I grabbed this book as I'm an aerialist/pole dancer who loves to read. Seemed right up my alley. And overall it was fun.

However, the author spent so much time introducing us to these characters as individuals that the romance felt flat and rushed once we finally got to it. I felt like I knew Gretchen’s parents better than anytime else... weird choice. It’s still worth giving a read of you want something fun for the summer.

KJ Micciche is an autobuy author for me and she proves why, again, with this latest novel. 5 starts from me, all the way.

This story was funny and cute. They had such a funny interesting meet up and then fate shoving them back together. There was romance and a little spice with a big helping of comedy. I never realized all the different nicknames for human privates but Im definitely stealing a few funny ones from this book. I absolutely loved that this story ended with a happily ever after that really wasn't a happily ever after (you'll understand when you read) It was not your typical white picket ending. It was more of a beginning to their happily ever after. Also curious whether there will be more stories based on the characters introduced in this book because there definitely could be.

Both Gretchen and Brady lose their jobs at a fancy restaurant at the beginning of summer. Both desperate for work, they turn to the bachelorette party scene. It is a fun storyline about these usually straight-laced people making money at these parties. Brady is a super sweet golden retriever, and Gretchen is just down on her luck/finding herself. Think Magic Mike/Coyote Ugly vibes. There’s a lot of heart and some spice while these two navigate the trials of being out of work and figuring out what’s next. I loved the Cape Cod setting. Pick up this book if you’re looking for a fun rom-com with a bit of flair and strippers.

I loved the author’s note at the end about how she found confidence and strength from pole dancing classes. It is a great subplot as Gretchen found benefits physically and mentally through learning pole dancing.

Thank you, NetGalley, Cabaret Books, and K.J. Micciche, for an advanced digital copy of this book.

If you're in the mood for an enemies, turned partners-in-crime, turned lovers storyline - this is the book for you! When I originally read the synopsis, I thought "wow, this would be like if all those times we joked about dropping out or quitting our jobs to become strippers was turned into a Hallmark plotline!"

The plot surrounding this choice of employment is definitely unique (and there will be a lot of euphemisms for male body parts) and yet Gretchen and Brady had such a wholesome HEA. Both had their own backstories and families that provided them with enough depth to make them into believable characters. However, I do think there were a few missed opportunities between the MCs and some of the side characters, including Brady's dad and Gretchen's boss. There are times where some of the slang used by characters was a little cringy, but I also bet if you worked within the bachelorette/party industry and had to 'perform' in an over the top way, it would become part of the character.

Overall, this is a fun and easy read! Definitely one to pick up if you're looking for a beach read to finish by "the end of summer"!

Thank you to NetGalley, Cabaret Books, and K.J. Micciche for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a fun read! I really loved this new book by KJ Micciche. While very different from her other work, the thing that sucked me in like every other book was her main characters. I really loved Gretchen and Brady's dynamic and their eventual relationship. I found the central plot to be very unique. My only problem with thr book came at the end- I loved that they opened the dance studio but I never felt like I was shown just how much Gretchen loved dancing throughout the book. I think if I had seen that I would have believed it a little more.

The End of Summer is one of those books that feels like a rom-com you’ve watched before and kind of liked—but also forgot existed until someone brought it up again and you went, “Oh yeah! That was cute.”

And it is cute. And fun. But also deeply predictable. I’m talking “yep, saw that coming a mile away” levels of predictable. If you like your summer reads with low stakes, flirty banter, and the literary equivalent of a Hallmark Channel plotline, this’ll scratch the itch.

Gretchen and Brady have decent chemistry, the side hustle plot is mildly unhinged (in a good way), and the Cape Cod setting is doing a lot of heavy lifting to give this book its vibes. But there wasn’t a whole lot of surprise or emotional depth for me—I finished it feeling more like I’d had a decent snack than a satisfying meal.

Basically: it’s a nice time. Just not a standout.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review—this one was like a beach read with training wheels. Nothing wrong with that, but I kept waiting for it to break into a sprint and it never really did.

This book was so funny and filled with so much cute romance and banter. I highly recommend this book!

I absolutely loved this book!! Thank you so much NetGalley I enjoyed the writing it was a funny rom com. Gretchen and Brady chemistry was so good. I enjoyed how they met in the book I felt like we don’t get a lot of stripper rom com so thank you for thinking outside the box and not writing a normal rom com I look forward to reading more books

What a fun, cute little spicy story! I received this ARC through NetGalley and am happy to give it 4 stars. It took me about 30% to really get into the story, but was hooked from then on. I really enjoyed the characters and setting. Of course the HEA at the end was the cherry on top. I love the small details and how everything tied together in the end. I feel like the characters showed a lot of growth and resilience. Enemies to lovers rom-com with Dirty Dancing/Magic Mike vibes!! Definitely recommend for your summer reading pick!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Okay, here’s the thing, this author wrote these characters almost too well. She was so dedicated to developing their personalities and having us know who they are to their core in a way that I think doesn’t happen often anymore. There weren’t many times where the characters made choices that I was confused by given what we knew about them. However, the characters she wrote were cringy and generally unlikable. You know how people complain about Ali Hazelwood character traits? Take that but apply it to their language. I got such terrible second hand embarrassment at every euphemism for dick and they just kept getting worse. I also had a hard time believing in their romance, mostly because she spent so much time introducing us to them as individuals that the romance felt flat and really empty for me. Their time spent together and getting to know each other felt both rushed and almost nonexistent. Instead of using their backstories as a way of building intimacy and getting to know them together, we learned everything before they spent any real time together so it I didn’t really understand what they even liked about each other besides ‘oh you dance sooo sexy’. I felt more connected to Gretchen’s parents’ chemistry than I did to her and Brady’s. There was also some odd infantilization of Gretchen that I didn’t enjoy but again, was not surprising and made a ton of sense within the context of the book. Overall I think the author’s writing is good and that speaks to the feelings I have about the characters because I finished the ARC in two days. It’s definitely worth giving a read, just be aware of what you are walking into.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cabaret Books and KJ Micciche for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to dive into another KJ Micciche title. I absolutely love her writing style, especially the wit and humor she seamlessly weaves into every page.

Despite its unique storyline and setting, The End of Summer still managed to be a wholesome sweet read centered around two characters falling for each other. Gretchen and Brady are both fired from their restaurant jobs after an unfortunate incident involving a celebrity and a plate of steamers. Jobless and out of money they both end up working at the same questionable underground bachelorette party venue.

Gretchen and Brady were such lovable characters, and I loved their stories both as individuals and a couple. I especially appreciated that there was no third act break up; instead the story features open and honest communication, which was refreshing.

There’s so much more I could say on this one, just do yourself a favor and add it to your summer TBR!

Significant Spoiler Thoughts: My bar is fairly low for contemporary romances, which made this book enjoyable. Both the FMC and MMC are likeable. How they met as kids and met again as adults is entertaining. The relationship is cute and fun; I for sure wanted to know how it got to the HEA. The twists were somehow both expected and surprising.

The more I reflect on this book, the more missed opportunities are of notice:
It’s probably my “ancient” 37-year-old brain, but some of the Gen Z slang felt cringe or clunkily implemented.
FMC’s life plan dramatically changed, and that grief was barely touched on the page.
There was a lot of backstory for FMC’s boss with no on-page payout. I want to read that conflict, not jump to the result of what would have been a series of difficult conversations.
In general, there are several backstories or meandering flashbacks that don’t add to the story much. Or I can see the thought behind it but it’s not incorporated into the present day well.
FMC’s and boss relationship theoretically changes dramatically for the epilogue to work, but we don’t see any of it.
The MMC goes HARD on the dating/courting experience but FMC does not put in the same effort.
FMC 100% allows the MMC to white knight the end of the book, so any character development that may have occurred seems to fly out the window. The ending would have been stronger if FMC and MMC had developed the non-profit idea together.

Writing all that out makes me want to give it a lower rating BUT I read it all and had fun overall while reading it. Maybe I just need to accept it as an easy beach read and move on.

I just loved how dance was the center of this book
How they fell in love, how they first met, everything about them was becwuse of dancing.
I experienced a connection with this book that i never experienced with otheres... i just loved it

this book reminds me of all the feels of Coyote Ugly and im not sure if that is a good thing or simply shows my age. i could definitely see my new adult self falling for this in the same kind of ways as it gave me those similar feeling. it even penetrated through the old woman cynic in me and so i loved this book as much as anyone would. its light,sparky and cute. but the story is the perfect mix of fun but still smart.
the book gives us Gretchen and Brady. they both find themselves jobless after a certain pile of food lands in a very important someones lap. but the bills dont stop just because the wages have. so desperate Gretchen finds herself in a job at an underground bachelorette party hub. it it legal? its it right? it pays, and for now this is what Gretchen needs desperately. but what quickly follows is a situation Gretchen didnt see coming. the owner skips town leaving her in charge of the whole thing. and the only person she knows who can help her...yup our Brady enter stage left please.
the friendship that grew was brilliant and it felt so much better even without anything more happened. and then when more did happen you were chearing for them all the more and your heart warmed all the more.
i was smiling for the cuteness and the brightness that just rippled from the pages. i want my younger self to be able to read all these books again. but im also glad as an official adult i get to too.

The End of Summer by KJ Micciche is about Gretchen, an aspiring elementary teacher, who finds herself in need of a job after a disastrous situation at her waitressing job involving hot seafood and a celebrity customer’s lap. Most of the summer positions on Cape Cod have already been filled, so she ends up working at an off-the-books bachelorette party venue to make ends meet. While serving Jell-O shots and learning how to pole dance, she is surprised to run into Brady, the assistant manager at the restaurant she was fired from, who is moonlighting as a male stripper.

I thought the story was funny and surprisingly wholesome. I liked Gretchen and Brady’s relationship and how they were able to communicate with one another, despite facing some external challenges and ridiculous situations. There was a lot of backstory and I agree with some of the other reviewers that I could have used more closure to Miranda’s plot line. However, I really enjoyed this story overall and found the ending satisfying!

This one was awesome to read. Gretchen and Brady totally won me over, they’re both kind of a mess at the start, but the good kind. Their friendship turned romance felt natural, and I loved how they actually talked through their problems. The setup was hilarious. There’s humor, charm, and just enough emotion to keep things grounded. The writing had me smiling more than once. Thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early. I’m sharing my thoughts voluntarily and with genuine appreciation

I absolutely loved Gretchen and Brady, both separately and together. They are a perfect match, both driven people trying to make ends meet. They have a healthy relationship all throughout the book, even though they do start by having communication issues, which they learn how to resolve quickly.

The romance itself was extremely cute, despite the fact that she is a shot girl at a pole dance studio and he is a temporary stripper. Most characters are really likeable which is rare, except for Brady’s dad.

It was not a trashy book, it was pretty soft, not too spicy. I also like the fact that the author kept the story short, which allowed it not to be boring because of the length. The writing style was extremely funny. Overall, I really enjoyed reading the End of Summer, and I’d recommend it as a light and fluffy beach read :)

Im was gratefully given an advanced reader copy of this book but this review is my person opinion on the book and was no way included by anyone

I found the storyline is the book cute however in honesty I did not complete the full book as it wasn't to my taste

This book has low spice and no 3rd act breakup, which is a little refreshing. I didn't enjoy nor appreciate all the mentions of Covid and I wish there was a chapter on Miranda getting her Just Desserts. Overall, a decent and cute read.