In a book about second chance love, I want the story of the couple’s breakup to been one that made sense at the time but isn’t so bad that they don’t make sense together now. The reason this couple broke up as teenagers not only was something I could never predict but it made sense as a reason they broke up.

Sam is planning her wedding to her very safe fiancée. He’s not a bad guy and she does seem to love him. She likes how predictable he is. It’s taken Sam a long time to get to this point in her life. She’s found balance.
She doesn’t really look forward to going back to her family’s beach house in Long Island but she’s promised them she’ll check out a potential wedding venue there.

Sam might claim that she just doesn’t want to be around her parents in vacation mode but it’s more than that. Sam hasn’t spent a summer there with her family since she was a teenager and her and Wyatt broke up.

Sam is definitely not expecting to run into Wyatt when she goes to see her parents though. But there he is. Still hanging out in their old haunts and playing his guitar. Still surfing. He’s acting a lot like the old Wyatt, the way he was before he broke her heart.

Wyatt hurt Sam really badly back then. He wasn’t just her first boyfriend, he was her best friend. Losing Wyatt through Sam’s young life out of balance.

Here’s the thing…I’m not 100% sure I was rooting for Wyatt to get Sam back in the present day. He really hurt her in the past.

In a second chance love story, I not only want the original breakup to have made sense but I also want to think they can get past it in the present day. While I understand their breakup in the past, I’m not sure Wyatt did enough to warrant a second chance, I’m not saying whether they get back together I am only saying I wasn’t 100% sure I was rooting for him.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. I enjoyed both but I’m giving Nora Goes off Script the upper hand. I look forward to seeing what the author will write next.

I got an early ebook edition of this book from NetGalley. Thank you!

3⭐️

Sam and Jack are about to get married, but Sam’s parents want her to get married in Long Island. Sam and Jack head to the beach, mostly just to appease her parents with no real intention to get married there. While there, Sam comes face to face with her first love, Wyatt, and relives their last summer together when they were 16.

The writing was good in this, but I’m not a huge fan of second chance romances like this. It seems a little strange to me that a 30 year old would still be pining after someone they dated for a summer at 16 - especially being in a four year relationship about to get married. Sam’s job description is also kind of weird to me. She’s in HR, and has risked getting fired because she suggested a flash mob as a team building exercise? I don’t get it. I wasn’t a huge fan on the romance, but it is a nice cheesy romcom if you’re in the mood for that.

Do you seek out beach reads in summer months?⁣
⁣
Y’all this book completely surprised me — I started the audio (thank you @prhaudio for the gifted copy) and didn’t stop listening until I finished the book! It was such a perfect beach read. Swoony, summery, and just a slow paced but entertaining love story by the ocean. I had major Dawson’s Creek, Every Summer After, and Love & Other Words vibes with the dual timeline and young love/second chance romance. So good!⁣
⁣
Same Time Next Summer comes out TUESDAY!! Definitely check it out for a stellar 2023 beach read!

Unpopular opinion: I didn't love this. I wanted to, I really, really wanted to but...I just didn't. Definitely agree with all the reviews saying it gave Every Summer After and Love and Other Words vibes. I did love the Fire Island references and how perfectly she painted what summers living on a beach were like for kids but I just didn't click with Sam. She was so lost but got in her own way so much. Wyatt was too elusive, and not in a cool, brooding, mysterious way. In a it's-easy-to-figure-out-your-secret and please open your mouth and say something way. I loved Nora Goes Off Script and would definitely read something from Anabel Monaghan again, this just fell off the mark for me even though I know I'm in the bookstagram minority!

If I could give a million stars just for Nora, I would. This book could have been great but Nora's plot was very disjointed and the plot just kind of ending. I did like there was love, then love seperated, new love and love found rekindled. The lady gets her man but not before a lot of heartache and struggles. Again, I loved Nora as the main character but this book was all over the place with execution.

1 star for the cover
1 srar for Nora

I cannot recommend it but I can see why other readers would enjoy this. Thanks to Netgalley, Annabel Monaghan and Penguin Group Putname for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available

I was really looking forward to reading this book but kept putting it off for unknown reasons. I thought it could be the perfect way to finish up my summer reading and it really was - I finished it right on August 31st, which is the last day of summer in my personal opinion ;)

The story follows Sam, who is engaged to a perfectly nice and pretty boring dude named Jack. They head to her family's beach house for a week to start planning their wedding but her summer love from when she was a kid (through teenager) is there too. Cue all the feelings.

This book totally crept up on me! I thought it was going to be a four star, easy contemporary romance to finish the summer with and it ended up becoming a favorite of the year. I’m sure many people won’t like the “love triangle” or whatever but it just felt like a real, messy story to me. It was pretty clear (and I don't think this is a spoiler if you're a romance reader) that Jack was a fine dude but there was some magic missing. It was clear throughout the entire story (even pre-Wyatt) that the two of them were not the best pair. She hid parts of herself and her family from him because he was so buttoned up.

SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER is a really quick read. I read the vast majority in one sitting but basically finished it in two. It was truly exactly what I wanted it to be. The writing was excellent and like I said, it really crept up on me how much I was enjoying the book. I definitely need to rad Monaghan's previous work and anything else she writes in the future.

I wish there was a LITTLE more oomph during certain parts but I think it’s kind of beautiful in its simplicity. I don't have any real complaints except that it's missing that five-star feeling for me, but still really loved it. Highly recommend to anyone intrigued by the premise.

This book caught me from the beginning. I’m a sucker for childhood friends romances and going home to places with the best memories.

Sam and her fiancée are back in her family's seaside home for the summer. Jack is eager to do wedding planning that will keep their rigid lives on track, and Sam is surprised to find that Wyatt, her first love, is next door, just like he was back when she was a teenager and he broke her heart. This story is about first love and true love. It's so easy to get caught up in Sam and Wyatt's world. Perfect summer read!

I read this immediately after reading 28 Summers, so my expectations may not have been fair. This is standard romance fare— pacing and plot are fine, truly literally unremarkable. Not memorable but sweet nonetheless.

This book was such an utter delight!

I read and enjoyed this author's previous novel but I felt that this one, for me, was more of a home run. It had the heart of Nora Goes Off Script but just had something a little bit extra for me that made it a hit.

I loved how well this author set the scene. I could easily picture this place in my mind - all the way down to the treehouse. While some of the story was expected it was still entertaining and I loved spending time in this world.

Overall this is definitely a hit and was the perfect read for the summer (but would be enjoyed anytime, especially when in the winter when you need to dream of sunshine!).

I'm not sure if my expectations were too high because I loved NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT so much, but SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER just didn't have the sparkle or delightfulness that I enjoyed with Nora. Not that it was bad! It was well-written and had a great sense of nostalgia, but I didn't root for Sam and Wyatt like I did Nora and Leo. (Just the fact that I can remember Leo's name off the top of my head, over a year later, illustrates how much I loved that romance!)

Told in a "Then and Now" narrative structure, this story alternates between when Sam fell for Wyatt as a teenager during summer vacations on Long Island, and the present day, when she's engaged to another man and returning to the lake home to plan their wedding. I'll be honest: This felt more like a YA romance than an adult women's fiction title. There was so much page time dedicated to the childhood friendship and romance, it left little time to develop the present-day story and Sam's arc. Don't get me wrong, I love a good coming-of-age story and YA romance, but it was *too* much.

That said, Monaghan is a terrific writer. The nostalgia and longing for a time when life was simpler was so well-written, and there were glimpses of the wit and humor that I enjoyed so much in Nora's story. I just wanted *more*.

RATING: B

This is the perfect summer book for someone who enjoys books with lots of backstory. It was a second-chance romance that didn't quite check off all the boxes for me. I really wanted to enjoy this book but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the early copy. All the above opinions are my own.

If you are looking for something quick to binge before the summer is over, this is your book! Perfect pool read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I was really excited for this one, but unfortunately it fell short for me. It kinda felt like just another version of a story I’ve read multiple times. :-/

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I could not connect with the characters or storyline so I DNF. Will try it again another time.

Same Time Next Summer has taken the book world by storm. One of the beach reads of the summer, this book will transport you to a dual timelines, summer nostalgia, beachy romance between Sam and Wyatt. Starting as neighbors, transitioning to friends to lovers, and ultimately a second chance romance, we follow the couple with past and present chapters, soaking in the sun, falling in love, and ultimately finding their happy ending.
I really enjoyed the setting of this romance. It was a quick summer read with many of my favorite tropes. I personally enjoy dual timelines, and having flashbacks of how the characters were introduced were my favorite chapters. I do wish the romance would have been a bit more flushed out. More chapters could have been incorporated into the story to further build up their connection, in both past and present moments. I read this novel via audiobook format, and the dialogue was very digestible and bingeable. Overall, a cute and easy beach read, perfect for the summer, and those looking to enjoy a first love romance, and escape into the setting of summer.

Thank you Netgalley for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Same Time Next Summer a lot. I loved how home was always more important. How our female lead finds out and embraces it. How family is always more important. Regardless of my love for this book. Nora Goes Off Script will always be my favorite.

A fun, quick summer read! The dialogue was engaging and I loved the way Monaghan incorporated memories into the story. A great beach read!

This was a beautiful then and now romance set at the beach. I adored this story between Wyatt and Sam. I felt all the emotions while reading it including yelling why is this guy such an ass?!

SO FUN. SO SUMMER. SO MUCH LOVE FOR ANNABEL MONAGHAN AND HER CHARACTERS. THIS WAS PERFECT. (i loved this book please go read it)