A summer story about love, grief, and family. Cecilia Lapthorne returns to a cottage that holds painful memories from decades before only to find love and friendship. Told from three different POVs from three different generations, the story unfolds to reveal family secrets and forgiveness. I enjoyed the relationship between Cecilia and her daughter, Kristin, and how their relationship evolved, reminiscing about choices made and how those choices affected their relationship. I also liked Lily's individual story, leaving a career path that she wasn't happy with and finding something she loves. But I felt the relationship between Lily and Todd was rushed with little to no development.

Overall it was a pleasant summer read and a solid 3 stars.

⭐️ 𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎 ⭐️
The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

mᥡ rᥱ᥎іᥱᥕ:
I fell in love with Sarah Morgan’s writing when I read The Book Club Hotel last year and The Summer Swap was just as heartwarming.

This book follows three women who are interconnected though they don’t know it. Dealing with grief, marriage, family, and healing this book explores the strength women have throughout their entire life journey. The depths of emotions this book dives into is truly remarkable and so delicately done. Sarah Morgan can take heavy subjects and make the reader feel so empowered while reading her characters stories.

Great quick read for the summer! Highly recommend this book with the backdrop of Cape Cod.

The Summer Swap was a perfect beach read set on the Cape. It is filled with lots of family drama, love and love lost. I enjoyed the characters in this book and want to read more about what happens to them in the future. It had the perfect amount of strife and redemption. This is my second Sarah Morgan book and look forward to her next release in September, The Holiday Cottage.

Thank you to Net Galley, Harequin Trade Publishing and Sarah Morgan for the pleasure to preview this tile before its release on May 7, 2024. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan was easily a 5 star read for me. This was the first book I read by her but it will not be the last. This book has everything anyone could want in a good summer read: family ties, summer beach house, second chance romance, and different characters' POVs. I really enjoyed how the author focused on three different characters all undergoing their own problems/dealing with their own battles.

The story follows Cecilia, Kristen, and Lily. Three women from different generations who are all interconnected and dealing with some huge changes in their lives, including grief and finding themselves. After a big loss, Cecilia escapes away to her house in the Cape, while also trying to avoid being consumed by the memories that the Cape house holds. Kristen, Cecilia's daughter, is grieving. And lastly, Lily is wondering whether she has made the right choice after abandoning her old life and moving to the Cape to start a new one.

Overall, Sarah Morgan did a beautiful job of writing these characters and making the reader feel connected to them. This book is the perfect summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance before its release date.

A Mesmerizing tale of love and loss set in the beauty of Cape Cod. I love the beach so I was halfway hooked by that but the stories that unfold here are amazing. Betrayal and disappointment weave through these lives.
Sarah Morgan is at her finest telling a story of three women and their loves, mistakes and heartbreaks.
Perfect for the beach or poolside.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I adore Sarah Morgan's book and this is the perfect one to read this summer. This is the story of 3 women who are connected by grief, family, marriage, and healing. Add in a few romances along the way.

The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan offers a wonderful exploration of family, forgiveness, and the possibility of new beginnings. Cecilia's unexpected return to Dune Cottage in Cape Cod sparks a journey of rediscovery. The dynamic between three women—Cecilia, Lily, and Kristen—forms the heart of the story as they navigate past regrets and present desires.

Although the story is a bit outside of my comfort zone, I was drawn into the lives of these female characters, each struggling with their inner conflicts. The story plunges into darker themes like grief and loss. I did enjoy the different settings and the interconnectedness of each character. It had the concept of Love, Actually—how each character is somehow connected to one another.

Overall, The Summer Swap is a captivating tale of love, loss, and redemption that will resonate with readers seeking a heartfelt and uplifting story.

What a good book! It’s full of some family drama!
It’s also a really nice romance book. I liked all the characters and the beach cottage sounded wonderful.
It kept my interest from page one til the very end.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I don't think you could ask for a more perfect beach read. If you are headed on vacation this summer, grab 'Summer Swap' by Sarah Morgan. to pack in your suitcase I love a good second-chance romance and this book checked that box with several relationships. The setting was idyllic and dreamy, making me want to plan a trip to Cape Cod ASAP too. I also loved the family dynamics. Whether it is issues of communication problems, overworked spouses, or trying to appease your parents, there was a topic that everyone could relate to in this book. I am eager to pick up more options from Sarah Morgan in the future as she was a beautiful writer who truly had a way of immersing the reader in the drama and setting.

5 STARS!! A HUGE thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC! I fell in love with Sarah Morgan last December and it was such a treat to enter into her brain again for The Summer Swap! She writes her characters with such compassion, as if she is currently living life with them. This book deals with many issues: strained relationships, affairs, broken friendships, lack of self-love, family disapproval, rebuilding and healing. And wow, does Sarah tug at your heartstrings. Despite the heavier themes, The Summer Swap also whisks you away to an airy world full of cottages, beaches, and second chances. Sarah has quickly grown to be one of my auto-buy authors and I am so excited for everyone to experience this magical story full of love, family, and friendship!!!

This was a wonderful and fast paced story of complex relationships within a family. I loved the setting of the beach and the cottage being the focal point which made it feel like a breezy beach read. I was totally engaged with the characters and Cecilia’s story. Ultimately the book was about finding happiness. A true joy to read.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this delightful book. The opinions expressed are truly my own.

The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan is an amazing, moving, emotional tale that focuses on grief, marriage, family, and healing. This is the story of three different women, interconnected and dealing with family, marriage, and healing; told by each woman’s POV. A multigenerational emotional story that focuses on love, second chances, family dynamics and forgiveness and understanding; three women of different generations all facing their own issues/problems such as widowhood, grief, relationship woes, family expectations and unhappiness.

Mainly taking place in the beautiful setting of Cape Cod, around the Dune cottage, we are taken on an incredible journey of growth, forgiveness and new beginnings as the three women reconsider their lives and in doing so become intrinsically linked, happier, more fulfilled and at peace with their decisions.

Told by the perspectives of Cecilia, Kristen, and Lily; three women in different age groups, The Summer Swap is an emotional and touching story about family, expectations, love, forgiveness after mistakes, and choosing a life that makes you happy. That no matter what age or where we are in our lives, there is always time and room for us to become true to ourselves; to explore what makes us happy now and for our future, without having regrets about our choices in the past.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #HarlequinTrade

3 women, 3 stories, interconnected seamlessly. a story with younger and older generations. I was introduced to Sarah Morgan's book during christmas time with "the book club hotel", as I was looking for something festive but with more depth, and "the book club hotel" did not disappoint me, and I remember loving it.

"The summer swap" is full of wisdom, and reading this book makes me feel like I have learned a lot of life lessons throughout their journeys. And the romance subplot between Lily and Todd makes me feel all the feelings. I have highlighted quite a few in the book, and I really enjoy reading "the summer swap". I would recommend this read if you are looking to get into literary fiction.

Add this book to your list, it is out on May 7 (in time for mothers' day)

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press for the arc!

favourite quotes:
"Better to waste a few years than a whole life"

"I just want to wake up every morning and look forward to my day. Not dread every moment."

"People were like icebergs. Only a fraction of who they showed on the surface."

“Grief is a slippery beast. One minute it steps to one side to let you pass and just when you think you’re doing okay, it trips you up and you’re f lat on your face again.”

“You said you had no one in your corner. And I want you to know that I’m in your corner, Lily. Always. No matter what happens, or what choices you make, you will always have me in your corner.”

“You taught me that support doesn’t always mean fixing things. Sometimes it means just staying close to someone and supporting them through all the bad things that they’re feeling."

THE SUMMER SWAP – Sarah Morgan
A Perfect 10
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-00931-9
May 7, 2024
Contemporary Fiction

Cape Cod, Massachusetts – Present Day

It’s Cecilia Lapthorne’s birthday and her daughter Kristen has planned a beautiful party that will also celebrate the life of Cecilia’s late husband (and a famous painter), Cameron. But Cecilia isn’t happy because her marriage to Cameron had been irretrievably broken for many years—and she recently learned that the cottage she thought he had sold was in fact…not sold. As Kristen flutters around and makes demands of her, Cecilia realizes that she needs to get away, especially after she is asked about a long-ago painting done by her husband. She tells Kristen the painting has been destroyed but fears that won’t be the last of the questions. Finally alone, she escapes in her car and heads to Cape Cod. What will she do once she’s there?

Lily was friendly with the Lapthorne family and was enrolled in college to study medicine but felt like she could not hack it, so she quit. Her parents are unhappy with her decision and Lily has holed up in Cape Cod working as a house cleaner. With nowhere that she can afford to stay, she has been sleeping in a cottage that has stood empty for many years but is on the list to keep ready in case the owners show up. Late one night, she hears a commotion downstairs. Thinking it is a burglar, Lily heads down and discovers Cecilia Lapthorne destroying paintings and crying. The cabin belongs to the Lapthorne family. Lily doesn’t apprise the older woman of her presence. But the next day, it all changes, and she is invited to stay there with her.

Kristen’s marriage appears solid on the outside but deep inside, there are flaws. Her husband is a successful surgeon and works long hours, but that means Kristen is left alone—and unhappy. She has fallen into a friendship with another man and is about to sleep with him when her husband suddenly needs her. The truce is temporary, and Kristen soon realizes that her marriage may be falling apart.

Three women with different problems come together in the emotionally charged THE SUMMER SWAP by Sarah Morgan. Fifty years ago, Cecilia fell in love with Cameron despite her affection for another man, Seth. They married and had two wonderful children. The cottage was a refuge for them in those early days, but after she found Cameron sleeping with a younger woman one day there, she never went back and told him to sell it. He had told her that he complied with her request but a few days ago, she learned that it was a lie. They only stayed together because of Kristen, who had been in an accident after they told her they would be separating. Cecilia was never happy with Cameron after finding out about his infidelity. Lily has always had a crush on Cecilia’s grandson, Todd, but he is now engaged to her old nemesis. Meanwhile, Lily paints but doesn’t consider herself a saleable artist. A few days later, Todd suddenly shows up. He’s no longer engaged. Will something develop between them? In the meantime, Kristen is trying to make her marriage work but is Theo going along with it?

As readers can see, there are three different protagonists in THE SUMMER SWAP. Kristen learns later in the tale where her mother is. Readers will wonder what drove Cecilia to come back to Cape Cod, other than to destroy all of her late husband’s paintings displayed there—except for one. It is the missing painting that Cecilia had said was destroyed. Will she do something about it? What is the story behind it? Lily and Todd are working together to remodel the cottage. Meanwhile, Cecilia contacts Seth, who is now a widower and living nearby. Will they reconnect? Will Kristen leave Theo and somehow show up at the cottage? That seems inevitable.

THE SUMMER SWAP is a tale that is hard to put down once you start reading and that is the reason why I gave it a Perfect 10. You will enjoy the intriguing family history and travails that have changed their lives. Will everyone end up finding the change in their lives that they came to Cape Cod for? Find out by grabbing a copy.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

This is my first book by Sarah Morgan, and I enjoyed it. I love books featuring multiple viewpoints and generations, and this book has three characters from three generations as its focus. Cecelia in some respects reminded me of my own wise grandmother and also embodied values that I embrace as a new grandmother, so I could relate to her. However, I could relate to Lily and Kristen as well, so that made reading even more enjoyable. Readers should be able to identify with one if not all three of these women in some aspect.

Without spoiling, the story was engaging after about the first five pages. It moved quickly (sometimes too quickly) and kept me engaged. The three women’s stories intersected nicely although I would have liked a bit more development, especially in Lily’s history with the siblings. I read this book easily in less than a day, so room is definitely available for additional backstory with Todd and Hannah.

I liked this book enough to seek out Morgan’s other books, and I recommend it as an easy, sweet, and somewhat predictable beach read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- I had very high expectations for this book because I fell in love with the Book Club Hotel, and this book absolutely delivered! The story is so sweet and the bond formed between the characters with the back drop of Cape Cod is so beautiful. The turmoil and strife this family went through at the death of their patriarch was hard to watch. He had such a huge part in every one of their lives, good and bad, and watching the characters develop their actual personalities in his absence was heart breaking. All of the characters struggled with so much anger, loss and pain, but in the end they all find peace, some find love, and they all find each other. Definitely a feel good summer read, and other favorite of mine !

The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan is a delightful summer read that is both entertaining and engaging. The story features lovable characters and is told from dual points of view, which adds an interesting dimension to the narrative. What sets this book apart is the unexpected depth and complexity of the story, which is a refreshing change from the typical light and fluffy summer reads. The Summer Swap is a must-read for anyone looking for a captivating and well-crafted summer novel.

2.75⭐️ I thought this was going to be a fun summer read that was full of nostalgia and relationships. Unfortunately that's not really what we got. This book would've benefited so much from past and present timeline. It was dual pov but I felt like we just kept getting told about all these important things that happened in the past but I found it hard to connect with the characters and care about these past things. If we could've seen what they were talking about and knew the emotion during those things as the happened, I think I would've been so much more invested in their lives in the present day. Almost all of the characters were super selfish and pretty unlikeable in my opinion which made reading this book pretty hard. We got a lot of "telling" when I would've liked more "showing". I also found that there were a few inconsistencies of how characters feel about a certain person or thing that happened which made the story a bit hard to follow. I could tell at the end that the author was going for some really good character development in this story but I feel like we came in at the tail end of this so we didn't get to see the most important part of their character arc. Ultimately, this was a bit of a disappointing read for me.

After her famous artist husband’s death Cecelia decides to escape her family and head to a cottage on the beach. This is a story about many people deciding they need to change their lives to do what they want not what was expected of them. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Canary Street Press for my honest review.

What a great summer vibe book! Everything u need from love to loss to friendship and drama ! I love the different point of views and truly think this book is for anyone looking for a true getaway !