A nostalgic, beach-centered, summery read alternating past and present, middle grade and young adult--I would have thought that such a novel would be right up my alley! Unfortunately, this book is Not For Me™.

I found myself unable to connect with characters and thus uninterested in the general plot. Further, despite being very well written, the pacing was rather slow and lacked any punch. I found myself periodically reflecting on the read and noting that nothing was happening.

Several times I thought it would be in my interest to DNF, but I kept on and... well, sometimes intuition is right. I don't care to have finished The Summers of Us, and in the end I deem it forgettable. But, in any case, other readers may simply adore this novel! Again, it is well-written and worthy of merit there.

also posted on goodreads

✨✨✨✨ - 3.6 rounded to 4

“you are worthy of love. pinky promise”

☼ 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵:
💣 violence: 1/10 (friendly punching/hitting)
🌶️ spice: 1/10 (kissing, cuddling)
🤬 language: 6/10 (*ss/*sshole, sh*t, h*ll, d*mn, f**k, d*ck)
➕ other content: 2/10 (loss of family member, parental negligence, divorce, parent leaving, breaking in at night)
👩🏼 age rating: 14+

☼ 𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼:
↠ friends to lovers
↠ first love
↠ found family
↠ childhood beach town
↠ girl who doesn’t believe in love
↠ flashbacks to past summers
↠ self-discovery

☼ 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼:

quinn:
↠ personality? what personality? she was as dry as dry ice 😭
↠ I did love the idea of a shell on her necklace for every summer she spent at piper island (which btw I WANT TO GO THERE)
↠ I actually did feel bad for her bc of her dad and all the stuff that happened with him and how she has trust issues, but JUST KISS THE FREAKIN’ GUY, LIKE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEONE WHO LIKES YOU (lucky her) SO TAKE THE RISK 😤
↠ her genuine fear of the ocean did make the book a little more interesting, and the end where she got in was like omgosh yayyyy
↠ prime example of a girl with both mommy and daddy issues and I’m sure a lot of people can connect with her

everett:
↠ won’t lie, this was really awkward considering I have a cousin named everett, but we’re gonna ignore that for now 😄
↠ HE’S PUNNY 🤭✨
↠ not much else, ig he was pretty nice to quinn, but didn’t comfort her in the ways I wanted him to when she needed it (which was like all the time)
↠ his description does make him seem pretty hot though, so…. 😏

hadley:
↠ MY BBG 🥰💗💅🏼😭
↠ like why was there not more of her in this book?! I NEED MORE HADLEY <33
↠ sweetest little bundle of sunshine there was in the entire book, I kept reading for her and also the fact that blair and quinn kept mentioning her in past tense and I wanted to know how my baby died because SHE WAS THE CUTEST EVER
↠ loved how her and quinn had the weeds thing going instead of planting flowers, they planted weeds which was so adorable and I might just do that 🤭

haven:
↠ what a good bsf!! like what!
↠ her friendship with quinn (and everyone elses) was so deep, I was so jealous of their tight-knit little group, like I want a cute summer group!!
↠ I loved her confidence in herself and especially how she bounced right back after her breakup with the controlling bf chance
↠ also her quinceñera dress sounded so pretty and I want to see it irl 💅🏼

☼ 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:
↠ tbh, I struggled to find the plotline, like yeah quinn told us about her past 8 summers she spent there, but really it felt like a summer autobiography (which I wasn’t opposed to, but I just couldn’t find the plot) … maybe the plot was left in the fridge? or a dog ate it thinking it was hw?
↠ the whole thing with the rollercoaster? that was ADORBS like “you deserve a rollercoaster.” I’M CRYING WHY IS THAT SUCH A BEAUTIFUL METAPHOR?! 😭✨
↠ the switching between summers did get a little confuzzling so if you read, make sure to pay attention to what year otherwise you’ll be running in circles trying to figure out how things played out and how you missed to much
↠

☼ 𝓮𝓭𝓲𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪𝓵 𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼:
↠ “I wicked them off my skin…” – what is wicked? did she mean whacked??
↠ “abuela” should have been capitalized
↠ missing commas, but that’s typical, especially in debut novels


☼ 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷:

this was similar to the summer I turned pretty but w/o all the love triangle drama, so if you’re looking for a cute beachy romance ya read, I would def pick this up! it has a lot of depth such as anxiety, first love, and grief, but it is just a cute summer book all in all 🏖️

thanks for reading my review! 🫶🏼💜

This was literal poetry. Every single line was beautiful. This is the perfect book to bring with you to the beach, laid out on a towel under an umbrella with a popsicle in hand. I loved every moment of it! A beautiful coming of age story. 10/10, chef’s kiss.

This book was such a summery, feel-good read. It had this gentle, hopeful tone running through it that made it perfect for a lazy afternoon. I really loved the way it explored friendship - so heartfelt and genuine. There were moments that made me smile, and others that made me think. Overall, a really enjoyable story that leaves you feeling warm inside.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND THE AUTHOR FOR THIS ARC!!

(spoilers ahead)

okay so the vibes in this book?? IMMACULATE. piper island, get me the first plane ticket there. i can’t lie, the first part bored me more when they were younger even though haven and holden DID HAVE MY HEART. but as they got older, with jorge and mason and EVERETT!!! like my baby everett it AMAZING and i love him and quinn so much!! like them together and liking each other with all the friends shipping them and then him getting a GIRLFRIEND?? and finally, we get there happy ending at the end!! like the lore and drama we had to go through??! and jorge and haven getting together? I LOVE IT, like we had to sit through havens HORRIBLE HORRIBLE ex boyfriend, wanted to SLAP THIS MAN. and i love how haven got her happiness too!! the way its like the summer i turned pretty, with every summer, the beach house while they all live there all year long, she comes every summer. like i love the aunt and the baby girl. hadley was it? like I LOVE HER. my baby did NOT deserve that, the trauma. the grief, the healing we went through in the present timeline with her finding things to love again, like i want the aunt to find happiness too! i felt so bad, woman was the BETS MUM and she deserves the world. or with quinn’s dad leaving and the mum living in fear, affecting quinn and making her live in fear in the past timeline, the way everett NEVER JUDGED and was always JUST THERE FOR HER!! i love themmm!! i feel like with those deep topics and the summery vibes, the author did good with the past and present timeline and keeping me in the moment. like after the first part which was a bit boring, it really picked up and i was INVESTED!! i love this book, it was so cute!!

This was such a sweet and nostalgic summer read! It reminds me so much of the summer I turned pretty. I loved the alternating timelines and the different themes that were touched upon. I loved seeing the friendships change throughout the years, overall this was such a good summer read!

This was such a cute YA, I couldn’t put it down! There was so much packed into this book, it was an emotional ride of love, happiness, and grief. I absolutely adored this!

The Summers of Us is a nostalgic, character-driven coming-of-age story about friendship, growth, and the seasons that shape us. Taylor Crooks captures the highs and lows of adolescence with emotional depth and lyrical writing.

Set across several summers in a small town, the novel follows a tight-knit group of friends as they navigate love, change, and loss. With vivid settings and authentic relationships, it’s a heartfelt exploration of growing up—and growing apart. A moving, memorable read.

I started reading this book thinking it was a silly little romcom… Boy was I wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE silly little romcoms, but this was nothing like one. The words I’d use to describe it to someone interested in knowing about it would be “grief”, “anxiety”, “friendship” and yes, “love”. I was not expecting most of it, but it was such a nice surprise.

I have do to say that even though it’s so beautifully written and explores many aspects that can make readers feel seen (I know I did sometimes) that are not normally portrayed in this type of books, at some point I felt like it was too stretched, like I was reading the same things over and over again. When I started reading I was really enjoying it, but at some point it did get a little bit wearing.

P.S: I would like to point out that even though I loved Quinn (and her friends especially Haven!), I would’ve loved to see some therapists mentioned or even as characters, as she really really really (can’t stress this enough) needed and still needs one… But hey, that might just be my Psychology Degree speaking!

[Thanks to NetGalley and Bookcomber Publishing for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!]

DNF

At 50 per cent of the book, I still didn't know where the plot was going. Slow pace.
Very dense.
Until halfway through the book, there was very little information relevant to the development of the story.
I couldn't fall in love with the plot or the characters.

Despite my opinion, I wish the writer all the best.

Thanks to the NetGalley platform, the publisher and the author for providing this copy in exchange for an honest review.

"𝘪'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦"

☼ 3.75

this book in a way, is a love letter to summer, to friendship, and to those we've lost and the memories we keep. if you enjoyed the vibes of tsitp but don't want that love triangle drama, pick up this book! i'll be over here wondering where i can get tickets to piper island because i need my own becah vacation there.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
"You deserve a rollercoaster."
That one line from The Summers of Us hit me straight in the chest—and perfectly sums up what this book delivered: every high, every low, and every breathtaking drop in between.

This was hands down the best summer book I’ve read so far this year. It’s not just about sun and sand—it’s about healing, grief, love, and learning to let people back in after life has knocked you down.

We follow Quinn, who spends her summers on Piper Island with her aunt and baby cousin. And this town? It’s pure magic. There’s something about the way Taylor Crooks wrote Piper Island that made it feel like a place we all know deep down in our hearts—the kind of place where every summer leaves a mark on your soul.

Her friend group? So precious. The kind of core friendships that feel like home. The laughter, the late-night talks, the silent understandings—they were beautifully written and full of love. But when tragedy strikes, Quinn’s world shifts. She starts to guard her heart, believing that love only leads to pain. But throughout the summer, slowly, she starts to find her way back. To hope. To healing. To love that doesn’t come with conditions.

This book made me feel everything. The beach setting, the emotional depth, the friendship bonds, the raw moments of grief and joy—it was vivid and immersive in all the best ways.

If you’ve ever felt broken by life but still longed for a little magic to pull you through, this book is for you. The Summers of Us is an ode to second chances, deep summer nostalgia, and the wild, messy beauty of being human.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Bookcomber Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Summers of Us was SUCH a cute book! you follow quinn who every year since she was a kid spends the summer a piper island with her aunt. piper island is a magical little town that is the perfect encapsulation of the north carolina coast. for seven summers you follow her and her friends through the trials and tribulations of life and just being a teenager. the ocean gives and always takes- and not everything can always be perfect.

The Summers of Us is a good read for summer or a beach read. The book follows Quinn through different years of her life each summer. You get to see how things change in her life, how she interacts with herself and how much summer means to her.

I will say that some of the jumping back and forth bothered me at times. I also wanted to sit Quinn down and have a conversation with her to help her see what she is missing or help her with relationships-mostly with in regards to Everett and her dad.

This is truly one of those books where I have to ask myself if I finished the book or if the book finished me.

Quinn Kessler has always seen the ocean as both a giver and a taker. For eight summers on Piper Island, it gave her freedom, friendship, and a first love that stayed with her long after the season ended. But when she returns for her last summer before college, everything feels different. The magic is harder to find, and Quinn has to face how much she’s changed. Her feelings for Everett Bishop are still there, but nothing else is as simple as it once was.

After her dad leaves and her mom is stuck living in fear, Quinn learns to play it safe with love. She keeps people at a distance without meaning to. But on the island with her Aunt Blair, cousin Hadley, and a close group of friends, she slowly opens back up. She learns that when family leaves, friends can stay. She starts to take risks instead of letting life pass her by.

When tragedy hits, Quinn starts to see life as transactional. But through small, meaningful moments with the people who love her, she finds hope again. She learns to keep going even when the future feels uncertain. She learns to love without fear.

This book had everything I love in a summer read. The beach setting, deep friendships, real emotional moments, and writing that felt vivid and true. It was healing and beautifully written. I truly believe this story can touch anyone who reads it. This was such a strong debut and I cannot recommend it enough. A special thank you to NetGalley and Bookcomber Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I do not give reviews less than 3 stars because I feel as if authors genuinely put their heart and soul into their writing. This book however, was not for me. I did not expect the dual timelines of switching back and forth from when she was a child back to high school. This felt more like a middle school/high school book and did not align with what I normally read. Thank you so much for the opportunity.

Taylor Crooks delivers a heartfelt and nostalgic coming-of-age story in The Summers of Us, a novel that shimmers with emotion, memory, and the slow ache of growing up. Set on the dreamy, sun-drenched shores of Piper Island, this is a story about love, loss, and the beauty of everything in between.

Quinn Kessler’s journey is tender and deeply relatable. Through her eyes, we experience the sweetness of summers past—sticky ice cream, late-night bike rides, crashing waves, and first love. But we also feel the weight of grief and change as she returns for one last summer before college, only to find that the island, like her relationships, has shifted. Taylor writes with poetic clarity, drawing out the melancholy magic of a place that once felt like home.

At the heart of the novel is Quinn’s relationship with Everett Bishop—an emotional thread that pulls gently but persistently through each chapter. Their connection is soft and slow-burning, full of unspoken truths and moments that linger like the scent of salt on skin. It’s a romance rooted in memory and possibility, made all the more poignant by Quinn’s fear of losing it all.

With vivid imagery, aching nostalgia, and a hopeful undercurrent, The Summers of Us is a beautiful reflection on the fragility of happiness and the courage it takes to hold on to it. Taylor Crooks captures the essence of bittersweet youth in a way that feels both timeless and immediate.
Perfect for fans of sun-soaked fiction with emotional depth, this novel is a gentle reminder that some summers stay with us forever.

i LOVED this book. it was the perfect summer book with everything that i needed in it. i loved how much of a role the friendship group played in it and how it touched on many different kinds of relationships. it felt very real and honest which i loved because it didn’t feel like anything was sugarcoated. the touch on grief and pain was really important and it felt very real and was represented in such an honest way. the romantic relationship also felt very realistic and i’m just obsessed with them. i overall would 100% recommend this book

“You deserve a rollercoaster”🎢 😭
I don’t even know where to begin on how much I loved this book and how much it emotionally destroyed me with how both haunting yet beautiful the writing was. I’d book a one way flight to piper island and never look back it was that incredible!!
This book tackles a lot from grief, to friendships and love to also family trauma and the dominio affect it can have from a young age. I feel like I lived and breathed Quinn’s life throughout the novel , and watched her grow in each summer as well as deal with so much. Taylor’s ability to make every word feel effortlessly beautiful had my jaw on the floor I could not stop highlighting every chapter . This would make such a great coming of age movie or tv show and I stand by that notion .
Overall if you want something that’ll be perfect for the summer and make you feel like you’re at the beach , but also something that’ll hit you straight in the feels and bring out raw emotion in you. The summers of us is a book I’ll remember for a very long time and one I’d love to read-read
Some favourite lines-
“The thought of being noticed made me want to grow and shrink at the same time . To be noticed was to matter”
“Family comes and goes, by friends always stay”
“You are my rollercoaster, and somehow also my moon. Two things that are constant but never stay the same”
“If just blue were as beautiful as him, then I hoped for a lifetime of just blues”💙

Thank you victory editing and net galley for the e-arc !!

This was a stunning story about found families and friendships whilst navigating teenage years. It was written so wonderfully that it feels like you are growing up with Quinn, the FMC. It broke my heart and put it back together all in just under 200 pages 🫶🏻

The grief in this book was handled beautifully. The second chance romance was great and I just loved Quinn and Everett! I also really enjoyed seeing all the characters grow as people as the novel progressed and they grew up 🥰

Overall, I loved this book! I highly recommend it 💫

I read this advanced reader copy from NetGalley, and this is my honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher ✨