The story is sooo good!

It is kind of slow burn and it’s not my favorite trop but turned out I didn’t feel a slow pace at all. All because things were developed in a really natural way. I think it is a “can happen in a real-life” type of story.

Both of the characters are 40+ and divorced, so for sure they have their issues and insecurities. Step by step they dig into themselves trying to realize what they really want and - the most important part - if things can work out.

I could relate to both of them while reading and it felt just right. Never had so many highlights in one book!

I enjoyed all the characters in this book. Nicole and Declan are so real, so warm 🥹

But also my heart belongs to Claude (the reason he is grumpy just amazing ❤️ iykyk ) and for sure the hot couple that still have spicy nights (hope I can be the same at their age 🤣 )

Plus extra star for mentioning book boyfriends, motherhood troubles, and That Scene from Dirty Dancing. Melissa Foster just had me at that 😆

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sweep yourself up in a delightful adventure. I loved that Nicole and Declan were mature and not the usual early twenties that we see in most stories at the moment, and that showed, as they had lives and baggage and it made them all the more real and developed. It also added to the story how Nicole could just up and move her life, buying a cottage on a whim and moving herself and taking the summer to write and have adventures with her adventure buddy and what I would give to be able to do that. There were so many amazing secondary characters in this story, they each added another layer, and just brought something else to the story, even if it was a grumpy lover of muffins, they each added another little piece of heart to the story. Melissa Foster always brings great romance to the story, and I loved how this one had some added adventure as well.

I absolutely loved this book, once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. Thank you so much for the ARC.

I loved this book! It was the perfect summer read. I loved that it wasn’t too cheesy of a romance. The characters were both relatable and likeable. Not as “hot mess” as the title would make it appear but I really enjoyed this book!

What a fantastic summer read! Not overly heavy with subject matter which is perfect for a beach read.

I loved reading a book about slightly older characters. They are in their 30's-40's and in the next stage of life - established careers, past a divorce or two, have older children, more mature/realistic mindset. It's refreshing to see characters that aren't trying to figure out how to get started in their lives, but how to now evolve and figure out how to be happy with everything they have learned so far.

All of the characters are super relatable (even the side characters). Not one seems like a caricature, but appears to be pulled straight from real life. The choices they make are realistic and never arbitrary.

I also liked the elements of blended families. It's a clear reflection of real life of how blended families move forward after divorce. Also the descriptions of the small town life makes me want to move to a coastal MA town!

I loved the comedy throughout the book, it wasn't cheesy, and I laughed out loud at parts.

3.5 stars. I liked this story! I know this author has written like 5 million books but this is my first by the author.

I like that the characters in the story are older than the typical romance I usually read. Declan's dirty talking had me all excited, whoooo boy! This was a slow(ish) burn for sure. I kept thinking with each interaction Nic & Declan would see that they were meant to fall into bed together. When they (finally) did it was pretty hot :)
Loved the coastal town/ small town vibes. LOVED the found family friendships Nic formed in her new town.

Would recommend if you love:
-older FMC & MMC
-friends to lovers
-slow burn
-found family friendships <3

When Melissa Foster takes her writing to a whole new level! As someone who loves reading everything Melissa writes, this was a big change in her style, and I enjoyed it. We meet Nicole who after going through a divorce has decided to up and live on the Cape for the summer as a change of pace. Life was crazy and she felt a change was needed to help her come to grips with all the moving pieces. What she didn’t expect was to meet someone by accident in the local coffee shop. He seemed like a really nice guy and though not looking for anything more than a friend, they both gravitated to the other one. Declan has been through enough and working as well as being there to help his ex-wife when she needed it, was his life. Until he met Nicole. As they enjoyed spending time together, it started to look to become more. But this friendship had an expiration date. Nicole would be leaving the small beach town once the summer was over.

For me it was being able to watch Nicole start to find herself. That was the reason she went to the beach town, but she did truly find her strength. She found what she was looking for in herself and that was with the help of not only Declan, but the friends that she made that were locals as well. My favorite thing about her is that she also became stronger in her self-worth and stood up for what she believed in, which included herself. Declan is carrying around the weight of the world on his back. He is trying to live for others and Nicole show shim that he is worth his own adventure. Watching the light in his eyes as he realizes that he deserves so much more was the best. This book is one of those that you want to be sitting on the beach enjoying while a bonfire surrounded by friends is close by. Maybe enjoying some blueberry muffins and a drink or two as well.

Yeah, wasn't a huge fan. Contemporary romance is something that can either be a rare hit or a total miss. This seemed to land somewhere in the middle.

Omg! I am in love with this book! Melissa Foster is a new author to me.

Hot Mess summer revolves around Nicole (Nik) a romance author who is looking to rebuild her life and come out of her writing cave to live again after divorce.

She surrounds herself with a wonderful circle of friends old and new and then there's Declan. Sigh.... Both are perfectly imperfect people who are not looking for anything permanent but life and plans don't always work I UT as we plan and that can be a wonderful thing!

Join these two on an adventure you won't be sorry.

Well I made it 30% in and had to DNF. I wanted to like this book because honestly, the author writes very well. I just couldn’t get with Nicole and the way men threw themselves at her was kind of unrealistic. I got tired of the neighbors that Nicole spent so much time with. I struggle with slow burns and this is definitely slow. There just wasn’t anything to keep me interested. The banter wasn’t fun at all. I would be interested in trying some of the author’s other books though. Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

HOT DAMN Nicole and Declan’s story was a great read it had a ton of spice and heat and was such a fun rom com i really enjoyed this one!

Nicole Ross is a twice divorced, single mom, workaholic that needs a change of pace after hitting a writers block. She decides to purchase a summer beach house in Chatemup where she gets sucked in my it’s charm, her new friends, and the handsome fish peddler, Declan. This book takes us through a rom com take of navigating love/relationships.
This book was definitely a found family rom com that heart warming in some parts.
Melissa did a great job with realistic situations occurring in the relationships in the book which made it a great read.
I didn’t care for some of the side characters in the story because of pushy they came off, but that is just my personal opinion on my preferences. Overall a great read.

I loved this book! It was so real and relatable
I loved that we could see Declan's and Nicole's friendships to turn into something more and that there were no miscommunication on this book. That they took the time to think and then talked it out. I just think we could've more Declan's pov's.

Thank you netgalley for this arc!

“Hot Mess Summer” is a romance novel by Melissa Foster. What I really liked was that this book is about mature (late 30s plus) adults - not people young and in love, but actual post-divorce people with kids, jobs, and trying to live life. My one comment was that there were A LOT of minor characters to keep separate - I’m still not sure I did that successfully. At times the pacing was a bit slow, but in the end I thought that the overall story was a good one and a really good read. I think if you need a beach read, this might be it - though be prepared for some “sexy time” along with laughing aloud at some of the adventures the main characters have.

such a fun read! I really enjoyed the story line and the character development. I was kept engaged and wanting to know more about the characters and their journey. definitely will be recommending.

This is such a delightful romance story that I know many of you will absolutely enjoy. The book follows a twice-divorced, stressed-out romance writer who's trying to start fresh in a New England fishing village. Her plan to avoid drama and focus on her writing gets a bit sidetracked when she meets Declan, a charming and rugged ex-military guy who becomes her adventure buddy and inspiration. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and their banter had me smiling all the way through.

Melissa Foster has woven a story that's funny, heartwarming, and oh-so-steamy. The characters are relatable, and I found myself rooting for them from the start. The small-town setting adds a cozy backdrop to the unfolding romance. If you're looking for a feel-good read that'll make you laugh, swoon, and believe in the power of second chances, "Hot Mess Summer" is definitely worth adding to your TBR list! Trust me, you won't be able to put it down.

Soo cute and soo steamy! Thanks to @netgalley for the chance to review Hot Mess Summer by Melissa Foster.

Nicole is a romance author who just purchased a summer home in Chatemup (how cute is that?!?). She is excited to work hard and is finally in love with herself after a divorce. She meets Declan, a local fisherman, and they begin to have an adventurous summer. Of course, it’s best to just stay friends at first….

I loved the happy ending. I loved that they’re messy and real (hello… c section scar). Perfect beach read.

Hot Mess Summer tells the story of Nicole, a twice divorced romance author who has recently purchased a summer home for herself in the northeast to help recapture her writing muse. What she ends up capturing is the attention of many men in Chatemup, most significantly that of Declan (aka Miller) the town fish peddler and all around go-to guy.

As Nic and Declan become each other's adventure buddies and brainstorming partners, their chemistry starts to heat up as well. The reader is left to wonder whether these two commitment-phobic individuals will suck it up and be together or let their past struggles dictates their future lives.
***
As someone who has not been divorced and/or lived in a small town, aspects of this book seemed super sus. Foster attempted to build backstory to explain why a man would continue to drop everything, including his current love interest, to help an ex-wife, but is that realistic? Also, while I love a sexy scene, I couldn't help but note that the zero to sixty of orgasms was a bit hard to believe.

While it was fun to read this "it's never too late to find happiness" story, I did find myself rolling my eyes a bit more than I would like.

Melissa Foster is back with another smoking book. The outline caught my attention and had me laughing but nothing compares to the actual book.

I challenge you not to fall in love with single mum and author Nicola and sexy as hell former military Declan. This is one hot messy summer alright.

Perfect for by the pool or chilling once the kids are in bed.

Looking for a fresh start, Nicole, a stressed-out, twice-divorced romance writer and single mother, is clicking around on the internet and falls in love with a little cottage in a fishing village in New England. She buys it on a whim.

Hoping that the cottage will provide her with a community to belong to and the right environment to tackle her current writers block, she heads off for the summer.

Declan, a local fish peddler is minding his own business and not at all interested in anything more than friendship and perhaps an adventure buddy to do fun things with.

Taking a more relaxed approach to writing by going on various adventures, Nicole realises that her writers block is long gone and she's found her community - and more!