3.5/5 stars!! I enjoyed this book! It was different then I went in expecting it to be but I think that’s part of what made it so fun! It was fun getting to piece everything together along with the MC’s. I was able to guess one of the plot twists before it was announced but the second plot twist caught me by surprise! Over all a great experience!

I listened to the audiobook version of "The Summer That Changed Everything" by Brenda Novak on NetGalley. I would highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who likes to listen to books. It kept my interest and had me staying up late a few nights listening. Lucy goes back to the town where her father was arrested for 3 murders fifteen years earlier. She wants more answers than she got when she was 17. As she digs in with the help of her old boyfriend, they find some startling answers.

I really enjoyed this one! The mystery, the family drama, the beach setting, it all made for a perfect summer listen. I thought the story unfolded in a really natural way, starting with small moments and gradually building up to some real tension and emotional reveals.

Courtney Patterson was a great narrator. She gave each character a unique voice and really brought the story to life. I loved how she handled the more emotional moments too. You could really feel the weight of the past creeping in. Definitely recommend the audiobook if you want something twisty but heartfelt!

Great summer read! Mystery, murder, romance and love!
The author had me hooked from page one! It is so
well written the twists and turns of Lucy figuring out what really happened 15 years ago. Was her father really the convicted killer everyone believed? Would her first love be her forever love or just a fling from the past? I enjoyed this entire story, it never stalled! And the ending was fabulous!


Thanks netgalley for this eArc!

This was another book I requested and didn’t reread the synopsis before starting, so I went in blind. Based on the cover, I assumed it was a romance, which it was, but I didn’t expect the murder mystery to be the main plot. It was a really fun read, I enjoyed trying to figure out who really committed the murders and if the right man was in jail or not. I thought it was really well done and would highly recommend!

You need to read this book! A great beach read - mystery, romance, murder, family drama and a beautiful beach.

This story is about murders that happened 15 years ago in a small beach community in Virginia. There was a man found guilty and everyone has moved on with their lives. Now some of the people involved want to learn more about the murders. No one wants to relive what happened in this small beach town years ago. I really enjoyed both of the main characters. There are twists and turns in the book that were interesting and in some cases unexpected.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an outstanding job - Courtney Patterson. She just made the book come to life for me. The pressure builds as we find out more about what happened that summer. At first it is small details and then it just goes on from there.

Brenda Novak is skilled at writing novels that successfully blend multiple genres. This story has both mystery and romance.
Lucy returns to North Hampton Beach to visit her father, seeking answers to long-unanswered questions. As she begins to question her father's guilt regarding the crimes he was convicted of, she decides to stay and investigate further. Upon her return, she finds a town filled with secrets and angry locals. Most people are upset with her return and amateur sleuthing, with the exception of Ford and a couple unexpected allies.
This was an entertaining whodunit with a twisty ending.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to listen to this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

3.5 ⭐️- I liked this one and it was a fun read, once I could get into it. It took me a little bit to follow the story and the characters, but once it was all sorted it was a fun mysterious summer thriller. Don’t judge this book by its cutesy cover; there is definitely more than meets the eye here!

This was my first Brenda Novak book and it definitely won't be my last. I loved the book and the dynamics of the characters. It was s great plot and flowed really well. It was perfect for summer. Twisty and had me sucked in and invested in every page. I listened to the audio version and if I could give one critique it would be about the narrator. I wasn't a huge fan. I did get used to her but felt like it made the book feel a bit cheesy and not as serious. I feel like it would have felt different as a physical read.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy of this audio book. The above review is entirely my own and not swayed in any way be receiving an advanced copy.

Lucy is an incredibly kind forgiving person for whom life has not been easy. If it could go wrong it did. Every single person in her life abandoned her. Some by choice, some by circumstances out of her control. She is smart, strong and determined to see if her father did really commit the crimes he was convicted of causing both of their lives to spiral out of control. Against all odds, she goes back to the town that turned against her as an innocent seventeen year old. It’s a long winding road filled with intrigue, lies,
police corruption and more ultimately leading to Lucy and her father finally finding justice. It was a terrific well narrated listen, but at times I had a hard time believing any human being would ever be so forgiving to so many of the people who so wrongly painted her with a figurative scarlet letter. Lucy is amazing and I was absolutely thrilled for her and her dad.

I really enjoyed the mix of mystery and beach-read vibes in The Summer That Changed Everything. It was easy to get swept up in the suspense and follow the investigation, and I appreciated being able to piece things together on my own without it feeling too predictable. The romantic subplot added a nice emotional layer without overpowering the mystery.

That said, a few of the twists and resolutions felt a bit too neat and convenient. It didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment, but it did make the ending feel a little rushed. Still, it’s a great pick if you’re looking for a light, summery mystery with heart.

Brenda Novak knows how to pull all your heartstrings and makes you fall in love with the characters from chapter one! This book was the perfect summer read. Absolutely loved it&

Lucy Sinclair returned to her hometown after fifteen years to investigate her father's case. Her father was sentenced to life in prison for the death of three victims, but did he do it...or was he framed?

While back home, she reconnects with Ford Wagner, her old boyfriend. He returned to the coastal town to escape his marriage, which was heading for divorce. While in this coastal town, they team up to try to find answers and rekindle their relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook. It was a relaxing, slow-paced book that would be great for lazy summer reading. I felt that the story was weighed down with too many details that I felt were unnecessary. I don't read a lot of thrillers/mysteries, but it was a little disappointing that we knew who did it very early on.

Brenda Novak and Courtney Patterson did a wonderful job narrating several characters and providing them with their personal touches.

Lucy Sinclair has not seen her father or the town she grew up in for fifteen years. Her father was sent to prison for three murders in her hometown. She now believes he didn't kill the teenage girl and she's not sure if he killed the old couple in the mobile home park. She returns to North Hampton Beach to find clues about the murders that happened when she was seventeen.
Ford Wagner was Lucy's boyfriend at the time of the murders. Ford was from a rich family that only spent their summers in town. When the murders happened, he ghosted Lucy and now finds she is returning to town this summer. Ford is in town to get the family home ready to be sold.
This is a great story of what happened all those years ago and how that got away with murder. Ford and Lucy are spending time together and the future for them is not looking good.
The narrator for this book was great.

4⭐️ 1🌶️ 5🎧 I really enjoyed this book!! This story started with one murder case mystery and then evolved into two. We knew who the killer was early on for the 1st, and how those facts all came to light to the other characters had my eyes wide and chuckling all at the same time. The second case had a lot more mystery to it and truly had me shocked when the pieces all came together. So many twists and turns in the last few chapters.

I’m a sucker for a romance story and I did enjoy the second chance romance piece in this book, but didn’t really feel like it meshed will with the murder mystery aspect. I feel like this would have been better suited without the romance storyline. Ford and Lucy had so much against them, I wasn’t sure how they were going to make it out without total heartbreak. Ford’s ex is truly a wet blanket covered in mayo on a hot summer day, just truly human garbage; her antics were manipulative and unforgivable.

Courtney Patterson did a great job narrating this story. She does a fantastic job making the characters sound different.

When a horrible tragedy happens in a small town with an older couple and a young lady.

As time moves along and you can’t put the past behind you, you travel back home to the small town to find out the truth!

Young love, brings back many emotions and feelings but is it just because of you being back home or did the feelings never leave?

Brenda Novak does it again and I could not put this book down!

Fifteen years ago, Lucy Sinclair's father was convicted of killing an elderly couple of neighbours, as well as a teenager that Lucy had a problem with. After and during the trial, everyone treated Lucy like she has done it, and she finally left town. She landed on her feet after a few years and is now living in Las Vegas making a great living gambling. She decided to come back to Virginia and visit him at the jail to see if there was more to the story than what was considered the truth. She has rented a cottage in North Hampton Beach for the summer, to finally get closure. Her ex-boyfriend, the one who dumped her during the trial, Ford Wagner is also back, planning on fixing up his family's summer home to sell. He is going through a divorce and wants some time away from work and family. When he finds out Lucy is back, he wants to make amends. Lucy begins an investigation to find out who really killed the teenager, as her father is adamant that it wasn't him. How will the people of North Hampton Beach take this re-opening of old wounds? Will Lucy find out if someone else was responsible for the deaths and clear her father's name?

I enjoyed this mystery/romance by Brenda Novak. It was pretty easy to figure out who killed the teenager based on his behaviour, but it took awhile for Lucy and Ford to figure it out. The story starts out a bit slow, but I was okay with that, as it gave me the backstory. Lucy nosed around pretty good, and was able to get answers from people who had either lied 15 years earlier, or kept quiet with what they knew. When Ford and Lucy meet for the first time, she wants nothing to do with him. She has a new life and what happened with their relationship 15 years ago, is finished. Ford isn't going to give up that easy, and the more time they spend together, the more she begins to change her mind about him. There is lots of small town drama in this story, with parents who gave their kids everything or let them get away with things, based on who they were and their money. Some of them had to eat crow. This is a slow burn, summer mystery, with drama and some romance. I enjoyed it, but not as much as some of her other books. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Courtney Patterson, who does an excellent job. Her depiction of Lucy was perfect and allowed me to picture her and all her nuances. I recommend you listen to this one if that is a format you enjoy.

A suspenseful story that has you wondering who really did it. Fifteen years have passed and Lucy has straightened up her life and is at a good place and wants to see if she can reconnect with her father. He is in jail for life for the murder of three people in their small costal town, being only 17 years old at the time she has questions, somethings just don’t make sense to the dad she knows. He was drunk and doesn’t remember anything. Lucy rents a small cottage in the town where it happened and runs into her summer time 1st love, Ford.
Ford has lots on his mind since his father passed he is juggling so many problems, a pending divorce and fatherhood, a gold digging second wife of his father, a lazy brother and a demanding mom plus running the company his father left behind. So when he see Lucy he remembers being young and in love. She only sees heartache, the boy who didn’t support her when her father was on trial. Ford is worried that Lucy is looking for answers that will only upset the locals, but when she is threaten and they find overlooked and missing clues he hires a PI. Mostly to absolve his guilt but to find out if there is a killer that is still out there.
One of my favorite reads by this author. I did have an inkling of who dun-nit, but the way the clues came together I wasn’t sure till the end. The narrator did an excellent job keeping me enthralled in the story. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed The Summer That Changed Everything — it was an engaging and emotional story that pulled me in from the start. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Courtney Patterson, was fantastic; she brought the characters to life in a way that made me feel completely immersed in their world.

The plot centres around Lucy McBride and Ford Wagner, two well-drawn and relatable characters whose relationship unfolds with both tenderness and tension. I appreciated how their connection was rekindled — it felt authentic and layered.

At the heart of the novel is Lucy’s return to North Hampton Beach, not just to revisit her past but to investigate whether her father was truly guilty of the crimes that sent him to prison decades earlier—the murder of a teenage girl and an elderly couple who lived in the trailer park he managed. Once an alcoholic, Lucy’s father is now sober and had long urged her to stay away in order to protect her. That complex father-daughter dynamic adds real emotional weight to the story and grounds the mystery in something deeply personal.

The story arc was compelling, with just the right amount of mystery. There’s a well-executed red herring that kept me guessing, and I didn’t predict the ending, which I always consider a win in this genre.

The only aspect that didn’t quite sit right with me was Ford’s decision to spend the summer with Lucy, despite his plans to return to his wife afterward. That choice felt emotionally inconsistent, especially given the depth of the bond portrayed between Lucy and Ford. Still, this was a small flaw in an otherwise excellent story.

Overall, The Summer That Changed Everything was a heartfelt and satisfying read (or listen). If you enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of mystery and a strong emotional core, I’d definitely recommend it.

It’s the kind of book that stays with you long after the final chapter.

This was just perfect combo of thriller & romance. She goes back to her hometown to prove her father's innocence.

This was one of those stories where I could picture each scene and it almost felt like I was there with them trying to solve the case to all while everyone wanted it to stay quiet. The romance is slow but definitely worth sticking around for as well.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.