Another winner by Brenda Novak. This mystery thriller takes you on a convoluted task of discovering who dun it when young lady moves back to town to prove her father, innocent of a murder.He was convicted for. A second chance romance just sweetens the pot.

You need to read this book! A great beach read - mystery, romance, murder, family drama and a beautiful beach.

This story is about murders that happened 15 years ago in a small beach community in Virginia. There was a man found guilty and everyone has moved on with their lives. Now some of the people involved want to learn more about the murders. No one wants to relive what happened in this small beach town years ago. I really enjoyed both of the main characters.

There are twists and turns in the book that were interesting and in some cases unexpected. The pressure builds as we find out more about what happened that summer. At first it is small details and then it just goes on from there.

Brenda Novak keeps us on the edge of your seat with the Summer that Changed Everything. Lucy returns to the town where her father was accused of killing 3 people 15 years before. Lucy reconnects with her old flame to reinvestigate the murders based on new information. What ensues is a suspenseful story that will keep you on your toes.

Atmospheric, suspenseful, and full of heart — this book hooked me from the first page. The tangled past of Lucy Sinclair drew me in as she returned to her hometown to uncover the truth behind her father’s conviction. I loved the tension between Lucy and Ford — their chemistry felt real and layered with so much unresolved history. The small-town coastal setting added the perfect backdrop of secrets and whispers, keeping me guessing about what really happened that summer.

While a few pacing moments slowed the story, the emotional depth and intriguing mystery more than made up for it. If you love second-chance romance with a dash of suspense and small-town drama, this one is well worth the read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Summer That Changed Everything" and all opinions expressed are my own. This was an interesting story I liked the mystery of it and how the truth was finally told.

Brenda Novak is a mastermind Storyteller and her newest book is an amazing book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was riveted the entire time I was reading this book and wow it is so good!!!!!!!!!!!

15 years ago Lucy’s world was turned upside down. Present time, Lucy is back to prove her father’s innocence. Ford the love of her life @ 17 years old shows up to the cottage she’s renting for the summer. Will they rekindle a lost love & live a happily ever after they both deserve?

“The Summer That Changed Everything" by Brenda Novak is a riveting novel packed with mystery, romance, and long-buried secrets. Lucy Sinclair's return to her hometown to clear her father's name after a decades-old triple murder conviction sets off a chain of events that exposes a web of deceit and tension.

The reappearance of Ford Wagner, an old flame with his own demons, adds depth and slow-burning chemistry to the story. Novak masterfully crafts a suspenseful narrative, rich in small-town dynamics and unresolved feelings.

The North Hampton Beach comes alive as a vivid and immersive setting, perfectly capturing the atmosphere of secrets and suspicion.

With its intricate plot, emotional complexity, and engaging characters, this book is a must-read for fans of mystery and romance.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Harlequin and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fifteen years ago, Lucy Sinclair's father was convicted of killing an elderly couple of neighbours, as well as a teenager that Lucy had a problem with. After and during the trial, everyone treated Lucy like she has done it, and she finally left town. She landed on her feet after a few years and is now living in Las Vegas making a great living gambling. She decided to come back to Virginia and visit him at the jail to see if there was more to the story than what was considered the truth. She has rented a cottage in North Hampton Beach for the summer, to finally get closure. Her ex-boyfriend, the one who dumped her during the trial, Ford Wagner is also back, planning on fixing up his family's summer home to sell. He is going through a divorce and wants some time away from work and family. When he finds out Lucy is back, he wants to make amends. Lucy begins an investigation to find out who really killed the teenager, as her father is adamant that it wasn't him. How will the people of North Hampton Beach take this re-opening of old wounds? Will Lucy find out if someone else was responsible for the deaths and clear her father's name?

I enjoyed this mystery/romance by Brenda Novak. It was pretty easy to figure out who killed the teenager based on his behaviour, but it took awhile for Lucy and Ford to figure it out. The story starts out a bit slow, but I was okay with that, as it gave me the backstory. Lucy nosed around pretty good, and was able to get answers from people who had either lied 15 years earlier, or kept quiet with what they knew. When Ford and Lucy meet for the first time, she wants nothing to do with him. She has a new life and what happened with their relationship 15 years ago, is finished. Ford isn't going to give up that easy, and the more time they spend together, the more she begins to change her mind about him. There is lots of small town drama in this story, with parents who gave their kids everything or let them get away with things, based on who they were and their money. Some of them had to eat crow. This is a slow burn, summer mystery, with drama and some romance. I enjoyed it, but not as much as some of her other books.

Compelling story! The Summer That Changed Everything is the story of Lucy Sinclair confronting her past. Lucy returns to North Hampton Beach, VA fifteen years after her life had imploded there as a teenager. Her father was convicted of multiple murders and she was abandoned by her high school boyfriend, Ford Wagner, a boy from the “right side” of town. Lucy was forced to leave town and venture out on her own. Now Lucy returns to face her past and to try to find out what all truly happened during that fateful time. At the same time, Ford also has returned, taking a break to determine how to move forward as his marriage is failing and after he took over the family business after his father’s death. Together Lucy and Ford team up to find the truth.
I enjoyed this book, both the mystery and the romance. Definitely recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

Strong Small Town Tale. This is one of those tales that has a bit of a lot. Rich boy falls in love with trailer park trash girl over the course of one fateful teenage summer. Events happen in their small seasonal town, and small seasonal townspeople - including police - respond as small seasonable townspeople all too often do, even in real life.

But what if... what if damn near *everyone* was wrong?

What if the truth of that summer all those years ago was so much more complex? What if virtually *no one* had anywhere near a complete picture of what was happening, due to *everyone* having far too many prejudices and preconceptions?

Can wrongs done that summer all those years ago be corrected all this time later - at least to some degree or another? Can relationships destroyed then - family, community, romantically, and others - be repaired after so much time has passed and so much bitterness has been so deeply internalized?

Novak here provides a stunning tale perfect for summer reading that delves into all of the above in a tale that ultimately leaves the reader a bit breathless and a lot of emotions to deal with. It isn't a comedy, though it has a touch of that. It isn't a romance per se, though it does in fact meet all known qualifications there and may be marketed as such. This is far more a family/ small town drama, and one that plays out quite remarkably well.

Very much recommended.

Based on the cover, I was expecting this story to have a bit more humor or lightness to it—but it ended up being a more serious mystery with a second-chance twist.

Lucy returns to her hometown to clear her father’s name after years of silence between them, ever since that one fateful summer. She reconnects with Ford, a guy she briefly dated for a month in high school before everything went down. For such a short relationship, their deep bond in the present felt a little hard to buy into—but they did make a good team when it came to unraveling the mystery.

While the plot kept me interested, it wasn’t quite the kind of read I was hoping for. A solid mystery, just not the vibe I expected going in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the free advanced copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Mira for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Oh I absolutely loved the concept of this book - was expecting an emotional hard-core rollercoaster & all of the small town gossip and secrets. That's not what I read though - instead the first half of the book felt like a repeating over-explanation of the same feelings and emotions and it was just too much. I get it - she's returning to the hometown that hates her, she's recently seen her father after so many years and now is determined to prove his innocence, AND her ex is there - so it's a lot, but to just have that being repeated? I was not interested in the least bit.

I loved how the mystery came in later and the ending was really good - the twists & turns to get to the ending felt really fun and I really enjoyed finding out the truth! I was able to guess things, but it was still fun to watch it play out.

I think this is a perfect one for lovers of SLOW thrillers - with all the detail, and the gradual escalation and solution. This one helped me to realize that I need the fast paced thrillers and that's ok but this is still a worthwhile read!

Fifteen years ago, Lucy Sinclair’s father was convicted of murdering three people in the small town of North Hampton Beach, Virginia. At just seventeen, with no other family, she was left to fend for herself. Lucy weathered some tough times but got through it and made something of herself. Now all these years later Lucy’s ready to go back to answer some nagging doubts she had about one of the murders. She doesn’t count on running into Ford, the man who abandoned her and broke her heart, but he’s also back in town taking a summer break from his own problems.

Lucy gets flak from the townsfolk right away when they find out why she’s there, but there are also ones who’ve questioned the past, as well. While we find out what’s behind one of the mysteries pretty early on, some of it doesn’t come all the way out until the end. I had my suspicions.

The Summer That Changed Everything was part romance, part mystery and a messy situation on several levels. Messy is usually something I avoid because I’m not a big fan of angst, but somehow Ms. Novak writes it in such a way that it doesn't come off as angsty. Once I started, I knew I’d have to read/listen to it all the way through! It wasn’t a story I’d have an easy time setting aside to continue later. I was riveted and had to know how it’d all turn out! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m still thinking about it!

I alternately read and listened to The Summer That Changed Everything. I thought Courtney Patterson performed all voices, males and female wonderfully with appropriate emotion, bringing the characters and story to life.

So happy to be given the chance to review this book. Brenda Novak is a favorite author for me. Clearing your father's name, reconnecting with your past and working together with a long lost love, all are elements of this story. The story is a little predictable, but there is comfort in that for a reader familiar with the author and her writing style.

Brenda Novak’s The Summer That Changed Everything is a compelling audiobook filled with mystery, romance, and the weight of long-buried secrets. Lucy Sinclair returns to her hometown after fifteen years, determined to clear her father’s name following his conviction for a triple murder that shattered her life as a teenager. As she digs deeper into the truth, listeners are drawn into a tense atmosphere where nothing is as it seems.

The return of Ford Wagner, an old flame fleeing his own troubled past, adds layers of emotional complexity and slow-burning chemistry. Novak expertly weaves together the threads of suspense, small-town dynamics, and unresolved feelings, making the coastal town of North Hampton Beach a vivid and immersive setting.

Narrated with heartfelt nuance, this audiobook is perfect for fans of mystery-laden romances and stories about facing the past to find hope for the future. The Summer That Changed Everything is a gripping listen that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Lucy returns to her hometown to revisit see her father, who has been in prison for the past 25 years, and begins to re-examine the evidence of his murder conviction. What unfolds is more than she can imagine, including reuniting with the boy she loved the summer her father was convicted.

There are certainly strong plot elements here: a small town with buried secrets, and the tension of a rekindled romance. But overall, this book didn’t quite land for me.
The third person narration felt off, and I didn't *feel* the characters the way I usually do. The frequent shifts in point of view were sometimes confusing. While I appreciate the themes and ambition of the story, this one didn’t fully meet my expectations. Still, fans of small town mysteries and character driven plots may enjoy it more than I did.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Brenda Novak’s The Summer That Changed Everything is a gripping blend of family drama, mystery, and romance that pulls readers into a small-town setting haunted by past crimes and buried secrets.

The story follows Lucy Sinclair, a woman whose life has been shadowed by her father’s conviction for three brutal murders fifteen years ago. After spending most of her adult life distancing herself from the tragedy, Lucy makes the bold decision to return to the place where it all began. Her goal: uncover the truth and finally get clarity on whether her father is truly guilty—or if an innocent man has spent over a decade behind bars.

Novak crafts a compelling narrative filled with emotional depth and suspense. The layers of mystery unravel at a satisfying pace, with enough twists to keep readers engaged without straying into melodrama. Lucy is a sympathetic and strong protagonist, and her journey toward understanding—both of her past and herself—is one many readers will find deeply moving.

While the romance subplot is more of a slow burn, it adds a nice touch of warmth and complexity without detracting from the central mystery. Novak does a good job of balancing the emotional weight of family secrets with the intrigue of a whodunit.

If you're a fan of domestic suspense with heart, The Summer That Changed Everything is worth adding to your summer reading list. It’s a story about second chances, buried truths, and the courage it takes to confront the past—no matter how painful.

3.75 ⭐️
15 years after her father was convicted of murdering an elderly couple and a girl in her grade, Lucy ventures back to North Hampton Beach for the first time. In hopes of proving her dad innocent of one of the murders, she sets off on her own investigation. What she didn’t expect was to see her old boyfriend also back in town for the summer.

Unfortunately, I solved most of this one in the first few chapters, but that didn’t keep it from being a page turner. Although I was hoping I was wrong the whole time, the author does a great job of keeping the reader intrigued and invested in the characters.

There were multiple POVs in a single chapter which got a little confusing at times. (although I had an arc, so that could have changed for the final publication). The multiple POVs did add to the mystery and character development of all those involved, so overall I thought it was worth it.

I think classifying this novel as Contemporary Fiction (instead of romance or mystery/thriller) is what makes my thoughts on rating higher. The FMC goes through a journey of her own— not just to free her father but to free herself from everything that has happened since that fateful summer.

Quick, enjoyable summer beach read.

This was more of a women’s fiction than a straight romance, but since Ms. Novak does both very well, this was a pleasure to read. It is somewhat of a murder mystery, well actually two murders and Lucy, daughter of the convicted killer of both of these, comes to the seaside town where she and her father lived 15 years ago to see if there is any way to help him. Ford was her boyfriend back 15 years ago, and has also come back to the beach town to decide what to do with his wife from whom he has separated. Ford and Lucy then go on the journey to find out if her father did commit these murders or not. There is suspense, friends from before who come back every summer and all want to put these murders to bed. They do not like Lucy and Ford looking into because there are secrets to keep. All in all a very satisfying read!