Songs of Summer is the 3rd book in the Fire Island Trilogy. This can be read as a standalone but l'm glad I had already read the prior 2 when reading this one.
Maggie May Wheeler goes to Fire Island in search of her birth mother and finds so much more! I will not say too much but I loved how this story unfolded. No big plot twists just a feel good family romance book.
Told from pretty much every character's POV, if you didn't read the books that came before you might have a little difficulty following every characters story. I read them a while ago but it was fairly easy to refresh my memory as I read.
Pick this up for your beach bag! Especially if you have ever been to Fire Island!

This book was adorable! It was very well written, the plot was well thought out and I really enjoyed the characters.

3.5 ⭐️

Songs of Summer was a refreshing break from all of the thrillers I’ve been reading, as well as a great start to the summer months.

Thank you @netgalley for my ARC! I wish I would have realized it was the third in a series though 🤣🤣

That being said, I feel like a few of the things that bothered me might not be fairly matched as this was not the first book like I’d thought. I felt like there could have been more explanation and more showing versus telling, but there’s a good chance I just missed that.

I did find myself connected to so many of the characters (even if I came in late) and I loved the premise of our MC finding her birth mother.

I just might need to pick up the first in the series now 🤣

I’m a huge Jane L. Rosen fan! My book club, #readspinrepeatbookclub, has zoomed with her, met her in person at a @zibbyowens book event, and we unanimously adore her.

This book might be my favorite of the Fire Island books. It’s the sweet story of Maggie who decides to seek out her birth mother after the death of her adoptive parents. Of course there is the most delightful love story brewing throughout. The inclusion of music made the story even more special.

I loved revisiting the location of Fire Island but I really loved reconnecting with characters from the first 2 books. If you haven’t read them yet, do yourself the favor of picking up the whole series. Your summer reading life will thank you.

Songs of Summer by Jane L. Rosen is a heartfelt, sun-soaked novel that earns a solid four stars. Set against the idyllic backdrop of Fire Island, the story follows Maggie Mae Wheeler, a 30-year-old vintage record shop owner who embarks on a journey to find her birth mother after discovering a letter she wrote to herself at thirteen. Rosen masterfully weaves themes of identity, family, and self-discovery, creating a narrative that's both poignant and uplifting. The island setting adds a touch of magic, and Maggie's interactions with her biological family and a charming local add depth to her transformative journey. While the plot touches on heavy topics like adoption and loss, it's delivered with warmth and humor, making it a perfect summer read. Some readers noted the story's lighthearted approach to complex issues, but overall, it's a delightful tale of finding one's place in the world.

The Songs of Summer by Jane L. Rosen is a fun summer read. Maggie May Wheeler turns 30, and she goes on a journey to discover her birth mother. She goes to Fire Island, crashes a wedding, and discovers a multigenerational family , and romance along the way.
The Songs of Summer focuses on music, which is cleverly woven throughout the story. There is even a playlist to go along with the book. I truly enjoyed reading this book. It was poignant, humorous, and heartwarming. The love within this family and friends was evident within the book. There were sibling dynamics, best friends, marriage pacts, and deep friendships. I especially enjoyed that each chapter had a song based theme to go with the characters and events.
The Songs of Summer is part of the Fire Island Trilogy. I read this book as a stand alone . I enjoyed it so much that I intend to read the other two books in the trilogy.
I wish to thank Berkeley Publishing and Net Galley for sending me an advanced copy of this book . This opinion of the book is mine alone.

While I haven't read the other books set on Fire Island yet, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Maggie knew since she was in 2nd grade that she was adopted. She loved her parents and they were later in life parents and they passed on when Maggie was a young adult. Maggie and her best friend Jason were secretly dating and Maggie needed to figure out what was holding her back from going all in with Jason. She decides she wants to meet her biological mother and figure herself out before committing to Jason. She goes to Fire Island and there she meets Matt who has a career in music, just like Maggie does. There's family dynamics going on with Maggie's bio family that are part of the story. Such a good book! 4 1/2 stars.

What an absolutely perfect conclusion to the Fire Island trilogy! You could read this as a standalone, but why do that when there are two wonderful books before this one where you can get to know the island even better?

The third book focuses on Maggie May, the daughter that one of the characters gave up as a teen. She’s at a stage in her life where she wants to find her birth mom, and this leads her to the iconic Fire Island for the summer to crash the wedding of her mom’s best friend. She comes up with this plan to stay incognito, with help from a handsome local, because she wants to scope out the situation before admitting who she is. It’s a charming setup, and without revealing any specifics that might spoil it as I was genuinely surprised by some of the appearances and connections, you will see many familiar faces from the first two books!

It’s a great mix of funny, dramatic and brings all the feels. I feel by now like this Fire Island family are my friends, and it was so fun to go spend more time with them a few years down the road from the last book. And that ending! It has been a very long time since I was so charmed by an ending of a contemporary romance novel that I actually shed tears, but that ending scene in this one had me all teared up in the best way.

I married a former Fire Island year rounder, and while I don’t have the history and memories he does, I can attest that this book is very true to what I’ve heard about and experienced there on our visits. When I saw BEC SPK on the page I immediately had to take a photo of the page and send it to him, that’s his breakfast holy grail! IYKYK. But there were so many moments in this that made me smile because of their authenticity, and I felt an extra connection to the book because of that.

This might be the end of the trilogy, but Rosen dropped a hint in the Instagram live on release day that there might be the possibility of a prequel and I would absolutely eat that up! I’d love to experience a more vintage Fire Island through her eyes.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the DRC, although I admittedly waited to read this until I could get my hands on the paperback! I think her covers are absolutely beautiful (she has an artist that does them) and I wanted to have the set on the shelf.

Welcome back to Fire Island!

Songs of Summer is the perfect book to throw in your beach or pool bag. It’s a wholesome story of found family, love and the music of life. Rosen thoughtfully writes family drama with characters finding what makes them whole on Fire Island’s shores. The characters and their interactions inspire friendship and romance.

This story wraps up in a big hug of happy feelings.

Thank you for the free book Berkley Pub/Berkley Romance.

With the Fire Island setting and the music references, this title definitely goes on the list for beach reads. With a mystery surrounding her parentage, adoptee Maggie May Wheeler travels across the country to observe her mother from a distance but she ends up as part of the family before the family realizes who she is and that she does really belong with them.

Easy read in an indilic setting! Reminiscent of Elin hildebrand. Perfect book to start summer reading!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and Jane Rosen for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a delightful summer read. This book pushes the boundaries of the definition of family in the best possible ways. The multiple POVs remind me of Judy Blume's Summer Sisters - getting a small taste of perspective from multiple side characters was so enveloping.

Who am I recommending this to: my friends (millennials), my younger friends, and my mom's friends. I think all ages can enjoy this book!

Content warning: adoption, seeking birth parents

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Jane L. Rosen for the ARC–my opinions are my own.

Rating: 3.5 stars ~ rounded to 4 stars

Synopsis:
Maggie Mae Wheeler has a cozy life running her vintage record shop and is set to marry her childhood best friend. But everything shifts when she finds a letter from her 13-year-old self, urging her to seek something more. Her search for identity leads her to Fire Island and the birth mother she's never met—along with a family full of drama. Things get even messier when a charming local asks her to be his fake wedding date. As sparks fly, Maggie must decide: stay in her comfort zone or take a chance on something real.

This book is part of the Fire Island Trilogy, but can be read as a standalone (I have not read any book in the series).

This book was super cute and such an easy and light read! I have been enjoying novels focused on self-discovery for 30-something year olds (since I am a 30-something year old). I loved the music components of the book and how each chapter was the title of a song and the content of the chapter was related to the song title.

I wish the chapters focused more on Maggie and her birth mother and less with auxiliary characters. It felt really distracting and I kept having to remind myself what the relationship of the narrator was to the main characters. Also, I didn’t necessarily enjoy the romance part (albeit was super light)--it felt very insta-lovey and random.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read–the perfect beach or vacation read!

This novel is the conclusion to the Fire Island trilogy, though it shines brightly as a standalone read. For returning fans, it's a wonderful opportunity to catch up with beloved characters like Ben, Shep, and Matt. The story is a charming blend of humor, genuine heart, and compelling family drama, peppered with secrets. A unique touch is how each chapter is named after a song title, with an accompanying playlist available to truly set the mood for Maggie's journey.

If you're seeking the perfect escape and a truly feel-good beach read, Songs of Summer is an absolute must for your summer list.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review
This whole series has my heart. To get the full impact, I recommend reading these books in order (though you can read it as a standalone). I’ve just spent 3 books on Fire Island with these characters and I’m sad to say goodbye to them! Lots of threads from the past books come together and we get to see longer character arcs - I think it’s about 12 years from book 1 to book 3.

Songs of Summer has lots of messy family drama, flawed characters, and I found some situations frustrating, but Jane wove such complicated family dynamics so beautifully. I found myself deeply invested, analyzing why the characters were making certain choices, peeling back all these layers. A particular scene was very emotional and made me tear up!

In addition to the family saga, I really enjoyed the romance storyline of Maggie and Matty. Their connection and chemistry was immediate and I loved the longing. There is a bit of a love triangle here and I know many don’t love that trope, but it’s unique and the angle with their childhood best friends, Jason and Dylan, made this even more interesting!

4.5/5 stars

Songs Of Summer is women’s fiction with lots of family drama. There is also some romance. This is my first book by this author. This is the third book in The Fire Island trilogy.

I read this book without having read the two other books in the series. However there are characters that were in the previous books. I could easily follow the story. However I definitely felt like I would have gotten even more from this story if I knew the characters. The author does explain the important parts from the previous books. So new readers will know how everyone is connected to each other. And the fact that this book takes place years after the previous books means that all of the characters are at completely different points in their lives.

This book to me was Maggie’s story. But there are quite a few POVs. However I’d say that the main ones are Maggie, Beatrix/Bea and Matt (Renee the bride’s son).

Maggie the main character is a new character. Maggie has just turned 30. She has decided to find her birth mother. She goes to Fire Island when she finds out that her birth mother is headed there for a wedding. The book focuses a lot on childhood friendships. Maggie shows up in a relationship with Jason. She and Jason were childhood best friends who only recently became romantic.

Matt is Renee’s son. He is a concert reporter for Rolling Stone. His childhood best friend is Dylan (she is the groom’s daughter).

Beatrix/Bea is Renee’s best friend. She is estranged from her sister. She had a baby at 20 and put her up for adoption.

Music plays a big part of the book. Maggie loves music. She runs a record store. Each chapter title is a different song, which becomes a playlist for the book. I listened to the songs while reading (which added to the experience for me).

The wedding is a big focus of this book. It takes place on Fire Island. Fire Island, especially the ferry makes a wonderful setting.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book and how they interacted with each other. Maggie and Matt connected immediately. I really enjoyed seeing if they would stay friends vs becoming romantically involved. I was also really fascinated by Bea and her relationships with both Veronica (her sister) and Maggie (the daughter that she gave up for adoption). There was so much depth to these scenes.

The book features Jewish rep as quite a few of the characters were Jewish or partially Jewish. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book.

The book does look at some interesting topics: adoption, DNA testing, estrangement and forgiveness. I thought that they all added a lot to the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Between the setting, the family drama and the amazing characters this is a wonderful summer read.

Unfortunately, despite the numerous times I have attempted to fix the issue, the book file will not download properly. I am unable to read this book on my phone or computer as it causes me migraines. I wish both the author and publisher great success with this release!

4.5– my first book by this author but definitely won’t be the last. Infact, I didn’t know this was book 3 of a series (easily stand alone material) so I’ll be going back to read the first two for sure. Maggie May discovers she’s adopted, but it’s not til her 30th birthday that she decides she wants to find her birth mother. This was such a sweet beach read with so much heart and a lovely array of supporting characters that I really connected with (several were scene stealers for me). I loved getting a Jew-ish main character (who discovers her Judaism over the course of the story) and found that aspect fun to read about. While predictable, it feels like a perfect summer beach read to me. Some family drama, some love story, some fun musical touches. It actually reminded me of the vibes I got from Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters which was one of my favourite books in high school. I really enjoyed this one.

The only real criticism I have is there were some date inconsistencies that confused me: the chapter headers establish we are in 2025 on Maggie May’s 30th birthday (meaning she was born in 1995), but later she mentions she’s 30 and states her full birthday and says 1987 which doesn’t match. There’s also multiple mentions of assorted characters not attending the wedding because they have COVID, which makes this feel more like a 2021 or 2022 setting (these days —in 2025–I feel like most people barely even test themselves let alone stay home when they have COVID, unfortunately) I know this is an ARC, but I received it less than a week before publishing date so I feel like those things probably made Final Cut.

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a story about a woman in search of family. This contemporary fiction mixes adoption, found family, and sibling rivalry into a sweet romance along with humor. Maggie May and her best friend Jason have been inseparable since they met as children, and since she was adopted and has no siblings, his large family became family to her as well. When her parents passed away, they became her only family. Now he wants to marry her and at thirty, she finally wants to find her own family. She decides to track down her birth mother. But when she travels to Fire island where her mom will be at a wedding, she witnesses a lot of family drama that she wasn't expecting. Soon she is in a fake relationship so she can get to know her mother before she confronts her. Maggie and Matt bond over their love of music and soon fake dating starts to feel a little more natural. At the end of the wedding festivities, will Maggie finally be able to resolve her past and move forward? And will she commit to Jason or will the magic of Fire Island make her realize that she wants more?

I loved that each chapter had a song title, and there was a playlist for this book. It was very entertaining!

I enjoyed this novel because all these characters felt like family, In fact, I almost felt like I was attending the wedding! There are times when some members of this family are dysfunctional but in the end, the love they have for one another comes first. I will be reading more books by Jane Rosen in the near future.

When Maggie May Wheeler decides it’s time to look for her birth mother, she doesn’t expect to end up on Fire Island. But she when discovers she’ll be at a wedding there, Maggie decides it’s the perfect way to spy on her biological family before introducing herself. It’s kind of genius, right?

This was my first book from Jane L Rosen, and I really really enjoyed it! There’s just something about an outsider immersing themself in a group of people that gets me every time. Set it at a wedding and I’m hooked (it’s giving Wedding People-ish vibes). Make them Jewish and I’m even more into it.

I loved every character in this book so much. It took me a while to keep them straight (this could be because it’s actually the 3rd in a series and I didn’t know that going in), but once I got my bearings I wanted more of each and every one of them. I appreciated getting chapters from so many different characters and feeling so fully immersed in the Fire Island magic and drama.

Read this book for
-found family
-fake dating
-Jewish rep
-a magical tight knit island
-music
-a little romance
-secrets and drama (in the best way)

This book may be number 3 in the series but you can definitely jump in here. Now I’m just excited to go back to book 1 and 2 because I’m nowhere near done with Fire Island!