Ever since I read my first Annabel Monaghan book I have't been able to recommend her enough. If you loved Nora Goes Off Script or Same Time Next Summer you will LOVE her newest novel Summer Romance. Summer Romance features Ali who is grieving her mother, in the midst of a "reasonable" divorce, and a home organizer with a cluttered home. This story follows her journey as she finds herself after separating from her husband and tries her hand at a "easy, short, just for the summer romance." We allllll know that is NOT how it goes but that is what makes this story so fun. Ali meets the cutest stranger, Ethan, at the dog park & decides to give him a chance. Coincidentally he is also her best friends brother. who is nicknamed Scooter. Watching Ali & Ethan try not to fall into love with each other was the best part. This story was heartfelt, funny, family oriented, and gives the best summer vibes. Annabel Monaghan has become an auto-buy author for me and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

Read this book if you enjoy:
- Summer Romance
-Mother/Daughter Relationship story lines
-Divorced Mom's finding themselves
-Best Friends Brother Romance
-A little spice
- Mom's who do it ALL

I freaking loved this one! I’m so happy I got approved! I have loved her other books & this one was just as good! Thank you, Netgalley!!!

I squealed and did a little happy dance when I received the notification that I was approved to read an ARC of Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan in exchange for my honest review! Thank you so much to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons - Penguin Group Putnam!

I have loved all of Annabel Monaghan's books! Her writing is smooth and has so much feeling.

I loved all of the characters - the realness of them, the authenticity, and the growth of the characters individually and as a family.

This was such a relatable and refreshingly honest story!

Summer Romance hooked me from the get-go, and I could not (and would not) put it down. Monaghan developed characters and scenes that were so incredibly relatable and raw that every few pages stirred up a new emotion. The moments of playfulness and light-hearted dialogue balanced out the heavier, yet authentically portrayed, topics of loss, divorce, and self-doubt to keep me riding the wave of my feelings until the end.

Things I loved:
- The meet-cute! Equal parts funny and adorable.
- The entire dynamic between the FMC (Ali) and MMC (Ethan) - It’s not always the case where you equally connect to and are rooting for the MCs individually as well as together, but for Summer Romance, that was very much the case.
- Ali - A nearly single mother who is struggling with grief, sense of self, and putting on a pair of hard pants. She’s portrayed so genuinely that I couldn’t help but empathize with her and cheer for her.
- Ethan - I get it, Ali. I fell in love with him right alongside you. That’s all I’m going to say because I don’t want to spoil him. Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience Ethan for the first time.
- Ali’s kids - Their presence was such a beautiful component of this book, and I loved that we got to experience their place within the family dynamic as well as some of the challenges befitting their age.
- The overall balance in the plot - The divorce was definitely a significant moment and driving factor of this story, yet it didn’t take it over. I appreciated that we had the space to go through the situation, but we didn’t stay in it. We moved forward right along with Ali.
- The romance - It was so sweet yet intense and the history that came along with it gripped my heart.
- The supporting characters - Every character in this book had a purpose. The quirky parents, the supportive but concerned friend, the high school teacher turned boat manager, the elderly neighbors, the distant father … They all brought more to Beechwood and helped to make the events in the story feel that much more real to me.

Summer Romance was my first Annabel Monaghan book, and her lovely writing style mixed with the many little bits of wisdom sprinkled throughout this book caused me to look inward and contemplate my own sense of self. This book was such a treat and is definitely one I’m going to purchase for my collection. Now, please excuse me as I proceed to read every other book written by Annabel Monaghan.

** Many thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. **

Best friend's brother 🤝 summertime romance and I am so here for it. I enjoyed Monaghan's other novels, but this one completely knocked it out of the park. If you loved Monaghan's past books, or if you want a wonderful summery sweet romance, this one is for you.

On the debilitating second anniversary of her mother's death, Ali's husband declares he wants a divorce. Ali has felt like a ghost ever since her mom's passing, just floating through and trying to get by with her grief - all while trying to be the perfect wife and mother to her three children. With the split from her husband, Ali feels stagnant and stuck. As she is slowly trying to discover herself again, she meets Ethan. There's a hint of familiarity, safeness, that surrounds him and she finds herself gravitating towards him. Until she realizes...he's her best friend's weird kid brother she hasn't seen since she graduated high school over a decade ago. Ali and Ethan, affectionately nicknamed Scooter, traverse this summer romance with the idea it will be just that. A summer romance. But what happens when they both begin to fall in love?

With the perfect summery setting, lovable characters, fantastic character development, and a slow burn romance, readers are destined to fall in love with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This review is also posted on Goodreads.

It's adorable! These characters are wonderful and I totally enjoyed it. I loved her other books and loved this one too!

Thank you NetGalley and Annabel Monaghan!

It took me a minute to get into the story, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the relationship between Ali and Ethan, but also loved that her relationship with her kids wasn’t forgotten. By the time I made it to the end, I wanted more. I want a part 2 of their life together.

I will be honest, I start off this book thinking “meh”. But this has genuinely turned out to be such a good read. Like I said, it took me a hot minute to get into this novel with the characters and the plot, but I began to appreciate the complexity and the story being portrayed. I think, as a child of divorce, this novel explores divorce and how complicated it can be, especially when children are involved. I appreciate that the main character, no matter how in love she was with a new man in her life, always prioritized her kids (and that’s how it should be!). The main character’s personality growth was something that I enjoyed to read and I think it shows that even “older” people continue to learn life lessons.
I will say, one slight slight complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed, but other than that nothing!
Overall, I think this book was very well written and is something I will continue to recommend for a long time.

This was such a great book! It was short but the author weaved a lot of personalities and a lot of feelings into this book! I think this could have easily been a bit longer with more interactions between Ali and Pete (to give more context) but I also feel like I got just what I needed out of this lovely story.

There are pieces of this that go very deep when it comes to love and loss of those very close to us and how we keep them "alive" within and also how it manifests to others (like neighbors or friends). It was all beautiful and real!!

The connection between Ali and Ethan is undeniable and I found myself smiling and laughing (or crying!) as I read their interactions. While I couldn't relate to being a single mom that is juggling a ton, I could relate to the agony of making choices when your head and your heart are at odds- The writing around this was excellent. There were so many times that I felt the joy and the pain and felt reminded of my own experiences. Ali's raw, very real emotions that she experienced came through on the page.

I greatly enjoyed this quick read and it left me feeling very happy at the end. Highly Recommend!

Newly separated, about to be divorced Ali, is trying to figure out her life. With changes in the household, three kids to manage, a part time job that won't cover the bills, figuring out how to live and how to be a new you is exhausting. What she needs is a summer romance; something light and easy to help renew her. And when she bumps into an attractive guy at the dog park, she thinks she may have found how to make that happen. But, she doesn't recognize that he's someone from her past and connected to her in her youth; does that make it awkward or OK? And will it make her life a bigger mess, or make it better?

I have never known what it's like to "fall in love with a book boyfriend" but Ethan changed that. Annabell Monaghan just created the perfect man. He's the perfect supportive match for Ali's transition, and while she does a lot of the work, he helps her become a stronger, more confident woman. To give Ali credit, she is the ultimate catalyst for change in her life, and I enjoyed that she built herself back up and wasn't just a weak character that needed a man to come "help" her.

This was an easy afternoon binge read for me and I didn't want to put it down. I could easily read more stories about this couple and their family and be cozy and content.

I absolutely LOVED this book. It might just be my new favorite Annabel Monaghan book!

Maybe it's because I'm a stay-at-home-mom, who also happens to be the same age as the heroine that I related to so much of the drama and therefore made me love the novel more. Maybe. Or mayyyybe it's because Monaghan is such a delightful storyteller that reels you in and makes you never want to leave her story worlds. I loved the easy, breezy summer vibes of the slower-paced summer life. I loved reading about the small-town coastal setting with a wonderful cast of characters.

But more than anything? I loved the hero. And I loved the hero FOR the heroine. He truly was like a breath of fresh air. He was fun and light-hearted and easy to fall in love with. I smiled so much reading his dialogue and antics. He even made me feel "carbonated."

The author dealt with grief in this novel, which normally isn't my jam (I don't like to be sad reading novels), but she dealt with it in such a soft, creative way, that it only made me draw closer to the FMC.

I will 100% be recommending this novel to all of my friends. I will definitely be purchasing this one for my personal collection come summer next year AND rereading it.

Swooning! Every one of Annabel Monaghans books just keep getting better. This book was so beautiful and heartwarming. It deals beautifully with loss, love and family, A perfect read.

I wish I liked this one more. I appreciated the attention towards Ali's grief but it's really the only thing she thinks about. I enjoyed Ethan's character, I think he was sweet and relatable. As for the plotline, it was kinda lackluster. Basic fall in love, this will never work, nevermind I love you. Which I do like but after awhile it gets old with no uniqueness.

I can’t remember the last time I binged all of an author’s books. Annabel Monaghan is the queen of a feel good rom com, and now one of my new favorite authors. I can’t stop and won’t stop reading everything she writes.

I have to thank Net Galley and Penguin Group Putnam for this beautiful story. It was so refreshing and light like a nice glass of lemonade on a hot day. I fell in love with the characters and their unique dynamics. It was such a cute story and made me so happy. Chef’s kiss to the ending because it was perfect!

Annabel Monaghan does it again! She is an auto-buy author for me. Everything she writes is so romantic and sweet. I love that her books are quick reads - they don’t need to be long to be perfect. It is also nice to read about characters in their 30s. Instead of relying on typical romance tropes, Monaghan uses real life issues with her couples.

One aspect I really enjoyed was the family dynamics. I really felt for Ethan and the way his family treated him. He was always going to be seen as “problem” child even though he had grown up and matured. And on the other hand, Ali had her mom as a buffer for most of her life that she couldn’t see the actual problems until her mother was gone. I think a lot of people will be able to connect with either Ethan and Ali.

I also think everyone will be able to connect with the idea of a summer romance and the hope that summer lasts forever.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for giving me an ARC copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Please preorder SUMMER ROMANCE right now! I promise you will thank me when it comes out June 4, 2024. I loved Annabel Monaghan’s SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER and NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT, so I had high hopes for this, but SUMMER ROMANCE exceeded my expectations.

What it’s about…the main character Ali is a professional organizer whose life is a mess. She moved back to the town she grew up in, but now finds herself on the brink of divorce while mourning the death of her mother. She is juggling all of these emotions, her business and raising her three kids. Enter a surprise love interest, the possibility of a summer romance, and the story takes off. This might seem like a light, fun read, and it is, but it was also much deeper than I expected. I really loved that! It so beautifully explores so many complex issues including loss, the possibility of new beginnings, knowing who you are, friendship, complicated family dynamics…all of it.

I found the plot and character development (especially Ali) to be perfectly paced. The setting of a small coastal town was so vivid to me, I could really picture everywhere they went. The dialogue (as I found in the author’s previous books) was spot on. There is also plenty of Annabel Monaghan’s trademark wit! I found myself laughing out loud and then holding my breath to see what happened next.

SUMMER ROMANCE is a standout must read and I’m grateful to NetGalley, Penguin Group and Annabel Monaghan for allowing me a preview e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. This story is a gem!

Nora Goes Off Script is one of my all time favorite novels and so I was soooo excited for this one. I did enjoy it, although not as much as Nora but that’s unfair comparing the two so I tried not to do that too much. It was a fun story and I enjoyed it. I do think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I had actually read in Summer rather than at Christmastime but nevertheless I was hooked and appreciated how it wasn’t unnecessarily long.

I was super excited to read this book since I loved the other two books written by this author. Unfortunately, I don't think I was in the right head space to read this book. Which is no fault of this author! I have just recently gone through a bit of a heartbreak and my view of love is very jaded. Realistically, I just didn't see how things could ever work out between Ali and Ethan. I think another thing that was difficult for me was that Ali was in such a different stage of life than me that it was often hard to relate to her. She had three kids and just gone through a divorce.

I did like that this book wasn't just the perfect fairy tale romance. It touched on grief and navigating your life after the death of a loved one.

I also liked how much the main character valued order. As an accountant, it was fun to see references to her career and how much she loved when things were done the right way.

Overall, I ended up rating this one three stars. It was a good read but not one that I would rave about to all my friends.

I love Annabel Monaghan’s books! I was fully invested in these characters and the relationships going on! It made me laugh, cry, and cheer! Highly recommended this one and all her other books!

This is an excellent book. The writing is warm and witty. It will make you want to read it in all one sitting but I suggest taking your time to savor it! The accurate descriptions of the way grief encapsulates your whole life were spot on. I would highly recommend this novel.