Thank you to MIRA and Brenda Novak for this ARC.

What would you do if your father went to prison for the brutal deaths of three people? 👀 Lucy changed her name and moved far away, but after 15 years, she returns home to prove that her father may not be as guilty as everyone believes. 🫣

🌊 What did you love the most?
This small-town mystery is atmospheric and brimming with secrets. I loved how every character held a missing piece of the puzzle. Novak masterfully builds suspense by giving you just enough to keep you hooked while keeping the final reveal well hidden. When everything finally clicks together, it’s so satisfying! 😱🙌

The multiple POVs were also a highlight for me. Seeing the story unfold from various angles and realizing everyone is hiding something made for a twisty, immersive read. 😅

🌊 What to expect:
🔍 Detective-driven mystery
💗 Second chance romance subplot
🏘️ Small-town drama and secrets
👥 Multi-POV storytelling

🌊 How was the pace?
On the slower side in the middle, but worth it for the ending! I did feel like a few parts dragged, but the final twists made it worth the read.

🔥 Steam level: fade to black

🌊 Do you recommend this book?
I had a few quibbles with the convenient ending, but overall, I’d recommend this to fans of twisty summer mysteries and small-town secrets. It’s a solid pick if you’re craving an atmospheric mystery with a splash of romance. 🌊

🌊 Perfect for fans of:
📚 Megan Miranda
📚 Lisa Jewell
📚 Mary Kubica

🌊 Mood:
🌅 Suspenseful | 🌊 Beachy | 👀 Secrets unraveling

🌊 Read if you like:
📖 Slow-burn mysteries with a small-town setting
💔 Second chance romance mixed with crime fiction
🕵️‍♀️ Piecing together a murder mystery bit by bit

Lucy Sinclair hadn’t seen her father for 15 whole years. It’s been 15 long years since she sat in a courtroom with him and watched him be sentenced to life in prison. At just seventeen her life was changed forever when her father had murdered 3 people she had known. Wondering if there is more to the story she came back to Virginia to find out and talk with him.

Escaping a marriage which was doomed for divorce Ford Wagner, an old flame arrives back in North Hampton Beach. Leery of Lucy digging into the past but the more time they spent together things changed and he reconsidered the truth behind the death of their mutual friend that summer. In the small coastal town there’s a problem where there are plenty who would rather have it remain quiet.

Another 5* story by Brenda Novak. Second chance romance with a twist of mystery and lots of secrets to be had. You can just picture yourself on the beach along with some of the characters beside you enjoying the surf and quiet surroundings! Smell of the ocean and seagulls flying overhead! Solitude! But there is a lot of secrets to uncover and she keeps you guessing until the end in this not so quiet small coastal town. Of course there is a HEA! You’ll definitely want to pick this one up to read on the beach and enjoy! A must read!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers in letting me read this book and allowing me to leave an honest review.

What a disappointment. I immediately requested this between the eye-catching cover and the romance-suspense synopsis. I've never got around to reading Brenda Novak's work despite having a few on my kindle, and unfortunately, this one didn't inspire me to want to read more. I really liked how this started out, with Lucy going back to North Hampton Beach to prove her father was not the killer of her former best friend. I've always liked the trope where the entire small town hates the female protagonist, especially when Susan Elizabeth Phillips does it ala Call Me Irresistible. However, I don't think the apprehension/hate towards Lucy as well as the coastal small beach town atmosphere was conveyed well. Actually, my primary struggle with this book was the writing style. I don't mind third person, again, SEP is my favorite author and she is a third-person POV queen, however, the writing style was SO MUCH TELLING and barely any showing. I didn't understand why Lucy and Ford were even drawn together because there was no build-up to their relationship in the past or future. This book would've majorly benefitted from flashbacks to both Lucy/Ford's relationship as teenagers AND flashbacks to the murders.

As the book progressed, the mystery became so farfetched, I was rolling my eyes at the convenience of things happening so the mystery could unfold.

As for the romance, I thought it was kinda gross. I never felt like I knew Lucy as a character internally, but what I did know was that she was a major doormat. We learn very early on that Ford's ex wife is pregnant from a hookup in the midst of their divorce battle. By itself, meh I'm not a fan of this trope, even if early on I was convinced the ex wife had made the pregnancy up to trap Ford. What pissed me off was the fact that Ford planned to go back to his ex wife after the summer was over, even if he would be miserable and it would be a toxic relationship for his child to grow up in. It pissed me off that Lucy was okay with Ford using her as a fling and allowing herself to fall in love with him again when he had no plans to stick around. It was giving me ick vibes, and I was never convinced by their romance anyways since there was zero buildup/chemistry shown beyond sexual intimacy.

Overall, an interesting concept, but it did absolutely nothing for me, and I was just glad to be done with it by the time I reached the epilogue.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and alc.

This was another enjoyable beach read from best selling women's fiction author Brenda Novak. I especially liked how in addition to the women's fiction elements, this book had a hint of mystery elements to it as well. I thought the audiobook narrator Courtney Patterson did a great job. I was able to start and finish this book in one sitting on a road trip this summer, and I really did find it enjoyable. I am looking forward to Brenda Novak's next book!

What a great way to kick off summer reading with this little gem of a read!

I started with the audio version and was immediately drawn in to the storyline so much so that I could not stop listening. When I couldn’t listen I was reading it to see what would happen next. Pleasantly surprised as I thought I had the murder mystery all figured out, but I didn’t.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of the audio and digital version of this suspenseful book. I truly enjoyed the mix of romance and crime mystery all rolled into one action packed novel.

I’ve found with Brenda’s books, you think you’re going to read a light beach read (especially when you go in blind like I do), but you get so much more.

Gosh this town had some horrible people in it. The sad truth is that many incarcerated people have been wrongly convicted, but to read about it is heartbreaking. I wish Lucy and her father didn’t have to go through the hardships they faced for the past 15 years, but I’m glad she came back to the town now to reveal the truth.

I loved Ford (even when I couldn’t stand his brother, his horrible wife, and his past choices). I’m glad he and Lucy reconnected, and that he helped her this time around.

It started a bit slow for me, and some things I was able to predict. But the end still had a few twists, and I was satisfied with the ending. I enjoyed the mystery, romance, second chances, and the few people who redeemed themselves.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you HTP The Hive for the ARC and Harlequin Audio for the ALC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Mira for the ARC of The Summer That Changed Everything!

This was a fun, fast-paced summer thriller—perfect for a beach read. I thought I had the plot all figured out, but the twists at the end completely caught me off guard. A great mix of mystery and romance that kept me hooked!

Another great book by Brenda Novak! This book had twists and turns galore. The writing was fantastic. The clues slowly revealed themselves. The end was satisfying and made me happy. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Title: The Summer That Changed Everything  
Author: Brenda Novak         
Genre: Romance    
Rating: 3 out of 5

She returned to prove her father's innocence, but there's no telling what she'll find…

It's been fifteen years since Lucy Sinclair saw her father. Fifteen long years since she sat in a courtroom and watched him sentenced to life in prison. He murdered three victims—all people she knew—which ruined her life at just seventeen. But now she’s back in Virginia to talk to him, wondering if there’s more to the story of what happened that fateful night.

An old flame, Ford Wagner, makes his own return to North Hampton Beach, fleeing a marriage that seems destined for divorce. He’s wary of Lucy and her digging into the past, but the more time they spend together, the closer they get and the more he finds himself reconsidering the truth behind the death of their mutual friend that summer. Problem is, there are plenty of those in this small coastal town who would prefer things stay quiet…

This was kind of a mediocre read to me. The characters felt very superficial with no depth to them at all. And the “mystery” of who the real killers were wasn’t much of a mystery at all, considering the rather heavy-handed handling of some of the people in town. No surprises in this read at all, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Brenda Novak is a bestselling author. The Summer that Changed Everything is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 6/11).

I’ve read most of Brenda Novak’s books and am always eager to read a new one. There’s always intrigue and mystery along with romance. The Summer That Changed Everything is another winner. This one keeps you guessing. When Lucy was 17 her father was sent to prison for 3 murders. Fifteen years later she begins to question whether he committed one of the crimes. She returns to the town where she grew up and finds reasons to believe in his innocence. Can she prove it before the people who want to hide the truth stop her?

Coming home again may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Lucy Sinclair / McBride returns to her hometown to revisit a major event in her life. In doing so, many inconsistencies come to light, prompting her to question those events as well as some of the choices that were made. The story combines mystery, suspense, and romance and, as we unravel these events, a satisfying conclusion is reached.

The Summer That Changed Everything has a perfect mix of mystery, romance, and redemption. The writing draws you into the story, characters, the plot, and setting. The murder mystery has a lot of suspects that kept me guessing until the end. I really enjoyed this romantic mystery and highly recommend it.

The Summer That Changed Everything by Brenda Novak combines mystery and romance in this fast paced story about Lucy Sinclair.Lucy goes back to her roots in North Hampton Beach to revisit the facts of crimes that were committed fifteen years before and put her father in prison.She meets up with her old boyfriend Ford and they work together to untangle the secrets.You will enjoy all the twists and turns in this book which would make a perfect beach read!Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC!

It has been 15 years since Lucy McBride, now Lucy Sinclair has been to North Hampton Beach, VA. When she was seventeen, her father, Mick McBride, was found guilty of killing three local people and is now serving a life sentence in Red Onion State Prison. Over the years Lucy has started to question one of the murders, her frenemy, Aurora Clark. This murder was different than that of the Tony and Lucinda Matteo, their neighbors in the trailer park so she decides to go and see her dad for the first time since he has been incarcerated. After talking to her father, Lucy realizes that she must go to North Hampton Beach and so a little investigating.

Ford Wagner headed to North Hampton Beach for the summer to help him escape his current life and get a little peace. His soon-to-be ex-wife, Christina, is driving him nuts; his father recently died from a major heart attack; and his mom, Sara and his dad's wife, Paris are arguing over his father's estate. Shortly after arriving Ford runs into an old friend, Chet Anthony. Chet lets Ford know that Lucy, his high school girlfriend is also in town. Ford always felt bad when he was forced to end things with her because of her father. It seems she is trying to figure out what happened with Aurora's murder.

Word quickly gets around town that Lucy is looking into the past. Everyone from Aurora's parents, old friends, enemies and even the police chief warn her against it. Ford starts to feel bad for Lucy and decides he is going to help her. The more time they spend together, the more those old feelings start to surface. It turns out neither Lucy or Ford had ever forgotten the other.

As the duo start to dig into the mystery more, strange things start to happen. Before you know it you don't know who to trust to who to believe. In the end, after many twists and turns the truth finally comes out and everyone is shocked and Ford and Lucy finally find their way to happy ending.

I freaking loved this romantic mystery and could not put it down. Ford was just a perfect guy. Sweet, caring and downright yummy! Lucy has learned to always be on her own but being with Ford made her realize just what she was missing in her life. These two were just perfect together. This was a fantastic story, with a great cast of character (you never knew who the killer could be) thrown in with a fun love story. Overall, this book was perfection.

This book was good. The beginning took me a little bit to get into, but after a couple of chapters I got into it and wanted to learn more and find out what happened. I wasn't a huge fan of the third person POV. I enjoy the dual perspectives usually. I do wish that the text exchanges were in a different font or more discernable while reading.
Overall this was a really good book and I enjoyed the story line. The characters were really good and the plot was good. The plot twist got me because I didn't even think that the person that did was the person. I did question the murders that Lucy's father committed though. As the story went on, I figure out that things didn't always add up.
The story between Lucy and Ford was great too and easy to read about.
Good book!

very twisty and fun novel, and the plotting and characters are all fantastic. the cover felt a little incongruous but other than that fantastic. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. I had such a hard time putting this book down. Once the real murderer was revealed so early, I wondered where this book was going to go, but it's almost scarier reading and not being able to tell Lucy to be careful around this person. A great read for summer or any time!

The Summer That Changed Everything is a five star read. It was a great story that held you from the first page to the end. It has tons of emotions running through the plots and has some very unexpected twists within the story. You may think from the cover that you are going to have a fun beach read but this book is anything but. Even though the setting is the beach, the suspense and twists in this book will grip you. Pick up a copy, you will not be disappointed.

The Summer that Changed Everything is a story of redemption, reunion, family, friendship, and love -- with some unexpected twists and turns. Lucy returns to coastal Virginia after 15 years to try to find out what really happened the summer she was 17 and her father was convicted of three horrible murders. Will she discover that everything she's believed for so long is true? Or could it be possible that he's innocent of at least one of the crimes? A very good read -- strongly recommended.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
I absolutely devoured this book. Brenda Novak is such a great writer!
At 15 years of age Lucy’s father was convicted of murder. Did he do it? She is moving back to her home won’t determined to prove he didn’t..
Ford her old boyfriend is worried about her digging into the past. Add to that all the people in town who don’t want her back stirring up things.
So—- what are they hiding? Can she find the answers?