THE SUMMER BOOK CLUB – Susan Mallery
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-44866-8
February 13, 2024
Contemporary Romance

Los Lobos, California – Present Day

Three women come together in a romance book club for fun, wine, and getting to know each other better. By the end of the summer, will they have found their own romance?

Laurel is a single mother of two girls. Her ex left her with a large mortgage payment, and he drained their bank account before he ran off to Jamaica, so she is using her yard sale expertise to acquire and sell another person’s junk. She recently learned that her oldest daughter hates men and looking around, Laurel realizes there are no men in their lives. She runs into Colton, who is new to town and ends up having a one-time fling with him. But it turns out Colton is good with the girls, so might he be the male influence they need? However, Laurel says no more sex to Colton. Will they be able to resist each other?

Paris runs the popular garden stand. She has been contented without a man in her life since her divorce, but the return of her ex leaves her confused. Why does she care that Jonah, who is now widowed and has a son, is going to be staying in town for a couple of months caring for his mother? Jonah wants to be friends again. No pressure. Will Paris accept the terms? How about when she begins to get closer to Jonah and his son? What happens when it becomes time for him to leave?

Cassie is new to Los Lobos after her brother and sister told her to stop being their fixer and to take time for herself. An uncle she barely knew died and left her land in Los Lobos. She doesn’t know anyone in town or what to expect. Cassie soon gets a job serving wine at the local bookstore and living in an apartment attached to Laurel’s house. Plus, she becomes friends with Laurel and Paris, joining their book club. While exploring the property left to her, she runs into Raphael, who is excavating old artifacts on the land. An attraction develops, but Cassie feels like she isn’t good enough for him.

There are many characters to keep track of in THE SUMMER BOOK CLUB, but the focus is on the three women. They haven’t had an easy life, but they soon come together as besties. For Laurel, she is struggling to support her family while continuing to be angry at her ex. He even pops in a couple of times—unexpectedly. Of course he is selfish and doesn’t think about anyone but himself but he’s harming his children. For Paris, she thought her life was perfect even with the blemish of her failed marriage to Jonah. Will their time together give them a chance to explore what went wrong the first time? Jonah’s son soon comes to adore Paris. Will that cause a complication? For Cassie, she was left an orphan at age fourteen when her parents died. Her brother and sister stepped in to raise her, so she feels grateful to them. But was she thanking them too much by not having a life of her own? Her family finally “kicks” her out and tells her to go to California. Will she take advantage of her new experiences?

Readers will soon grow to care for Laurel, Paris, and Cassie. They are three tough, smart women who have been dealing with some bad luck. But they come together to help support each other. In THE SUMMER BOOK CLUB, they learn to grow stronger and build relationships outside their families. Love has to be the next step, especially with three men who love them. Don’t miss this compelling and enjoyable tale.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Know that this isn't really about books- it's about female friendship, resiliency, and coming into your own. Paris and Laurel have been BFFs for a very long time and they've been through a lot together. Cassie's new to town but she brings a freshness to the relationships. Each woman feels very real, their situations are relatable and you'll find yourself nodding at some of the dialogue. Mallery, as always, is a good storyteller. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is a good one to relax with.

✨ REVIEW ✨

🎉Happy Pub Day🎉
•The Summer Book Club
•Susan Mallery

A feel good - find your people - small town romance with a splash of book club and a solid girl gang.

🧡Laurel - thrifter extraordinaire, feeling like the worst mom ever, but determined to thrive…
🥑Paris - a farm stand owning baddie with a bad case of “the one who got away”…
🍷Cassie - trying to find her place in the world (away from man-boys) and shed her fixed persona …

All come together in small town Los Lobos over summer reads that fill year heart with the warm and fuzzies (much like this book).

🧡 🥑 🍷 ☀️ 📖 🧡 🥑 🍷 ☀️ 📖

What a cute little romance to read to kick off the month of LoVe !

I felt like it was slightly longer than it needed to be and I did think the book club aspect would be more prominent.

Overall enjoyed each of the summer book club ladies find the happy endings they deserved.

Would recommend for those looking for a palate cleanser or break from a more intense genre, if you like the found family/girl gang vibe, or if you like books where a dog plays a key supporting role. Oh, and if you love LOVE.

Another great book by Susan Mallery. This story contains many of the great things I love about her books.... great friendships, life changes and growth of the characters, new and renewing romances (even though some don't feel realistic) and family priorities.
When I started reading the book I was a bit worried about my instant dislike of Cassie but I relaxed a bit about it until her bad decision toward the end. Of course it all worked out for the best. I very much liked Paris and Laurel and felt for their situations and feelings and was happy for both in the end.
I didn't understand why the book was named book club when this was a very small portion of the story. The segment where the other men joined in the boo club was funny. I would love to experience that in real life.
An easy, enjoyable read over all that should keep readers interested until the very end!

"Did you know that every time a child is born into a family, everyone's heart grows just enough to hold all the love?"

Thanks very much to Netgalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I was so excited to grab an early copy. Susan Mallery has become one of my favorite authors. As soon as I started reading this book, I knew I would love it. It was so funny at the parent conference.I enjoyed how the women grew together and worked our their issues by helping each other. Her books always set such a strong sisterhood.

@susanmallery is an automatic read author for me. Her books got me through 2020 and have been a comfort read for me ever since. I definitely did a little happy dance when @netgalley and @canarystreetpress let me read #thesummerbookclub early in exchange for a review.

Laurel is set for a summer of reading with her bestie, spending time with her daughters, and thrifting for her resale business. But when it comes to her attention her oldest daughter has decided all men are unreliable and terrible, a result of her ex husband’s abandonment she decides her girls need a positive male role model in her life. Unfortunately she doesn’t know any, so making a new, male, friend is now top of her list.

Paris is summer reading club ready, with her successful generational farm stand ready for its busiest time nothing can phase her. Until her ex husband she might still have feelings for turns up, with his adorable son.

Cassie’s family has decided she needs to get a life, wether she wants one or not. Temporarily banishing her from the family and their small town they send her to California to check out the inheritance she was left years ago but never explored. Spreading her wings for the first time in her life is a little easier when she finds new friends and a book club in her temporary new home.

It’s has absolutely everything I love about a Susan Mallery book. A heavy focus on friendship and life changing and evolving. Some fantastic romances. It’s an absolutely perfect read for Valentine’s Day, which coincides perfectly with this books Feb 13 publication date.
#bookstagram #romancebooks #romancereader #reading #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #booknerd #booklovers #booklover #readersofinstagram #readersgonnaread #readmore #februaryreads #readersofig #bookaddict

First I would like to thanks Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for the ARC of this book. I have read a couple of Susan Mallery’s books before and they are always a light, easy read and this was no exception.

The book follows three main characters Laurel, Paris and Cassie as they navigate a summer dealing with regret, love, kids, running a business, grief, friendship and moving on. Although the book club aspect was a minor one it did give a reason for these three characters to come together. Paris and Laurel have been friends forever but they welcome Cassie into the group with open arms.

I feel like this was a solid 4 star read. It was exactly what you are looking for when you pick up a Susan Mallery book. It’s a light and quick read although I did feel like it dragged a little in the middle. My biggest complaint was why did the characters make some of the decisions that they did. It was almost if they made the decisions just so they could go back later and fix their mistakes.

Overall, I enjoyed the read and feel like if this is your style/preference of book you will really enjoy it. #netgalley #thesummerbookclub

This is my first Susan Mallery read and I loved it! This had a great summery feel and I will reread again on a beach somewhere this summer! I related to the characters and felt like they could be my friends in real life! I really enjoy books with strong friendships and good advice. The Summer Book Club was a fun and light read with enough depth to hold my attention.

Thanks NetGally for the ARC.

I definitely got summer vibes from this book. The setting seemed so beautiful that I wanted to move there! A book store with a wine bar? Sign me up! The characters were all easy to fall in love with. I thought their stories could easily be what happens in real life to women. It made me sad at times to think they weren’t being as mentally strong as they could/should be in certain situations. It’s always easier to make those calls as a reader though just as if you were an outsider looking in and not the person living it. I loved the advice that each character tells one another. Great book with strong friendships. This was my first Susan Mallery book and will be putting her on my list of authors to keep reading. Thank you for allowing me to read this early!

Based on the description of this book I thought it would be lighter. I’m mentioning that cause if you’re a mood reader then you want to pick the book that fits the mood you’re looking for. This isn’t the light, beachy book that I’d have guessed. That’s not a criticism it’s just my feeling.

Laurel and Paris are best friends. They’ve known each other since they were kids. They’re as close as sisters and much closer than they are to anyone from their biological families as kids.
They did not have easy childhoods and it resulted in Laurel having issues regarding men and relationships and Paris having temper issues. Both are things they have tried to work on. But Laurel is divorced now and her lack of faith in the opposite sex has no present an issue: her daughter is now saying men are awful and she doesn’t trust any of them. Her teachers advise Laurel to make some male friends that her daughters can see as positive male role models but that’s easier said than done. (I’m not sure how I feel about a teacher advising someone of this.)

Paris got therapy and is in a much better place after her own divorce. But now her ex husband had come back to town and all of the old feelings and guilt have resurfaced for Paris.

Cassie came to town from clear across the country, her family basically had an intervention saying it’s time for Cassie to get her own life. She’s spent her whole adult life trying to help her siblings and their kids.
They make her go to California where she inherited some land and other miscellaneous items from her uncle.

When Cassie gets to town she gets pulled into Laurel and Paris’ book club and their friendship.

This is a book about relationships with each other and with ourselves. I thought it was well written and liked the characters though I’ll admit to being leery of Paris at first.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!

Thanks Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. This is the kind of book I want to keep reading because it is so good but then I want to stop reading it because I don't want it to end. The dynamic between the three couples, Paris and Jonah, Laurel and Colton and Cassie and Raphael was irresistible. I loved the fact that the men joined the book club and had no problem discussing a romance novel and sharing their feelings about love. All the characters were so well developed especially in the scenes when each of the men kissed their "girlfriend" and then turned and walked away. I found myself laughing out loud. This is a must summer read.

The three hs are at a crossroads in their lives. Each has to deal with family issues and their relationships with either their children or the men in their lives.
I received an ARC from net galley

Pretty predictable from the start. I thought this book had the potential to be so much better than it was. Great premise, interesting characters and storylines, but it lacked so much depth and polish.

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press for sending this book for review consideration.

This is a fun easy read that will be very popular this summer. Three women, each with their own pasts, trying to forge ahead to a new life. The storylines are very relatable as they make important decisions about their futures. Love has a way of entering their hearts when they least expect it and weren’t looking. It’s a book about the power of friendship and having others to lean on. No one writes sisterhood like Susan Mallery. #TheSummerBookClub #SusanMallery #NetGalley

3.5 Stars

Three women, each resilient, move on and make a life out of the hands they’ve been dealt. They bond and help each other thru their respective issues, each being the voice of reason for the others.

A lighter read centering on women helping, supporting and encouraging each other. Characters are very likable, most situations are relatable and realistic. The bookclub takes a very minor role in the story. I enjoyed seeing each women grow, both individually and as a sisterhood. Found the male characters more simplistic, lacking depth. Overall, it was a lighter read I enjoyed, especially not having read this author in a while. A fun beach read during the cold winter months.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Three women friends, each battling past relationship failures, find compassion and truth in each other. Their heartfelt conversations bring flavor and sage advice to the story. Not all problems have a pat answer and much soul searching is necessary.
I truly enjoyed this story while watching the women grow and develop into whole persons.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Those who have read other novels by Susan Mallery will welcome this story about a group of women and their complex lives. Those who have not read the author’s books before may want to pick this one up when they are looking for an escapist read.

The main characters are Paris, Laurel and Cassie. Each has faced challenges in life and all are trying to figure out their next steps. Paris runs a farm stand that readers will wish that they could visit as it is both adorable and stocks quality products. In the past, Paris had been abused and her own temper led to the end of her marriage. Now her ex is back in town…

Laurel’s husband left her and the school says that her older daughter constantly puts men down. They ask Laurel to fix this, a big ask as where is a good man? Laurel runs her own business as well selling on goods from estate sales and other sources.

Cassie is living in Maine when the reader first meets her. However, her family wants her to start thinking of herself and they push her to go to California to see an inheritance. 

As readers no doubt expect, these three women will get to know one another well. Readers will hope that they each find their way. As they try, the summer book club will be there for them and for the reader who may find some other suggested titles to be ones that they want to explore.

This book will appeal to readers of women’s fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

I really liked The Summer Book Club. It was a great story about friends, family, and finding love. Laurel, Paris, and Cassie find that true friendship can get you through anything. Learning to live and love again is always possible if you believe in yourself. Another great book from Susan Mallery!!

I loved the Summer Book Club and breezed through it quickly- very enjoyable read! Susan Mallery does a wonderful job creating happily ever after plot lines that also contain some depth and nuance.

The story revolves around three friends- Laurel, Paris and Cassie- who each have a lot of baggage from their pasts to overcome in order to learn to trust themselves and others. Each of their stories was unique and I loved not only the romances, but also their relationships as friends and with other family members (including the kids and Bandit the dog!)

This was comfort reading at its best!. In the midst of everyday life and stresses, I smiled every time I got to pick up this book and get lost in this story. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Great female characters who learn about themselves as the book progresses. We get to see them evolve and face their fears. The businesses were interesting and the book moved along very well. The other characters only added to the enjoyment of the book.