Lily is cleaning houses on the Cape after dropping out of medical school to pursue an art career. She is secretly staying in a cottage that she is payed to maintain but appears to be all but abandoned by some millionaire. Everything changes when she hears a crash and she realizes the owner has come to stay.

This book was cute. A nice coming of age. An exploration of how our parent’s expectations may lead us towards life goals we don’t even want. Felt a little Hallmark.

I went into this expecting a cute summer romance but it quickly became apparent that this is a multigenerational family drama with a small amount of romance sprinkled about. It was certainly heavier than I expected and while it wasn’t bad, it also wasn’t engaging.
Lily is at crossroads in her life. She has finally decided living her life for her parents isn’t working for her, so she dropped out of medical school and has fled to Cape Cod to escape. She’s working for a management company cleaning cottages and when she realizes no one has used Dune Cottage in nearly 50 years, she decides to stay there since housing accommodations on the Cape in summer are nil. Cecilia Lapthorne, widow of the famously artist Cameron Lapthorne, is feeling very uneasy. She doesn’t feel comfortable in her own home and she certainly isn’t comfortable with the 70th birthday party her daughter is throwing for her. She manages to leave without anyone noticing and escapes to her cottage on Cape Cod no one in her family knows about. Kristen Buckingham, Cecilia’s daughter, has a lot on her mind. She is worried about her daughter who is fighting with her best friend, she’s worried about her son who is engaged to a less than nice woman, she’s worried about her marriage since her husband never puts her first, she’s dealing with overwhelming grief from losing her father a year ago, and now she’s worried about her mother’s mental health since she ran away from her own party. Over the course of the book the three women’s lives will collide with each learning something from the others and figuring out what living for yourself really means.
This is told through the alternating viewpoints of each of the three protagonists and follows their lives over a summer. I’m not really sure where the title comes from as there is absolutely no swapping at all. Because of the title I thought it would be more on the comedic side of romances, but it most certainly was not.
I appreciate the level of character depth Sarah Morgan gives us and I love the idea of women finding themselves and learning to be authentic, but this didn’t quite hit the mark. It felt very mundane and some scenes seemed forced. This is yet another book where I was shocked to discover it wasn’t a debut and the author actually has a plethora of books to her name.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing & Canary Street Press for an advanced copy of this. The Summer Swap hit the shelves on May 7th.

Sarah Morgan is a new favorite! I enjoy her books. The Summer Swap is definitely a great beach read for the summer!

This book follows three generations and their stories of love, loss, misunderstandings and second chances. During an unexpected turn at her birthday celebrations, Cecilia escapes to Dune Cottage without informing her family. There, she meets Lily, a struggling artist secretly staying in the cottage. A bond forms between the two women. Cecilia reconnects with her first love, while Lily finds herself with Todd, Cecilia’s grandson, offering both women a second chance at love.

I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read others! Highly recommend!

Thank you to Canary Street Press and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

This was a heartwarming and heartfelt story.
Perfect summer reading!
The setting is beautiful…..it makes you want to be there with the characters. And, all the characters are lovely.
A story full of family, second chances, overcoming grief, marriage issues and romance/relationships.
If you are looking for a book to pick up for your summer reading, The Summer Swap should be at the top of your list! You will be taken on a incredible journey to the shores of Cape Cod.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The story of 3 women from different generations that find the courage to take chances. Sometimes life leads us back to a place we never imagined but sometimes it’s right where we need to be.

The Summer Swap is the perfect, breezy summer novel. It’s a multi-generational story of three women really finding themselves in a journey of self discovery and living authentically.

Cecilia Lapthorne finds herself at a birthday party she didn’t want, that is simultaneously a celebration her late husband. She decides to take off to a cottage on Cape Cod that held a very special place in her life, but she hasn’t revisited in many, many years.

There she finds Lily, a friend of her granddaughter, who has recently left medical school and is trying to decide what comes next. The two strike up a beautiful friendship, and help one another forge new paths forward.

Cecilia’s daughter Kristen is also at a crossroads in her marriage. Her identify is deeply wrapped up in her father’s art career, and being a supremely capable go-getter. She doesn’t understand why her mother takes off, but then begins to watch parts of her own life and marriage unravel.

I really enjoyed how their three stories were so very different, while somehow sharing similarities. It was lovely to focus on their three different points of view, and how they moved forward in their own stage of life. I loved the Cape Cod location, and how the cottage brought them together.

I also appreciate how it navigated the topic of grief - it was an integral part of the story but wasn’t the central theme. For so many of us, grief is a part of our everyday lives that we learn to navigate - and The Summer Swap had that.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing + NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Cecelia never thought she'd ever return to Dune Cottage but needs an escape from her own seventeenth birthday party. The Cape Cod locale is full of memories from her volatile marriage, but also medical school dropout Lily, who has been staying in the cottage and cleans it. The two are off to an awkward start, but Cecelia lets Lily stay and the two strike an unlikely friendship. It's tested when Cecelia's grandson arrives, and he turns out to be Lily's crush. Lily must learn to live life on her own, while Cecelia must learn to let go of the past.

Cecelia and Lily aren't the only ones that are at a crossroads. Cecelia hid the negative aspects of her husband and marriage from her daughter Kristen, who idolized him. That same daughter has issues in her own marriage and is as distant from her two adult children and their emotional problems. Lily had been the best friend to Cecelia's granddaughter, who continued with medical school and doesn't understand the dropping out decision. While we get primarily Cecelia's and Lily's perspectives, we do see Kristen's POV and the changes that come in the wake of various losses. They all reevaluate what they thought mattered, and decide the best way to move forward. The end pulls all the threads together for a happily ever after, which is a heartwarming conclusion for all of them. It's an emotional and comforting story and a great lead-up to summer.

The Summer Swap is a story of women supporting women, multi-generational friendships, sweet romance, and second chances.

On her seventieth birthday, Cecelia runs away to her house on Cape Cod, a place she vowed she’d never return. Her daughter, Kristen, who has worked hard on the party is fretting about her mother’s disappearance, grieving the death of her father, and feeling lonely in her marriage. When Cecelia arrives in Cape Cod, she finds Lily, a young woman hired to clean the house and watch the property. Lily has fallen on hard times and is secretly spending nights there since no one seems to be renting or using the home. After the initial surprise, Cecelia offers Lily a chance to stay and they agree on a partnership. When Cecelia’s grandson finds her and shows up at the house, things become complicated because Lily and Todd knew each other as youngsters. Why has Cecelia run away? Will Lily find security? Will Lilly and Todd’s past spoil everything? How will Krisen juggle her runaway mother and her unhappy marriage?

I adore a multi-generational story with multiple points of view! In The Summer Swap, we hear the story from three generational perspectives. I’m here for the friendship, understanding, and encouragement. Women of all ages have a great deal to offer each other. Lily’s past acquaintance with Todd adds delightful complications.

Two poignant themes that drive the action are the multi-generational friendship between Cecelia and Lily and their individual and unique second chances. I love how they encourage each other and how their dreams intersect. Additional themes include grief, complicated family dynamics, secrets, reconciling with the past, marriage relationships, mother/daughter relationships, forgiveness, and the pursuit of art. The author adds depth and complexity so that this romance becomes a complicated family drama. I appreciate that the story doesn’t get too heavy and that its conclusion is upbeat and satisfying.

Content Consideration: grief, infidelity

Fans of Sarah Morgan will enjoy this recent installment. Readers who appreciate some depth and complexity in their summer romances, will enjoy The Summer Swap. The multi-generational aspect of the story adds poignancy for women in various stages of life. It’s thought-provoking yet light enough for beach or poolside reading. Book clubs might find it discussable.

Thanks #NetGalley @HarperCollins @HTPBooks #CanaryStreetPress for a complimentary e ARC of #TheSummerSwap upon my request. All opinions are my own.

The Summer Swap was a quick, fun, and heartwarming read that handles themes of grief, family trauma, second chances and much more.

This multiple POV novel follows 3 generations of family and friends, intertwining the stories of Lily, Kristen, and Cecelia. Lily has made the difficult decision to leave medical school, leaving her feeling lost and at odds with her parents and best friend. She take a job cleaning homes in Cape Cod, and ends up discovering a seemingly abandoned cottage that lights a fire to her artistic aspirations. The cottage is owned by none other then her best friend's (who she isn't speaking with) grandmother. Cecelia (the grandmother) is traumatized by the loss of her husband, and her challenging feelings towards him leave her running away from her family back to the cottage, where she finds Lily. Together, Lily and Cecilia help each other face their fears, grow as individuals, find love, and make amends with their family and friends.

I found (and suspect many readers will too) many aspect of myself in this story: regrets on life decisions, feeling like your family misunderstands you, inability to communicate your feelings to those who matter most, and many more. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and found myself engaged in each characters own sub-plot!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've read several of Morgan's books and have enjoyed them except for her last Christmas book. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this story. There were many different interconnected pieces that all came together beautifully at the end.

Set on the Cape, Lily begins her summer cleaning houses to survive after she dropped out of med school. Her true passion is art, but she doesn't have the confidence in herself to believe she could really make a go at it as a living. But, summer on the Cape isn't cheap and one of the houses she cleans is always empty so she decides to try to hide out there in lieu of any other housing options.

in the meantime, new widow Cecilia is tired of her family fawning over her and tired of being widow to the famous artist Cameron Lapthorne. Instead of attending his memorial and her birthday party, she sneaks away to her secret home with him that her children don't know about to collect herself and find herself again. She runs into Lily and instead of sending her away, she makes an arrangement to let her stay and help her out.

This was a really great story of finding oneself and finding love. This would be the perfect beach read!

Cecilia Lapthorne always vowed she’d never go back to Dune Cottage. When her husband dies, she is forced to go back and revisit memories she's tried to hide from for years and has successfully hidden from her family thus far. For aspiring artist Lily, Dune Cottage has become a refuge, albeit a bit of a forbidden one. When the two end up there together, they both begin unexpected journeys to swap their old dreams for new over an unforgettable summer.

This is my second Sarah Morgan book and she can write summer just as well as she writes winter! The descriptions of the cottage made me feel like I was right there with Cecilia and Lily. I was more invested in Lily and Cecilia's stories than Kristen's, but I also understand and respect the value Kristen's story brought to the storyline.

I loved watching the intergenerational relationships and family dynamics play out, and the mystery aspects kept me reading throughout the novel. Both of the couples were absolutely adorable, and I enjoyed watching the romances play out. Sarah Morgan wrapped up each storyline at the end, and I appreciated that it didn't all wrap up perfectly, there was still ambiguity to the new and newly reconciled relationships.

Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Morgan and Canary Street Press for an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What a sweet little read to get in the summer mode. The characters are great and I love a dual POV. There are 3 women who are a a spot in their life that brings them to decided to have the courage and change it up. It is time to turn their lives around and find happiness again.

The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan is a women’s fiction novel that takes a contemporary romance and mixes in some family drama. The story in The Summer Swap is one that does change the point of view between the characters with three main characters to follow.

Cecilia Lapthorne repeatedly said she did not want to have a party but those requests had been completely ignored so Cecilia did her best to please her daughter, Kristen, and attend. It doesn’t take long though for Cecilia to become overwhelmed and without much thought Cecilia takes off into the night heading for Dune Cottage. The cottage had once been special to her and her husband but it now sits empty holding the pain of the past.

Lily is the caretaker of Dune Cottage but with the cottage being empty for years and years now Lily found herself without a place to stay and “borrowed” the cottage. When Cecilia arrives in the middle of the night Lily witnesses her breaking down but hurries off to not get caught. However, Cecilia is quick to learn of Lily’s actions and is also quick to forgive the young artist agreeing to let her stay in the cottage too but before either know it Cecilia’s family begins to track her down seeking answers as to why she ran off.

The Summer Swap is not the first book I’ve read from author Sarah Morgan and will undoubtedly not be the last either. The story in The Summer Swap easily pulled me into this multi generational tale and I enjoyed every minute spent with the characters involved in it along the way. I guess I may be considered a sucker for an older protagonist befriending and younger character but with age comes wisdom as they say so it’s nice to see both generations helping or healing one another and with the addition of the daughter, Kristen, we end with three generations dealing with their secrets, hurt and eventually healing. Nice story that I’d definitely recommend checking out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The Summer Swap was a completely delightful story told from the perspectives of three different generations of women.
Lily is an aspiring artist who to the disappointment of her parents drops out of med school to pursue her art. She runs away to Cape Cod and is squatting in a cottage that she cleans as her day job.

One night she runs into Cecelia, a famous artist's wife. Cecelia is dealing with the loss of her husband the artist, she runs away from her 75th birthday party and escapes to the cottage on the Cape.

The third woman that we meet is Cecelia's daughter Kristen. Kristen has an empty nest and is married to a surgeon who prioritizes his job over is family.

I loved the story. I enjoyed learning each character's backstory. The novel touches on grief, marriage and finding one's self no matter what stage of life you happen to be in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this enjoyable novel.
4.25 stars

The Summer Swap follows Cecilia who finds herself back at the one place she swore she would never return, Dune Cottage. She discovers Lily, an aspiring artist, squatting in the house and invites her to stay. Lily finds romance with Cecilia’s grandson and Cecilia tries to overcome her demons left behind in Dune Cottage.

This is the perfect, light and fun, summer read! This book made me long for summer days on the Cape. I really enjoyed the alternating points of view of the three women. The characters were all likable. I loved that even though all three women were vastly different, they came together to help each other with their own personal struggles.

This book had a great premise and there were aspects I loved, but for the most part it felt middling. I wanted drama and detail where there wasn't any and wished we could cut out some of the "meh" in the middle. It felt a little unfinished to me. So much potential but it fell a little flat.

A cute, fun read. I liked how it went through so many different relationships and the struggles and triumphs of each. 4.3/5 stars! It makes me want to find a home away from home to unwind like CL.

Cecilia runs away from her 70th birthday party, and returns to her past. After her husband passes away, her daughter turns Cecilia's birthday party into a showing honoring her father's paintings, where a a columnist asks about a certain painting. She runs off to their past - at Dune Cottage in search of the painting.

Not only does she find it there, she also finds aspiring artist Lily camping out in her cottage. In return for help around the cottage, she lets Lily stay. And takes interest in her painting. And Lily takes interest in Cecilia's grandson that turns up looking for his grandmother.

It's a sweet story, romance, volatile pasts, new love and more all in a beautiful beach setting.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

The Summer Swap was the perfect summer read. This was definitely a quick and easy read with thoroughly relatable characters. I am always a sucker for books with dual POVs and I have to say they really took the story to another level here.

This isn’t as “fluffy” as some other summer reads, but definitely had some added depth. The premise behind the story about three women, all at low points in their lives for different reasons, really brings home the point of finding the courage to reach out and take what you want, make your own happiness and above all else, do what you love.

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC copy of this book.