I really wanted to love this book, but it honestly fell flat for me. I guessed the ending (with how everything works out / wraps up). It was a nice story, but it was a little hard for me to get into. I did enjoy Ethan and how he showed up for Ali in so many ways. I feel like the book had a lot of plot lines flowing but not enough time to fully dive into them all. I think this book overall was not for me, but clearly has been enjoyed by many. I will be trying some of this author's other books. I did like how the author brought in Ali's children and their personalities into the story. I also wish Pete grew up a little.

The piece with her mother reminded me a little bit of One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle, which I did enjoy. The meet cute in the beginning also reminded me of The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez.

Super cute! I liked this A LOT more than her second novel. This was almost as good as Nora - I got similar vibes, but the similarities in the FMC were almost TOO much, and it kind of felt like a copy + paste of Nora. Overall, I was happy and thought it was a sweet romance.

THE ROMANCE OF THE SUMMER!

Reeling from the death of her mother and her impending divorce from her assh*le husband, Ali is finding it difficult to find the motivation to change out of her sweats and into “hard pants.”

Until one day she meets cute guy Ethan at the dog park (when her dog pees on him), and feels a spark of attraction. When that attraction is reciprocated and they have a perfect first date, she’s confounded that she doesn’t hear from him again. When she runs into him at her best friend’s house and realizes he’s Scooter, the ne’er do well younger brother, that complicates things. Except that he’s not that guy anymore. He’s sweet, bright, caring Ethan who looks at Ali like she just hung the moon. Which frankly, after losing track of herself for so many years, is something she desperately needs.

As a newly single mom, Ali wants this summer to be filled with joy and excitement, which Ethan delivers in spades. What could be the harm in a casual summer romance, right?

I love that Annabel Monaghan writes romances for adult women and understands the drama that we deal with – family relationships, parenting, career issues, and the desire to /guilt from prioritizing oneself after years of neglect.

Annabel Monaghan is an auto-buy author for me. I loved Nora Goes Off Script and Just for the Summer. And, no pressure, or anything, but Annabel, if you’re reading this, I really hope you’re working on something new, because I don’t think I can wait too long for the next one!

I could not love this book more. If you have not already done so, pick it up. It might just be your favorite read of the summer.

Thank you to @annabelmonaghan @netgalley and @putnambooks for the advanced reader copy.

Annabel Monaghan is an auto-buy author for me, so when I landed the arc of Summer Romance I was absolutely thrilled. Her characters skew a little order than many popular contemporary romances (think adults in their 30s) which is always a nice change of pace.

She almost always handles romance + something more which I love. In Summer Romance, Ali is facing grief in multiple ways. Her mother passed and her marriage ended in divorce. She has three kids and is drowning in feelings of sadness. She’s just floating through the routine of day to day life doing her best.

When she runs into her best friends brother, Ethan, at the dog park she’s stunned to find that he’s gorgeous??? And then her dog pees on him. Only the best of meet cutes for Ali, right? Ethan and Ali strike up a deal to help each other out and the rest truly is history.

I loved the supporting characters in this, even if they weren’t around much. The whole story ended feeling like a warm hug and that’s exactly what you want in your beach read!

Highly recommend adding this to your summer list. 💗

Thank you to @putnambooks and @netgalley for the eARC!

This was a delightful read from Annabel Monaghan. Perfect summer vibes while still tackling some serious topics. Despite being an adult, I could still absolutely relate to the girl drama of middle school. I thought it tackled topics of grief, love, and change so well while not being too "heavy" throughout. Also - Ethan is 10/10 in my book. We love a MMC who is clearly obsessed and not afraid to show it.

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

Such a great summer read! After losing her mother and then her lame husband leaving her, Ali was struggling to get back to herself until one day, she puts on a pair of real pants and runs into someone in the dog park. When her dog pees on a cute guy, she's immediately stricken with him. He's totally perfect and they really hit it off so what's the harm in a little summer romance?

Thank you to NetGalley and Annabel Monaghan for this digital ARC. I read her Same Time Next Summer romance read last summer and I wanted to give her another try. I liked the main idea of this story, but it’s definitely a slow burn. I wish I read it quicker and it might have raised my rating, but ultimately I feel like it was too slow with not a lot happening. I was waiting for more of climactic events than what really happened.

4 1/2 ⭐️
I loved this story! Ali’s life is a bit of a mess. She’s grieving the loss of her mother and trying to finalize her divorce, all while being the primary caregiver to her three young children. When she meets Ethan and feels a spark of attraction, she decides to embark on a summer romance – telling herself it will just be a fling and she won’t catch any real feelings.
Ethan is actually “Scooter”, the younger brother of Ali‘s close friend. He’s back home for the summer to clean out his parents’ home in order to sell it. He’s had a crush on Ali for years and is happy to see where this new relationship goes. However, he’s made a good life for himself in a town two hours away, and being home is proving difficult because everyone still thinks of him as a kid.

I liked watching Ali transform into a confident woman despite the insecurities she feels. I thought the pace of the relationship was great, and that Ali and Ethan took time to get to know each other and see the real person. I liked the secondary characters and felt their stories contributed to the rest of the book.
If you’re looking for a fun summer read - with some depth - this is the book for you!

4.5 stars
Huge thank you to net galley for providing me with an early copy!

YALL this book was EVERYTHING AND MORE. It took me about 50 pages to really get into it, but once I was past that point I was hooked! This book genuinely gave me butterflies and captured the feeling of a new love PERFECTLY. I also loved the way that the author portrayed grief and how there really isn't a time cap on it. This is the perfect beach read and everyone needs to add this book to their summer tbr!

Ali is going thru a divorce from a marriage where she lost her identity. She's surviving but not thriving and learning how to be a single mother. Enter Ethan, her best friend's brother who she never gave a second thought to growing up. He has moved away and made a life for himself, outside of the shadow of his disapproving family and the town. While in town for the summer, Ethan agrees to help her with her divorce in exchange for her helping him clean out his parents' house. What's the harm in a summer fling?

I read and loved Monaghan's previous book Nora Goes Off Script and if you loved it too, then this book is for you. I especially loved that the characters' problems and the things that kept them apart were real problems, not just issues that could be resolved with a simple conversation (I'm looking at you, Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez books- which I also enjoy)- but Monaghan writes about more plausible situations.

I loved the main and side characters and how they were also looking to find their own identities outside of a romantic relationship. I didn't love the title (generic), but I this book was wonderful, and I hope everyone has a summer romance with it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Summer Romance
🗓️ June 03, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I totally binged this book in less than 24 hours! @annabelmonaghan tackles some non conventional topics that are not typically written into a summer romance. Ali finds herself entering a new chapter of her life. Newly single, finalizing her divorce while grieving her mother’s passing. Add in reentering the dating world with three children and falling for someone you once knew in high school, who turns out to be your best friend’s little brother. Just when I think I couldn’t possibly have another favorite MMC, Annabel created Ethan 🥰

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

Ali Morris is a professional organizer whose own life is a mess. 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. 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...by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at Ali like her pants are just right—like he likes what he sees. He looks at her like she’s a younger, braver version of herself. The last thing newly single mom Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little summer romance. Is there?”

Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for an advanced eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I picked up this book intending to read just a chapter before bed and ended up bingeing half of it that night and the rest the next day. The meet cute to start the story was a little hard to believe…Ali was only 2 years older than Scooter, right? I had trouble believing she wouldn’t have recognized her BFFs little brother in the slightest at the dog park. There were no current family photos on Frannie’s Instagram? But once I got over that I truly loved the book. The writing was delightful and I enjoyed how Ali and Ethan fell in love in the moments between summer camp drop off & pick up, soccer practices and cleaning the house. 5 stars, would highly recommend to anyone looking for an uplifting summer beach read.

This new Annabel Monaghan book did not disappoint! I think it's my favorite so far! This one hits on family, motherhood, love, grief, and summer. This felt especially poignant for mothers and daughters. Even with heavy topics, it's still such an enjoyable summer read. The scene setting and descriptions made me want to vacation on the boat, a kayak, or an inn on the water!

It’s not a secret that I’m a HUGE fan of Annabel Monaghan (Fan? Stalker? I’m not sure how to classify my love). I’m always so excited when she has a new book coming out but also a tiny bit nervous - what if I don’t like it? Well it was silly of me to be concerned because of course I loved this one like her others!

The first thing I love - she writes about mature women. Not grumpy old grannies but adult women that are badass, handling their business, and deserving of romantic relationships. The next thing, she’s funny. She’s sarcastic and smart and this comes across in her writing. Also, I admit that this is an odd thing to love, but I love that she shares the experience of losing her mom. My mom died a few years ago. Losing your mom feels lonely and I so appreciate that Annabel understands this feeling and handles it so lovingly. She just gets it. This book in particular, she captures the pain of losing a mom, the emptiness that is there, but never with over the top sentimentality but with love and grace and feelings that are true to my experience. I appreciate how honest she is and I feel validated by her words. Finally, I love the romance. I’m not a traditional romance reader and I would say she’s not a traditional romance writer. I think that’s why her books work for me.

Go ahead and preorder this one. You’ll want it in your beach bag. Romance without fluff. Thank me later.

3.5 Stars Summer Romance has Annabel Monaghan's signature blend of romance, self-discovery, and summer vibes!

It's been two years since professional organizer Ali Morris's mother passed away and one year since her husband left, and Ali still hasn't worn real pants. On the day when she finally puts on "hard" pants and removes her wedding ring, she has a unique meet cute with a handsome stranger at the dog park which includes her dog peeing on this man to claim him. Ethan asks Ali out and they have a magical first date, but then Ali doesn't hear from him. Until she sees Ethan again and realizes that he's "Scooter," the younger brother of her best friend. Now it makes sense why Ethan looks at Ali like she's a younger version of herself. As a newly single mom, Ali wants this summer to be filled with new experiences and to embrace the mess of life, and Ethan offers to help. There's no harm in having a little summer romance, right?

Summer Romance was a beautiful and emotional journey of self-discovery for Ali. It's not a complete "carefree" beach reach, but you will absolutely feel the need to grab a towel and head to the nearest beach while reading Monaghan's descriptions of the the sand and surf. Ethan was sweet and exactly what Ali needed to help her figure out who she was in this moment, outside of being a (former) wife and mother. A great read to kick off the summer season!

A perfect summer read! It was sweet, it was emotional, it was full of hope and fresh starts. I still prefer Same Time Next Summer, but this book goes deeper and I can see it resonating with people in a similar life stage as Ali, a newly single mother of three who recently lost her mother and needs to rediscover who she is on her own.

This book will make you laugh, smile, and maybe even shed a few tears. It may not be a "carefree" beach read, but it will still leave you feeling glowy and it has perfect summer vibes.

This book was really cute, and I loved how it didn't just focus on the love between Ethan and Ali, you got to see the growth that Ali had, help shown by Ethan, while she fully went through her divorce with Pete (I hate him your honor). You also see a lot about how she navigates being a mother throughout her divorce and dating someone new. I loved the chemistry between Ethan and Alice and was rooting for a good ending, as it was nice to see her being happy after always being put down by her ex-husband.

I struggled a bit getting through the book, but I believe that it was partly because of a slight slump, especially when it comes to Romance. Besides this, it was easy to get through and the pacing was quite nice. I wish there was some more development into side characters like Frannie, Marco, and Phyllis, as I believe that at points they fell flat. I definitely wished I could see more of Frannie, especially since she's Ali's best friend, especially once Ali was finding more of herself outside of Pete.

I ADORED THIS BOOK!!! Probably her best book in my honest opinion! I loved everything about it: the plot, the setting, the location!

Another home run from Annabel Monaghan - who is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors of all time. This was so fun and swoony. Gives you butterflies to read, sincerely!

This felt like a real life romance, something that could actually happen. The FMC is a 30 something professional organizer mourning the death of her mother and her imminent divorce. I was surprised by now sad this was at times. My favorite character was Cliffy, her 6 year old son who constantly made me smile. The way she wrote about her mother/young son relationship was so real and bittersweet. I also don’t think I’ve hated a character as much as I hated Pete EVER (IYKYK). In my opinion this was not a typical romance. There was definitely a HUGE romantic love aspect but it’s just as must a story about finding yourself through grief. Highly recommend.