The cover drew me, the quick wit and story kept me.

Delfina had a complicated childhood and was recently forced back to her hometown that she tries at all costs to avoid. Once there, the story came to life. A story of her unfortunate past, and what that had done to her as an adult. I was happy to see Del realize things about herself and the people in her life and finally eventually get to see her embrace her situation. Eddie was just the perfect high school bully / crush for Del. I loved watching them hash it out, and come to terms with each other as adults and see what that could mean. Combined with comedy, song writing, and a cast of colorful neighborhood folk, Summertime Punchline was a perfect summer read, especially for a fellow Jersian!

Del finally has the opportunity she’s been waiting for and got a spot at a huge comedy festival. But when she catches her boyfriend cheating on her with her roommate, she packs her bags and heads to the hometown she swore she would never go back to. With only 45 days until the festival, she has to rework her comedy routine that fits her new life. Meanwhile, she runs into Eddie, a boy from her past.

I loved the dual timeline and how it really added depth to this second chance romance. It allowed us to see what happened between Del and Eddie years ago as they try to navigate getting to know each other as adults. Del is the type of hot mess character that anyone who has felt they should have a better handle on being an adult can easily relate to. This book is also hilarious between the witty banter and the general comedic undertones. It made for a fun read! I really enjoyed this debut and look forward to reading more from Betty Corrello.
Thank you to Avon Books for the advance copy.

What an amazing debut novel! Had I not read that this was Betty Corrello's debut, I never would had known. Summertime Punchline is funny, witty, steamy, swoon-worthy, and wonderfully well paced. Each of the characters, both main and side, were well flushed out and all made sense to the plot. I am a sucker for dual timelines and this one really blew me away. Even some of the more heavier-topics had me captivated and emotional. I feel such a connection to this book and I cannot recommend it enough! I can't wait to see more from this author!

Delfina just found her boyfriend having sex with her roommate before the biggest chance her comedian career has ever gotten. So, now she has to return to the last place she wanted to, home at Evergreen with everything and everyone she left behind: her deadbeat dad and her high school ill tempered crush, Eddie.

There are some books that are just a book that I read. I don't have any attachment nor am I mad for having read it. It was ok. The writing is fine. Del is ok. Eddie is ok. Their relationship is ok. I just didn't care. They have history (that honestly I wished we saw less of - the flashbacks weren't necessary, they didn't any depth to the story, it would be sufficient to say they had history and it didn't end well) that is extremely cliche and I have seen before and better done. It's hard to believe that they've loved each other from a distance for 10 years without even talking to one another and having ended things badly in high school. Their reconnection hinges upon the reader buying into that and I just didn't. A lot of plot points are rushly introduced and never talked about again: her mom, her relationship with her dad is extremely glossed over, his family, his previous relationship (and his daughter, that we meet once and he seems to forget in the end), and what happened in the past. There is an attempt to focus on her "finding herself" journey but for me it was another glossed over point.

It's just a forgettable and aggressively ok book.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

This was very cute. A strong debut. A great summertime read full of witty one liners and a laugh out loud adventure hotel room scene. The ending seemed a little rushed though. We have all this buildup regarding Del’s career and performance at the festival, but I feel like we don’t get a resolution to that. I also felt like the big reveal about what happens with them in high school was a little bit of a letdown. I know teenagers with all their emotions make a bigger deal of things than they should be, but I guess I expected the event to be more of one. Still, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cute rom-com.

Thank you to William Morrow and Book Club Girl Early Reads for the ARC!

This is why I love Net Galley, books like this! I had never heard of this author or title but when browsing for a new book this one jumped out at me and seemed right up my alley. I love a good romcom, especially summer ones! This one does not disappoint! It’s witty and adorable and I’m so glad I found it!

This delightful book captures the essence of charm with its endearing characters and engaging banter. The author skillfully weaves a narrative filled with witty exchanges that kept me thoroughly entertained. The incorporation of flashbacks added depth to the story, allowing for a poignant exploration of second chances. The gradual buildup of tension and emotion was so good, making it a perfect choice for a sunny summer read.

Gosh! I'm so in love with this debut! A perfect summer, hate-to-love, second chance romance. I adored the writing so much.

Del was such a fascinating character; she was strong, funny, relatable, & humorous. I adored how she found peace at home when the mere idea of it felt nauseous to her at one point. Her reconnecting with Eddie, her dad, her friends (new & old), her grandmother had its own charm.

Speaking of Eddie, I loved how we got some past & present povs of their relationship. Their teenage years were chaoticbut I get how you have to go through those stuff to find your way back to each other again. Their relationship had some much depth plus the summertime (carnival, harbor, fun rides) setting added more fun. There's this small interesting twist that I thought was handled perfectly without blowing it out of proportion or delving more into it just for the sake of it.

Can't wait to read more from Betty now!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Del runs back to her hometown when she finds herself stuck in a situation with her roommate and boyfriend. She has been avoiding her hometown since leaving over a decade ago.

I enjoyed reading about her rekindling relationships with her family and past love interest, but there were a lot of holes in the storyline, and the pacing was not as entertaining for me.

Betty Corrello is a clever, fun and amazing new voice in romance. I fell in love with her character and their stories. I had so much from the start to the finish of Summertime Punchline. I can't wait to read more from her!

UGH THIS BOOK. I couldn't put it down. I love the setting, the romance is chef's kiss. I can't say enough good things about this book.

This is the perfect East Coast summer beach read. Full of laughter and nostalgia - no, really, the prose alternates between laugh out loud lines and human moments that are so cringe and relatable that they cycle back around to endearing. I loved the setting, the details!! So many glorious details from the 2010s to now. The romance was steamy, full of tender moments, too. A dysfunctional family or two. I felt like this book just hit on all of the highs and lows of life in a really funny, candor kind of way. The setting is so summery it’s impossible not to taste the salt on your skin. For the late 20s to 30s girlies. Or anyone who is still finding their way. It was a great, solid debut. I would have liked it to be a little longer, so we could have had more build up, but I know that’s not the rage in the industry right now. Just saying, I would have read 100 more pages, happily. The author’s voice is so crystal clear I can’t wait to see what else she writes.

Thanks for the ARC netgalley and Avon books.

I thought this book was an easy read but it just was not my favorite ever. I would recommend it to people but it’s not something i would re-read. I did think the writing was easy to follow and the characters were easy to picture.

Summertime Punchline by Betty Corrello Is a second chance, frenemies to lovers’ romance. Del swore she wouldn’t return to her home town, but finds herself in a bind when she breaks up with her cheating boyfriend and is left with nowhere to live while she is on the brink of a big break with her upcoming comedy show. She immediately runs into Eddie, her high school crush, and embarks on a journey of finding herself, healing from old wounds, and figuring out who and what she wants out of life. I enjoyed the banter and the jokes between Del and Eddie; however, I wish there would have been more development with their relationship. The dual timelines helped explain the tension, but I wanted more out of those. I also wanted more from Eddie’s character—especially with his Puerto Rican roots. I found Del’s redefining herself as a comedian and how she applied that to how she viewed her difficult relationship with her biological father. Overall, the story is a great summer read with a ton of potential. I hope we get more from their story in the future!

Thank you to the author, netgalley, and HarperVoyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"We were different people. He was a father, and I owned a clown lamp."🤡

This was a super fun debut novel; very cute, some good comedic moments, and some family complexity. The time jumps between high school and modern day were done well to bring the second-chance trope to life. I will say, the only strong character development is in the two main characters; the secondary characters didn't add much beyond filling in the story. This is a quick, easy read - making it a perfect read to pick up for a summer weekend trip.

✌️2nd Chance Romance
🏖️Small Town Romance (Jersey Shore edition)
🛏️ Only one (bunk) bed
🤔 Miscommunication

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC!

Such a great summer read!! I LOVED the New Jersey setting; it was so vivid, and the author did a truly wonderful job describing it so that I actually felt like I was there. I feel like I've been searching for a book like this forever, and I'm so glad I found it in this one. Will look forward to reading this author's work in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!!

What a great debut book for Betty Corrello. This second chance romance was a fun read, perfect for lazy summer days. The banter and characters are FUNNY, I was smiling and chuckling throughout the book. The dual point of view between the present and the past is a great way to understand the relationship between Del and Eddie a bit better. The characters feel like real people, people you want to get to know.

Del is the perfectly real heroine, she's messy, and life doesn't always go according to plan.

While the overall tone is lighthearted, there is a deeper theme to her second chance, for Del. it's about ending up somewhere you didn't expect again and getting a chance to confront those feelings and her past.

This is such a fun read perfect for summer nights or the beach.

I enjoyed reading Summertime Punchline by Betty Corrello. . You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

3.5 rounded up

A fun, second chance summer romance featuring a female stand-up comedian and a hot small town single dad. This would make for a great beach read and had everything I love the most - flashbacks, emotional depth, messy family drama, swoony moments and lots of great chemistry between the leads. A great debut that was enjoyable on audio narrated by Josh Nash and definitely worth picking up. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

It's the best feeling when you read a book by a new author and immediately connect with their writing. There were so many pieces to this rom-com that I adored. The witty humor, a second chance romance, and a picturesque beach town setting.

It had been 10 years since Eddie and Del saw each other. The dual timelines gave us glimpses into their history and how it affected their interactions during the present day. The flashback chapters gave the book an angsty undertone. Eddie and Del's relationship from high school to the present had a will-they-won't-they, enemies/friends/lovers vibe going on. I was totally here for it! I loved how at times things were so complicated between them. But then other times they were fun and teasing each other.

Coming home to Evergreen, New Jersey was a big transition in Del's life. She was a little lost with what the future would hold for her. I enjoyed following her journey with regards to her career and the strained relationship with her father. Del's grandmother Nan was a standout side character for sure. Not only was she a hoot but their bond was so special.