With a pending divorce and summer looming, Ali takes off her wedding ring and puts on hard pants for the first time in ages. A walk in the park, a meet-disaster-cute later and Ali sets her heart on a summer romance.
I devoured! This book has my heart and will easily rank among my favorites. Ali is extremely relatable as a mom first, woman second - it's so easy to forget self-care and worth - with her priorities and "aha moments". Her ex is a major turd so Ethan really shines. Ethan is so weird and lovely, basically as perfect as can be. It's funny and romantic, the setting and the supporting cast are just as loveable as the main characters. I highly recommend picking up this book for the perfect summery escape.
Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the E-ARC. I want to start of by stating that Nora Goes Off Script was my favorite book by Mrs. Monaghan until I read and fell in love with Summer Romance. This book hit close to home I am also separated with a child and have lost my mother like Ali. It was so nice seeing Ali grow into the person that she had always been I felt that this was so much more than a Summer Romance this book showed me that its okay to become something else than a mother. Its okay to move on and be happy and I loved it.

Summer Romance is the perfect summer read. It has everything a reader could want in a summer book: beach town, romance, and found family.

This book follows Ali, a mom of three in her late thirties, who is currently going through a divorce while also grieving the loss of her mother. She feels stuck in her life and for the past two years has only been focused on taking care of her kids and wearing sweatpants. One day, she finally decides to get ready and go to the dog park where she meets Ethan. Her first encounter with an eligible man since she separated from her husband. After a few encounters, she decides to have a summer romance with Ethan but of course, it is never that simple.

While this book touches on subjects such as grief and divorce, it does so in a way that is lighthearted and engaging for the reader. This book is a must-have for summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this advance reader copy!

Like its title, I’m a little afraid this book won’t be as memorable as other summer romance novels this season.

And yet, I think general audiences (who are romance readers) will really like this book. And I even expect it to be extremely popular. It’s predictable and steady, not spicy -- with themes most can connect with on some level. But, avid readers and those on book socials will likely not feel the five-star spark of excitement from this one.

As for me, I feel pretty neutral on it - the writing was good, the story was well plotted, it was a quick, easy read where the good guy wins. But not much happened--and it, once again, felt a little "too easy" in terms of conflict resolution.

That being said, I was recently following some discourse on Insta about why we read romance novels: because there’s a promise there for readers, a guaranteed payoff in the form of an HEA.

Monaghan’s novel has that - and I am confident that, for most readers, that will be enough. It wasn't for me, but we'll definitely see this on the bestseller list and I can confidently recommend it to my audience.

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan is an easy beach read, perfect for summer!

The story follows Ali Morris, an about-to-be-divorced mom of three who is trying to find some time in her life just for herself. Enter Ethan, a handsome and kind man who sweeps her off her feet—after her dog pees on his! Little does Ali know, she’s met Ethan before.

One thing I always appreciate about Monaghan’s novels is that her FMCs are in their thirties, and we get that again here with Ali. Monaghan does not shy away from giving her mom main character a satisfying sex life!

I’m not sure many will top Nora Goes Off Script for me, but Summer Romance is book that gives the reader just what they are looking for when they pick up a summer book: a fun reading experience, an idyllic location, and a little bit of love.

Annabel Monaghan remains a queen of summer reads with this one!

When I heard Annabel Monaghan's next book was coming out, it became one of my most anticipated books of the summer. And it did not disappoint!

Ali has 3 kids, is separated from her husband, and is still grieving from the loss of her mom 2 years earlier. She's kind of given up on trying to be happy. With the encouragement of her friend Frannie, she puts on "hard pants" aka real pants with buttons and a zipper, and meets Ethan at the dog park. I'll leave it at that and let you discover the rest (which is what I prefer, so I didn't read any more of the description.)

Annabel Monaghan writes real women and their real-life situations so well. Ali is a professional organizer, whose own house and space is disorganized, and who deferred to her husband after leaving her "real" job to care for the kids. Pete, her husband, is ready to file for divorce, so this is a perfect time for a summer romance, but yet she still needs to make her kids her first priority. And the 7th grade girl drama was written to perfection and how a mom feels she needs to be a shining example for her daughters.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is I loved this book. It's tied with Nora Goes Off Script, Monaghan's debut novel. And I highly recommend it for summer reading.

Thanks so much to @PutnamBooks and #Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. I was so excited to get it!

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. No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring, she meets someone. The last thing Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little summer romance.

One go.. I finished this book in one go. That's how addictive it was. Just like any other Annabel's books, this felt real, comforting, & romantic.

Ali & Ethan's chemistry was something else entirely. You could actually feel this relationship being endgame. And the writing was so perfect - it made some deep issues not feel triggering. At times I could feel my anger boiling over Ali's ex husband but the way Ali took charge of everything was fascinating.

Ethan was a cinnamon roll hero who did the good deeds silently, being out of the picture. Some people dive into your lives at the right moment, making the right impact, and he was one of them.

There was this clever twist in the beginning that reminded me of "This Summer Will Be Different," and a heartbreaking scene that reminded me of "Dear Emmie Blue." And note that I loved those books.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summer Romance is about a newly single mother of three who is dealing with the grief of losing her mother and parts of herself in the process. While I realy can't relate to Ali in any aspect since i am not married or divorced, don't have kids and don't have a deceased mother, Annabel's characters carry some sense of familiarity and reliabilty with them. I could feel and understand what her characters were going through, and i rooted for them from the start. Ali's journey of self discovery and self love was the most beautiful thing to witness.

I adored Ali's personal story and internal growth but also her journey of dating again after a failed marriage, it was so fun. Never was it cringe or uncomfortable. Ethan and the freaking man that he is 😮‍💨🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️ Her and Ethan made me so giddy! They were so sweet and adorbale together. He is so caring and kind and supportive and truly met Ali where she was at!

I cannot wait to have the phyiscal copy and read it again and annotate it! This is the perfect summer romance! The small coastal town setting with the flowers and books made for the perfect overall story. I adore this book and its emphasis on relationship and loving with no fears.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advance reader copy.

4 ⭐️

This was my third read from Annabel Monaghan in the last month and her books are just perfect for the summer. This was funny and heartwarming while also being sad and bringing me to tears at the same time. There are few books that make me truly giddy when characters meet and have a fresh relationship where they’re nervous going on first dates but Annabel’s writing makes them feel so real. They felt so mature and their problems felt nonfictional. I loved Ali, she is such a strong admirable woman and I really loved the perspective of motherhood in this. Ethan was such a softie sweetheart and definitely my top AM man.

Annabel truly has some of the best adult closed door romances I have read, while still feeling mature and making you feel so many emotions!! I will read any book of hers.

I love a good romance and this one did not disappoint!

While still grieving her mothers passing Ali's husband drops a bomb that he no longer wants to be together and then he left her with their three children to pick up the pieces of their life. Now that they are starting the divorce proceedings she is beginning to see how he wore her down and made her feel small and undeserving of anything she wants.

But once Ali meets Ethan she starts to rediscover herself and her self worth. She begins to do things that make herself happy and once she does she begins to bloom as a person. She finds both her happiness and her peace when she starts to use her organization skills on her own life.

But can she find the love that she didn't have in her marriage or will she be too scared of the possible hurt that can come if its only a summer romance.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was the first book I have read by Annabel Monaghan. I chose this because I have some of her other book on my to read list. This was really romantic and I loved the ending. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

Annabel Monaghan’s books are some of my absolute favorite summer reads. Nora Goes Off Script is a favorite, I enjoyed Same Time Next Summer, and I’m so happy that Summer Romance lived up to my expectations.
Ali is a newly single mom of three kids, trying to figure it all out and the last thing she expected was her friend’s younger brother, Ethan. Instant attraction - he’s had a crush on her for years! - and great chemistry later, he makes Ali feel like a better, braver version of herself - the person she used to be.

But Ethan is not there to stay, and Ali’s whole life (and her kids’) cannot be uprooted. When what began as a summer romance starts to become something deeper, Ali feels the need to guard herself against further heartbreak.

I loved all the characters (except for Ali’s POS ex husband) and there was so much genuinely felt emotion and heart in this story. Ali’s connections with her children, her elderly neighbor, her connection with her mom who passed away - it was all beautifully written. There was grief and love and new beginnings and so much joy!

I highly recommend this book as a perfect addition to everyone’s summer TBR.

I loved this book from the first page to the last. The setting, the characters, the heavier themes, and the writing were all perfect. I wish all romance books made me feel this way - excited and hopeful and like my heart is breaking and healing along with the characters. Annabel Monaghan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for the ebook. I won’t lie, the first 8% I legitimately questioned if I was going to be able to get thru the book… but the last 92%, I read in one sitting on a slow day at work. It was so good. It was feel good while also dealing with the emotional roller coaster of grief.

This started a little slow for me but it picked up and I ended up really loving it - read it in one sitting. Ali was such a great character, I loved seeing her growth. And I loved how Ethan supported her and shined a light on all the qualities she had kind of forgotten about herself. The relationship with her mom was really interesting and sweet - it also showed the complicated side of grief. How you can miss someone and cherish that relationship but also acknowledge that they upset you. I loved seeing that explored. The dog analogy really got me so the last line was complete perfection. I think this will sit with me for awhile!

If I had to choose a book boyfriend, I’d choose Ethan. What a beautiful summer rom com that needs to be at the top of everyone’s TBR’s.

I really really liked this author’s style: the writing, the setting, the vibe I get from the MCs. The only reason I didn’t give this book a 5 is that some I wanted to know more about Frannie. And Marco. And Ali’s dad. And on and on. Like, I just didn’t feel like I knew her life very well, so I was less invested in her story. I don’t know if that makes sense, but it feels like an explanation. 💜📚

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the relationship between Ethan and Ali. I loved the kids, the dogs, and Phyllis ( until ch 44 😡). I I loved hating Pete. I loved Scooter, the divorce lawyer. It was the kind of book that makes you sigh at the end because you are sad it is over.
Thank you net galley for my free copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

We first meet Ali while she is going through a hard time. She is grieving the loss of her mother, and at the same time her husband Pete decides he wants a divorce.

One day she decides she needs to start wearing “hard pants” again, so she gets dressed up and goes to the dog park. This is where her dog decides to choose a guy named Ethan to pee on. Thanks to her dog, we are taken on a champagne summer between her and Ethan. They have this instant, undeniable connection.

After this run-in, Ali starts feeling different. She finally sees a light in her life. She finally has some motivation to get dressed up every day.

As she goes through her divorce I loved seeing the growth in Ali. You see her realizing what a jerk Pete was to her and the kids. Pete tries to mess everything up for Ali, he will change plans to do what he wants without caring how it affects her.

I loved seeing Ethan truly care, listen, and be there for Ali every step of the way. You can see how much he cares for both her and her children. Given his professional history, Ethan was present during most of Ali and Pete's divorce meetings. One of my favorite parts of the story was ws hearing about the outfits Ethan would wear to these meetings.

When we get deeper into the story we learn that Ethan's nickname is “Scooter” and that Ethan has known Ali since they were fourteen years old. He has been in love with her ever since. Unfortunately, Ali doesn't remember him. However, Ethan lives in another town about four hours away. He has been in town visiting family and has no ambition to move back. Ali is hoping she can change that.

This summer romance was very emotional but I loved it so much! I love both Ethan and Ali as well as her children.

Annabel does it again! This is a must-add to your summer reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was heavy and beautiful and fun! It’s a mature romance between Ali who is a mom of 3 going through a divorce and dealing with the loss of her mother, and Ethan (I won’t spoil his identity but this man is a little too perfect to be relatable imo).

It packed a punch with life lessons about relationships and adulthood and family dynamics, and still managed to be a fun cute sexy beach read!