For The Love ofSummer is a great summer/beach read about unconditional love, parenting, friendship, support, courage, independence, strength, and finding truth and answers with the last person you ever thought you’d talk to.
Summer loves visiting with her dad, step mom Allison, and her half brother Jackson. She doesn’t mind sharing a room on her nights there. After her fathers arrest, Summer is determined to help Allison, whom is also very pregnant and down on her luck in every aspect of her existence.
Summer turns to her mom, Erica. Erica is the sole owner of four “Twisted” hair salons. She is not only successful but all her life independent. She is heartbroken broken after her husband just one day doesn’t love her and walks out. Peter does not have anything positive to say about Erica. Allison believes Erica to be ruthless and petty. Because of broken marriage, Erica keeps all relationship at a distance. Her “friend” Killion is no exception. He’s her plus one, confident, fun to be around, and sleep with kinda guy.
Deep sigh! Erica brings Allison and Jackson into her home to live and supplies her shelter and support.
That’s all I’m going to say -
Each character is well developed and grows with the story.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC read in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been excitedly awaiting the publication of this book for what seems like forever; like being 5 years old and Christmas won’t come again for a whole year. The plot premise was so intriguing — an ex-wife with skills, money, & panache taking her ex’s currently pregnant, broke, soon to be homeless present wife into her home and care after their mutual spouse is placed in federal detention for a plethora of crimes. She does this because her daughter, who adores her stepmother, asks her to please, pretty please, help. The wait was rewarded. This is an excellent novel of love and friendship and a dynamic, powerful examination of how lives can change when you engage to think of others first. Wow. Thanks Susan Mallery for this empowering novel.

For the Love of Summer
Susan Mallery
Jun 04, 2024

Erica Sawyer is the owner and CEO of the Twisted Spa Salons. She now has four scattered in the Seattle area. They are an elite spot for hair, nail and body design. She’s worked hard to bring her multi-staffed business to its popular choice of many clients.
When her ex-husband finds himself in a federal prison, his wife, Allison is left with her 18 month old son, Jackson in their small rental. She works a job checking in a grocery store as well as in the daycare where Jackson is housed while she is at work. Allison is 7 months pregnant with their daughter when she finds out their accounts have been frozen. Financially she is doomed. What little money she has in her bag will not pay for the groceries she has in her cart. Her world has come to using the credit card to feed her small family.
For the Love of Summer will be published on June 04, 2024 by Mira. I was selected to read and review Mallery’s latest novel via NetGalley. I appreciate Mira allowing me to read this marvelous book. The story views the lives of Erica and Allison. Erica is a bold, intelligent business woman. When she divorced she built up the large old house she, her daughter, Summer and her mother, Mara live. Year by year she has invested in the house and/or Twisted. Financially she is exceptional. Allison now finds herself alone; she knows nothing of why Peter is in prison. She has made the trip to visit him and come away with excuses, fear, and feeling completely lost. This journey is an amazing work of art. It is something different for Mallery. Generally I think of fun, love stories from the author. I could not put this novel down. Readers should find a copy and delve into these women’s sad but delightful tale.

Loved everything about this. The title for one. You think it's one thing, but it's not. And, the character development was great. Without giving anything away, this was a superb look at blended families and how family dynamics can change in an instant and then go on to change even more. Highly recommend.

I was delighted to dive into "For the Love of Summer," an emotionally uplifting story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Erica, a successful and independent business owner, finds joy in her daughter, Summer, and doesn't rely on a man to fulfill her life. Despite this, she maintains a cordial relationship with a successful man who acts as her date for events. What stood out to me was Erica's strong character, quick decision-making, and her compassionate nature when she agrees to let her ex-husband's new wife, Allison, and her son move in at Summer's request. The unique living arrangement highlighted Erica's kindness and generosity. Witnessing Summer's optimistic outlook on the situation was refreshing, setting the stage for an engaging exploration of togetherness and potential challenges. With Erica at the helm, I had high hopes for a fulfilling resolution for everyone involved.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I love the characters. Erica is aloof but if you look under the surface, she is a very generous, loving person. She is crusty on the outside and a marshmallow on the inside. Allison seems so naive and really relies on her husband. But as the story goes on, she finds that she is able to stand on her own and is very courageous. Summer is a typical teen in some ways, at times seems a bit spoiled and then very mature. I love Killion. He is so steady and honest. Erica thinks her relationship with Killion is just companionship. She will not risk her heart another time. It got trampled on before, so she just locked it away. Killion really loves her, but he won't tell her as it would freak her out. Erica and Allison are very different people, but they find that they can be friends. Erica and Allison both need a friend right now. Good story.

This is actually a 2.5 rating. This book really frustrated me. When I got to the 25% point of the book I learned exactly what was in the synopsis: Peter is in jail, Allison has a toddler and is pregnant, Erica has a really good job and Summer wants to help Allison. It is on repeat for the whole start of the book. I actually went back to look to see if I was rereading the same chapter.

I felt like the author came up with a great story line ( an ex wife and the current wife having a positive relationship while the husband is in jail ), but she had nothing else to back up the story. So she just kept repeating it.

I am not sure why this in the romance category - it is more about Erica and Allison's relationship.

Sometimes friendships and kinships come from the strangest places. That is so true in this perfect beach read by Susan Mallery. Erica is a strong, successful woman who has built an empire in the salon world. She owns a group of salons known as Twisted. Every woman either wants to be her or hates her (only because they are jealous of her). She has worked hard to be where she is today.

Although she loves her business and has been super successful, nothing is more important in her life than her daughter, Summer. She has fears that she is losing Summer to Summer's stepmother, Allison.

Allison is married to Erica's ex-husband, Peter. She has a toddler and a baby on the way. Her life is shattered one afternoon when she receives a collect call from prison and finds that Peter has been arrested. Summer finds her in distress and has the perfect answer to her problems. She just needs to get her mother on board.

I loved the whole premise behind this story. The ladies stick together and help each other out. When someone is down you don't step on them, you help them back up. Erica had a heart of gold. She was successful and very rich, but she believed in helping others. She gave back and helped new stylists get on their feet, as well as providing scholarships for students. Summer had a giving heart like her mother, even though their personalities were so very different. Erica's mother, Mara, was one of my favorite characters with her vibrant personality. This was soul warming story and would be a wonderful book club read for a group of ladies.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Don’t let the cover fool you, this is not a summer romance novel! This story follows Erica and Allison- two women who don’t really have much in common except they married the same man. Erica doesn’t know much about Peter’s new wife and is happy to keep it that way. Allison has heard horrible stories about Erica from her husband and doesn’t understand how their teenage daughter, Summer, is so wonderful when her mother is such a cold hearted b***h. The two women are suddenly forced together when Peter gets arrested on multiple felony charges. Allison is pregnant, their lease is ending, and all of their accounts have been frozen by the government. Summer loves her step mother and begs her mom to step in and help. The one main gripe I have with the book is the way the adults treat summer. Erica does at one point lay into Allison about telling her daughter too much, but then Erica has summer sitting on on conversations about the business and Allison moving in and it just felt odd to me to have a teenager be such a big part of these incredibly serious conversations. It also seemed like EVERYONE in Erica’s life was immediately on board with Allison moving in and that felt a little forced. As far as the story goes, I really enjoyed this one. I loved that the focus was mostly of female friendships and being independent rather than just on the relationships the two main characters had with Peter. The story felt fresh and interesting to me and I enjoyed that Allison and Erica were two very different people who found ways to connect despite that. One of my favorite lines in this book happens when, at one point, Summer is dealing with some issues at school and Erica says to her “I promise to be lawful in every way, but I will hate them in my heart” and I really felt that in my soul 😂. This would be a great vacation read that you will be sure to fly through.

This is the last book by Mallery that I will read. The drama in the first 15% of the book made me annoyed. How many times do you have to say pregnant, no hubby around, no money, what can I do? We get it, ok? Stop throwing it at us over and over!

I skipped to about 75/80% and red it from there. Yes, I had no idea who some of the people were as they had been introduced during that skipped part, but it didn't matter to the story as a whole. Did the author redeem herself? Somewhat, but it still felt like too much was repeatedly dealt with to the point that I wondered if the payment for the book was based on word count.

Erica runs a successful business, loves her daughter Summer, hates her ex, enjoys her BF, but won't let him in close to her. Allison is the 2nd wife of her ex and is pregnant, etc. see above. Summer persuades her mom to help Allison in need. You can probably guess the rest. Ok for a beach read, if your standards are not high, but that's about it as far as I am concerned.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy. Honest opinions expressed here are my own and freely given. 2.5 stars max

A feel-good story about finding family in unexpected places and appreciating the one you already have.

Erica and Allison were both dropped into an impossible situation not of their own making. The only thing binding them in any way was Summer, Erica’s daughter and Allison’s stepdaughter. Summer turned out to be quite the tenacious bit of glue. I had mixed feelings about her. She was only 16 with a whole lot of good intentions, but she did manipulate her mother quite a bit without taking her feelings into consideration.

I really liked Erica and Allison. They were very different people. Erica’s steely core was the backbone that kept this whole menagerie of a family together. Allison was forced to develop her own inner strength, it was sink or swim for her. Luckily, she didn’t have to do it on her own. It was very heartwarming to see these two women grow closer and form a stronger new-found family.

The romance between Erica and Killion was like a gentle, meandering river that cut through everything and brought Erica a much-needed safe space. It also wore her defenses down gradually, so that she could see the potential future available to her.

The story started out a bit slow, but it was engaging and I was heavily invested in the outcome for all of these characters. I can recommend this if you like an emotional family drama with strong female characters front and center.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the beginning of the book. The female lead was a position that has not been done to death and seemed interesting. The secondary story about the ex husband and his new wife also caught my attention. The problem was the middle of the book went round and round repeating the same things. All of the characters wore on my nerves and it got to where I truly didn’t care what happened with any of them. This book was a great idea but it needed a lot more refinement and more interesting points in the plot.
Thank you Net Galley for the free copy of the book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved the synopsis for this book and am happy to say that the it lived up to my expectations.

Erica and Allison are unwillingly bound together through Peter, Erica's ex and Allison's current husband, as well as through Summer, Peter and Erica's big-hearted 16 YO daughter. When Peter is unexpectedly arrested, Allison, 6 mos pregnant, with an 18 mo. old toddler, finds herself in dire straits as Peter was the main breadwinner. Because he was arrested for money laundering among other things, she finds their bank accounts are frozen. On top of that, she's facing eviction in a month because her landlord just sold their rental house. Summer finds her in despair and immediately comes up with a solution, she can move into the large house that Summer lives in with her mom, Erica, an independent business owner of a string of successful hair salons/spas. Allison has heard horror stories of Erica's coldness and vindictiveness from Peter, so she's pretty reluctant but has no other options. As for Erica, the last thing she wants is her ex's current wife moving into her house, but she's smart enough to realize there's no way she can turn down Summer's appeal for help.

From that inauspicious beginning, both women start to see the real person underneath their misconceptions and develop a surprising friendship and the meaning of true family, tied together by their mutual love for Summer. All of the characters in the book were well-drawn and sympathetic. I especially loved Erica, who is initially portrayed as practical, unsentimental, and hard-edged in business but who definitely has a softer side and a yearning for acceptance, and love. The book moved along at an fast pace and I didn't want to put it down. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

For The Love of Summer is the perfect feel good novel and great for the beach! This novel engaged me and I was invested in the characters and their lives. Although, I found it predictable it did not detract from my enjoyment. I can't wait for her next novel!
It is expected to be released on June 4, 2024.

Thank you Net Galley, Susan Mallery and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to preview this title and the opinions shared are my own.

Erica is a success. She has a beautiful, wonderful daughter, Summer. She has an "empire" of 4 salons that thriving and while she is firm, she has been incredibly successful and the staff loves her and their work. She is a very generous employer. She has one major failure in her life and that is her failed marriage. Peter belittled her when he left her and that left her battered and bruised emotionally.

Allison is Peter's second wife. She has a wonderful toddler and is 6 months pregnant with a girl. Summer loves her second family. When Peter is arrested for a number of crimes, and is sitting in prison, Allison becomes worried about quite a number of things, not the least of which is money. Her accounts have been frozen.

Summer convinces Erica to let Allison move in until things reach a more even keel. Erica is not pleased and doesn't want to even look at Allison. But she doesn't see any good options for Allison, with the toddler, her pregnancy, and her low paying jobs.

As Erica, her mother, and Allison come to know each other, they find out truths about themselves, their relationship with Peter, and how they view each other.

This is an interesting story about relationships between women, friendship, and love. Although Erica is more generous that I could ever see me being, I thought it was a great story.

I always look forward to Susan Mallery’s books. She does a great job of capturing female relationships. Erica is Summer’s mom and soon finds herself in an awkward situation with Summer’s step-mom. Summer’s dad is arrested and Summer is worried about her step-mom and younger brother. Can she convince her mom to step up and help out? The relationship that forms between Erica and Allison is fraught with chaos, but they find a way to come together due to their shared love of Summer. Susan Mallery does a wonderful job writing about strong women, who boost up other women. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the early access to this book.

Thank you so much Netgalley for this ARC.

The circumstances in the plot of For the Love of Summer was the definition of once one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong. This book showed how found family can happen at the most unexpected times. I loved seeing how certain relationships developed and got stronger throughout the book. My favorite character had to be Summer, she always stuck up for what was right and was a voice of reason even though she was younger. The beginning had me so hooked, the middle had me a little bored waiting for things to happen. I wish some events went into more explanation with the background of what happened, but overall it was an okay read!

The summer in the title refers to a teenaged girl, not the season. When her father is jailed, leaving her pregnant step-mom destitute and alone with a young son, Summer begs her successful mother to help them. What follows is a heart-warming, light summer read as the two women and the girl they both love navigate their awkward situation.

I am so sorry to report that I absolutely HATED this book. I was trying to power through a spite read but finally decided to give up at the 70% mark. You know it's bad when you have to abandon ship that late in the game, I couldn't even bring myself to get through the last 30%.

When Allison's husband Peter is arrested for money laundering, wire fraud, and threatening police, she is left suddenly with no access to their bank accounts, a toddler, and a baby on the way. Peter claims the charges are all a misunderstanding and he'll be out soon, but Allison is left to swallow her pride and face it alone. She'd rather do quite literally anything than turn to Peter's ex-wife, Erica, for help, but when her step-daughter gets her mom involved, the two women put aside their differences for the sake of the girl they love: Summer.

It was genuinely shocking to me how literally NOTHING happened in about 300 pages. No plot. Whatsoever. Lots of talk about being "so worried for Allison and the baby" but I really could not tell you what happened in this book otherwise. I mean how many times can we talk about not having enough money to afford fresh vegetables for the toddler - and when money does come we're relieved we can buy fresh vegetables. It was every chapter!!

Not a single character was likeable - they were either selfish or whiney (or both!). And the way the dialogue is written is so incredibly unnatural. Everything felt so forced and weird. If I interacted with people who spoke like this in real life I would be concerned for their wellbeing.

I hate give a book 1 star as much as I hate to DNF (I think this is only my second DNF of the year!). I can power through a lot, but this was not it. I feel like I've read Susan Mallery before and don't remember disliking her writing this much, but this was not for me.

I've read a lot of Susan Mallery's books, essentially all of them, and "The Love of Summer" was a pleasant surprise! 🌟 This book took an unexpected turn with the storyline involving someone's husband being in jail, which added depth and intrigue.

Each of the characters was lovable in their own unique way. What I appreciated most was the theme of finding your people and sticking together to support each other. This book was less about romance and more about the power of friendship and community.

Overall, "The Love of Summer" is a heartfelt and engaging read. If you enjoy stories about strong bonds and resilience, definitely a recommended read!