Rating: ★★★★★
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️

Small Personal Note:
This book had me giddy. I’m talking leg-swinging, giggling, feeling-16-again levels of giddy.
It’s the first book I’ve read by K.J., and it did not disappoint. If The End of Summer is any indication of her usual magic, I’ll be loading up the rest of her books into my library immediately.
Now, I’m not usually someone who reads the acknowledgments (admittedly), but this one got me. It helped me understand exactly how K.J. breathed so much life into every character and storyline. That personal touch shines throughout the book.

The Setup:
Gretchen—aka Summer to some—loses her pub job after “the incident” involving a celebrity’s crotch, a rogue pair of unfamiliar heels, and some steaming hot food. Her best friend sets her up with a job as a shot girl at a local pole class. Enter Brody: her entitled ex-boss and new neighbor… who, it turns out, is in a not-so-different situation himself.

🧠 What I Loved:

✨ The Plotline:
Perfectly paced—never rushed, never slow. It was a seamless read; not once did I feel like putting it down. Every chapter flowed effortlessly into the next.

✨ The Writing Style:
So good. It felt like your funniest best friend was giving you a play-by-play of her wildest weekend. It hit all the right notes—funny when it needed to be, emotional when it counted, and full of character and heart. You could feel the personality in every line.

✨ The Spice:
There’s really only one spicy scene, but it was done so well. It didn’t rely on being graphic; instead, it leaned into the emotional connection between Brody and Gretchen. Given their ties to the adult industry, I loved that their moment was romantic, tender, and felt truer to who they were as people rather than the roles they played.

✨ The Conflict (or Lack Thereof):
I fully expected a third-act breakup—Brody’s job hunt in the city, Gretchen’s firm roots in her town... it was set up. But nope. The real conflict came from external forces, not from tearing each other apart. That made the ending all the more satisfying. It felt earned, not forced.

🤔 What Didn’t Quite Work for Me:

Honestly, not much. But if I had to nit-pick:

Justice against Miranda and Keith? Non-existent. They kind of just… vanished from the narrative after their villain arc, and I would’ve loved to see them get some sort of comeuppance.

Some Backstory Overload: A few parts felt like they dove a little too deep into backstory that didn’t seem necessary at the time—but most of it came full circle later. And even when it didn’t, it still added life and familiarity to the characters.

Final Thoughts:
I could go on (really, I could), but I’m this close to slipping into spoiler territory. Just know this: if you love romance that’s smart, warm, character-driven, and unexpectedly hilarious—you’ll fall hard for The End of Summer. I know I did.

Thank you to Cabaret Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this books, in exchange for my honest option.

Mark my words now this is going to be theeeeeeee official book of summer! The premise of this book is if Magic Mike and Coyote Ugly had a baby company together, and it’s located on Cape Cod. This book had me LOLing the entire time!

Gretchen and Brady were just so good and wholesome, and watching them strike up such a sweet friendship before a relationship felt so real and relatable. Their bond was so sweet, and I loved their HEA.

All my Romance girlies, add this book to your Summer Reading List, you will have so much fun!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
🕺💃

Gretchen is working to complete her Master’s in education and waitressing on the side when a high heel related mishap leads both her and Brady to lose their jobs as summer begins in Cape Cod. With no traditional work to be found and bank accounts dwindling, they both end up finding non-traditional work to make ends meet.

This is a fun enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance. G&B are really enemies only briefly before they team up, and I love that their relationship has time to develop. The attraction is definitely well shown! One of my favorite things is how well Cape Cod is depicted. You really get a strong sense of a tight knit tourism driven community where everyone knows everyone’s business. Side characters are mostly strong. Bike Mike is a fave!

The only thing we’re really missing is the chance to see Miranda get what’s coming to her. May I suggest a bonus chapter?

Thanks to NetGalley and Cabaret Books for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, KJ Micciche, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The main characters had good character development throughout. Plot was well developed and the dialogue was also well written. I loved the setting of Cape Code for this story. Loved the theme of change as change is the only constant in life.

The story had a lot of power, emotion, and kept me interested throughout. More than just a typical summer romance read, that’s for sure!

This was supposed to be a fun read. At first it was but then I quickly got annoyed. I thought it was trying too hard and it mentioned Covid a lot.

Thank you NetGalley and Cabaret Books LLC for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Gretchen and Brady find themselves out of a job after an incident that involved food falling into the lap of a celebrity. Bills are piling up and they unexpectedly find themselves both employed at an underground bachelorette party destination. We aren’t exactly sure if it’s legal or not. But it’s not long before the owner skips town and leaves Gretchen to manage the place. The only person she can think to ask for help is Brady who fired her from her last job.

This was a really fun and cute read. Lots of laugh out loud moments and sweet ones too. Seeing these two characters come together despite their past was the cherry on top.

I will definitely have to read more of KJ’s books.

The description for this book is what brought me in. Gretchen grew up in Cape Cod. Still living there she is going to school to become a teacher and waitressing at night at Diamond Excelsior Resort. That is until Gretchen gets both herself and Brady Hawthorne, the Assistant Manager, fired when she dumps food on a celeb. The only job Gretchen can find to pay her bills is at Pole Dancing Club. Then the manager of the club spilts and Gretchen has to call in Brady to help manager the club and the two have to work together to keep things afloat. And they grow closer as they do. This was a super new plot for a book and I enjoyed that. After reading so many romance novels you get bored of the same plots over and over. This was fresh.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of The End of Summer by KJ Micciche!

The End of Summer is a summer fling colliding with employment chaos and a lot of glitter.

It is a surprisingly heartfelt rom-com that starts with a seafood disaster and ends with two unlikely partners running the weirdest business on the Cape. Gretchen is the kind of protagonist you cheer for, even as she fumbles through awkward moments and life-altering choices. Her arc—from insecure to confident—is one of the story’s biggest wins. Brady, meanwhile, is the counterweight to her chaos, and together their chemistry is both endearing and electric. Some of the humor didn’t totally land for me. A few slang terms and jokes felt like they were trying a little too hard to be edgy or trendy, which distracted from the otherwise solid writing. And while I understand the relevance, the multiple COVID references occasionally pulled me out of the narrative, especially when they were used flippantly.

the premise for this was fun and flirty. i loved both of the main characters. Gretchen’s character growth was fun to watch. she became more confident and found empowerment is something she didn’t expect. Brady is a man who loves hard and knows what he wants which was refreshing. however, the backstory for side characters slowed the pace too much at times.

some of the language throughout the book was a little distracting, specifically the attempted use of slang. also the fmc’s fathers name was referred to as a “hate crime” simply because it was a silly name which seemed inappropriate to me.

COVID is also mentioned numerous times and often it made sense for the plot, but when it was mentioned that “COVID saved the day” when referring to a past relationship, it didn’t really sit well with me.

with all that said, i enjoyed the overall story!

The plot of The End of Summer was original but the writing style didn't click with me unfortunately. It had some phrasing and slang that was a bit odd or cringey for me (maybe to my British brain?) like 'sperm worm' and 'milking the popsicle'.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

I found this new adult romance book fun and enjoyable! It was super cute and made me laugh! I loved the writing, the characters and the unique storyline! I found this to be a medium paced read that was clear and captivating. The setting in Cape Cod was beautiful. This is an enemies to partners in crime romance! It is thought provoking, powerful and emotional. I am new to this author and will definitely be reading more of her books! It really delves into the theme of change, which we all face in real life. This is more than just your typical type of summer read!

“The End of Summer” centers around a woman named Gretchen. She studies to be a teacher and waitresses on the side. Then there is Brady, who is the assistant manager at the main restaurant. Everything seems to be going smoothly, until an incident occurs that leaves Gretchen jobless. In the height of tourist season, both of them begin looking for a new job. The job search starts to become dire and their bills are stacking up. So, Gretchen ends up putting everything on the line, including her future potential career, by stepping into a completely new spotlight at an unconventional job! Brady starts working there too! Be sure to read the content warnings. This was fun and I absolutely adored the ending! Overall, I give this a 4 out of 5 star rating!

I think anyone who is looking for a fun, not your typical type of summer storyline read, would enjoy this! It is an enemies to partners in crime romance that definitely gave me the movie Magic Mike vibes!

Thank you to NetGalley, author KJ Micciche and Cabaret Books for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on June 17, 2025!

This was a very sweet book, that had me transported to the beachy coast of Cape Cod. It was also hilarious. The part where Gretchen explains how her dad’s name was Andrew Andrews had me laughing out loud!

Gretchen and Brady were literally living parallel lives right before they met, and I think their shared experiences made their chemistry even stronger! It was lovely to watch their relationship evolve once they cleared the air, and I truly enjoyed seeing Gretchen’s growth and strengthening self confidence as the story progressed.

That being said, there were a couple things I didn’t love, the first being the repeated mention of COVID. I simply don’t enjoy it in any of the books I read because it tends to pull me out of the fictional world and from the characters I’m reading about. I do understand why the author felt it was important to the story since the pandemic stunted the careers of both main characters, but I still dislike it nonetheless. The second element was that some of the descriptions of some side characters and situations felt a bit long winded at times.

All in all, this was a fun summer read that will make you want to look up your local pole studio to go take a class!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Favorite quote:
“I think my heart remembered you, he says. My brain might not have, but my heart did.”

KJ is always a must-read for me and this one doesn't disappoint! Enter Gretchen, recently fired from her waitressing/bartending job after dropping a plate of hot food in the lap of a celebrity! What she doesn't realize is that the manager who yelled at her in the aftermath was ALSO fired, AND THEN they wind up as next door neighbors! As Gretchen scrambles to find work right before the start of Cape Cod's tourist season, she receives an unusual offer to serve drinks at a local dance club.

I don't know how Micciche comes up with everything - it's so messy and relatable and hilarious but it always WORKS! I was laughing at loud at so many parts while tearing up at others. And she is a WIZARD when it comes to creating the perfect "shit-hits-the-fan" climax that literally had my jaw dropping - and it takes a lot to really throw me off guard!

Whether you're in the mood for a sweet romance (with just the right amount of spice!) or a laugh out loud rom-com, "The End of Summer" is it. Thanks so much for the ARC - can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

Loved this book! Such a fun story. Thank you so much for the ARC! I can’t wait til pub day to get my bookshelf copy.

This was enjoyable to read. As a southeastern MA groom who goes to the cape all the time, I really liked that this was set there. I mean, who doesn’t love the Cape in the summer. This storyline was definitely one I have never read before. I love FF books and so glad to see this. The underground bachelorette party scene, the two main characters working through their issues even with their history. This was a lighter read which was what I was looking for. If you’re looking for a different plot lined book that is easy to read grab this one.

I love a story set on Cape Cod, and this was a fun book to read. The employment theme differed from the usual billionaire and secretary books. These two main characters are more "normal," and I liked that! Micciche did a great job crafting their banter and action-type scenes. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed reading the book! The ending was so cuteeeee 😭💙 them helping each other despite their past together 😂 but I'm glad 💙 it only made them closer to each other! 🥹 Would definitely recommend reading it! But remember, not everyone has the same taste! 🫶🏻