I personally did not enjoy this story and actually was put in the DNF file for me. Just because this book was not for me does not mean it is not for everyone, I personally have to really enjoy the story to fully read a Young Adult.

For the Summer follows Cat and Will who became summertime friends when they were 11. Cat's father owns a marina that Will's family vacationed at each year. So, that's how the two MCs first met. And each chapter follows one summer, over the course of 15 years (one summer per chapter).

However, for the fact that they considered themselves "best friends," they only ever spoke during the summer months when they were together. In between, there was silence between them. So they "lived for the summers."

To me, that was flaw #1. I grew up in the '70s and '80s (while this book is set in the '80s and '90s), and it was common to have pen pals, even if it cost too much to call long distance. If they cared that much about one another, I don't know why neither of them made any effort to stay in touch.

As adolescents, they explored the river and each other every summer, but then one of them decides to "go all the way" with someone else after they each pretty much professed undying love to each other. That was flaw #2 for me.

And the red flags kept being raised after that. The MCs have a toxic relationship with each other; one unwilling to open up, the other expecting the partner to be a mind-reader. Their communication stinks throughout the story. And the hurt they inflict on each other "unknowingly" just goes on and on...

This story really dragged on too long to be an enjoyable read for me. So even once they finally got their act together and decided to be together, I almost didn't care anymore... The ending just felt like too little, too late.

Thanks to Camille Harte and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

I would describe this book as a coming-of-age story that takes place during the 80s and 90s. It could very well be called a summer beach reach since most of the story evolves during the summer months of 1983 to 1999. The tidbits of nostalgia from each of those years were a great way to introduce each chapter. I listened to the audio version and was impressed by the narrator's ability to portray the angst of young love. Thanks to Camille Harte, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this book.

The chapter to chapter build up and pace was so good. The ending left something to be desired, though. All the side characters had a nice bow tied on their story lines and the main characters were sort of rushed into an ending. Overall the book was a cute summer read.

I know this is supposed to be an epic romance but I found the will they won’t they slow burn bad communication to be incredibly annoying.

A lovely coming of age novel which really resonated as set in the 80s and 90s, the eras of my own adolescence.

Kat lives in a small, scenic riverside setting which becomes swamped by holiday makers each summer. One summer, one family of holiday makers make their first visit and so set in motion an annual relationship which ebbs and flows through the book as both Kat and Will (the son of the holiday makers) find their way in the world, learning about life and love.

Nostalgic, touching and tinged with moments of sadness amongst the sunshine, this is a lovely light read...the perfect pick me up or book to read if in a book (or life) slump.

This was the perfect read to end off summer! Lake life, perpetual sunshine and summer, and a sweet, enduring love story. Truly a stunning read!

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy to review.

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and everyone involved for the free audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Now let's start the actual review.
For the Summer follows Cat, whose father owns a marina. Every summer she meets a lot of new people, who come to her father's marina, but she knows she probably will never see them again, so she is accustomed to summer friendships until she meets Will who vows to come back next summer. The book follows the summer adventures of Cat and Will for about 15 years starting when they were 11, each chapter is a new summer.

The things that I liked:
- The book is set in the '80s and '90s and for me, as a person who lived in the '90s, this book is pure nostalgia: movies, series, music, cassette players, first CD player, cord phones, etc.
- Before each chapter (which is set in a new year) we have a brief rundown of the most impactful events of that year in the real world. That fact and that every chapter was a new year, made the read pretty dynamic.
- Friends to lovers and slow-burn dynamic. Cat and Will met when they were pretty young (around 11 years), so they became friends first before any kind of attraction could snap into place. They were pretty cute as kids, doing typical children's stuff: playing games, making friendships bracelets and mixtapes, and all the other mischiefs children get into. When they grew a little they encountered typical teenage stuff like the first period, first kiss, first make-out session, problems with parents, etc. So as far as a coming-of-age story it's pretty accurate and relatable.
- All the angst. It's pretty clear from the start that Cat and Will are made one for another, but for many reasons, they are never really together, except for the summers: the distance/the expectations of their families (Cat knows she will never leave the town because her father needs help with the marina and Will can't just leave his town, his parents have the expectation of him to carry the family legacy and become a doctor), other relationships they have (through the eas both try to date other people), the time-limit (They both know their relationship can only last through the summer, but they still give in and don't fight the attraction).
- I find everything in this book pretty close to reality because basically, almost nothing is going according to the plans of the hero and heroine.
- The writing was enjoyable.

Things that I feel so-so about:
- Both Will and Cat have childish behavior even in their 20s. They just keep hurting each other and not talking things over and all the hurt and anger just keep piling through the years and sometimes they were outright toxic.
- Both Will's and Cat's parents don't behave as parents should. (The only exception was Cat's father and only towards the end of the book)

Regarding the audiobook:
- The audio narrator did a great job, and I have no complaints regarding the audio itself. The voices were good, and I had no trouble understanding what was said (even as a non-native English speaker).

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book had a great concept, excellent characters, and support characters, but I wanted to ring Kat and Will's necks for wasting so much time. The two main characters left me so frustrated, but in a way that I kept reading.

🎧4.25-4.5⭐️

This debut in retro women’s fiction is a good debut.
I had the audiobook read by Melissa Connell who does a great job with the narration, I felt she added to the book experience for me.

This is a lovely coming of age story. It’s quite sweet, which makes it sound twee, but I didn’t feel that it was.
I really like that it’s told in yearly isolated bite size segments covering 2 months of the year during the summer. They meet as youngsters Cat is the river girl who is used to making friendships that only last a summer. She meets Will, from one of the wealthy families who holiday there each summer known locally as ‘pay checks’ as the revenue accumulated through the summer kept the businesses going for the rest of the year.
Every year they fall back into their easy friendship that develops. Of course there’s the poor communication trope used extensively otherwise the book would only be one chapter long.

At the start of each year we get a snapshot of relevant events happening during that year in the wider world. It helps to cement the movement between the years.
The 2 main characters are very likeable and I loved them both rooting for them both to get their sh*t together.

It’s a very light easy engaging listen. Perfect for summer/ beach reading. There’s enough character and emotional depth to make it engaging. Whether it’s a happy ever after or doomed star crossed lovers you’ll have to listen/ read to find out.
I loved it as a palate cleanser from my usual dark gritty reads.

Thank you to NetGallery the author and the publisher for this arc copy. I loved this one so so much. It reminded me of every summer after and love and other words but it was so different as well. I listen to the audiobook on my work and i couldn’t stop!! It was so good and I loved everything about it.

If you loved the 80s and 90s, you’ll love this! Nostalgia! A cute romance of the simpler times. Loved it!

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect and was really blown away.

I typically don't read coming of age stories, even if they have romance so I was surprised by how much I loved this book and didn't want to put it down. I was even sobbing at some point and I don't do that reading books.

If you love slow burn and have a tiny bit of a rejection kink, this book is for you.

I listened on audio and enjoyed the narration. 100%.

I really enjoyed listening to this book! Told over 15 summers, Cat and Will meet as kids and you hear how their story evolves over their summers together. I absolutely loved how the author gives us snapshots into what was going on in the world at the beginning of each chapter. The narrator did a great job of conveying Cat’s emotions throughout and made it easy to stay engaged in the story.

It’s really a love story that we all dream of. Childhood best friend turned into the love of your life. I adored these characters and what they were willing to sacrifice to stay in each others lives. The ending was very sweet and the perfect #HEA

This is a sweet, and sometimes bittersweet, coming of age story. I love the idea behind this concept (the vacation version of self vs real life). I also loved People we Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, so as a general rule this concept calls to me. I like that the characters met early and that you see their friendship grow but by the time they are late teens/college age I got really annoyed at how most of the story could have been sped up. Like a simple phone call could have fixed the whole thing. That being said, I do like when characters actually get to grow up before making important decisions like life-long partnerships, but there were so many years that could have been mended by a phone call or visit instead of “will they, won’t they” 10-month-lull. It’s as if they were definitely on track for a good relationship, and then school starts back and it’s as if they never existed which was dumbfounding as a reader. I would have rather them had less summers and more years together.

Since I “read” this as an audiobook, let me give some feedback about the actual voice acting. The narrator has a pleasant voice, but she way overacted the juvenile years. It was painful. Had I not committed to the ARC read, I may not have finished it because of the first 3 “summers”. Not the actual content, but the extremely immature tone that seemed a few years younger than the actual portrayed character. As an 11 year old, the narrator read more the way my 8 year old sounds when she’s trying to be defiant. The whole time. That’s a sound I do not want to hear for hours or for pleasure. As the characters age up, the narrator does not come across as over-acting and is much more tolerable, so my feedback would be to allow the written words to define the character and minimize the inflection so that the audio doesn’t turn away a willing reader that would otherwise enjoy the book, like I did.

Overall, and even with my criticisms, I did enjoy the book immensely. I even went back and listened to the second half a second time and think this would be beautifully adapted into a movie or show.

The audio version of For the Summer by Camille Harte is a fun listen. Although born in a different decade than the main character, Cat, the brief synopsis of major events/celebrities (Madonna, Michael Jordan, the Challenger, etc.) occurring at the start of each chapter reminded me of my childhood (I can tell you where I was when the Challenger went down - a lighting store and when Kurt Cobain died - Hilton Head Island).

The book follows Cat, a preteen in Arizona, from the summer of 1983, when she first meets William Henderson, a boy from California, to the summer of 1999. Each summer, starting in 1983, William and his dad travel from northern California to the marina that Cat's dad owns in Arizona. William and Cat quickly form a summer friendship. In the months between summer break, the two do not communicate, but almost always pick up where they left off the following summer.

This book included all things nostalgic, including the time before cell phone and the wonderful era of personalized mixed tapes. It was a little more YA than I thought it would be, however, as a grown adult, the 1980s and 1990s references kept me engaged.

This was a fun, mostly light, summer read. Four Stars. ****

Thank you to NetGalley and IBPA Audiobooks for the advanced recording of For the Summer by Camille Harte in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5795582412

Did you ever fall in love over a long summer? Do you remember mix tapes that you made, played and gifted? Imagine the same boy coming to stay every summer as you grow up, and falling in love and having your heart shattered every time. Cat and will do exactly this, and they captivated my mind and stole my heart. It’s a real journey through time. I adored it.

This audiobook was like a trip down memory lane, of boys that came for the summer and left, and the music titles and snippets of history scattered throughout lifted it right up to 5 stars ⭐️ #Jorecommends

Thank you to NetGalley and IBPA Audiobooks for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

Cat lives with her brother and father at a marina, when every summer out if towners come to their marina to stay a few weeks, months... They make friends for the summer and then all go back to their life. Paychecks they call them. For the summer takes us to the moment when one summer, Cat meets William Henderson the son of a wealthy doctor. They become friends, spend summer together swimming, eating ice cream and have phone. Then as all the others at the end of summer he leaves with his family. Will promises he will be back next year, Cat is pretty sure he won't. As that is what happens with everybody who says they will be back, that they are her friends. Cat is used to it. But Will seems different, he does come back. For more than a decade we follow them through friendship, loneliness, having a life away from each other, summer fun and the heartache of love which they go through. Every summer is a new test, every year they are two people who have grown as person, away from each other in a completely different place and life. But in summer they are at the same place again, going through everything again. Both Cat and Will are torn between family obligations, dreams, their struggles.

I listened to the story mainly while I was working and my main thought was that it should be forbidden to write this story. 😋 Cat and Will's story was so intense that you would almost go through it with them. Their love, heartache, unspoken passion... while most of the year for almost two decades they cannot be in the same place... And remember, the story started in the eighties so things that make a distance feel shorter like mobiles, internet, webcams.... no such things. I absorbed the story, the narrator's voice helped a lot, and was smiling, worried and often shouting in my head no no nooooo. I was worried often that their actions, choices, ...would make the story go in a direction I didn't wanted to happen. And sometimes it did.
I have really enjoyed this story, even if you could feel their feelings so well yourself, the heartache....
And I keep thinking how great it would be if the story would also be written in Will's voice.

A very sweet coming of age love story.

Love the 80’s & 90’s nostalgia.

The narrator was excellent…like listening to a friend tell her story.

For the Summer by Camille Harte, narrated by Melissa Connell, is like a scoop of ice cream on a sunny day - sweet, delightful, and impossible for me to resist. With a quirky charm that leaps off the pages, Harte crafts a romance that's equal parts heartwarming and hilarious. Connell's narration is the cherry on top, infusing each character with their own unique flavor and making you feel like you're savoring their antics in person. The story whisks you away to summers at a family-run marina and small-town life, where unexpected friendships and romances blossom. It's a feel-good escape that reminds you of the joys of laughter, love, and new beginnings. Whether you're lounging by the pool or cozied up indoors, For the Summer is the literary equivalent of a big, sunshiny hug - a sweet treat you won't want to put down.

Thank you to the author, Camille Harte, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks via NetGalley for the advanced audio copy for a fair and honest review. Bring on the light and frothy summer love stories.