This book was a little different from Melissa's usual writing. I really enjoyed it. I loved Declan and his white knight persona. He is sweet but sexy, full of energy but down to earth. I loved Nicole. I loved that she found herself at her summer cottage. And she found some amazing friends and an amazing adventure buddy! This book has all the feels in it. Melissa brings you into her stories like you are right there with all her characters. I love it!

Hot Mess Summer was so good. I really enjoyed Nic and Declan's adventure filled story and loved their nicknames for each other. I hope there will be more stories set in the little town of Chatemup.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was steamy, sweet, fun and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Nicole, an author, and twice-divorced single mom decides to buy a New England cottage as a summer escape. At the local coffee shop she bumps into divorced single dad Declan, it’s definitely a meet-cute situation. Neither are looking for a relatidevelopand develop an adventurous friendship that leads to a spicy fling.

This fun read is loosely based on the summer the author moved to the Cape. While reading I could not help but picture her as Nicole. So, if there is a Declan walking around we need to find him. Declan is the picture-perfect book boyfriend, no wonder the town loves him.

I loved all the fun banter and the overall laidback fun. The writing was easy to get into. I loved the small-town vibes and the quirky and fun supporting characters. It's full of laugh-out-loud moments but there are some tough discussions.

Deep down this story is about letting go and finding yourself. It’s a character-driven coming-of-age story with mature main characters with a message. It was a wonderful reminder that happiness can be found at any age.

This is a fun, lighthearted read. The banter is playful, sassy, sarcastic, and perfect. The town and characters are some that I would love to see again.

Hot Mess Summer was a very different book by Melissa Foster than most of the books I've read by her. Nicole and Declan are both divorced. While Nicole is finally trying to get out of the rut caused by her second marriage and divorce, Declan has clearly been stuck with his struggles for a while. Both of them have children and struggles that they need to deal with in order to find happiness. While neither one of them are looking for a long term romantic relationship, what they build is a beautiful friendship that eventually becomes much more.

I really enjoyed watching their relationship progress and Nicole's move and finding "her people" gives me hope for the future.

I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that I’ve read close to 100 books by this author. I enjoy her large Love in Bloom series which incorporates many smaller series, they are fun and flirty while rarely having a third-act breakup. This story is a bit different from what I’m used to from her, but also the same.

The story’s first half concentrates more on Nic finding her joy and living for herself than on the romance. Make no mistake, plenty of heated moments and flirting are going on, but a relationship is not what Nic or Declan are looking for. Of course, since she’s not looking for any romantic entanglements all the men in town are flocking to her like bees to honey. Yet her new “adventure buddy” is the one she has undeniable chemistry with and compares every other man to.

The second half of this book dives into the romance. What does it mean to these people who have a lot of baggage and just want to keep the drama at bay? For me, the fact that they became such good friends before giving into their pull was great to read. They are truly great friends and neither wants to lose that connection, yet they cannot keep from acting on their chemistry forever.

The friends Nic meets as soon as she moves to this new town are phenomenal. They are fun, wise, and supportive. They quickly became Nic’s found family and took her in as one of their own.

While the pacing of this book isn’t as fast as I’m used to with this author’s other stories, it is still engaging and has amazing characters. Everyone could use a Declan in their life.

I ADORED Boots & Dimple Dude!!!!!!

Stayed up through the night to finish - I was at 79% and could not put my kindle down…
This read is possibly my fave book to date from Ms Foster!!

Nicole and Declan have my heart. This was a journey of growth, understanding and self love.
Nicole hasn’t had the easiest of time and she needs to think about herself for once.
Declan has everyone else on his radar, but his own life, that seems to be buried under regrets and worries about so many other things.
Our couple both learned a lot about what they needed and wanted and I loved that they finally stood up for themselves.

I loved the friends Nicole made over her summer and I’m hoping that there might be another story or two around some of the supporting characters.

Declan’s family were great, as was Nicole’s mum and her best friends but the gods, her daughter drove me to distraction!!

This book had heart, love, fabulous banter, laughs, connection, a great sense of family and belonging and SO much heat….

D’you think I might find a hot fish peddler on the East Coast of Scotland?! 🤔😉😙


A definite for my re-read list. 5 Hot Mess stars!!!



Thank you to the author & Montlake Romance for an advanced copy of the book.
All thoughts are my own and I also pre-ordered my own copy before release day.

First of I really enjoyed having an older hero & heroine. Nicole is a twice divorced single mom who on an impulse moved to a New England town. She does her best to avoid relationships except with her girlfriends even though she is in a town surrounded by guys. However she meets single Dad Declan & forms a bond with him. I loved their banter and seeing how their friendship grew.

I enjoyed reading about an older heroine that was dealing with issues that are common among my age group.

The wonderful writing has me visualizing the events taking place and it felt like a REAL story. The author made Chatemup, Massachusetts sounds like the perfect community for me and my husband to retire to!

I’ve been a fan of Melissa Foster’s for several years and couldn’t help imagining her as the inspiration for the main character, Nicole.

This is a Romantic Comedy and it is Nicole and Declan’s story and omg it is definitely a must read. Nicole is a twice divorced, single mom and a romance writer with a serious case of writer’s block and she ends up buying a cottage by the sea in a fishing village in New England which she hasn’t seen in person and only took a twelve minute video tour and now she doesn’t feel very confident about what she will find when she gets there but with a deadline approaching she needs to get her brain in gear and men are definitely not on the menu for a long time but thank goodness she has her two best friends with her to stop her from going into complete meltdown. Declan is always thinking and helping others before himself and is always rescuing people and that is why he is called the white night but when he meets Nicole it seems like his whole life is changing but because of all his baggage and trust issues and the people that he constantly takes care of along with his workload he doesn’t have time for anything else especially a relationship because he can’t and won’t bring anyone else into his mixed up life. The more time that Nicole and Declan spend together as friends the stronger and more intense there attraction and chemistry grows and there connection is so special and unique that they are unable to stay away from each other but Nicole is only there for the summer and Declan has a lot on his plate so how will they be able to navigate and move forward together when there are so many obstacles and problems in the way. Nicole and Declan are so close and perfect together and I love how they can talk about anything and everything and also understand what the other needs and wants and I am so glad that they eventually worked everything out and got the happiness and future that they both wanted and deserved. Wow I absolutely loved this book and I couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting until the early hours of the morning after all who needs sleep when you have such an amazing and addictive book to read definitely not me. Melissa Foster is an amazing author and writer and I definitely recommend you read this book and all her others and you will not be disappointed and I hope that Nicole’s crazy friends get there own story’s because when you put these ladies together they are absolutely hilarious.

This is a lovely friends-to-lovers romance about two divorced people discovering that even when you aren't looking for love, love might just find you anyway.

A twice divorced romance writer moves to a seaside New England cottage looking for inspiration and meets a business owner with a savior complex. Both of them insist that they aren't looking for anything more than friendship, but as they spend time together, they cannot help but be attracted more and more. I appreciated how they called each other out on their respective bad habits and were willing to be apart rather than settle for less than the best. The complications of dating with adult children, elder parents, and exes seemed realistic and I enjoyed reading about middle aged people finding a new place in their lives.

Thank you to Montlake via Netgalley for my eARC.

I have loved all of Melissa Foster’s books and this was no different! I appreciated that the characters were older and i the mature phase of their lives.

Nicole is in trouble. She’s a twice divorced burnt out romance writer with a bad case of writers block. Needing something different, she buys a beach house in Chatemup and intends to spend the whole summer there trying to regain her muse. Throwing coffee over a stranger (Declan) in the local coffee shop was not the fresh start she intended but what a way to make an impact. Neither one is looking for an attachment. Although Declan has his own issues that doesn’t stop them becoming friends and having fun. Is Declan the muse she never knew she needed.? As Nicole settles into the community and gains even more new friends she will begin to enjoy life once again. Will she be able to leave it all behind at the end of the summer? A charming, sometimes witty story of fresh starts, new friends and everyday life. I loved the nicknames Nicole and Declan had for each other and it was great to see them grow as their relationship blossomed. Overall this is a sweet, heartfelt, entertaining read.

4.5*s

I am always so happy to get my hands on a new book by Melissa Foster. Her characters are invariably engaging and her writing can turn something simple into a story that draws you in & won’t let go. The fact that this one focuses on an older hero and heroine, a couple that are grown but not done growing, is refreshing. And I was delighted by their journey from being new friends into more.

Both Declan and Nicole are moving into a new phase of their lives – figuring out where they fit with their friends and family, and learning what they want for themselves going forward. The way they do this together, going on delightful adventures, getting closer, and growing as people is just a fun read.

There’s very little drama and angst here, instead it’s a story about self discovery filled with delightful characters, humor, and small town charm. Oh, and a good amount of heat, of course.

Hot Mess Summer by Melissa Foster is the story of Nicole Ross. Nicole is a twice divorced single parent who also writes romance books. So she wanting a fresh start along with getting better at her writing. So when she buys a summer cottage in Chatemup, Massachusetts she ends up with more than she bargained for then she meets Declan. This was a wonderful later in life romance. It was just a dream to read. Enjoyed it!!

Melissa Foster is one of my favorite romance authors. She brings us unique stories with well written and developed characters, and Hot Mess Summer was no exception.

Hot Mess Summer gave us a tiny peek into Melissa's "life", and I loved it.

Nicole is a twice divorced single mom, who moves to a small fishing village looking for an escape, from everything. What ends up happening though is she attracts every hot mess in the area, including Declan. Wooooweee. Declan. These two start out as just friends, but we all know that life has a way of laughing right in our faces.

Melissa covered many important topics in this book, and I have to say I was not disappointed from start to finish. 5 stars for Hot Mess Summer!

I loved the dedication in this book. It spoke to me. This cover pulled me right in. It's just so pretty. I stayed because the story was so good. I laughed so hard while reading this one. Girl Scout cookies! IYKYK! It was super spicy and so fun. I just loved Nicole and Declan. They just felt so real. All the side characters are so great too. I am always a fan of found family. I cannot wait to read more by this author. Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Hot Mess Summer by Melissa Foster is a hilarious story of real-life scenarios on what life is like after a divorce. Nicole and Declan meet shortly after Nicole arrives in Chatemupa for her girls' trip. Both Nicole and Declan are divorced, and Ms. Foster is able to write about very relatable and fabulous hot mess situations that they encounter. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of the characters!

I really loved this story. The characters felt very real and so did the challenges they had in their lives. I loved the quick banter between Nic and Declan. The friendships were fantastic, and I hope everyone has a set of friends they can rely on like Nic does. There were many LOL moments and I enjoyed them all. I know this is a standalone, but I kind of hope we see these characters again. I have read a lot of Melissa Foster's books and this one is a little different in that the main characters are older and further in their lives than a lot of the other books. I found the writing to be just as wonderful as all her others. The story pulled me in immediately and I felt like I was there. I received an advance copy of book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

3.75stars-HOT MESS SUMMER by Melissa Foster is a contemporary, adult, romance stand alone focusing on thirty-eight year old, divorcee and author Nicole Ross, and forty-eight year old, divorced father of three, fisherman Declan Miller.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Nicole and Declan) HOT MESS SUMMER follows the building romance and relationship between our story line couple. Nicole Ross is a romance writer who bought herself a summer vacation home in New England. Hoping to make new friends and forget about the mess back home, the twice divorced Nicole will come face to face with her future in the guise of fisherman Declan Miller. Declan doesn’t want anything permanent, and Nicole is quick to agree but as the summer slowly turns into fall, our couple will discover the heart wants something more than the brain is willing to accept. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Declan and Nicole, and the potential fall-out as the reality of their own lives may be too much to handle.

The world building focuses on family and friendships, new friendships that accept our story line heroine without a thought but Nicole and Declan will both struggle with issues of family and doubt, and in this, their relationship may not last the course of a summer affair.

The relationship between Declan and Nicole is one of mutual attraction. Nicole’s ‘accidental’ first meeting with Declan becomes fodder for her friends but a welcome party set into motion a summer love that ends all too soon. The $ex scenes are passionate and intimate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and fun secondary and supporting characters including many of the locals, both Nicole and Declan’s family and extended families, as well as Nicole’s daughter Kenzie, and Declan’s embattled father Rick.

HOT MESS SUMMER is a story loosely based on the author’s own summer affair; a story of fun and adventure, happiness and acceptance. The premise is entertaining and inviting; the characters are animated, quirky and charming; the romance is spirited and moving.




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