As children, the four Baker cousins were inseparable, each sweltering Georgia summer spent playing at Gram and Gramp’s lake house, immersed in an endless world of fun and make-believe.

Now adults, Gram’s death brings them together for the first time in two years. Each of the cousins (struggling mom, Emeline; withdrawn, Wyatt; hotheaded, Geoff; globetrotting, Belinda) are eager to pay their respects and return to their own lives and problems.

But when the bizarre items left to them in Gram’s will emerge as clues to a deep-rooted family secret, the cousins must put their differences aside and embark on one last adventure together: a road trip to Daytona Beach, where their grandmother’s complicated past is unraveled, one clue at a time. But can they right their grandmother’s wrongs before their own secrets tear them apart?

A beach read with a punch, A Darling Lovebug Summer is a heartwarming and suspenseful tale of love, friendship, and the decisions we make to protect those we care about.

There are not enough words to describe how much I loved this story.

Childhood memories of summers spent together at their grandparents' home in Georgia now seem very distant to the four Baker cousins - even though they were utterly inseparable at the time.

As adults, they have very different preoccupations than the childish pursuits they enjoyed during those summer days so long ago. And they are ready to move on with their lives rather than trying to revisit the past.

And who can blame them? Emiline is trying to survive motherhood, while Belinda has taken the opposite direction, choosing to become a world traveller instead. Wyatt is increasingly unwilling to engage with his cousins - or, for that matter, almost anyone else - and Geoff could probably benefit from a few anger management sessions.

But the bizarre terms set out in their grandmother's will unexpectedly require them to work together. And in the process of discovering aspects of Gram's story, the quartet discover some unexpected things about their own...

A great story of secrets and family. I loved the reveals if each details and the layers of each of the characters. A real beautiful and family centred story

A Darling Lovebug Summer

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
My Enjoyment: 5/5



This book is absolutely amazing. I wanted to be in the family by the end of the novel. The author does a great job of weaving the characters together and showing the beautiful side of how a family can come together at the end. The family dynamics here were more of a story thought up to be more like a memoir. I fell in love with this very likable family and how wonderful the author crafted her story to allow the reader to become part of the story. The story is told in present day and in past tense and maneuvers perfectly with a great hunt for answers that you will cherish in the end.


5 out of 5 stars.


Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Three siblings and a cousin unite after their grandmother passes away. There are lots of personalities and family secrets that add to this tale of friendship and love. Remember, we are all human...
Thank you Net Galley!

Three estranged siblings, Emeline, Wyatt, and Geoff, and their cousin, Belinda are reunited for their grandmother’s funeral. They’ve all been busy, caught up in their own problems, but have set them aside to get through their grandmother’s funeral, hoping the weekend moves quickly in order to return to their respective lives as soon as they can. They soon learn that won’t be the case, as their grandmother has left them each a strange item, leading them on what seems to be a wild goose chase. They learn secrets from their grandmother’s life they never anticipated, and are taken on a tour of the past… leading them all to the present moment and the reunification they never expected.

The beginning of this book moved slow for me. It took me over a week to get through the first half because it just hadn’t roped me in. However, as soon as I hit the halfway point, I devoured the entire rest of the book in one sitting. The alternating timelines were written flawlessly. The key points in the chapters from the past tied perfectly with the clues and where the siblings were at on the “wild goose chase.” I loved the magic within the love story, and the connections to present day. There are a lot of characters, both in the past and present, and they are connected between the past and present. I think if you were to read this book via audio, it might be challenging to keep track of them and their connections and relationships. However, reading this via physical e-book, I had no difficulty. I loved the story and the ending as well. A 5-star read for me, despite a slow beginning!!

Read if you enjoy:
👵🏼 grandparent-grandchildren relationships
🤫 family secrets
❤️ a generational love story
👯‍♀️ challenging sibling dynamics
🔍 scavenger hunt style clues
⏱️ alternating timelines
🔀 multiple POVs

I read this book courtesy of @NetGalley!

This story had me intrigued right away, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Four cousins are reunited at their grandmother’s funeral, and she sends them on an adventure to learn about her youth. It alternates between present day with the cousins and the grandmother’s story. I enjoyed the multiple POVs from each timeline, and the heartwarming ending.

This book had a bit of everything, I’m not sure how to classify it, but I went through all the emotions – I laughed, I cried, I was shocked! There was coming of age, family drama, friendship, romance, murder, secrets – it’s a wild ride! The story had so many moving parts, but it was done so well. Highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this book - memorable characters, a fantastic mystery and great storyline.

After their Gram dies, four cousins that used to spend the summers with her are all at loose ends and she leaves them one final memory - a great mystery that has them on a road trip from Georgia to Florida to trace her past and find out the family secrets. The storyline, current day is great but the historical storyline is fantastic!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I loved this sweet book. The perfect summer read! The story follows 4 cousins who grew up spending summers with their grandma. As they grow older they don’t have time to spend with her anymore. In an effort to bring them all together one last time, Imogene plans a treasure hunt of sorts to take place after her death. As the “hunt” goes on mysteries and secrets are revealed and the cousins find out the truth about the grandmother that they knew and loved.

. This story blew me away. I had all the emotions. When 3 siblings & their cousin reunite for their grandma’s funeral, it is the start of a summer they won’t forget. This is a dual timeline of present day in 2019 & a summer in 1962 full of life changing events for Imogene. I can’t say too much but this was hands down 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ for me. I’m not seeing this book getting its shining moment that it deserves. Add this to your TBR & read it… I truly believe you will fall in love with this family the way I did.
I felt immersed in these characters lives and like I was a fly on the wall experiencing it along with them.

Hey y'all, I need you to stop what you're doing and listen up.

A Darling Lovebug Summer, needs to be read by EVERYONE!

I don't care what your preferred genre is, this book right here is everything you never knew you needed jam packed in one book. Tanya Rumford is a literally genius !!! Having read her debut, Angel Town and obsessing over it, I knew that I would stop at nothing short of kidnapping the manuscript to get my hands on an early copy of A Darling Lovebug Summer, and thank god I didn't have to go that far!

This book right here......I am at a loss for words.

This is a story about family, love and friendship. I laughed, I cried, I even gasped a few times (yes! this does have some suspenseful and thrilling elements) and I felt everything Rumford wanted me to feel.

How far would you go to protect someone you love?

A Darling Lovebug Summer has book of the year written all over it. You do not want to miss this one!

Teaser :

A funeral.
Four clues.
An adventure they never saw coming.

As children, the four Baker cousins were inseparable, each sweltering Georgia summer spent playing at Gram and Gramp’s lake house, immersed in an endless world of fun and make-believe.

Now adults, Gram’s death brings them together for the first time in two years. Each of the cousins (struggling mom, Emeline; withdrawn, Wyatt; hotheaded, Geoff; globetrotting, Belinda) are eager to pay their respects and return to their own lives and problems.

But when the bizarre items left to them in Gram’s will emerge as clues to a deep-rooted family secret, the cousins must put their differences aside and embark on one last adventure together: a road trip to Daytona Beach, where their grandmother’s complicated past is unraveled, one clue at a time. But can they right their grandmother’s wrongs before their own secrets tear them apart?

a grandmother passes away and her four grandchildren come home to her lake house to mourn her, she has left lots of surprises for them to find. very good story.

What a wonderful summer read! I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure where it was going for a minute, but once the mystery kicked in, I was hooked.

This story follows Geoff, Wyatt, Emeline and Belinda, three siblings and a cousin in the aftermath of their grandmother passing away. Somehow they have all drifted apart. Isn't that life? It is so easy to have the intentions to stay close and stay in touch and then things happen and priorities change unintentionally. All of these kids were super close growing up. They went to their grandparents house every summer. Now at the funeral, this is the first time they have all been together for a long time, and life is hitting them in different ways. Their grandmother, Imogene, has left them a scavenger hunt to reveal a truth of hers that she has kept hidden for her whole life which leads them to taking Belinda's RV to Florida to start. Let the adventure begin!

This author did a great job of explaining relationships and how much can change with time. It took one event to occur to get them all to start opening up to each other and realize how much had changed. Through the journey of this scavenger hunt, they end up relying on each other and realizing that they want to be back in each other's lives.

I liked the flash backs as well. The story would be in the present from the kid's POV and then switch to Imogene in the 50's and 60's. I enjoyed the mystery aspect thrown in. I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

📝PUB DAY Review📝
A Darling Lovebug Summer by Tanya Rumford
3.75 ⭐️
Pub date: May 30 2023

Thank you Netgalley and Cut & Run Press for a copy of this digital ARC!

I don’t usually do quarter-stars but this was better than 3.5 but I couldn’t quite give it a 4, so here we are 🤷🏻‍♀️

Told in multiple timelines, this storyline follows four cousins who are reunited at their beloved Gram’s funeral. As they follow clues left behind by their late grandmother, they start to discover the truth about what happened one summer long ago. I really liked how this story revealed itself, and thoroughly enjoyed the past-timeline, which was set in the 60s. This is part family drama / part mystery / part romance that is perfect for summer reading.
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I liked this light, entertaining and heartwarming story about heirloom, family secrets and joining forces to solve mysteries.
It's well plotted, the characters are likeable, and the tone is always light. Good storytelling, well developed characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This was a wonderful read. It all starts when the beloved grandmother passes away, and leaves a cryptic message for her grandchildren. Working together, despite their differences, they struggle to decipher the ramblings of their crazy, old Gram, and in the process, they discover life-changing things about themselves and each other. The characters were well-written and the story was absolutely enchanting.

Oh goodness this book is like a nice warm hug on a summer day!! While the story is not all sunshine there are moments of healing and grief but the overall theme I found was overcoming and forgiving to remember what is most important and that is friendship and family. I was captivated by this family and learning all about their history and past events. This book is told in dual timelines- the four cousins and then the story during Imogene’s late teen years into her twenties. There are events in her past, secrets Imogene and her husband has kept from family and friends that she feels it’s time to tell for healing of other families. Imogene calls her grandkids the love bugs. In her will she leaves them each a little gift as well as a letter that sends them on one last adventure. It takes them to Daytona Florida where they begin to uncover events that happened back in her early years. I really loved how the story unfolded and we get glimpses into the various characters. They all have a story to tell of who they are and why they are. It seems that communication between the cousins have drifted over the years due to growing up and getting married and having kids. This adventure brings them back together and remembering the time they spend at their grandmas lake house. Many thanks to Cut & Run Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A Darling Love-Bug Summer is a beautiful family saga revolving around a grandmother’s death and the cousins who come “home” to the family lake house to mourn her. She leaves lots of surprises for her four beloved grandchildren, helping each with their grief while helping them also get their lives back on track. Don't miss this feel-good, refreshing and lovely tale of family love and devotion.

Such a fun and heartwarming story! Four adult cousins, who spent all their magical childhood summers at Grandma Imogene’s lake house, are reunited after her sad but anticipated passing. Imogene leaves a compelling clue for each of the cousins; clues that will take them on a roadtrip adventure to Daytona to discover who their beloved Grandma was in her youth and they are definitely in for some surprises! I loved this “darling” story filled with nostalgia from the 1960’s and I loved the grown up cousins reconnecting as adults. This is not heavily plotted, the suspense is light, the banter is cute, and it is relaxing and enjoyable, would definitely make a great beach read! Thank you Netgalley, Cut and Run Press, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on May 30, 2023

I was starting to think my new rating system didn’t give out 5 stars. But this book deserves every one. I absolutely loved how complex this book was. A suspenseful family drama where Gram’s death leads her adult grandchildren on a scavenger hunt that ultimately brings them all back together. The dual timeline as well as the multiple point of views was really a treat. I loved getting the story from each character because it made it that much more memorable.

Each of the grandchildren really grew but I think my favorite was Geoff. He started out as a miserable person but ended up finally having his breakthrough. I also LOVED Gram’s story and her friendship with Greta. All in all this was a beautiful story of growth and how sometimes secrets can bring people together.