3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I loved Nora Goes Off Script and was very excited for this follow-up. For a good part of this book, I couldn’t help comparing it to Christina Lauren’s Love and Other Words…maybe it was the beach setting? There was nothing wrong with this book, however, I never felt super strongly about any of the characters, or honestly what “choice” the main character would ultimately make. Not a bad read, but definitely not as strong as Nora!

Another great love story from Annabel Monaghan! I love a good second chance romance and this fits the bill. We get a nice then and now sequence that rounds out the characters. I liked Sam’s family and how free yet supportive of her they were. The only thing I questioned was- who is Sam without Wyatt? The author plays with POVs in a non-traditional whT which I thought worked. This book is low steam, low angst and great chemistry. Look for it in June- the perfect summer read.

Short summary: Sam returns to the beach for the first time in years with her perfect fiancé in tow. Much to her surprise, she comes face to face with the man who broke her heart and her life a decade ago. Old feelings are rekindled and Sam must make a choice.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to Penguin Group & NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this sweet book in advance of its June publication day!

Star rating: 4/5

Samantha and Wyatt fell in love as teenagers soaking up the sun and tumbling in the surf of Long Island, where their families had neighboring beach homes. When their connection was destroyed in the aftermath of a tragedy both of their families shared, neither one of them truly wanted to let go. Now a decade and a half later, Sam & Wyatt are brought back together on Long Island as adults from two different walks of life. But which part of their past will win?

I LOVED Annabel Monaghan’s debut, “Nora Goes off Script” so I was delighted to get my hands on her next work. I am so happy I had a chance to read this one before it officially hits the shelves. I knew going into it that it was going to be nearly impossible for this book to stand up to the joy that was Nora, but “Same Time” made a real go at it! The characters were easy and fun to get to know, and you wanted to slip into their lives. The story of their lives that brought them together and tore them apart was believable and heartbreaking, and I definitely found myself rooting for them to pick up the pieces of their teenage years to put back together as adults.

Some reviewers felt like the ending was sudden, but I didn’t mind the pacing! I think it all built to a satisfying conclusion. My only qualm is that I didn’t think that Jack’s character was developed enough (same with Jack & Sam’s relationship!) to want to root for him. There could have been more tension here to give the story a bit more fullness. Jack seems oblivious and easy to want to leave, which made the story a bit predictable.

Regardless, it’s so fun and exciting to see Monaghan build another world with great characters, and I think this book will drop at a perfect time for everyone to snag as their next beach/pool read for the summer. If you loved Nora, I don’t think you’d be disappointed if you snag this one the next time you want a lighthearted read.

I am a sucker for a second chance romance! I absolutely loved the author’s previous book,“Nora Goes Off Script” because of the characters, and this one is no exception. This MC might be even better than Nora from her first book.

Our main character, Sam is engaged and returns to the beach house she visited as a child to check out a wedding venue. While in town she runs into her first love, Wyatt. What happens next is a lot of realistic moments and decisions which I appreciated. While I loved "Nora Goes Off Script," I felt it was a little rushed at the end, and this one felt like I got better closure at the end. I absolutely will be recommending this to all my friends come summer time as their next beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book makes we want to go find a house on the beach for the summer. Living the carefree, salt life, waking up and surfing, swimming. Watching the sunrise or set. All the summertime feels. This book has the perfect summertime romance too. I loved the main character Samantha and her character development throughout this story. This book flips between the childhood years of Samantha growing up during the summer months on the beaches of Long Island to present day her returning to Long Island with her fiancé, Jack. During her younger years Samantha falls in love with her next door neighbor and childhood best friend, Wyatt. My heart is breaking for the heartbreak of a young first love. I really thought from the way this story was unfolding these two would be together forever. But then something happens and they lose touch for over a decade. Sam present day is happily engaged to a perfect guy and they are planning their wedding. It’s all the perfection of summertime romance. Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

In Same Time Next Summer, we meet Sam, who is bringing her fiance to her family home on Long Island for the first time. She has spent her adult life cultivating a safe, solid, secure existence with a stable partner and a reliable job, and she fears that her hippie parents in their artsy beach house may throw everything into disarray. Then there's Wyatt, the boy-next-door from all those Summers past, the free spirited first love who broke her heart - which led her to her practical approach to love and life - who just happens to be there, as well. They slowly get to know each other again, reconnecting for the first time in 10 years. The past and present collide as Sam begins to recall their Summers and how they were together, all while Wyatt helps her choose cake and stationery for her upcoming wedding. Will they be able to be friends? Will Wyatt come to Sam's wedding? Or will the past get in the way of her future?

It was a bit like a combination of YA and contemporary romance with the back and forth from past to present, which made for an interesting read. The juxtaposition of the two parts of Sam's life really helped to show how torn she felt. Sam was a relatable character, someone who was caught between fear of the unknown and the comfort of the safe, plain life she'd built. It was a joy to watch her work through her issues and see how she came out on the other side. This was a sweet, swoony beach read that touches on the point in life where one must choose whether or not to take a leap of faith.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC. I am voluntarily sharing my review; all opinions are my own.

I am still sighing with joy and contentment after finishing Same Time Next Summer. It is such a marvelous book with fabulous, touching characters, thoughts, and dialog. I loved the relationship of Wyatt and Samantha (Sam) and the way they came together both as kids and as adults. Jack is the perfect foil for Wyatt. He is a planning master to Wyatt’s ease of life. A thoroughly enjoyable, well worth your time novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Perfect beachy summer read! I really enjoy a book that makes me think a bit (but not too much) and also makes me feel a lot. There were parts where I had to put the book down and sob a little, but then got right back to reading. Annabel Monaghan has earned a spot on my "must read author" list.

I LOVED Nora Goes off script so when this showed up, I made a beeline. A second chance romance? Yes please. I didn’t know how I felt about our main character being in a relationship with another character for majority of the book, but the tension because of it was incredible. I devoured this.

3.5 Monaghan’s Nora Goes Off Script was one of my favorite reads 2022, so I was eagerly anticipating her next book—a second chance romance. Similar to Nora, Monaghan’s writing style is lovely, and reading the words she crafts together is a pleasurable experience. She’s exceptionally adept with her use of simile and metaphor. Along Sam’s journey of healing, self-discovery/remembering/reacquainting, and course correcting, I found numerous passages and phrases that were insightful, fresh, and beautifully articulated. I think I will continue to mull over some of them.

While there was much that I liked about this book, there were some components I struggled with. I felt that the ratios of past:present and struggle-heartache-discomfort:happy-lighthearted weren’t weighted to my satisfaction. In both cases, I perceived the former to outweigh the latter. By the end, I felt that I understood more of Sam’s perspective and motivations than Wyatt’s, and I think that made it harder for me to fully invest in their story. Additionally, I think it was a missed opportunity to not more fully develop some of the supporting characters. I enjoyed scenes in which the entire cast gathered together and would have loved to have more of these. There were also a couple plot points that felt unrealistic and some that felt underdeveloped or unresolved to me. Finally, the ending seemed abrupt--I wanted more time with these characters together and would have welcomed an epilogue.

I’m grateful I was able to read this ARC and look forward to future releases from Monaghan.

Thanks to #Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC ebook.

After her devastating breakup with her childhood love, Wyatt, Sam has gotten her life on track. She has a good job, a doctor fiancé, and a life plan. But after she returns to Long Island to look at a wedding venue and finds Wyatt—who she hasn’t seen in over a decade—staying at his house next door, she starts to question her predictable, safe life and her choices and the future—especially after she learns about the truth about her ex.

This book was *wonderful*. After reading People We Meet on Vacation, Every Summer After, and Some Mistakes Were Made, I realized I really love dual timeline stories, especially those that flash back to childhood friendship/romance, show the fall out, then show them coming back together in the present. So, this book had my heart from the beginning (Plus, Wyatt is a musician, so, like, *swoon*). I loved the tension in the story, especially the tension added by Sam having a fiancé, and I loved getting to see both POVs. The summer beach vibes were perfection. This was maybe the least spicy adult romance I’ve read in a very long time, but I barely noticed because the story kept me interested and wanting to know what happened next, and the pining and romance of it all carried me through it. It’s a perfect summer read that gives you all the feels and really brings you back to that feeling of your first real heartbreak and of young love. Definitely recommend!

This one felt like summer nostalgia at its best - the magic of reuniting with your first love, 14 years later, and all of the feelings that go along with it. It will be the perfect summer read for fans of Every Summer After and Monaghan's book, Nora Goes Off Script - my personal favorite women's fiction / romance of 2022.

Synopsis: Sam is engaged and returns to her family's Long Island Beach House to plan her wedding to Jack, but expectedly comes face to face with Wyatt, her first love who she hasn't seen in 14 years. They spent every summer together at the beach from ages 5-14, when an unexpected event derails their love story and breaks their hearts in the process.

I didn't love it as MUCH as I loved Nora (that book is true chef's kiss perfection) - found some of the dialogue to be a little off and hard to follow. The second half of the book picks up pace, and I ended up loving this one. My only gripe is that the book isn't long enough. I would have liked to get more of Wyatt's perspective. Sam is charmingly messy, but I would have liked to spend some time in Wyatt's head as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with a e-galley copy of this book - I literally screamed when I got approved because I am such a huge fan of the author.

Nora Goes Off Script was one of my favorite reads of 2022, so I was so excited to hear about Annabel’s next book launching this year. Sam returns to her summer beach house on Long Island with her fiancé Jack, running into her first love, Wyatt. This is a childhood friends to lovers, and second chance romance with a dual timeline and dual POV, which I loved.

Annabel is really gifted at writing beautiful characters, that are flawed but deeply relatable. Even her secondary characters— Sam’s eccentric family, were fantastic. I felt deeply invested in each of their self-discovery and healing. Having read similar books, I was still shocked at the reason for Sam and Wyatt’s heartbreak + fallout. Despite having dual POV and dual timelines, I found it incredibly easy to follow, and the flow of the book made me not want to put this one down.

My biggest complaint is that this book felt too short. I wish there was more time diving deeper into their past relationship, so I could fall in love with Sam and Wyatt as a couple. It felt like there was more development of their relationship in the present, than the past, but the conclusion still felt a little rushed to me.

Overall, this was still a fantastic read that will make you smile, cry, feel all the feels, and will be the perfect book to read by the beach or lake this summer.

So grateful to Netgalley, they publisher and Annabel for letting me an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I needed some sunshine and happiness after my last read. Same Time Next Summer have me just that. Seriously, this book needs to be on everyone's summer beach read list. Perfect read for poolside days too 😉

Sam has her whole life planned in the safe lane. She has a handsome doctor fiancé who is stable and always steady. She has a stable career in HR that has a strict set of rules to follow. But everything goes a little crazy when she is back at her family’s beach house. Touring a wedding venue and visiting family should be safe. But Sam did not expect to be running into her first love and the boy who broke her heart. Sam’s memories and feelings for Wyatt are all of a sudden ever present. Does Sam want to be the girl she used to be with Wyatt? Or will she continue her safe life path with her fiancé and their traditional wedding?

What I enjoyed:
- We jump from present time (which is in Sam's POV) to the past. The past gives us dual POVs. I loved seeing the friendship devlop into romance between Sam and Wyatt when they were young.
- Second chance love AND friends to lovers. Two of my favorite tropes.
- Sam was such a likable MC. Heck, all the characters were really likable. I loved Sam’s whole family too! I also loved seeing Sam’s character arc
- this was a fun, quick paced read! It left me feeling all warm and happy!

Seriously, add this to your TBR! You will love this heart warming story. You will be rooting for Sam to follow her dreams and find her voice again. 4 stars out 5! Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I can resist a book about summer and the past about as much as I can resist ice cream in July. SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER was so lovely. Seeing Sam struggle to find herself again in the place where she used to feel most at home was really compelling. The side characters were great and I wanted to immerse myself in the setting for days. This book has me looking forward to summer already!

I’ve never read a book by Monaghan, but I’ve heard a lot of praise for her book, Nora Goes Off Script, so I was thrilled to receive this ARC! Honestly, it didn’t impress me that much.

Why 2 stars:
- Initial thought: Every Summer After meets Something Borrowed (I love both of these so I got really excited!)
- I didn’t love the writing style but it’s cutesy
- Even though it was a childhood romance, it still felt insta lovey to me. I didn’t feel the growth of Sam and Wyatt’s relationship during the “then” parts; their conversations were just kinda flat
- The corporate job problem Sam has doesn’t seem like something you would get fired for but what do I know
- All the red flags with Jack!!
- As someone with a small but awesomely chaotic family, I could never be with someone who didn’t appreciate them.

Same Time Next Summer is cute but not a summer must-read for me. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

The romance at the center of this story is perfection. Told in dual timeline with dual points of view, it was incredibly moving to read about the journey these two MC’s took from friends to lovers, to a years long estrangement and then ultimately back into each other’s lives. While I struggled to connect to Sam’s character at first, in large part because of her counterpart Jack, once she allowed me in, I felt as though I really knew and understood her. Because of that connection, my emotional investment in her outcome both personally and professionally was incredibly high.

Cute novel about a engaged woman who brings her fiance to her family's beach house, where they encounter her first love.

I loved this book. It’s easily a five star read for me. It is the perfect blend of summer nostalgia and love. Losing yourself a little along the way, but finding your way back in the end. Just so good. I kind of wanted to smack that freakin therapist that Sam saw as a teenager though. Minimizing her feelings made me so angry. This really gave me Every Summer After and Love and Other Words vibes. I loved the dual POV and the dual time line. I’m a sucker for a childhood friends to lovers early timeline, and a second chance romance current timeline. This book is a perfect quick summer read!

Same Time Next Summer follows Sam as she returns to her parent’s beach house on Long Island with her fiancé Jack. After doing her best to avoid spending much time there since having her heart broken at seventeen, Sam returns only to find that her ex, Wyatt, is also in town. Being back at the beach leaves Sam reconciling with the girl she used to be and the woman she is today. As all the memories come flooding back, Sam has to decide what and who she wants for her future.

I really enjoyed getting to know the backstory of Sam and Wyatt and felt that it really helped me to connect more with the characters. Once I felt like I understood Sam more, I was immediately invested in her growth and relationships. I wish the book spent a bit more time with Sam and Wyatt in the present and had them talking more of how they coped with the breakup and those years they spent apart. Overall, I found this to be a great read and even had a few tears at some points throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.