Songs of Summer written by Jane L. Rosen is the perfect beach read filled with family drama, a sense of humor, and plenty of heart warming moments. Prior to reading this book three months ago, I had no clue it was part of The Fire Island Trilogy, so I read it as a standalone and had no problems following along, but I will definitely go back and read the first two books sometime in the near future. Although I read this beachy read in the middle of winter, it made me miss the warm summer days, and it felt like I was right there on the beach witnessing everything that went down following the events of this story. I have never read a book by Jane L. Rosen before, but Songs of Summer was so precious, the vulnerability in the characters made my heart ache so many times, I just wanted to reach into my kindle and hug all of the characters. I think it was wicked smart and absolutely brilliant that the author made every chapter head title into a song, I have never seen that before, and it made the reading experience so much fun. My mama is and always will be my best friend. I can never imagine being placed up for adoption and always wondering why my birth mother never wanted me, that's so heart breaking to think about, but as a young child you don't know any better, you just make up scenarios as to why you were put up for adoption. Aside from the main characters, all of the side characters were such lovely people, I had such a great time reading this beautiful, heart warming summer read. Please do yourselves a favor and mark your calendars for May 20th, 2025 and don't hesitate to add Songs of Summer to your summer and beach reading list.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

MUSICAL PLAYLIST
Maggie May- Rod Stewart
Put Your Records On- Corinne Bailey Rae
Birthday (Remastered 2009)- The Beatles
I See The Moon- Slumberland
Smile- Jimmy Durante
Little Lies- Fleetwood Mac
In My Life (Remastered 2009)- The Beatles
Veronica- Elvis Costello
Rock The Boat- Hues Corporation
Ironic- Alanis Morissette
Up On The Roof- Carole King ft. James Taylor
What's Going On- Marvin Gaye
Should I Stay Or Should I Go (Remastered)- The Clash
Peace Train (Remastered 2021)- Yusuf ft. Cat Stevens
A Bar Song (Tipsy)- Shaboozey
Glory Days- Bruce Springsteen
Indiana Jones Theme- John Williams ft. Hollywood Studio Orchestra
She Drives Me Crazy- Fine Young Cannibals
Stay- Jackson Browne
Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay- Otis Redding
La Mer- Charles Trenet
Good Day- Nappy Roots
Rock Lobster- The B-52's
Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)- Squeeze
The Joker- Steve Miller Band
After Midnight- Eric Calpton
SOS- ABBA
Riptide- Vance Joy
The House That Built Me- Miranda Lambert
The Search Is Over- Survivor
All- GROUP LOVE ft. Jake Clemons
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)- Simon & Garfunkel
The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)- Aretha Franklin
Rapper's Delight- The Sugarhill Gang
Ocean Eyes- Billie Eilish
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!- ABBA
Love You For A Long Time- Maggie Rogers
Wildflowers- Tom Petty
Into The Mystic (Remastered 2013)- Van Morrison
Champagne Problems- Taylor Swift
Float On- Modest Mouse
Landslide- Fleetwood Mac
Family Affair- Sly & The Family Stone
Something Good- Mima Good
Flowers- Miley Cyrus
Poker Face- Lady Gaga
Firework- Katy Perry
Mother And Child Reunion- Paul Simon
Growin Up- Bruce Springsteen
Real Love- Regina Spektor
In Your Eyes (Remastered 2012)- Peter Gabriel
Unwritten- Natasha Bedingfield
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)- The Proclaimers

"If you love someone, you don't care about making a total fool of yourself".

"There's plenty of time to sleep when you are dead".

"Why is it when you are falling for someone that every love song feels like it's written for you?"

Maggie May Wheeler works at Maggie May Records which is a music record store named after Maggie May, of course. At the start of second grade, Maggie learned that she was adopted because her parents were much older than the other kids parents, so Maggie started asking questions and she received the answer that she was adopted. Before turning the ripe age of thirty, Maggie's adoptive parents- Hank and Jenny Wheeler passed away. Maggie is such a relatable character, she's not afraid to show her emotions, but she absolutely hates being vulnerable. Maggie is on a mission to find her birth mother before she gets married, so when she hears about a summer wedding that her birth mother is attending, Maggie heads to Fire Island and joins in on the wedding festivities to get a feel of her birth mom before dropping the big news. Beatrix Silver gave her baby up for adoption right after she was born and this summer she is going to be the matron of honor is her best friend's summer wedding on Fire Island and it's going to be a four day wedding celebration. Matt Tucker is also attending his mom's wedding, he's a reporter for Rolling Stone. Matt needs a plus one to his mom's wedding, so Maggie and Matt decide to fake date so nothing looks out of sorts. Matt is a Ryan Gosling look alike, and both Matt and Maggie have a love for music, so they bond over that and Maggie shares the news that she's here to seek out her birth mother.

Maggie May and Jason Miller have been best friends and inseparable since they were just eight years old. Their birthday's are just two days apart, Maggie's is May third, and Jason's is May fifth, so they always celebrate their birthdays together on May fourth. On their thirteenth birthday in their willow tree clubhouse, Maggie and Jason wrote letters to their future sleeves to be opened when they turn thirty years old, which will be in May 2025. I absolutely loved this idea, I thought it was so cool. ever since Maggie found out she was adopted, on her future self letter she wrote that she wanted to find her birth mom. Ever since they were kids, Jason's family welcomed Maggie as if she was their own flesh and blood. Jason is also a professor of ethics at Case Western. No matter what life throws at Jason or if he's with anyone else, Jason has always put Maggie first, which I thought was the sweetest thing ever. Despite being inseparable since they were little children, Maggie and Jason soon go their separate ways, but there was no hard feelings in doing so, which I appreciate because they communicated like actual adults and cleared the air with each other. I can't imagine how difficult it may be that someone you are close with just drops a bomb that they want to find their birth parents, but I absolutely adore how supportive Jason was since Maggie had dreamed of this day since she was thirteen years old. Songs Of Summer was such a quick and summery book that I won't forget anytime soon.

Songs of Summer has such a great beach read vibe; searching for a birth mother, engaged to be engaged to your childhood bestie, a trip to summer wonderland. When I finished my initial impression was adjacent to swooning but, after sitting with it for a bit I realized that there were a few things that didn't sit totally right for me. While I loved the use multiple perspectives (done with clearly labeled chapters) and song titles as chapter names, I found there to be an overall lack of tension between Maggie and Matt. Their budding romance is very sweet and I was rooting for them but something about it felt a bit off. Additionally, the resolution to a decades long feud between 2 of the characters seemed way too easy.

If we're going off vibes alone, Songs of Summer gets 4.5⭐ but taking the above into consideration I think I'm at more of a 3.5⭐. Either way this was an enjoyable read that is perfect for summer.

Thanks to NETGALLEY, Berkley publishing group, and PRH audio for the ARC/ALC. this book was a delightful conclusion to the fire Island trilogy. I loved the cast of characters in this beautiful novel. Furthermore, Sarah Naughton did a wonderful job with the narration, I can’t wait to see what Jane L Rosen writes next! I highly recommend this delightful novel and encourage you to pick it up and put it in your beach bag this summer! . I wish I could read it more than five stars!

A spontaneous trip to Fire Island to find her birth mother turns into a whirlwind of secrets, a hidden identity, and family drama when Maggie gets swept up in a wedding celebration and a fake relationship!

It was really interesting that this story wasn’t entirely focused on Maggie. I’m not exaggerating when I say there’s a POV from every character! Some perspectives felt a bit random and occasionally pulled me out of the story, but it was definitely a clever way to flesh out the drama. I was especially invested in the messy, scandalous history between Bea (the mother) and her sister!

I think it’s important to go into this one knowing it’s more of a family-focused drama with light romantic elements. The connection between Maggie and Matt lacked tension and excitement for me, but Maggie’s emotional reconnection with her birth mother was the true gem of the story. The heartwarming ending pulled it all together and made it worth the read.

Maggie May Wheeler owns the record shop that was her parents before they both passed away. Now, before she gets engaged to her childhood best friend, she wants to find her birth mother. The search leads her to Fire Island, where her mother is a guest at a wedding. She wants to find out more about the women who gave her up.

When she arrives at Fire Island, a local invites her to the wedding as his date, and the two have immediate chemistry. Maggie is immediately torn between her feelings for this new man and the man at home, who is family to her.

Meanwhile, on Fire Island, we get to visit with old favorites like Ben, Addison, and Shep, and meet some wonderful new characters like his two daughters, Beatrix and Victoria.

Why Jackie loves it

I love Fire Island and the characters, and this book did not disappoint. The book is perfect for the beach with a storyline that is full of heart, but never too much. My favorite touch is that each chapter is the title of a song and there are fantastic tracks. Someone created a Spotify playlist, and I highly suggest putting it on while reading the book. It is literally the soundtrack of summer!!!

I was thoroughly impressed by 'Songs of Summer,' the third book in the Fire Island Trilogy. Although I hadn't read the previous two installments, I found this novel to be a compelling and engaging read that stands on its own merit.

The author's use of multiple perspectives and warm, heartfelt narrative effectively explores themes of family, love, personal growth, and self-discovery. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the incorporation of Jewish culture adds depth and richness to the story.

One of the compelling features of this book, for me, is its musical references, which not only enhance the narrative but also evoke a strong emotional reaction.. As a music enthusiast, I appreciated the nods to various songs and artists,.

Overall, I highly recommend 'Songs of Summer' to readers who enjoy character-driven fiction, cultural exploration, and musical references. The book's ability to stand alone as a beautifully crafted story makes it an excellent choice for readers who are new to the series or looking for a compelling and engaging read..
I'd like to thank net galley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book which releases on May 20: 2025

This book is very sweet and would be a great summer beach read!
Songs of Summer is set in the sweet, wholesome community of Fire Island. I adored the setting and the characters. My main criticism of this book is there are too many POVs which resulted in the story seeming disjointed at parts. Loved the aspects of found family as well as the music references!

Thank you NetGalley & Berkley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars Songs of Summer is the third and final book in Jane L. Rosen's Fire Island trilogy and a great book to kick off the summer season! I didn't realize this was part of a series, but thankfully it can be easily read as a standalone. Though I will be going back and reading the first two books in the series now. This was such a fun summer read and made me crave spending days in the summer sun in a small beach town. There's so much family drama and the engaging characters will warm your heart. I definitely recommend you grab this one when you head to the beach this summer!

This is the third installment of The Fire Island Trilogy. I read this as a stand-alone and had no issues, but I am planning on going back to read the other two because now I’m curious! This is a fun summer read, a perfect escape to a small beach town where there are really no secrets because everyone knows everyone. Engaging characters in the midst of family drama. Chance meetings that turn into something more. Heartwarming reunions and found family. In keeping with the music theme of the story, Ms. Rosen has each chapter named as a popular song title which sets up the chapter nicely. So download the playlist, grab your sunscreen and take this book outside for a fun summertime read.

Thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

This was such a fun book! This was my 2nd book by Jane L. Rosen and definitely won’t be my last.

There was a lot to enjoy here. The Fire Island summertime setting was perfect, and I felt transported to this beachy, cozy, and lively atmosphere. This story was told from multiple POVs, but each character felt so distinct that I had zero issues telling people apart. I also loved how each POV gave us different insights to the situation at hand. This big cast of characters was a lot of fun, and I was laughing out loud multiple times.

This book was about love in many forms: friendship, sibling, familial, and romantic. I liked that there was a romance plot, but that it didn’t take center stage. I really liked Maggie as the MC, and loved seeing her on this wild journey to meet her biological mom. There were tender moments in amongst all the lighthearted family drama, and enough emotion to be touching without feeling like too much.

This book will be perfect for summer reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day. I loved the characters and the storyline. I thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

What an absolutely breathtaking summer read. Filled with friends, family, music, and past and future love, I can’t recommend it enough!

After finding a letter to herself as a child, Maggie decides to search for her birth mother. This brings her to beautiful Fire Island, where so many funny and emotional events happen.

Music plays a big role in this book, with Maggie owning a vintage record store & Matt, the MMC, being a music journalist. Each chapter starts with a song title, which goes along with the theme of that chapter. It’s so fun, though I did end up getting several of the songs stuck in my head after (I’m looking at you, “I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)” lol.) There was also great Jewish representation, as Maggie’s birth family is Jewish, and she seems eager to learn about it.

This is the third of a trilogy, but a standalone where I didn’t feel like I missed anything by jumping into this book first. I can’t wait to go back and read the first 2 books of the series, so I can spend more time with many of these characters & Fire Island!

Thanks so much to Berkley for the free book!

This was a cute book!

I’m not a big fan of multiple povs but I liked seeing what each person went through, how they were feeling, what they were thinking.
I can only imagine what it feels like to be an only child, and adopted. Maggie’s adoptive parents were her parents but so is her bio mom!
I loved reading about her taking her chances and stepping out of her comfort zone. & seeing the pov from bea was nice to understand what she went through and her choices. I’m also happy to see that Jason was finally putting some pins on his map. Even though there was fear that the friendship between Maggie and Jason would end if they found other significant others, they were able to stay friends and celebrate their birthday!
I want to thank Berkeley and Jane L Rosen for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Thank you Berkley Pub for the free book and thank you PRH Audio for my #gifted listening copy! #BerkleyBookstagram #BerkleyIG #berkley #berkleypub #PRHAudioPartner #PRHAInfluencer #janerosen #SongsofSummer #TheFireIslandTrilogy #fireisland

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐍𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

𝟓★

Songs of Summer is third book in the Fire Island Trilogy series by author Jane Rosen. While this book has some recurring characters from other books in the series and can most definitely be read as a standalone, we meet Maggie Mae Wheeler in Songs of Summer. Maggie is 30 years old, plans to be engaged soon to her childhood best friend, and has big plans for her vintage record shop. But after her parents died, she can’t help but want to know more about her birth mother. After submitting an at-home DNA test, she finds out who her mom is and then tracks her down at an upcoming wedding she plans to attend on Fire Island. As Maggie observes her biological family from afar, she is invited to attend the wedding by a local who needs a date. Before long, Maggie seems to get a whole lot more than she bargained for out of the whole trip.

I’ve read and LOVED (5 stars) all of the books in this standalone series, but this one just might be my favorite). I loved Maggie. Her character was strong yet vulnerable and you could not help but root for her. I loved how Rosen incorporated the Ohio setting in this book. Being from Ohio, that definitely threw me for a loop when I started this one and did not expect to have a setting that far outside of Fire Island, but I loved it! While I know this is a trilogy, I hope Rosen will find a way to keep writing about Fire Island!

🎶Adoption Stories
🎶Family Dynamics
🎶Fire Island Setting
🎶Wedding Crashers
🎶Lovable Characters
🎶Multiple POV
🎶Chapter Theme Songs

🎧The audiobook is narrated by Sarah Naughton, who was such a delight! I felt like I could listen to her narrate all day long and never tire of her voice. She was the perfect voice for Maggie and I cannot recommend this one on audio enough! 5 star performance!

Posted on Goodreads on May 12, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around May 12, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on May 20, 2025
**-will post on designated date

I loved this book. It was my first book by @janelrosen and it will definitely not be my last!! It was fun and cute and the storyline was unique. The chemistry between the characters was palpable. And the bonus of the book being written along with a playlist was amazing!!! I fully plan on making this an actual playlist to listen to.

When I first started reading this book, I was not aware that this was the third book of The Fire Island Trilogy. Once I discovered this, I contemplated pausing until I read the previous two books. However, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. I think this book can be read either in order or as a standalone. That being said, I cannot wait to go back and read the first two!!

This book has a beginning, middle, and end. It is the trilogy's end, but it can stand alone without the other two books. I am not sure how to write a decent review of this book.

It was "all over the place". There were soooooooooo many characters introduced: so many POVS and so many relationships. I understand why the author wrote this and what she was getting at with finding yourself through your birth family. But this was so bad in the sense there was no concrete good conflict and the fact that it didn't stick to the MC's story.

I think the best part of the book was that the chapters were titled after songs that symbolized each story. Otherwise, I would re-write this in a different 1st person tense with two povs. It was so sloppy.


Thank you, Berkley and Netgalley, for an e-arc of this book.

This story was absolutely darling and a breath of fresh air, which is exactly what I wanted. I loved the characters and the multiple POV’s. Getting into each characters brain makes me feel more connected to them and gives them so much more depth. This was a sweet read, perfect for summertime.

I'd like to preface this review by saying that I had no idea this book was part of a series when I read it. It absolutely can stand alone as its own story, but my review and rating might have been a bit different if I realized it were book 3 in a series.

This book was cute, quick, fun, and light. It's perfect for a beach or vacation read. I love how the author titled each chapter with a song title. It's the perfect playlist to listen to while reading, if that's your thing. I also really liked the main character of Maggie. I liked her backstory of having grown up in her parent's record store, which eventually became her record store. She seemed cool, kind, and genuine.

That said, everything felt so light and fluffy that there really wasn't any depth to the characters. Usually there is a struggle that characters overcome; this story was lacking much of a struggle or conflict (don't get me wrong, there were some conflicts throughout; just not anything major as part of the overall story arc). That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. If you want a read that is just easy and light, this book is a great option.

I tend to gravitate towards stories that pack an emotional punch, and this really didn't do that for me. I felt that more could've been done with some of the scenes between characters to make it more emotional. But again, that's not necessarily what the author's goal was, so I think I just might not be the right reader for this book. It wasn't bad by any means, but it's definitely a forgettable read for me.

As for it being part of a series, as I stated at the beginning of my review, this works as a standalone book. However, there were references and a few scenes involving a specific family that felt unnecessary to the story - but after reading the synopsis of one of the other books in the series, I realize that that family was pulled from one of the other books in the series. So for people that have read the whole series, those cameos or other little easter eggs will add an element of fun to the book.

I will say that after reading, I really want to visit Fire Island. I've grown up on the East Coast (in PA), and somehow never heard of it. But now it's on the list of places I want to visit!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book, and really enjoyed the main character, Maggie. She was/is a strong, loving woman.

I didn't love that the chapters were told my so many different people. I think 3 people would've been more than enough.

All that said, if you want a cute, beachy read, then I'd recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley.com.

MORE! I really hope there are more Fire Island stories for Jane L. Rosen to tell. This can't be the last one. This series fulfills the genre of beach read perfectly. From the family drama to the relationship humor to the pulling on your heartstrings romance...it's perfect. I'm so glad I checked NetGalley for an advanced copy, because I simply couldn't wait for the next installment after flying through the first two books.