A quick read and good to get you out of a slump. I received this book as an eARC and it kind of felt like a story I’d heard before. It was still good don’t get me wrong, I just don’t think it was anything groundbreaking.

This book wasn't my favorite. I did finish it and it was a quick storyline. I just couldn't connect with it.

I really enjoyed Leroy and everything that happend with him, his friends and familiy. But the chemistry and relationship with Ellie felt wierd and awkward, a little boring to be honest.

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

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

After reading and enjoying, "The QB Bad Boy and Me", I knew I would have to pick this book up as it's somewhat of a prequel being the story of Drayton's parents. With that being said, I think these books can be read as standalones and you do not need to read one to enjoy the other.

This was a good read but I wouldn't say that I had the same level of enjoyment that I had while reading "The QB Bad Boy and Me". This could be because it has been so long since I read the original book or the fact that this story involves my least favourite trope. Even though this story does centre around my least favourite trope, I think in respect to that it was handled well.

This was a good read that would be a nice fit for summer days out by the pool or on the beach.

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Love you Tay Marley and everything you write!! Found this author in wattpad and I am so glad I did. this part of a prequel to another one of her great books. Love this book!!

The Summer of '98 was an okay book. There were parts that were good and parts that were just meh. It was a sweet and somewhat predictable story that features a life for the characters that faced obstacles and tough decisions to make. When it comes with all books, I really struggle with "insta-love". Not only do Leroy and Ellie fall quick, but both characters just seemed to be really immature. Overall, the book was average- not bad but not great.

I did not realize when I requested this book that it was part of a larger series and was originally published on Wattpad. I tried reading this but couldn't get into it and I didn't want to spend time reading the other books connected to these characters.

This books is full on nostalgia for me. Anyone who grew up and can remember where they were that summer will automatically have a special place in their heart for this one.

I didn't realize at first that this is a prequel and I hadn't read the 1st one so these characters were new to me. You definitely don't need to have read the 1st one though. I truly enjoyed this love story. I loved Ellie and Leroy and it definitely makes me want to read more about their story. It was very sweet and definitely a love at first sight story. It was fairly predictable but the story was good enough for me to see it as sweet rather than boring. Overall, it was a good read.

This was fun for me to read because I was a teen during 1998. The references to the 90's were really fun. It was a quick book to read and I now want to read the book it was a prequel for!

Such a good book. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I will be sharing this title with family and friends

I loved The QB Bad Boy and was so happy to see that a prequel was available for Drayton's parents.

Ellie and Leroy were such a delight to get to know in this one. I loved Ellie's background and how she came to accept Leroy's life.

There is heartache to be expected here but what we recieve is such a breath of fresh air. Add in some football and summer nights and you have a swoon-worthy tale of two people doing what is natural, falling in love.

Thank you Wattpad books for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Wattpad Books for an advanced copy of this book. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

"Sometimes home isn’t a place, it’s a person. From the moment their eyes met, Ellie knew he would be her destiny"

The Summer of 98 by Tay Marley is a story about young love, mistakes and family. Ellie and Leroy meet at a party and instantly hit it off. They instantly start dating and decide to spend the summer together at Leroy's family home. The couple has a lot to learn about each other and themselves in order to make the relationship last.

This book is considered a prequel to The QB Bad Boy and Me one of Tay Marley's previous works. I have not read QB Bad Boy but did not find this inhibited my ability to understand the story as the main characters in this story are the main characters parents in the first novel. However, I do think that reading the first book might have allowed me to develop a stronger attachment to these characters.

If you are looking for a happy-go-lucky love story with zero conflict and perfect characters then this is the book for you. For the most part I enjoy insta-love romances, however, this book was just too quick for me. Ellie and Leroy meet in the introduction and within two chapters (and a time jump) are officially together and visiting each other over the summer. I didn't find the situation very believable, especially since Ellie's mom was so strict throughout the series, I can't imagine her ever letting her daughter travel to see this boy that she hooked up with at a party.

Even if I suspend my disbelief, the book was still rather dry. Although the moments between the two characters were cute and I enjoyed the side characters, nothing really happened until the end. The couple had no arguments or issues and it was quite boring to read about since there was no drama. I love reading about healthy relationships but if they don't have any obstacles to overcome there is only so much to write about. And even when the giant secret was revealed (which is pretty obvious from the start), the characters shut themselves off from each other and had little to no conversation. This was the only real moment of conflict in the story and overall I don't think it was handled very well. Characters got over things very quickly without any real conversation.

Overall, this book was a let down for me which is why it got a rating of 2 stars. I found the writing to be decent and I did enjoy the characters so I would consider reading more from this author in the future. The plot just wasn't there for me. I do think fans of contemporary romances stories would enjoy her writing and this book, especially if they are looking from something on the lighthearted side.

Check out the book on amazon if you are interested!

It was love at first sight for both Ellie and Leroy. But is maintaining a relationship as easy as falling in love? Ellie and Leroy will have to go through miles before they can even commit a forever. From summer fling to long distance relationship, from spending only a week together to life altering decision. Can Ellie and Leroy survive all this?

Review-

I really like the cute first meet at a party love story. From the very first encounter Ellie and Leroy feel the connection and they knew it was once in a lifetime chemistry.

Characters are really well developed. From being innocent, shy to being responsible as situation changes characters also matured. Ellie and Leroy both have a distinctive characteristic and cuteness that you keep wanting more of them.

Emotionally this book keeps you hooked. You feel the loneliness of Ellie, love of Leroy, anger of Ellie's mother, jealousy of Noah. This book is a masterpiece when it comes to feeling and emotions.

But I felt the story is quite slow paced. I feel it could have been shorten up or more twists & turns could be added to the story. I felt author could have added some more situation so that the characters could have more dimension.

This book was so cute! I really enjoyed the story, and I think there was a great balance of romance/smutty scenes. It wasn't the best work I've ever read, and the story was very predictable, but I really enjoyed it and it put a big smile on my face.

I was in graduate school and not high school in the summer of '98, but this book still brought back memories from my favorite decade. What a fun read!!

**some plot spoilers below**


TW: teen pregnancy, contemplating abortion, unsupportive parent.


This was a sweet YA story about young love and navigating life. I haven't read many books that handle teen pregnancy with such care. It wasn't meant to be a cautionary tale of having unprotected sex and the consequences of getting pregnant like many teen pregnancy stories are.

The author didn't create a story of shame, but rather of resilience. So often do stories isolate the heroine to shame her and put the burden of figuring it out on her. While the author still allowed Ellie self autonomy and choice, she still created Leroy's character to be supportive and not pushy. He had a very kind reaction and allowed Ellie time and space to sort through her emotions.

Ellie's mom didn't react well and pressured her into choosing abortion or adoption, but Ellie made the decision to keep her baby even without her mom's help. Leroy's parents also didn't place shame on Ellie and offered her support and a home in whatever decision she made. Again, stories often don't offer this healthy storyline and I found it to be refreshing.

I ended this story with my heart warmed. Finally a story with a supportive and loving hero, supportive set of parents, and a success story of being young parents.

There is a stereotype that teens and young parents will undoubtedly fail and this is harmful. This model and expectation already sets young parents up for failure. I believe there should be more supportive stories like this ❤️

**Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC of Summer of '98!

I was so excited to see that Tay Marley was releasing this book. I had JUST finished the QB Bad and Me and LOVED IT SO MUCH!
First of all, I"m a 90's girl myself. I graduated in '99 so I absolutely LOVED the 90's references in this one (the music, the fashion, all of it). It took me back to high school and that was so fun. Honestly, it was probably my favorite thing about the book.

I loved the story of Ellie and Leroy. They meet while Leroy was on a college visit. It is a quick love, but Ellie spends the summer with Leroy at his home in Colorado. They are a super cute a sweet couple. I enjoyed their families and friend characters as well. This book was full of summer adventures, also some challenges, but overall I liked this book. Definitely recommend!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that this is Drayton's parents story. I can't wait to read more from this author!

The Summer of '98 is a romance about young love. Tay Marley writes such a sweet story about to young adults falling head over heels for each other during the summer of '98. Ellie and Leroy are adorable together and I was captivated by this book from the very beginning.

Ellie is a young woman who just graduated high school. She goes to a local frat party to celebrate with her best friend. She locks eyes with a charming young man named Leroy. They instantly hit it off. Although she is inexperienced, she feels an undeniable attraction to him and they spend the night together.

The story picks up a few months later. Ellie is on her way to Colorado to spend the summer with Leroy and his family. When they are together, they feel like the only two people in the room. Their parents are skeptical about this relationship knowing that they are young, but Leroy's parents begin to notice that they may be the real deal.

Although this was a quick love story, I liked that they spent the summer together because they got to know each other better. I didn't think it was rushed because they did spend almost every moment together. I liked that Tay Marley allowed readers to get to know Leroy's family and friends. Noah, Cass, and Leroy's parents were great supporting characters that helped these two always find their way back to each other.

I thought it was refreshing to read about Ellie's mom. She is always supportive and stricter than most and I think this added a genuine nature to the book. I felt like this made the book more real and raw, especially after Ellie and Leroy's relationship becomes more permanent.

I give The Summer of '98 4 stars. Although this was my first time reading Tay Marley, I loved the easy to read writing style and sweet characters. This is a love at first sight romance that is tested as the story progresses yet it highlighted the beauty of young love.