There's something about that bottle!🤔

4-4.5🌟 stars
More about the bottle later. Overall Annie Rains' Summer in a Bottle was a page-turner that left me happy and hopeful.

Set in North Carolina, Lyla's trip back to her hometown, high school memories and a neglected former best friend ended up inspiring, heartwarming and a totally satisfying self discovery romance. Finishing the epilogue, I was inspired to think of Dorothy Gale and how her adventures away from her Kansas farm and family, no matter how colorful and exciting, could not beat the life and love she and Toto had back home.

Lyla left her hometown and dropped all contact except with her parents to go to college and live her dreams as a successful writer. A decade on and her success as a nationally-recognized columnist has not made her happy. Though her trip home is in aid of her parents, it lets loose her memories and regrets and the frightening prospect that she must face the fears she left behind or risk rack and ruin like she experienced in her last year at home repeating.

The time capsule bottle she digs up and opens brings some magic realism with it and has her wanting to remedy loose ends, particularly with Travis, the fellow she had left behind. Within weeks of returning home she's finding solid friendship and conflicted romance.

While I loved the plot and the easy writing style, there were a few inconsistencies and the glaring question: since when does a bottle have a flap? How did she cram those keepsakes in its neck and remove them so easily? Catchy title, but the idea of a bottle rather than a box time capsule just had me baffled.

High marks for the feels the story evokes nonetheless.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 4/20/25 on Waterstones, Goodreads and Bookbub, and with Barnes & Noble and BAM. To be shared with kobo and Google Play upon publication.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216972008-summer-in-a-bottle" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Summer in a Bottle" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1722310197l/216972008._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216972008-summer-in-a-bottle">Summer in a Bottle</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13911602.Annie_Rains">Annie Rains</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7401290752">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!<br />----------<br />In this tender, uplifting novel for fans of Josie Silver and Rebecca Serle, a young woman returns to her North Carolina hometown hoping to make new memories, but finds history repeating itself—literally . . .<br /><br />Dumped by her fiancé, opinion columnist Lyla Dune returns to small-town Echo Cove to heal, and to help her parents prep their house for sale. When she decides to open a time capsule she buried in high school, past memories lead her to a diary filled with memorable moments from the last summer she spent at home, right before college. Some of the events feel like they happened yesterday. That’s normal. Not so normal is that they actually start happening all over again . . .<br /><br />Lyla gets a flat tire in the same spot and is saved by the same person. The same movie is playing at the theater. Her house has the same leak it once had. As her current summer increasingly mirrors that last one, Lyla worries it will end just as disastrously: with a category 3 hurricane—and with losing Travis, the best friend she was always secretly in love with. If only she hadn’t been too scared to admit it.<br /><br />She revisits other fears too, like the fear of rejection that led her to abandon her passion for fiction writing. And when she reconnects with Travis, Lyla becomes certain that unless she does what her younger self was unable to do, she’ll suffer the same regrets. But if this time around she can gather her courage, maybe the life that was falling apart when she arrived will fall back together—even better than before.<br />----------<br />Annie Rains is always good for an enjoyable story that offers plenty of romance but much more than that, and her newest offering is no different. Lyla finds herself back home, a little bit down on her luck and at loose ends, and she isn't sure how she will be received. She has burned some bridges, and she is feeling some trepidation about reconnecting with the people of her past. And then she finds herself experiencing some major déjà vu.<br /><br />This is a fun book, with a little bit of magic thrown in. There are some more serious plot points (CW: child loss), but for the most part, I found it be very uplifting. The central romance plot is satisfying, and even more satisfying for me was the strong theme of second chances and women's friendships. As we head into summer, this book is the perfect read for anyone who has ever wondered what would happen if you had the chance to go back and right old wrongs or redo some things from your past, as well as anyone who is looking for a warm, feel-good story complete with more than one HEA. <br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1002344-mary">View all my reviews</a>

Lyla returns to her hometown to help her parents get her childhood home ready for sale while they embark on their dream of traveling the world. She’s been dumped by her fiancé and is in danger of losing her job. What more can happen? She finds a time capsule she buried and the diary she kept when she was in high school. As she reads the diary, she finds that a series of events seem to be happening that mirror events that happened during her last summer at home before leaving for college.

She ends up reconnecting with Travis, her childhood best friend who she secretly loved but feared telling him. He’s happy to see her, yet not happy because of the way things ended between them. She also connects with former classmates and strikes up new friendships. The more time she spends with Travis, the more they determine that they need to finish the bucket list they started when in high school. Travis reveals he loved her, too, but Lyla doesn’t know how they could have a future together because their lives are on different paths.

I loved this story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wasn't a fan of this book, I thought it was not very unique or interesting. I liked the friendships and some of the side characters, but overall felt like it was missing something. As I gave it a low rating, I will not be posting a social media review.

3.5 stars

I have recently discovered Annie Raines, she is a refreshing, clean author.

Summer in a Bottle is a perfect summer, beach read, which is exactly what I did on a recent vacation. The story started out at a great momentum with Lyla returning home to help her parents pack up their house to sell. It is here that Lyla reflects on her past, especially as she digs up her time capsule from 10 years previous. It was a fun read as she returns to a town and friends she quite suddenly abandoned. As things start to happen that reflect her last summer home, it opens up old wounds.

Summer in a Bottle is a story of friendship, lost loves and discovering oneself. It started out great, petered out a bit in the middle with an ending that picked up the pace. There was one trope that I’m not a fan of so that didn’t help, I won’t specify which one as it will definitely be a spoiler.

All in all this was a great beach read and an author that I will be reading more of.

My thanks to Kensington Books for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review

FUN! This is such a fun summer read!
Can you imagine having a lifelong friend of the opposite sex?Lyla and Travis had that friendship. Every summer they would make out a summer bucket list. One that had to be completed otherwise they would run into bad luck. Well the summer before Lyla left for college that bucket list didn’t get complete completed.
Lyla is back in town to look over the sale of her parents home. And when she needs a handyman, she is totally shocked when it’s Travis that shows up at her door. Lyla is having so many déjà vu moments. She feels like she’s reliving that last summer before she left for college. Travis is upset because he feels like he was ghosted. He doesn’t understand that Lyla had such strong feelings for him. But she didn’t want to ruin their friendship by acting on those feelings so she felt the best thing to do was just to move out of town and forget all about Travis. I’m here to tell you. She did not forget about Travis and he did not forget about her!
I absolutely adored every page of this book. They have such a remarkable friendship. It’s one that everybody should have at least once in their lifetime.
This is an absolute page Turner one that you will not want to put down ! I highly suggest you pre-order it today 💛

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, KensingtonPublishing and Kensington.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Small town girl leaves after her high school graduation to follow her dream. She leaves behind her best friend as she returns twelve years later. She opens up a time capsule as memories of past regrets come to surface. She will discover what s really important as she goes on a journey.

Lyla Dune has returned home after being dumped by her fiance, she is hoping this trip will help her heal from the hurt of the break-up. Her parents are on vacation but need help getting her childhood home ready to sell. While working on her parents home she finds a time capsule she buried years ago. She starts going down memory lane remembering the good and the bad. When Lyla gets a flat tire on a rainy day her ex Travis from high school just happens to be driving by and helps her. Soon her last summer in town seems to be mirroring this one. Things with Travis didn't end well that last summer and past emotions seem to be rearing their ugly heads. The two cared for each other once will they leave the.bad feelings behind and reconnect or.will this.just be a summer of sadness?

“Summer in a bottle” isn’t just a romance - it’s a heartfelt journey of self-discovery, second chances and the quiet strength it takes to face the past. Lyla’s reconnection with her childhood friend Travis is sweet and genuine - made even sweeter as she confronts her long-held fears that in a certain way had been holding her back. Her bond with Allison adds warmth and grounding to the story, reminding us how friendship can anchor us even in the worst storm. Short, reflective, and full of small town charm, this book is like a summer breeze with a hint of magic.

after being dumped by her fiancée, Lyla goes to north Carolina to help her parents get their house ready for sale. going back brings up alot of memories.

Magic isn't only for children.

Echo cove,
Has always been home, for Lyla and were the memories remain. Sometimes clicking off that bucket list is what one needs.

The handyman,
Well, he's just a dream to have around.
A bit more than that. There's a bucket list and friendship..

Every book I've read by annie Rains. Just feels like home. Such sweet stories. Small town stories make you want to be part of the town, the people, everything that's going on.

Annie Rains

I truly love this story! My favorite genre to read is romance and my go-to trope is friends to lovers. I believe all relationships should begin with friendship. A getting to know phase, finding out what makes the other person happy, sad and content, is important.

This book begins when two close friends (Lyla and Travis) meet up again years after high school and they are not completely happy about it. The story goes on, and it is wonderfully plotted and tore my heart apart at times and made it glow with happiness at other moments. Summaries are always available, so no need for me to write a lot about the plot here. I will say that it shows people change and grow after high school. Impressions you had of them may not have been accurate. If they were, that dose not mean that they will be that same person all their life.

The book is filled with random “opinions” throw in. (Lyla’s career is as an opinion based journalist) I loved them! They are so true and thought-provoking. Although some were just funny (or sad).

The book has a touch of a magical element, which I found delightful. It honestly was a pleasure reading this wonderful book and I look forward to more books by Annie Rains in the future!

A sincere thank you Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

This book was adorable from start to finish! Summer in a Bottle gave me all the nostalgic, small town romance vibes I didn’t know I needed. Lyla’s journey is filled with second chances and a little magical deja vu. This book was the perfect light summer read. I loved how the story alternated between past and present, and her reconnection with Travis had me seriously swooning!

“Old habits die hard and old flames never do.”

I love when a little bit of magic is added to a romance story, it made the overall story so charming and a joy to read. This had a sort of “Groundhog’s Day” feel to it except instead of a day that repeats itself, it’s a summer from ten years prior. The concept of Lyla’s time capsule, diary entries and bucket list provided an entertaining way to see into Lyla’s past.

For anyone wondering, this is a closed door romance layered with the tension of unspoken feelings and memories that will have you rooting for Travis and Lyla.

I love the growth Lyla experienced by living through her deja vu summer and the journey she took facing her fears and finally being honest with herself.

I hope this gets turned into a series, the side characters were wonderful and I’d love to read what happens in their futures.

Summer in a Bottle
Annie Rains
April 29, 2025

Delilah Dune is a writer for the Echo Cove newspaper in North Carolina. Her specialty has become the social column called Delilah´s
Delusions. For a while it did well and was quite a hit. Lately it's been a slow read and her editor, Bob, wants something really good. It's been tough since she and her fiance split up. He took everything he paid for and she was left with the housing contract about to expire. Lyla will be spending the summer at her parents home in Echo Cove. They are on a spectacular cruise out of Florida and are hoping Lyla can get the house sold.
Summer in a Bottle will be published by Zebra Books on April 29, 2025. I was able to read and review Rains latest novel via NetGalley. I was really looking forward to reading her next book as most have been based on a series. It doesn't seem that Summer in a Bottle will be. Lyla´s life still seems to have many of her high school days as a priority. It seems impractical that her parents boxed all they didn't want and stored the furniture.The only room that was left was hers, just as she left it when she went off to college. They wanted her to sort it, pack it and get it ready for viewing by the realtor and possible buyers. This story is a romantic comedy that rolls a bit slow for my reading. Many readers should find it humorous as Lyla deals with one problem after another. Annie Rains fans will definitely read it but others who are looking for a fun excursion, do try it.

Thank you to Netgalley for this free ARC. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

“Summer In A Bottle” was a lovely and charming small-town romance. I thought the author would use “time travel” or some other form of magic realism to explain why events from Lyla’s summer were repeating, but I’m glad she didn’t go in that direction, because I think the simplicity of the story makes it more heartfelt and sincere.

I also loved seeing the personalities of the side characters, it felt like getting to know actual in Echo Cove. Seeing Lyla develop friendships while being aware of her past mistakes contributed to her growth, and I personally love a self-aware main character.

If you want to read a book that feels like a warm hug, this is it.

What's the saying "you can never go home again" really mean? Lila Dune finds out when she returns after 10 years away. Her parents are selling the family home and travelling so they asked her to come spend one last summer to clear out her room and prep the house for sale. What she discovers is the time capsule she buried and she appears to be reliving her last summer, before she went off to college. Travis, her best friend, is also back for his sister's wedding. As she relives events from 10 years ago and adds a few new adventures, she realizes you are the master of your own destiny and facing fear can open up a whole new world of adventures.

Truly a magical , coming of age story that will excite you. Although I received a free ARC from net galley and the publisher, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lyla Dune has returned to Echo Cove to prepare her parents' home for sale. He last boyfriend was cheating, and she is now in limbo. She writes an opinion column but always want to write a great novel. While in town she runs into Travis her BFF since 3rd grade. He's in town for his sister's wedding. As Lyla spends time in town it seems that she is reliving the last summer she was in town before college. The same movie is playing downtown, she has a flat on her bike and Travis rescues her again. She has dug up the bottle she buried in the back yard that last summer she was home. She left home for college and never looked back; she cut Travis off since she didn't want to be stuck in her hometown; she had big plans. Travis is only in town a limited time he travels the east coast in his RV and does handyman work.
Great story on finding your true path in life.

Set in a small town, Echo Cave, Lyla returns to her hometown to sell her parents’ house while they are on a tour. During her stay in Echo Cave, she made a new friend and reconnected with her childhood best friend, Travis.

It is a story about Lyla and her self-discovery, reconnecting with old friends, people, and relieving old memories, and making new friends and creating new memories. Some aspects of Lyla’s story were relatable, like facing her fear and working on things she likes. I loved her friendship with Allison and Bernadette.

It is a cute small-town second-chance romance with a summery vibe in it and filled with friendship, love and nostalgia. The story was filled with warm feelings and magical moments.

I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it if you like small-town settings and second-chance romance.

Once again, Annie Rains hits a home run and never disappoints. This story is centered around Lyla coming home to oversee the sale of her parents home while trying to get over a breakup from her boyfriend. While trying to pack up her room, with all the memories, little did she know that her best friend from high school, Travis, was back in town too as the local handyman . While she is reliving all her memories of her past, she comes to many to many realizations about her life. This is such a touching story with second chances she didn’t ever think she would get and learning to overcome her fears. I highly recommend this great book. I promise you will not be disappointed. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.