3.5 stars.

This story follows three book-loving friends over the summer in Provincetown: Shelby, who just published her first book; Hunter, who works in publishing; and Colleen, who owns the family bookstore. It’s a story of deep friendships and reconnecting after a few years apart. The characters are fairly easy to relate to and the setting is exactly what you look for in a light, cozy beach read.

The story itself was good, but there were a lot of shifts between characters that made it a little tricky to follow at times.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

What a great beach/summer read. I really did not want it to end and hope that the author will continue the story of these three friends. Shelby, Hunter and Colleen are three best friends who spent the summers during college in Provincetown, where Colleen's parents own the bookstore, Hunter camps out at her parents' home and Shelby (the army brat) finds a place that feels like home. Now three years after graduating school, Shelby is back - a successful NYTimes bestselling author, as Colleen, who is on bedrest for a high-risk pregnancy, needs her help at the bookstore for the summer. Shelby comes back to find that her book has raised some bad feelings from her friend Hunter and several others who feel that she has betrayed their trust including a version of their stories in her book. No matter what, she is there to help her best friend Colleen and try to make amends to those to felt wronged - hopefully including Justin - her ex-boyfriend and his sister, Mia, who works part time at the bookstore. Reading about the relationships between the three women kept me up at night - wanting to see what would happen next and each plot turn made the book all that more enchanting. Thank you to Jamie Brenner - who I read for the first time with this book - but definitely not the last time, and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I loved this. It was such a good summer read about 3 girls and their friendship over time. There were some ups and downs in their lives that tested their relationships. It was a great change of pace as I usually read romance. It has made me eager to branch out a bit more! This is also my first book by Jamie Brenner and I can't wait to read more!!

I enjoyed this book. It was the first book, I have read by Jamie Brenner. I can see myself reading more books by her. I love reading romance books, that are about book stores and authors. I loved the ending to this. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

Another delightful summer read from Jamie Brenner! The story follows Shelby, who recently published her first book and returns to Cape Cod where her two friends lived. Although much of the book was predictable, it was a fun and quick read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this summer beach read from Jamie Brenner. This story is about 3 college friends Shelby, Colleen, and Hunter who spent their college summers in Provincetown. A small town on the Cape Cod where Colleen’s parents own a family run bookstore and Shelby’s parents own an amazing home on the water. Shelby an army brat who moved her whole life was able to find a home every summer with her friends and ex Justin.
All 3 friends have grown apart and have become busy in their own lives when Shelby returns to Lands End books for an author signing for her first book. Back in Provincetown together the friends come to a crossroads both personally and professionally. Can their friendship survive?
Jamie Brenner had me invested in these 3 women from the beginning she truly captured the essence of their friendship and the struggle it is to stay connected after college.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This was my first Jamie Brenner book and I will be looking to her backlist now! I love a good second-chance love story and this did not disappoint. The story takes you to Provincetown over the course of an entire year. It revolves around a friendship between three women and their connection to an independent bookstore. There are unexpected turns and some threads of social commentary, which I enjoyed. I also love a book about books and there were plenty of references to books to add to my To-Be-Read list. The love story is sweet and satisfying. This book would be a perfect summer read or a great escape in the middle of winter!

A Novel Summer by Jamie Brenner is a delightful beach read! The story is about a published author, Shelby, who writes a book based on her younger self with her two best friends on the Cape and how that book changes her life.
When Shelby’s first novel is published, she is awestruck with the notoriety she is receiving but is blindsided by one of her best friends who accuses her of using private details about her in the book. She tries to put her hurt feelings aside and focus on her next book when a good friend needs her help in her bookshop on the Cape. She decides that going back to help in the Cape store would also be the perfect opportunity to work on her second book. She does that and she finds being in her hometown brings many more surprises.
I have read other books by Jamie Brenner that I have enjoyed, and this one did not disappoint. I would recommend this book if you have a great liking for an easy summer beachy/bookstore read. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.

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

I have read most of Jamie Brenner's books and enjoyed them all, especially Blush and Gilt. However, this one didn't capture my attention like the other ones had. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it-- it's everything you want in a summer beach bag read (light, second chance romance, competing storefronts that intensify squabbles) and I love books that use the Cape as a backdrop but I found that I wasn't invested in the characters. It took several put downs and pick ups for me to get through. I still put it on my summer reading list that gets sent out to 90 people because I know many people who will enjoy everything the novel has to offer.

A Novel Summer interested me - beach time, relationships, community history! Jamie Brenner is a new to me author but I will add her to my TBR stack!

With the publication of Shelby's first novel and the excitement of sharing with friends, she is surprised by their reaction. As she tries to start her next book, she is not sure what to write - to find the words. An emergency brings her back to Provincetown for the summer. How does she run a book store, write her next novel and repair friendships.

In exchange for my review I was gifted A Novel Summer by Netgalley.

3.5 stars out of 5.

The premise of this book was really promising but I think it fell short. The book started off really slow and did not grab my attention. It slowly picked up towards the end but I found the ending rushed. I really was looking for more. The book seemed to jump around a lot which was a bit confusing but I did enjoy reading about the beach town. The characters were well developed and you are left routing for Shelby in the end. Overall, just an OK beach read with a fun setting.

In A Novel Summer, we met Shelby who just published her first novel. She had a few summers living in P-town with her best friends. She ends up going back to P-town in the summer and found out a few of her friends were hurt because of what she wrote in her book. She tries to move on and write her second novel but then gets a call from her best friend Colleen who asks her to run her book shop in P-town for the summer since she is pregnant and on bed rest. Shelby agrees and tries to mend broken relationships while she is there. Plus, she needs some inspiration for her new book as her deadline approaches.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read A Novel Summer.

If the author was trying to create the next blockbuster summer read, the reader will sadly be disappointed. A few chapters in, I knew this wasn’t going to be the fun and enjoyable summer book the title promises. Instead of a quick and light summer read, you’re thrown into constant chaos casted with a group of unlikable characters who can’t seem to get it together.

The story revolves around Shelby, Hunter, and Justin. Shelby, a newly published author wonders why everyone hates her. Well it might be because she wrote a novel loosely based on everyone she knows. Then turns around and does it AGAIN. Shocking that no one cares for her. She’s so unbelievably naive and narcissistic at almost every turn. Hunter, fired from her job for being problematic is upset that her long time friend loosely based a character on her who so happens to be promiscuous. Maybe Hunter should stop sleeping with everyone who breathes your direction and no one will slut shame them. Honestly, the friendship between Hunter and Shelby is beyond toxic. I wanted to chuck my kindle half a dozen times reading about their petty fights and disagreements. Last but not least Justin, Shelby’s ex, can’t decide if he hates her, is indifferent or wants her back. Doesn’t help that he’s with the girl who wants to open a bookstore the will rival the one Shelby is trying to save. When you have a large amount of characters, it is imperative to have easier transitions but the author lacked the ability to smoothly transition the characters making it a chaotic read.

Having read my fair share of summer reads, I can say with confidence that No one wants to read page after page of useless drama and expect the reader to like the characters if they have no redeeming qualities. Some authors like Abby Jimenez can get away with trauma dumping on the reader because they do it gradually and somewhat tastefully. No one can relate to an up and coming novelist like Shelby or any of the characters in this book. Also, Mia not being able to read… come on!

I’m sorry if my comments came off as negative or offensive. This is my honest feedback. I would love to see these characters with more depth and possess more redeeming qualities to make them more relatable. I loved the setting of the book. Colleen was a total delight and she added balance to the toxic friend group. Small town vibe is always a good backdrop for a summer read but wouldn’t hurt to be more inclusive and represent the prominent LBGTQ+ population of Provincetown. A few light-hearted moments would have balanced out the constant drama. Being able to make the reader laugh every now and then would have really lightened the mood and tone. Just my two cents.

Thankful for the NetGalley ARC. Has all the qualities of a cute summertime read. Beachy small town vibes, potential love interests, obstacles to overcome, and will it happen or won't it questions. Nothing groundbreaking but overall an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC; I was so thrilled to be considered!

"A Novel Summer" follows three friends: Colleen, a resident of Provincetown, MA who runs Land's End, the local bookstore, and is pregnant with twins; Hunter, also a resident of Ptown who works at a small local publishing company; and Shelby, a recently published bestselling novelist from Ptown.

Colleen, Hunter, and Shelby were inseparable through college but when Shelby moves to New York City to pursue her dream of being a novelist, she leaves her Provincetown life behind. Three years later she's back, promoting her new novel on her book tour and Land's End is her first stop. Her first encounter with Hunter is awkward, to say the very least, as Hunter accuses her of putting her private life right there on the pages.
Shelby returns to NYC, but quickly comes back to Ptown when Colleen begs her to run the bookstore so she can be off her feet -- doctor's orders.
Now, Shelby must navigate being back home with a former best friend who hates her, a bookstore fighting for its life, and an ex-boyfriend whose current girlfriend is running the new bookstore competition in town.
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I adored this story! I love the east coast, and this captured that small town New England feel perfectly. The characters were well-written and everyone seemed to have a place and a reason to be there. This story read very quickly, and I couldn't put it down.
This is a great summer story about overcoming the frustrations and betrayals of adulthood, and clinging to strong female friendships.

Summer in Cape Cod + bookstore drama + romantic tension + betrayal = a great Summer read!!!
A Novel Summer by Jamie Brenner is a must-read for your Summer reading escape! It has all the feels of a classic Elin Hilderbrand book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of A Novel Summer. All opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.

I love Cape Cod and how Brenner’s novels always transport me there. Her newest book follows three college friends that are back in Provincetown for the summer. They are all dealing with real life/ adulting and spend the summer navigating their careers, friendships and romantic relationships. This really was a perfect beach read: lighthearted and breezy. However, I was hoping for a bit more complexity and depth in the characters, like in Guilt and Blush. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job distinguishing between the multiple perspectives.

Read if you like:
-Beach reads
-Female friendships
-Bookstores and writers

Thank you HTP for the gifted ARC!!

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book— it sounded like the perfect beach read. Shelby wrote her debut novel loosely based around her summers spent in Provincetown with her two best friends and ex-boyfriend. Her dear friend who owns the town’s bookstore asks her to come help run it for the summer. P-town locals have mixed feelings about the book, and Shelby’s return.

While I think the premise was really interesting, I think the execution was lacking. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and I found the novel jumping around abruptly and focusing on too many storylines. It was hard to feel connected to anyone. I also found it disappointing that such a vibrant place like P-town didn’t feel accurately portrayed— and this book honestly could have been set in any beach town.

A Novel Summer is the beach read of this summer! Three college besties who have gone their own way, but come together again in their favorite place to save a beloved bookstore.

“A bestselling author finds love and second chances in the stacks of books in a quaint beach town bookshop”
Thanks to Parkrow Books and Net Galley for providing me an ARC of this novel
While beach reads are not my genre of choice, I have to say I really enjoyed this novel. Light, lively and fast paced. Great character development, it centres around 3 friends since college reunited 3 years later. One Shelby now a best selling author comes back to Provincetown to help out her friend, Colleen run her bookstore
Shelby is also anxious to see the other friend , Hunter who is also back while she Comte,plates her career and life choices. And of course there is an old flame and a new flame as well
I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a good relaxing read which will transport you to a summer at the beach

This was such an enjoyable summer read!

You meet the three main female characters, Shelby, Hunter and Colleen. Shelby, the published author whose characters bow a bit too real life for her friends, Hunter the go with the flow editor who struggles with commitment, and Colleen whose family owns the only book store in this tiny beach town. Each character had their own piece in the story, and everything flowed seamlessly.

Each female main character felt like someone you could relate to, or someone you know in real life. No ones life was so far fetched you couldn’t relate.

We had one main male character, Justin, one of the ex love interests in one of our fmc’s life. This was well done, and a very cute possible second chance romance? Who knows! You’ll have to read to find out.

This story is set in Provincetown, cape cod. I’ve been to the cape and it was such an enjoyable summer, that this book reminded me of!

There is a real “you’ve got mail” vibe, not in the romance, letter writing, but the competing book store rivalry. Who doesn’t love a story with two book stores at odds with each other? This was still a cozy book, in that there was drama, but just enough to keep the story interesting! Perfect for a beach read for this summer. A little romance, some friend conflict, heck even found family? I loved it!

I gave this book a solid 4. Character development was beautiful, the setting of the scene was absolutely wonderful. I even found myself getting mad at Shelby thinking she learned nothing when it came to the Bookshop Beach! It’s always a good story when you find yourself trying to talk sense into the FMC!