Paisley is looking forward to being a first-time camp counselor at Camp Starling after attending the camp every summer. But when she gets the news that her mom is selling the beloved camp which holds so many memories of Paisley’s father, and that they are moving to Wyoming with her mom’s boyfriend, Dave, Paisley starts to dread her last summer at Camp Starling. Adding to her problems is Hayden, trouble-maker from school and newest camp counselor.

The Matchbreaker Summer is an adorable coming-of-age story about learning to accept change and moving forward as one grows up. Paisley sees everything in black and white and has little patience for Dave, who is ruining her life, or Hayden, who is getting to be a counselor even though he broke the rules. However, Paisley finds herself confiding in Hayden since she can’t talk to her best friend about the move. He suggests they break up her mom and Dave so they won’t move or have to sell the camp. What starts as a bad idea bringing the pair together, develops into friendship and a first crush.

Being a young adult romance, there is some teen drama. Paisley has hit the point in her life where she’s realizing someone she always considered a friend may not really be a friend. But she’s also realizing that people can change and still remain close. I found myself slightly annoyed with the drama, but honestly, it’s very lightweight and mostly a positive story. I liked that the characters have moments of maturity and are able to talk things through.

After thinking that I’d not really care one way or another about The Matchbreaker Summer, I ended up really enjoying it. The author did a good job of getting me to connect to Paisley, even though she was a bit of a teen idiot at first. The more I got to know her and the other characters, the more I connected and wanted to see the story through to the end. Yes, the overall outcome is a bit predictable, but the journey getting there isn’t, and I enjoyed it. I loved the coming-of-age and growth of Paisley. I loved seeing these kids communicate and seeing understanding dawn on them. In the end, it was a fun journey. Even though the MCs are teens, the story is innocent and young and appropriate for middle-grade readers and up.

My Rating: B

3.5 stars.

What should you do when your mom is willing to sacrifice everything you know to move with her new boyfriend? That is the question Paisley Manning finds herself forced to answer when her mom suddenly announces not only that her boyfriend is moving, but also that both of them will be going with him. As a result, the camp that Paisley’s late father helped build–and that Paisley loves–will have to be sold to accommodate the impending move.

It’s her last summer at Camp Seabrook (called Camp Starling throughout the novel) and Paisley decides that the best course of action is to team up with rule-breaker Hayden Bennett in an attempt to break up her mother’s happy relationship. No relationship, no move. What could possibly go wrong?

The Matchbreaker Summer is a young adult coming-of-age story that teaches readers lessons about being true to oneself, the importance of honest communication, and the acceptance of necessary change. This novel was a quick and easy read for me, and the overall plot arcs were pretty darn cute. My main complaint is that I think it was marketed to the wrong audience.

The book is labeled as young adult, with the main characters being 16, but both the writing and the story would have much better fit characters who were younger in age. While I could believe that Hayden and the other camp counselors were 16, Paisley’s character struck me as strangely immature. Her motivations and actions didn’t seem aligned with her age, and I kept finding myself imagining she was around 13 years old instead. There are admittedly several times where her more mature aspects come out, but that also happens with younger teens as well, so I do think her character still would have worked better if she were of younger age.

That being said, I very much appreciated the commitment to emphasizing the importance of open communication to avoid/solve problems. The adults in this book (aside from the select few) were actually very supportive and caring, which is kind of unusual for YA contemporary novels. I wish more books had healthier depictions of adult-teen relationships like this one.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This has all the makings of a great book and teens probably will love it, but it was far too angsty for my taste.

Paisley is a sixteen-year-old teenager who is really passionate about everything she does. This includes the summer camp that her mother runs. She loves following the rules and hates everyone who doesn’t like to follow them. Hayden is like her arch nemesis because he did something that Paisley did not like. However both of them discovered that maybe they could work together, especially if it could help Paisley by making her mother break up with her boyfriend. Let’s just say that love is in the air and our main characters definitely did not include that part in their calculations.

I got serious Camp Rock minus the all-the-time singing feels from ”The Matchbreaker Summer” and absolutely adored it. This novel is a cute and fast paced Romance book for young adults.

Paisley’s entire character is changing for a 180 degree turn as she definitely doesn’t want the Camp to close. She blames her mothers’s boyfriend for this radical plan and can’t understand how her mom could close something that belonged to Paisleys father. I liked the fact that the reader gets to see the motivation behind Paisleys change of character and how she deals with it. It certainly isn’t the right way to deal with it like she does but it shows us again that no one is perfect and that we all have flaws.

The book definitely had more potential than what it showed in the end, which is why I ”only” gave it a 4-star rating. ”The Matchbreaker Summer” is a great read for the summer and will definitely be a fun read for younger YA readers (15-16 year-old).

I have a soft spot for books set at a summer camp, especially YA contemporary with a splash of romance. Add in opposites attract and a plot to break up a relationship and I knew this was a book I wanted to read. And it was okay. I think a different ending or longer ending would've increased my enjoyment of this book enormously. It felt unfinished without an epilogue or a flash forward scene at the end to see where the characters are.

This is definitely a younger YA book. The characters are 15-16 and more immature, exactly what you would expect from the age range. I don't say this as a negative, it isn't. I just think it's an important distinction as there are a lot of books with 17-18 year old characters that are much more mature. What you see if what you get with this one. I loved the summer camp setting, the emotionality of the characters with their backgrounds and the loss they experienced. Paisley is dealing with her mom moving on with another man after her father dies and wants to move and sell the summer camp that was the lifeblood of the family. Hayden is dealing with his brother's death and probably some sort of ADHD symptoms that weren't being managed well.

Again, I go back to needing more from the ending. I would've rated this higher if the ending was more explanatory, it just felt like it ended prematurely for the story line.

**Thank you to Underlined and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

Another sweet romantic comedy this week and I’m loving this little lighthearted break I’ve been taking. This book is about summer camp, first loves, and change. Paisley sees her life going in a certain path, but a new love for her mom sends their family in a new direction, one she doesn’t want to travel.

Rains does a great job of pulling the reader into this sweet story of loss, love, and understanding. It's a sweet coming of age set within the two weeks of summer camp. While the book is not necessarily a HEA, it is hopeful and open-ended for life to create a new path, one that doesn’t have to be 100% changed.

Here is a playlist I created to go with this read:

“I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” - Britney Spears
“A Change Would Do You Good” - Sheryl Crow
“If You Were Here” - Poe
“Crush” - Mandy Moore
“Summer Love” - Justin Timberlake
“Kiss You” - One Direction
“Our Song” - Taylor Swift
“Changes” - Three Doors Down
“We R Who We R” Kesha
“All Summer Long” - Kid Rock

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Underlined for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a pleasant coming-of-age story about a teenage girl, Paisley, stuck in the midst of major changes and feeling like she doesn’t have control. She is a rule follower but feels like she isn’t being heard by the adults in her life. Hayden, a classmate who tends to spend a lot of time in the principal’s office at their high school, seems to be the only person who really sees Paisley. She starts to push the boundaries, and things get out of her control. Camp pranks on her mother’s boyfriend get out of hand.

The book explores first love, evolving friendships, parent-child relationships, and different depictions of families.

At a glance:
Single POV
Teenage camp counselors
First love
MC going through some major upheaval / changes in her life
Kissing only
HFN (Happy for Now)

Content warnings: grief, deceased family members, single parents, divorced parents (secondary characters), parent-child conflicts

I loved my weeks at summer camp when I was younger -  theme nights, color wars, bunk competitions, and friendships that you swore would last forever after camp - and obviously, camp crushes  I happily jumped at the chance to revisit those days when I saw this book. And I loved that so many of those elements were included in the story that added to the cozy, nostalgic feels for me.

This was a sweet story with a neatly wrapped up ending. I loved the camp vibes, the friendship dynamics and the authenticity of what 16 feels like - stuck in that middle ground between being a kid and being an adult. And while I think that Paisley and her mom’s relationship was a little too smooth to be entirely relatable, I appreciated the growth in both of them across the story. (Maybe I was just a more dramatic kid?) Hayden and Paisley's relationship was so genuine and age appropriate, as were the relationships between Paisley and her friends. And what a treasure Dave is - a great sport and a really positive character/father figure. I would definitely recommend to YA fans and younger readers - especially to kick off summer reading.

❝That's the thing about life, Birdie. It moves forward, no going back, no matter how much we want it to.❞
- Annie Rains, The Matchbreaker Summer

The Matchbreaker Summer is the perfect book if you want to get lost in a fictional summer camp with some young adult romance. It’s filled with camaraderie, love, family, and growth wrapped up in one story.

There were times when I got irritated with Paisley. But given her situation, I get where she is coming from. Her character development is one of the main things that I admire about this novel. I appreciate how she took responsibility for her actions and tried to see the situation from a different view. Haiden, on the other hand, is really nice and understanding. I love how he is a perfect balance for Paisley. Their romance is super cute and innocent, and it made me gush a lot of times.

Nora and Paisley's friendship might have been shaky at the start of the camp, but I am glad they got to clear out the air. I love how they both talked it out maturely and made the fight a learning experience to strengthen their relationship. Dave, Paisley's soon-to-be stepdad, is a really nice guy. I love how he is very considerate and kind to Paisley and her mother. They deserve a guy like him in their lives.

Overall, this is a fun, light, and quick read. If you’re looking for some YA romance, summer camps, and feel-good romance, then be sure to check this one out!

My rating: 3 stars

The Matchbreaker Summer is a fun-filled summer romance. Two polar opposites, Paisley and Hayden, are on a matchbreaker mission this camp season. She and Hayden are up to no good, with harmless pranks and shenanigans to break her mom’s relationship.

Paisley was desperate to save the camp her dad built with his love and hard work. It was not as if her mom’s new boyfriend wasn’t mean to her or anything. He was a dork, but Paisley didn’t want him replacing her dad. So she teams up with the school’s troublemaker to break them apart.

Paisley’s hostility to new changes grew more when people kept telling her that change is good. She wanted to hold onto the last thing that was of her dad’s, so I understood her POV. I wish the elders in the book saw that she was struggling to accept change even after all these years and gave her some time to process things on her own.

Forget about the missions working or not, it only brought Paisley and Hayden together. He was obviously making her break the rules, but it wasn’t anything too serious. He didn’t have a bad-boy persona per se, but he found trouble wherever he went. Altogether, he was a sweet guy with cute surprises.

If you’re looking for a light teen-romance with camp crushes and bird trivia, then The Matchbreaker Summer is your book for this summer.

(Thanks to TBRBeyondTours and Random House Children's (Underlined) for the eARC of this book!)

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝙋𝙍𝙃 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆-𝒂𝒓𝒄.


A cute YA novel that I enjoyed and could connect to in certain ways as someone who was once 16 years old.

The first thing that sparked my attention in this YA narrative was the summer camp event, which I've wanted to go to or attend since I was a kid (ideally) and now I just need to get my hands on it.

The tale was quite simple to follow; I'm not sure if I enjoyed the writing or not, but it was entertaining enough that I didn't give it much thought.

I really liked the camp and all the fun that was going on there, and I wish I could just go there and join in.

As for the characters, I enjoyed their character dynamics and could empathize with them on a lot of levels, from crushing someone to friendship to family troubles, which were perhaps the story's most important elements.

Paisley is a relatable character, but there are times when I just want to shake her so hard that she wakes up; she is not without faults, but I was pleased with her character development throughout the novel.

The same can be said for Nora's relationship with Paisely, which I consider to be really important. I really enjoy their GrumpyxSunshine dynamic, even if it isn't exactly like that. There were times when I was irritated with her demeanor, but I could connect with her since, I suppose, this is the age when we have a great need to express our emotions and be aware of our surroundings (for me back when I was 16).

Hayden is a very charming young man. We shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but Hayden doesn't appear to be the kind of guy I expected him to be. I just want to hug him and make him my little brother because he's such a cinnamon roll. Despite his reputation as a troublemaker, he's a wonderful man who I'd trust with my younger siblings (possibly?).

I'd also like to mention Dave, who is such a gentleman who, despite being thrown into chaos and experiencing a lot of hardship, was so patient with Paisely's problems that I couldn't help but admire him.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read. I really did love the camp setting as well as the character dynamics and was glad that everyone did develop towards the end of the story. 4⭐️

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Matchbreaker Summer

Author: Annie Rains

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: young adult readers, middle grade readers, contemporary, romance, camp, summer camp

Publication Date: April 5, 2022

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Age Relevance: 12+ (parental death, romance, grief)

Explanation of Above: The book discusses a parental death and the grief following that. There is also small bits of romance here and there, but nothing beyond crushes and slight kissing.

Publisher: Underlined

Pages: 304

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Paisley Manning has been attending Camp Seabrook since she was a little girl, when her parents ran it together. For the last few years, since her father’s death, she’s been the one helping her mom run the camp behind the scenes. This year, however, will be Camp Seabrook’s last hurrah because Paisley’s mom has met a guy online and they’re getting married.

Enter Hayden Bennett, who is working alongside Paisley. Paisley and Hayden are like oil and water. She follows the rules, and he seems to live to break them all. But when Hayden catches wind of Paisley's predicament, he has an idea. If a matchmaker in some computer algorithm caused the issue, a couple of real-life matchbreakers can fix it.

As they work to break up the happy couple, Paisley discovers that maybe Hayden's not so bad after all. Has she met her own perfect match in her fellow matchbreaker?

Review: For the most part this was an ok book. The book had a great premise with relatable characters. The characters were fairly well developed and the world building was pretty good. The romance was enemies to lovers and the romance was fairly cute for the most part.

However, I did have a few issues with this book. The book’s main characters are 16 but the book reads like a middle grade novel. That’s not necessarily bad and a lot of younger/pre-teen teens need books but it was just kinda an odd choice. The books characters weren’t that well developed and I would have liked to see that more. I also thought the pacing of the book was too fast and the manner of which the romance moved was also too fast.

Verdict: It was ok.

I got an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and am participating in the TBR and Beyond Tours. Thanks to both.

Paisley (Pais) has been attending Camp Starling since she was a child when her parents ran it together. This year, however, will be its last hurrah because her mom met a guy online and they’re getting married and moving across the country. Enter Hayden, who Paisley doesn’t get along with. She’s a rule follower, and he breaks them. But he has an idea: if they can become matchbreakers for her mom and her boyfriend, Dave, Paisley can stay in her North Carolina town instead of moving. But has she met her own perfect match in her fellow matchbreaker?

I really enjoyed the theme of the camp…a bird theme. After reading this story, it made me want to go attend this camp and made me nostalgic for the times I went camping as a kid. I loved watching the relationship between Hayden and Paisley (loved it when he called her Pais) grow.

I can’t really point out something about this book I disliked. I did feel like Dave, Paisley’s mom’s boyfriend was a little underdeveloped. I would have liked to learn more about him…what was his job? What other family does he have besides his mom on the other side of the country?

For those that love budding romances and good enemies-to-lovers stories, and camp romances (all teen/young adults), you’ve got to pick up this book and read it.

"The Matchbreaker Summer" follows Paisley through her last summer at her family's beloved summer camp before she has to move across the country. This book was a pretty adorable ride through Paisley's emotional journey. At first, I thought Paisley was a little too goody-two-shoes to be realistic, but especially with the trauma of losing her father, I can see why she would want to be the perfect daughter for her mother. Hayden and Paisley's relationship was pretty sweet. Going from enemies (albeit one-sided...Hayden always seemed to like Paisley) to friends to something more isn't anything new, but it was nice to see it unfold here. One thing I am glad about is that Paisley ends up moving in the end anyway. Parents sometimes have to make difficult decisions that children don't like, and that can sometimes include moving. I would love to see a sequel where Paisley is back at camp next summer. Maybe she thrives at her new school and feels a little guilty coming back to her old life. Maybe she finds a new relationship out there and needs to navigate how to be around Hayden. Or maybe she doesn't and she has to navigate how she's going to feel seeing him for only two weeks. I would definitely be on board for that!

I have read and loved all of Annie's small town romances. I think this is where she shines, though. Matchbreaker Summer is a fast paced but super engaging read about Paisley and her changing family and life. Days before her family's summer camp starts, her mom announces that they are moving and selling the camp. Paisley and her surprising new friend launch a "matchbreaker" summer to stop the move. Hijinks, growth, romance and friendship are themes in this light and easy read.

If you like low angst, summery stories - you definitely need this book.

The book follows our main character, Paisley, as she attends her family's camp for years as a first-time counsellor. However, this year is different as her mother found a new boyfriend (after her father's death a few years ago), and it was decided that they'll move away and sell the camp. In an effort to stay in her hometown and keep the camp, she teams up with Hayden, a troublemaker, to break the couple apart.

My final verdict really depends on which audience this book was for. The young adult genre is broad, and can be targeted toward a lot of people. But if this book was targeted to people around the age 15-18, they this author missed. Therefore, I will be rating and reviewing this book as a teen (12-15) book, as that makes more sense.

I am a sucker for camp themed books. Why? For some reason I just really love reading about summer camps, even though I've never been to one. And this book did it well. But the characters were a bit boring and one dimensional. That may be because this book is meant for people a bit younger than me. The story really is just about Paisley and how she learns to grow up.

As a whole, the book was a light and pleasant read. It had the typical tropes and was written well enough. I may not really have been the targeted audience for this, but I did find it a bit entertaining.

Over and out. -Nora<3

Paisley loves Camp Starling. It is where she grew up and everything about it reminds her of her dad, who passed away four years ago. This summer she is finally a counselor! But too many things are changing. Her mother's new boyfriend is there, and this will also be her last summer, as her mother has decided to sell the camp. Not only that but they are moving across the country to Wyoming. Then the troublemaker Hayden shows up and everything gets worse. Paisley decides to try to break up her mom and Dave, to prevent the sale and the move. She finds an unexpected ally in Hayden while growing apart from her best friend. It is an upside down summer, not at all what she expected. Could it be exactly what she needed though? A fun camp read for grades 7 & up.

This was a cute, summery romance, but honestly, there was nothing that special about it. The novel's great if you're just looking for a Young Adult Contemporary Romance, and you just want to read something comfortable.

Let's get into the detailed review:

Plot:
The plot was sweet, and fun, but I do think it's misbranded as slow burn and enemies-to-lovers. Paisley and Hayden get together quite early in the book, and there's no enemies-to-lovers buildup? That's what bugged me the most. The upside was the camp setting- I found that really fun and well-executed! In fact, it might be the best thing about the book!

Characters:
Honestly, they were bland. I just feel that the author was still trying to get into the skin of Paisley till the first half, because we don't really get to know much about her except that she loves camp. Like that's shown to be her entire personality.
Hayden could also have been given more depth. He was also supposed to give bad boy vibes, but he just didn't- just the fact that he was a rule breaker was brought up every chapter, and that was supposed to justify his bad boy vibes.
The character who was given the most depth was Nora, but she was super annoying, especially in the first half.
For some reason, none of the characters struck me as sixteen-year-old, more like fourteen, I'd say.

Writing Style:
This is actually the entire problem with the book. Everything had potential- the book had great potential, but this is where it fell flat. I am someone who relies a bit too much on the writing style, so I was sorry to be disappointed!
The book had potential with all the tropes of problematic families, enemies to lovers, slow burn etc., but it just wasn't well written.

The three star rating's due to the fact that I loved the setting, and the fact that I didn't actively hate the book or love it- it just exists for me.

It's a great book to read when you're stressed, though- it's easy to get through.

DNF at 30 percent. :( I was really looking forward to enjoying this book, but sadly that did not work out for me. Hope other people enjoy reading it though! <3
Best wishes to the author.

The Matchbreaker Summer is Annie Rains venture into the YA realm and a wonderful venture it was!

Paisley Manning has spent nearly every summer of her life at Camp Starling given that it was her Dad's dream and he and her Mom made it happen. Sadly, she lost her Dad years earlier and this summer is going to be a bittersweet one given that her Mom has decided to sell the camp and move them to Wyoming to be with her new boyfriend. Paisley is devastated, but is bound and determined to make the most of her last summer at the camp.

With a strong group of friends, a boy who is a bit rough around the edges, but is intriguing to Paisley, along with the issues she has to work through with her Mom and her Mom's boyfriend, we are treated to a well-rounded story that shows us how Paisley works through the summer. Not everything is sunshine and roses, there are issues to deal with, people try to help but it may not be the best course of action and there are lessons to be learned. In the end, will everyone have the best summer ever? Or will it be a total bust?

I enjoyed all of the characters in this book and their summer experience. The vast array of characters and personalities made this book enjoyable from start to finish. I definitely suggest picking it up and giving it a try!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**