Annabel Monaghan does it again 🥹 I loved everything about this book. It was sweet, raw, quirky, and so bingeable. I found main character Ali to be incredibly relatable, and I loved spending time with her as she rediscovered herself after the death of her mother and the end of her marriage. I hate when kids in books are over the top sweet and cute (real kids have tantrums—and lots of them), but Ali’s kids were realistic and dynamic while still providing some comic relief. They were perfect!

And Ethan. Steady, lovable Ethan. What a great love interest. I loved every minute of Ethan and Ali!!!

I could go on and on about this book, but I’ll wrap this up by saying it’s easily going to be one of my favorites of the year. Highly recommend!!!

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
☝️Single POV
❤️ He falls first
👩‍👧‍👦 Single mother
🥹 Lovable characters
📖 Bingeable reads
🚪 Closed door

I really.need to stop believing that the cute illustrated covers are leading me into light summer rom-coms. Despite the title and the bright tropical colors, this isn’t a light-hearted read.

Don’t misunderstand! I did enjoy Summer Romance, but the romance was secondary (tertiary?) in the story. Ali is dealing with the death of her mother and the death of her marriage while single-parenting her three kids and working at her part-time organizing business. While at the dog park she runs into an attractive guy who she fails to recognize as the younger brother of her best friend.

There were some really good moments in the book. I may refer to anything other than sweatpants as “hard pants” from now on. And since my divorce was handled through mediation, I loved Ethen showing up to the appointment in a powder blue tux. I would have liked to have had an Ethen for that.

Again, I did enjoy Summer Romance. It’s just another instance of the cover taking me in one direction and the story yanking me in another.

Thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam’s Sons for an eARC. Opinions are my own.

3 stars
This was a disappointment to me honestly... I enjoyed "Nora Goes Off Script" but felt "Same Time Next Summer" as well as this one fell short. This was my third chance to enjoy this author, but I will probably not read any from her in the future, womp womp...

LOVED!!!! Annabel Monaghan did it again. This is the perfect summer read. Ali is ready to take her life back when she meets Ethan at a dog park after her dog pees on him. Their lives could not be more different but they are drawn to each other. The relationship between these two was adorable and I didn't want the book to end.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I was so glad I read this book. There was so many things to love about it. Although there was a theme of loss, it focused less on the grieving and more on the healing. A mom who is recently divorced and also getting over the loss of her mom may actually be ready to put herself out in the dating world. At least just for the summer. This was a relationship built on a healthy mix of new found love, communication and no red flags. It was fun and lighthearted and a perfect choice for a summer read.

I simply adored this book. It was the perfect summer rom com. I loved the small town setting. A friend of mine hated all the talk of skateboarding and I was worried about it going into the book, but I did not see a problem with it at all! I loved it! I loved Ethan! It broke my heart how everyone treated him/viewed him in Beechwood. But I simply adored him in Devon! I loved the journey we took with Ali from the beginning of the book, as she was still grieving her mom, adjusting to getting divorced, how she grew and found herself as a woman, as a mother, how she gained confidence.

It also made me want to reorganize every aspect of my house.

Closed door contemporary mf romance. I loved the author's writing style and the female lead was so relatable. This was a pretty quick read and I definitely recommend it.

This was my first anabel book. I loved it so much. It was perfect for summer! Highly recommend her books!

Oh, I love Annabel's books so much. As a woman in her mid thirties with children, I really love her characters- there's not a lot of romance authors out there who feature FMCs that represent us, and do it so well. Ali is a mom of three whose children are identical in age, gender, and personality to mine, which made me love this book from the first ten minutes. Not only that but writing moms is hard, especially mid-divorce moms. Annabel could have made her pathetic, bitter, bitchy...but instead she was just a super loving mom trying to do her best and recognizing that she's better off. Her ex isn't evil- most men of our love stories aren't- but he's just this side of gross that he is very, very realistic as a man. He shows up, but reluctantly. His head is a bit up his own ass, but he's not aware of how far. He makes little comments, often unsolicited and needling. It's never enough for her to complain about without seeming petty or emotionally needy, especially since he's so ~driven~. It may strike a chord with a lot of other post-divorce moms or even just women who has EVER met a man.

The story between Ali and Ethan is very sweet and I loved both of them. Ali regularly made me laugh with her inner-monologue, calling out her own silly desperate acts- like searching spots around town for him. But it's all relatable! We've all dressed up hoping we run into someone and feel ridiculous when we don't. Ethan is a golden-retriever, but also a grown man, so you never aren't rooting for him.

The romance was gentle, patient, with vocal consent, and closed-door. Another 5* for Annabel Monaghan!

Summer Romance follows a recently single mother of three as she navigates her life following the loss of a parent and her ended marriage. I loved following a main character in her upper 30s and seeing the realities of how complicated it can be to start dating when you have children. I was skeptical of the romance portion at first, but I was completely enamored by the end. Full of tenderness, humor, and lovable characters, Summer Romance is perfect for fans of clean romance.

I received an ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgallry and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book before it released. Unfortunately at this time it isn't for me. I had started it and read a few chapters now and again but wasn't feeling the storyline and again it's just not the book for me at this time.

Summer Romance was the book I needed in my life to remind me that I'm not grouchy about romance books, I just have to find the right ones that bring me absolute, unadulterated joy!

Summer Romance is a story about two people who are really different but bring out the best in each other and have a really great chemistry that just feels effortless. Ali is going through a divorce, she is a mother and has a lot of responsibilities in her life that keep her grounded in reality. Ethan has such a vibrant energy that brings out the fun in Ali yet also values her need to be a mother and fulfill her responsibilities at home. They have such a wonderful and easy dynamic that it honestly felt like a breath of fresh air every time they were together on the page.

I loved that this was a romance built out of unforeseen circumstance but that despite their differences in life they supported and built one another up in really tender ways. I loved that Ali was in a more mature season of her life but through Ethan she was able to see what she had been missing all along in a partner. I loved the character growth and her chats with her deceased mother that change and shift as she grows throughout the story.

It was adorable, I loved the quiet moments to the more intense ones. The conflict was realistic and not drawn out. Dare I say this was the perfect little Summer Romance and one I will recommend over and over again this year!

Another wonderfully well-written romance from this author. I loved both main characters, and all the details of their lives. This author's distinctive style always draws me in and sticks with me after I finish the book. I can't wait for her next one!

This book was such a cute and perfect summer read! Have yet to read an Annabel Monaghan book that I didn’t love.

Super cute life/love/self discovery after divorce story! I love that the MMC wasnt the typical brut that’s 6’5” and built like a brick wall. He was an average guy that was kind & caring and I loved his involvement in the community.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Annabel Monaghan, and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Unfortunately, I do not think Monaghan's books are for me. I read Nora Goes Off Script a couple of years ago and just thought it was okay, but I wanted to give her books another shot, and I ended up liking this even less. I think there were some sweet parts, and I do like that Monaghan writes older women characters than your typical 21-year-old protagonist in romance. She writes about very real doubts and anxieties, such as motherhood and finding your purpose again, in a believable way, which I commend. I just did not like at all how <spoiler>Scooter/Ethan goes on that first date fully knowing who Ali was and didn't tell her!! The book read as he was very obsessed with her all the way through, which came across as creepy to me rather than sweet lmao. I also hated how he idolized the high school version of her and basically was like "you're a pushover now". Even though she had things to work on from how her husband repressed her, it didn't mean that there ~wasn't~ other ways she had grown and was stronger than she was back at 16, and I didn't feel that the book recognized that. Also, every time he told her not to answer her phone when she was like "i literally have kids"?? bye!! </spoiler>

i loved nora goes off script so i was really excited fue this one and it did not disappoint. nora writes the perfect summer romances!

My favorite of hers so far. The end got a little too sappy for me. Also - the part where they actually talk to each other and she says what she wants and he says what he wants would have been a good addition. He basically just decided what he was going to do without her… which is what her ex did too. The reasons were valid, I just didn’t like how that part was executed. Otherwise, cute vibes and I enjoyed it.

Meet cute where a dog pees on the love interest's leg? YES!

Ali Morris’s life is a mess: her mom just died, her husband asked for a divorce, and her house is disorganized despite her being a professional organizer. Surprisingly, when she finally takes off her wedding ring and puts on her favorite 'hard pants' (aka overalls), her dog introduces her to Ethan by peeing on him. Ethan’s smile suggests he likes what he sees, sparking the possibility of a summer romance. Though hesitant, Ali wonders if there’s any harm in a brief, fun romance to lighten her load.

The chemistry between Ali and Ethan jumps off the page. Although I hated how Ethan's family treated him, both characters have similar storylines as they allow themselves to get lost trying to make everyone but themselves happy. I laughed and cried, and honestly, I am not over Phyllis. This isn't just a cute summer read - grab your copy today!

Thanks to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and Annabel Monaghan for allowing me access to this book. All opinions are my own.

Once again, Annabel Monaghan delivers a wonderfully entertaining beach read! I loved it - start to finish! I was pulling for Ali and Scooter the entire book.