This was such a unique book and storyline. I truly couldn’t predict the ending.

I enjoyed the realistic look at family dynamics and watching Emma grow along the way. Having Zoey as a sidekick along for many of the adventures and seeing how she interacted with Josh was a fun twist.

I look forward to checking out more of this author’s books. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

After reading Before We Were Us last year I knew I needed to pick up the latest Denise Hunter book! What a great premise...a young widow and her brother-in-law join forces to find out who a man is that looks like her deceased husband. This not-so-new relationship is complicated with a long history, lots of emotions and skepticism, mystery and...a sweet unfolding of faith-filled lives. Hunter has a way with words with lots of great dialogue among her characters. This is a clean, sweet romance, but definitely has some unexpected elements of real life interspersed. The characters are not perfect, making them more relatable. This would be great for you if you enjoy Christian fiction, romance, or even mysteries.
The audio version of this was also done really well.
Not sure if this will be continued as a series but I'd love to see what happens to Maggie and Josh next!
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

This book was exactly what I was hoping it would be! A fun summer romance with some twists and turns along the way. There was just enough drama to keep me interested but not too much where it became overwhelming. I was more than pleased with this book and especially with the ending! The narration was perfect for the story and absolutely brought it to life.

The Summer of You and Me, by Denise Hunter, is the story of young widow Maggie Reynolds and the summer she finds closure and is ready to move forward. House sitting for her in-laws, Maggie and her daughter Zoey, are back in Seabrook where her story and her life with Ethan began. But after his wartime death, Maggie has spent little time there even though Erin, her best friend and sister-In-law, and her family still live there, as does her brother-In-law Josh.

Although a couple of years younger than Maggie, Josh has been carrying a torch for her since the day they first met. But it was his older brother, Ethan, that caught Maggie’s eye. Now that she is ready to begin again, Josh plans to lay his cards on the table until Maggie sees a young man in the crowd at the summer carnival that is Ethan’s doppelgänger. This leads to a hunt for the young man and answers as to who he is and why the uncanny resemblance.

This novel now takes a circuitous route to finding answers as well as a future for Maggie and Josh. I really enjoyed this book and I do recommend it.

What a beautiful and heartfelt story about loss, moving on and truly knowing yourself. I loved this book and the narrator was amazing.

The Summer of You and Me is the first book I have read of Denise Hunter and I really enjoyed it. I usually am not a 3rd person style but the way that Kim Churchill narrated and brought so much emotion to the story I did not even notice the POV. I’m not going to lie-I was pulled in from the very beginning. I felt so much for these characters that I was so invested up front I couldn’t stop reading. Going along for the ride as Maggie and Josh worked through and ultimately found their HEA was beautiful. I love the complexities and plot of this story. It’s one I have never read before. I love Denise’s style and will be picking up more from her.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for providing an audio ARC of The Summer of You and Me I really appreciate it.

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter is a deeply emotional and captivating story about love, grief, family, and finding hope again after heartbreak. Maggie Reynolds has spent the last five years mourning her husband Ethan’s death, raising their daughter Zoey, and holding onto the life they once dreamed of. This summer at Seabrook—the place where their love story first began—is supposed to be her moment of closure. Instead, Maggie is thrown into emotional turmoil when she spots a man who could pass for her late husband’s twin.

From the first chapter, the story pulls you in with its emotional intensity and rich characters. Maggie’s journey feels raw and honest. Her grief is layered and complicated, especially when feelings for Josh—her late husband’s brother and her steadfast friend—begin to surface. Josh’s unspoken love for Maggie is tender, patient, and heartbreaking, making him one of the most genuine romantic leads I’ve read in a while.

The mystery of the lookalike adds a tense, page-turning element to the romance. Every time Maggie and Josh think they have answers, new secrets emerge, shifting everything they thought they knew. The suspense is perfectly woven into the emotional core of the story, never overshadowing the real focus: healing, forgiveness, and the courage to choose love again.

Denise Hunter’s writing shines with emotional depth and vivid descriptions. Seabrook feels like a real place—full of sun, ocean breezes, family gatherings, and memories both sweet and painful. She portrays grief with sensitivity and allows Maggie’s journey toward healing to feel realistic, not rushed or simplified.

The supporting characters add warmth and complexity to the story, especially Zoey, who brings so much heart to the narrative. The Reynolds family is beautifully portrayed, showing unconditional love and support, while Maggie’s relationship with her difficult mother adds another layer of emotional realism.

The audiobook, narrated by Kim Churchill, is outstanding. Churchill captures the emotional nuances of Maggie and Josh so well. Her distinct voices for each character, pacing, and emotional delivery make it feel like you’re living inside the story rather than just listening to it. I highly recommend experiencing this one in audio form too—it brings another level of life to an already stunning story.

The ending is heartwarming, satisfying, and absolutely worth every twist and tear along the way. The Summer of You and Me isn’t just a love story—it’s a story about finding your way home after life has shattered your plans, about how grief shapes us, and how love, even after loss, can still bloom in unexpected, beautiful ways.

This book will stay with me for a long time.
5 enthusiastic stars.

Sweet story of a romance that finally got its turn to thrive.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the advance copy of this audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Denise Hunter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as a tale of love, loss, finding love in unexpected places, and the people we take with us along our journeys. The Summer of You and Me made me think a lot about my own life path and what I would do if I were in Maggie's situation.

I found Maggie's mom to be insufferable - and I know that was the point of her character. Trigger warning: narcissistic mother full of selfish ideologies and guilt trips.

I loved Josh and his parents but was a bit irked by all of Josh's use of "honey" throughout the book. Pet names typically don't bother me much, but this was a little overused.

All in all, a fantastic book, and I am hoping we might get a part 2 about their life together!

I enjoyed this book and was thankful for a different and unique plot from all the other romance books with the word summer in the title, haha! It was a light hearted, easy read, but also had a touch of mystery/what's going to happen next vibe, which I really liked how that aspect was weaved into it. A few times you think you would have it figured out, only for it to end up going a different way. The familial dynamic between the two main characters gave me a little icky/strange feeling, just a little.. obviously not enough to stop reading the book or anything. In the epilogue, how they said Maggie's mom didn't attend the wedding just because she was still upset that her daughter wouldn't date the guy she wanted to set her up with? Was a definite over-dramatic eye roll moment. This also could be a personal problem (lol) but it really bothered me anytime Josh called Maggie "honey". The word was said a lot overall in this book but when it was used in a mother/daughter way or something, it was fine, but it creeped me out how many times he would say it per conversation. But I would recommend this one to a friend! But I would recommend this one to a friend!

Wow I have never felt as conflicted before in a book as I did in this one. Most of the time I was ok with the romance, but it was also in the back of my mind… “is this relationship ok? Is it weird?”

The plot of them trying to figure out the identity of her late-husband’s lookalike was a whole roller-coaster as well. That story took me for a loop and I surprisingly didn’t see that ending coming. It’s this reason that I’m giving it 3 stars but it snuck by.

This was my first Denise Hunter book and I really enjoyed it. Young widow Maggie sees a person who she believes to be her husband who was killed in the line of duty 5 years prior. This sets in motion a summer of trying to determine who this person is. Ultimately this is a sweet romance about lost and found love, family, friendship and what really matters in life. I loved the characters and the clever way the author worked out the initial mystery to leave a very satisfying ending.

This book was well written and I enjoyed the audio version, feeling as if I was transported into the story. I am not a fan of the siblings widow/widower or divorced partner trope. No matter what way it is written, it is cringe. That being said, this book is the best I have read with this trope, taking care to address the time needed for a relationship like this and the concerns that arise both internally and by other characters in the book. It also had the best background relationship between the characters to make it feel as believable as possible to lower the cringe level. This isn't my favorite title by Denise due to this trope, but it was still a great read, full of emotion and a bit of mystery that had me hooked until the end. 3.5 - 4 stars

As promised, this was a sweet romance. I read the book but mostly listened to the audiobook on a train ride from Washington D.C. to NYC and it fit the bill perfectly. I am not usually one for romance novels but the characters were well developed and appealing and the plot was sufficiently interesting to keep me engaged the whole way through. There was a moment where I wondered if the novel was going to veer into the supernatural, which would have not worked as well from my perspective, but it didn't. At the beginning, I was afraid it was going to be sad because, well, it was about a young woman whose husband had died, leaving her with a child to raise. But, as often is the case with these kinds of books, it was uplifting.
The narrator was good, though I think her delivery of the child's lines bordered on annoying.
I would give this 4.25 stars. There were moments when the novel veered into the "trite" category, particularly in dialogue when I cringed at the predictability of a few lines and the actions of a few characters. However, it was a good read and I do want to check out the writers other work.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for providing me with copies of the book and audiobook in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Now that was a stay-up-late-to-finish book! I believe this is my first Denise Hunter book even though I am familiar with the name, but it won't be the last! I loved the mystery arc of this book. It created increased depth and excitement. I loved the setting and overall atmosphere of the island summer vacation feel. There are no swears or alcohol and level 2 kisses only. Present tense, Dual POV with a few chapters in a third person's POV that created further depth and understanding on the readers part.

I really ended up loving this book. I loved the characters and the storyline. This book had me anxiously anticipating what was going to happen next, in the best way possible. There were a lot of twists and turns along the way that were brilliant. I absolutely loved the ending. I could relate to so many things in this book, as a young widow left a single parent with a narcissistic mother to boot. So a lot of the feelings Maggie expressed, I have also felt. I listened to the audiobook and while I’m not a huge fan of third person narration, I did end up getting used to it. The narrator did a great job. 🎡

I would like to thank Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio and NetGalley for giving me an ARC (which did not sway my opinions or review).

What a sweet and sorrowful second chance romance woven into a found family story.

Maggie lost her husband Ethan 5 years ago but has stayed close to his family, including his younger brother Josh.

Maggie always felt like she could be herself around Josh and he has harbored feelings for her, long before Ethan's passing. With a sighting at the beginning of summer of a man that could be Ethan's twin, it changes Maggie amd Josh's relationship forever.

A twisty, keep you guessing amd doubting everyone's integrity made for a great heartfelt story.

If you enjoy found family then I suggest you pick up this story!

I did a combination of e-book and
audiobook for this one and enjoyed both.
The narrator was excellent.

This family drama had just enough romance thrown in. I really liked the two main characters and the way their characters were written.

I did not care for the main character’s mother, but I know her character was written that way to deepen the plot and shape the way the main character related to events in her life.


I found the “twist “ and ending of book satisfying.

I know what you're thinking, how could you possibly love a story about a widow falling for her brother in law?! But this story is so much more than a "taboo" romance. Denise Hunter gracefully navigates grief, forgiveness and love after loss.

The story of Maggie & Josh take us on an emotional roller coaster as they uncover a "secret" that has the ability to push them apart or draw them closer.

If you're looking for an emotionally deep romance with a little bit of mystery, this needs to be an immediate add to your TBR!

I really enjoyed reading this sweet, emotional story. I loved how supportive Maggie’s in-laws were of her. Most of the time, they completely rallied around her. Maggie was finally ready to move on after her husband’s unexpected death, when she thinks she sees him in the distance. Josh has had feelings for Maggie since they were in high school and had kept it to himself the entire time because she was his brother’s girlfriend and then wife. They team up to try to find out who she had seen and it leads to drama at every turn. Josh was the perfect match for Maggie, as a friend and in love. This story was such a fun, easy read. It had me hooked from page one and there were a lot of fun surprises. It was my first Denise Hunter book and it will definitely not be my last!