I knew I was in for a treat when I felt my favorite sort of uncontrollable, dopey, lovesick smile spread across my face early on in this story. Novellas are a sort of hit-or-miss thing for me, but Shannon Stacey lured me right in and kept my heart on board for the entire ride. So this one? Definitely a hit.

The chemistry between Noah and Carly was captured just right: first trading warm friendly banter that quickly sparks with heat in a way that was so satisfyingly flirty. They were adorable together, teasing and playful and a complete joy to read about. And, because this was a friends-to-lovers story, the fast pace of their relationship rang true for me. I didn't struggle to connect, because their connection was in their shared history and I felt that immediately. Something in the way this is written just smoothed out all the pointy edges I usually catch on, and I smiled my way through (almost) the whole darn thing.

One Summer Weekend is a fast, fun, fantastic read. I genuinely loved these characters and their story. The writing was engaging and the storytelling sucked me right in and this was just the sort of sweetly satisfying romance that I'd been craving. Definitely looking forward to more from this new series!

ONE SUMMER WEEKEND is a sweet and breezy friends to lovers fake dating romance from reliable contemporary favorite Shannon Stacey. Noah's been spinning stories of his girlfriend (using details of lifelong best friend Carly for realism) to avoid being set up with the sister of his boss's fiance. This comes back to bite him when Carly is expected at said boss's wedding on the Cape. Cue a summery weekend adventure in which all your favorite fake dating tropes (there was a mix-up with the reservation and oh no, now we have to share a bed) make an appearance.

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This was a short, cute novel that was a very fast read. I liked seeing these two characters realize that they are more than just best friends, even though they were fighting their feelings hard core. The writing to me seemed a bit stilted in places, and instead of FEELING the characters, it was more like a narration of what they were doing. But overall, I did enjoy this book, and I've enjoyed Shannon Stacey in the past, so I'm excited to see whats in store for her next!

One Summer Weekend by Shannon Stacey is an enjoyable novella. Thank you to NetGalley, Carina Press and Shannon Stacey for the advance reader copy.

Noah talks his best friend Carly into being his fake girlfriend for his boss's wedding in Cape Cod and the weekend of pretend dating ends up revealing some very real feelings. Knowing Noah's dating patterns and aversion to marriage, Carly begins to worry that the weekend away has ruined their friendship forever. However, Noah sees this as an opportunity to explore a greater relationship and he'll have to convince Carly that the weekend away was the best thing that could've happened to them.

With a limited word count Shannon Stacey did a great job of making readers feel invested in Noah and Carly's friendship with sprinkles of backstory throughout the novella.

Noah and Carly have been best friends forever so when Noah needs a fake fiance asking Carly seems like the perfect choice. They know each other so well that they don't even need to come up with much of a cover story. However they didn't think it through when they realize that they have to act romantic. Then the only hotel room they can get has one king sized bed. Fun friends to lovers romance.

4 stars
Two things I love. 1- Shannon Stacey's books and 2- friends turned lover books! And this one has both! Noah and Carly have been friends their whole life. All it takes is a wedding at the Cape for their true feelings to come to light. I thought this story was a fun and light read. I enjoyed it in one sitting.

A fun quick read from Shannon Stacey. I breezed through it in one sitting, and enjoyed getting to know Noah and Carly. I liked that he felt he had to confess at the end of it all.

”Because I’m your best friend.”
“Why do we keep saying that like it’s the reason we shouldn’t be together? That doesn’t even make sense. It’s the reason we should be together.

Stacey’s new “Cedar Street” series is off to a good start with ONE SUMMER WEEKEND. This friends-to-lovers trope first entry is such a lighthearted read! I could practically feel the chemistry between Carly and Noah from the start - they were such a fit for one another. And I was not only talking about their smexy times, but more to how comfortable these two together from the get go. Plot-wise, this might not be something new in romance book. Yet the good vibe made for an enjoyable read throughout the pages.

It might be the right time at the place for me picking up this title that it’s so easy to dive into the story. Each characters introduced - be it main and supporting - were were far from annoying. Carly and Noah were such a hoot individually and together. The dialogues were amusing and touching. Even on scenes between the sheets, the two never failed to get snort of amusement out of me.

If I may point any issue in this novella, it’s the word counts that consequently affecting the overall pace and made the story ended too soon. Yet in general this is already a winner for me and a recommended feel-good read for your summer!


Copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

All it takes is one summer weekend to ignite the spark between this pair of lifelong best friends. It’s a novella that wastes no time getting to the heart of the relationship, and this short and sweet book manages to pack quite a bit into such a quick read. The story follows Noah as he is getting ready to attend his boss’s wedding. The only problem? In an effort to avoid an awkward setup at work, he’s been pretending that his best friend Carly is actually his girlfriend. She is the most important woman in his life, and he definitely loves her... he just isn’t IN love with her. When he convinces Carly to attend the wedding and play the role of girlfriend, this pair starts to see each other in a new light - Noah’s favorite tomboy is showing off her legs in dresses, and they’re expected to look like they’re in love. It doesn’t take long for them to question why they’ve never felt this spark before, and they (laughably) try to apply the old Vegas mentality to the weekend - what happens in the Cape, stays in the Cape.

I loved the history between these two - it’s obvious that they’ve been an important part of each other’s lives for years, and neither one denies that they love each other. There’s a solid foundation to build on, but they’re worried about damaging the most important relationship in both of their lives. The writing is great, the situation is realistic, and both of the characters are 100% relatable. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is a sweet and sexy read that’s easily read in a few hours but feels like a full story.