"Seven Summers" by Paige Toon was a wonderful, yet very emotional, book. Through the main character, Liv, we experience love, friendship, grief, resiliency and every emotion in between. I found myself torn between Liv's love interests: Finn and Tom. Who would she choose if she had to? Who would I choose? How could she keep going back to him every summer knowing he would wreck her when he left? Would I go back?

Here are a few things I enjoyed about "Seven Summers": (1) the back and forth between present day and past summers, (2) the relationship every character in this book has with Liv's brother, (3) the love story with Finn, (4) the love story with Tom, and (5) not knowing how this book was going to end even into the epilogue. I stayed up late and woke early to finish this book! It was an endearing, emotional story, and I was rooting for Liz the whole time!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is an achingly beautiful love story, but it’s much more than that too. It’s a story of grief, friendships, family and moving forward when it seems impossible to do so.

Liv and Finn are the perfect couple, except for one thing. Liv lives in the UK and Finn lives in Los Angeles. Though they choose not to carry on a long distance relationship, they do get together every summer, and if they’re both single, their love story continues.

The story moves between past and present seamlessly, the characters are well rounded and very likable, and the plot is a whirlwind of emotional ups and downs. I highly recommend this 5-star book to readers of romance and women’s fiction alike. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC. This hits the shelves on May 21, 2024.

Really enjoyed reading this book it was definetly an emotional rollercoaster, but well.worth it. The relationship Liv has with Finn was soo sweet, but sounded heartbreaking at the end of the summer. Although, it did not make me hope that they would get back together the next summer. Then comes Tom and he seemed perfect for Liv, and after all that she had been through she deserved to be happy. Highly suggest reading could not put this down. #sevensummers #netgalley #mustread24

I tore through this in just a couple days! I loved the character of Liv, and found reading about her core friendships really lovely. I love a supportive friend group! I also thought Finn was realistic, and found myself putting myself in her position and relating quite a lot. The Tom part felt a little too put-on--I wondered if maybe he was a serial killer, it was too good to be true--but I guess the whirlwind was the point.

Paige Toon is one of my favorite authors. She has the ability to weave together beautiful descriptive stories and fully develop her characters; I always find myself fully entrenched in character's journey. Seven Summers was no exception. Toon tells the story of Liv and Finn, who meet and fall in love but are unable to fully commit to a relationship given circumstances on both sides. Through the years, both encounter tragedy and challenges. In true Paige Toon style, this book was an emotional ride. Her talent for developing characters means that you deeply feel every moment of grief, disappointment, joy, and love along with the characters. Seven Summers was a beautiful story and though the ending was satisfying, I found it somewhat difficult to believe. For that reason only, I am giving it 4 stars rather than 5. Overall, it was definitely one of those books that I couldn't put down and was sad when it was over.

Thank you NetGalley and Paige Toon for the ARC of Seven Summers.

I have been provided with a review copy of Seven Summers from NetGalley for an impartial review. This book was just so easy to get lost in. I completely got lost in the story and I just loved getting to see these new characters come together. I just absolutely love this story and I just didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Seven Summers is my first read from author Paige Toon.

Seven years ago, Liv is fresh out of college and home for the summer in Cornwall. An aspiring sculptor, she has big plans and they’re not in her small town. She soon gets romantically involved with Finn, the alluring lead singer at the local bar’s band. Their happiness is short-lived when it's abruptly shattered by a tragic event, rooting her to her town and forcing her to give up her dreams to go to London to pursue her artistic ambitions. She also has to bid farewell to Finn who is returning home to L.A. But before he leaves they make a pact- that he will visit every summer and if they’re both single, they’ll be together for the season. Every summer, Liv and Finn spend a couple of months of bliss marred each time by separation.

Now in the present, brokenhearted and tired of putting her life on hold for Finn, she meets Tom, a tourist with an obscure background. As the summer approaches, she falls in love with Tom and has to decide which of the two men she wants to make her life with- should she choose Finn, with whom she shares a profound and complex history, or should she embrace the uncomplicated love and fresh start offered by sweet Tom.

I thought the premise of this book was interesting, but it didn't exactly meet my expectations. I would read more from this author and recommend this book to followers

Wow! Okay, first and foremost, huge thank you to the publisher, Paige Toon herself, and NetGalley for an ARC of this beautiful and poignant love story in exchange for my honest opinions!

This story was way out of my comfort zone, but in a GREAT way. I've been reading mainly thrillers lately, and this was such a change, but I devoured it! I loved everything about this from the beach setting, to the complex and broken characters' development, to the subject of sculpturing and art expression. I also loved the time jumps. Usually, I get annoyed with time jumps, but this definitely worked for me!

We follow the present time, which is THIS SUMMER, and we are following a lady named Liv who works as a manager at a restaurant and bar on the beach called Seaglass. She also runs and manages 3 properties, as well as her home, Beach Cottage, and rents them out to people during the summer months. She has a brother with Down Syndrome named Michael. Her friends, Amy and Rach, live near. As the story goes along, when it flips back to the various summers ago, we follow Liv and her experiences with a male lead named Finn, and how they connect with each other over summers. In the present time, THIS SUMMER, we follow Liv and her experiences with the other male lead, named Tom. That is all I am saying about this because it is best to experience what happens in this book as you are reading it. This is one of those stories that is best to go into blind. I did not expect the ending at all, and I thoroughly sobbed throughout the entirety of the book. This had everything you could possibly imagine to pull at your heartstrings for a great romance. The spice was nice too! This was my first read by Paige Toon, and I do not want it to be my last!

5 STARS from me!

Liv is a talented sculptress but she has been dealt a difficult hand in life. Seven Summers chronicles 7 tumultuous summers (and beyond) in her life while moving between the past and the present to weave a story of love, loss and friendship. You will root for her all the way to the end. It is the perfect beach read for this summer! Release date May 21, 2024

Paige Toon does not disappoint with Seven Summers!

I want to thank #NetGalley #PaigeToon and #PenguinRandomHouse for allowing me to enjoy this novel as an ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. Seven Summers is a story that alternates between past and present timelines, beginning with the summer when Liv and Finn first fall in love. However, with Liv living in the UK and Finn in the US, their love story is limited to a few weeks each summer when he visits. But, with this pattern causing continual heartbreak with each separation, Liv must make some choices about how she ultimately hopes to live her life.

This was an enjoyable, compulsively readable romance! I enjoyed the alternating timelines and looked forward to each switch back and forth. While the characters did get on my nerves a bit here and there, they were (for the most part) fun to spend time with! The beach setting for the majority of this book also added to the reading experience for me. Overall, this was a lighthearted book that was great to read!

I’d be interested in reading more of Paige Toon’s work and I’d definitely recommend this book to romance readers!

Right in time for summer, a hit-you-where-it-hurts novel about the right one at the wrong time and place. Argh, this one - wtf did I just finish???

This isn’t the easiest review to write.

I love an all-consuming beach read. However I didn’t love this one - far, far too much grief, and Liv’s attitude and behavior (as the MFC) grew repetitive (in my opinion). The level of loss and grieving in this, really detracted from my reading enjoyment - maybe I’m still a little sensitive after having lost too many relatives during the pandemic, but the amount of loss in this felt over the top.

I did enjoy the locale imagery, Michael’s character, and Liv’s artistry.

Well written, engaging, and one that most readers love, I just wasn’t the right reader for this one.



Thank you G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the DRC

This book has everything you need for a cute but emotional read. A great range of characters made it easy to want to read this book quickly to find out What Next? There were some predictable parts, some surprises and definitely a moment or 2 where you know something was done or said and you know you will need to know it later.
I would definitely recommend this book to people. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book left me on a rollercoaster of emotions. Paige how could you do this to me! It's this emotional, heartbreaking but beautiful romance, while also being a story of grieving, healing, and growth.

In the beginning the story is about Liv and Finn. I love Liv and Finn, they're adorable and sweet and everything feels sparkly and lovely, until this horrible thing happens and then it feels like they almost have a trauma bond. They start having a relationship only during the summers when Finn visits, since he lives in LA. But eventually something happens, and this ends.

The story is told in dual timelines, and I did enjoy how it went from each summer, to current time. Current time there is no Liv and Finn, so enter Tom. Please know that I hate love triangles, but this book didn't feel like a love triangle which made me really love it. I loved Finn and I loved Tom, and I think they each served a really important part in Liv's life. I really liked the side characters, especially Michael who was an absolute delight! Overall I loved this story, and where it ended up. I loved seeing Liv heal and process her grief and just come in to her own. It was really beautiful.

The only issue I had with this book honestly is the epilogue. You can't have an epilogue that includes so much content that is absolutely integral to the main story. It didn't work for me. The actual epilogue should have started at 'seven summers later'. If most of the epilogue had been included in the main story, this would have easily been 5 stars for me. Because I really did love the story. But the epilogue was too long and too short at the same time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putman for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oi, @paigetoonauthor, you always get me all angsty and emotional with your writing! This newest novel does that and then some to my wretched soul.

I loved this story so much. One love, lost love, new love, one love. Gosh I loved it. I read the last 1/2 of it this morning. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it and these characters will surely stay with me.

Paige Toon has become a go-to author for me. I’ve been so excited to have her books available in the US now. Such a sweet blessing! I’ve always gotten her books on Kindle but having paper copies is so fun!

Oh, this book came out in December and is the perfect read. Thanks to @netgalley @putnambooks for the ARC. A rare 5 stars from me!

Paige Toon captivates the readers from the very first page. “Seven Summers” is filled with laughter, heartbreak, love and hope. As one who has experienced a lot of pain in life, it was comforting to read Liv’s story about learning how to find true purpose in life after tragedy hits. I did not want to put this book down when I began. If you love a good romance, I would highly recommend “Seven Summers” by Paige Toon!

While it seems like a second (or seventh) chance romance, "Seven Summers" actually felt more like a women's fiction or literary fiction fit over a straight-up romance. The love story is definitely more of a subplot on main character Liv's journey.

This book was hard for me, personally, to get into at the start. I think because I couldn't really vibe with back-and-forth timelines. I'm a chronological girl through and through! However, I can't take away that "Seven Summers" is objectively well-written using compelling language.

CW: Grief, Death of a Parent

Seven Summers is heartbreaking and lovely, unexpected and fulfilling. Paige Toon brings you on a journey over seven magical and difficult summers with Liv and Finn as they decide whether to choose one another year after year. Present day, when Liv meets a mysterious stranger who is artistic, stable and secure, she has to decide if she’s going to start new or allow Finn to seep back in. Full of grief, connection, artistic imagery and love, Seven Summers will stay with you long after you put the book down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, what a rollercoaster of emotions that this book has taken me on. I feel absolutely exhausted from the tears and my heart being broken so many times by this book, and yet I could not put it down. This book has a great of loss and grief related to the loss of parents.

For me, this story especially hit home as a parent of a disabled child that always worries what the impact will be on her sibling after we as the parents are gone.

Seven summers is about Liv and Finn who fall in love one summer when Liv loses her parents in a car accident. Liv had plans to move away after the summer to pursue sculping but stays in town to take care her disabled brother. Finn moved to LA to live with his dad after his mom committed suicide he was a child. He visits his half brothers and grandparents each summer. However, he says, “I will return next summer. And I’m not asking you to wait for me. But if we are both still single…” Liv insists that they do not keep in touch throughout the year because it’s too hard.

Every summer Finn returns (specifically on the anniversary of Liv’s parents death), they pick up where they left off “completely in love” and try support one another through the grief that weighs on each of them. However, Finn cannot stay because it’s too sad to live there and Liv cannot leave her brother. So the rollercoaster of heart break continues as Finn returns to LA and they are both destroyed…until Finn meets someone. Liv decides to be open when Tom comes along…but what happens when Finn comes back for the summer.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam for allowing me an advanced digital copy of this books. I thoroughly enjoyed this heart-wrenching story. I will be definitely checking out this authors other books. Don’t hesitate to get this one on publish day 5/21/2024 💔

I have a book hangover from the engaging story of Olivia Arterton and her life of love, grief and learning to live again after just graduating from the Edinburgh College of Art. Her small, coastal hometown of Cornwall isn’t exactly where she thought she would end up with her degree in sculpture but life doesn’t always take us where we want but it brings to where we need to be. I loved cheering for Liv and her happiness and healing.

Whoa, what to even say! It's been a minute since I've read something that has torn my heart up in this way. A special type of romance that I felt deep in my bones. I had never read anything by Paige Toon but I'll have to after reading this. What a rollercoaster. A really authentic and emotional romance with wonderfully developed characters. Be prepared, it's not an easy breezy beach read, but if you're looking for something a bit deeper and heartfelt, this story is the one.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC. I so appreciate getting the opportunity to read