I really enjoyed this! It was a super fun read! Even though I could not relate to everything the characters were going through I was still able to learn something from them, I loved that. I also loved the summer vibes.

Summer Romance, a novel by Annabel Monaghan, available June 4, 2024!

Ali is a recently separated mom of three who recently lost her mother to cancer and is navigating a fog of “who really am I?” after the end of her marriage looms. A chance meet-cute in a dog park with Ethan (aka Scooter, Ali’s friend Frannie’s brother) shifts the tide and helps Ali realize that she is someone worthy of love and speaking up under all that grief. Ethan is the “mayor” of a town four hours away in Massa Cheez-its (love it!) and isn’t thrilled to be in his hometown that treats him like the sixteen-year-old delinquent he once was. But one summer with Ali and he’s rethinking everything…

The character arcs for both in this book were so well written. Ali’s struggle with grieving her beloved mother and the anger over realizing that Ali ignored her failing marriage because her mother stepped in was such a realistic and interesting way to frame Ali’s loss of self. Ethan found a family in his hometown that he never realized could be there for him. He just needed to open his heart to it. I loved that both characters were older and had complicated lives. They dealt with their issues maturely and in a way that wasn’t overly dramatic.

I’m a sucker for “real” romances, and this delivered. It was like this could have happened to your neighbor! I’m also a huge believer in signs and messages from those who have passed and this book had all that and more. Something so many readers can relate to!

A perfect Memorial Day weekend read and start to the summer, Summer Romance is the found family, single mom, best friend’s brother story you didn’t know you needed!

Be sure to read the TW, especially if you have a hard time with grief and loss.

Thank you so much to G. P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group) and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced (e-)reader copy and a chance to rate and review this book!

4 ⭐️ a whiff of 🌶

Annabel Monaghan is the queen of writing about women who have been stuck in bad/average relationships and finally are able to move on to find something actually magical. I loved her other two books and this one was another good one about a realistic middle aged single mom learning how to actually be happy. Short, sweet, emotional & bingeable. I will read anything this lady writes.

Thank you NetGalley & Putnam for the ARC <3

I wouldn't change anything about this book. It was heartfelt and mature but also had some fun summer-y themes.

I loved that the MCs were in their late 30's and the book explored navigating dating during the process of getting a divorce and juggling 3 kids. I enjoyed reading about Ali finding herself again and transitioning back to the person that she wanted to be. Also, it was wonderful that the MMC Ethan was supportive, consistent, and patient throughout the book. This really was a lovely read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Summer Romance will give you all the feels. While the story centers around a romance, it's much more than that. Ali Morris, the main character, starts out at the beginning still dealing with intense grief over losing her mother two years prior and her husband has decided to divorce her. After a chance meeting at the dog-park, she slowly begins to find herself again. I loved watching her character come alive throughout the course of the book, while finding her voice and discovering her own happiness.

I highly recommend checking this one out. It's a quick read that will warm your heart.
Thank you, Putnam Books, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The perfect summer read! I absolutely adored the author's previous books, especially Nora Goes Off Script. This one was utterly charming, well fleshed out, and I could picture myself contentedly reading it on a beach somewhere. I will definitely be recommending this one to all my friends this summer!

Ali is a almost divorced mother of 3. She is still wheeling from the death of her mother and the official end of her marriage. Then in the New England coast during summer break appears Ethan. After their meet cute, all is at her best friend, Frannie’s diner, when she realizes that Ethan is Frannie’s kid brother Scooter all grown up. They have an amazing summer romance…but will it last?

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC.

I just love Annabel Monaghan. Her books are just my happy place. I loved Ethan so much, he was so sweet.

My new mantra: Ethan 4eva, Pete 4neva.

I loved Annabel Monaghan’s most recent book, Summer Romance. She is quickly becoming a favorite author for me. In her latest book, we find Ali is just getting through the days… her beloved mother died two years prior and her husband declared their marriage should end. While Ali loves to organize others homes, she can’t seem to get out her funk to straighten her home, and is in a rut. Will a summer romance be the spark she needs to find herself again? Annabel captures grief beautifully and you find yourself rooting Ali on to put on the “hard” pants and find herself again.

Cute and heartwarming! Ali Morris, a professional organizer, is trying to make her business on Instagram “a thing”. No one would believe that her own pantry is a MESS! Ali, who is still grieving her beloved mother who passed 2 years ago, is also heading toward a divorce from her husband, Pete. Trying to be a good mom and make a living from her passion of organizing is hard enough, now her best friend thinks it’s time for her to put on “hard pants” and start dating. The first time she takes off her wedding ring and heads to the dog park with her dog, she does indeed find a man under very embarrassing circumstances. There is instant chemistry and after an official first date Ali is hoping for a “champagne summer” as her late mother used to call it. But this summer romance will turn out to be a lot more complicated than she could have anticipated!

Annabel Monaghan writes for the woman who is past the first blush of youth and gives us all hope that it’s never too late to find a second chance at love and romance. This was a very sweet story that would make a perfect beach read!

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on June 4, 2024

Annabel Monaghan has become an insta-buy author for me. Summer Romance is the perfect read to kick off your summer.

This story starts with Ali, a 38 year old mother of three, deciding that today is the day her wedding band comes off. It is, after all, one year to the day after her husband left her, one year to the day after her mother died.

Absolutely nothing feels right anymore, and Ali doesn’t know how to be a person anymore. She asks her mother for a sign that things will be okay. This comes in the form of her dog, Ferris, peeing ALL OVER the most handsome man she’s seen at the dog park. The best part is, he not only takes it in stride but seems completely amused and taken by Ali.

Perhaps it’s time to wake up and start participating in her life again.

This book had me genuinely smiling and laughing at the banter and moments between Ali & Ethan (dog park man). I also felt everything SO DEEPLY as Ali deconstructs her descent into a “weary housewife” in the throes of negotiating her divorce. I feel like many moms will see part of themselves in Ali.

Annabel Monaghan writes people and characters so well that it comes as a shock to me that these aren’t real people.

Summer Romance is available on June 4th, 2024. You simply must go read it. For my friends who prefer closed door romance stories, this is TOTALLY going to be your jam. Check out Annabel’s other books.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of Summer Romance in exchange for my honest review. It was a honor to get my hands on this early.

I had not read a book by Annabel Monaghan before and it is safe to say that Summer Romance will not be the last title I read by her. This book had amazing summer vibes and was fast paced. I loved how the romance felt fully developed as well as the side characters and all of the issues that the FMC was facing.

Usually, I feel like I enjoy books more when I can see myself in one of the main characters. While Ali was going through so many things that I haven't, I still felt fully connected to her and was able to relate to her in many ways. I loved how Ethan was down bad for Ali and that he never gave up on her.

I can't wait to read more books by this author and definitely recommend this book for the summer, a perfect summer read!

This book is self care for the soul.

I can’t believe how much I loved and needed this book at this moment. This book is pure sunshine on the page. This is another five star read from Annabel Monaghan!

Ali hasn’t gotten over her mother’s death of two years, and her marriage is in shambles. The only order she has in her life is the professional organizing that she does for other people. She just doesn’t know a way forward. She spends her days taking care of her three amazing children, but when is she going to find the time to take care of Ali?

Enter Ethan - the lovely man she meets at the dog park when her dog pees on him. It really is one of the most charming meet cutes. From there, Ethan and Ali start a friendship that becomes more.

This book is terrific. Ali’s neighbor Phyllis is amazing, her friend Frannie is terrific, and her kids are incredible. Then there’s her ex-husband Pete. He’s a fool. Ali also has a complicated relationship with her Mom that she has to reconcile before she can move forward. And while the story is about Ali and Ethan, I really felt like the bigger story was Ali finding out who she is and who she wants to be moving forward. Ethan has his own story to write, and his decisions take him on a journey as well. I loved both of these characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the opportunity to read this one. It is the perfect book to start your summer, read on the beach, or spend a beautiful afternoon with on your porch. I adored every page! This one releases on June 4th - pick it up!

Five stars!

I adored this book. I loved seeing Ali's transformation in relation to her ex husband. I also loved seeing Ali and Ethan fall in love. The whole book just made my heart happy.

Annabel Monaghan writes it and I will read it. Although nothing will beat my love for Nora Goes Off Script, Summer Romance was a close second.

Ali and Ethan meet at the dog park and there’s an instant connection/attraction. Ali later discovers that Ethan is “Scooter”, her best friend’s brother. They make a deal that what they have will only be a summer fling as Ethan lives 4 hours away in Devon. I loved watching (reading) Ali grow and rediscover herself after the loss of her mother and pending divorce. She learned that she deserves so much better than what her ex, Pete, provided in their relationship - she deserved an equal partner. She learned to use her voice and fight for herself and her three children.

Read if you like…
- Best friends brother
- Single mom
- Acquaintances to lovers

My first exposure to Annabel Monaghan was two years ago when I got an eARC for NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT. Since then, I've been singing her praises to any person who will listen (and honestly even those who won't). The minute I read her first book, I knew she'd be THE author for women of a certain (or really any) age. I take pride in knowing Annabel's works before she debuted simply because she's THAT good.

I never thought I'd find a book that lived up to the way that NORA made me feel but SUMMER ROMANCE surprised me in the best possible way. This is Annabel's work with the most feeling yet. After stumbling a little bit with SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER, she has fully redeemed herself and then some with this novel. I loved Ethan from his first introduction, and though anyone could've predicted the way this story would've ended, I devoured every moment of the courtship between Ali and Scooter.

This book made me feel all the feelings and touches beautifully on things understood and those which I haven't experienced - the grief of losing your parent or closest loved one, divorce, parenthood, daughterhood, starting over, small town drama, and truly soul=consuming love. Annabel writes in a way that makes love stories approachable and believable. Ali's story is a real story that could be any of our stories and a story with which anyone could relate.

SUMMER ROMANCE is going to be THE book with the summer!

📚ARC Review 📚

Summer Romance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ali Morris is a professional organizer whose own life is a mess. 2 years ago her mom passed away, then her husband left, her oldest child is about to be a teen and she hasn’t worn “hard pants” (pants with a zipper) in a long time. When she decides to take her wedding ring off and put on “hard pants” she meets someone. Well…her dog does anyways by peeing all over the guy’s leg and shoe at the dog park. Ethan laughs and looks at Ali like she’s amazing. She hasn’t dated in forever and this is last thing a newly single mom needs, to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little summer romance. Is there?


This is my first book from this author and it will not be my last! Y’all this book was so good. It’s one of those that will make you laugh and cry at the same time. Just the realness of it and how sometimes as a mom/wife you can lose your identity. How the right people in your life make a difference and especially how the finding the right person, that was made just for you, makes such a huge difference on how you should be treated and loved. I love how the author wrote this and how she had the 2 main characters overcome their own problems/fears together but also separately. I loved Ethan’s character and how he helped Ali find herself again and showed her she is important and can do anything she wants. But, I also like how Ali realizes this on her own as well and doesn’t settle anymore and stands up for herself. It was a great story, that of overcoming hardships and finding yourself again. Do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR list, now! This book will publish on June 4, 2024 and you don’t want to miss it.

This book is truly a gem and I’m so glad that I got to read it. So thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for my advanced readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

☀️🛹 Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan 🛹☀️

Ali Morris is a professional organizer whose life is a complete mess. Her mother passed away two years ago, her husband asked for a divorce a year ago, and she hasn’t opened the mail in longer than she can remember. Her kitchen pantry is so messy she didn’t realize she’d accumulated four boxes of cornstarch, and her three children are the primary thing keeping her going. When Ali meets a handsome, charming man at the dog park the same day she finally takes off her wedding ring, she thinks he’s been sent to her by her mom. Ali is in no place for a long term relationship, but maybe she could handle a light and breezy summer romance with Ethan.

This book got into my heart from the very first chapter. In so many ways, I feel like I *am* Ali in this book (minus the hot romance with a younger man…so far 😏) The journey that Ali took over the summer was incredibly real, and I was cheering her on every step of the way.

Ethan is a true dream of a book boyfriend. He saw Ali for exactly who she was, and he wanted her even when she was at her lowest points. There were never any conditions involved in his affection for her, never any “if you do this, I will do this” like she experienced in her failed marriage. The way he loved both Ali and her kids was so beautiful and moving.

I can’t recommend this one highly enough for readers who love seeing someone get a second chance not just at love but at truly being the “architect of their own life.” It’s a really powerful story about all of the myriad ways we might get lost along the way, but that it’s never too late to find ourselves again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced copy to read and review. All opinions are my own. Summer Romance is out on June 4.

I love seeing older women and mothers in romance novels, and Annabel Monaghan is writing some of the best! This is my third book from this author and definitely my favorite.

Ali lost her mother two years ago and a year ago her husband left her. Now she’s ready to sign divorce papers. One day she has an adorable meet cute at the dog park with Ethan, who turns out to be the all grown up younger brother of Ali’s best friend (who everyone locally still knows as Scooter). Ali lets herself indulge a little summer romance but it’s not long before the feelings between Ali and Ethan grow more intense. As Ali navigates raising her three kids, her divorce, her ongoing grief over her mother, and finding a life on her own she doesn’t know where Ethan can fit in.

I loved the development of the romance between Ethan and Ali. Their chemistry was electric right from the start. I also loved seeing Ali’s development and all the themes of love and loss that were woven in. Ethan was a swoon worthy lead.

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book follows a woman whose life is a total mess. Her mother died and then her husband left her. She finally decides to move on and start a new romance.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. It just felt too emotional but I didn’t connect with the character. Everyone felt too surface level and no one was examined very in depth.

I hope others love this one but it wasn’t for me.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!