Interesting turn of events. Being an ex-wife with a high school daughter Erica was the financial support for her family. Her multiple spas and salons were doing well, and her daughter Summer was as well. School was okay and Summer excelled and loved her softball. In Erica’s eyes, she and Summer were a team. Teamwork and schedules were an essential part of their life. Peter, the ex was still in the picture, at least for Summer. Now remarried he and his new wife Allison were expecting their second child. In many ways Allison seems like the polar opposite of Erica. Definitely not ambitious. And now clueless about the legal problems Peter is experiencing.

Peter carefully nurtured the facts about their divorce. He came away as the injured party. Erica let that go so as to lessen the effects on Summer. Even now it’s still poor Peter syndrome. And now it seems Summer is troubled by poor Allison since Peter has been arrested for some security issues. Erica doesn’t see where any of this fall under her umbrella. But the problems just may have a cascading effect on all of them.

Erica had kept it concealed that Peter, as her accountant, had stolen money from her businesses. She had of course moved her businesses out of his firm. And now years later it seems as if Peter’s firm just may have been involved in something less than legal.

Erica has no intention of letting Summer get sucked into the misery that her ex caused.
The path of the storyline in FOR THE LOVE OF SUMMER was unexpected. Fabulous of course as literary art by Susan Mallery. This is a testimony to a mother’s love and devotion even at their own expense. You may not be comfortable with the situation that ensues in this life examination. But the relationship between mothers and children is sacrosanct.

Susan Mallery presents us with an experiment. Through the dialog between mother, daughter, and grandmother you are part of the dynamic. The relationship between Erica and the man she is seeing – note not referred to as the boyfriend - Killion is just another example of what talented Susan Mallery can conjure up. In a discussion between Killion and Erica her response is “fine.” Killion’s response to fine is that it isn’t an acceptable answer. Fine either means they don’t want to talk about it or guess what’s bothering me. The exchange between these two characters is very enlightening and once again illustrates the mastery of Susan Mallery.

Suffice it to say be prepared to be swept off your feet by FOR THE LOVE OF SUMMER. From start to finish these characters will just blow you away with their witty repartee, sass, and heartfelt chats. Pure Susan Mallery. Sure to make new fans and enthrall her old ones.

I loved this newest book by Susan Mallery because i found it so relatable being a divorced mom myself. I don't find many plots similar to this, and loved how interconnected the characters were. Highly recommend

This was a refreshingly honest and at times comedic depiction of family life when problems arise. Reading about Erica, Mara, Peter, Allison, Killion, and Summer made me feel totally engaged in finding out what was going to happen. Excellent book! Highly recommend!

I was very excited to receive an advance copy of this book as Susan Mallery always delivers on creating an interesting read. This book was no exception. I was thoroughly engrossed from the beginning and loved the uplifting women supporting women message. I would have liked a little more backstory about the past relationship between Erica and Allison and some closure on the husband’s alleged crime as I felt these two storylines could have used more substance; however, this did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. Highly recommended!

For the Love of Summer" presents a unique premise centered around the dynamics of family and unlikely friendships. Erica, a successful businesswoman, finds herself navigating the complexities of her relationships when her ex-husband's arrest brings his new wife, Allison, into their lives. The story revolves around Erica's daughter, Summer, who initiates the idea of allowing Allison to move in, sparking an unexpected camaraderie between the two women.

While the storyline offers a refreshing twist, the characters fall short in likability. Erica's struggle to balance her personal and professional life feels relatable, yet her character lacks depth, making it difficult for readers to fully invest in her journey. Similarly, Summer's rebellious attitude and lack of respect towards her mother may deter some readers from connecting with her.

Despite the shortcomings in character development, the novel's exploration of complex familial relationships and the growth of unexpected friendships adds layers of depth to the narrative. Readers intrigued by unconventional family dynamics and themes of forgiveness and redemption may find "For the Love of Summer" to be a compelling read.

Overall, "For the Love of Summer" offers a thought-provoking storyline with moments of emotional resonance, but its appeal may be limited by the lack of relatable and likable characters.

A great summer read by one of my favorite author's! I've been reading thrillers for the last couple of months, so this was a breath of fresh air! The plot was deep and the characters complex, but not in a heavy way.

What a breath of fresh air to read about the very premise we often preach but rarely see- women supporting women. For The Love of Summer by Susan Mallery is packed with emotion & written in such a way that you can almost feel it yourself. The characters in this book are extremely well written & very relatable. This book is a testament to the strength & limitlessness of a mother’s love. This was such a good read & I will be reading more books by this author.

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing-MIRA for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hooray for the Sisterhood! Women supporting women, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. I loved watching Erica reluctantly opening her heart and embracing her ex's family for her daughter Summer's sake. As for her boyfriend Killion, oh my gosh. Clone him and send him right over!

I am a huge fan of Susan Mallery's and she does not disappoint with For the Love of Summer, which contains her usual humorous dialogue and relatable characters. Entrepreneur, Erica Sawyer, has her hands full being a divorced mother of a teenage daughter, Summer, running a busy full service salon chain in Seattle, a friends with benefits relationship with businessman Killian, and her mother living in her guest cottage, when her world gets further complicated as her ex-husband gets arrested for money laundering and various other charges. Her ex, Peter, being in jail, causes his second wife, Allison Jenkins, a world of problems since their bank accounts are frozen, she has a toddler to provide for and is pregnant with baby number two. Summer loves her stepmom and would do anything for her, but should this desire to help include Erica? The title refers to what a mother does for the love of her daughter, and this was my only problem with the book, I couldn't buy the idea that Erica would entertain the solution that Summer was proposing. I still enjoyed their stories and would highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Harlequin Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced ebook copy of this book to review. My review has been posted today to Goodreads.

Early on in the book, I wasn’t sure I would like it but since Susan Mallery is one of my favorite authors, I kept reading. The more I read, the more engrossed I was in the story and the characters. Great development of both. Very good book and an enjoyable read.

Another fantastic Susan Mallery book even though it was a lot different from her usual story.
A story about 2 women, leading very different lives while getting to share a daughter named Summer. One is the mother and one is her step mother. Something drastic happens in the story that leaves Summer's step mother hurting and stress while also being pregnant with her second child. Summer steps in to ask her mother to help as they are all family. Her mother reluctantly helps and this is the story of what each woman feels going through this hard time and beautiful friendships that were built.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to reach this advance reader copy, it was great!

Erica, Summer and Allison. Three diverse women who come together and change each others life. Erica always strong, Summer her daughter on the brink of womanhood and Allison the new wife of Ericas ex. The common thread is Summer. Loving both mom and step mom she brings the book together.. A completely enjoyable read. I will say be prepared for Allison. Her character took a lot to get used to.

Entertaining story of 2 women trying to manage their lives. One woman is divorced with a teen daughter and is the owner of a salon chain. Her ex-husband married another woman who has a toddler and is pregnant with her second child. The man is an accountant and is arrested for shady deals. This is when the story gets crazy.

For the Love of Summer
This is such a cute story. Erica is a badass business women with a daughter that has a heart of gold. She also has an idiot ex husband. While the events of the book are super unrealistic, because let’s be honest no one loves a new wife like that, this book gives you an opportunity to feel like maybe there are people like that in the world. This book really did inspire me to be better and judge less.
If you have enjoyed other titles by Susan, you are sure to like this one as well.

I am a huge Susan Mallery fan and have read almost all of her books. With that being said, this didn’t feel like a typical Susan Mallery book. Several times while reading the book, I actually went back and checked to make sure I was reading a book by Susan Mallery.

I loved this book! The story was fascinating and kept me hooked the whole time. Erica was an INCREDIBLE character and I adored her from the beginning. Allison grew on me throughout the book. I thought Peter was scum, and Allison not seeing it and just bring in denial 80% of the book was very frustrating. The second Allison asked for a divorce, she redeemed herself in my eyes. Erica and Allison’s growth was amazing and I adored their friendship. This book was nothing that I expected and I really enjoyed it!!

For the Love of Summer
by Susan Mallery
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Erica would do anything for Summer, even take in the woman her daughter loves like a second mom. Allison feels intimidated by Erica—a woman who would never let herself become so dependent on a man. But the more time they spend together, the more Allison realizes what Erica truly needs is a friend. Can two women who married the same man move beyond their complicated past and rethink what it means to be family?
I really enjoyed this Summer Read and highly recommend it for people who want a sweet story about moving forward.
Topics of. of being able to be financially independent and not allowing past hurts to influence future loves are handled. It is not a graphic, romance novel, but a sweet story of an unlikely friendship and moving forward.
5 stars

I always look forward to Susan Mallory’s newest book. This one roped me in from the very first page. Erica was married to Peter but they got divorced and he then married Alison. Peter finds himself in jail and poor Alison is practically homeless with a 18 month old and is pregnant by Peter. Erica steps up and helps her find her way again. It’s quite a story! I enjoyed it! A feel good story to me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release. Due out June 2024.

Summer is a fairly mature 16 year old girl who loves her family, including her stepmother and half brother and half sister. When Summer's dad is arrested and Summer's stepmom, Allison, is overwhelmed with handling everything, Summer tries to help. Erica, Summer's mom, is a successful salon owner and businesswoman. She could care less about Summer's father being in prison. What she does care about though is doing everything she can for Summer, who she loves with all her heart and soul.

This is a true escape from life book - it reads easily and quickly but still has some substance to the storyline. I would love to see a sequel to this book to see how everything moves on in the end.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something that isn't too serious, not too dark, just an uplifting kind of book. I was given this copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

The book started a little slow but picked up at about 30%. A little predictable but I love a good female empowerment story.

I really wanted to like this book, in fact by chapter 2 I was completely enthralled and ready to binge it. Unfortunately, the book really dragged on, and it truly felt like nothing happened. I found myself wanting to DNF by 50% but pushed through because I thought surely something would happen. I wondered "how many times can these characters have the exact same conversations?" I'm sure this just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you to netgalley, Susan Mallery, and the publishers for the opportunity to read an ALC in exchange for an honest review.