It’s a bank holiday weekend and amazingly the sun is shining brightly outside. It is the perfect time to immerse yourself in the sand dunes of Cape Cod. Lily has just dropped out of medical school. After many years of trying to make her parents happy she is finally taking some time to pursue her art. In order to pay the bills she is working as a housekeeper for a number of the summer houses. Unfortunately this is Cape Cod at peak season so she can’t actually afford to live there so has been illicitly camping in one of the empty houses.

Cecilia Lapthorne is recently widowed and can’t bear the thought of the huge 70th birthday party that her daughter is throwing for her. It is also a retrospective of her late husband’s art, Cameron Lapthorne was a renowned modern artist, and looking at his work is just too much for her to bear. On the day of the party Cecilia makes her escape to the cottage that she used to visit in her early married days. A place that no-one knows about, somewhere that she can be alone with her thoughts.

After the shock of realising that she has an unexpected house guest has subsided Cecilia and Lily become firm friends and find themselves each working towards trying to help the other. It becomes a summer of friendship, self discovery and indeed a little romance along the way.

I’ve long been a fan of Sarah Morgan’s easy writing style. She has a real gift for creating characters that you want to be friends with. And who wouldn’t want to be part of this amazing summer on the Cape? Escape to the sand dunes and the sunshine and let the joy of discovering what you can be inspire you to follow in their footsteps.

I always really love Sarah's books, especially her Christmas novels! She always creates characters that you want to root for and vivid imagery with her settings. This book transported the reader to Cape Cod and I loved it! I feel like I could totally love in that cozy, little cottage.

I really enjoyed the romantic relationships but also the family relationships that were present in the story. I feel like the characters had good, genuine chemistry.

My only reason for a slightly lower rating is that the book felt a little slow in the middle. But that's just a me issue and probably just my mood. I really enjoy this author's writing, I really liked this story and will definitely continue reading any of her future work!

I love Sarah Morgan books. They are such great women's fiction/romance and I know I'm going to enjoy the characters and the story when I pick up her books. The Summer Swap was a sweet story about family, secrets and having the courage to pursue your dreams.

Lilly has just quit medical school and moved to the Cape to work as a house cleaner. When she realizes that one of the houses she's cleaning hasn't had anyone stay in years, she starts living there until the owner Cecilia arrives. Cecelia had vowed to never return to the cottage in the Cape and told her husband to sell it so she's shocked to find after his death that he still owns it. Cecilia and Lily start a friendship which leads to a summer that will swap out old dreams for new ones.

I enjoyed this book and liked seeing Lily and Cecilia's friendship and how they helped and support each other. Both romances were sweet. I love the cover and this book is exactly what I expected. If you're looking for an easy summer women's fiction/romance this is a great one to add to your books to read at the pool or beach.

Really enjoyed this one! I hadn't had the best week, so it was lovely to escape with this over the weekend. I have enjoyed all of Sarah Morgan's books that I've read, and I look forward to recommending this one to our patrons.

DNF at 43%. I tried so hard to get into this book but I can't force myself to continue any longer. It had a great premise and sounded like the perfect cute read for summer but I just can't do it. I don't really care for the characters or anything that's going on and I don't want to force myself to keep picking it back up.

Loved The Summer Swap! Three women, all at a low in their lives: Cecilia, who’s lived in the shadow of her husband throughout their marriage is now widowed. She has mixed emotions about her loss and how she’ll move on. Kristen, Cecelia’s daughter, is grieving her father and lonely in her marriage. Kristen has been there for her husband, but he doesn’t make it a priority to be there for her. Lily, a young woman overwhelmed by the pressure to become a doctor, drops out of college, escaping to Cape Cod where she runs into Cecilia at Dune Cottage.

Cecilia and Lily strike up an unexpected friendship providing support and a listening ear. Cecilia’s reconciling the past and Lily’s figuring out what to do about her future. I was thrilled there was a second chance romance for both Lily and Cecilia! Even though I wasn’t thrilled with Kristen at the beginning, my heart when out to her as all was revealed.

I absolutely loved everything about The Summer Swap! Finding a way to find the courage to grab up happiness and do what you love, no matter your age. Dune Cottage and Cape Code sounded idyllic and a perfect place to start fresh! I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy courtesy of Canary Street Press. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Warm-hearted, emotional and immensely enjoyable, The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan should be in everyone’s beach bag this summer.

Dune Cottage is the one place in the world Cecilia Lapthorne had vowed never to return to – so what on earth possessed her to go back to the remote Cape Cod cottage? Escaping her seventy-fifth birthday party, the second Cecilia walks through the door she is assailed by a barrage of memories; some good and some which she has never revealed to anyone. Cecilia had come to Dune Cottage hoping for some peace and solitude, but it soon turns out that she isn’t going to be completely on her own this summer…

Aspiring artist Lily had disappointed her parents by dropping out of medical school and is now hiding away in Cape Cod. Cleaning houses to get by, when she spotted Dune Cottage lying empty, Lily had decided to make it her home to lick her wounds and figure out what she is going to do next with her life – until Cecilia arrives unexpectedly and asks her to stay on her guest.

Despite their awkward beginning, the two women soon bond and a tentative friendship is formed between Cecilia and Lily. Will this summer enable the two of them to unshackle themselves from the past and live life on their own terms? Are they strong enough to go after their dreams and fight for what they really want? Or are they destined for disappointment?

Sarah Morgan’s The Summer Swap is a glorious escape that is a joy to read from start to finish. Poignant, heartfelt and uplifting, readers will be charmed by its exquisitely described setting and completely invested and immersed in Cecilia and Lily’s story.

Sarah Morgan’s The Summer Swap is a book I couldn’t read quickly enough and I am impatiently counting down the days until the release of her next title!

I want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book. Although this genre isn't my usual go-to, Sarah Morgan's latest novel, set on Cape Cod, was a pleasant surprise that kept me captivated.

Sarah Morgan masterfully intertwines multiple storylines, including Cecilia's family dynamics and her daughter Kristen's marital struggles. Each character's journey is poignant and relatable, and I especially enjoyed the evolving relationships between Cecilia and Lily, and Lily and Todd.

Overall, this book has a lot of family drama and romance, showcasing Morgan's talent for weaving complex narratives with heartfelt emotion. The character development was spot on and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

I truly enjoyed the story as it unfolded.
The secrets a family keeps can destroy you or bring you closer together.

i am always down for an older/younger generational story when both sides have their own unique personalities, problems and thoughts. i wish this were being turned into a movie.

“The Summer Swap” is a heartfelt beach read with second chances at love, parent-child relationship dynamics, and learning that what truly makes one happy and finding one’s passion make the best life. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to come across a book that just makes us feel good… and this is one of those books!


Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and Sarah Morgan for the opportunity it’s to read this advance reader copy.

#TheSummerSwap #NetGalley

The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan is an amazing story about love and .family. In the story people get in tune with their feelings and in return have very nice results. I think the book is a very happy summer story.

The Summer Swap is yet another reason that Sarah Morgan is one of my automatic read authors.
Cecilia swears to never return to the Dunes, but after her husband’s death and feeling anxious about what to do with her feelings and her life it is just what she needs to move forward. She reconnects with an old friend and finds what she needs to give her a purpose to move forward with her life.
This book is full of emotions that will keep you engaged until the very end. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy for my opinion.

Cecilia’s husband has passed away. She discovers he did not sell their Cape Cod home like he told her that he did! She has terrible memories of this home and she wants it gone. She leaves her birthday party…that she never wanted…and takes off to the cape. She soon discovers that she has and unexpected house guest, Lily.

Lily is such a sweet woman. She has given up medical school because it was just not for her. She moves to the cape and is cleaning houses and pursuing her art. She has been living in this abandoned cottage that she is being paid to keep up. No one is living there, so who will know! When Cecilia shows up and damages all of her husband’s paintings except one, Lily knows she must come clean.

This is one of my favorite times of the year…When all the new beach reads are released. Sarah Morgan is one of my favorite Christmas authors and yes, she writes books for the summer too!

This is such a good tale. It’s about family secrets, family drama and strength to overcome! Add in the wonderful characters and the location and you have an all around good tale!

Need a story to give you all the feels…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

This was such a sweet read! I loved the characters and that they were the focus. The plot was there, for sure, but I loved that the story was character driven so we could really fall in love with them so thoroughly. These three women were so precious and I loved that we had women spanning generations to root for. This book was so cozy, uplifting, intriguing, and just so all around sweet! 😍

Cecilia never expected to return to Dune Cottage on Cape Cod, her late husband was supposed to have sold it after memories it held memories she never wanted to revisit. Circumstances in her life push her to need an escape, and to go where no one can find her, and Dune Cottage is the perfect place.

Lily is an aspiring artist who quit med school and lost her best friend all at the same time. She has escaped to Cape Cod, where she is cleaning houses and working on her art. She has been sneakily staying in the empty Dune Cottage, until Cecilia shows up out of the blue. They have an awkward meeting but Cecilia has no problem letting Lily stay with her and keep her company.

They both face their past and work toward finding happiness and fulfillment again

This book truly felt like a warm hug. The atmosphere was perfect, the setting made me crave being on the coast in a cottage. The characters were so loveable, and relatable. The plot had enough intigue to keep me hooked but was still very cozy. It was just a perfect recipe.

I always look forward to a new novel by Sarah Morgan. She writes stories I can sink into, characters who are intriguing and relatable, and settings that bring everything together in a vibrant, visceral way. The Summer Swap is another shining example of all the facets that make a Sarah Morgan book hard to put down.

I love character-driven stories and Morgan's are among the best. I appreciate the way she develops her characters, giving them a multitude of layers, realistic flaws, and challenges. The three primary women in this book are of different generations, each at a defining crossroads in her life, each facing a different set of challenges, and yet each with something of value to teach - and learn from - one another.

Relationships: that's something else Morgan writes especially well. The way the relationships among these women - as well as romantic relationships for each of them - weave together is flawless, encompassing all the emotion and strife to be expected from real-life situations when secrets, betrayals, forgiveness, and unexpected new beginnings are at play. Whether family, friends, business partners, adversaries, or romance, Morgan's ability to guide her characters through the complicated peaks and valleys of difficult relationships, delivering them to the other side - usually happier, stronger, and more complete - is one of the main reasons her books resonate so strongly and are always on my must-buy list. This one is no exception. I loved it the first time through. I'll probably love it even more when I revisit it, likely sometime this summer, as Sarah Morgan once again carries me away to cozy cottages, sandy beaches, and the soft, sultry breezes of a summer's day on a coastal island.

Add The Summer Swap to your summer reading list. I highly recommend it.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley. Fair and unbiased review.

I very much enjoyed The Summer Swap Sarah Morgan. One of those books I picked up every reading moment I had.

We meet three women and the men they love. Lily is first introduced to us and she was at a crossroads in her life, wanting to do what her heart called to her to do, but she had her parents all worried.

Cecilia was in her mid 70's and she too is at a crossroads as she walks out on what is expected of her and in going to Dune Cottage meets Lily. Meanwhile Cecilia's daughter Kristen is left with the planned party and her own beliefs. And is her own marriage on the rocks?

The story unfolds at a really nice pace, it's emotional and I found it a satisfying read as the women and the men they love all come through to the best endings.

The Summer Swap has enough issues to keep the reader hanging on for what might happen next. It's a perfect summer read and as such has some  happy endings. I am still thinking about the title - what was swapped? My thoughts are one way of life was swapped for a different way of being!

Though nothing crazy happened or nothing got me really really excited, it was still an easy, enjoyable read. I will be reviewing it on Goodreads and TikTok.

I loved this book. It was so emotional in an absolutely lovely way. I loved how the stories intertwined and I loved the relationship that Cecilia and Lily formed over the course of the summer. It gave “coming of age vibes” for all different parts of life which was very enjoyable and heartwarming.