Ali Morris is mourning the death of her mom and the end of her marriage. She is a great mom to her three kids and she runs a small organizing business. While walking her dog she meets Ethan, a handsome newcomer to her small town. Can Ali have a romance with all that’s going on in her life? Once again Annabel Monaghan has created likable, relatable characters and immersed them in a fun-to-read romance. She has become a must read author for me. I thank Penguin Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. 4.5 stars from me

DELIGHTFUL! This book is an absolute must for those seeking charming summer reads. It follows Ali through her divorce and her reawakening during a “summer romance.” This novel is especially appealing because it deals with universal love, caring and respect.

Ali is a woman undergoing a huge life change, but never without appreciating and loving her children. So, this is a novel that works for a more mature audience. She’s not a starry eyed 20-something. I love the fact that she continually points toward her future in this new life.

Her ex-husband is the typical negligent, self-centered, careless character. Despite this, he is not painted with any hatred, nor does Ali want to punish him or split him off from his children. They are civilized.

Best of all, Ali meets Scooter, now Ethan, who acts upon his teenaged crush as a very mature, generous and thoughtful man.

There is just so much love and joy in this novel, it even includes the dogs! Happiness is spread through the book. I thank Monaghan for this uplifting novel.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC, which was a delight to read and review.

I loved this book! All of Annabel Monaghan’s books are great, but this is my favorite! She has a way of making late 30s women feel seen and interesting. The perfect amount of spice, I will be recommending this one to everyone!

Another beautifully written book by Annabel Monaghan and probably my favorite now. I LOVED this book so much!. Ali Morris is barely surviving daily chaos of grieving, a divorce and practically being the single parent of 3 children. One day she takes a sign and her life starts taking a turn to a path of self-care, rediscovery and love. I absolutely loved that Ethan also went through his journey and together they are able to see things differently. Fantastic read, as always, and I highly recommend!

Okayyyyyy!!! I have been in a small book rut and I didn’t even realize until I started reading this book! Annabel Monaghan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

This book is easily a 5 star - along with all her other books. Ali is a mom of 3 and has lost herself somewhere in her marriage with Pete. The book follows her growth and summer romance. It was such a quick, fun read.

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy by NetGalley for an honest review.

Annabel Monaghan can do no wrong in my eyes! I had a smile on my face for every chapter of this book! I love her wit and relatable characters! Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for this early copy!!!

Annabel Monaghan has quickly become one of my "must-read" authors. Summer Romance is her third novel and is even more enchanting that her previous two books. Ali Morris is in the midst of getting a divorce and still grieving the loss of her mother. This may seem like a depressing premise, but the book is uplifting and filled with hope and love. I cried so many happy tears. I loved Ethan/Scooter. He was charming, gentle, flawed and also growing into his best self. Summer Romance is about going through loss and becoming stronger and finding true love and happiness. Ms. Monaghan's characters are independent women, who able to have full lives with careers, children, and "second-chance" love. I loved, loved, loved this book! Five stars all the way! Thanks to NetGalley, Annabel Monaghan, and G,P. Putnam's Son for the ARC!

4.5/5


Annabel Monaghan doesn’t disappoint. I rooted for Ali the whole. Watching her learn to stick up for herself and go after what she wants was so fun. Ethan/ Scooter was a fun mix up in the beginning. They are such a fun couple to root for.
There was some tears at the end. This book was so good. I didn’t want to stop reading it. Annabel Monaghan always writes the best characters and summer reads. I already can’t wait for her next book.

RATING: 4.5/5 STARS

THIS WAS SO GOOD! I liked it even more than Monaghan's excellent debut, NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT. I loved the main character Ali. She was such a beautifully authentic and mature protagonist. There was so much packed into this summer book: Ali's relationship with her kids, grief over her mother's death, learning to stand up for herself amidst a divorce, and moving forward with her life. And the romance was tender and intimate perfection. I highly recommend SUMMER ROMANCE.

[song selection: august ~ taylor swift]

I loved “Same Time Next Summer” but I really disliked “Nora Goes Off Script”, so I was cautiously optimistic about “Summer Romance”. I’m happy to say that this might be my favorite Annabel Monaghan book yet! The characters are well written and lovable, the banter flows smoothly, and the drama is all short lived and resolved in a mature way.

I really appreciated that last point in particular. I kept expecting something to go terribly wrong or for some big miscommunication or for the ex-husband to do something really vengeful. But nothing like that ever came, which I was very pleasantly surprised by. There was enough drama to keep me reading to see how things would be resolved, but not so much that it was a turn off (looking at you, “Nora Goes Off Script”…). It was just a really nice read all around.

In general, a five star book for me is one that I liked so much that I would read it again. It’s been a few days since I finished “Summer Romance” and I’m still thinking about the characters and wanting to revisit them, so I think it officially meets my five star qualifications. I can’t wait to read it again next June!

Annabel Monaghan knocks it out of the park again with her newest read Summer Romance. This book is PERFECT beach read and definitely deserves a spot on your TBR. It is so, so good.

We meet Ali, our FMC, exactly two years after she lost her mother and one year her husband decided he didn't want to be married. She is a professional organizer with three kids whose life is an absolute mess. Ali grew up in Beechwood--she and her kids are entrenched in the community. She has an adorable meet cute at the local dog park when her dog pees on a handsome stranger, Ethan.

She convinces herself she can have a summer fling--no one gets hurt. But when Ethan turns out to be Scooter (her best friends screwup little brother all grown up), it is very apparent that a feeling free fling isn't on the table.

What I loved...
-The cast of characters! The grandparents. Ethan's parents. The elderly neighbor. Ethan's cast of Lost Boys in his town. The children. The dogs. The costumes! This book had so many well executed secondary characters that just brought the book to life.
-The MMC. Goodess. He falls first. Kind with a servant heart to everyone. Just, swoon.
-Hating the douche cano of an ex.
-Seeing Ali come alive and back into herself.
-This is mostly a closed door romance. We see enough to keep us very invested, but all in all, it is mildly spicy.

A huge thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and Netgalley for the ARC given in exchange for an unbiased and fair review.

Summer Romance releases 4 June 2024.

My eyes are puffy from all the happy tears I shed over this one but my heart is SO FULL!!!! I LOVED THIS SO MUCH! No joke, this is definitely one of my favorite romances I've read this year. It's definitely my new fav of hers (I wasn't a huge fan of her previous one but loved Nora.) Lately, I've been in this rut with books that by halfway I am so ready for it to be over but it was so amazing to read a book that I didn't want to end. I fell hard for this one FAST, like instantly I knew it was going to be a five stars. The meet cute at the dog park! 😂😂

It just made me feel so incredibly happy but emotional at the same time but in the BEST WAY a romance book can. The romance in this was absolutely ADORABLE! Like all the butterflies, swoony, funny banter moments. I cherished every second!! The guy is SO DANG DREAMY! You will melt. 🫠🫠🫠 It's been a while since I read a romance where I felt a connection like theirs. Like you FEEL IT! Especially if you love the, "I've had a crush on you since I was a teen trope".

But our main character was just so great. I felt for her especially as someone who has lost their mom and knows how hard it is (tho I lost mine as teen vs adult.) It was so beautiful to see her grow and rediscover herself. I can't wait to reread this one because it's an all time fav. I was crying big time cause I'm such a sap but also because I was just so invested in this story emotionally which is what I want. We need more books like this one!!!!

You MUST add this to your TBR!

This was the first book I've read by the author Annabel Monaghan. Summer romance is funny, heartfelt, raw, sweet and romantic. I read this book in two sittings and enjoyed it. Annabel writes very good on how different people deal with grief and shows how people heal in their own time. I loved watching the main character Ali move into her healing stage from having to grief a loss. She becomes confidence and on her way to falling in love. This romance read was 5 stars and will be recommending this book for people to read.

This is a lovely gem of a novel that tells a story about finding your way back to yourself. After 10 years of a bad marriage, three kids and the death of her mother, Ali Morris has lost her way. A part-time professional organizer, she’s great at helping other people clean up their messes but is unable to tackle the physical mess at her own home or the emotional disorder in her own life.

Ali was extremely close to her mother, who died two years ago, and is working her way through the grieving process. She’s also preparing to go through mediation to finalize the divorce from her ex, Pete.

She meets Ethan at a dog park when her dog pees on him and then runs into him again at a skate park. After a casual first date, Ali finds out that Ethan is a guy she knew in high school as Scooter, and is the younger brother of her friend, Frannie. Since Ethan had to have known who Ali was, she feels deceived. Although attracted to him, she is reluctant to get involved, especially since he lives four hours away. When Ethan’s plans change and he has a reason to remain in town for the summer, Ali decides that a temporary, summer romance is the perfect answer.

#SummerRomance is as entertaining and engaging as Annabel Monaghan’s first two books, and is filled with humor and heartfelt moments as Ali learns how to once again “architect her own experience.” In addition to the sweet romance between Ali and Ethan, the story is populated with wonderful characters that round out both their lives. If you’ve read Monaghan’s previous books, you’ll love this one; and if you haven’t read anything by her, this is a great place to start!

Thanks to #NetGalley and Penguin Group of @PutnamBooks for the ARC.

At this point it’s a given, if Annabel Monaghan writes it, I’m going to read it and I’m going to love it. Her latest book, Summer Romance, was no different. Ali is trying to vie for the space that Nora has in my heart and I’m just going to have to make room for both.

Trying to recover from what is a messy season of her life, Ali, a professional organizer, finds herself embarking on something new that turns out to be the pick me up she needs. This book was full of so much heart and warmth and felt like a hug in the simplest way.

I am obsessed, once again. Read it, please! Out on 6/4/24.

Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge Annabel Monaghan fan, and I was so excited to get an ARC of her newest book. So excited, in fact, that I read it within the first 24 hours I had it. And I must say - I think this is her best one yet. It's another story of a woman going through a divorce and learning to love herself again, but with the added layer of grief, as she's only lost her mother two years earlier.

Everything I love about Annabel's writing that was showcased so beautifully in her previous novels is on display at it's best here. The dialogue feels so real, the tension and chemistry leaps off the page. And Ethan is about as perfect of a MMC as you can get. There are so many people for whom this book and these characters will feel deeply relatable: if you've ever left your small town just to feel like you matter, if you've ever worked so hard to make an obviously broken marriage appear happy, if you've ever learned after a parent's death that maybe by trying to protect you, they were actually setting you up for an even bigger hurt.

This is a romance, for sure, but at it's core it's about two people finding themselves again as they find their way to each other. I will buy this in every available format and read it again and again. Five stars, thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Puntam for the ARC.

3.5- I really enjoyed the last two thirds but the beginning felt a little slow and like one big monologue by the main character.

Love the end though! Wish we could’ve seen the main characters friendships more in depth from the beginning.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and Annabel Monaghan for this unputdownable “Summer Romance”. This is the third book I have now read by this author, the previous two being “Nora Goes Off Script” and “Same Time Next Summer” book excellent stories of women who feel real and mature (not old) and are available now. You’ll have to wait a little while for “Summer Romance” (June 2024 pub date) but it’s worth it!

This is the story of Ali Morris, a hilarious woman going through a separation and trying to help her kids through their day to day. When Ali meets Ethan, she feels things she hasn’t felt in a long time, if ever, but maybe Ethan who she thinks he is. “Summer Romance” definitely has romance and it’s done beautifully; Ali feel seen for the first time. And Ethan has some surprises up his sleeve, some good, some challenging. A wonderful part of this story, and really all Annabel Monaghan’s books, is the journey the two main characters take not just together, but separately. Both Ethan and Ali grow and come to terms with the hard lesson of we shouldn’t always believe the stories people tell us about ourselves.

I loved this book-no holds barred. I will be recommending it to anyone who will listen. Pick up a copy in June, just in time for summer.

Did I completely jump my line of 20 other books to read Summer Romance the instant a copy was in my hands? Yes. Yes, I did. And once I started it, I could barely put it down, because… OBSESSED. Nora and Leo were #goals, and now Ali and Ethan have redefined the standard. This has “soulmates” written all over it. Ali is finally getting the divorce her and her three kids desperately need, two years after her mother - the woman who was the glue that held the whole family together - has passed away. Feeling the need to finally get out of her funk, she puts on an actual honest-to-god pair of “hard pants” for the first time in two years and meets Ethan on that very same day, by way of her dog peeing on him at the dog park. Thinking that this charming stranger is the key to a fresh start, there’s no harm in a little summer romance to remind herself of who she used to be and what fun is like. But when things, aka life, get more complicated, Ethan refuses to just fade away into the background and fights for a future together. But with his life firmly rooted in another state and Ali fixated on rebuilding a home for herself and her kids in her same hometown, can it really last past the end of summer? Filled with realistic angst and complicated feelings, hard truths and the weight of expectations, Summer Romance begins as a very optimistic and lighthearted summer fling rom-com but smoothly and surely veers into a truly fulfilling romance, filled with a wonderful cast of characters, witty and compelling writing, and enough emotion to want to keep living in this book long past the final page.

4.25 stars out of 5!

This was such a cute summer read, I really enjoyed it. I absolutely loved both Ali and Ethan, the 2 main characters. Annabel Monaghan did a great job building both characters and she really did an excellent job showing how much Ali had grown as a character. This book really shows you how your life can change with 1 simple decision or event. I have read all of Annabel's other books and loved them so I am glad I enjoyed this one just as much.

In Summer Romance, Ali's life is in shambles. She recently lost her mother and then her husband Pete asked for a divorce. One day she is at the dog park and her dog ends up peeing on a guys shoe. His name is Ethan and Ali thinks he is really cute. The two hit it off and start a "summer romance" but at the end of summer neither of them are ready to give it up.

Overall, this was a really good read and I would highly recommend reading it. Annabel Monaghan is definitely a go to author for me.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.