A beautiful light summer read! I loved the setting and the characters of this book so much. This book tackles grief, moving on, and life’s unexpected twists and turns in a really beautiful and heartfelt way. Overall, a great beach read for 2024!

Summer Romance
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Annabel Monaghan

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Penguin Group and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Benefits of a summer romance: it’s always fun, always brief, and no one gets their heart broken.

There aren’t enough labeled glass containers to contain the mess that is Ali Morris’s life. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in longer than she cares to remember. She’s a professional organizer whose pantry is a disgrace.

No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with hardware—overalls count, right?—she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her in the same way he claimed his favorite of her three children: by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at Ali like her pants are just right—like he likes what he sees. The last thing Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little Summer Romance. Is there?

My Thoughts: Just released! This is such a heartwarming story about a single mother trying to get through grief and on the path to rediscovering herself and love. Ali finds Ethan when her dog decides to pee on him, as a token of kindness. Ali does not want to get her heart slayed again so she decides there is no harm in a summer romance, they are fun, brief, and typically no one gets their heart broken. Knowing that a summer romance has an expiration date, there is no way to get your heart crushed, right? This follows the tropes of summer romance, closed door, small town, and best friend’s brother.

Ali is honest to a fault, flawed, but authentic and easy to relate to. With all of the loss and heartbreak that Ali has had, a good portion of the storyline is about Ali finding herself again and the ability to stand in her truth, the ability to love again. The characters were created with depth, witty banter, tender moments, chemistry, had self-discovery, and were intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, funny, tender, endearing, and thought-provoking.

This was funny balanced with tender moments and self discovery sprinkled in. The was one of the better women lit books I have read this year. I highly recommend. Pick up today!

I went into Annabel Monaghan's Summer Romance thinking it was going to be light and fluffy, like a summer romance, but it's much more than that. Ali is getting her life back after a separation from her husband, and Ethan is temporarily forced back to a town that he doesn't really want to live in. I loved not just Ali and Eithan, but their dogs, the kids, the parents, the siblings, all of it. While there's definitely the requisite meet cute, which I won't spoil for you, there's also so much realism and heart in this story. Like a summer romance, I didn't want it to end, and this is one that I'm going to be recommending to all my friends this summer!

3.5
This books follows Ali Morris, a mother of three, who is going through a divorce and grieving the loss of her mother. Ali has decided she’s ready to get her life back under control when she meets Ethan.

The romance between our two main characters was very sweet, but I felt it lacked tension and was a little insta-lovey.
I really enjoyed Ali’s journey of figuring out how to continue without her mother by her side, as well as realizing how to live life the way she wants to, not how her mother wanted her to.

Ethan was a very sweet character who cared deeply for Ali, and I enjoyed many of their moments together. However, I did feel like Ethan’s backstory wasn’t fully developed. His character felt very young, which was a little weird because he’s supposed to be 36 years old.

In short I think this book is more focused on Ali’s personal journey with grief and love, than it is on the romance, but I enjoyed that about it.



Many thanks to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the e-arc!

Two years ago Ali’s mom sadly passed away. They were extremely close and Ali still finds herself locked in the car asking for advice. More concerning is that her mother answers. Then her husband announces he wants a divorce. This professional organizer and mother of two falls into a deep funk that she cannot climb out of. Keeping herself busy in the small town she grew up in creates an illusion making the days go quicker - but to what end? As summer approaches Ali wants to fix up more than her pantry, she wants to organize her life and start over again. In walks Ethan, or rather in rolls Scooter. (picture actor Adam Demos from Netflix Sex/Life on a skateboard) The once scrawny teenage brother of her best friend throws Ali for a loop de loop. Scooter has grown up and this devastatingly handsome, kind and sexy man may be just the fling to spice up her summer. As she and her ex work their way through a painful mediation juggling the needs and emotions of their kids, Ali must learn to manage the feelings unexpectedly bursting in her heart. Ethan is supposed to leave at the end of the summer. He has a home, career and people depending on him. But a four hour commute seems impossible and Ali fears she may lose her opportunity for a happy future. As cute, witty, sexy and well written as Nora Goes off Script, Summer Romance is the PERFECT read for the beach this summer! You will love every single minute of it!

Read if you like:
-Summer camp
-Friends to lovers
-Close friend groups
-Women’s fiction/ romance blend

I'm always so impressed that Annabel Monaghan can take a traditional romance trope and turn it into something so surprising. She did it with Nora Goes Off Script and she's done it again with Summer Romance. I loved Ali, the professional-organizer whose life is just a mess. I loved her relationship with her teenage daughter, I loved the way she stood up for her daughter even when it was a detriment to herself. Loved it. It's already my go-to summer recommendation!

4.5 stars. I gave five stars to my first Annabel Monaghan book, Nora Goes Off Script, but my second, Same Time Next Summer, fell flat — not bad, just kind of predictable. Summer Romance, my third book from Monaghan, was an easy beach read, just in time for summer. I enjoy the way Monaghan writes internal monologue — very quippy and relatable. It was going to be a strong 4 stars, but then the Author’s Note made me cry. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of Summer Romance.

I thought this was a sweet, heartwarming book and really enjoyed the characters and storyline.

Ali is going through the grief of losing her mother two years ago and also currently going through a divorce and trying to find herself and her happiness again. There's lots of fun banter, sweet gestures, and emotional moments throughout the book. I really wasn't expecting to cry, but Ali's relationship with her mom and her neighbor Phyllis really pull on your heartstrings. There's also a scene between Ali and her oldest daughter, Greer, that is extremely eye-opening and Greer is wise beyond her years, even while going through very typical 7th grade drama. The growth in Ali, her relationship with Ethan, and her children is heart warming and very sweet.

Overall, I thought this was a fun book, with some parts that pulled at your heartstrings and brought some tears. Very little spice, and felt like a typical Annabel Monaghan novel (which is a great thing!). Also, you might as well have a dog :)

4/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Ali Morris is a professional organizer whose own pantry (and life) is a mess. Her mother passed away two years ago, and then her husband left her, and she hasn’t worn real pants since. So no one is more surprised than her when she takes off her ring for the first time and puts on jeans for the first time in a long time and she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her the same way he claimed his favorite of her children: by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at her and suddenly she finds herself in a whirlwind summer romance, and there’s no harm in that right?

I just love Annabel Monaghan’s writing. This was the sweetest romance and perfect for the start of June. Despite the lack of “hard pants” and a messy house, it’s nice to root for a main character who has her shit together. I’m definitely enjoying reading more stories about women close to my age as I grow older! This was a perfect balance of sweet with a touch of spice and I was rooting for Ali the whole time.

I am happy to say that Annabel Monaghan is now a must-read author for me. This is the first book of hers that I have read and I cannot wait to read more of her books.

Summer Romance is a book of second chances, falling in love with your friend’s brother, and most importantly finding yourself. These are all troupes that I enjoy and they were all in one amazing book.

Ali and Ethan are perfect for each other, they compliment each other perfectly, and accept each other as they are. I love their relationship with each other and with their families. They both have histories but together they look to the future.

Thank you Putnam Books for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

My second Annabel Monaghan book and it did not disappoint. It has been two years since the passing of Ali's mom and one year since her husband announced he wanted a divorce. She's a newly single mom of three kids and navigating the grief that still holds her. She is a shell of who she once was and she can't figure out how she got to this point. Enter Ethan, who she meets at a dog park while with her dog Ferris, via a very fun meet-cute! He's handsome, confident, and actually SEES Ali. 🤩 PLOT TWIST! Ethan is actually her best friend's littler brother, Scooter. He is a grown man now, so it's no wonder she didn't put two and two together, right? 😉

The unraveling of the past, the joy (along with some grief) in the present, the rebirth of oneself, the hope for the future. I loved this book so much! Ethan is the sweetest MMC and he helps Ali to see herself as he's always seen her, mostly from a distance, but now up close. The transformation in Ali is beautiful. Her three kids are wonderful and I love all of their different personalities. Phyllis is a treasure of an older woman and I love her little snippets of wisdom.

Thank you, NetGalley, for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Annabel Monaghan writes with such a wonderful sense of humor! The characters and quirky, do weird things and are people we know and can relate to. Can a mom navigate a divorce with three kids and have a summer romance.? You bet! And it’s a fun entertaining read.

Summer Romance was the first book I read by this author and I loved it! It was a feel good romance about Ali, a soon to be divorcee, and Ethan, the younger brother of her good friend. He grew up and sparks flew. I loved that this wasn't the traditional 20- something meet cute, but a story of blending families, children, and adult issues to contend with. I couldn't put it down as I rooted for the couple.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Officially published 6/4/24!
#SummerRomance #NetGalley #Putnam

Loved this one - perfect for the summer. You get a closed door romance with a single mother who has been struggling to feel and be happy, but then a handsome man enters the picture. In this one, you feel grief, struggles of parenting, finding one's identity/voice. Ali is super relatable and develops a very undeniable connection to Ethan. . Will this summer fling lead to anything serious and be their HEA? It was so so good - this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and yup - I already ordered my physical copy so I could have it on my shelf.

I loved this book so much. The last quarter I could feel it in my stomach! As a mom who sometimes feels like she's lost herself, I related to Ali. I was cheering her on the entire story.

Ethan, scooter, is so dreamy and admirable while trying to outlive his past. I never wanted to learn to skateboard more. The two of them together felt magical.

I devoured this book!!!
A must-read for the summer!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

All of this author’s books have been huge misses for me so I entered into this one cautiously. I am happy to report that this is my favorite of hers! There were so many good topics of becoming a divorced mom and opening yourself up to new opportunities (like love!).

I enjoyed reading about the connects she had with her late mother and how she kept her memory alive. There’s lots of grief covered in this story and it felt so real and not overdone, like it’s just part of life so how do we cope and try to move forward.

Overall really glad I decided to give this author another chance!

Read if you like:
🫂 found family
🛹 skateboarding
🤗 feeling new again
🌶️ closed door spice

This book was adorable! A perfect summer read. Her books are always a delight to read and put me in a good mood. I found myself laughing at points, and I just love her writing. Nora will always be my favorite, but this was cute and made me happy. I thought the author did a great job of developing the main characters and the families. Loved the kids!!

I really enjoyed this quick summer read. It was fun and with humor but also serious real life issues. It had a nice pace and felt relatable which often romance novels do not to me. Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

Annabel Monaghan's 'Summer Romance' promises a lighthearted escape to a sun-drenched coastal town, but unfortunately, it ends up feeling more like a lukewarm dip in a shallow pool. While the premise holds potential – a romance blossoming amidst the backdrop of a vibrant summer festival – the execution fails to deliver the captivating charm one expects from a beach read. Look elsewhere for a charming summer romance, sadly.