It's been awhile since I've read a mystery book and this one was short and sweet. Courtney Patterson did a great job reading both parts of the book.

Lucy is dealt a hard life when her dad goes to prison for three murders and her then boyfriend Ford ghosts her due to family pressure. Now Lucy is back in her seaside town but this time she's looking for answers on who really killed Aurora and what she finds shocks everyone.

Mystery
Second Chance Romance
Billionaire Romance
Dual 1st POV

I received an advance review copy audio version. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Harlequin Audio, for the opportunity to listen/read this book.

Sometimes I like going into a book blind, with no expectations. I decided to indulge in this story based on the title.

Overall, the story was slow and I didn't find myself invested in the mystery or the romance. The lost love between Lucy & Ford wasn't entirely believable given the scenario. Maybe if there would have been more angst I would have enjoyed this aspect better. As for the mystery, it was almost like they were running around like chicken with their heads cut off to figure it out. Just grasping at everything.


Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Audio for the advanced listen!

Talk about some big surprises. Wow. Just wow. I was not expecting that ending. Suspense, mystery, romance, this book has it all. And true crime as well.
Really enjoyed this one. I finished it in less than two days. It hooked me as soon as I started it.
Great narration.

The Summer That Changed Everything
⭐️ 3 stars for the book
🎧 4 stars for the audio
🩷 Huge thanks to Harlequin Audio for the ALC via NetGalley 💌

Okay, so. This one had me hooked at the concept, but the execution? Meh. I was fully ready for a gritty emotional rollercoaster, small-town secrets, and that gripping thriller-romance combo. What I got instead was… kinda lukewarm. Not cold, just not spicy either.

Lucy goes back home after fifteen years to prove her dad's innocence. Cool, right? Especially when the town’s against her and her ex is back too—there's so much potential there. But the first third? Felt like reading the same two chapters on loop. So much overexplaining, like we get it—she has doubts, the town hates her, she's sad. Move on.

The plot does pick up eventually, and once it does, the mystery starts to actually feel like a mystery. There were a few reveals that I didn't see coming, and I’ll give Novak credit for weaving in some emotional weight near the end. The twists weren’t groundbreaking, but they worked.

Audio saved it. Courtney Patterson nailed the delivery. Her tone, pacing, the way she brought Lucy’s quiet determination was —chef’s kiss. Honestly, if I hadn’t listened to the audiobook, I might’ve zoned out reading it.

As for Ford… eh. He didn’t do it for me. The chemistry wasn’t giving second-chance romance. More like two people thrown back together because the plot needed them to be. Lucy though? She carried the story on her back. Strong, flawed, and stubborn in the best way.

Would I recommend it? Maybe… if you’re in the mood for a slow burn summer read with small-town drama, and you’re okay with some mid-level mystery energy. It’s not bad, it’s just not great. Like a beach day with clouds—you’ll still enjoy it, but it’s not the sunshine you were hoping for.

Was it the summer that changed everything for me?
Nah. But it passed a few hours, and I’m not mad about it.

This is my first Brenda Novak novel and I enjoyed her writing. Getting the opportunity to listen to the ALC that was narrated by Courtney Patterson was a perfect way to read this suspenseful book. It had some predictable parts and the ending came together rather quickly (and at times, unbelievably) but it is a fiction novel and so I allowed for the fact that I'd rather have a resolution than all the ducks lined up perfectly. There's a second chance romance that is weaved in and out of a story about finding out if a man has been wrongly accused and convicted of crimes that happened 15 years ago. I enjoyed many parts of this story and feel it would make an excellent beach read.

What a great way to kick off summer reading with this little gem of a read!

I started with the audio version and was immediately drawn in to the storyline so much so that I could not stop listening. When I couldn’t listen I was reading it to see what would happen next. Pleasantly surprised as I thought I had the murder mystery all figured out, but I didn’t.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of the audio and digital version of this suspenseful book. I truly enjoyed the mix of romance and crime mystery all rolled into one action packed novel.

Lucy Sinclair returns to her small costal town to see her father that she hasn’t seen in 15 years. He’s been in jail - convicted of murdering 3 people, all that she knew, and in the process turned her life upside down when she was 17. She returned home to talk to him and get more details about what happened all those years ago.
Her old flame, Ford, is also back in town after fleeing a bad marriage. As they reconnect, and work together to uncover long buried secrets, they begin to fall in love. Will they find the evidence they need to clear her father? Will they get the answers Lucy needs to start rebuilding her life and pit this ugly chapter behind her?
The Summer That Changed Everything is the perfect summer read. It’s smartly written, filled with mystery, uncovering the truth, small town romance and found family. I loved it and will be recommending this summer!

I’ve found with Brenda’s books, you think you’re going to read a light beach read (especially when you go in blind like I do), but you get so much more.

Gosh this town had some horrible people in it. The sad truth is that many incarcerated people have been wrongly convicted, but to read about it is heartbreaking. I wish Lucy and her father didn’t have to go through the hardships they faced for the past 15 years, but I’m glad she came back to the town now to reveal the truth.

I loved Ford (even when I couldn’t stand his brother, his horrible wife, and his past choices). I’m glad he and Lucy reconnected, and that he helped her this time around.

It started a bit slow for me, and some things I was able to predict. But the end still had a few twists, and I was satisfied with the ending. I enjoyed the mystery, romance, second chances, and the few people who redeemed themselves.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you HTP The Hive for the ARC and Harlequin Audio for the ALC!

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I’ read mostly psychological thrillers, but this women’s fiction/romance was such an enjoyable story. There was a good pace in the story telling and it kept my attention. A large cast of characters, but easy to follow, as most are background characters.. I felt connected to the main characters and feel like I need a sequel that covers the next chapter of their life. A little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance…, The Summer That Changed Everything makes a great beach read (or listen). I look forward to picking up more from the author!

The Summer That Changed Everything is about Lucy going back to the town she grew up in to find out what happened to Aurora. Her father was accused of murdering Aurora but Lucy isn’t sure that her father murdered Aurora. During her investigation she reconnects with Ford who was her boyfriend back when she was 17.

Brenda is one of my favorite authors. I listened to this book on Audio. Brenda does a great job getting the story interesting. Brenda keeps you invested in Ford and Lucy’s story and wants to root for them. I like how the characters in this group grow from when they were 17 to where they are as adults. The ending of the book surprised me. This was by favorite read for the month.

Courtney Patterson does a great job giving each character emotional and making them come alive in the audio version of this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Brenda Novak for the advanced copy of The Summer that Changed Everything.

Girl returns home to clear her father’s name and ends up digging through small-town secrets and reconnecting with her first love. Not a bad read but the first third was slow. Repetitive enough that it could’ve been trimmed to a few chapters without losing anything important. The pace eventually picks up, and the ending delivers a satisfying series of twists. I can still appreciate the story Novak was telling but it was a little forgettable.

The narrator did a great job keeping you engaged in the story. I was very invested in the Lucy and Ford and their experiences. Fun read.

4.5⭐️ A cozy beachy murder mystery that makes for the perfect beach read. The Summer That Changed Everything was impossible to put down, I seriously had so much fun with this read! Lucy returns to her hometown after leaving 15 years earlier when her father was convicted of 3 murders, including that of a girl in Lucy’s grade at the time. She’s determined to prove that her father wasn’t involved in the third murder. Lucy finds an unlikely ally in her ex boyfriend Ford. While their investigation sparks up old feelings between the two things only get more complicated, there are more than a few people in their small coastal town that would prefer things stay buried. Anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries would love this book! It was genuinely so much fun and while at times predictable, other times I was on the edge of my seat and felt like I was in the investigation right next to Lucy and Ford! This was my first Brenda Novak book and she’s definitely going to become an auto-buy author for me. I loved this! The ending felt a little bit rushed and had some things that seemed off which is where it lost half a star but as a whole the book was great!

Audiobook: The narrator was okay! Nothing special and she’s one of those who says “hu-white” “hu-while” if you know what I mean-which will always get an eye roll from me but other than that it was clear and well paced.

Oh my my my my my!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The mouth gaping and gasping I did during this book! Oh my goodness! My family thought I was crazy!
This has got to have some of the best plot twists and shocking revelations in it than any story I’ve read in a very long time. The storyline flows smoothly. The coastal small town feel is so, so good.
The characters are so relatable. I really got mad at the bad guys and rooted for the good guys! I could envision the scenes and myself in them. It takes an amazing author to do that for me.
I read this in one afternoon!
This is the first book I’ve ever read by this author. Thank you for allowing me to have early access.

A great whodunnit mixed with a bit of romance and an ending you do not see coming. Brenda Novak does it again!

North Hampton Beach buried the truth. Lucy Sinclair came back with a shovel. She’s not here to dip her toes in the surf or reconnect with old friends. She’s here to find out if her father really murdered her frenemy Aurora fifteen years ago. And if he didn’t, then who did? Because if he’s innocent of Aurora’s death, what about the other two people he was convicted of killing?

At seventeen, Lucy’s world imploded. Her father was found guilty of three murders. Her small town exiled her. Her boyfriend ghosted. She changed her name and built a new life from the ashes of the old one. But sometimes the past doesn’t stay buried. Sometimes it taps you on the shoulder and dares you to look it in the face.

This book has all the sun-drenched aesthetics of a beach read, but it’s layered with buried bodies, hostile neighbors, and a community that wants Lucy to stop asking questions before she digs too deep. There’s a secondary mystery tucked in there too, a slow-burn subplot involving betrayal that mirrors Lucy’s unraveling trust in everything she thought she knew. Not every twist lands, but the emotional stakes stay sharp.

Ford Wagner is her ex. Her first heartbreak. Her unfinished business. He’s back in town licking divorce wounds and avoiding eye contact with his own regrets. But when Lucy starts investigating Aurora’s murder, Ford gets pulled in. Wary turns into curious, then turns into "fine, I hired a private investigator." Their chemistry works best when they’re solving things together, not just staring at each other with unresolved feelings and hormonal flashbacks.

Lucy is prickly in all the right ways. She doesn’t come back looking for closure. She comes back looking for the truth. And if she’s not always polite about it, that’s the cost of surviving. Her emotional walls make sense. Her anger makes sense. Her refusal to go quietly makes her a protagonist worth following. Mick, her father, is a ghost with weight. Lucy doesn’t just want to believe he’s innocent. She needs to understand why the man who raised her let her walk out thinking he wasn’t.

The pacing wobbles. There’s too much emotional déjà vu in the middle. Lucy rehashes the same grief on loop. Then, just when the plot should crack open, it suddenly hits fast-forward. One twist shows its hand too early, but the second lands like a face punch. You see it. You get it. And still it knocks the breath out of you. The shock isn’t cheap. It’s earned. But the fallout barely gets a beat to settle. What should feel like wreckage comes wrapped too neat. And neat is never what you want. You want bruises that bloom. You want consequences that crawl.

Four and a half stars. This isn’t a cozy. It’s a memory with teeth. It’s about the stories we’re told, the ones we tell ourselves, and what it means to chase the truth when you know it might wreck you.

Whodunity Award: For Digging Up the Past With Nothing But Nerve and a Shovel

Big thanks to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the early access to the audiobook. Courtney Patterson handles each character's perspective like a pro, with clean shifts, sharp emotion, and just enough edge to keep the tension thrumming right under your skin.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the audio ARC!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really liked this book! The audio and the story. The narrator was great. She did a great job with each character it felt like a full cast even tho it wasn’t.

The story loved it. Lucy goes back home to avenge her dad’s innocence in a murder and along the way she reunites with Ford. Murder mystery plus romance 🥰 love it!

This started off so good. Lucy returns to her hometown fifteen years after her father murdered three people. She wants answers because she is sure he is innocent of one of the crimes. She was seventeen then and let the town run her off. When she returns, they try. But she is determined. Her high school boyfriend, Ford, also returned that summer. As he talks to Lucy, he starts to believe her. The more the dig in, the more they believe her father did not kill the teenage girl.


This started off really good. Then kind of went off the rails into ridiculousness. As the story went on, things became more and more unbelievable. I went from eagerly devouring to wishing it'd end.

There is also a slight ick factor with Ford being married with a baby on the way. Yes, he is going through a divorce. But it is hard to root for them as a couple with all that going on.

Courtney Patterson narrates the audiobook. There are multiple POVs.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a Brenda Novak reader typically, but I think it’s time to change that. This book was intriguing from the start. Lucy is back in North Hampton Beach to prove her father’s innocence. 15 years ago, he was accused of murdering 3 people and sent to prison. Lucy was ostracized and chased out of town, leaving behind a man she loved. This novel was the perfect romance, thriller I needed! I listened to this on audiobook and was quite impressed with the narrators.

Solid 4/5 stars.

**I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review**

The Summer That Changed Everything by Brenda Novak. 15 years later Lucy returns to North Hampton Beach where her father was charged sans convicted of 3 murders. Things don’t add up on her father’s conviction so Lucy gives herself the summer to try to find out who did it. With the help of her former teenage boyfriend Ford. Full of Mystery, lies, coverups, and second chances. Great beach read.. enjoy. Thank you to #NetGalley and #Harlequin Audio for this Arc. This is my honest review.