I love that this book highlighted neurodivergent characters, and I also commend the author and publisher for making this particular book dyslexia friendly. Many people are turned away from reading because it is anxiety-inducing, difficult, and brings up bad memories. Thank you for seeing these readers and inviting them to enjoy this book as much as I did!

Now- this was such a swoony beach read. Easy to follow, endearing characters, and the MMC is so swoony. As a reader, nothing is sexier than another reader…. AND he reads to her. Good god!!!!!!

This is a google book. The two main characters are Samantha and Ben. They meet on the ferry going the vineyards. Ben has ya new job as the director of the library. Samantha has quit her job as a chef in Boston and came ho,e to take care of her teenage brother, while her parents go a trip to Europe. There is an instant attraction. They start to date. They each have issues but together they work it out and fall in love.

I love McKinlay's cozy mysteries and her romance is also above par. A great beach read--or anytime you need a comforting, sexy read!

Samantha Gale has come home to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer to house-sit 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.

This book captured me from the first page. The banter, laugh out loud dialogue coupled with siblings drawing closer and a hot librarian male main character made this such a fun read for me. I learned so much about dyslexia and coping mechanisms that I never knew before. And the food, I nearly starved to death while reading this book. As a little plus, Jenn has included some recipes at the end of the book that I can't wait to try!

* I had such high hopes for this one. Mainly because of the plot, which was set in Martha’s Vineyard. I have always wanted to visit that island! However, the location was where my love for this book started and stopped.

* I liked that the FMC (Sam) was neurodivergent (dyslexic). However, Sam constantly talked about being dyslexic. It was her entire personality. She dragged herself down daily because of it. It made it to where she literally couldn’t function in day-to-day activities. Her disability was used as a crutch. By the end, she was no better, she never overcame her adversities or stopped labeling herself as “broken”. We never saw any healing or growth from her.

* It’s perfect fate that she meets Ben, an avid reader. Opposite’s definitely attracted in this situation. However, I felt like we never got to know Ben. We just knew about him in relation to Sam. This book could have benefitted with a dual POV.

* I didn’t like how (before she told him her disability), she kept making comments about how an avid reader could never fall in love with a non-reader. This was repeated several times. It got annoying, honestly, because that honestly how it is in most relationships— one is a book lover and the other isn’t. At least it’s like that with my husband and I. And he admits that he never once thought I wouldn’t like him because he didn’t like books😂

* For the first 50% of the book, the story was more about her adapting to her temporary home, finding a job, reconnecting with her bff, and building a better relationship with her half brother. Romance felt like a subplot.
* The plot felt slicey and dicey. It didn’t flow as nice as I would have liked.

* The narrators voice sounded very formal, given the subject of the plot. Her voice didn’t fit the story or the main character.

Samantha Gale decides to chaperone her younger brother and spend a summer on Martha's Vineyard.. She is looking for work as a chef but finds love instead. The library's interim director keeps showing up and even if she is a non-reader with dyslexia….these two show us that opposites attract! This is a cute, light hearted summer romance!

wow. wow. wow.

I devoured this in one day! There is so much to love about this book. First off, the cover is adorable. The plot? adorable. The spice? hot, hot, hot! Sam and Ben were such a delight from the very beginning. This book also covers topics of dyslexia and being neurodiverse with such care. The author really wrote a beautiful story around inclusivity and visibility that I really cherished. I do want to take time to note that I also really loved the Portuguese background and culture in this story. My boyfriend is Portuguese so I was salivating at all of the different dishes and it really had me missing his VoVo and her home cooked meals!

This had so many elements to love and probably should be on everyone's summer reading/beach reads list!

Read if you like:
-Single POV
-He's a librarian & she's dyslexic
-Complicated families
-FOOD, calling all foodies
-Audiobooks!! We all know its the elite way to read
-The sexiest scene while he's reading to her (YEP)
-Sibling bonding
-Martha's Vineyard summer vibes

Disclaimer/Spoiler(y): there IS a third act break up, which we don't really get a deep dive into (which is probably my only complaint) but don't worry there is an HEA. This is why I would give it about a 4.5 star rating!

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley Romance and Jenn McKinlay for an eARC of this book. I adoredddd it!

I really great romance featuring a neurodivergent lead, a hot librarian, and a sizzling New England summer. I really enjoyed this story, the main character is awkward, flawed and real. Her relationship with both her brother and romantic interest grow in a really beautiful and realistic way. The whole story is full of scenery that makes you feel like you’re spending a summer on the island and all of the characters are wonderful.

3.75 stars

Jenn McKinlay concocted a really fun summer beach read. Summer Reading follows Samantha who hates anything to do with reading mainly because of her dyslexia. She falls for a bookish librarian named Bennett. I swoon over a main male character who is bookish! I wish this book was dual POV because Bennett was an absolute delight, and I would have loved to read his POV.

On to the atmosphere, if the book is set in Martha's Vineyard (which Summer Reading is), I am absolutely sold on that setting alone! The perfect summer beach read vibes!

Sam also has a younger half-brother who she is chaperoning, and I have to give Jenn McKinlay credit for writing this teen character very well. Sometimes kids are not portrayed realistically, but Jenn nailed it! I love that in watching him and teaching him Samantha was also able to get some insight from her younger bro and that experience with him helped her character grow because she needed it!

Which brings me to the part of the book I did not like, and it was a big part considering Sam is the narrator of the story. I found her to be a little too self-depreciating and had no sense of self awareness of the queen that she is. With that being said, it leaves plenty of room for character development, so if that is your jam then you might enjoy this book more than I did.

I recommend this book for people who are looking for a beach read/summer vibes, opposites attract, a bookish boyfriend, and dyslexia and neurodivergent representation.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Berkley, and Jenn McKinlay for the ARC.

Summer Reading is available for purchase right now!

The attraction between Ben and Sam is irresistible - which McKinley writes perfectly. The scenes are sizzling and the sexual tension exquisite. What I loved about this novel is the inclusion of a neuro divergent character with dyslexia. Sam's character is written with empathy and in a realistic way. I enjoyed reading what is inside her head and the reason for her choices.

I wanted to love this book so badly and I enjoyed it, but didn't love. What I loved was the scene, Martha's Vineyard in the summer, a budding romance between a librarian and a chef, and a chance for more family bonds to grow between siblings. I loved the focus on dislexia and ADHD and a real glimpse into someone's experience of how it affects their every day life because that is a disability that is frequently downplayed.

However the romance fell flat; so many generalizations about "Readers" and the characters just didn't feel well developed or multidimensional over the course of the book.

This was a great summer read. Our main character Sam has dyslexia and I thought the representation for that in the book was awesome. The whole book is about Sam spending the summer in Martha's Vineyard watching after her 14 year old brother and trying to find a new chef position.
We also have some romance between her and Ben, a library director and book lover. I did like how the male was the book lover in this read as it's usually the female, that was a fun twist.
Overall enjoyed this read. It was fun, romantic and dealt with some tough topics. do feel like it was trying to do to many things though. It was a little scattered for me if that makes sense.

I had abandoned a few books by the time I picked up Summer Reading, at the urging of my mother (who loved it), which I had been putting it off for a ridiculously long time prepublication. I think it was because I was saving it, knowing that I love Jenn McKinlay’s stories, for the perfect moment. And then I was just annoyed that I had put it off so long, because it’s great.

What I Loved:
- It’s a thoughtful and sensitive story about a woman with dyslexia. AND the author advocated for it to be printed in dyslexic-friendly font and format!
- Therefore we also have a, rare, leading lady who isn’t a bookworm. BUT she discovers new appreciations and avenues to prose with a little help, but never pity.
- The sibling story is a source of humor, delight, and a little heartache.
- All the foodie boxes are checked!
- A romantic interest seems like a total opposite, but the way they grow together and discover how compatible they are is deftly done.

What I didn’t like:
- The “sleuthing” (biological dad search) was a bit half-assed and didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
- The parental relationships and dysfunction are a major part of the main characters’ issues but I don’t think they get enough resolution.

Overall, though, I loved this book and devoured it in two days. The emotional layers had me glued to the pages and the connections, along with great secondary characters, created a rich and fulfilling story. (And I’m so excited Em will get her own book)

Summer Reading is the story of Ben and Sam. Sam is a chef who comes back to her home town to chaperone her younger brother while her parents go on a vacation. Ben is the interim library director. While they both find instant attraction to each other, they also have their own challenges to sort through while there. I enjoyed that they coupled up so quickly and that we got so much time with them together on page. I loved watching Sam grow into herself and into her family and also watching her find her place with Ben. It was a fast easy read, but had some depth to it as well.

I am sorry but this just wasn’t my favorite read. I didn’t dislike it but also didn’t love it. The writing was okay. The cover was cute at least. Literally no other thoughts.

DNF at 32%. Okay after literally sleeping on it and reading a few reviews this morning, I'm quitting this one. I have a lot to say about it but will try to keep it brief. I adored the cover, have enjoyed McKinlay in the past, and love Martha's Vineyard. I wanted a great beach read with some bookish elements, family feels, and a cute relationship. There was honestly a lot going on here, which I usually enjoy. I like when the side characters (friends, love interest, family members, etc.) feel well-developed and fleshed out. However, the beginnings of dramatic side plots for Ben and Em were looking like too much for me in a romance (and kind of out of place). I read a few spoilers in reviews to confirm this choice and oh boy did it solidify my decision to quit. Just not necessary. The MC is neurodivergent and has dyslexia. I liked this and was intrigued to know more about something I'm fairly unfamiliar with. I don't think it was well done and she brought it up constantly throughout the story. Yes, I TOTALLY understand why this would be the case and perhaps it's good representation! I don't personally know. But it felt like it was the ONLY thing about her instead of just one part of who she was as a person. There were some utterly cringey moments, like the dancing??? and the fact that Jessica felt so juvenile. The writing was too. It was just reaaally weird and so cheesy! I loved the MV setting, the culinary aspects, and the family feels that I experienced in the first third of the book. Truly did! It's why it took me a while to decide to quit this one. If the book focused more on those and eliminated one or two of the side plots, I think it would have gone down to a reasonable length (it's over 400 pages, almost 500!??).

Sam quit her job after being passed over for a promotion as head chef she suspects is due to her dyslexia. Now she’s spending the summer at Martha’s Vineyard to watch her younger half-brother, Tyler, while her parents are off on a European vacation. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. She can figure out what her next move will be while getting to know her younger brother.

On the ferry ride out she has an unfortunate accident with Ben, who she finds out is the library director. A man she’ll be seeing daily thanks to the Tyler’s robotics program taking place at the library where Ben works. There are sparks of attraction, but Sam wonders how a relationship would ever work when she has such issues with reading and Ben’s so very bookish. They end up thrown together over and over, and Sam offers to help Ben with his search for his father, and while Ben helps Sam write a cookbook with all the recipes her beloved grandmother shared with her.

Summer Reading was an easy romance to settle into and enjoy. I didn’t realize the hurdles some with dyslexia have to navigate and I appreciated learning about it through Sam’s story. My heart went out to her and the insecurities she struggled with because of it. I loved how Ben helped her realize how talented and smart she was and how wonderfully she coped with her disability. He was a sweetheart and a bookish hottie! Hard to resist!

Besides that, Sam was a spunky extrovert and a lot of fun! I enjoyed seeing her get to know her younger brother more, bond bring him out of some of his teenage angst. I really liked Em, Sam’s best friend, and enjoyed seeing them reconnect. Em’s story is next, and it sounds like a good one! Set in Ireland at a bookstore, I’m so there!

I DNF'd this book at 30%. And I rarely DNF books.

I liked the idea of this book as well as the cover art and thought that it would be a great summer romcom read. In practice, however, I found the main character to be unlikeable and immature for a late 20-something who is supposed to be chaperoning a teenage boy. Additionally, I found myself physically cringing at my Kindle when she began a public dance-off with a stranger following her catering event. And then her teen brother was "so impressed" by her amazing moves he immediately went home to practice them? This felt corny and unrealistic even within the confines of the genre.

It didn't feel like a book written for adults as much as the script of a television show written for tweens in the early aughts.

5 stars = Outstanding!

I loved everything about this one - the characters, the setting, the set up, the dyslexia pieces, the family pieces, the romance - all of it was exactly what I was in the mood to read. Highly recommend (Language, sex)

I'm giving this summer romance novel 3.5 stars!

Synopsis: Very simply, a sexy chef with dyslexia bumps into a dreamy librarian on a ferry to Martha's Vineyard. Samantha, the sexy chef, is traveling to her family home for the summer to watch her younger sibling while their parents go on vacation - the timing works perfectly as she recently left her chef job after being passed up for a promotion. On the ferry to the Vineyard, Sam meets a hot, bookish guy and begins a transformative summer she could have never predicted.

An important part of this novel is that Sam, the main character, has dyslexia. I dated someone with dyslexia, so I have experience being in a relationship with someone who struggles with reading. Still, there's always more to learn about supporting the neurodivergent people in our lives. It's important to note that "Summer Reading" intentionally made it easier for those with dyslexia to read the book with dyslexia-friendly font, margins, and bolding - great to see representation in a book but also putting words into action.

All of the characters in this book are so warm and lovely (outside of Ben's mother, ew), every character was so likable, and I was rooting for all of them. I loved the banter between Sam and Ben; it was so lovely to read the blossoming half-sibling relationship between Sam and her brother Tyler, the sweet best friendship between Sam and Em, and even the short bit of dialogue readers got between Sam's father and his children when he and his wife arrive home from vacation. Yes, this book was a romance, but so many intertwining stories and relationships made it even more wholesome and gave it a lot of depth for a "summer read."

However, some plots weren't necessary that, in the end, lengthened the book too much. The story with Ben and his mother, the only unlikeable character in the book, and him trying to find his father...I don't know. It just didn't feel necessary, and it didn't move the story along, and gah, reading any interaction between Ben/his mother or even Sam made me want to stop reading. There's a certain length that a summer read should be...and this book surpassed that length.

However, I want to give Jenn McKinlay's other novels a chance, especially after reading a little excerpt of Em's story!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.