Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this novel! As a huge fan of Ali Brady's debut novel, I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of their second novel and I am happy to report they hit it out of the park again. The story centers on two very codependent sisters who run their beloved Grandmothers PR firm. The firm unfortunately is hemorrhaging money, and they decide to do a 12 week challenge that a potential client insists they do to break outside of their comfort zones. Ali Brady knows the ins and outs of sisterhood and the bonds that can both strengthen .. and break .. relationships, and writes the girls relationship perfectly. I enjoyed every moment of this book, and especially loved that it is based in Chicago during summer, which in my opinion is the best time of year to be in Chi town.
I cannot wait to read her next novel!

Ali Brady (co-writers Allison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey) have done it again in giving me all the feels! I love sister stories and this one was fantastic. I felt the love and also the tug when things went awry.

I also thought that their dual narrative style worked well and I even better, I liked both of their storylines equally.

Way to go!!

THIS BOOK IS ALL THE STARS!! I was impressed by Ali Brady’s first book last year but this is took their writing to a whole new level.

Synopsis: Sisters Libby and Hannah have taken over their late grandmother’s PR company but are in desperate need of more clients. When a successful self-help guru expresses interest, she admits she will only consider their business if they complete her 12 week “Crush Your Comfort Zone” program. To conquer their fears, Libby is tasked with completing an obstacle race course while Hannah has to go on twelve first dates. At first, everything seems to be going as planned… that is until Libby starts to fall for a guy she meant to set up with her sister while Hannah’s first love and the one she never got over comes back to town. With that, secrets between the two sisters are also revealed, making them question their relationship with each other.

What I loved:
-Having two sisters of my own, I LOVED and valued the theme of sisterhood. Even when they fought or disagreed, I couldn’t help but think about how I would feel in the same situation.
-I felt equally invested in both Libby and Hannah’s stories and wasn’t favoring one perspective over another. I also found myself relating to and routing for both of them.
-How each sister had their own love story that was impossible not to swoon over. Seriously both Josh and Adam are rising the ranks as ultimate book boyfriends.
-The Jewish representation was top notch. I loved all the cultural and food references, and how these pieces were seamlessly integrated into the story. Also, all the character names were so quintessential Jewish and that warmed my heart.
-How participating in the Crush Your Comfort Zone program led to amazing character growth and self-discovery. Every week we got snippets of a sister’s journey entry too, which I loved.
-The blend between women’s fiction and romance. I find this style of writing, where we see the perspectives of two women who not only grow as individuals but also find love, so rare and I can’t wait for more.
-How at 480, the story FLEW by. I will say I was nervous about the length but now I want more.
-All the tropes, banter, and steamy scenes. My favorite of course being the second chance love story between Hannah and Josh.

Have I convinced you to read this book yet?! Huge thank you to Berkley for the ARC! This comes out 5/9/23

I absolutely loved Ali Brady’s debut The Beach Trap. It was a surprise top read for me of 2022. I am excited to say, they have knocked it out of the park again with The Comeback Summer.

I’m not sure what I loved most about this story but it included all the things I look for when I want to be taken away and lost for a few days in a great read.
Family Drama - ✅
Characters written with depth ✅
Great banter ✅
some dreamy love interests ✅
and Characters you root for and can actually see yourself being friends with ✅.

Add in the location (Chicago in the summer - because what other time would you really want to be there), Jewish Representation at its best, some very funny coincidences with names in the book being very similar to your own, and an Epilogue (because I love knowing where characters you’ve invested time in, end up) - and I’m giving their sophomore novel 5 ⭐️!

Ali Brady is now on my auto-buy list. They write so seamlessly you’d never know there are two great women behind the name Ali Brady!

Thank you so much to the authors for this ARC, all opinions are my own!