An honest review thanks to NetGalley. It took me a while to get into this book, for some reason at the beginning I had to really force myself to continue reading. Though once I got to the middle I actually started enjoying the book. It was a good romantic read, but after a while the constant battle of age difference got annoying. I did really like Jordan; this was a nice simple read that though irritating at some points is a nice removal from reality for a little while.

I thought that it was an okay read, not particularly memorable or tugged at my heartstrings.

There were parts I enjoyed about Kate's interactions with her friends and their friendship and times when I thought that they were slightly immature for their age.

This is the first book I've read from this author and may not be the last.

This book is really well written and has many a funny moment. Kate needs to get out of her head and stop expecting the worst. I feel Jordan is good for her as well. Not everyone is out to hurt you. I think given time these two will find their path and journey it together.

I was unable to review this book because of a conflict in my schedule. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused the publisher or the author of the work. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review for you and I look forward to reviewing for you in the future.

This is the first book I have read by Ms. Copeland. The story is about a May/December romance between Kate, a 46-year-old lawyer who has been single for 4 years after previously being in a relationship for 17 years and Jordan, the younger female who is an up and coming musician by night and a webpage creator by day. Kate and Jordan experience an instant physical draw and they spend the summer addressing a multitude of what-ifs in their future.

The other two main characters are Kate’s best girlfriends, Viv and Didi. Viv is single and wants to get back with her girlfriend Maia, who wishes to settle down and raise a family. Viv is extremely rich and enjoys the carefree life but wants Maia back. Didi has come of the closet in her mid-40’s and is driven to find true love.

The plot of the book is not complex, but there is great interaction among Kate, Viv and Didi. The three friends enjoy their happy hours and volunteering in support of LGBTQ fundraising events. The humor and teasing are definitely a plus.

I didn’t care for Kate’s back and forth musings regarding her “summer fling”. She constantly brings up the age difference as a major problem and vacillates between “we can’t have a serious long-term relationship” and “oh, wait maybe we can”. This constant swing is very annoying and takes away the enjoyment a reader could get from this book.

I did enjoy the end of the book. It finally helped to dissolve the anxiety caused by the yoyo of emotions caused by Kate’s insecurities.

I rate this book 3-1/2 stars out of 5.

I was given this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

So, this is my first book by this author and I will definitely look out for her in the future. This book deals with relationships with a substantial age difference. I am a great believer in age is just a number so I was very interested in reading this book.

The two main characters are Kate and Jordan. Kate I would say was mid forties and Jordan maybe mid twenties. Kate comes across as really insecure and damaged by previous relationships. Whereas Jordan is young, free and very open to love. Hey, love can be found in the most unusual places and even when you least expect it. Yes, I'm a romantic at heart. The chemistry between the two is there but Kate is definitely wanting to travel slowly. I guess age gives us more reasons to tread carefully. Oh the benefits of youth.

This book is really well written and has many a funny moment. Kate needs to get out of her head and stop expecting the worst. I feel Jordan is good for her as well. Not everyone is out to hurt you. I think given time these two will find their path and journey it together. Enjoy!


*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2150584798

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2TURFPMFJQRXN/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

[Note: This book was provided free of charge by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

There is a scene in Failure To Launch where the male lead finds himself attacked by an herbivorous lizard and his friends reply that he must be living contrary to nature. This book reminded me that even in a novel with a group of middle-aged lesbians at its core, a book that has very few men in it at all, there will be a strong Nathanish feel to the proceedings, and when no literary fiction is free from being like me, it is probably a sign that one is living contrary to nature. If this novel, some 220 pages in its e-book form, probably close to twice that if read on paper and ink, is any indication, contemporary literary fiction likes relationship drama and exploring people with a high degree of neuroses and insecurities and anxieties who tend to sabotage their own happiness, and in that mix of bad experiences and a combustible mix of fear and longing about intimacy one is going to find characters who are much like me as a person, regardless of the contexts of their lives [1]. Whether this tendency to celebrate the anxious and timid is because such people often become writers or because they are writing for an audience of people like them or both is beyond my own knowledge and expertise.

This novel is an example of literary fiction that deals with the love lives of a group of four lesbians. Through their struggles and difficulties the reader is supposed to have some idea of what is considered to be ideal or problematic within their scene. The protagonist is Kate, an idealistic but deeply cynical lawyer who spends her whole life, it seems, either drinking with her girlfriends or involved in some sort of service on behalf of her community. This includes serving as defense counsel for one of her friends, Viv, who is obsessive about her ex-gf Maia, who broke up because she wanted to settle down and have children. Kate has been single for four years after the breakup of a previous relationship that had lasted a long time and falls for the attractive and much younger Jordan Squire. Meanwhile, her personal assistant/friend is involved in an ambivalent relationship with a married bisexual woman, and complications and drama and lots of drinking inevitably ensue. Will Jordan get her major label recording contract and go to Los Angeles? Will Kate’s insecurities sabotage her relationship? This is a novel with a strong romantic edge, and a celebration of love, but it is also an example of conventions within literary fiction that make their own characters and their neuroses the most serious obstacles to their own happiness. The characters of this novel serve as both protagonists and villains, a complicated task.

There are at least a few lessons this novel can teach its reader. Not everyone will identify with this novel and its near total absence of men, but a certain segment of readers will. Even within this world, though, there is a great deal of drama, some of it at least ostensibly hormonal in nature. These characters are flawed and it is instructive that within the narrow and claustrophobic sapphic community of the novel that there are a few tendencies that are still considered to be daring or outre, namely being interested in people across a wide age gap as well as being interested in both sexes. This novel is an interesting case of the bisexual erasure that occurs within a great deal of queer literature, and a way that even among those who pride themselves on being unconventional there is still conventionality and still ways that people look down on others just as they hate being looked down upon by others. No community or person is immune from being hypocrites, and although there are a great many people who will likely have no interest in the world of this novel or the subculture it represents, there are still powerful moral lessons to be found in the way that love leads people out of their comfort zones and that there are always going to be longings that are considered beyond the pale of acceptability no matter in which communities one finds oneself. It seems such a melancholy lesson for a book that tries so hard to be optimistic about the opportunity for love.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/08/29/book-review-loving-luther/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/05/26/book-review-the-marriage-of-figaro/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/05/26/book-review-the-barber-of-seville/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/03/31/book-review-behind-the-scenes/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/03/16/book-review-treasured-grace/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/11/17/book-review-a-short-time-to-stay-here/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/10/28/book-review-the-same-river/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/10/16/book-review-the-czars-madman/

I did not enjoy this book as much as I was hoping. While the main character Kate came of as whiny her two best friends came across as funny and were the only redeeming thing about this book. As I read this book there were times when I wanted to throw it but every once in a while JC would allow me to catch just how good this book could have been. And after seeing these few nuggets I'm hopeful JC next book will be one I can enjoy reading. Wow but I hate giving a bad review.

3.5 stars. Attorney Kate Randall was badly hurt by her long term partner and as a result won't give her heart away easily. When she meets a much younger woman, Jordan Squire, she is immediately attracted but reluctant to give in. When they start seeing each other it is obvious to the reader that they are made for each other but Kate still resists. I found this quite annoying. Kate isn't the most sympathetic character and I just found her irritating. Her obsession with age was not appealing. Jordan, on the other hand, was lovely and open and ready to be there for Kate. Kate's friends Didi and Viv were the saving grace of this book. They were funny, loyal and the anchor in her life and their antics had me laughing out loud. The odd emotional and romantic moment pulled it back for me.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.

This book was satisfying to complete due almost exclusively to Jordan (whose sweet, talented demeanor was enormously endearing) and the meddling support that was offered by the secondary characters. As a protagonist, Kate was less than desirable, often selfish and uninspiring of empathy or the allowances that one might conventionally allot to a difficult, but worthy figure in a novel. I was left wanting for Jordan and hoped for a resolution other than what is anticipated from a romance. Still, Ms. Copeland's experience as an author was apparent, specifically in the depiction of the difficulties/cultural differences that can arise between individuals in a relationship who are separated by a significant age gap.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I hadn't read this author before, so wasn't sure what to expect. I'm usually
a fan of age gap romances, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. Most of this was due to Kate's character, she annoyed me. A middle aged woman with multiple insecurities who just could not get out of her own way when it came to trusting in her relationship with Jordan. Jordan was a great character, so much so that I thought she should move on and find someone better.

The best friends were also hit and miss. To start with they all acted like the were Jordan's age (or younger to be honest) but some of their dialogue provided a nice counterpoint to waiting for Kate to pull her head out of her ass.

I should also warn those who like to know such things that there are no sex scenes in this one. I don't usually care if a book doesn't have much/any sex in it, but it did seem an odd choice for a book with 'fling' in the title, so if that is going to annoy you, you might want to skip this one.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36012610-summer-fling" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Summer Fling" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1502634431m/36012610.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36012610-summer-fling">Summer Fling</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7729702.Jean_Copeland">Jean Copeland</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2109066766">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This story is partially about three best friends in their late 40's with two of them meddling in the love life (or lack thereof) of the third. When Kate meets Jordan, Viv and Didi can't help but try to play matchmaker. There is humour and romance but I feel that a few cleverly written sex scenes appropriately placed would've enhanced the storyline between the main characters, Kate and Jordan. A pleasant summer read none the less. 3.5 stars.<br />I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

I always thought that lesbian drama was a myth, but you will get plenty of that with Summer Fling. That's not necessarily a bad thing as we meet Kate and her two BFFs Viv and Didi who are hilarious with their lesbian 3 musketeers antics so full of snarky dialogue while getting into all kinds of screwball adventures together. Enter Jordan, a suave and talented singer/guitar player, and a lusty romance explodes between her and Kate. Their romance seems to be perfect, but what begins as normal angst for Kate regarding their age difference and trust issues turns into an obsession in trying to find ways to preemptively dump Jordan. I get the fear of being heartbroken, but Kate ruminates over this for far too many pages that I just got tired of the whining. Especially since Jordan was true to her word about her intentions to make it work. It was very difficult to root for Kate to win Jordan's heart after the way she treats her throughout the book. The overall story is polished and I laughed several times at Didi and Viv's shenanigans, but I just couldn't convince myself to like Kate all that much.

3 1/2 Stars. This is the second book I have read by Copeland. I must admit, I did not care for The Second Wave. Too many flashbacks and the story never got there for me. I'm happy to say this book was much better for me. I still had some issues with this book, and I'll discuss it below, but overall it was a more enjoyable reading experience.

This is an age-gap love story between Kate and Jordan. Kate is jaded and happily set in her single life. Jordan is younger, carefree and willing to fall in love. Is there a chance these two can make it work, or will their age difference drive them apart?

I have to admit, at the beginning of the book I was not impressed. Kate and her two best friends, Didi and Viv, are suppose to be in their late 40's. But for the first few chapters I felt like I was reading about teenagers. The book was not working for me at all. Then the dialog really changes. It gets better, and I actually really appreciated the best friends in this story. They ended up being great secondary characters and gave the book a does of humor it needed.

Now on to the main characters Jordan and Kate. Jordan, is a sweetheart. Even though we are not in her head space at all, her personality radiates through her character. Jordan is the type of character you would like to know or date IRL, she was well written. Kate on the other hand, is a piece of work. She can not get out of her head for the entire book. I don't remember such a self sabotaging character in a long time. There is plenty of times I wanted to yell, "Jordan run away, find someone else!" I would like to say that I warmed up to Kate at the end. I don't know if that was the case, but I think I finally accepted who she is and just wanted her to finally be happy.

When it came to the intimate scenes, they were all fade to black. I don't have to have steamy sex scenes in all my reads, but I think it could have been useful here. The characters do have chemistry together, but I think sex scenes would have helped to really show how their connection was growing.

Not a perfect book by any means, but I mostly enjoyed it. The secondary characters really helped the book along for me. If you are looking for an age-gap romance, with a little humor, this book might be for you.

An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.

Summer Fling explores the highs and lows of age-gap relationships. Kate Randall enjoys watching her two best friends navigate the dating world but has no interest in the chase thanks to a painful breakup in her own long-term relationship. Tired of watching her wallow in self pity, Didi and Viv drag Kate to a pride event featuring the young and talented Jordan Squire. Kate is drawn to the magnetic singer and Jordan proves to be just as attracted to Kate. Jordan is unfazed with their seventeen-year age difference but Kate can’t accept that what they have together is anything more than a summer fling.

Kate is her own worse enemy in this romance. She is a bundle of insecurities. Rather than embrace this new chance at love she worries about being abandoned or betrayed once again. She feels self conscious around her young lover. She is more concerned with what others think of them as a couple than how her negative attitude impacts Jordan. Her pity party of one blinds her to everything Jordan is offering her, namely love and commitment.

Despite Kate’s insecurities there is a lot of humour and some great dialogue in this novel. I enjoyed the light-hearted banter and sarcastic commentary between Kate and her two best friends. There is nothing so blunt and honest as a lifetime girlfriend. They might meddle and force you to admit you are being a fool but they are there for you through good times and bad. The relationship between these three old friends helped to lighten the mood and offset Kate’s insecurities.

I did have an problem with the frequent fade to black love scenes. I don’t always need a step by step guide to a couple’s lovemaking but in a novel like this, when one lover is struggling to accept that the other finds her attractive or desirable a bit more detail might have made their connection feel more real to the reader. I admit to skimming repetitive sex scenes in other novels but with all her fears and trepidation, we needed to see Kate in the arms of Jordan.

ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.

First of all neither the cover not the title and the synopsis must be taken into account for consider reading this book . This story is much more than a summer fling and a bunch of cocktails. Is a story about insecurities at maturity, insecurities after a long time relationship failure, insecurities at facing changes in a settled life. But this books presents all this stressful situations in a very lively and fun way. The three main characters are long time friends that have had each other backs along their lives. All three have very different personalities but have in common a very useful sense of humor and wit. The current state of their lives puts them in a kind of crossroad each in her own case, but the book mainly focus on the story of Kate. I have enjoyed a lot with the amusing cases, some really bizarre ones, the banter between the three friends, their high level of friendship that allows them to make fun of their drama. This has been a really refreshing and fulfilling read, that I recommend enormously.

I was immediately attracted to the premise of Summer Fling,I have never read a book by Jean Copeland, so I was pretty excited,.
Unfortunately this book was a let down.I found kate the heroine too immature,she didin't act at all like someone in her forties,she was really getting on my nerves.Her and Jordan were cute I would I like if this book concentrate more on them.

First book I've read by this author. The premise sounded like something I might like.

I didn't really get into this. While I liked the main couple, Kate's friends were a lot to take and Kate herself turned more and more unlikeable throughout the book. By the time she went totally off the rails I was rooting for Jordan to run far away.

The writing annoyed me as well, but I can't put my finger on what exactly it was.

Shoddier editing job than is BSB's standard, hopefully this will be tackled before final product is put out

I do love a good May-December romance which is why I was drawn to this book. Not to mention a sexy musician.

I enjoyed the storyline and found it entertaining most of the time. I did find Kate to be a kill joy though as she was always negative and rarely did she seem happy. This was a struggle because of course Jordan was perfect and it was difficult to see what Jordan saw in Kate. I just would have liked a better balance of the good and the bad (unsure).

This book didn’t go into much detail with the sex scenes, I thought it was done well where it felt like you were fading out of scene instead of some books I have read where it just goes black which makes you feel like you’re missing a page. This wasn’t the case in this book for me.

Kate’s friend Didi and Vivienne were entertaining if not a little crass at times. The interactions did get a little repetitive in the end.

I really enjoyed this book – it was well written and the characters had great chemistry. All characters, the main ones and the minor characters were well developed and worked great together. The struggle withe age difference Kate had seemed genuine and her actions, even though kind of stupid, but I could still see why she did it. Their struggle and fight seemed real and I liked that Jordan didn’t forgive her that easily. The airport scene could have been corny but the author made the right the decision with the way she handled it and it seemed more realistic that way. The friendship between Kate, Viv and Didi have seemed strong and how a real friendship would or should be – to stand by each other and support each other.

It was a great book and I highly recommend it!