Pulled on every heart string I have!

Rollercoaster, heart wrenching, tumultuous… I could go on & on with what a ride this was!! I’m always here for a love triangle because it creates angst & frustration which makes for a great book! & I personally loved the outcome of course!

seven summers is the emotional story of a girl and boy who fall in love over seven summers but are thwarted by every possible obstacle. as time progresses and stages of life change, the question becomes if liv and finn's love is strong enough to weather any storm. paige toon writes grief in such an artful and thought invoking way, truly making the reader think outside of the context of the book and into that of their own life. to me, this book was a message to be grateful for every moment. it's easy to get caught up in the what ifs or what could have been or what might be -- what we NEED to do is live. i feel such an urge to express my gratitude for the people and opportunities in my life, and how powerful that a fictional story is what inspire this so fiercely. i adored this novel, even when i was deeply upset, and will likely think about this story for an age to come.

my only quarrel with this book is the epilogue. i felt like for all that the book did building characters and events out, the epilogue was far too rushed. i think if it had been an extended epilogue with time to flesh everything out, the conclusion would have made sense. there's almost a lack of closure to a certain character's story and too quick a jump into something intense. this is my only reason for not giving this book five stars as it unfortunately left me without the rush and the intense emotion i had felt for the rest of the story.

I am a big fan of Paige Toon and Seven Summers reminded me why. I loved the way the story unfolded between the past and present. Without spoiling anything there were definitely some twists I didn’t see coming. This story was both heart wrenching and beautiful. I enjoyed reading it.

All I could think about during this book was how extraordinarily lucky Liv was to have not one but two men love her. Especially one who waited in her.
Mostly I’ve not been envious of fictional Characters I encounter but I was very envious of Liv.
Many people never find that great love even once and Liv had it twice. Lucky Liv.

A must read this summer! I will be adding this to my bookshelf. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I loved this book so much! Honestly I have mixed feelings when it comes to books about love triangles and first loves, but wow was this written so well! The author did a wonderful job in making you love all the characters. I loved Liv and Finn together, yet I loved Tom too and at times I truly didn’t know who to root for in the end to be with Liv. I also loved all the other characters….Michael made me laugh, he was one of my favorites.

Bottom line, I loved everything about this book. Well okay, I didn’t LOVE the sad parts but they were the parts of the story that made it so emotional and really made you feel connected to the characters.

This is my first book by Paige Toon and it will definitely not be my last! Thank you to NetGalley and G.P Putnam’s Sons for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see other reviews I’ve left, check out my Instagram and Goodreads pages.
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Thank you Penguin Group Putman for the ARC. Very pretty cover and premise. 5 stars for a DNF as I cannot comment on the overall quality of the book.

I gave this book a good effort and even came back to it a few times. I just couldn’t get into the plot or characters enough and reading became like a chore. Unfortunately, I did not finish this book.

Paige Toon is quite the accomplished author. I have loved the ones I have read, but I have yet to read them all.
I first became aware of the book Seven Summers when I saw the author post a live video of herself one night in March this year. She had just finished writing it and was in floods of tears, barely able to talk. I felt such emotion watching it, and the raw connection she has to her books was laid bare for us all to see. If you can, take a look. It really shows how much writers feel about the characters and stories they share.
I was so, so excited for it, and of course a little trepidatious.
It took me a while to grasp the format of the book. The chapters are divided into 'This Summer', where the protaganist has a new love interest and then chapters from Seven Summers Ago, where her relationship with her previous love develops when they are reunited for the summer, then moving forward in time to This Summer, when her worlds collide.

I liked the story and this was semi-engrossing, but there was too much extraneous stuff that I thought slowed the pace. Also frustrated by the characters - like do you like each other or not why is this complicated. This reminded me of Carly Fortune novels with the same complaints on my end so it's surely meeeeeeeee, hi, I'm the problem, it's me. Free advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Paige Toon invites readers into a nostalgic and deeply emotional journey with her novel "Seven Summers". Through the lens of her protagonist, Ella, Toon crafts a narrative that explores the transformative power of love, friendship, and the passage of time.

At the heart of the story is Ella's enduring connection with her childhood best friend, Matt. From their idyllic summers spent together in Cornwall to the complexities of adulthood, their bond weathers the highs and lows of life's journey. Toon skillfully navigates through seven pivotal summers in Ella's life, each marked by significant milestones, heartaches, and moments of profound growth.

Toon's strength lies in her ability to create authentic and relatable characters. Ella is portrayed with depth and vulnerability, making her evolution from carefree youth to a woman navigating career choices, relationships, and personal challenges all the more compelling. Matt, with his charismatic presence and unwavering support, serves as both a source of stability and a catalyst for Ella's self-discovery.

The narrative unfolds with a seamless blend of humor, warmth, and poignancy. Toon's prose is evocative, capturing the essence of each summer setting—from sun-drenched beaches to quaint Cornish villages—while delving into the complexities of human emotions and relationships. The pacing is adeptly managed, allowing readers to immerse themselves fully in Ella's world and the nostalgic pull of summers past.

"Seven Summers" is more than a love story; it's a meditation on the enduring power of friendships and the defining moments that shape our lives. Toon navigates themes of loyalty, forgiveness, and the bittersweet nature of growing up with sensitivity and insight.

In conclusion, "Seven Summers" is a poignant and heartfelt novel that showcases Paige Toon's talent for storytelling. With its rich characterization, evocative settings, and emotional depth, this book is a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction and anyone who appreciates a story that captures the complexities of love and friendship across the years.

Roller coaster ride of emotion.

Finn left St. Augustine years ago after tragedy struck his family. He now lives in Los Angeles with his father, but he comes back every summer to visit his brothers, his grandparents and the friends he left behind.

Liv left St. Augustine to pursue her degree i at university. She has dreams of making her mark as a successful sculptor. She never imagined she'd stay in St. Augustine, but events conspire to keep her there.

Having known each other as children, Finn and Liv are friends. Then, seven summers ago, it became something more. Their summer romance was hot and heavy. But Finn's life and his dreams in music are in LA. And Liv's home and her life is in St. Augustine.

Finn returns each summer. Though it gets harder each summer to say good bye when he leaves again, Liv doesn't have the strength to stay away from him. Until the summer she meets Tom.

As the years pass, Liv seems to mature much faster than Finn. He comes off as selfish and self centered. He comes back each summer knowing he has no plans to stay. And the time he spends each summer seems to get shorter. But he fully expects Liv to be there for him.

While the story starts in the present summer, it spends most of the time in the past, starting with the summer it all started between Liv and Finn. I think the repetition of what occurs between Finn and Liv each summer becomes a bit boring. The time was useful to watch Liv maturing. She is a much stronger character than Finn, able to stand up for what she needs, to do what's best for her even though it hurts her to do so. And, she's willing to take a chance, to reach for what she truly wants. Finn's expectations for of Liv were rooted in his selfishness without thought for her feelings.

Though, at times I felt like I was just slogging through the same scenes again and again, in the end it was worth the time. The last few chapters, and most definitely the epilogue are the most emotional and meaningful part of the story.

Paige Toon knows how to write a story that hits you right in the feels and tugs at your heartstrings. Seven Summers is a classic tale of the right person wrong time love story between Liv and Finn taking place over a seven years timeframe. It only took them one look to find themselves instantly drawn to each other knowing that they found their person but it took them through a lot of highs and a lot of lows to get to the right place in time to be together.


Thank you @paigetoonauthor publishers and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book was a little longer then necessary for my taste however I felt like it really tugged at my heart strings. What a wide feeling of emotions while reading and I felt all the feels! I gave myself a break from Toon for awhile but this book convinced me to come back.

This is a tough one for me to rate; I wanted to like it better (like so many others did), but I really struggled to relate to the characters. They were ultimately just so juvenile and lacking maturity. Throughout the book I felt like I was reading about high school kids instead of actual adults. Even after Liv had to take on additional responsibilities, I never viewed her as a grown up. Finn was even worse. The story itself was kind of sweet and kept my interest, particularly as the book went on, and I was happy with the ending. Ultimately though, my issue with the characters kept me from liking this book more.

I typically enjoy reading romance books, but this had such a slow start it felt almost too hard to keep going. We follow the motion of Liv, our main character, and her life. She met Finn one summer and their relationship had always been a push and pull. They would always get together during the summer when Finn would visit from LA and if they're both single, they would resume the relationship they had. As we go through the story, I found that Liv is struggling with moving on in her life and is perfectly content with where she is at. Quite the opposite of Finn as he wants more out of his life and career. Liv feels like she can't really live her life and she assumed responsibilities of other people including caring for her older brother after their parents passed. The book did discuss grief pretty well and had a very good story. I enjoyed the read, but definitely wouldn't plan on re-reading it any time soon.

What a heartfelt & emotional roller coaster. It’s definitely an “all the feels” type of book which are my favorites.

Paige Toon is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. There is just something about the way she writes about pain and loss and love and hope that draws me in and makes me want to bury myself in a warm blanket with hot tea and savor the story. And I, for one, love a story that is not just a surface, easy beach romance. I love characters who are deeply conflicted and having trouble finding their way through painful moments. Having to make decisions that are difficult but must be made in order for your life to move forward is the real world. Paige made me care about all the characters from the beginning and hope for a happily ever after, and I got it, albeit different than I expected, and I loved that too.

This story was tender and heartbreaking. It is told in the present and the seven summers of Liv's life and loves. She has endured tragedy and had her life dream swept away from her and replaced by responsibility and a fun job in a bar but by no means a career. She meets Finn, a musician/singer playing at the bar and their love story begins. But they lead two different lives on 2 different continents so as much as I was screaming for Liv to go with him, I understood why she could not. Their love endures when they see each other each summer but then Liv meets Tom. I don't want to give any spoilers but will say that the anguish that Liv goes through is so real. You feel for each of the characters. And when you think you know how it ends, there is a twist to the story and a lovely epilogue as well. This was beautifully written but don't be surprised if you need to reach for a tissue at several points in the story. It is that engrossing. This was my first book by Paige Toon but it won't be my last.

Paige Toon's Seven Summers is a great beach read. Liv is an appealing lead character, her love interests ring true, and you come to care about the characters. The characterization of Liv's brother Michael is especially vivid and you can see him in his world.

The Story is told looking backward and then unfolding one summer at a time as you move from the present to past summers. The mechanism works well and it's not distracting as some time jumps can be in other books.

This is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading some others. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Seven Summers in exchange for an honest opinion. This book is available now.