It Was a Good Summer is exactly the kind of book you want in your hands when the weather warms up. Sun-soaked, emotionally rich, and completely transportive, this second installment in the I Would for You series delivered the perfect summer reading escape.

Gus is such a relatable protagonist. Her "Summer of Independence" plans felt authentic to that specific season of life, the one right before everything changes, when you are desperately trying to hold onto who you are while also figuring out who you are becoming. When Reed complicates things, the tension feels earned rather than forced, and I appreciated that the story never lets Gus off the hook too easily.

What really stood out was the friendship dynamic. The relationships between the girls felt genuine, messy, and real in all the best ways. Jennifer Gannett captures that bittersweet quality of a final summer together with a lot of heart.

For fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen, this one will absolutely scratch that itch. It has the beachy atmosphere, the emotional push and pull, and that lingering feeling of nostalgia that makes you want to hold onto every page just a little longer.

A heartfelt, beautifully paced summer read that reminded me why I love this genre. Four stars, and I will absolutely be following this series.

This was such a sweet coming of age read. It follows a group of friends through their last summer before adulthood, and Gannett really gets the bittersweetness of that in-between time when everything is about to change but nothing has yet.

The romance hits all my favourite YA beats. There are beach parties and campfires, a slow burn I was fully invested in, and a summer fling or two on the side. My favourite part was actually the friendships. The girls in this book talk to each other honestly and actually support one another, which felt so refreshing. I am so used to YA leaning on gossip and betrayal between female friends to create drama, and this book proves you do not need any of that.

A lovely pick if you want something warm and nostalgic to read on a beach towel this summer.

You feel as if you are at the Cape for the summer with Gus (Augusta) and Emma, her best friend, and their friends. Between working, going to the drive-in, and beach parties you feel the summer fun everyone has. When Emma’s old boyfriend,Reed, shows up, she thinks she might still like him but she tells him we can hang out but just as friends. As summer progresses, she tells Reed give me time when Reed tells her he misses her. Things really get messy when his old girlfriend shows up and when Gus’ boyfriend, Fish, before she dated Reed shows up. Gus finds out Reed wasn’t truthful about something, and Gus gets mad at Reed. Will they continue to date? Will Gus start seeing Fish again?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book wasn’t listed on Goodreads. On the date of publication I will be posting my review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Twitter (X).

This book was extremely entertaining, and there wasn't a moment when I was bored. The drama that comes with a group of teens holidaying together was realistic, which I loved. It was very fast-paced, which is perfect for a quick read or getting out of a slump.

The only thing I would fix is that it felt a bit hard to read when trends from real life were in the book. For example, “Emma took a sip out of her dusty blue Owala.” Moments like those made me cringe a little.

But with that said, I actually had a really fun time reading this. I read it pretty quickly for me because it was so fun and entertaining, and I didn't really want to put it down.

I also loved the setting so much. Any book set in Cape Cod is one I want to read.

The relationships were good. I would have wanted maybe a little bit more depth, but I did really enjoy exploring the many dynamics going on.

In summary, I really had a great time with this book and would definitely recommend it.