Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay
Rating: 3.5 stars
Pub Date: 5/16

Thank you so much to @berkleyromance for the physical copy and eARC! #berkleypartner #berkleyig

Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay is a contemporary rom-com perfect to throw in your beach bag. The story follows Samantha Gale, a dyslexic chef who spends the summer on Martha's Vineyard to take care of her teenage half-brother, Tyler, while her parents are on vacation. Sam is not a fan of reading and has never been interested in books, which makes it all the more surprising when she falls for the library director, Bennett Reynolds.

The story is charming, and Sam and Ben have a sweet romance. Ben is a romance reader’s dream come true! Not only does he love reading romance novels, but he’s willing to read them out loud…sign me up! Sam lost her job recently and is determined to make the most of her time on the island, cooking and trying new recipes. The descriptions of the food are mouth-watering, and I googled some of them to see if they were anything I could try to make.

The brother/sister relationship between Sam and Tyler developed into something really special throughout the course of the story, and it was a joy to watch. I also loved the beachy setting! I went to Martha’s Vineyard on my honeymoon, and McKinlay vividly described the island's beauty, making it a character in its own right.

However, there are a few things that didn’t work for me. I had a hard time relating to the characters, and while Ben has some charming moments, the romance itself fell a little flat for me. There’s a section towards the end where Ben acts completely out of character, leaving me feeling like I didn't know him at all. And while I enjoyed the neurodivergent and dyslexic rep, the way the subject of Sam’s dyslexia was handled bothered me. It felt like Sam was her own worst enemy and was holding herself back instead of finding ways to live with her condition and make the most of it.

Overall, Summer Reading is a fun and light-hearted rom-com perfect for a summer day. Although it has some shortcomings, the book's charming setting and sweet romance make it an enjoyable read. If you're looking for a breezy beach read with a touch of romance, this book is worth checking out.

Sam has returned to her family’s cottage on Martha’s Vineyard to watch her teenaged half-brother when his parents are on vacation. Things take an unexpected turn when she ends up helping Ben, the director of the library, search for his father. Sam’s dyslexia has long made her feel like reading and writing are not for her but Ben never makes her feel judged for that. Will Ben’s father be the only thing they find this summer or is a relationship in the cards too?

What I loved:
-ADHD/dyslexia representation
-Author’s note about the measures taken to make the book more accessible to people with dyslexia
-Storylines about books/reading
-Seeing Sam and her brother develop a relationship and get to know each other
-The cooking!

I loved so many parts of this book but the romance was unfortunately not one of them. I didn’t really feel any chemistry between Ben and Sam despite them both being such likeable characters independently. The family relationships and Sam navigating her dyslexia storylines more than made up for the romance storyline to me and definitely made this book worth the read!

Thank you to Berkley for the advanced reading copy!

4 Getting So Much More than a Summer on Martha’s Vineyard Stars!!

This is my first book by Ms. McKinlay and what a great introduction to her writing. I can honestly say I’ve never read a book where one of the MC’s has dyslexia and/or is neurodivergent. It puts an entirely different spin on what my normal romance books are about. Ms. McKinlay does a fabulous job of explaining the why’s of how she changed things in the formatting of this book to make it easier for someone with dyslexia to read. What’s also different in this book is that the Hero is the book lover aka Library Director for the Martha’s Vineyard Library. This adds a whole new element to Sam and Ben’s story.

There’s so much to love about this story. There’s the brother/sister relationship that starts with so much tension but over the summer manages to grow into something that is strong and filled with love and forgiveness and support. The love story between Sam and Ben is a slow starter and there are some road blocks, some of their own making that could make it difficult for them to see their way to a forever love. I’m not going to lie, I had some problems with Ben, but in the back of my mind I kind of understood him a little bit and he totally made it up to me by the end of the book. I have so much respect for how Sam’s character was written and all the details of how she lives her life with dyslexia and the way she coped with it in all aspects of her life.

Overall this is a book that I’m going to be recommending to all my friends. It’s a love story that I wasn’t expecting and those are always the best kind.

I think my favorite part of this book was the MC's growing relationship with her much younger half brother. That said, the entire book was highly enjoyable with very likeable characters. Though there was little conflict between the MC and LI until the very end, they had wonderful chemistry. I appreciated the dyslexia rep.

I loved this book. I was terrified that I would find the depictions of librarians cliche and inaccurate, but as a former librarian herself, Jenn McKinlay, did an excellent job of featuring two librarian characters prominently and with a healthy (but not over the top) dose of romanticization. More important to me was the representation of the protagonist's dyslexia and Sam's journey to accepting her neurodivergence. Jenn also touched on Sam's best friend Em's mental health issues and existential dilemmas of what she should pursue and where she should live that many twenty=somethings, myself included, experience. Throw in some family drama and the beautiful background of Martha's Vineyard and you've got a compelling beach read that captures and holds attention. "Summer Reading" has rich characters, story lines with substance, and is one that will stick with me.

Published on May 13, 2023 to goodreads and storygraph
Additional Content will be posted on release day

4⭐️

This book is the perfect fun summer read! This book follows Samantha, a recently unemployed chef who is moving back home for the summer to babysit his 14-year old half brother while their parents are away for the summer and Ben who is in Vineyard in search of his father. After a funny first meeting, they cross paths a second time at the local library where Sam’s brothers robotics camp is and where Ben works. Sparks fly and Ben and Sam become infatuated with each other. Sam feels safe with Ben as he is the first guy to not belittle her for her dyslexia. Ben and Sam both search for his father and after finding out some truths about him, they’re happily ever after may go overboard. As a person with dyslexia, I loved the representation! This is a fun read which surrounds family, learning, and overcoming obstacles!

Favorite Quote:
“I didn’t know what to expect tonight,” he said. “I was prepared for the worst. So I recorded myself reading the rest of our book for you, because I know you’ll want to know how it ends. It’s all queued up. Just press play.”

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook.

Hot male librarian?! Plus, a lot of food talk?! Sign me up! On hiatus from her cooking career, Samantha comes to stay with her teenage brother for the summer while he participates in a robotics camp at the library and their parents go tour Europe. Sam’s best friend from growing up works at the library and just happens to have a steamy boss filling in as the temporary head librarian, Ben. To Sam, they are doomed from the start because she is dyslexic and does not want anything to do with books…though she is one heck of a chef! Ben, while on the search for a father he never knew, only has eyes for Sam.

I loved the love story here. It was not about one person trying to fix the other. Sam and Ben were truly champions for the wants and needs of the other person. There was not miscommunication or love triangles. I could not help cheering for them both in their adventures together and separate. I also liked learning more about dyslexia and the struggles as a result. I have a bigger appreciation for the adaptation and success from those that have it.

5 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #berkleypub #berkleyromance #berkleybuddyreads #prhaudio #ltbreaderteam #berkelywritesstrongwomen #summerreading #jennmckinlay

Conveniently free from work, Sam travels home for the summer to her family’s cottage on Martha’s Vineyard to chaperone Tyler, her teenage half brother, while her dad & step mom travel to Europe.

On the ferry over, Sam (the anti bookworm) has the best meet cute with “hot reader guy”, but doesn’t catch his name. “Hot reader guy” turns out to be the interim library director that Tyler frequents.

This book was so cute & brought all the summer vibes ☀️ While I didn’t fall head over heels for it, I know this will be a favorite for many.

There was a lot to enjoy! I will always be interested in a Cape Cod / Martha’s Vineyard setting. I loved how we were shown real towns & landmarks. Foodies will love this one, too. All the Portuguese dishes mentioned had my mouth practically watering. Then, the added bit of mystery surrounding Ben & his search for his father added some

Speaking of Ben, it must be said that the men in this one stole the show. Ben is a hero MADE FOR romance fans. A sexy librarian willing to snuggle up & read you a romance?! Say no more 🙌🏻 He’s both kind & thoughtful while still bringing all the heat.

The highlight for me was watching Sam’s relationship with Tyler. They struggled to connect at first, but it was clear both sides wanted to share a stronger bond & it was so satisfying to watch it grow over time.

What I didn’t like:

While I enjoyed the dyslexia rep & genuinely learned something while reading, it occasionally felt like it was more about how Sam was held back by her condition rather than how she could overcome it & thrive.

The third act crisis threw me off a bit, too. Ben reacted in a way that felt uncharacteristic for him, which might have contributed to the ending feeling a bit rushed.

Review: I love this book! I read it in a day, because I couldn't stop reading it! Sam was a great main character. And Ben! He is now one of my favorite bookish love interests, he was absolutely wonderful. I loved how Sam's family played such a big part in the book. Her friend was a fantastic character, and I can't wait to read her book! I don’t have enough words to describe how much I enjoyed this novel. A 5 star read, I highly recommend it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

✔️ 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 summer beach read
✔️ fun romcom with some deeper issues
✔️ dyslexic chef female protagonist
✔️ librarian male protagonist
✔️ Martha’s Vineyard summertime setting

I picked this up because one of the main characters is an interim library director — what I just finished doing for 10 of the last 15 months! It seemed too perfect and I immediately requested it from NetGalley.

This book has all the summertime vibes you could want in a beach read, plus it’s funny and both characters are totally lovable.

I also learned so much about dyslexia and I was excited to read in the author’s note that the physical version will be printed in a dyslexia-friendly font and use bold characters instead of italics.

Oh man I devoured this! A neurodivergent chef and a sexy librarian?!? Say less!!!

I love how both main characters navigate their issue. There was lost, and found, family all around and it was simply so tender.

I loved this book so much!

Thank you Berkley Romance for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this read.

A wonderful contemporary romance about relationships, falling in love, and finding yourself, Summer Reading is a fresh and fun read. The story follows Samantha, a chef who has dyslexia and hates to read and Bennett, a hunky librarian searching for information about his family. Samantha has returned to Martha’s Vineyard to her family’s home to watch her teenage brother for the summer. Passed over for a deserved promotion, Samantha left her job and is in transition, so spending the summer on the Vineyard is a perfect place for Samantha to figure out what’s next. And when she meets the new and hunky librarian, her summer looks even better.

Samantha is such a relatable protagonist, and I really enjoyed her journey. She’s trying to figure out what to do career-wise now that she quit her job, she has a distant relationship with her family, and she’s returning to an island where she spent a lot of her childhood. She has such a vivacious personality, and she’s so funny! She’s also really smart, though she doesn’t give herself nearly enough credit. Samantha has dyslexia and is neurodivergent, and she definitely has negative feelings about herself. It’s not surprising years of insults, judgment, and discrimination have affected her confidence and sense of self. I think being back on the island, reconnecting with her roots, and meeting new people give her a different outlook on herself and life.

Bennett has a lot to do with Samantha’s growth, and I absolutely adored him!! A hunky librarian reading a romance novel to a woman who hates reading? I was sold! Their love story is so sweet and charming and beyond romantic. From their first meeting, you could totally feel the chemistry between them, and I love how their relationship progressed over the course of the novel. Bennett is a such swoon-tastic book boyfriend! The way he woos Samantha is lovely. OMG their banter is perfection, and they have as many fun and funny conversations as they do serious or romantic ones. One of my favorite scenes is when Samantha teaches Bennett and her brother different dance moves. It’s so fun and funny, but it also says so much about them and their feelings for each other.

I also love that Bennett gets Samantha to see herself the way he sees her. He helps Samantha see that people read and learn differently and that her struggles with dyslexia and ADHD show how incredibly intelligent she is. He offers her a different perspective that she never really considered, and it empowers her. I think being back in Martha’s Vineyard, a place where she had so many wonderful times, connecting with her brother, spending time with her best friend, and having this new relationship with Ben changed her in incomprehensible ways.

The story explores so many different relationships in Samantha’s life, and the standout is her relationship with Tyler, her 14-year-old brother. Her relationship with her brother changed so much. They are fabulous together, and the way they tease and banter back and forth is the best. Samantha and her best friend are great too. They have total ride-or-die vibes. Even her relationships with her father and stepmother changed, and I think it shows how much Samantha has grown over the course of the summer.

The mystery behind Bennett’s father was interesting too. Bennett took a position on the island so he could investigate his family history since he never knew who his father was. I love how his journey took us to many different places on the Vineyard. I don’t live too far from this gorgeous island, and the author captured it well. It’s a beautiful place to visit, especially in the summer, and McKinlay makes me want to hop on the ferry (which is only one town over from me) and head over there!

Summer Reading has everything I love in a contemporary romance. It’s fun and funny, emotional and entertaining, and the romance is wonderful. Oh, and the food!!! Samantha cooked up some delicious-sounding food, and I want to try it all! Special thanks to Berkley Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up.

A fairly hohum romance without much drama only differentiated from the run of the mill by having the protagonist be neurodivergent.

Sam Gale is dyslexic and has ADHD. She’s pretty sure she didn’t get the executive chef’s job at the restaurant she had been working at because of this, so she has resigned and is now going to spend the summer on Nantucket minding her resentful 14 year-old half brother while her Dad and stepmother go on a long vacation. On the ferry over to the island, she meets cute with “hot librarian” Ben Reynolds. Of course they can’t have a relationship because she hates reading and he loves books. Fill in the rest.

There are many romance tropes and I guess this somewhat fits the incompatibility one, but really Sam and Ben are only incompatible for 5 minutes and then the tension is tossed aside. There is some cute stuff with Sam and her half-brother Tyler, but, again, they move from being at odds with each other to lovingly calling each other “Sis” and “Bro” in just a few pages. I feel like my protagonist (and author) should have to work a little harder than this.

The author does a really good job of organically incorporating Sam’s neurodivergence and her feelings about it into the novel. Sam’s cheffing feels nicely authentic - her grandmother was Portuguese and Sam learned from her - and there’s some recipes included in the back. Of course she manages to swing a part-time job on the island - enough that she has a path to future employment but not too much to get in the way of lurve.

As for the lurve object, I’m a librarian and the mere thought of a “hot” librarian makes me snigger. Ben is such a fan girl’s fantasy - he reads romcoms to Sam, he rides a motorbike (embarrassingly described as a “mighty engine”), he has the body of a Greek statue with shoulder length curly hair. Take a look round your local public library and tell me if there’s anyone even remotely like that?

The only real drama in the novel is the search to find Ben’s father: his mother is a famous artist who had a fling back in the 80’s and won’t tell Ben who with. Ben and Sam do a rather perfunctory search of the older restaurants on the island - his mum was a waitress - and meet up with his mother who is gloriously horrid. The question is resolved neatly if not happily and life goes on. There is also some quickly resolved medical drama with Sam’s friend Emily who is the main character in Ms McKinley’s next novel.

This was an entirely easy and pleasant read but left me feeling rather blah at the end. All romcoms are fantasy but this one felt particularly far-removed from reality.

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Summer Reading is a delightful romance that’s prefect for, well, summer. Jenn McKinley combines a slow burn romance with a dyslexic FMC, and creates a beach read treat.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Samantha “Sam” Gale and Bennett “Ben” Reynolds seem to have nothing in common when Sam accidentally throws Ben’s book overboard on the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. Sam is a chef who is between jobs, and headed to the island to stay with her 14 yr old brother while her dad and stepmother travel for the summer. Ben is the temporary director of the library, and the two meet again when Sam drops her brother off for robotics camp. But Sam is dyslexic, and after years of being made to feel bad about it, she doesn’t see how anything could work out between her and the hot librarian who lives for books. As they get to know each other better, though, their simmering attraction can’t be ignored.

Sam and Ben’s relationship follows a very natural progression. I really liked the way they banter with each other as they spend more time together. Their friends and family feel like real people that readers would hang out with too. And as the mom of a neurodivergent kid, I really appreciated the way dyslexia is portrayed in this book. It’s always a struggle, and coping strategies are an integral part of daily life.

Summer Reading has a bit of steam in a couple of open door scenes, which is just the right amount to keep things interesting while being safe enough to read on an airplane. It is also a stand alone story. But, longtime McKinley fans will love the Easter Egg for her book Paris is Always a Good Idea (which you should also read, it’s fantastic).

Summer Reading is a great romance to read on the porch with an icy cocktail. Or poolside or on the beach. This enjoyable slow burn romcom is perfect for all your summertime reading spots!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay! This was such a fun book.

First off, the good...this was such a cute book! I really liked the bright, vibrant cover, the easy writing style, and the overall positive tone of the story. I felt good after reading this one, and even though it had some emotional peaks and valleys, the ending tone was hopeful, which I loved! This story also had amazing representation, and I think that representation will really resonate with readers. I wouldn't classify this one as a rom com, though; it is definitely on the more serious side and deals with some heavy topics. The setting and atmosphere were perfection, and I want to hop a plane to Martha's Vineyard right now!

Second, the bad...I never got invested in the characters in this one, and that made the story drag for me at points. That's my major negative point, which isn't really a criticism...more just how I felt about the characters.

Overall, I still recommend this one!

Rating: 4⭐️

Samantha is spending a summer on Martha’s Vineyard helping to watch her teenage half-brother while her dad and step-mom take the European vacation of their dreams. There she meets Bennett, the interim director of the library, who is incredibly attractive. They end up working together to achieve some big dreams: for Ben it’s finding his father and for Sam it’s writing a cookbook.

I can’t even begin to review this book without first mentioning the incredible author’s note at the beginning of the book. I greatly appreciated learning why Jenn McKinlay wanted to include the dyslexia storyline and the great care she took to ensure this book was as accessible as possible. I thought the way she wrote about Sam’s dyslexia and ADHD and explained it was so well done and seemed to be handled with so much care.

There was so much to love about this book. The food descriptions were incredible and made me want to try Sam’s cooking. I might need to try some of the recipes that were at the end. I loved that Ben was a librarian AND that he read romance novels out loud to Sam. He is what book boyfriend dreams are made of. I also thought the way Sam and her brother’s relationship developed throughout the story was so sweet.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I truly appreciate the authors first few pages, discussing the "why" with the dyslexia storyline. As a mother with a son with this condition, I completely felt for the main character. My son was diagnosed in third grade, and has since graduated form High School and completed his first year of college in engineering. He recognizes his struggles, and works twice as hard to complete the work. He's driven and uplifted by exactly how Ben supported Samantha.

Samantha has returned home to Martha's Vineyard for the summer to help with her step-brother, Tyler. A chef, she's just lost her job so the timing is perfect for her to escape away to regroup. Ben, the local librarian and avid reader, befriends and falls for Sam. While she's said its a summer fling, feelings surface and they must decide how their romance book ends, either heartbroken or a HEA.

This novel is published in dyslexic friendly font which is simply perfect! Great start to a new series, and I look forward to the next installment. Thank you Berkley for the complimentary copy.

This really is a lovely summer reading book set on Martha's Vineyard. And yet the author sneaks in some thought-provoking concepts as well. The heroine, Samantha Gale, is dyslexic and wrestles with how that has impacted her sense of self-worth through her life. She's also a talented chef and the book also includes recipes that are mentioned in the story. The hero, Ben Reynolds, is the interim library director and while it initially seems as though the two protagonists are total opposites, their deep support of each other and physical attraction develops in a completely believable way. Sam's Portuguese family has deep roots on the Vineyard, although her parents divorced when she was a teenager, while Ben was raised by a single mother more interested in her art than in raising a child. So as a result, the value of family also plays a key role as the story unfolds. I loved the characters and found myself staying up way past my bedtime in order to discover how they were able to resolve their challenges and find their way to each other.

The ADHD and dyslexia rep in this book was good. I did get bored a handful of times though. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had just waited and listened to the audiobook after release. Wouldn’t exactly recommend it but I wouldn’t deter someone from it either. Middle of the road.

Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay was a fairly formulaic romance novel. However, the Dyslexia and ADHD visibility alone was worth it to read this book. I highly recommend reading the "Dear Readers" portion of the book at the very beginning. It's evident McKinlay did not take on this book lightly. She did a lot of research to under those who are neurodivergent and the skills people develop to cope with the challenges they face day-to-day. I was particularly excited to see that McKinlay asked for the book to be published in a friendly font for those with dyslexia. Who would've thought right? Made me wonder more about my Kindle and the font I use for reading and what options exist to facilitate reading for those who are neurodivergent.

Let's get to the book, because these topics are covered throughout the book as well. Sam is a chef, who is currently home to watch her younger step-sibling while her dad and step-mom take a trip. The visit home came at a perfect time. Sam has just quit her job and is desperately in need of coming up with a plan. She's certainly not expecting to meet the swoon-worthy Ben who runs the local library. Sam is not a fan of reading. It's been hard her whole life. Unless she has time to dissect the text, reading on the spot is a definite no for her. Sam has learned to work around her dyslexia and ADHD. She has techniques to calm her mind and does a great deal of self-talk. I loved watching Sam's confidence grow throughout the book.

What I didn't love was how quickly their romance happens. It felt inauthentic to me, but I kept reading, because I loved watching Sam's progression. I, who don't easily feel moved by books, was choked up when Ben would read to Sam. It was a genuine act of love for another person and love for reading. Reading was a part of Ben's fiber and sharing it with Sam was important to him.

All in all, I learned so much from this book and am now trying to do more learning that I might be able to implement at work. I just finished a massive deadline- Submitting our professional learning catalog for next school year and I'm wondering if anyone has ever considered the font we use or the spacing and formatting.

A huge thank you to PRH Audio for granting me access to the audiobook and to Berkley Romance for granting me access to the e-book via NetGalley. Partnering with Berkley Romance and PRH Audio this year is a dream come true! I am loving the ability to read so many novels!