RATING: 3/5 STARS

This was a cute summer book featuring a librarian romance. It started off strong but then I lost interest around the 60% mark.

Sam and Ben didn't resonate with me. Summer Reading was a flop...unfortunately. This book tackles a lot of heavy topics but it didn't do a good job of building up the chemistry between Sam and Ben.

Who needs an alpha love interest when you can have a hot librarian? Ben was very swoon-worthy in the book and he was definitely one of my favorite romantic leads. I mean there's an intimate scene when he's reading to Sam that will have you curling your toes. I didn't love Sam. I appreciated her struggles with her disability and I liked that the author didn't have a cookie-cutter lead. Yet, she was a little OTT at times. Overall, a great romance to read poolside or by the beach.

The cover drew me in. I went into this one blindly and enjoyed it! This is the first book I've read with dyslexia representation and I felt like I was learning right along with the male main character. Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley.

I think I love a foodie romance! Another standout part I must mention is our hero reading books aloud to our dyslexic heroine...swoon. The Martha's Vineyard location really rounds out the book for me.

This was such a sweet, heartwarming story of love, family and BOOKS. I really loved the imagery in this one as well as how sucked me in and tugged at my heart. I loved how it ended as well. I can't wait for more of the future releases by the author.

This was the perfect read to wrap up my summer books and thought it was cute. I’m a sucker for a New England setting, so immediately was drawn in there. While there was some important topics, felt that this was overall a lighthearted read. Some things were definitely a little cringe (like Ben reading one of McKinlay’s other books out loud to Sam 🥴) and the dancing with the younger brother? There were also a lot of cliches, but I feel like if you don’t take this one too seriously, it can be overall an enjoyable read.

Short Synopsis: Sam is tasked with chaperoning her half brother during a summer on Martha's Vineyard, when she accidentally knocks a book into the ocean on the ferry ride over. Ben is heading to the island for research when the girl who knocked his book in the ocean won't get off his mind.

My thoughts: I am a huge lover of books about books, so the initial premise of this really pulled me in! A librarians book is ruined by a woman with dyslexia, count me in! I loved the summer time romance vibes, the location was dreamy, and the rep was very well done.

I loved that Ben inspired her to follow her dreams and create the cookbook she's always envisioned for herself and the growth that each of the characters experienced. I do wish the author had helped Sam to move through her disability rather than let it define her.

It did feel a little long in my opinion, but overall a solid summer romance read perfect for any beach bag!

Read if you love:
-Summer beach reads
- Books about books
-Dyslexia rep
- Foodie romances
- Families and sibling relationships
- Martha Vineyard setting

Pick this book up for the cover alone (adorable!), but stay for the neurodivergent lead, hunky librarian, and the complicated messy family relationships that will charm you.

Plot

Samantha Gale leaves behind a disappointing career moment as a chef to spend the summer in Martha’s Vineyard at her family’s tine cottage hoping to re-inspire her career. That was before she knew she’d be stuck chaperoning her half-brother Tyler—a total brainiac who plans to spend his summer in a robotics competition at the local library.

Sam is dyslexic and the library isn’t a place she has found comfort or belonging in the past. But in a twist of fate, an awkward incident on the ferry ride over causes Sam to meet a very attractive man (whose book she happened to ruin) named Bennett Reynolds. Coincidentally, he is also the interim director at the library.

Bennett isn’t just coming to Martha’s Vineyard for the library, though. He is looking to find his father whom he’s never known. All he knows about the man is that his mother got pregnant with him while on that very island.

The summer is full of events. Sam and her brother find kinship against all odds, old friendships are rekindled, Sam is inspired to find a new direction for her career, and of course, she finds love with Bennett. Sometimes a summer getaway is so much more than you could ever expect!

My Thoughts

I enjoyed seeing a non-traditional leading character. Particularly one with dyslexia, which I learned more about through reading this book. The story is told in the first-person format so I felt I got to learn more about Sam’s struggles through her own experience, rather than being told.

Sam is a relatable heroine—she’s a funny, a bit insecure, smart, and lost right now. She’s looking for what is next for her in life, and that’s a struggle many of us have been through at one point (or several) in our lives. The time on the island is restorative for Sam in more ways than one.

Sam and Bennett have great chemistry. Bennett is a romance hero written for women, and it made the story fun to read because of course you’re going to root for them. Bennett reads to Sam, Sam teaches Bennett and Tyler to dance. So many charming moments! I also liked Bennett’s story about searching for his father. The setting is a bonus (and a welcome one!).

One additional add—the author not only took care in writing a dyslexic character, but she also wrote the published book format to be accessible to readers with neurodivergence. This was an extra caring touch that I want to commend the author and publisher for.

The food, the island setting, the love story—this will deliver everything you could want from a contemporary romance book!

Soo there were parts of this book that I really loved. The love story was cute. I also really loved reading about Samantha and her brother forming a bond, it was really sweet and he was hilarious.
I appreciated the focus on dyslexia and the forward talking about how the book is written in a dyslexia-friendly font.
What bothered me was the plot line of "Oh no, he's a reader and I hate to read" I just feel like that was stressed too much. Obviously I'm a huge reader, but someone not liking books wouldn't be a deal breaker for a friendship/relationship with me... It just seemed a little silly. Otherwise, I did enjoy this one.

I really liked the idea of this book and some things about the plot (overall story). The details is where it kind of lost me. I like when I learn something from a book but the way the dyslexia was presented throughout the book felt much more textbook than a natural part of the story/character.

This was an extremely fun read. Jenn Mckinlay has her niche down and I always enjoy her books.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

First of all, I loved the neurodivergent/dyslexia representation in this book! And Ben was such a swoony, charming MMC…what do you mean he read books to her all while helping her overcome her insecurities?!!!! They had such an opposites attract vibe, which I haven’t read much of, but I loved it here and their chemistry was great! Second, the focus on family relationships and career paths made the story feel well-rounded and relatable Finally, I loved that the story focused on the FMC discovering audiobooks. 4.5 stars

oh this was just not the book for me at all for so many reasons. i feel like the characters had no real chemistry. and moreover, we don't really learn much other than the fact that samantha has dyslexia. a lot of the dialogue from both sam and ben felt like AI had written it. also so much of the writing was grammatically incorrect that it was just so jarring to read. very confused how this was proofread/edited.

just not a book for me at all.

3 stars

This really is a perfect beach read. Such a fun meet-cute. Loveeeeed that the GUY was a reader. Ah, my kryptonite. Altogether it was really fun - very easy weekend read.

A love story between a dyslexic chef and a hunky librarian, Summer Reading was perfect for just that - a delightful, if slightly rushed, summer rom-com.

3.5 stars. Not strictly grumpy-sunshine, but the introvert-extrovert pair is giving that vibe. Both characters were likable and realistic, and their relationship is sweet and validating.

I'm am 100% behind this FMC, who has ADHD and dyslexia. Woot for this representation! It was a little weird for me as a woman with ADHD and dyslexia, though, to read this, because she isn't my exact kind of either of those. It felt like looking at something that's a little out of focus. The character's ADHD is (I would say) hyperactivity sub-type, but mine is impulsivity sub-type. The character's dyslexia is a very big part of her daily challenges and career barriers, but we don't hear about much beyond the reading disability-- a few mentions about the dyslexia-ADHD comorbidity, but that's all. Because of aphantasia (or, that's my theory) and some tools and coping mechanism, I have very little trouble with reading but have a socially unacceptable amount of trouble with the lesser-known symptoms (inability to tell left and right, difficulty with analog clocks (and telling time in general), dysgraphia, and a very small and specific problem in dyscalculia). That the character's experience doesn't match mine much at all doesn't invalidate this story and I'm happy to have a story with an explicit ADHD character who is female/femme-presenting.

Word of warning to other ADHD potential readers: the book, really the FMC, was annoying to me specifically because of her ND type. I spend all day trying to manage myself, which means trying to manage my ADHD-- reigning in impulses, keeping myself on task, being on time. To then experience all those things again in a novel that I wanted to read for fun was... tiring. Maybe save this to read on vacation, or some other time when you can lower the amount of effort spent on masking. :)

eARC from NetGalley.

The author's previous work was enjoyable, but the love story between Sam and Ben didn't resonate with the me in this, although there were some charming and witty parts. The characters were likable, but the romantic parts were strained and dull. The book was enjoyable as a fiction but not as a swoon-worthy romance. The storylines of dyslexia and neurodivergence were more engaging. The book was a great getaway to Martha's Vineyard, but the romance was lacking. I do believe this author is a great writer, though, so I will probably read her future works.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for this ARC for an honest review.

Samantha Gale is spending the summer in Martha’s Vineyard chaperoning her teenaged half-brother, Tyler, while her parents go on a much-anticipated vacation. She’s hoping that this time in the one place she used to love will also help her figure out her next move in her career as she finds herself out of a job as a chef.

Before she even gets on the island though, she meets a handsome guy on the ferry but after a memorable encounter which leads to her tossing his book in the water, she hopes she won’t have to see him again. Of course little does she know Ben is the interim library director who she will be seeing quite a bit of as she has to take her brother to summer camp at the library. Well there’s no way he’ll be interested in her because she doesn’t like reading.

Actually, Sam has dyslexia and as she starts to get to know Ben and his own reasons for being on the island, sparks fly and both learn to understand one another. I thought the romance was really charming but it’s not just the romance that made this a strong story. I really thought the way Ben approached helping Sam to learn how to enjoy books was really sweet and genuine. There was a lot of humor and I especially liked the brother-sister bonding between Sam and Tyler as they get to know each other and develop a strong relationship. If you are still looking for the perfect beach read, this one is not to be missed.

I was so intrigued by this book based on the summary and the colorful and eye catching cover. However, I didn't feel like it quite lived up to my expectations. All in all, I found the overall romance story be a little dull and slow. Both leads were likable enough and I appreciated McKinlay working in the dyslexia storyline and shedding more light on it. It just missed the mark ever so slightly somehow. I was more invested in Sam and Tyler bonding as siblings over the summer than I was in her and Ben getting together. I also felt like there was very little lead up to it and it happened quite fast. In all honesty, if someone told me I was their person after 3 weeks...slight red flag? Also not sure what the point of having Em be a hypochondriac was. It felt like an afterthought.
Overall, I did like the general story, the restaurant and cooking aspect, the setting, and McKinlays' writing style.