The Summer Swap was a heartwarming read with likeable characters and a story of many real life challenges we face within family and relationships. The setting was beautiful and I enjoyed the found friendships, but overall the book was just okay. I found myself wishing to be closer to the end because it didn’t hold my attention that well. Based on the title and cover you may be expecting something lighthearted and an easy read but please know this book has many lessons in life, and deals with some heavy topics as well such as death of a spouse, affairs, second chance at love, family arguments, and more. There is a lot of depth, so definitely consider that when jumping in if you’re wanting something with a little less angst and heaviness.

The perfect summer read that completely swept me off into another world. I loved this descriptive, light read. It was exactly the summer read i needed to haul me out of a rut. I loved this one and will recommend to all of my romance book loving friends!

Cottage on the Cape brings artistic talent and romance!

Characters - really enjoyed the connection between Lily & Cecilia…it was so tender! The author created great characters in multiple appealing storylines.

Plot - The multi-POV format was very well done to capture each storyline and bundle nicely in the end

Pacing - quick, easy read

What I liked - the beautiful life story and multi-generational romances

What I didn’t like - author does a wonderful job describing things. Wish she would’ve taken the next step with describing the lovely view for the reader experience.

What I loved - selection of her setting/location and the centerpiece of the Dunes Cottage

I would recommend this book for several reasons that captivated my attention (no spoilers)…I couldn’t put this one down!

Thank you to Sarah Morgan, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity for my honest review.

The most perfect summer read! Set in Cape Cod following three women who are at a low point in their lives. Cecelia is learning to live her life after the death of her famous husband, Lily has quit medical school to pursue her dream of being and artist, and Kirsten is having marital problems. I loved learning about each of these characters as well as seeing how their stories intertwined as they found their happily ever afters.

Not my favorite by Sarah Morgan but still an enjoyable summer women's fiction beach read featuring three different women going through different life upheavals - an older recent widow, her daughter whose surgeon husband never has time for her and the widow's housekeeper who becomes an unexpected guest when she returns to her Cape Cod cottage. The art storyline was fun and the way two of the women turned out to be talented painters was a great connection but overall this was just an okay read that was light on the romance and just didn't really grab my emotions the way her books sometimes can. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! Recommended for fans of authors like Jennifer Weiner or Elin Hilderbrand.

Steam level: closed door/fade to black

A fun summer read! Sarah Morgan writes wonderfully and I love the northeastern coastal vibes her books have. A quick read with relatable characters! Thank you NetGalley for an advance readers copy of this wonderful book!

Perfect read for a lazy summer day! After finishing some dark heavy books, I needed something lighthearted and this was the perfect fit. Having grown up an hour from the Cape, I loved the setting! I only wish I was sitting on a Cape beach reading this book, instead of at home! Great beach read, perfect for summer!

This was such a sweet story! 3 generations of women grappling with separate struggles. There's love, grief, loneliness, marriage, family, and of course some sweet romance. I love dual POV's and this has 3. This book is charming, and adorable in a way that you don't see everyday. This is my first of Sarah Morgan's books, but it definitely won't be my last!

A read that pulls at your heartstrings. This book is a multi-generational family drama set on the New England coast. Lily has been secretly staying at Dune Cottage. She is in charge of cleaning it but since no one ever stays there and she needs someplace, she spends her evenings at the cottage painting as she decides whether she really wants her walk away from medicine to be a permanent one. One evening, an angry and upset Cecilian does show at the cottage and destroys nearly all the artwork done by her recently deceased famous husband. Cecilia's family has no idea where she has gone. Both grandson Todd and daughter Kristen have no idea about the cottage. Each is going through a personal crisis of their own. The book follows all storylines until each converges in a beautiful story of family, both by blood and found family.

I adore Sarah Morgan's writing. She puts such heart into her characters. They are flawed and real. I love the stories surrounding the women in this book. There is also some romance spun throughout, which I ate right up. If you are an art lover, you will certainly enjoy this book as there is a lot of discussion around the art world. Yet, it wasn't so much that the reader gets lost in the weeds. This is the perfect book to toss in the beach bag or enjoy an afternoon reading on the couch. I highly recommend.

What a delightful summer read! The Summer Swap is one of my favorite beach reads so far this year - an uplifting story full of heart, hope and strong female bonds.

This charming novel transports you to the beautiful Cape Cod shores, where seventy-five year old Cecilia makes an unexpected return to her beloved Dune Cottage. As she revisits memories from her marriage to the volatile artist Cameron, Cecilia unexpectedly finds herself taking in a young houseguest—aspiring artist Lily, who is licking her own wounds after disappointing her parents' dreams for her future.

Despite an awkward first meeting, a lovely inter-generational friendship blossoms between the two summer guests. Morgan has a deft way of making you feel like you're right there listening in on their conversations over lemonade on the porch. When Cecilia's grandson Todd arrives—bringing some romantic tension for Lily's longtime crush—the romance kicks in.

It's one of those books that takes you on a little vacation and makes you wish you could move right into the cottage alongside Cecilia and Lily!

The Summer Swap will take you on an engaging journey exploring second chances, overcoming regrets, and having the courage to pursue your true passions in life. The resilient spirits of Cecilia and Lily will inspire you to live life to the fullest this summer.

A thoroughly charming, uplifting tale - this is the perfect heartwarming book to throw in your beach bag!

Unfortunately I did not finish the book. Not because it was bad writing or anything I just wasn't giving with it in that moment.

Would love to contiue reading it in the future but right now is not the time for me. Whenever I do restart it my review will be updated on my storygrapgh.

I loved this book so much. It took me a little bit to get grabbed by the storyline but once I did I was hooked. I felt transported and included in the book. I recommend this book to those who want to feel something!

THE SUMMER SWAP
Sarah Morgan

If I could put summer 2024 in a bottle. The first thing that would go in there would be Sarah Morgan’s novel THE SUMMER SWAP.

THE SUMMER SWAP stars Lily. Lily is in between jobs, in between houses, and out with her ex-best friend.

She’s an aspiring artist with technically no job and no place to live but she thinks she has that all figured out.

At least until the end of summer.

Kristen is throwing a big garden party for her mother, Cecelia. It's what she's been working on tirelessly for months. Cecelia does not want any part of the garden party or its attendees.

She decides she needs a few days to herself and knows just the place.

This is my first time reading Sarah Morgan and I'm impressed.

How all of these women's lives intersect is my favorite thing about THE SUMMER SWAP. There is a gentleness to the storyline that I yearn for when I've had a busy week or hectic month. It allows for just enough of an escape from bad weather, busy city streets, and the tough world we live in.

THE SUMMER SWAP has everything I wanted from a summer escape novel and some things I didn't even know I wanted. It is about summer and being at the beach. Its about family and forgiveness and most importantly, love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press

THE SUMMER SWAP...⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really loved this book and the multiple perspectives it had! Typically, I get super engrossed in any story in which I am reading about different people's perspective because it's always such a good reminder that life and everything that comes with it has so many different layers to it.

I loved Lily's character and I loved her progression throughout the story. I loved the cozy and good vibes throughout this whole book. I enjoyed how the different romantic relationships progressed throughout the story and that none of them were predictable from the beginning. I also find that Morgan managed to have multiple strong romantic relationships throughout (which is not easy to do). Again, this is thanks to the multiple perspectives! I love that the relationships were not perfect, in some cases flawed, and that is part of what made me enjoy this novel so much - the accuracy that life is not perfect and that sometimes the people we love do things that hurt.

On a personal note, I loved all the mentions of coffee and how coffee always came up in the story - often as a source of comfort or to help ease tense situations.

I think this a great summer read that is easy to fly through and give goos vibes!

Thank you @htp_hive for the #gifted arc! I truly loved this book. It was a women’s fiction story and with a little romance, lots of tough conversations, and finding out what truly makes each happy. The women in this story, Cecelia, Kristen and Lily, are so different but also the same. They are strong and need to find themselves as their lives are evolving and changing. I think Lily’s imposter syndrome kind of drove me nuts but how her story ends was perfect.

I do think the chapters were long which I know doesn’t bother everyone but for some reason I like shorter chapters lol. Despite that, it was a bingeable read and perfect for summer. Also the setting of Cape Cod hits near and dear to this New England girls heart 🌊

I enjoyed this book. I love this author. The book was an easy read. The love stories were a little far fetched but it didn’t make me not want to read anymore. I enjoyed the characters, plot and setting.

A good book from a repeat author. Set in Cape Cod with 3 different female perspectives. Full of family secrets, friendship, and romance.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Harelequin publishing for allowing me to read this in exchange for feedback.

The prose were well done, and the characters were FULLY fleshed out. However, I don’t think there was enough emphasis on the setting. I think Stephen King’s rule (or perhaps a method recommended by King) is describe three things in a room – I don’t think that occurred once in this book...? I wasn’t even left with a good sense of the house (which was so important to the story) or the paintings other than there was a girl on the beach. In fact, I think this book could have benefited immensely in general by following the rule of three.

The characters were very well done. I had a great sense of who they were and what made them tick. Cecelia was matriarchal goals. Kristen was a touch insufferable (therefore the most relatable, since I too am completely insufferable). Lilly was sweet. I thought the *moment* between Lilly and Todd was sweet, and it made my heart go pitter-patter. I think it was a bit out of left field, and *instant love.* I needed more yearning. But that scene was super sweet. I’d re-read those pages over and over.

I think the inner monologues needed to be edited more. I found some of the speech redundant and reiterating things that the character’s already thought. And many of the conversations felt like interviews. Many of the conversations did not feel natural – they just felt like more info dumps.

I think it’s a huge accomplishment to write a story with such vivid characters. I’ve read many books where all the characters have the exact same personality, and that is not what ‘s going on in these pages.

This book wasn’t for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s not for others. This is definitely a vibes book, rather than plot. If you are into hallmark movies and want something sweet and beachy – this is the book for you.

Sometimes, I need a feel-good story that goes where you expect it does and ends where you expect it to. All the boxes get checked. All the loose ends get tied up. All the stories work out. This book fits that bill. The Summer Swap set in a beautiful Cape Code setting is a lovely summer escape and a perfect casual beach read.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024/05/the-summer-swap.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.

Sarah Morgan’s newest book is a story about family secrets, embracing second chances, and creating a life you love. I really liked the background of Cape Cod and Dune Cottage. The book featured several good characters but I think the wise and welcoming Cecilia was my favorite. I appreciated that the storylines were wrapped up at the end, but not in a perfectly neat bow. This will make a wonderful and heartfelt summer read!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary review copy of this title.