I liked the mental health representation. I enjoyed both Lark and Nick’s individual storylines but their romance fell a bit flat for me. There was just not enough build up or growth. I wish instead of skipping time at the end we had had a little bit of their individual growth as well. Especially since Lark changed a lot.
I almost wish this wasn’t dual pov. I think if it had just been Lark and more about her journey dealing with depression that I might have enjoyed it more.

It was a nice and cozy read. Despite the above, I did have a nice time reading it. Nick’s mom and the ladies in art class were a lot of fun. I liked all the way they spoke about art as well. It was beautiful.

THE SUMMER OF PERFECT MISTAKES – Cynthia St. Aubin
Harlequin Afterglow
ISBN: 978-1-335-04165-4
June 25, 2024
Romantic Comedy

Spring Valley, Virginia – Present Day

Lark Hockney was the perfect girl in high school—homecoming queen, valedictorian, and dating the most wonderful guy in the world. But it all came to a shattering end as Lark realized that she didn’t like her perfect life. When her boyfriend asked her to marry him in front of their family and friends, she told him no. All of her life she had done what her parents expected of her. They wanted her to go to medical school and follow in their footsteps and marry the son of good friends, but she can’t, not now.

Lark has been holed up in her parents’ basement for months afterward, fearful of going out where she experiences panic attacks. Her mother encourages Lark to take an art class at the local college. She does—and runs into an old high school friend, Nick Hoffman, who is teaching the class. Surrounded by other people in the class, Lark feels like a fish out of water, though she enjoys art. With Nick’s presence and encouragement, she soon opens up—and begins to feel a connection--to Nick.

THE SUMMER OF PERFECT MISTAKES is an intriguing read of a life seemingly perfect that goes all wrong. Lark’s parents are self-absorbed and have high expectations of their only child. She wants to please them but realizes that she doesn’t have what it takes emotionally to attend medical school. Lark ended up with severe panic attacks that has kept her isolated. Returning to the world around her was supposed to be a small step, but when her phone dies and her mother doesn’t show up to take her home after the art class, it’s Nick who rescues her. He is kind and she responds to his kindness. They are soon seeing each other outside the art class, though she keeps it a secret from her parents. Is Nick part of her healing?

Nick is only in Spring Valley for the summer. He owns part of a company with a friend who is based in the city, though his partner is forever hounding him about returning. Right now, his attention is on Lark. She is beautiful and vulnerable, and he can’t resist being around her. As the summer continues in THE SUMMER OF PERFECT MISTAKES, Nick helps Lark spread her wings. Are they falling in love? When the summer is over, he will be leaving Spring Valley, while Lark must make a decision. She has an acceptance letter from a prestigious medical school to enter their program. Will she accept it or convey to her parents that she doesn’t want to become a doctor?

A beautifully told tale of vulnerability and rising above the ashes, readers will fall in love with Lark and Nick. Don’t miss their story in THE SUMMER OF PERFECT MISTAKES.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

This was cute. I mean we all make mistakes and it’s what we do afterwards that matters. I’d recommend.

Need a quick, heartfelt, summer read packed with chemistry and a little bit of spice? This one is for you!

I had a lot of fun with this read! It was perfect for summer and had a lot of heart. The “opposites from high school meet later in life and attract” trope was nearly perfectly executed.

Lark and Nick’s chemistry was off the charts and I love how he encouraged her to be herself true self. Their first date and rebel adventures had me swooning!

I loved the mental health rep and Lark’s journey to (true) self discovery. Her struggles with anxiety and depression were realistic and well written. Healing isn’t linear and I really liked the way this piece of the story was represented.

The last 10% of the book did feel pretty rushed and I wish we could’ve expanded on everything that happened. I just wanted a little more depth in those last few pages!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin romance- Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Afterglow Books by Harlequin & netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A cute, easy summer read! Nick and Lark had amazing chemistry from the very start which had me intrigued till the very end. I had minor issues with this book, mainly with the last 50%. Things felt a bit rushed and unresolved. I had high hopes going into this book but in the end, it fell a bit flat for me. However, I still think it was a good book, especially if you're looking for a quick summer read!

The Summer of Perfect Mistakes: ★★★☆☆ (3)

Pub date: June 25 - preorder now!

Thank you to Harlequin Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
Nick and Lark find themselves back in their hometown for the summer. Both living with their parents and both grappling with their pasts. Lark has always been an overachiever her entire life, living in the shadow of her physician parents. Her future was mapped out for her and she willingly followed the path. She has never experienced failure until she went off to college. She has a nervous breakdown and her helicopter parents coddle her, trying to reset her on the path they meticulously paved for her.
It isn't until she meets an old high school acquaintance that she starts to find the joy in living life. Nick shows Lark how to rebel against being perfect, to make decisions for herself, and find happiness in the stroke of a paintbrush.
Nick has his own set of demons that he has to come to grips with. The book takes on some darker themes, but the author manages to balance the heavy moments with a set of hilarious women who befriend Lark and brighten the book with their colorful personalities.
There is a third act breakup, but it works in this scenario. The author stays true to the characters and their journey in this decision.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would highly recommend.

3.5 stars …I had a hard time connecting with nick and lark. Even though the words encoded depth; I still didn’t see it. Larks growth and transformation throughout the story was very cute but also predictable? Nothing felt fresh unfortunately. It was good, not great.

“I want to be strong enough to swim by someone’s side, not pull them under because I’m drowning.”

This was such an authentic and relatable book! It is truly a love story to anyone who is still trying to figure out what they want in life.

We meet Lark, former high school darling, during her extended hiatus after a single semester of medical school, following in the footsteps of her parents, husband-wife OBGYNs with their own health clinic. She has 27 days to decide whether she’ll go back to med school in the fall or surrender her highly coveted spot. During this time, her parents are controlling her schedule, treating her like a teenager again, waiting for her to choose the right path (aka what they want) or fall on her face again. One of the only things they’ll allow her to do during this time is take a community art class. Little does she know, the art class is taught by the rebel from her school days, Nick.

As a first daughter, former Valedictorian, perfectionist myself, I could totally relate to Lark and her breakdown. She was incredibly relatable and a perfect example of what it feels like to have your world crash around you because of things small and large.

Meanwhile, Nick, former high school rebel and all-around tech nerd, was trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his business: adapt to what his partner wanted and forgo the moral implications or stand up from himself and his technology to be used the way he intended. Even while dealing with his own stuff, Nick was such a steady presence for both Lark and the reader. Having pined for her in high school and being a patient man who watches and listens carefully, he understood Lark so much better than anyone else did, including herself. There were so many moments where he truly showed that he knew her and what she needed, from helping being a rebel during the summer to simply holding her shaking leg under a coffee table as a small comfort.

Their interactions together really made this feel like a spiced up YA novel, in the best ways possible! We got all the giddy feelings and cozy exchanges of a YA paired with some sexy times and it was to die for!

Speaking of sexy times, there were quite a few scenes that had me shrieking while reading this, having snuck up on me. The two that come to mind were when Lark was on the phone with her mom and Nick was…not keeping his hands to himself. I don’t know why, but that has ALWAYS been super sexy to me. I must be a secret exhibitionist 😈

The second was when there was a mirror and throat grabs. SIR!! I CANNOT READ THIS AFTER BEING SHOWN HOW SWEET YOU ARE. YOU ARE MAKING IT HARD TO NOT LOVE YOU!

I would be remiss to mention how much I loved the side characters Tammy and Linda who really acted as motherly figures, or let’s say “cool aunts”, to both Lark and Nick. They were hilarious but totally there for them when needed.

This is the perfect book to kick off summer!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Cynthia St. Aubin for a copy of this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

Ahhh i loved this one so much! Lark was such a relatable character and her inner monologues had me cracking up!! Nick was so different than I expected him to he like when we first met him but I loved every single moment of it!!!!
I loved the anxiety representation - it’s not downing i see delved into a lot in books and I can appreciate it as someone with anxiety myself. The only that that I would change is when Lark told her parents her decision- their reactions didn’t add up to how I perceived them the entire book, and the epilogue - it needed to be longer!!!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lark has struggled after high school. When she turns up to Nick's community art class, he is stunned to see her in the shape she is in. Gone is the popular outgoing girl he used to know. Nick knows she is still in there and over the course of the summer, he decides to pull her back out.

This was an easy to read romance, perfect for a summer beach read! It was both steamy and sweet with characters who were both likeable. There was also great mental health representation in the story and fantastic side characters.

This book follows Lark, a former prom queen and valedictorian now at Dartmouth, as she navigates life after a public breakup and the decision to leave medical school. Battling depression and anxiety, she finds solace in an art class taught by a former classmate, Nick. As they reconnect, Lark learns to indulge in life’s pleasures and starts healing. The story, filled with humor, wit, and deep emotion, highlights Lark’s journey from perfection to embracing her true self. Lark’s supportive friends, Tammy, Linda, and Julia, and Nick’s tender care add warmth and depth. The book portrays the non-linear path of healing and the importance of self-acceptance, with well-written, steamy romance scenes adding to the charm.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin-Romance for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a sweet and deeply emotional yet lighthearted romantic comedy that’s perfect for summer!! I was totally hooked from the beginning and finished it in one sitting because it was that amazing! It’s a beautifully written story of discovering what you truly desire and summoning the courage to pursue it. I absolutely loved it so much and highly recommend!!!

I read this novel as an Advanced Reader’s Copy courtesy of the publisher, Netgalley and the author. I really enjoyed this novel and loved the chemistry of the main characters. This novel was definitely a good change of pace of some of the books I have been reading. I will definitely be on the look out for other novels by Cynthia.

This novel focuses on Lark, who is a med student drop out but who also suffers from being a perfectionist due to the pressures and expectations that everyone including her parents has for her. When she returns to her home town her mother signs her up for an art class, and the course is taught by no one other than her former classmate Nick.

Nick can immediately sense a difference in Lark and sets out on a journey to helping her be the woman that she is rather than what everyone else sees her as, or what she feels that she should be. The chemistry between these two is completely hot, and engaging. I loved reading their story and loved Lark’s journey throughout this novel.

I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed but I am particular about endings and wanting the HEA to last longer. Overall I loved this novel!

Very beautiful writing. Emotional. I got lost into the story and lost track of time. From Lark’s mental health journey to Nick’s reformed bad boy life. It was short but it gut me to the core.

Lark Hockney was the golden girl of Spring Valley. She is home hiding in her parents' basement. It seems the perfect daughter, student and girlfriend has crashed and burned. When her boyfriend of several years proposes it all comes crashing down and she runs from the country club proposal.
She was supposed to be in medical school, but she can't seem to get out of the basement. Nick Hoffman is in town for the summer from his job in NYC. He is teaching an art class at the local college. Lark's mother has convinced her to try the art class since she always loved art.
Nick and Lark graduated together and didn't really spend any time together in high school. Nick is home at his mother's house and trying to find his way since his partnership is not what he thought it would be. They reconnect and he gets Lark to come out of her shell. The story is about learning not to be a people pleaser and do what you really want in your life.

“The Summer of Perfect Mistakes” is a steamy romance to be sure, but for me it left me wanting more. I’m all for second chance romances, but at least for me, I want a little substance from the characters and their interactions before they jump into their romance, and that doesn’t happen here. We meet a FMC who’s battling depression and starts flirting with the MMC in one of their first real conversations? The secondary characters in this book, which carrying some personality, just didn’t make any sense in the storyline in my opinion. It just read weird to me. This might be more a miss of me not being the audience this book was intended for, so if you’re looking for lust and steam then you will get your fill here. If you want a little more depth in the characters and storyline, I’m afraid this book might be a stretch for you.

**Thank you to Harlequin Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review**

3.5⭐️

From the outside, Lark has the perfect life. She was prom queen, valedictorian of her college and now she is a medical student at an Ivy League university. However, after suffering from a public mental breakdown, she is taking time off from medical school and is unable to leave her parents basement. When her mom suggests that she should take an art class at the local community college, Lark does not expect her teacher to be Nick: former classmate and high school “bad boy”. Nick is also taking a break from his life in New York City and the two end up helping each other discover what they really want out of life.

This was a fun and easy summer read! There were lots of interesting characters and I loved the mental health representation. I enjoyed this book, but I will say that the pacing was a little fast in the second half of the book. Overall, this is a sweet, entertaining book.

Thank you to Cynthia St. Aubin, Harlequin Romance and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cynthia St. Aubin is an author I discovered last year and I have enjoyed everything she has written. The Summer of Perfect Mistakes turned out to be the summers perfect romance read. I loved this book. I loved everything about it. From the characters to the storyline to the details of the setting. St. Aubin has such a wide range of story telling. I love how she can write a steamy monster romance and then this beautiful emotion provoking love story. She also does a great job representing mental health in many of her stories and this one was no different. Her honest writing allowed me to really connect with both of the MCs. Nick was also the perfect cinnamon roll MMC. He will quickly become many readers newest book boyfriend! The story gave a good coming of age with a HEA vibe and I enjoyed it from start to finish. This story will live rent free in my mind for many months to come!

This was a quick read for me as I skip over the intimate scenes. I enjoyed seeing the growth of the couple and learning more about their past. Some interesting characters add to the tale. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC. This book is about Lark who is dealing with mental health issues after a nervous breakdown. Lark meets Nick, who she knew in high school while attending his art class at a local community college. Instantly, the chemistry between the two of them is amazing. I loved the way the author discussed Larks mental health journey and the way Nick supported Lark through her journey. This was a fast paced read and I would definitely recommend this book! There was great character developments ,spice, and funny side characters!