Honestly, up there with my favourite reads of 2025!

Echo has risen up to my highest echelon of book boyfriends. A really beautiful reading experience, a second chance romance and the only believable friends to lovers story I’ve ever read.

This book is dripping with my favourite thing I care to read about in romance: Longing! So much palpable longing.

I appreciated the version of stoic Nigerian parenting was portrayed. As a Nigerian, it was very believable however the name Echo was not. A prideful traditional Nigerian patriarch would either give his first son his own name or something solid and sure to set him on his journey through life. ‘Echo Honor’ just seems too wistful, a name a person like Mr Abara would scoff at.

And of course my sweet Summer child. I just love her. She found herself in a few predicaments but was brave enough to choose herself. I really loved that it portrayed sweet, sensitive girls and women like Summer as having a quiet strength and fortitude. I thought she was delightful. A true product of her family’s love.

I know I’ll be recommending this book to everyone and reading it again and again!

Thank you for allowing me the chance to read and review Summer and Echo’s story. Told from both of their perspectives and going from 2004 (camp) to present. It starts from when they met, the secret that forced their separate ways and the present.

I thought Summer’s Echo was well written. I loved the characters. I found it to be a slow burn but I enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc. This book was amazing. I expected nothing less from Robbi Renee. From the first page to the last page I was hooked. The writing , my god. Such a breath of fresh air. I am not a book crier but the end made me shed tears. I am definitely purchasing the physical on release date. This book was that good!!

I would like to Thank Black Odyssey & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!!

Summer & Echo is easily one of my favorite couples of 2025!!! Summer's Echo was very easy to get into. If you look in the dictionary for what a "Slow Burn" read is, you will see the cover of Summer's Echo sitting right where the definition should be. However, I mean it in the best way possible. This is the slow burn that will have you chasing for more, needing more! This book had me screaming at both Echo and Summer but at the same time loving them and wanting the very BEST for them. As a reader when I ask for Second Chance Romance this is the kind of book I want to read. Friends to Lovers..Echo & Summer is what I want!! And lets be Honest if the Cover of this book doesn't make you want to read this book. This book has easily became one of my top reads for 2025

I received this book as an advanced reader copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. With that out of the way Robbi Renee new book Summer’s Echo didn’t disappoint. I laughed, i cried, at one point my entire heart was shattered. This story follows the deep love of Summer and Echo. It’s an adventure going back in time to their high school years and working at a summer camp together. I don’t want to say too much to give it but please take this time to remember your first love. Just remember we were all teenagers once trying to experience this insane world so show them grace. And i was to fight Echos dad. Please give this book a try it’s amazing

Echo is the ultimate book boyfriend—truly perfection on the page!

There’s something so special about falling in love with your best friend, and I’m so glad I got to witness Summer and Echo’s journey unfold. While the story moves at a slower pace, it’s filled with heart and tenderness. The way Summer and Echo reconnect after years apart—as if no time had passed—was incredibly touching.

Anyone who’s ever experienced a fleeting yet unforgettable summertime romance, especially at camp, will feel a deep sense of nostalgia here. The book strikes a beautiful balance between heartwarming moments and the realistic challenges of love and growth.

I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait to read more from Robbi Renee!

Clear your calendar for a day or two, because you won't want to put this book down!

Tropes:
-Friends to Lovers
-Second Chance (I hate 2nd chance, but this one was portrayed differently and written very well)
-Slow burn
-Grief

This is one of those stories that pulls you in from the first chapter and you keep telling yourself "just one more page." It's heartbreaking, beautiful, and frustrating. As you're reading, you really feel like you are right there with the characters, living their life and experiencing it with them.

Tough decisions are made, hearts are broken, and trust is up in the air.

My heart was played with so badly while reading this, but it was worth it in the end. This is the perfect Summer read that will run you through all the emotions.

Five stars, this was amazing!

Echo, Echo, Echo, WHEW! That man is SPECIAL! Summer’s Echo starts off with a runaway bride hiding out in a spot where only Echo could find her. The story jumps back and forth from the present to the beginning of how Summer and Echo met, fell in love and fell apart. Summer annoyed me to my core Jesus lol but there were moments where I related to her and it made me understand her. As always check your trigger warnings as this book has some sensitive subjects. Thank you to NetGalley and Black Odyssey Media for the ARC of this book!

ARC Review

Summer and Echo met the summer before their Senior year at summer camp and became inseparable best friends. Things change in their friendship the following summer before going off to college, that changes everything. Now 10 years later Summer is a runaway bride and ends up reunited with Echo.

This was such a well-written best friend to lovers, second chance story. There were multiple timelines and dual POVs, so you will need to pay attention. Even though having a past and present timeline can be tricky in some books, I appreciated this one. It was necessary to see how their friendship developed when they were 17 years old, and the close, intense bond they had then, to understand the crossroads and choices they needed to make in the present. There was a big secret that was underlined throughout the whole book and when it finally was revealed, my heart broke for teenage Summer and Echo.

I loved that even though they hadn’t seen each other in years, the connection never wavered. Echo said he wasn’t losing her again, and he meant just that. I appreciate that the author allowed Summer to heal on her own, before bringing them together again. This was a slow burn, but I loved the growth and healing these two went through, and happy they got their happy ending.

Thank you, NetGalley and Black Odyssey Media for this ARC.

When you know, you know! No matter if you’re 17 or 37 as seen with Summer or Echo. This was a real life friends to lovers…2nd chance romance that was gripping & full of “real life” situations that made you feel deeply for the FMC & MMC.

This story follows 2 teenagers who catch feelings fast but timing & circumstance make it difficult to explore. Their communication or lack there of irritated me at times but I had to keep reminding myself they were teens. I admired Summer for making the hard choices & loved Echo for being there for her as she needed. And when he applied pressure, he applied it!

The author did a beautiful job weaving their past into their current & even how it impacts their future. I couldn’t put this down because I was rooting for Summer & Echo.

First Impressions- I think this is going to break my scale—6 stars

Big thanks to the publisher for this ARC! I’ve been in love with Robbi Renee’s writing since Somebody’s Wife, so I was beyond excited to dive into her latest.

Right from the start—chaos, in the best way. And a beautiful man? Say less. But what really stands out is Summer. She’s in that uncertain, transitional phase of life that feels deeply real. No dramatics—just an honest emotional shift that I really appreciated.

What I’m loving so far:
-That Runaway Bride energy early on? Spot on.
-The way the book tackles choosing “safe” vs. “meant to be” hit hard—so real .
-The reveal of Echo’s identity and the nickname he gives Summer.
-The local setting adds a fun, personal layer to my reading experience.
-Female friendship! Summer has a solid girl group, and it makes the story feel rich and grounded.

It’s already giving grown, sexy, and emotionally layered. Robbi writes complex love so well, and I can already tell this one WILL DELIVER! Can’t wait to finish and share my final thoughts!

🌟🌟🌟🌟
A Lyrical Journey Through Love, Healing, and Second Chances

*Summer’s Echo* by Robbi Renee is a beautifully written story that captures the bittersweet rhythm of love lost and found. From the very first chapter, the book pulls you in with its poetic prose and emotionally resonant characters. Renee paints a vivid picture of summer not just as a season, but as a space for transformation, reflection, and unexpected connection.

The romance at the heart of the story feels genuine and earned, with just the right amount of tension and tenderness. There’s a quiet power in the way the characters confront their pasts, and Renee handles their emotional growth with subtlety and care. The story flows like a song—sometimes soft, sometimes aching, always full of feeling.

If there’s one reason I held back from a full five stars, it’s that I wished for just a bit more depth in a few of the supporting characters—but that’s a small note in an otherwise moving narrative.

Summer’s Echo is a lovely read for anyone who believes in the beauty of healing and the echoes of love that stay with us. Robbi Renee has a gentle yet impactful voice, and I’ll be eagerly following what she writes next.

Robbi Renee does it again with another touching story! Summer and Echo's love story from teens to adults was relatable and real. The way the story moved between time (teens to the present) made the story have more dept, explaining what needed to be said only at the time needed. I was so happy that they got their HEA in their own way and not in the way of those around them. We have another book boyfriend in Echo. He saw and knew the beauty and worth of Summer even when she was unsure of herself. Summer grew to live for her while still giving herself the freedom to love who she wanted, which is a common theme in Robbi's books.

This story had such a nostalgic Black love feel to it. That feeling of never getting over your first love. I enjoyed watching this love story unfold. Read this book if you love second chance romance, dual POV, and past and present timelines. I would highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Black Odyssey Media for this ARC.

This book! This book is incredibly romantic, well written, well thought out! It draws you in and keeps you on your toes! It’s hopeful and swoon worthy! You root for this couple the entire time. You go deep into their love story. I enjoyed the story from both points of view and different times in their lives! This book is a winner! I can’t say enough!

Summer x Echo

This second chance, friends-to-lovers, slow burn was everything I needed! Maybe because some elements felt familiar and were hitting close to home. But nonetheless, this novel was so sweet and deliciously good. The love, the passion and the emotions were oozing off the pages!

Summer and Echo met while working at a summer camp and their effortless, and sometimes flirtatious friendship carried over into their senior year of high school. But life and undesirable circumstances pulled them into different directions, different cities, and different experiences, causing them to press pause on their friendship. As life would have it, another unfortunate circumstance brought them back together. This allowed them to stop the pause and revisit and explore their connection.

This was told from two POVs and bounced between their past and their present. This was so beautifully written and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for that feel good read.

Thank you NetGalley, and Black Odyssey Media for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Robbi Renee is an amazing writer. This book was written beautifully. Summer and Echo were camp counselors one summer as teens and became inseparable. They experienced something life altering and never got a chance to express their feelings or address things that happened before they went their separate ways. This story bounces from back then when they were teens to present day as adults and has both Summers and Echos point of views of the events that happened in their lives. This is definitely a story that I can reread and recommend to others!

This book is absolutely wonderful! I usually don't care for books that go back and forth in time, but the way this book was written had me wanting to know what happened in both times. My emotions was all over the place and the ending was just perfect! 10/10 would recommend.

Wow. What a love story. I really enjoyed the way this book was written and I loved how it made me feel. I liked the banter between the characters and the different dynamics of Black families we got to see. A part of me wishes that we got to see more complexity in Summer. It’s clear that she has some insecurities. I feel like there could be more given to help us understand her mindset when it comes to her needs to feel like she has to settle and her need to feel like she’s not safe in the spaces that she’s in. From all other standpoints, she has a supportive family and friends, she works for herself so she doesn’t have the stress of a career or workload. I guess what I’m trying to figure out is what exactly encourages her way of thinking. For a lot of the book the resolve to Summer's issue seems so simple; Echo. I wish I understood more why she couldn't see it the way everybody else did. I like that some of the events in this book were addressed and took interesting routes. Alternative options to sudden occurrences like accidental pregnancies and how you can move on and live life after aren't talked about enough. This was such a good slow burn that kept me edged on in a good way. I'm not a huge Friends to Lovers girlie but this book turned me into a believer for a little bit.

We follow the lives of Summer and Echo, who met as teenagers but were drawn apart by life's circumstances. After 15 years, their lives and regrets bring them back together. Now, they must decide whether to fight for their love or finally let each other go.

This friends-to-lovers story alternates between the present and the past. The cover immediately caught my attention, but it was the exploration of how parental trauma and differing views on love, marriage, and tradition shape their children that truly resonated with me.

Thank you Black Odyssey Media & NetGalley for the eArc.