Do you ever dream about those days at summer camp as a child and long to go back? This book hits you with all those feels and more.. This book follows Garland on her adventure to an adults-only summer camp, something she never got to experience as a child. It is a quick, heartfelt read filled with memories of summer camp and finding yourself. I loved it.

I realllyyyyyyyy wanted to like this book, but I think Bridget Morrissey's writing style just isn't for me.

The story wanted very badly to be deep but felt very-surface level, which ultimately led to a lot of cringe-worthy moments. The premise is interesting, but I wanted to DNF at several points because the actual writing was so underbaked.

Unfortunately, this was 2 stars for me.

This is my second book by the author and her writing style is not for me. I am happy to see more LGBTQ romance.

I’m not typically an insta-love fan, but "That Summer Feeling" by Bridget Morrissey gets a pass because sometimes, being sapphic is just like that. This whirlwind of a book was a fun nostalgia trip to my own summer camp years (at an all girls sleepaway, no less), and the romantic leads had some of the most fun banter of all time. I also enjoyed the pacing of this book - the synopsis had me concerned it was going to drag out the brother plot and it would be an endgame switcharoo, but I worried for nothing. This book reveled in queer joy and nostalgia for the times in your life when you could be anyone you wanted. I will be recommending to many people, first among whom are the fellow people I went to camp with who also later came out as queer.

There's not a lot of adult books that capture that summer romance common in YA books, but this is exactly what That Summer Feeling aims to do. Even going so far as to have the location be a summer camp.

Despite the lush setting though, it fails to have 'that summer feeling'. The characters are shallow and underdeveloped. Often side characters will clearly be sinple props to co tinue the plot. This is especially true for the protagonists' exes, who try to restart relationships with as mucb rationale as they had in ending the relationshops in the first place. Really the entire cast of characters were unlikeable. Because of this, witty banter, common in romance novels, comes across not as cute, awkward bumbling but rather as eye-rollingly cringey.

Sadly, despite the nostalgic premise and the cool cover art, this is not a book I would recommend.

Its finally 80 degrees in Chicago and I wanted to read something summery. Thankfully Berkley sent me this e-ARC.

No wonder so many people say this is Most Anticipated Summer Read of 2023. In my opinion, this book is the best you can read this summer. I’ve always enjoyed reading love again-not again dynamic storyline and this story although a little predictable is absolutely breezy, sweet, and so soulful. Its friends to lovers, slow burn love story, that all contemporary fiction readers will enjoy. Highly recommend.

I loved so many things about this - Garland's inner journey to realizing her feelings for Stevie, the cozy summer camp vibes, Dara asserting her enjoyment of singledom and getting to stay that way, the silly camp and sibling rituals the Magnusson have - but I struggled with the timeline. Everything that happens flows from a plot beat standpoint but even with the magic of summer camp it still seemed like a Lot for all of one week. It's still a great summer story and Garland's later in life queer realization resonated a lot with me.

I love this book and the representation that it provides. We need more LBGTQIA stories of joy and love, not just heartbreak and tragedy. This is a very cozy summer read that I hope everyone reads.

I absolutely adored this book! I didn't want it to end. I would have absolutely read a whole 2nd book about her 2nd summer at Camp. There was so much growth in the main character in multiple aspects of her life. I loved that it wasn't just romance and featured themes of family bonds and self discovery. I've already been recommending this book ❤️

I can always count on Bridget Morrissey to write a fun, zany, and authentic love story. Her voice jumps off the page and made Garland feel so realistic and like a friend I'd know in real life. I've been waiting for a summer camp romance and Bridget Morrissey was just the person to deliver on that. Sweet, funny, and a fantastic summer read!

This BOOK. A sapphic love story at adult sleep away camp. Just wow. So at first glance there were things I was not liking about this book. It is very much insta-love and also starts with a vision of the future. However, it just grabbed me in the end. It was soo wonderful and charming. I’ve never read Bridget Morrissey before and she writes some really wonderfully romantic lines. My heart did a flutter! I loved how gentle this story was approached and how the late-in-life coming out story was not the entire focus. I loved how they became better people at camp and with each other. Just lovely.

Definitely a cute story! Who wouldn't want to go to an adult summer camp with Color Wars!?

The instant alliance made between Garland and Stevie was adorable. The two have amazing chemistry, even without trying. Garland's character focused a lot on her past, but Morrissey was able to tie it all up by the end. I loved that Stevie's family kind of adopted Garland as one of their own and made her feel welcomed and supported throughout the 6 days at camp, and in the after. I couldn't stop laughing when Garland's catchphrase became "hee-haw"!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC.

That Summer Feeling by B. Morrissey, published by Berkley Publishing Group is the perfect beach read. Light, witty and fun a LGBTQ+ story tells it the story of divorced Garland attending summer camp and meeting her new love.
Well written, 4 stars.

Finished ✔️ That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey

4 ⭐️’s
May 30th, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: No

When a divorced woman attends a sleep away camp for adults, she reconnects with a man from her past… only to fall head over heels for his sister instead.
This was a unique story and difficult than the typical books I read but I enjoyed it.
Love the characters dynamic
It’s beautifully written in a unique way.
Yes, I’d recommend it

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“That Summer Feeling” was an adorable queer romance and I thought the story between Garland and Stevie was cute. This one was definitely more of a slow burn, and I often found myself wishing for more early on. Garland and Stevie have such a natural chemistry! They had light banter, funny quips, and had an ease which you didn’t question! The running joke about the birds throughout the story had me dying of laughter every time. I loved seeing Stevie accept Garland for who she was and Garland didn’t feel like she needed to be a different person around her. I really enjoyed how real Garland was. Morrissey illustrated her flaws and insecurities so well, which made her an extremely relatable character. I couldn't stop picturing the camp from The Parent Trap. I would LOVE to spend a week at Camp Carl Cove! Thanks to Bridget Morrissey, Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I look forward to reading what Bridget writes next!

If you are looking for a sweet and light-hearted LGBTQ romance, this is one to read. It has all the vibes of a rom-com and just gives you the warm fuzzies.

Thank you Berkley for this digital ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 stars!

I have to admit, I may not have requested this book if I had realized prior that it was an instant-love story. (I didn't read other reviews first.)


That being said, there were things I enjoyed, such as:

- I loved that there was some diversity in gender/sexual orientations.
- The witty banter was very amusing and consistent through the entire book.
- I like reading books in 1st person POV.
- The concept of an adult summer camp (which I didn't realize was a real thing!) is so appealing! That feels like such an inner child healing experience!
- I enjoyed the quirkiness of all the characters and how they each had something likeable (to me).
- At first, I wasn't loving the way this story portrayed a "gay awakening"- it felt unrealistic because it seemed too uncomplicated. Then I realized that, that is the goal, isn't it? To someday not have to endure so much suffering and stigma for coming out. So, it was nice to see this normalized and get a story where it didn't have to be so hard.
-I liked the 'found family' - but again, it just seemed so dang fast.

The things I didn't enjoy:
- Instant-love, it felt way too unrealistic, but I did enjoy the Uhaul lesbian joke which seemed to recognize this.
- The characters weren't very relatable for me, personally. Likeable, sure, but not exactly relatable.
- The storyline itself didn't grip me and leave me wanting more each page turn - it was very predictable but that's not necessarily bad. It just wasn't what I expected.
-I felt like I was wanting more from the characters - maybe fewer side characters and going deeper into their stories.

Overall, this wasn't a bad read. It's got some great things going for it and I think it'll find the right audience!

Spice: Low
TW: mentions of divorce and infidelity

The characters are lovable and the setting is twee (on purpose!). I especially loved the found family among the larger group of "adult campers". Definitely will take you back to how summers felt as a kid, but...with hot sex.

I wanted to love this book so badly, but sadly it fell short for me. I enjoyed this author's two recent publications and I was excited to jump into this story.

The main thing that I couldn't get on board with were the two main characters. I couldn't connect with them and I especially did not like Garland. She was too busy living in the past or the future and although I understand that getting out of this mindset was part of her journey, I couldn't help but be annoyed by her. Her relationship with Stevie was too familiar too fast. They literally fell in love in the five days of the camp. If you don't like insta-love, skip this one.

The storyline and the characters in general were too immature for my taste. You could have changed their ages to teens and the story would have been the same.

I know some really enjoyed this, but I didn't, unfortunately.

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: mention of infidelity and divorce

This one just didn't grab me. There wasn't anything wrong with it, and it will grab others, I[m sure!