The Summer of '98 is the perfect quick summer read. Tay Marley builds a world that feels like stepping into a time machine and landing at the beginning of the summer of 1998. The story revolves around Ellie and Leroy, chronicling their relationship from the very beginning to their perfect ending. I enjoyed the balance of romance and the sensitive approach to mature topics. Ellie and Leroy's relationship is the star of this book, taking readers through the ups and downs of new young love. I wished that the conflict would have come a little sooner in the novel, but I did enjoy the time spent on building the nuances of Ellie and Leroy's relationship.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. To start I was having trouble getting into it at first but then it took off. It was a slow build, but in the kind of way that you don’t even realize it happening until you’re so enthralled in the story and characters that it’s like your there. The characters were of a wide variety of personalities so that keep it very interesting from all points of view. I
Would definitely recommend this book for Anyone who loved YA romance. I would also 100% read any other books this author publishes.

Ellie and Leroy become quickly entwined when the start college at Baylor. While they have a passionate one-night stand, the two can't stay apart. Leroy pushes for more and Ellie has reservations, but wants him too. However, at this early time in their life, the timing just doesn't feel right. Is what they have passion or life-long love?

The love story was quick and instantaneous. I never really got to know or like the main characters. The plot arc was obvious. The setting did not feel realistic and it is easy to feel that the author is not from the US.

I was cheesing so hard while reading this. It’s very rare that a fictional couple seizes my heart from the very first page but Ellie and Leroy did just that. Their story is one I couldn’t get enough of and one that made me cry and laugh simultaneously from pure happiness.

I think Tay did a great job of bringing the setting and characters to life in a way that made me as a reader feel a part of Ellie and Leroy’s journey. It’s one I adore with all my heart and will recommend as one of my favorite love stories.

I also love how precise the time period of the novel was. Set in the 90s, I think the author did a phenomenal job of bringing it to life with her detailed descriptions of the clothing, visual settings, and music. I also really liked the writing style, it made for a very fast and engaging read.

Overall I would recommend to anyone looking for a sweet, wholesome and romantic teen love story that is reminiscent of many favorite 90s movies.

I tried for months to get into this book. Unfortunately, I was not able to get into the writing style and characters. And it's not that it was bad, just not my cup of tea. The synopsis looked very good. I'll try again toward the end of the year to see if I can get into it, but for now I have to file it as a DNF. For what I did read, I'd give the book 3 stars; okay, but not the book for me.

This was such a fun story, Im a sucker for a romance book and this one was perfect! I can't wait to read more from Tay Marley!

Content: Gobs of sex and swearing, mature themes.
18+ (Maybe older)
I received an arc of this book through netgalley.

So, first the good things. The writing was good. There were some decent parental role models. It takes place the year my oldest son was born. That's...yeah, that's pretty much it.

I seem to be in the minority from the reviews I've read, but I really, really hate this book. Why? Well. My dad's name is Lee. And that's just creepy. But also:

The setting was weird. I graduated from high school in 1995. But the constant references to 90's bands was annoying.

No mother who was THAT worried about her daughter being sexually active would allow her to spend the summer at the home of a boy she had never met. Trust me on this one.

Leroy is controlling at some times and spineless at others. Noah is an unspeakable. Cass is a jumbo sized moron. Ellie is desperate. It's sad.

Here comes an unpopular opinion, but shouldn't the father of a child, especially one that the mother professes to LOVE, be involved in the conversation about how to proceed after an unplanned pregnancy is unearthed? I get that he's the chicken and she's the pig in that breakfast feast, but come on.

The whole epic love thing just fell flat. I didn't pick up on a real emotional connection between Leroy and Ellie. There appeared to be a pretty strong physical connection, though. And by that I mean: This book seems like it was written as an excuse to write teen sex. I hated it. This was a big fat DNF for me. I rarely fail to finish arc's because I feel obligated to read the whole thing in order to write an accurate review. And I tried. But...just...no way.

I’m surprised this book was YA to be completely honest. I was a little thrown off for how descriptive the book was for a younger audience. I’ve read adult rom-com books that were less descriptive than what the author Tay Marley had chosen to write. On the other hand, I loved the characters; how relatable they were and how supportive Marley made them when Ellie and Leroy’s summer plans turn around when they found out that at eighteen they are about to become parents after having been together for one night. I'm hooked on the series now and am excited to go back and read the first book: The QB Bad Boy and Me.

Tay Marley is a new author to me but that’s about to change because after reading The Summer of 98 I can’t understand why I haven’t come across this author before now.
This is a sweet easy to read book that I believe is the prequel to book one and its Drayton’s patents Ellie and Leroy’s story. The Summer of 98 follows Ellie and Leroy when they they go on a summer of crazy adventures through Colorado but it’s not just the fun times there are plenty of heartfelt moments in this great read. This is a couple who conquered all the twist and turns that teenage love threw in their way and a couple that made it to adulthood still together.this book really shows us that love is strong and love conquers all if we just give it a chance and believe.

“The Summer of ‘98” by Tay Marley is a tender instant connection young adult romance about a rich football jock falling for the timid girl from the wrong side of the tracks. A sweet and sometimes predictable story of young love and the realities of life.

Blurb: Leroy and Ellie unexpectedly meet at a party and have an insta-love meet cute. Only a month later Ellie travels to Denver to spend time with Leroy and falls in love with not only Leroy, but his family. Both are faced with tough choices and new responsibilities. Can love blossom with so many indecisions?

This couple is almost too perfect. The first half of this book was mostly about falling in love and the development of a short term relationship. The angst is minimal and their isn’t much tension to propel the story forward. Even though I loved this couple, I didn’t really get to the good stuff until the book was almost completely over. An adorable couple, but the plot really fell flat for me.

This was a cute, easy-to-read love story! I haven't read the first book, The QB Bad Boy and Me, of which this is the prequel. I'm sure if you're a fan of that book, you will most definitely like this one and enjoy the connections and nods to the original, which is about Ellie and Leroy's son.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of the "love at first sight" trope because I never find it to be too realistic, but in this book, I thought it worked. Tay Marley also has a nice flow style to her writing that makes it easy to understand what's going on and visualize the scene. Ellie and Leroy aren't the most fleshed-out characters, in my opinion, but I liked their chemistry together and I thought they had several cute scenes. I also enjoyed the '90s references!

Overall, this is a cute YA read for those looking for an easy summer book.

**I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Thank you NetGalley, Wattpad Books and Tay Marley for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
This is technically book number 1 in a series, but written second. I have not read the book following this one, though, so I had no idea what to expect.
I really wanted to like this book. I always enjoy good YA/NA books and the plot of this one had me instantly interested. I just couldn’t get over the excessive sex talk. I found myself distracted and uncomfortable because I just kept thinking... these are teens. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no prude. I was a teen once, too, but now at 25 I’m just not interested in reading that kind of stuff! I DNF after a few chapters because I just really was into it!

I had such a hard time reading this one. The relationship was not developed and also moved at too quick a pace. Ellie and Leroy show their immaturity with how they handle all types of situations. Many of which were their own making. Leroy was better than Ellie though. Right from the start they would promise their parents one thing and they go and do what they promised not too with no or very little regard. Thus said, I just couldn't like the characters or even secondary ones which were just as bad. I know it was supposed to be 1998 but other than a few plugged in references it could have been current.

I mostly read mystery/thrillers, but I'm working on branching out a bit this year and trying to read more romance and women's fiction. When I read this synopsis it really intrigued me, and I am so glad that I picked it up! I read this book in 12 hours tops, I literally just couldn't put it down. I loved Elle and Leroy's relationship so much! I am super excited to more from this author!

I was a huge fan of Wattpad books for the majority of my high school years which was 2012-2015. This book, The Summer of '98, read exactly like a Wattpad book used to read and I don't know if that is necessarily a good or bad thing. When I've read Wattpad books that ended up being published, they felt like real novels. This book however still felt like I was sitting in front of my laptop at 2am before I had to get up for school the next morning. It felt rushed and not fleshed out entirely. Almost as if the story didn't know where to start, where to go, or where to end. I did however, enjoy the overall plot. I really liked Leroy and Ellie and their love story a lot even if it seem a bit extreme at times. I just didn't like most of the other things including all of the family drama and the random time jumps. I get why those things were included they didn't work for me though.

This was a sweet YA read. It’s the story of Drayton’s parents. Ellie and Leroy are so cute & it was fun to have a story set in the 90s with the music, the fashion, the innocence. Great cast of supporting characters with both family and friends. A really enjoyable story.

This novel is about a girl named Eli and a guy named Leroy. Elie and Leroy meet at a Fraternity party. It was totally love at first sight with them. Leroy and Eli aren't from the same place tho.(life wise and hometown wise) Which can make things a little hard but they make it work. Then once summer break comes Eli goes to visite Leroy and his family for the summer. Will this work out for them?


I totally LOVED this book. Predictable but it was good. I couldn't stop reading. The relationship between Elie and Leroy is soo beautiful and portrays the perfect saying of love at first sight. They have an awesome bond. I really enjoyed all the characters. I loved the happy ending. This book was so realistic like it could totally happen to anyone. Made me think of those hallmark movies. I also loved all the late 90's vibe. My favourite character was Eli. She was soo sweet and naive and had killer style in clothes and music. My lease favourite was her momma.

I recommend this book to people that enjoy books with the genre of teen romance.

I would like to say thank you to NetGalley, Tay Marley and Wattpad Books for giving me the change to read and review this book.

#TheSummerof98 #NetGalley

Sweet, easy read.
I loved the first book in this series, so I was so excited to read the prequel story of Drayton's parents. The book was cute and I enjoyed how much Leroy and Ellie loved each other and that even when things were tough, their relationship didn't waver.

I think knowing what would happen made the story less exciting and I was just waiting for the big news to hit. Once it did, I was able to get into the plot more and see how Ellie and Leroy dealt with everything. I didn't like Noah's character, he never seemed real and he was pretty abusive toward Cass. I can't remember if he's in the first book, so I may need a reread to check. I did love Leroy's parents and how supportive they were. They weren't happy about their eighteen year old son having a child, but they helped out so much so that he could raise his kids and pursue his dreams.

I liked this book and now I'm itching to reread the first book! I need Drayton and Dallas in my life again!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it in one sitting which shocked me because I was expecting at least 2 sittings but I just became so attached to the characters. The relationship between Ellie and Leroy was so cute and we had some sexy scenes which is always a bonus in books in my opinion.

For me personally, it was kinda weird reading a book that takes place in the late '90s as I'm a 2000's baby so I didn't get all the references and would get so excited when I would get a reference.

It's also kinda weird seeing them as teens as I've already seen them as parents because of reading The QB Bad Boy and Me and that story is about there son. So I already knew how their story went but it was still very fun seeing it versus hearing about it.

overall I liked this story and I don't have much more to say

This book was so good. I did not read the first book at the time I found this one so I made sure to go and read that first and man did that make this book hard. I love everything about Ellie and Leroy and all the other wonderful characters.

It was so fun to go back a see where everything began.

I just have to say Leroy is probably one of my favorite male characters I have ever read. Having read the first book and knowing how things played out for the Lehay family was emotional and heartbreaking.

They are such a great books though so definitely worth it in the end.

**I was generously provided with an advanced readers copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review