An annoyingly familiar sentiment swept over me while I listened to Booked for the Summer: how had I not read or listened to Kathryn Freeman before? Booked for the Summer was lovely. Yes, maybe the wee-ist bit predictable, but still lovely. Jade arrives in Nantucket to run the local bookstore for three months, not knowing that the big, bad, local millionaire plans to shut it down and put up luxury accommodations. And yes, Jade is drop-dead gorgeous, with bit tits and tight clothes (which apparently no one in her small English hometown ever noticed), and big, bad, Liam is equally drop-dead gorgeous, and of course, Jade turns out to be a brilliant business strategist and maybe, just maybe, Liam turns out to have a secret heart of gold. But aside from all that predictability, it truly is a delightful book! Both Jade and Liam are complex, interesting figures (aside from all that physical beauty), and the cast of well-developed secondary characters bring depth and a wonderful sense of belonging and comfort. I'll happily settle in with another Kathryn Freeman title any time, especially one expertly narrated by the great Mary Jane Wells.

I’m I regretfully have to give this 2 stars. The interaction between these two characters is so beyond natural that it throws me out of the story. The concept is cute, but the execution is lacking.

Thank You NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the Early Listening Copy of Booked for the Summer. What started off as a dream summer job quickly turned into a dream love affair. Jade was hired to run a little book shop for 3 months by the shop owner who sold the shop to the Billionaire Liam that had plans to tear it down and build waterfront cabins. But after their first meeting and night off passion Liam was not able to just walk away. Both have had made poor decisions in past relationships and had hard walls up. Liam is dealing with childhood trauma from his half brother, and the fact that his mother left him with his Grandmother. He lives trying to be better than his father and half brother in which has turned himself into a grouch. Jade was able to break his walls slowly and he fell for her hard and fast. Mary Jane Wells did a good job with all the quirky characters.

This was meant to be a fun beachy read and I really wanted to like it. Ultimately, it was just not for me.

This was insta-lust that tried to turn into a cute love story. The characters lacked depth and connection and there was too much focus on the body of the FMC. I finished until the end and it ended up being okay but I was just listening to listen and I felt like I was spacing out a bit throughout multiple points in this book.

Thank you HarperAudio, Netgalley, and Kathryn Freeman for this ALC!🩷 I appreciate the opportunity to read/listen in advance, in return providing my honest opinion.

Audiobook Review 🎧 – Booked for Summer by Katheryn Freeman

Thank you @NetGalley and @HarperAudio for the audiobook copy for review!

Rating: 3/5
Spicy: 2/5

Set on the dreamy Nantucket Island with a charming bookstore backdrop, Booked for Summer had all the ingredients for a cozy summer romance. The story leaned into instant lust and spice early on, which made me miss the slow burn and emotional build-up I usually enjoy. The characters felt more physically connected than emotionally, and I found myself wanting more depth in their relationship.
The narration included distinct character voices, which was fun but occasionally tricky to follow within chapters.
✔️ Beautiful setting
✔️ Bookstore charm
❌ Wanted more emotional connection
🔥 Spice came early

Still a fun summer listen if you're in the mood for something light and steamy!

#BookedForSummer #KatherynFreeman #NetGalley #HarperAudio #AudiobookReview #SummerReads #NantucketVibes #BookstoreRomance #SpicyReads #Bookstagram

Booked for the Summer was a cute listen. Kathryn Freeman did a good job of creating a light, beachy read.

Billionaire meets Book Shop Girl romance. This one is a fun little beach read for those of you hanging on to the tail-end of summer. We have a one night stand turned competitors to lovers, a meet cute to die for, some insta-lust, and a whole lotta hijincks. This one feels a lot like Book Lovers by Emily Henry, and it is spicy! The witty banter is fun as is the swoonworthy descriptions of the ever-opulent yet understated Nantucket. An overall lovely beachy romance.

The dual POV narration was also a nice touch. A British speaking lady and an upper class American guy were very well done by the narrators.

This is a quick summer read.

Jade went to show herself and Thera what she can do. Well she did that. Then there is a Liam who can be so very cranky.

You wouldn’t think that this would make a good pairing but in the end, they brought out the best in each other

I would recommend for a quick content read. Thank you to @netgalley for the audiobook.

When I find myself laugh-snorting and 'awwww'-ing through a romance, you KNOW its good.  Jade and Liam make a stunning and spicy pair, and the character development throughout was surface-level enough to keep this lighthearted all the way through.  A bookstore in Nantucket, a billionaire boss, a savvy business woman, and plenty of nosy small-town gossips kept me on my toes and the laughs rolling.

And what incredible work from our narrator, Mary Jane Wells! Her voice work, inflection, and commitment to her craft made this audio really stand out to me.  A thoroughly enjoyable experience!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for this Advance Reader's Copy (audio) in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't end up enjoying this at all like I expected to. The blurb sounded great and like a fun summer read new addition. It was rather convoluted and stiff, with a plot that doesn't quite work.

Also, the MMC, Liam, is not likeable at all. He was more concerned with the FMC's breasts than he was in getting to know her. There was no depth there and he came off as a creep, not a man I am supposed to be cheering for. It wasn't cute.

There was so much potential here, but it really fell incredibly flat for me.

I really wanted to enjoy this but it just wasn't for me. The instalove was on a whole other level; It's too much, too fast. Also, I felt like a plotline was minimal , overall a little too boring for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to enjoy this but it just wasn't for me. There is certainly an audience for how this book is written, but it's just not me. The extreme insta-lust and the way the MMC talks to and about the FMC is just gross to me. It's too much, too fast and it grossed me out. Plus, I felt like the minimal plot there was, was just boring and irrelevant.

This was a cute story. It is all about taking chances and being vulnerable. I loved the theme of it. It was well done. I loved that Liam struggled so much with undoing the walls he built to avoid future pain. He pushes everyone away every chance he gets. I love that he can be vulnerable one moment and then realize he is and lash out. It's so human. Jade was patient and caring. She was able to not only bring those walls down but help him see the man he wanted to be. It was a very wonderful story. I hope we can have another with them running the hotel and bookstore in a second novel. I'd love to see more of these two.

Let's be honest though, Jermey was the best part of this book. I ADORE him!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

What a delightful beach read!

Liam and Jade are both battling their own struggles but Booked for the Summer gives them space to sort through things, learn, and grow.

Booked for the Summer is a fun, spicy romance full of summer vibes.

I do wish the ending the was a bit more detailed. It felt like a rushed ending, but the overall story was great.

The audio narration was clear and well read, easy to listen to. The audio narration definitely added to the overall book experience.

I went into this expecting a typical fish outta water Nantucket romance with a splash of millionaire romance, and while yes this was all of that, it also had a lot more depth. The characters were funny, layered, relatable and I found myself rooting for the busty blonde who no one took seriously and the sexy, cold millionaire with a vendetta. This book was what I thought The Pumpkin Spice Cafe book would be: coastal small town, eccentric locals, steamy couple, cozy good times. Is it revolutionary? No, but it delivers exactly what you expect when you pick it up, with an added bit of heat.

Booked for the Summer was a cute and spicy read, a little unbelievable but it is a summer romance for sure. This was a spicy, one night stand turned enemies to lovers, dual POV summer romance between a book loving Brit looking for an escape and the billionaire determined to close the Nantucket bookstore she’s come to work. This book follows grumpy billionaire Liam who is trying to expand his resort and bubbly blonde Jade who wants to show people she is more than her boobs and her hair color by running the bookstore next to the resort for the next 3 months. Except little does Jade know, Liam just bought the wharf the bookstore sits on and he plans to knock it down for good. Now Jade has to fight to keep the bookstore. The setting was wonderful and enjoyed the banter of Jade's friends is enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio, and Kathryn Freeman for the opportunity .

✨AUDIO ALC 🎧 REVIEW ✨

Booked for Summer had me laughing throughout the book. This is such a cute cosy summer romance book to add to your next summer / beach TBR! It is Well Narrated by Mary Jane Wells. I definitely enjoyed the audible.

Jade moves to Nantucket Island and gets a summer job to manage a little bookshop but she doesn’t know that the owner sold it to Liam Haven a billionaire resort owner who wants to close down the bookshop in order to expand his resort. They meet before they find out that one manages the bookshop and the other is the new owner who wants to close down the bookshop and they sleep together 🤭🤭 The chemistry, banter, and tension between Liam and Jade was so good and kept me hooked to find out what was going to happen between them. The plot was fun and interesting. I really recommend this book!!!!

Thank you HarperAudio, Netgalley, and Kathryn Freeman for this ALC!🩷

After an awkward encounter with a man on the pier, Jade Taylor finds herself at The Little Bay Book Shack which she will manage over the summer. She has some fun with the man from the pier which turns out to be Liam Haven, the Billionaire Resort owner bent on tearing down The Little Bay Book Shack. Well this is awkward, he’s her boss and she needs to convince him that tearing down the bookstore is a bad idea because it’s important to the community. Can she convince him? Can they work through their differences? What will happen when it’s time for her to go home?

I loved this book! The story was well-written, spicy, hilarious, clever, and kept me engaged throughout. The character development was there. A bookstore, a billionaire, and a summer to remember. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the side characters were incredibly amusing and entertaining. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator’s portrayal of each character was exceptional, bringing them to life. The pacing was well-done, and the chapter transitions were seamless.

I’ve read several books in Kathryn Freeman’s rom com collection and this was just a disappointment. I wouldn’t even put this under the category of romcoms it borders on being more erotica. The premise centered around a bookstore and an almost billionaire is a good concept that is attractive to a lot of book lovers. However, there were more mentions of Jade’s body than there were of her personality. I wanted actual character development, and this just felt like it was meaning a certain quota of steamy and spicy scenes, which I didn’t even think we were well written. Liam is honestly the definition of manchild and caring about his grandma wasn’t enough to redeem him. I mean, I’m glad that they discussed her were coming bullying, but he was honestly just an asshole. For Jade being more of the sunshine character, she whined about her family a lot, and I hated that her main characterization was that she felt she was the beauty where her sister was the brains. The narrator was really great and I did enjoy listening to the entire book in a UK accent. I didn’t find this book fun to read, and it didn’t meet my expectations for this author. If she would’ve reduced the spiciness or the steam and actually worked on character development, I think it could’ve been a really great novel. 1.75⭐️, 3.5🌶

3.5 stars
A sweet, small-town romance with charming bookstore vibes and a swoony billionaire boss. Jade and Liam’s opposites-attract chemistry is fun, and the Nantucket setting is pure summer escapism. Predictable at times, but still a cozy, feel-good read. Mary Jane Wells’s narration brings warmth and sparkle.