I loved this book so much I finished it in a day. There was so much to love about every character, and the story made me want to see what happened between them all.

Also, Pete sucks.

I loved this! Such a sweet story! I relate so much to the main character rising out of an emotionally abusive marriage. The whole book is a great lesson on what type of person we should all strive to. be.

4.5 stars! Annabel Monaghan you’ve done it again! Even though this book touches on the woes of divorce and loss, I kept thinking while reading this book that it was just good, clean fun. I enjoyed this one from start to finish! Read this one. Annabel has become one of my auto-read authors!

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan is my new favorite book!!
Seriously!!
The characters are so real and touched me on many, many levels. The relationships are even more real. There’s love. There’s loss. There’s raising good kids who sometimes learn the toughest lessons in life by just having their Mom hold their hand as they go through heartbreak.
And of course there’s an incredible, not fully predictable plot where all the great people get everything they deserve and the one not so great person gets what’s fair, but also gets a lesson on how to treat people.
Ali is such a real heroine and I want to be her when I grow up! She’s 38 and I’m 55 so we have to fudge the math a bit. Her love interest has paid attention to her for her entire life, only from the sidelines, unnoticed. But he knows her so well that he quotes her valedictorian speech back to her several times about being the architect building her own life.
On a very personal note, Ali lost her Mom two years ago. The author went through many of the emotions losing a parent throws at you. My Mom passed just over 2 years ago. Like the main character, I have real conversations with my Mom and a handful of times she has clear as day answered me. This is real and I loved how this was portrayed. I related deeply.
Then when the main character realizes her Mom is not only her heart, but she is her breath; she’s that close. I teared up uncontrollably at this part. My younger sister just passed away three weeks ago at 51 from stage 4 colon cancer. She fought for over four years. Her girls, my family are all hurting. One of the songs played at her life celebration mass was “Breath of Heaven.” This song now has an even deeper meaning for me. My sister is as close to me as my ownbreath.

This book is just perfect! It is romantic. It is very, very funny! It is most of all real. I easily got lost in it. It’s my third time reading an Annabel Monaghan book and she is definitely an auto buy author for me!

I will recommend it on NetGalley! Thank you so much for the Advanced Reader’s Copy! I will recommend it on Goodreads. I will recommend it in my book group Midnights Book Challenge and groups I belong to like LiterALLy BOOKiSh Facebook group which just surpassed 5,000 members!

It is a perfect 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read and will be published on June 4, 2024.

I really enjoyed reading how Ethan’s and Ali’s relationship developed over the summer. I think the things I loved the most about this story was Ali’s journey of grief and how she learned to live through it and then her relationship with her daughter Greer. I was great seeing how she was able to connect with Greer more than before and how Ethan sort of played into that as well. I would have really loved to see some chapters from Ethan’s pov. I really liked the parts where Ethan joined Ali and her divorce meetings and just helped to see that she needed to stand up for herself and for her kids.

I am a huge fan of the author so was very happy to get to read her newest work! Summer Romance is the story of Ali, a woman who has lost her mother and gotten divorced in the few years prior to the beginning of the novel. She rekindles a connection with the younger brother of her friend which leads to romance. It is her story of finding herself again after her loss. I love that the story feels like it is about very real people in real situations. Highly recommend!

I recently read “Summer Romance” by Annabel Monaghan, and I have to say, it is such a beautiful story. This is the story of Ali Morris, a soon-to-be divorced woman who is struggling to come to terms with her impending divorce while also grieving the loss of her mother. To add to her struggles, she is unable to organize her own life and home the way she does for her clients. But things take an unexpected turn when Ali meets Ethan at the dog park, and they hit it off instantly. What follows is a heartwarming and swoon-worthy summer romance that I couldn't get enough of.

Annabel Monaghan has a way of writing realistic and relatable characters that just draw you in. Ali is such a lovable character and I felt like I knew her inside and out by the end of the book. She goes through so many emotions and struggles, and I found myself laughing, crying, and swooning right along with her. Monaghan has a talent for creating multi-faceted characters that feel like real people, and I really connected with Ali's journey throughout the book.

But it's not just the characters that make this book so amazing, it's also Monaghan's writing style and plot line. The book is evenly paced and easy to read, and I found myself completely engrossed in the story from start to finish.

Monaghan tackles heavy topics such as divorce and grief with sensitivity and grace, and she weaves in moments of humor and romance that will leave you with a smile on your face. Her writing is so vivid and descriptive, I felt like I was right there with Ali as she navigated her new life and romance with Ethan.

“Summer Vacations” is a book that will make you feel a range of emotions, from heartache to joy. It's a story about love, loss, and finding yourself and second chances. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming and swoon-worthy read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Books Putnam Group, and Annabel Monaghan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the cutest summer romance story I’ve read in a long time. The banter and the realness of the characters make it a story you are eager to devour. It tells the story of a woman experiencing divorce and finding herself in its wake and love seems to be there as a welcome distraction. I highly recommend this book! No spice!

Really liked this one! Will read all of this author’s books. This was a little more geared towards divorcees in my opinion but refreshing, romantic, and funny.

Ali is a hot mess. Her mom died, her husband left, her house is a disaster - and she’s a professional organizer so it’s not a great look. She’s trying to keep it together for her kids but it’s just hard.
Enter Ethan. He’s almost a perfect book boyfriend except he is determined to only stay in town for a few months. He’s got his own issues to deal with. Starting with deciding what to do with his family home.
This is a sweet (former) acquaintances-to-lovers romance that involves mature mcs, kids, dogs, besties, and deciding if a temporary fling is enough or if you want to take a chance on the love of a lifetime, messes and all. I loved it!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited to get the ARC of Summer Romance from Net Galley. I loved Same Time Next Summer and Nora Goes Off Script - I think they were both 5 stars. This just didn’t live up to those in my opinion. It had some really bright spots and other points where it just fell flat or dragged on. It’s worth a read but it wasn’t a knock out. 3.5 stars.

Annabel Monaghan hits it out of the park again with her third book! I love every thing she writes and Summer Romance did not disappoint.

Ali is still dealing with the loss of her mom when her husband, Pete, tells her she wants a divorce. She’s lost herself for years and while at the dog park meets a man who immediately peaks her interest and is the beginning to finding herself again. That man ends up being her best friend’s little brother, Ethan “Scooter”, who has most definitely grown up. He’s been in love with her his whole life and it’s so sweet to read how lucky he feels to be with the woman of his dreams. He made me swoon.

Pete is a complete jerk and I was so happy to see Ali start standing up for herself with him. She found her voice and stood strong in her power when dealing with him. At the same time, she set an example for her kids for the kind of relationships they shouldn’t have in their lives and how they are deserving of love, trust, and honesty with her relationship with Ethan.

I love how both Ali and Ethan’s lives and love for each other came together in the end. It was such a sweet book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the advanced copy!

Annabel Monaghan is again at the top of her game with her latest novel, Summer Romance. Her main character, Ali, is brave, endearing and ready (albeit hesitantly) to gain her life back after suffering through the death of her beloved mother and a divorce. Readers will find themselves cheering for Ali as she navigates her latest journey with guts and charisma. An all around wonderful story with lovable characters and thematic effervescence.

》ARC Review: Summer Romance 《

Back in 2022 I read Annabel Monaghan’s Nora Goes Off Script and absolutely loved it. Monaghan’s writing wonderfully entices the reader to an immersive experience, relating to leads and storyline. Summer Romance achieves the very same, even more successfully than Script. I fell in love with the dreams, hopes, and courage of Ali and her summer romance. It was effortless to cheer her on, to want to encourage and motivate her to keep going. She was a lead that felt so real, flaws and all.

I adore Ali’s arc in reclaiming her voice, her agency, her power. Her ex-husband sucked so much life from her and carelessly tossed her to the side when she most needed an anchor in her life. She is grieving the loss of her mother, and this grief weighs heavily on her. I so appreciated the gentle care the narrative took in allowing Ali to work through her grief. I wanted to just push myself through the pages and give her the biggest, most comforting hug in scene. She deserves all the hugs. She has to power through life taking care of her kids, herself, her future, all while grieving such a close love one's loss. It isn’t easy, and it’s not shown as easy, which I deeply appreciated. Ali learn to place one foot in front of the other, and that step, was a huge, empowering one to take.

While he’s not a POV in this, Ethan is still very much a co-lead as we get to see him work through past troubles and reconciling how he is perceived versus who he actually is; and reconciling where he wants to be— what home means to him. He’s going through his own arc and while we may not be in his head the same way as we are in Ali's, we are still privileged in following his growth. And his growth as a character is inspiring.

Then there’s our titular romance! Oh gosh, I loved the romancing in this one! The romance was something I wish had been stronger in Nora Goes Off Script, and in a way I received my wish in the aptly named Summer Romance. I loved getting to be part of the love story between Ali and Ethan. Their meet cute was so sweet and funny! Their romance actually has a trope many love but it isn’t hinted at in the synopsis, so I was quite delighted when we find out about this particular trope (which happens early). It allows even more emotional depth and connection between Ali and Ethan. What I loved most of their romance was the emotional support they gave one another. Ali saw Ethan for Ethan, not as ‘Scooter.’ She saw past the surface, where others would stop at. And never once held him back from his dreams. Then there was Ethan consistently supporting Ali in her endeavors to ensure a fair divorce was had between her and her ex, and to ensure that her voice was no longer silenced. She saw his heart, and he heard her voice.

They’re a perfect match.

I was very, very interested in seeing how the ending would unfold, because the narrative does lay out objectively how difficult it will be for the couple to be freely together in one place— at least they can’t be freely together without a sacrifice of sorts. I was overall quite satisfied with the end result, but very much wished there had been an addition of an extended epilogue to assuage lingering concerns. I’d have love a flash forward to confirm the right choice was made. I consider this a personal nitpick, a personal wish I’d have love to see. I am very pro years after epilogues!

Nevertheless, I left this book wholly satisfied, wholly happy, wholly complete. 4.5✨

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good it made me cry in a coffee shop and I didn’t even care. I love Ali and Ethan and reading a story about a woman not being perfect and realizing it and being better. Just, great!

Whenever I read an Annabel Monaghan book, I feel like I'm IN it. The setting could be a place I visit regularly, the characters could be my own friends and family, and the thoughts/feelings/battles/etc. could be my own, as well. I really appreciate this as an avid reader and I'm excited to report that Summer Romance was another all-in book for me.

Ali Morris may be a professional organizer by trade but her life is in a state of chaos. Her beloved mother passed away two years ago and on the first anniversary of her death (one year ago), Ali's husband, Pete, told her he wanted to separate. Impeccable timing. It's been a year of exploring a separation and it's time for their divorce. They have three children who are managing their own states of grief and growth and Ali's life is still a blur - she works hard to get everyone else's affairs in order while her own home, head, and heart come last on the to-do list.

You'll meet a number of characters in this book - but not too many to keep straight! I wanted to tell Pete (the soon-to-be ex-husband) to go pound sand. I wanted to tell Frannie that she's a damn good best friend. I wanted to tell Fancy that her magic will live on through Ali and the kids. (I absolutely loved how the relationship between Ali and Fancy is continued throughout the story.) I wanted to tell Ethan that he should be proud of all he's accomplished to-date. I wanted to tell Greer that friends will come and go but true friends will never hurt you to your face or behind your back. I wanted to tell Phyllis that her companionship with Ali kept them both going at times. Most of all, I wanted to tell Ali that she's a really great mother and that it's ok to give herself permission to place her needs first every now and again.

Summer Romance is much more than the typical "summer romance". It looks at grief, dating post-divorce, intimacy post-divorce, parental relationships, children at different ages/stages, friendship, and love in a new light. It's a lot to take place in one summer but you'll see that the story starts well before that summer and will continue on for a long time to come.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam for sharing an ARC of this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Another 5 star book from Annabel Monaghan! Summer Romance is a romance grounded in real life. I loved watching the love story unfold as our (slightly older) protagonists navigated real world problems, changes, and emotions. The setting is an utter delight as are the side characters which alway enhances this type of book for me.

Another home run from author Annabel Monaghan! The very first sentence of Summer Romance had me laughing! Ali is having a tough time of it. She is a professional organizer - she can go into someone's house and leave it looking like a place where someone can actually find things and enjoy their living space. Why can't she do this in her own life???? Going through a divorce with three kids while she is still grieving the loss of her mother. Everything changes when she meets Ethan at a dog park. Maybe getting out of the house and wearing "hard pants" really is worth it! I just loved all the characters in this book! Just a feel good book that I think everyone should read!

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Books Putnam & Annabel Monaghan for an eARC of Summer Romance. I was so excited to get approved for this one, because Nora Goes Off Script is truly one of my all time favorite books. Annabel Monaghan did not disappoint. I loved this book so much, it unfolded perfectly. I can't wait to recommend this one as the perfect summer, beach read in June.

I’m so grateful for the chance to read this eARC!

First off, Nora Goes Off Script is by default the measuring stick that I’m rating this off of, because I love everything about Nora. And I’ll say it stands up pretty well, but Nora might be a tiny bit higher? Nora is still my favorite 😂 But this book is delightful on its own, too.

Ali (and can I say, I just love that character name?) is a divorced mama of two, and she’s figuring her stuff out. I am not divorced, but I am a mama of two and absolutely have nothing figured out so I really, strongly related to her! Ali also lost her mom just 2 years ago (💔) and is figuring out who she is without her. Enter Ethan—undeniably attractive, charming, and seemingly interested in her?? Did she put her hard pants on today? (I loved that random detail, so funny/relatable)

I won’t say too much more because spoilers are the worst, but there are the sweetest “it’s always been you” vibes and he falls first and all that good stuff that makes my heart melt. There’s personal growth for the FMC separate from the romance, and there’s a whole lot about dealing with different types of grief and coming to know yourself. I’d love to see myself at the end of that type of journey! 😅

It’s a beautiful book, and I think that my true rating of it would probably change depending on where I was emotionally when I read it—I have the feeling it could absolutely destroy me (in a good way) if I were feeling a certain way going into it, so I’m rounding it up to 5 stars.