Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC of Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay. I've previously read one title by Jenn McKinlay, Wait For It, and I liked it just fine. It was a summer vibe kind of book like this one was, but I read it during last fall/winter, so when I saw that Summer Reading was available for this winter, I thought I'd give it a shot! Honestly, I've just determined that McKinlay's writing style is just meh for me. They're short, in my opinion, with barely enough to keep you engaged. It's light, and like other romance books, it aims to tackle a "bigger lesson". I didn't find the story all that memorable or the lesson all that compelling, though. Secondly, I think her characters are rather forgettable. I got through Summer Reading relatively fast but I didn't remember much once I was done. Nothing really stuck with me. What I did like is the dyslexia representation through the main character, Sam, with some family connection/plot in there, and the Martha's Vineyard backdrop just has you aching for summer. The side plot with Ben, Sam's younger half-brother, was also a nice touch as well. Unfortunately, I just didn't click too well with Sam, and Tyler was just okay for me. I loved that his job was as the library's interim director but my interest kind of just ended there. There were a lot of heavy topics that were thrown at the reader but then they're glossed over, and I'm starting to think this is a recurring theme with McKinlay because this happened with her previous work I read, too. Overall, it's a good read in the winter when you're freezing and looking forward to the sun-soaked days ahead. Not my favorite, but for all my foodie readers out there who like that as an element in books, this one might be for you.

2.75 stars.

Jenn McKinlay's Summer Reading is an absolute delight! It's a perfect summer read for anyone looking for a light and breezy story. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and Jenn McKinlay does an excellent job of developing the plot and the stakes. The writing is clever and witty, providing a great balance of comedy and drama. The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns, making it a page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Chef Sam, summering at her family’s cottage on the Vineyard–think renovated but still working class Portuguese, not cottages like the Gyllenhalls or Kennedys have “cottages.” Passed over for a promotion in part due to the gender and in part due to disability (WHERE IS THE LAWSUIT???), Sam is home to regroup and lick her wounds. The timing is perfect, as she’s needed to keep an eye on her 14-year old half brother Tyler during her parent’s planned vacation to Europe. How hard can it be to keep a brilliant teenager fed and watered? Sam meets a hottie on the ferry and accidentally knocks his book into the water. Struggling with dyslexia, books are a challenge for Sam, but she does love stories, and fangirls over Stephen King and horror novels to her new crush, who she bumps into the next day while dropping her off at robotics camp at the public library. Turns out Ben is the interim library director. The cute, motorcycle-riding librarian is spending the summer trying to uncover the identity of his father and is sure he was conceived on Martha’s Vineyard. Opposites attract and he not only appreciates all of her workarounds, but helps her with new ones, from smutty romance novel read-alouds to scribing her dream cookbook. Sam lands a gig cooking happy hour cocktails and special events for a local business, and rediscovers the Martha’s Vineyard, making the Oak Bluffs setting come alive for readers.

I love Berkley romances, foodie novels, novels infused with cultural details, AND libraries, so not sure why this one isn’t resonating strongly with me. Something about this stream of consciousness style is amatuer and off-putting to my ear. It fits the voice of the character, an out-of-work chef with dyslexia and ADHD, pretty well, but the casual tone coupled with didactic intrusions to educate readers about dyslexia and ADHD detract from the narrative, like when Sam is pursuing a cooking magazine and stops to complain about the typeface, that lacks clear differentiation between b, d, and p for people with dyslexia (1 in 10 people have it, though the stat I’m familiar with as a librarian is 1 in 5). I don’t disagree that it’s an issue, or that it needs to change, I’m just not convinced this is this advocacy issue was handled as deftly as dyslexia in Spoiler Alert. Still, the author’s note is well-justified, and I appreciate that the publication favors bold instead of italics and a friendly font.

Sam is a well-rounded and absolutely brilliant character, and her growth as Ben helps her to see herself as he sees her helps her to squash her inner critic. The intimate scenes feel blow-by-blow wooden instead of intimate and passionate, but points for consent and protection. Many plot points feel very surface: a friend’s cancer scare and confrontation with her parent and pursuit of her own dreams, Sam’s not pursuing litigation for her previous boss’s illegal firing, Ben not confronting his infuriating mother on the page, and even the deepening sibling relationship between Tyler and Sam focuses on dance moves and handshakes, him trying some new foods, and quickly realized denouements with their mutual dad. The authentic recipes at the end are a nice touch, but if the cookbook had been a stronger element, there could have been more, and interspersed. Overall, I like the plot, setting and characters, but am not in love with the editing/execution of this one.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #SummerReading from #NetGalley

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I was intrigued by having a dyslexic main character and I loved the setting but it just felt like Sam was trying to hard to be quirky and it got old fast.

3.5 Stars

Tropes / Tags:

• Martha’s Vineyard / beach getaway read
• Opposites Attract
• Dyslexia / Neurodivergent Rep

Summer Reading is a light-hearted, easy to read romance book – perfect for a little escape or beach read. The book follows Samantha Gale who has come home to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer to housesit and chaperone her teenage half-brother, Tyler, while her parents take a summer getaway. Sam is a chef, recently passed over for a merited promotion, and currently at loose ends as she tries to figure out what is next in her career and her life. The summer will lead in some interesting directions for her as she gets the opportunity to really get to know her much younger half sibling, reconnect with an old friend, and meet an intriguing love interest in the library’s interim director… an interesting twist for Sam, who has dyslexia, and has long struggled with her relationship with books and the written word.

Initially I was drawn to Summer Reading because it had an adorable cover (love a good cover aesthetic), the genre and the author (I’ve read and enjoyed others from her). When I read the blurb, it was definitely a compelling premise – I was intrigued by the chance to see some representation for dyslexia (not something I often come across), as well as the chance to explore a sibling connection.

Some highlights for me:

• Sam and Tyler’s evolving relationship – one of the best parts of the story for me, was seeing the siblings get to know one another and bond. It was an unexpected and sweet highlight. I really liked the age gap between siblings (14 years), I feel like we don’t often see this in books and as someone with a large sibling gap I found it refreshing to see this reflected on the page.

• Neurodivergent Representation / Dyslexia Representation – I love to see different experiences played out in books, representation matters – getting a glimpse into an experience of neurodivergence/dyslexia was eye-opening.

• Ben’s search for his father – it may have been more of a side storyline, but I was intrigued to see what would come of it.

Overall I thought it was a cute, sweet read. The first half went very quickly for me, although I did find a slight lull in the second half of the book – I think mainly because on the romance front it was sweet, but did not have a lot of build up. One I will recommend to others and offer as a suggestion for a fun, easy summer / beach read.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely offered.

I loved Wait for It so I was really looking forward to Summer Reading. Unfortunately, Summer Reading was just not the book for me.

I think what bothered me the most is how easy Sam and Ben's relationship was. There was no enemies to lovers or second chance romance. They just found each other and fell in love right away. There was a small conflict at the end when Ben was being an idiot but overall their relationship didn't have many points of contention.

I do think the education about having a learning disability was very eye opening. It made me appreciate my ability to read even more. Sometimes I take it for granted so this made me realize how truly grateful I am that it comes so easy to me.

This was a quick read so if you're looking for a short romance to finish in an afternoon then this may be for you.