A sweet romance about second chances, new friendship, small towns, regrets, forgiveness and so much more. Funny, hard and magical moment intertwined to bring back together Lyla and Travis, best friends back in High School who lost touch ten years ago and who need to address their real feelings to have their HEA. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy. This is my honest review.

This was a slow start for me but it picked up about 1/3 of the way through the book. Fans of second-chance romance will enjoy this as it has all the elements they seek. This book is light-hearted but has moments of deeper emotion and overall I enjoyed it.

Summer In a Bottle
By Annie Rains

Zebra Books - April 2025

Contemporary Romance


Lyla Dune had returned to her childhood home. She was thrilled to help her parents by staying in the house before it sold while they started their dream vacation now. What she didn't expect were the memories of her last summer before she left for college to be so prevalent.

Or to be on repeat.

She found her old journal, then she dug up the time capsule she'd placed before she'd left. It was funny how some of the exact same things that were written from that long ago summer were happening again.

Like running into her childhood best friend Travis Painter who she hadn't seen since she left. They’d done everything together, and each summer they'd always completed their bucket list. Until that last one. She had left before it'd been complete, and she had cut all ties with Travis. She hadn't wanted to make the same mistakes as others who'd stayed in town and lost their dreams. So she'd not only gone to school, but left Travis in her past. She'd never said goodbye, and never replied to him.

Except now he wasn't still in her past. He was back in town, and just as kind, funny and simply wonderful as he'd always been. The same movie was playing at the theater, another flood happened in the house, and the same feelings that had never gone away were bubbling forth. One deja vu after another was giving Lyla and Travis this second chance to right the wrongs of the past and find a happily ever after together.

Summer In A Bottle was an absolute pleasure to read. I loved the time capsule from their last summer and how the past was reflected in the present. I was a bit annoyed at Lyla for how she’d mistreated Travis, and it is just by chance that she connects with him again. Thankfully, we see her grow and mature into the perfect heroine for him. I also adored the town, the townspeople, and Lyla's opinions. She was an opinion writer and it was always entertaining as she considered different ones. This was so much more than a reconciliation romance, it was also Lyla working through relationships with others. I loved the friendships she formed and how they accepted each other. Look no further for the perfect Summer Read.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

this is a really fun book with an awesome romance plot. i loved the vibes of it throughout. 4 stars. tysm for the arc. would recommend.

Summer in a Bottle is a novel that reminds us to face our fears.

Lyla returns home for what she hopes is the last time, helping her parents sell their property. She left Echo Cove with dreams of being a writer and returns on the edge of losing the meager writing job she has as an opinion columnist. She also finds an unexpected presence from her past, her best friend Travis whom she ghosted on her way out of town twelve years ago.

Now, is this a cute story that many people will find entertaining and maybe even sweet? Sure. But would I drop everything to read it again? I can't say I would.

While the concepts are intriguing to me by default (small town second chance romance), I didn't feel very emotionally connected to the story. Annie's summer starts to repeat itself after opening the time capsule from her past, and she's forced to face the fears she ran away from back then, giving her a second chance. Great. It just felt like it lacked some deep roots to make me care or even understand the significance of so many elements of the story. Things just sort of happened, and it was fine.

But, if you're a big fan of magical realism and second chance friends to lovers romance, this one right be right up your alley.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love this author's books and this one grabbed me from the beginning. It was a little different than others that I've read but all in all a good story. When Lyla returns home to help her parents sell their house, all the "strangeness" begins. (I'm careful not to give any "spoilers" here).
A second chance romance with a bit of romance and mystery that was well worth the read.
I was lucky to receive an early copy to read and review.

Annie has hit it out of the park with this latest book. Summer in a Bottle. Couldn’t put it down. Lyla comes back to her hometown to help her parents sell her childhood home. She goes down memory lane when she runs into her childhood best friend. Travis the prankster. They go on a mission to finish their teenage time capsules bucket list. Enter a series of unfortunate events. That are mimicking events that occurred when they were teenagers.
While she’s cleaning out her child home she connects with an old classmates Allison and Bernie. Bernie was not thrilled to see Lyla return. She was upset with some of Lyla’s opinion columns that she felt were criticizing her. Can Lyla prove to Bernie, that she was not criticizing her. Lyla tries to prove she can fit in to the town she couldn’t wait to leave after graduation.

Will Lyla go back to job or will she stay in her hometown?

This is a must read!

This was a different type of story for this author but I really enjoyed it. About Lyla and Travis reconnecting and the time bottle she dug up. It feels like the summer she left Echo Cove without finishing their bucket list and it is something she needs to come face to face with their present and future. I think Layla she finds out that leaving Echo COve she didn't find her dreams , in fact she got lost and now is finding out that is where she needs to be.

First of all, I loved this book!

There is a teenage girl, Lyla, who lives in a small town and has a dream of becoming a writer. To make her dream come true, she leaves everything behind at the end of the summer after high school graduation, including her best friend, Travis, and never looks back. Twelve years later, she returns to the town to help sell her parents' house, and her journey of self-discovery begins.

It is a warm and also sad story. You will find happiness, sadness, regret, dear friends, friendship, second chances, broken hearts, right and wrong choices, loss, grief, a little bit of magic and love. And you will also find much to encourage you. The opinions are meaningful, emotional and also amusing. Some of them made me laugh out loud.

I highly recommend you to give it a chance, it will put a smile on your face and warm your heart.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy light, feel-good romances with a cozy small-town setting and a touch of nostalgia, Summer in a Bottle might be worth picking up. However, if you’re looking for something fresh or deeply emotional, this one leans more on predictable but comforting tropes. It’s an easy, pleasant read—perfect for a relaxing weekend but not necessarily a must-read

Summer In A Bottle is yet another Annie Rains success. It is a small town romance about old friends, old enemies and second chances.
Lyla returns to her hometown to help her parents sell her childhood home while trying to figure out how to save her job at the same time. She ends up reconnecting with her childhood best friend , Travis and becoming friends with Allison , a girl from school she never thought she would be friends with. Lyla and Travis try to finish the bucket list they had made the last summer they were together.
This is a cute story filled with friends, family and romance. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy for my opinion.

I loved this second chance romance book! The characters were great, I enjoyed the banter between them. It was overall such an enjoyable book to get lost in!

Annie Rains is an author who never fails to give me an emotional, hopeful reading experience. In this new women's fiction novel, she shows that sometimes you really can go home again and sometimes, it's the best thing you can do. Summer in a Bottle is a heartfelt journey of growth, friendship, self-discovery, a touch of magical realism, and a second chance to claim the love that was always meant to be. It's a warm hug of a book I found hard to put down.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley.
Fair and unbiased review.

We all have something in out past that we wish we could go back and change. Instead of going back in time, Lyla is reliving a summer from over a decade ago. Summer in a Bottle by Annie Rains is a story of second chances in love and friendship.
🍾 Second Chance Romance
🍾 Whimsy and magic
🍾 Friends to lovers
🍾 Found family
🍾 Miscommunication

Lyla had always been plagued with the worry of getting stuck in her small town and amounting to nothing. So ten years ago Lyla abandoned everything in her home town except her parents. She even abandoned her best friend Travis.
Now Lyla is columnist who’s opinion articles are read nationwide. After a breakup and writing rut, Lyla is back in her hometown to help sell her parents’ home. Now that she’s back she must confront the life and community she left behind.
🍾 🍾 🍾 🍾 🍾 🍾 🍾 🍾 🍾
These were so many little aspects of this booked that I loved but unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. I struggled to get into this book and then stay engaged with the FMC. Almost every character in this book has a misunderstanding of Lyla or some resentment towards her which really makes it hard to root for Lyla. I’m all for character development but if the excuse continues to be misunderstanding and that she was only “writing for others”- I feel like some introspection and accountability are in order.
Travis must be a masochist. How else do you just lay aside over a decade long ghosting and happily welcome whatever wishy washy friendship/relationship that Lyla is giving him. **Side note on Travis- why don’t we ever circle back to his “hidden” tattoo? Seems like a missed detail.
I really like the concept of this book with the added whimsy/magical aspect- though Lyla must be a cat with 9 lives to have survived 2 lightening strikes and a near drowning. I wish there was less focus on the side characters and more focus on our MC’s relationship. Overall I wouldn’t say this is strictly a romance novel but a story of second chances- in love, in friendship and in life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Summer in a Bottle by Annie Rains is set to be released on Apr 29, 2025.

Lyla Dune is back in her hometown after years away, and experiences a freak lightening accident while digging up a time capsule. Weird coincidence after weird coincidence start to happen, convincing Lyla that history is repeating itself and that she needs to finish a bucket list that her and her childhood best friend made from their last summer together to put things right.

A lighthearted summer read with a bit of mystery, romance and self discovery. Given the synopsis it was a little less sci-fi than I was expecting, less time loop and more repeating events, but it was a really interesting concept.

A little predictable at times, I could see a few things coming by the halfway point, but overall still a good light read.

This book is closed door with no induendo or cursing.

Thank you to Netgallery for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.. 3.5 stars

**spoiler alert** This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review This review may contain spoilers.

Summer in a Bottle had many charming moments, but I found myself struggling to stay engaged. While the premise of a small-town second-chance romance intrigued me, I had difficulty connecting with the main character, Lyla. Several side characters also felt underdeveloped. While Allison’s backstory was emotional and impactful, Bernadette’s role felt sporadic. I wish there had been a stronger foundation between her and Lyla before reaching the resolution of their story.

The romance between Lyla and Travis was another aspect I struggled with. We’re repeatedly told about their deep connection from the past, but I wanted to see more of that chemistry unfold in the present. Their transition from estranged former best friends to rekindled love interests felt abrupt. For much of the book, Travis only appears occasionally, so when decade-old feelings suddenly resurface, it felt unearned. Personally, the 12-year gap made their relationship a bit hard to believe—if someone ghosted me for that long, I wouldn’t be so quick to welcome them back, let alone jump into a romance.

Lyla’s biggest roadblock was fear, which is understandable, but at what point do you admit that you are probably the problem? She returns to a town where multiple people dislike her—a former best friend, a neighbor, a coffee shop owner... If so many people dislike her, how is the reader supposed to root for her too? As an opinion columnist, I enjoyed seeing her perspectives sprinkled throughout the book, though some felt more “fortune cookie” than strong opinions.

That being said, I loved the small-town atmosphere, which was warm and inviting, and the magical elements woven into the story were a delightful touch. The past/present parallels were well done, adding emotional depth to certain moments. While this wasn’t a standout read for me, it’s a light and cozy story for fans of small-town romance and second chances.

A Charming Tale of Self-Discovery and Second Chances!

Annie Rains crafts a charming, feel-good tale in Summer in a Bottle, blending nostalgia, second chances, and self-discovery. Lyla Dune returns to her coastal hometown of Echo Cove after heartbreak, only to find herself reliving events from her past when she opens a time capsule she buried in high school. As her current summer mirrors her last one before college, Lyla confronts old fears and regrets, including her abandoned passion for writing and her feelings for her best friend, Travis. This tender, uplifting story of self-acceptance is perfect for fans of small-town romance.
Though predictable, Summer in a Bottle is a sweet, lighthearted read that reminds us of the power of courage and second chances.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

This is a story of second chances. Not just in love but friendships too. Once i started this book i couldn't put it down. You can't go back in time but you can change the now! Such an inspiring story and one that will stay with you long after your done reading it!

Wow this story really tugged at my heartstrings. It really shows how much second chances can truly happen in people’s lives when they pursue them. I lovvvedddd the friendship and chemistry between Travis and Lyla and of course the friendships between Allison, Bernadette and Lyla and how everyone looked out for each other when things happened in their lives that they needed help with. Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for giving me the chance to read and review this great story.

Summer in a Bottle is a cute, fun, and romantic book. It’s about second chances for romance but also for friendship. It has wonderful characters who face their fears, make new friends from former classmates, and learn to fulfill their dreams as they grow older. Annie Rains comes through with another heartwarming book which I highly recommend.