4.5 stars

This book reminds me of the Melissa Foster writing back to the Seaside series—a quirky, fun read. Nicole is setting out to find herself again after the divorce. She buys a cabin in Chatemup, MA, and takes her two best friends for a summer adventure. A stranger in this very small community who is embraced quickly and shows her what she is missing in her life.

Declan is a local in Chatemup; neither he nor Nicole are looking for anything other than friendship. Can they just be friends?

The banter, the nicknames, the friendships formed, building trust, and enjoying life all rolled up in a wonderful story that was hard to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake; this is my voluntary review.

What does a romance writer due when she has lost her ability to write? Twice divorced writer Nichole Ross takes off on a trip with her gal pals to check out the cottage she bought in Chatemup, Massachusetts. Although she and her friends, Rachel and Dana, are off on their adventure, Nichole leaves behind her daughter Mackenzie who is still finding her way in life. She has no plans to get involved with any man, but she does find Declan Miller interesting, even after accidentally spilling her coffee on him. A divorced father of two sons, Declan is not looking for a hookup, even with “writer girl”, but sometimes fate has other plans. As they become adventure buddies, can they remain just friends or will they have a chance at love, again? A bit different from her other books that I have read, but still an entertaining romance. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This was my first book from Melissa Foster and I am sure now it will not be my last.

Nicole Ross impulsively buys a cottage in New England, she is a romance writer who has been divorced twice and a single mother. She is having difficulty keeping her attention to her writing, hoping different scenery will help.

Her girlfriends Dani and Rachel come with her for the first week, their annual girls’ trip. Their first stop at the local coffee shop finds Nicole spilling her coffee onto a rugged man with black hair and salt and pepper scruff!! Great “Meet Cute”

Later in the day the girls meet all of Nicole’s neighbors, one thing leads to another and they decide to have a party. Guess who shows up at the party…you guessed it Declan Miller...let the fun begin!! Declan is a large part of the community knows everyone, he is a fisherman and has a sizable business. Nicole and Declan's banter and chemistry create sparks.

Declan and Nicole become adventure buddies! The girl scout cookie adventure was the funniest thing I’ve ever read!!! They nicknamed each other Writer Girl and Dimple Dude!! One giant fun filled adventure from start to finish.

I fell in love with all of the quirky characters and hilarious dialogue that that had me laughing out loud!! This romantic comedy was a slow burn, but believe me, it was so worth the wait!!

This is my first Melissa Foster read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the writing style. The story itself is so good. Funny with banter. A tale of starting over and growth. The characters were so well written. Being over forty myself, it is so refreshing to find love stories with characters near my age who find what they are looking for, even when they aren't looking.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

I’ve been reading Melissa’s books for nearly a decade now and she’s always been one of my go-to, instaclick, must-read. Her books do exactly what I want – whisk me away to some place fun, full of laughter, love, and characters you would love to have as best friends. Hot Mess Summer is definitely different from her other reads – but I think exactly what we all needed from Melissa!

Knowing that Declan was based on Jeffrey Dean Morgan, I could hear his voice all throughout his parts in the story – especially during the more intimate moments *wink wink*! Nicole is trying to take some time to rediscover who she is underneath everything (and everyone) she built around her to keep her in a safe, comfortable place. To say that her summer is a hot mess — well, it’s precisely the perfect title for this book.

I love how Melissa loosely based this book on her own personal adventure through a summer. Being such a big fan and a part of her Facebook group, I got to hear pieces of her personal stories and love how she added some fun twists to make them uniquely Nic’s for this book. Personally, I have been divorced and can understand a lot of what both Nic and Dec went through in regard to their exes. There were times that I was a bit frustrated with them both, but knowing how messy divorces with children are, I knew they were doing what they often thought was right and things that would keep the peace.

In addition to the fun story, can we talk about this cover? How gorgeous is it??!!

HOT MESS SUMMER starts as a typical tale with interesting potential, but trust me, it quickly becomes so much more. It doesn’t take long before you find yourself so enamored with the characters and so deeply invested in Nicole and Declan’s lives that you hardly want to take time away from their story. Their first encounter is truly by accident but that’s where the initial spark is set. From there, it steadily grows until their whole summer is ignited with fun adventures and sexy times. The banter between Nicole and Declan and the humor from their friends will bring plenty of smiles and a few laugh-out-loud moments. However, what captures your heart is watching their relationship develop, and how the bumps they encounter along the way result in their personal growth. This is such a truly amazing story, and you will enjoy reading it so much that you are not going to want it to end. It will stay with you long after you’ve finished.

I have really enjoyed this book, with so many moments of friendship, both old and new friendships, and so many laugh out moments! I feel in love with Chatemup and the all the characters! And oh my Daddy Declan is so charming! Nic is the kind of woman I want to be friends with! This book will be added to my read again list!

Hot Mess Summer is a departure from Melissa Foster’s beloved Love in Bloom series and absolutely nothing is missed. This is a slow-burn romance with both Nicole and Declan coming into this new friendship/adventure buddy relationship with an “I’m-single-and-staying-that-way” attitude.
As they spend more time together, their feelings for each other morph into more and they bring you along for the ride. But they both have a lot of baggage and hang-ups to get rid of if this hot mess summer romance will survive. A fun, beach read to be enjoyed…

Nicole is a twice divorced, stressed out, romance writer, who is a single mom looking for a fresh start I life, while Declan is a divorced single dad, who gives her a new perspective on life.
This is a well written story which is east to read, with humor, witty banter, challenges, family, drama, action packed, romance, and love, which leads to an entertaining and steamy addictive page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

Nicole needed a legit new start in life. It was not a midlife crisis quite yet but many of her recent choices would lead some to believe differently

So what is the best way to start anew and recapture your happiness after you shed 180lbs of ex?
The answer is easy
Buying an unseen beach house in a small town on the coast
Inaugurating the above-mentioned new cottage home with your besties by your side
And obviously not picking up another permanent 180lb weight
But life isn't always about what we want - Sometimes it is about what we need

This had me laughing, blushing, and even shedding a dry tear or two
I enjoyed their friendship turned to romance
They fit. Flaws and all

A well balanced later in life romance

4.5 out of 5 stars!

I have read many books by this author even though they are told in third person POV. Third person is t my favorite POV but I’ll read the books if they are tried and true authors. So when I heard this was in first person POV, I was excited!

Nicole has two failed marriages and a college aged daughter. She’s a little lost, needing to find her way and find her muse since books don’t get written on their own. Did I mention she’s an author? What she didn’t expect to find when she inhabited her summer cottage was a community of individuals who embraced her into their fold. Not to mention Declan, the hot and cold member of the group. He’s not looking for a relationship either. He’s too busy rescuing his ex from every little thing and trying to keep his dad on this side of the law. They both don’t need or want any entanglements. But the pull of attraction is much stronger than resistance. Plus everyone in their friend group sees how well they fit together. Their HEA was definitely unlike any other romance. But they got the ending they wanted and that’s all that matters.

The author announced on social media that this story is loosely based on her summer of 2021. Whether this was a fictionalized true story or pure fiction, it was exciting to read and feel part of the story. I hope the author writes more first person POV!

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

“You are my greatest Adventure” I loved this book! I loved that the Main characters were older! Everyone deserves to find love! Nicole and Declan’s story is filled with so many adventures! Their chemistry and connection is instant! I loved all of their interactions! The slow burn was great! The spice was *Chef’s kiss* super hot! Melissa Foster has easily become one of my favorite authors! Her writing is simply amazing! She makes you feel like you are in the story!! I highly recommend this great book!

Nicole and her friends are heading out for a girl’s trip in a bug packed full! So that set me in the mood for this fun and hilarious story. Nicole had been married twice before and when she meets DeClan he is hot. Declan wants to help everybody out and sometimes that just don’t always work. But you will fall hard for him! Watching the two come together and work through all of the mess is so much fun.

Melissa Foster just keeps hitting each new book out of the park! She just keeps getting better and better!

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the perfect balance of fun, adventure, friendshp and sizzle. Nicole is starting over, she bought a cottage in a town she'd never been to, intending to spend summers there. There, she found the type of community she'd been craving, neighbors who became family, a community that lived a laid back lifestyle, and her very own Dimple Dude, Declan. Although they start as friends, adventure buddies, the explosive chemistry between the two is hard to avoid - and honestly, who would want to? I loved watching their summer story unfold and crossed my fingers that it would lead to more than a summer. At the core though, is this amazing romance writer who is finally living her life for herself.

Thank you to Melissa Foster, Montlake and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

'Rounding off the summer with a read full of charm, character and plenty of heart. Melissa Foster delights us with the treat that is Hot Mess Summer - The British Bibliophile'


Hot Mess Summer by Melissa Foster is her latest standalone novel based in the summer season itself, set by the sea. If there was a book that was perfect to round off the summer season with, it was this one.

After reading books--be they standalone within in a series, or ones you have to read in order that aren't standalones--bound within a series, being treated to a standalone not contained to a series by one of my favourite authors is a refreshing change. I was looking forward to immersing myself in this solo standalone, getting to know its characters and a feel for something a little different. In a good way, of course.

Before we even get to the bulk of the blurb, we've already been promised a sexy, romantic comedy which will feature a twice-divorced & stressed-out romance writer. Automatically, I'm hooked. I'm keen to know why this woman is twice-divorced, what has her stressed out and what will be in store for her while she discovers just how and why true love can sometimes be a big ol' hot mess. There's so much that could happen, so it's time to dive in.

As this is a standalone read, its tropes are its own. So, what will you be getting within the pages this time? This is what you'll be treated to:

✔ Single Mother
✔ Single Father
✔ Strangers to Lovers
✔ Romantic Comedy
✔ Opposites Attract
✔ Beta Hero
✔ New Girl in Town (kind of!)
✔ Shared Pasts

Nicole is a twice-divorced, stressed-out single mother who's looking to get those all-important words out out of her head and onto the page. Buying a cottage for the summer seems to be the ideal thing to get away from everything, and get something done. Right? Riiiight. Nicole may be going there to write, but her nearest and dearest think otherwise. Despite what they think, she isn't there to meet a man and break her dry spell that has lasted the last three years. She doesn't want the drama or even all the good in-between-the-sheets action she could be having. Writer's block is enough for her to contend with without having to add a whole heap to the other side of the already teetered scales. Community is what she needs. A community and female friends to cheer her on. The universe, however, seems to be delivering the opposite once she arrives in the seaside town, and she is the new, shiny magnet for all the single men.

Declan Miller. Even the name alone is attractive and at the point of reading the blurb, we haven't truly met the man yet. Not properly. Nicole is about to, though. Declan and his humorous self comes across Nicole in the classic meet-cute (and rather comedic) fashion. He spots a twin flame in Nicole and soon makes fast friends with her, and the adventure begins from there. Literally. He takes Nicole on a series of adventures which is bound to get her creative juices flowing, among other things. Dubbed 'dimple dude', he takes his writer girl on adventures literally and only usually bound within the pages of a romance novel. Only, he can give her 'all the feels' for real. His granite-chested, deep-voiced, ex-military raw brawness is hard to resist, and Nicole soon stokes a long-smouldering fire back into life within him.

The two bond over their divorces, their children, and their disinterest in playing any kind of relationship games. They're too mature for that. They claim they're not interested in one another the way we all know as readers they are, which if that is indeed the case, why does Nicole find herself thinking about her rugged fish peddler, her 'Dimple Dude' in 'that' way and he with his 'Writer Girl'? Preferably together and sans clothes? Because as the title of this book entails, they are both their own special kind of one Hot Mess.

At least he's helping her write. Those words are flowing but unlike those words, Declan and Nicole's story is still being told and the final chapter--and how things will end--are still as unknown as it was when they first met.

Based on the cover alone when we first saw it--sans blurb--, I had assumed that this would be a summer romance between two young, carefree lovers. Not quite tipping into a summer-fling Greece style, but something akin to it. It didn't occur to me that it would be a romance starring two main characters heading towards middle-age. By no means is this a bad thing, as I quite enjoyed the change in pace and insight into the mindset of two characters outside of my own age range. It allowed me to see into a whole other perspective. I like it when authors surprise their readers when changing up the age bracket of books to outside of what is typically used, so props to Melissa for this decision.

For a while I will admit, hand on heart, that this was sitting at a steady four-star read. That was, until I actually finished the story and read Melissa's author note at the end. Much like the dedication, this note hit home and is what tipped me over into giving this book a five-star read. An author always injects some of themselves into each story they do, even in the smallest of ways, but reading that this story was more personal to her than just merely getting a story out there made me appreciate her and empathise with her even more. You'll see what I mean when you read the note for yourselves.

Eagerly awaiting a copy of this to land on my doorstep so I can give it some love in person, as I'm doing here for its review.

Five stars.

Hot Mess Summer by Melissa Foster

This appears to be a stand-alone, but you never know if a series will develop.

Nicole is trying to start fresh, new town, new home, clean slate. She's leaving behind the lies and bad memories from her marriage. And she's trying to find herself. It starts as a girls' week to get her settled into the new cottage and turns into instant friendships with the neighbors and more. Some of the random guys coming onto her is a bit odd, but maybe there isn't that much fresh single ladies in the small town. Of course, one stands out, and he's not in the market for more than friends.
Declan is the town white knight. He's there to help anyone from his ex-wife, his former military buddies, to his dad. This sadly leaves little time for him to focus on his own social life. Don't get me wrong, he's really well known around town because he's just that guy. Yet when he's fighting the attraction to the adventurous writer, it proves too much to resist. There are some things that are stronger than all the past mistakes. Taking a chance and making the hard choices can be the best adventure yet.

I will begin my review with the dedication Melissa wrote in her book because this has a BIG INFLUENCE on the book itself. "For anyone coming out of a relationship and wondering if you're enough. Don't wonder. Believe. Take time to heal, rediscover yourself, and create your happiness. Your vibe really will attract your tribe." You see, Nicole, the FMC in this story, is twice divorced and, at the spur of the moment, decides to buy a cottage in Chatemup, MA, where the story takes place. She heads there with her two best friends, searching for her muse because a writer can't write if her muse isn't talking to her...right? During their time there, Nic finds her tribe and a special man even though she has sworn men off. It just goes to show that maybe, just maybe, the third time is the charm. 😉

This book was a breath of fresh air; it was light-hearted even though there were some tough discussions, and there were so many laugh-out-loud moments and I didn’t cry once…okay, I did tear up but they didn’t fall so I count that as a win since I’m always balling my eyes out with one of Melissa Foster’s books.

I absolutely loved the friendship Declan and Nicole began after their "Meet-Cute," and the nicknames they had for one another were endearing:
Adventure Buddy
Writer Girl
Dimple Dude
and a couple of others.

This was a slow burn, but believe me, it was worth the wait. Declan's dirty talking was some excellent foreplay for what was to come.

I recommend this book to Adult readers who enjoy STEAMY Contemporary Romances, Romantic Comedies, Small Town Romances, or Friends to Lovers Romances.

Happy Reading!!!

3.5 stars
This book felt pretty different than other Melissa Foster titles I've read. Perhaps because it was somewhat inspired by her own experiences? The book started out fairly slow for me, with a good chunk of the beginning dedicated to Nicole and her two best friends arriving in Chatemup and meeting a bunch of the neighbors. Once Declan became a bigger part, the book got more interesting as he came up with adventures for the two of them to go on and then they acted on their mutual attraction.
I had a really hard time with every single man she encountered trying to ask Nicole out or make a move on her. I just didn't buy it, and more than one of them were inappropriate. I also felt like the big issue Nicole had with Declan got resolved too easily - it was like, poof, all gone, everything is good.
Overall, I liked Nicole and Declan and the beach cottage setting, but this wasn't my favorite from this author.

Hot Mess Summer is a fun, fun, fun read. True to the title, Nicole and Declan’s story is full of hot mess shenanigans and so many very relatable situations. Leave it to Melissa Foster to write a hilarious story full of messy real-life scenarios on life after divorce.

A slight departure from her usual stories, Hot Mess Summer is written in first person present POV and the main characters are in their 30s/40s (thought they felt a little older than that).
I enjoyed watching how Nicole recreated her life after divorce and her struggles felt very real to me (as a woman who has been divorced).

There is a certain joy in reading romance novels - you know the ending and the fun is watching how the hero and heroine find their way. This couldn’t be truer for how I felt reading Nicole and Declan’s HEA. Fun, adventurous, hilarious and steamy. Everything you’d expect from a Melissa Foster Novel.

WANTED! A Dimple Dude looking for an Adventure Buddy with messy hair in cut offs and boots, who he calls Bootsy and teases her with "Good Girl"

Melissa Foster has restored my faith in finding love after heartache in your forties. Thank you for that.

I simply loved this book! I loved the realness of this, the other side of romance novels that we don't always see. I obstacles, the curve balls that life throws at us. This books showed us the vulnerability of two divorcees that have given up on love because of past failures at love.

Declan at first seemed too good to be true, but as the book progresses you see the real, vulnerable side of him that he refuses to show everyone. Nicole was real through and through. Her story was honest and spoke so much to me.

Lots of crazy fun adventures and banter and eventually that moment when they just can't keep their hands off each other. I liked that this was a romance without too much steam and lots of easy reading and wanting to live in Chatemup with them.

If you like found family, finding love later in life, vulnerability and heart then this is a good book to read.

I gave Nicole "Bootsy/Writer Girl" and Declan "Dimple Dude" 4,5 stars.