Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Putnam for an ARC of Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan in exchange for an honest review.

I've read and enjoyed two of Annabel's previous novels, Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer. However, I think, just like a good fine wine, Annabel's books continue to get better and better. I thoroughly enjoyed Summer Romance and found it to be the perfect novel to binge read.

Summer Romance is the story of Ali Morris. Ali is anything but glamorous and her life is in shambles. She has a semi-successful part time organization business, but her life is anything but. She's grieving the loss of her mother, she's on the way to a divorce from her husband, she's the caretaker for an aging neighbor, she feels like she's failing her children, and she seems to just be getting by.

She meets a charming man who seems new to town, named Ethan. Ali figures a Summer Romance is just what she needs. But, Ethan, and his secret, throws her for a loop.

I adored this novel. I thought that Ali was incredibly relatable. What Mom hasn't been through what she has as a mother? Who has a life that is all put together? But, it's how we address that life and how we come out of it that truly matters. I highly recommend this great summer read!

Annabel Monaghan has become one of my favorite authors! Her stories are romantic, fun, sad and all believable! Who doesn’t love a good summer romance? Warm days by the water, eating dinner outside and so much fun to be had! Ali has been through a tough couple of years, so when a cute guy at the dog park seems interested she figures “why not?” This is a wonderful story about loss, love, friendship, family, and moving forward.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the digital ARC!

Monaghan’s best book yet. Something about the way Monaghan writes gets in every time. Ali is one of my favorite characters I think I’ve read. The way she deals with her grief from the death of her mother, the end of her marriage, and the loss of herself is equally heartbreaking and heartwarming. Monaghan also always writes such great side characters that you truly care about. I absolutely loved Ethan and how well Ali and Ethan communicated. I loved how sure Ethan was about Ali and how sure Ali was that Ethan was going to change her life. Their struggles were so real and raw. So many gut punches and also swooning. The dog metaphor? Killer.

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to review. All opinions are my own.

Ali is a professional organizer, but most of her life is falling apart. Her mom died two years ago and she is still dealing with grief, she is in the middle of a divorce with her ex-husband Pete, and her pantry is an absolute disaster. Not to mention that she has not worn real pants with a zipper in longer than she would care to admit.

As soon as she takes her wedding ring off, she meets someone great. The last thing Ali needs is to make her life any messier, but there is no harm in a little summer romance for her champagne summer.

I really liked this book. I would rate it 4 stars because it was a sweet, enjoyable, summery read. Annabel Monaghan is such a brilliant, emotional, descriptive writer. Each sentence she writes is beautifully crafted, and makes reading her novels a truly wonderful experience. I loved Ali and Ethan's story and how realistic it felt. Summer romances are so circumstantial, but once feelings get involved, it is so hard to walk away.

All the characters were so lovable, and I adored the small town vibe of Beechwood. While reading the descriptions of the town, it reminded me of one of my favorite shows, Gilmore Girls.

If you love small town romance, best-friends brother, cute characters, a sweet love story, a good cry, or Gilmore Girls, Summer Romance should be your next read.

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan comes out June 4.

This book was well-written but still somewhat difficult to get through. Ali Morris, the protagonist and mother of 3, has come to a standstill in her life after her mother's death and impending divorce. She's being pushed by the forces around her instead of creatimg her own path - until she meets a new man (the summer romance). For this reason, I wasn't as impressed with the premise of the story. Her life is defined by men in a very depressing way, and she realizes she's lost herself. She speaks to her deceased mother for guidance and occasionally blames her for the way her life turned out. It was hard to root for someone who doesn't seem to root for themselves, but maybe that was the point. Several of the plotlines were also repetitive and the book felt a lot longer than it needed to be.

Thank you to netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

5 Stars for Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan! I predict this will be one of the best books of the summer romance (no pun intended) category, and I absolutely plan to re-read it once it releases!
I fell in love with Annabel's writing in witty and vulnerable Nora Goes off Script, and she really stepped it up even more with Summer Romance. I was sucked into the world of Ali & Ethan, and absolutely put off any real life responsibilities because I just could not put it down. This book did a great job of blending funny side thoughts, bright humor, and swoony romance with harder to swallow topics such as grief and divorce. Watching main character, Ali, find herself and be brought back to life throughout this book is the real joy of this book. There are so many moments I loved, so many phrases I'll continue to think about (Hard pants!) and oh the many descriptions of falling in love with Ethan....
The chemistry between the main characters, a cast of unforgettable side characters, and a true "how will they make this work" feeling of angst - all the perfect components of a stand out in the contemporary romance genre.
To me, this book felt like the best mix of an Abby Jimenez book & and Emily Henry book. I mean that with the upmost respect and honor, as those are two of my favorite authors and I hope to continue to read more books by Annabel Monaghan at this level. If you want to be whisked away on a Summer Romance this June - absolutely add this one to your Summer Reading list!

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I loved this book!! I loved all the side characters particularly Greer and Iris and the next door neighbor.
The setting and side characters made this feel like a town I wanted to live in and a community I wanted to be a part of.
I find that a lot of the times things like young kids or dogs in books feel forced and cheesy but in this they were done so well.
Ali is extremely relatable and I felt myself connecting to her in so many ways.
My main complaint about this book and why it just didn’t hit that 5 star mark for me was the 3rd act breakup. I felt like this was inevitable and I was honestly kind of excited for the break up to be over something warranted and not something silly. But it was just solved so quickly I don’t understand why the issue was pushed so much. Ethan was adamant about loving Devon and not wanting to move back to Beachwood and then just up and does? I think a couple of POVs from Ethan would have made this more understandable and not seem so out of the blue. Overall I really enjoyed this and will definitely pick up more by this author.

Look out, we have our hit of the summer! Ethan will be stealing the hearts of all readers! Ali was an amazing character. She was likeable and someone I think many people will find themselves being able to relate to. This book pulls on all the heartstrings. I loved it! 4.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Summer Romance, is as is title describe itself. A summer romance, or at least what Ali is thinking she is getting, meeting with Ethen. the romance is very very sweet, a good light read for the upcoming hot days.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

God bless Ferris and his "ability" to pee on the right guy!
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. And when life gives Ali a loss, she gets stuck in the suit. This is a story about grief, about rebirth, and the hope that love can return. Ali, a professional organizer, takes care of everyone, everyone except herself. When she meets Ethen, she didn't imagine that this would be anything but a summer romance. The story is easy to read, nothing intricate, a pure and simple love story, at times a little banal. It's a perfect summer read.
But I must admit that it was nice to see Ali reborn, and regain trust in others, and above all, to fall in love with herself again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ali Morris is stuck. Stuck in grief. Stuck in silence. Stuck in sweatpants.

Since her mom died, and her marriage ended, Ali has cared for everyone around her and stopped caring for herself. Well, it started long before her ex told her he wanted a divorce, a year to the day after she lost her mom.

Ali has a lot of people to look after. Her three kids. Her elderly neighbor. Her clients. But she is a professional organizer who has foot-high stacks of mail towering in her kitchen.

The day she finally takes off her wedding ring, and puts back on hard (ish) pants, her dog Ferris pees on a handsome stranger at the dog park. And, to Ali’s surprise, the handsome stranger looks at her in a way no man has looked at her for a long long time.

The last thing a single mom needs is a man who’s been called unreliable. But Ali likes this man and likes herself around him. What’s the harm? After all, it’s only a summer romance.

Annabel Monaghan has done it again! I adored this book.

It has so much heart! I was as moved by Monaghan’s depictions of Ali’s grief, intergenerational friendship, and parenting as I was by the romance (and the romance was very very good).

I can’t recommend this one enough (and all of Monaghan’s books!). This may be my favorite of hers! It will be released on June 4.

I knew from page one, that I was going to love this book.

The main character was a great protagonist, and I can relate to her in many ways. I loved the playful relationship that develops between Ethan and Ali. Watching Ali heal from her previous relationships was refreshing.

Ali Morris’ life is in a bit of an upheaval. Her mom died two years ago and her husband Pete left her. She is a professional organizer but her own life is not. I get this too. Ali has three children she is raising and a dog names Ferris. It is time for Ali to put her life back together. She takes Ferris to the dog park and meets Ethen and his dog Scooter. Here she decides to start a summer romance with Ethen. Ali’s summer romance will help her heal and learn to laugh and love again. Which is just what she needed.

Best thing about this book? Ethan, hands down. The way he pined for Ali since high school? Swoon. I will say, I feel like Ali moved on really quick from her marriage. Also, the fact that her kids were unbothered by it all seemed a little bit unrealistic as well. But the romance was on point, and I am here for all the romance! Once again, Annabel Monaghan had me staying up late to finish her book. Great read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks the NetGalley and publisher for this advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this story of what was meant to be a summer romance but turned into so much more. In typical Annabel Monoghan, this closed door romance deals with more than just a romance story. Each of the main character is dealing with growth, change, and families both genetic and found. I loved the relationship between Ali and Ethan as well as the quirky side characters. This author will continue to be an auto buy for me!

Ali has not been herself since the death of her mom two years ago. She’s getting divorced ( and happy about that), and she’s lost her will to wear anything but sweatpants ( indifferent about that). The good things in her life are her three children, her best friend, her dog and her organization business. One morning Ali meets Ethan when her dog pees on his shoe. There’s something about him she really likes and a summer only romance would be perfect.
Cute but nothing special.

This book was just what I needed to get back into reading and a cute little summer romance (hehe pun intended)! As cute as this book was, it made me be sad for my one year old puppy who this book reminded me quite regularly was going to die one day. But overall, super cute book and would recommend it!

I loved Monaghan's Nora Goes Off Script and was so excited when I received this one from the publisher. Summer Romance is about a woman who has recently lost important people in her life and the book follows her as she toggles between being a mom and carrying on her life with a guy she meets. The book flies by which is always a plus when you want/need an escape. Unfortunately, for me, it fell flat. The characters weren't complex enough. I didn't feel for Ali. Her losses didn't feel genuine (and I'm someone who has had similar loss in my life). The plot was too simple for me without enough "meat" to keep me interested. Is this book a way to escape? Sure. But there are better books out there to scratch that itch.

4.5 stars! Balm for the soul. An honest, heartwarming story about love, grief, and starting over. Also - dogs. So many excellent, bittersweet dog references.

Home-organizer and mom of three, Ali, is treading water after the death of her mother and her husband asking for a divorce. But a meet-cute at a dog park (!!!) makes her start to believe there are more "best moments of her life" to come.

It's an easy, sweet read that feels just right for summer. Great chemistry. Lovable characters. The beginning was a bit slow pacing-wise, but as soon as the love interest enters the book, I was hooked.

For anyone who likes:
-He falls first
-Single mom
-Late 30s protagonists
-DOGS

Monaghan does it again with "Summer Romance" (out June 4th!). Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I said it a couple times and I'll say it again: Annabel Monaghan is an automatic author for me. Forever. And with Summer Romance, she did it again. We had a couple warm days where I live so I obviously picked up this book to get into the summer vibes, which I feel Monaghan's books are perfect for. On this novel we follow Ali during the process of getting divorced, with three children and battling with grief after losing her mother. She got lost somewhere along the way and didn't even realize it (I can 100% relate to that), until one day she meets someone unexpectedly that makes her feel like herself again. Summer Romance is soooo fun, I swooned so much. I took my time reading it because I didn't wanted it to end. Get on it!!!