A top notch summer read! I loved the Jersey Shore setting and Del’s job as a stand up comedian. She and Eddie had fantastic banter and I enjoyed their friendship growth as well as chemistry.

I guess not all comedians are funny 🤷🏻‍♀️ But actually, this story suffered from a lack of unique character development. I found the flashbacks underdeveloped and quite boring. Del claimed Eddie bullied her but did he really? There were no stakes. All obstacles were easily overcome. I wanted more pining, more yearning, and literally a modicum of more personality from the main characters. And the secondary characters? Literally just cardboard cutouts meant to give the MCs connection to their town, nothing more.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this, and i apologize it’s after the release.
i got about 20% through but couldn’t finish it, I like to get books based off titles and covers and didn’t know the FMC was an aspiring comedian, which would be fine but it wasn’t written in the right way. There’s big words thrown in that doesn’t flow with the text, and it’s as if it’s to make the FMC seem smarter or trying to hard to please the audience which i didn’t like,

This is really well written, especially for a debut! I loved the comedian angle; there aren’t many protagonists who are comedians, and so this felt fresh. I liked the small town, renewed romance storyline as well.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

this was really cute. I didn't <i>quite</i> believe that eddie + delfina were in love in high school, but it was a fairly quick read. excited to see what betty corrello does in the future!

💗 enemies to lovers
🛏️ just one bed
🥈 second chance

This book is laugh-out-loud funny & will easily put you in the mood for summertime. After scoring the biggest gig of her life at a top-tier comedy festival, the rest of Del's life comes crashing down when she losses her job and catches her roommate and boyfriend sleeping together. With no where to left to go, she returns to her hometown of Jersey Shore where she is forced to confront what she left behind 10 years ago, including the man who broke her heart.

Given that the fmc is a comedian, I went into this with high expectations surrounding the humor and it did not disappoint. I was cracking up and living for the incredible one liners that came out of Del's mouth. I thought the relationship between Del and Ed was really sweet and a lot of fun. The romance is definitely there, my only complaint was it didn't feel like the stakes were all that high - I kept waiting for the shoe to drop & us to learn what went wrong 10 years ago, but to put it simply, it was dumb. Glad they worked everything out though and are happy now <3

While 90% of the book is in present day, we do get a few flash-back chapters from Del and Ed's High School Years that provide a much-needed perspective on their past.

The descriptive writing really made me feel like I was having my own summer romance/adventure at the Jersey Pier!

5 STARS!

I loooooooooved "Summertime Punchline" by Betty Corrello! I could not put this book down and finished it in a day. This is going to be one of my favorite books of the year, I can tell. I am not always the biggest fan of second-chance romances, but Corrello makes this one SO compelling and so interesting that I simply could not stop reading it. Del is so endlessly messy and supremely relatable. She's the kind of character anyone aimlessly wandering in their 30s can identify with, the good and the bad. She feels like a real person because she is written so authentically. Del has gone through traumas and moves and grief and abandonment and loss. She is layered, she is a frazzled, exposed nerve, she is observant and ready to strike, but also vulnerable to a fault. She has had to move back to her small New Jersey hometown, where she swore she'd never return, and finds herself constantly running into Eddie, who used to be in her life before it all went wrong. A dual timeline tells the story of their relationship over their time in high school and in the present. The Eddie now is not the Eddie of the past, and Del has changed, too, but one thing is for certain: all of their interactions drip and ooze with chemistry! I got a sly smile on my face whenever Del and Eddie talked to one another. Their feelings are clearly still there, raw and visceral, but with their circumstances wildly different than they anticipated, nothing can come of it. They'd have to stop bickering long enough for anything *to* come of it. The humor here is right up my alley. I laughed so much, and not just little chuckles, like genuine OUT LOUD laughs the entire book. The banter between Del and Eddie is simply perfection. I love what this book had to say about trauma and tried, about forgiving people who might not be worthy of forgiveness. About second chances, about reigniting love, about not making yourself the butt of the joke, about taking your life into your own hands, no matter how down and out you think you are. "Summertime Punchline" is so full of passion and life, so honest and true. It's not your typical cute romance that's tied up with a neat bow. It's like real life: it's messy, it's difficult, and it makes it clear that while the bad times are awful, the good times are certainly worth it. I cannot wait to see what Betty Corrello writes next. An absolutely stellar book that you MUST read ASAP!

Thank you to NetGalley, Betty Corrello, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I overall enjoyed this new little summer read. I’m normally an iffy reader when it comes to second chance romance but Betty Corello really changed how I feel about them. Between the relationship of Del and Eddie and having the dual timeline of the past/present relationship helped me fall in love with these characters more. Again it’s hard sometimes for me to read dual timelines as well but the writing for me was easily readable and understandable to pick up on how things are connected. I also love Dels relationship with her Nan who is the main mother figure in her life. Nan is how the image I get of an east coast grandma cute and fiesty. All of Dels relationships throughout are important to her having her own self discovery and figure out herself to become the person she is in the end. I did feel at times the story was a bit rushed and somethings were just left out. I do wish we got know a little bit of Eddies POV throughout the book as well. But overall if you are looking for a nice and quick beach read to put in the mood for the summer, I highly recommend.

I’ve been on a Jersey Shore kick lately — reading books that take place at the Jersey Shore. As a Jersey girl living far from the shore, I was looking for nostalgia. Someone suggested I read the upcoming release, SUMMERTIME PUNCHLINE. This debut book indeed was a love letter to the Jersey Shore! I enjoyed the Jerseyness as well the realness of Delfina (the main character). We join her on the journey of finding herself and what she wants in her future. It’s messy, witty, chaotic and heartwarming. A great summer beach rom-com to read! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

So grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this prior to it's official release.

The story of Del and Eddie began years ago, on their first day in HS, and it is full of all the miscommunication, mistakes, and mayhem you'd expect. We as readers are taken through the ups and downs of their slightly more than friendship filled teenage years via flashbacks, as they navigate being in each others' orbits yet again as young adults.

Watching Del discover her own sense of self-love and the unwavering support and love of those select few around her gave me all the feels. While Del hasn't had the easiest of lives, she's surrounded by a fierce forever friend/sister, a quirky grandmother, an estranged-no-more father, and the quietly supportive and kind Eddie. The story took a bit to find it's rhythm, and once it did I just couldn't put it down. All the heart swoony an warm hug emotions. This one will stay with me for a VERY long time.

This book is a good read. It took a bit to find its connection for the characters. As the story progresses, the reader becomes more involved in the couple and their relationship. In the end, it was worth the read!

3.5 Stars Summertime Punchline is a vulnerable story about self-discovery and second chances.

Without her job, apartment, or (now-ex) boyfriend, comedian Defina "Del" Silva-Miller returns home to the small town of Evergreen on the Jersey Shore, the one place she swore she'd never return to. With a spot in a huge upcoming comedy festival, Del needs to focus on redoing her set. But it's hard to focus with her hilarious grandmother, deadbeat dad, and mercurial high school crush, Eddie Rodriguez, on her mind. Del's determined not to let anything distract her from writing new material, but Eddie is nothing like the boy who broke her heart ten years ago. And maybe Del isn't the same person either.

My favorite parts of Summertime Punchline were when it evoked the feeling of being at the Jersey Shore, walking along the beach or enjoying funnel cake on the boardwalk. The author perfectly captured those feelings and memories. I'm not a big fan of a dual timeline, but I think it was done well here to intersperse Del and Eddie's history with the action in present day. There was a lot of vulnerable self-reflection from Del as she rediscovered herself and what she envisions for her future.

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!

Summertime Punchline by Betty Corrello is a wonderful debut!
I loved reading this second chance romance story.
This was one of the most fun and delightful reads I’ve come across this year!
I read this with a permanent smile on my face from start to finish.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Sadly had to DNF at 17%
I just couldn’t continue this…
Will definitely give it a second try some time soon.

hanks to NetGalley, BookClubGirl, Harper Voyager Us, and Avon Books for this copy of "Summertime Punchline."

This is a funny and heartwarming story about pursuing dreams, but what if your dreams change?

And how do you mend old relationships and build new ones when you have to let go of some long-held grudges?

Del and Eddie, Del and her father Roger, Del and her grandmother Nan. What happens when people are finally honest with each other? Maybe everyone ends up happier.

So poorly written that I found it impossible to engage in the story or care about the characters. I do not recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy.

I knew I was going to love this book from the beginning when the character stopped at a Wawa. I’m from Pennsylvania and very acquainted with the jersey shore. Reading this felt like a love letter to the shore. The writing was so descriptive and I felt like I was back on the boardwalk eating pizza hearing the waves.
I truly loved the story and I loved it even more when the author was talking about Del in acknowledgments, saying it’s the story about the best friend character after the main character finds her happily ever after.
I loved how real Del felt. She was messy and her life was chaotic but she was discovering herself. There was a part that really stood out to me about how your 20s are about figuring out who you are and at your end of your 20s there is a rebirth and figure out what you want to do. As someone almost in their mid 20s, that really resonated with me.
I loved the romance between Del and Eddie. The dual timeline aspect was one of my favorite parts. It helped build the relationship and background of Eddie and Del. Seeing them reconnect in their late 20s after going through life was really special and the relationship developed really well.
This was the best kind of coming of age story and I loved reading as Del rediscovered who she is and who she wants to be.

Thank you again to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy!

If your favorite summer memories were curling up with your Nana and watching soap operas, this summer debut will bring you so much joy as a woman returns to her Nana on the Jersey Shore after a breakup.


Delvina has been preoccupied with her life and has lost touch with her grandmother over the last year, but when she loses her job, apartment, and boyfriend all in one fell swoop, the only place she knows she can afford is to make her way home again.


Shockingly, Nana has formed a friendship with her old high school flame, Eddie Rodriguez, a boy who simultaneously tortured her as a kid and broke her heart in her teens. Eddie picks her Nana up daily for water aerobics classes with a hot coffee in hand and even has been teaching her Nana Spanish on the way to classes. It's... disgusting.

But, when Delvina decides to do a stand-up comedy routine at the local dive bar, she is floored to discover that Eddie also owns that bar, and she begins to realize that he has become the people's Mayor who is beloved and as magnetic as she remembered.

As she prepares for the show, she confronts what she left behind ten summers ago and why it fell apart in the first place. She's not the only one with secrets, though, as she and Eddie begin to rekindle what they have lost, laced with fun slow dance memories as they sway to Sex & Candy.

This story is told in a dual timeline, offering a delightful millennial romance with a dusting of spice—making it a sweet beach read you can finish in a day.

I was sucked in from the start and finished it almost in one night. The comedy and sarcasm is so modern and VERY FUNNY.
I LOVED:
•Sam, she is everything I love in a best friend character: humor that rivals the MC, wise, and supportive.
•Del’s inner dialogue!! Witty stuff! Honestly I thought all of these characters were hilarious, and especially Nan.
•The High school flashbacks. Embarrassing, funny, and relatable to a degree I haven’t seen before in a book.
•Edgardo’s family. I was totally enchanted by them ❤️

Del Silva-Miller is an aspiring comedian with a life-changing gig coming up. All her material is self-deprecating and stars her boyfriend so when he betrays her she has to scrap everything and write new jokes. Down on her luck, she returns to her home town of Evergreen to work on her comedy AND RUNS INTO HER HIGH SCHOOL NEMESIS. And guess what?? HES SUPER FREAKING HOT NOW.

My only complaint is that I did not enjoy the musical comedy lyrics. They were meant to be satirical but really they just made me sad. Also Eddie is a weekend dad and I’m more of a fan of the 50/50 set up in single dad romances. I was very surprised by the amount of freedom he had as a parent.

I would give this book 3.5 stars! This is a fluffy, second chance romance taken place in the summer. Delfina Silva-Miller has gone through a lot: unemployment, being “homeless,” and not having the best relationship with her dad. So she sees her grandmother (Nan) and her best friend Sam as people she can go to for life advice. Del initially did not look forward to coming back to Evergreen, but she comes across her on/off crush from high school, Eddie Rodriguez.

The book is written in Delfina’s POV, with a dual timeline. I felt like the writing wasn’t really noteworthy; I enjoyed the chapters that were written in the past more than the present. However, you’re able to see a connection between Del and Eddie in the chapters that are in present time. It was nice to see Del finding her true self while being at home.