I want to first thank Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and Netgalley for the ARC of The Summer Book Club by Susan Mallery in return for an honest review. I was so excited to see Susan Mallery on Netgalley and was even more pumped to see she had a new book coming out. I loved her book The Boardwalk Book Shop so much when I read it last summer so needless to say I had high hopes for this one. Everything you read in this review is entirely my thoughts and opinions.

Much like The Boardwalk Book Shop, we are following three women at different stages in their lives. When I say stages I do not necessarily mean ages but more like phases in their lives. Does that make sense? I hope so. Laurel is a recently divorced mom of two pre-teen girls who happens to run her own thrifting business. Her ex-husband walked out on them one year ago and cleaned out their bank account. He is a man who chases his dreams no matter the consequences to those around him. This behavior has led to the belief that men are scum by Jagger their oldest daughter. Did I mention that she is only twelve? The knowledge of this has Laurel worried for her daughters. She does not want them to grow up thinking that all men are bad even though she sometimes thinks so herself. Her friend Paris suggests that she befriends a man because the girls need good male representation in their lives. This may not be a bad idea but how does one go about befriending a man? We get to see how Laurel goes about doing just that and she may get more than she has bargained for in the deal.

Paris is a divorced woman who was raised by an abusive woman. She runs her own farm stand and has a dog named Bandit. Paris has been besties with Laurel since they were seven years old. Laurel has stuck with Paris through all of her rage issues including the years Paris spent in therapy to come to grips with why she behaved the way that she did. Since Paris's divorce, she has not been in any kind of romantic relationship because she is fearful of how she will behave toward a partner. I can understand this fear because her behavior is after all what caused her ex-husband to leave. Paris is a hard-working woman who is very dependable when it comes to her friends and their children. Her life is going very well until one day when her ex-husband shows up at the farm stand. This unexpected return throws Paris off and she is not sure how she feels about it. Will this appearance from the love of her life derail her? Will she be able to keep herself in check and more importantly will she be able to stop herself from falling for him once again?

Cassie is a single woman who was recently been dumped by her boyfriend. Her siblings have also told her that she needs to move out and live her own life. She needs to stop trying to fix everything and everyone and discover what it is that she wants out of life. The things that make her happy. They encourage her to go to Los Lobos in CA to look at the inheritance that her uncle has left her. I mean seriously a house and some land in CA why wouldn't you want to go see it? Cassie is terrified of leaving her family and the only home she has ever known in Bar Harbor Maine. Nevertheless, she sets off on this journey that she is resentful of even having to take. Cassie soon finds herself a job and joins a book club. This bookclub isn't just run by anyone but it is run by Laurel and Paris. Cassie discovers that there is more to life than just fixing other people's problems and just maybe she can find a life that she loves and not merely one that she just exists.

This story is one of female friendships, courage, love, found family, and discovery. If you are looking for a read with fully fleshed-out characters who are not simple but have complicated pasts and emotions then this might just be the book for you. If you love female friendships, found family, love, and happily ever afters then pick this one up because you will not be disappointed. I very much enjoyed this story and once again I want to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and Netgalley for the ARC of The Summer Book Club by Susan Mallery it was a wonderful read.

Trigger Warnings:
-Parental Abuse
-Theft
-Divorce
-Parental Death

Susan Mallery has out done her self with this charming best friends with romances and each finding changes in their personal lives and support each other with moving on. Laurel and Paris have been friends forever and welcome in newcomer, Cassie to their summer book club, they are going to read happy books published from the 1980's (brought back many memories for me). Of course wine was involved. I thoroughly enjoyed how the male friends even got involved in the book club.

I could identify with each of the girls and the issues that they were going through. I loved Bandit the dog, brought so much happiness to everyone. Colton's parents, loved!! So many good words of wisdom. I highly recommend this story. Grab a glass a wine while reading and then a toast of cognac at the end.

The Summer Book Club by Susan Mallery is another one of her wonderful heartwarming stories revolving around a friendship between three ladies. The main characters are Paris, who is divorced and owns a farm stand; Laurel, is also divorced, and resells items from thrift and estate stores, making a profit; and Cassie, who recently moved to town. Paris and Laurel have been best friends since they were seven years old. Cassie is the newcomer, as her family pushed her to travel to Los Lobos, California to learn about her uncle’s inheritance, as well to get past her struggles to move on in her life. When Paris and Laurel stop at the wine bar, they meet Cassie, and invite her to their book club.

Laurel’s marriage ended when her husband left her, and took all her money. Her two daughters, who play a major part in this story, have different feelings toward their father, who rarely calls. The oldest hates her father, as she knows what he did to her mom, and never visits. One day, Laurel is called to school, and shocked that her oldest constantly puts boys down, and now she needs to prove to Jagger that all men are not terrible. Laurel needs to find a man friend to show her daughters that all men are not bad.

Paris had a rough childhood, with an abusive mother, with her inability to control her anger. After her divorce, she finally with help from Laurel, goes to therapy and anger management. Ten years later, her ex-husband, Jonah is in town to help his mom, and Paris learns that he has a son, and a wife that is now deceased. Cassie will find the inheritance to be a large land, as well as acave, with some surprising finds. She only intends to stay for six months, but with her close friendship with Paris and Laurel, as well as the daughters, she is very happy and loving Los Lobos. The three women bond and help each other thru their dealing with not only emotional baggage, but issues from meeting the men now in their lives. I really loved all three ladies, Laurel, Paris and Cassie, as well as Laurel’s two daughters. The male characters were also very good, Jonah, Rapheal, Colton. I loved loved Bandit, Paris’s dog.

The Summer Book Club was an amazing and heartwarming story, that was so very well written by Susan Mallery. I loved this story, with each of the ladies being wonderful, even with difficult situations, which they were there for each other. The Summer Book Club was a terrific story, which I suggest you read.

This is a warm, comfortable novel of women's friendship and standing by your friends through everything, overcoming one's fears and insecurities, and learning to trust again. While it follows predictable lines (and gets a bit frustrating at times when they fall into old patterns), I really enjoyed that it includes more unique themes and storylines, and of course has a satisfying ending. Thank you to Netgalley and Canary Street Press for the advance digital copy!

Reading a Mallery book is one of life’s ultimate gifts and pleasures.
In this book you’ll find three women afraid to trust and get involved with men.
You’ll also find a tall striking Viking who digs in the dirt, a gamer who realizes he wants to walk back into a relationship, and a sound engineer who’s ready for an instant family.
The summer reading list from the 80s was the best! I also loved the expanded book club meeting scene.
What I like the most about Mallery’s books is her characters are quirky and likable and also believable.

The newest Susan Mallery book - The Summer Book Club comes out next week - February 13th! Thanks to Canary Street Press for my advanced copy.

I'm normally a huge Susan Mallery fan and I love her books but I didn't enjoy this one as much as her past books. It still has the usual friendship, family and women's fiction feel but I didn't like these characters as much as in past books. This felt a little heavier and had more angst in the beginning but I still liked it.

If you're a women's fiction or Susan Mallery fan you'll enjoy this book about friendship, family, books and starting over.

The Summer Book Club is mainly a story about three women who are on different journeys of self-discovery. Two are lifelong friends and they warmly welcome the third woman into their lives because she's new in town and needs help getting settled. Susan Mallery is the best of the best when it comes to writing women's fiction, in my opinion. This story delivers exactly what I expect: characters are flawed yet lovable, including the three men who all become part of the novel's romantic subplots. There are some humorous moments featuring Mallery's quick witty banter, balanced with weightier issues (anger management, regret, divorce, single parenthood). I have to say that The Summer Book Club isn't really about a book club, although their reading lives and subsequent discussions are woven into a subplot. This is an emotional, entertaining story with a satisfying conclusion, and a great addition to your TBR pile, or for your next vacation, or trip to the beach or the pool.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

I get all the feels when I read a Susan Mallery book. It just makes me happy, and I feel like I watched a movie in my head. She just weaves a story together so seamlessly and The Summer Book Club was no exception. It is a story about overcoming your past to thrive in the future and learning to love again. It is friendship, romance, and family with a backdrop of a small town in CA and a summer book club. It has Mallery's trademark humor and heart, and it such a comfort read.

These three women have very different stories. Cassie moved from Maine to live on her own with something to prove. Laurel is a divorced, single mom who feels the pains of a failed marriage and how to make herself live again and deal with how the aftermath affected her family. Paris doesn't do well with change. The problems these characters face are believable and the outcomes are realistic. Change is never an easy topic and the way that the characters were able to overcome obstacles to face that fear and come out on the otherside was inspiring.

Susan Mallery's writing is so addictive and easy to follow. I loved this story! The topics hit close to home for me and definitely relatable. I didn't want it to end, but that's always how I feel with one of Susan' Mallery's books.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harelquin Trade Publishing for allowing me to receive an andvanced reader copy of this book for a fair and honest review.

THE SUMMER BOOK CLUB by Susan Mallery is an engaging story of friendship, love and taking chances to find fulfillment. The three main characters are Laurel, Paris and Cassie. Laurel and Paris have been best friends since they were children. They are both now divorced and run their own successful businesses. They befriend Cassie, who is new in town and working at the local bookstore/wine bar, and invite her to join their summer book club. All three women are struggling with self-doubt and with relationship issues from their pasts and they each will need to overcome major emotional hurdles to be able to move on with their lives. Can they help each other to unload their emotional baggage and find true happiness? The book had a great setting and a likeable cast of characters. I enjoyed this heart-warming story of women’s friendships. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

This was just what I needed after several “heavier” subjects. This is a good book about female relationships. The three women in the book were very likable and were great friends, each bringing something different to the group. The book club was a minor part of the story, I liked that this was about women and their strong relationships with each other and how they encouraged and supported each other.. I know that Susan Mallery includes romance but I would have enjoyed a little less about the men, their bodies and sex.

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

What a delight! This story of three women and their friendship and romantic relationships was so beautiful. I adored the characters of Laurel, Paige and Cassie and how they have different personalities and family situations. Their romance book club provides them an outlet a well as many lessons and perspectives on what is truly important in life. Enthusiastically recommend!

Laurel and Paris are best friends who live in Los Lobos and are thrilled to welcome Cassie, who is new to town to their book club. Laurel realizes that since her divorce, her two daughters have no men in their lives to the point that her eldest has a skewed view of men. None of Cassie’s relationships seem to last since she always picks men who need fixing and once she fixes them, they leave. Paris lost the only man she ever loved to her outbursts—he left and never looked back. She doesn’t trust herself to get close to men as a result.

All three women realize that they must take chances in life and in love in order to find happiness. I really enjoyed this novel and will recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #TheSummerBookClub

Ahhh! That is the sigh of total happiness and contentment I feel after finishing a new Susan Mallery book. This novel is friendships, relationships with men and life lessons all rolled into a very satisfying bundle. The story of three women with different challenges in their lives dovetails together beautifully under the hand of an author who knows her craft well and writes with humor and heart. The weaving together of their lives was a wonderful tapestry, and quite a work to behold when it was all finished at the end. The stories of Cassie, a homesick young woman from Maine, Laurel, a divorced single mom, and Paris, a woman who doesn’t trust her own emotional stability, are all focused in the idyllic setting of a small town in California named Los Lobos. Cassie has to learn how to live on her own without feeling as though she is disappointing her family or not needed. Laurel has to understand that she is lovable and not everyone runs away, and Paris has to learn the lesson that one can change in life and be better for it. I loved the story and the fast pace as the POV seamlessly switched between the three main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each one, complete with realistic flaws and real-life problems. Laurel’s children were portrayed in such a way that my heart went out to them and their dilemma with loving an absentee father. I enjoyed getting to know the secondary characters, too and think that each one added to the depth of the story. This is one of my favorite books by the very talented Susan Mallery because of its exploration of difficult topics like facing your fears and accepting changes. I am sorry to finish the story of these three brave woman who face obstacles and have to work hard to overcome them and be their best selves. Wonderful story! Great romance! Fantastic life lessons, too! This book is the real deal, a book that gave me all of the right feels and kept me reading until I finished it. Then I sighed because I didn’t want it to end!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of reviewing it. All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

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