Romantic drama with an exciting blend of mystery!

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Josh and Maggie—the connection was undeniable! However, I wish their relationship had more buildup. Yes, the connection was there, but it felt like things moved too fast with them romantically, which missed a lot of the emotional depth that could’ve made their story better.

There was something about the pacing and structure of this that felt a bit off to me—I can’t pinpoint it, but certain parts didn’t deliver.

The plot twist was the best!!! I didn’t see that coming at ALL. I was literally freaking out, but it turned out to be so wholesome that I cried.

Even though the story didn’t reach its full potential, it was still an entertaining and emotional read that I’d recommend! Definitely worth diving into.

The audiobook was the best pair for this read; if you read it, PLEASE listen along to it. It makes it so much more engaging!

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾 & 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠!

Book itself: 2.6 ★
Audiobook: 4.1 ★

I enjoy Denise Hunter's books so was looking forward to the Summer of You and Me, so was not suprised that I really enjoyed it. Maggie's husband died 5 years earlier and she is finally ready to move on with her life. She plans to spend the summer at Seabrook with his family and her daughter, Zoey. What she is unaware of, is that her brother-in-law, Josh, has been in love with her since they were kids. He stepped aside and said nothing when she and his brother, Ethan began dating and fell in love. Josh has never had a serious relationship as he still has feelings for Maggie, and decides that he can finally tell her how he feels. Shortly after arriving, she sees someone that she things in Ethan at first glance, but realizes he is too young. She and Josh begin to investigate to find out if he is related to him or not. Could this be a son that Ethan had? Is it a brother? Will Maggie and Josh ever get a chance to find out it they could make a go of things.

The Summer of You and Me is both a second chance romance and a mystery. As Maggie begins to realize that she has always been happy around Josh, that she could just be herself, that he was her best friend, she realizes that maybe she and Josh could make a go of things. The mystery deals with who the young man is that Maggie saw at the amusement park. I really liked the way Josh was with Zoey. She is a precocious little thing, and she never knew her dad. He was killed in battle while Maggie was pregnant. I really liked all the characters, except Maggie's mother. Everyone was loving and took care of each other, but when Josh admitted that he was in love with Maggie, there was some resistance from others, as well as Maggie. Can a woman fall in love with her brother-in-law without causing issues? I think Zoey was my favourite character. I love precocious kids in books, especially when they have not filter. The story was well written and plotted and I loved how everything came together to a wonderful conclusion. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kim Churchill. I enjoyed her performance, with her tone, expression and voices. I definitely recommend this second chance romance in whatever format you prefer.

I am not typically a contemporary fiction girl, but decided to give this one a shot since so many of my library patrons enjoy Denise Hunter's books. Even though I am still not going to be gravitating toward the style, I DID thoroughly enjoy this book. It was a very unusual story line, and I honestly had NO IDEA what was going to happen until the very end. And even then, it wasn't at all what I was expecting! I can't say anything else because I don't want to spoil it, hehe. I also enjoyed the narrator's performance - she did a great job with the various personalities involved.

I truly loved this book so much! I loved the mystery within the story and how the love story developed between Maggie and Josh. I really appreciated the found family aspect of Maggie's relationship with Josh's family. The epilogue was a beautiful ending to the story. Overall, great story of second chance love!

3.75/5 but a deserved round up to 4/5.

This story was wholesome and I really enjoyed it - it felt like a good warm hug. It opened really well, and got to the main conflict of the story right away which I appreciated. It felt like it fell a tiny bit flat in the middle but the twist really redeemed any lull in the story.

I really appreciated the vulnerability of Maggie and Josh couldn’t have been a better guy (almost felt a little hard to believe but not impossible - LOVED Josh)

Overall, loved it and loved the narration of it as well, both Maggie and Josh’s narration)

So glad I was able to grab an ARC audio version of this!

I always love a new Denise Hunter book! Lots of wonderful, likeable characters and a great storyline that will have you feeling love and heartbreak throughout the story.I listened to the audio, and the narrator did a great job! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Maggie Reynold’s husband died at war while serving his country. Several years have passed and she is finally ready to look for love again. She decides to pack up and take her daughter to the town of Seabrook where she and her husband first met and fell in love. She feels like this is the perfect plan to gain closure. That is until she sees someone at the town carnival who looks like the spitting image of him. Maggie, alongside her late husband’s twin brother, set out to find this mystery man and learn more. They find the young man and quickly realize that he’s not old enough to be her late husband but her gut tells her that he is related. Can she figure out what the relation is without her heart shattering into a million pieces? Will she be able to find love again?

This book is perfect to read at the start of summer! Even though it has a bit of mystery, it’s definitely considered fiction focused on family drama and true love. Any hopeless romantic would enjoy this book. It’s sweet and has a very valuable lesson about acceptance as well as forgiveness.

Thank you @harpercollinschristian, @tnzfiction and @netgalley for the complementary ARC of this #audiobook in exchange for my honest review. #gifted

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The short synopsis: 5-years after her husband's death, Maggie Reynolds returns to her husband's hometown for the summer for the summer with her young daughter. She is ready to move forward until she spots someone who may or may not be the late husband she thought she'd lost.

This cover immediately caught my eye as I was hunting for some summer reads 🎡 And well, it did not disappoint to kick off my summer reading... from the coastal town setting, a mystery element, and second chance at love... it was pure summer reading goodness 💕

This is a story about love after loss and the courage it takes to move forward. Great for readers who enjoy tender romances with high emotional stakes… with a good hint of mystery. I’d recommend reading! This was my first book by this author but I will definitely be exploring her backlist.

🎧 The audio narration was fine; potentially better enjoyed in print.

✝️ This book is classified as Christian Fiction, however the only elements I could recall when writing this review were a prayer and church attendance; no deep Christian themes IMO.

Read if you enjoy: slow-burn clean romance (kissing only), friends to lovers, small beach town vibes, second chances, dual POV, complex relationships, cozy mysteries, grief & healing

Denise Hunter’s The Summer of You and Me is a charming and heartfelt story about rediscovering love, forgiveness, and second chances. The novel follows Maggie and Josh, her late husband’s brother, as they set off on an unexpected adventure after spotting a young man who eerily resembles Ethan, her deceased husband. What follows is an emotional journey that explores grief, healing, and the complexity of moving forward. Hunter handles a wide range of topics with grace and sensitivity, wrapped in her signature warm writing style and vivid, small-town summer setting. The audiobook narration is gentle and expressive, perfectly capturing the characters’ emotional depth and keeping listeners engaged. I was especially drawn to Maggie and Josh; their chemistry and emotional growth held my attention throughout. This is a deeply relatable story—whether through its themes of loss, love, or renewal, many listeners will find something that resonates on a very human level. A comforting and meaningful listen for fans of clean, uplifting romance.

Thanks to Netgally and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio | Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ALC. This is my honest review.

After reading, and loving, the digital review copy I jumped at the chance to sample the audio. I am pleased, but not at all surprised, to say that the audio recording narrated by Kim Churchill is stellar. This story is just as good, if not better, the second time around. I love the entire premise, the character development, and the setting.

The Summer of You & Me
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a wonderful story. It will make you happy & wanting to cheer everyone on. It also has a huge surprise twist. YAy! I couldn't stop reading it. The Audio was really good too. A great feel good book!
Thank NetGalley

Overall a good story from Denise hunter. I can count on her for clean romances that will have some faith elements and deeper aspects without being heavy. This book started strong but I struggled with the pacing and the ultimate conclusion of the story- I wish it had felt like a bit more of a reveal instead of revealing some many things along the way- I just wanted a more satisfying ending especially with what the ending was. I also felt like sometimes the story was going too fast, especially at the end and other times it went too slow. I thought some of the strongest scenes were ones with Maggie’s mom. Overall, I enjoyed it and it’s a solid book with some modern elements from DH. Not a new fav though. Audio narration was well done too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book in exchange for my opinion!

Title: The Summer of Me and You
Author: Denise Hunter
Format: 🎧
Audiobook Narrator: Kim Churchill
Publisher: Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio/Thomas Nelson Fiction
Genres: Women’s Fiction, and Romance with a bit of mystery
Audiobook Release Date: April 22, 2025
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Pages 304

Maggie Reynolds has been grieving the death of her husband Ethan who died five years ago from an explosion while serving in the military. In fact, the 5 year anniversary is coming up on the 7th. The family is planning to spread his ashes over the ocean
While her in-laws vacation in Europe Maggie and her four-year-old daughter Zoey enjoy the fun activities at Seabrook Island, South Carolina- a place Maggie and Ethan both loved.
Maggie and Zoey are enjoying their stay and Zoey is having fun on the amusement park Carnival rides. While Maggie is taking a video Zoey on a ride a man accident walks into view. Later when Maggie looks at the video she is shocked as he looks so much like Ethan. He disappears into the park crowd before she can approach him. Maggie immediately wonders if Ethan may still be alive.

Josh- Ethan’s brother has been a strong support for Maggie (Actually Josh has always been in love with Maggie but never showed her anything more than friendship.) Maggie shows Josh the picture and he agrees the man does look like Ethan.
Soon she and Josh are on a search to find the doppelganger’s true identity.

We find out more about the look alike in the second part.

This part was very interesting but also very slow – I found myself shouting at Maggie – a lot!
However, I did understand Maggie’s insecurities

My first Denise Hunter was "Before We Were Us" which I just loved and have been looking forward to another Denise Hunter story.
Narrator Kim Churchill is amazing – her voice is so pleasant I could not put this down.
Delighted that the same thing happened with this story.

Some of the reviews for this story weren’t glowing - I already was sure it wasn’t going to be as good as “Before We Were Us”~ However this ended up with me being ‘Surprised’ as to how much I loved it!

I am a big thriller fan and stay away from ‘New Adult Romance stories as I have found the romance part is over run by explicit sex
(called steamy) as well as explicit language.

LOVED that this was a Sweet Romance plus the mystery was good.
Already looking forward to the next Denise Hunter story!

I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio/Thomas Nelson Fiction for this audiobook.
Audiobook Publishing Release Date was April 22, 2025.

This was a super sweet romance! I liked the mysterious element about whether Maggie’s deceased husband was actually still alive and then who was Will’s real father (I definitely did not guess the twist with that one!). I liked Maggie and Josh’s friendship and the easy relationship that came out of that, and I especially enjoyed the yearning Josh had for Maggie after having loved her for most of his life. I did not love the third act breakup, especially because it seemed like something that could’ve been resolved with an honest conversation. But this was a cute and clean summer romance and one I would certainly recommend.🎡

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for sending me an advanced audio copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

I was gifted this ARC/ALC from NetGalley. Although I wasn’t able to listen and review it before it was released, I HIGHLY recommend this audiobook!
I could not listen to this book fast enough! From the first page I was hooked! Such a good romance story with a bit of mystery and 2 hella twists! The narrator was very easy to listen to. I need more Denise Hunter in my life!

new beginnings. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Seabrook, the novel offers readers a blend of mystery, romance, and emotional growth. While the central relationship may challenge traditional norms, the story's exploration of love, loss, and healing resonates deeply. For those seeking a poignant summer read that delves into the complexities of the human heart, The Summer of You and Me is a worthy addition to your reading list.

Denise Hunter has done it again!

The Summer of You & Me is packed with so much and with a twist I never saw coming.

Maggie Reynolds fell in love with her husband Ethan when they were in high school and Evan's brother, Josh, fell in love with Maggie at the age of 13. Maggie and Ethan married and Josh tried to hide his feelings and be happy for his brother and Maggie. Ethan joins the military and him and Maggie are happy that they will be starting a family.

When a mission goes awry, Ethan is killed and Maggie is beyond devastated. Five years have passed and Maggie is finally ready to try love again and Josh thinks it's his time to make a move on the love he has carried for decades. At an amusement park, Maggie see's her late husband or is it? This sends Maggie and Josh on a rollercoaster of a ride. Who is the mystery man? And can Maggie love again?

This was such an amazing read and would be a great movie to watch too!

Oh my goodness from chapter 1, Denise Hunter what have you done to me?!
I adored this book. The twists and romantic aspects, AMAZING!
The characters, absolutely so relatable!
The suspense, WHAAAAAAT?! The shock and how it was written, CHILLS! So, so good.

What a refreshing, easily flowing journey.
I so appreciate the clean, faith-filled story.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc copy of this beautiful book.

Denise Hunter's latest book was a book that was hard to put down. There were elements of mystery, romance, and drama, not to mention plot twists that kept the reader engaged. The drama was well written with some interesting side characters.
It's hard to say too much without spoilers, so I'll settle with it's a book you will want to read. I have put it on the order list for the library and will be recommending it to readers of Christian fiction.

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter is a heartwarming contemporary romance that explores themes of second chances, forgiveness, and the enduring power of love. The story follows Kayla and Colton, two former high school sweethearts who find themselves reunited after years of separation.

When a family emergency brings Kayla back to her hometown, she is forced to confront her past and the choices she made that led her away from Colton. Colton, who never truly got over Kayla, is now a successful local business owner. As they reconnect, the old sparks reignite, and they are both faced with the possibility of a second chance at love. However, their path is complicated by past hurts, present-day responsibilities, and the challenges of small-town life.

Hopeful and uplifting: Hunter's writing style is known for its ability to create a sense of warmth and optimism, leaving readers feeling uplifted.

The Summer of You and Me is a sweet and engaging read that will appeal to fans of contemporary romance. Denise Hunter's strength lies in her ability to create relatable characters and heartfelt stories that explore the complexities of love and relationships. This novel is a perfect choice for readers who enjoy feel-good stories with a touch of nostalgia and a focus on the power of second chances.