately, it was hard for me to get connected with and invested into the characters. I wanted more from their love story. I also found that the incorporation of Italian phrases was distracting as many times I had no idea what it meant and there was no indication of what was being written. I enjoy foreign languages scattered into the book, but I appreciate when there is an English re-telling so I know what is being said. Even though this didn't work for my, I know many will love this second chance romance set in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Welcome to Chiavari, a picturesque Italian coastal town where love blossoms, secrets unravel, and absolutely everyone needs therapy. Ellie Beltrami returns to her family’s homeland after a very public career implosion (sports talk show host turned national embarrassment) and a side order of identity crisis, thanks to a late-in-life neurodivergent diagnosis. She’s there for the wedding of her grandmother—to her ex–best friend’s grandfather. Because romance isn’t dead; it’s just retired and wearing orthopedic sandals.

Enter Cristiano Conte, a moody ex-Olympic swimmer whose career face-planted into a doping scandal. He’s back in Chiavari too, smoldering and brooding like a man whose abs have seen better days. Ellie and Cris haven’t seen each other since they almost kissed fourteen summers ago. That’s right—almost. Because nothing screams “sweeping romance” like clinging to the memory of a kiss that didn’t happen over a decade ago.

Naturally, they strike a deal: Ellie gets an exclusive interview to maybe jumpstart her career again, and Cris gets to explain that he definitely didn’t do drugs, okay?? What follows is a long, slow, emotionally constipated reunion full of wistful glances, unresolved trauma, and enough inner monologues to fill a therapy textbook.
I wanted to love this. Second-chance romance? Italian coast? Generational wedding shenanigans? Sign me up. But instead of fun and flirty, we get two people doing emotional calculus every time they speak. It’s like watching two AI chatbots try to process feelings using only past regrets and heavy sighs. By page 200, I was begging them to just talk like functional adults. Or at least make out and stop overanalyzing their childhood.

To its credit, the scenery is gorgeous and the food descriptions had me Googling flights to Genoa. But no amount of linguine can save a love story where the most compelling chemistry is between the side characters and a bottle of Prosecco.

Props for the Italian vibes, the occasional cute banter, and the vague promise that these two might eventually pull their heads out of their sun-kissed butts.

Swoony summer romance at its finest! The covers colors have already set the tone and the book itself didnt disappoint!

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.