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!

This book was a fun summer read. I enjoyed the characters and would recommend to others. Rachel resonated with me most and I wanted more of her in the book. Consider a sequel

This was an exciting and very enjoyable read!

I enjoyed this live story from the very beginning until the very end. The ending was well executed and concluded realistically - I love the fact that it wasn’t a typical “live together” ending.

The two main characters were so easy for me to connect with, as were all the other characters. The whole story was one that I followed with ease and intrigue. It also brought out personal emotions/expectations for me, this was a positive reminder of how far I have come after my divorce.

I would definitely recommend this book as it’s so sentimental, but at the same time also sexy and contemporary- which in my opinion makes it more appealing and easier to connect with.

A book that I will remember.

First of all, give me a book that has lots of funny and/or sarcastic banter and I'm happy. Nicole and Declans banter was funny and flirty and hot! I loved their friendship first and how they basically put everything out on the table. All the side characters were hysterical, even though it took me awhile in the book to be able to remember who they were. This was the first book I've read by this author but I'm definitely going to read more!

I thought that this book was excellent and I loved it!

The characters were great, I loved their interaction and the author’s writing style made you feel as you were there with them – it was very well written and an easy one to read

The book was thoroughly entertaining – it had romance, honesty and an additive plot and it was one that I didn’t want to put down, I was enjoying it so much and wanted to know how the story would end

It is 5 stars from me for this one – very highly recommended!

Hot Mess Summer by Melissa Foster

* Dual POV (although more heavily focused on female character)
* Older MCs
* Small beachside town
* Tight-knit community

This book is about a romance author who purchases a holiday home in a small beachside town in the hopes of soothing her soul and getting her writing mojo back. With no intentions of dipping her toes back in the dating waters, she is surprised when the universe has different plans.

My Review - ☆☆☆☆
I loved reading this book and getting lost in Nic's world. Both of our characters are living in a post-divorce world with adult children. They both face challenges within their own lives but fine solace in their fun filled friendship.
This love story feels very organic. It feels like a very mature love story with just enough spice. There are times where it feels like these characters are much younger than they are, but in all fairness, that is the point. They both find the fun again in their lives and it is beautiful to watch this blossom and watch them grow.
My favourite theme in this book is how ou heroine focuses on loving herself and accepting her for who she is!!! This messaging is amazing and powerful.
Although this book does have dual POV, the bulk of this book is written from the heroines perspective. At first I really wanted to get inside Declans head, but by the end of this book, these frutrations made me connect more with Nic.
Another amazing read from a fantastic author!

This is a humorous yet insightful look at life after divorce and finding yourself again. I loved the characters and their banter. I officially want to move to a New England small coastal town to find my chosen family.

Nicole and Declan are great characters. They’re not perfect. They are floundering around trying to figure out life. They are both in their 40’s. I enjoy reading about couples that are older like me. They are more relatable. I loved Nicole’s new friends. They are fun and humorous. This is a very well written book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Perfect read for the summer. I enjoyed all the characters. Super fun and very quick read.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book.