The beachy vibes of the cover definitely pulled me in when I requested a copy to read, and was so excited for the perfect beach read.

A coastal beach house, complex family dynamics, and a romance. However, it wasn’t the beach read I’d hoped for unfortunately, and had a hard time connecting to the story.

I did enjoy the narration of the audiobook format and would recommend!

*many thanks to Alcove Press, Netgalley for the gifted copy

Olivia Taylor is ready to leave her husband, Wes, when she agrees to come home to the Hamptons to help her dad and sisters pack up the family estate. Olivia has always been the one to take care of things in her family, and with their dad’s financial troubles, they are grateful for the generous offer someone has made on their beachfront property. However, going home means saying goodbye to the house where her mother died and Olivia met her first love, Fred. Olivia and Fred tried numerous summers to make things work out for them, and Olivia fears at this point, it is too late for them. However, he is around, and both of them are single. Could this time be different?

The blurb recommended this book to fans of Emily Henry, but I did not see the similarities. At times, this story dragged on. I enjoyed their first summer together but was increasingly frustrated each time they reconnected and self-sabotaged. I generally love a second chance romance, but this one just didn’t connect for me. Megan Tusing did a nice job narrating the audiobook.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book.

Summer After Summer by Lauren Bailey is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion, set against the backdrop of the Hamptons. The story follows Olivia Taylor as she returns to her family's beachfront estate to help pack up their home, which has been sold after years of financial struggle. Complicating matters is the unexpected buyer—her first love, Fred, with whom she shares a tumultuous history.

While the book has a lot of elements I enjoy in a summer read—like the charming coastal setting, the possibility of a second chance romance, and a likable male lead—it ultimately fell short in a few key areas. The love story between Olivia and Fred was frustrating, with their separation feeling more like a result of poor communication rather than any substantial obstacle. Additionally, the portrayal of Olivia's wealthy but inactive family felt out of place in a modern context, making them less sympathetic and relatable.

Olivia herself came across as immature and at times, petty—traits I found surprising and disappointing for a 36-year-old protagonist. The constant back-and-forth in the timeline added to my confusion, and the story often felt more like a young adult novel than the adult romance I was expecting.

In the end, Summer After Summer has all the ingredients for a compelling summer romance—second chances, family drama, and nostalgic summer love—but it didn't quite come together for me. It was an okay read, but it lacked the spark to make it truly memorable.

I really enjoyed Summer After Summer. I liked the past and present narration so that we could get a feel of the relationships that Olivia had prior to her marriage with Wes. And also how her relationship with Fred evolved over the years. The writing was beautiful and I really enjoyed this story of lost love. The narrator did a great job with the audio as well. Highly recommend!

***Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape audio for an ARC copy***

// thank you to the publishers and net galley for granting me an arc of this book!

i’m very sad that i did not enjoy this book as much as i wanted to. i think i went into it wanting the wrong things: i’m a massive fan of jane austen’s persuasion and so i was really excited to see a modern retelling of one of her lesser-known works, especially one advertised as ‘perfect for fans of beach read by emily henry’. while i loved the summer house setting and multiple timelines, i think this book felt a bit confused. it felt like the retelling didn’t entirely understand what made the original so great.

we’re not given a lot to root for with regards to fred specifically and the main couple more generally. in the original, the beautiful thing about the romance is that both characters see each other so clearly. they are the first people in their lives that put the other first–and not just put them first, but understand and see one another so clearly where no one else in their lives does. here, i think we’re missing that *reason* to root for the main couple despite all their years apart. especially when, when describing the start of the relationship with the main character’s husband, i found myself rooting for him more than fred. this idea of her finally having a love where she felt safe, and learning that love didn’t have to be turbulent and uncertain to be *real*--i thought that was a really beautiful message and i was honestly rooting for them. their first summer together when they are 16 is sweet and described well, but you really have to trust in the main character when she tells you ‘it’s like this with no one else’ because it’s honestly not that clear from their actions. you can really tell that the main character has some attachment issues in terms of not wanting to commit to something serious through hardships–and this is by no means a criticism of the book, it felt very realistic for the main character to be going through these things considering everything that had happened to her. but it makes it much more difficult to root for the main couple, especially in contrast to her husband, where you don’t see her pull herself back constantly (probably because she’s not actually interested in him beyond the safety net, but that’s neither here nor there).

furthermore, i think that the fact that both characters emotionally cheated on their partners for one another made it much harder to root for them. especially when we see the main character suffering from the effects of her husband cheating at the very start of the book. again, i do think this criticism partially comes from reading this reading this primarily as a jane austen retelling–because in that book, what’s so nice is this idea they both held a torch for one another and never got close to marriage because they both unconsciously compared every person that came after to one another. whereas in this book, it feels more like an strange obsession that the main character can’t quite get rid of. within hours of landing in london, she seeks fred out despite how badly he hurt her, simply because she ‘can’t stop herself’ and ‘has to see him’. it just felt a little less sincere.

i also found this was a strange kind of retelling. some of the character names were retained (i.e. calling the love interest fred or his ‘fling’ lucy), but others were not (i.e. not calling the main character anne). some plot points were kept, but twisted slightly (i.e. selling their house, but being defrauded by her husband in the process). i found there were not a lot of positive additions to the story–basically only the idea that the oldest sister, who stays at home with her father, unmarried forever, in persuasion, is bisexual. i thought this was a really nice new layer to add to the original, and something i will carry with me when i reread persuasion as a ‘headcanon’. fragments were also taken directly from the original text (i.e. fred’s letter saying he’s ‘half agony, half hope’), but these made little sense in this context. fred-from-new-england would never say that, he wouldn’t use those words. he also wouldn’t send a letter when they’ve always reached out to one another via text.

another thing i found quite strange, which is more of a personal pet peeve, is the hyperrealism in this romance. while i understand that a story that spans across the last 20 years will contain things like the financial crisis of 2008 and the covid pandemic of 2020, seeing events like these in romance novels always puts me off. personally, the primary purpose of romance is escapism, escaping into a world close enough to reality that it could be real, but still isn’t. so to include things like how the covid pandemic ended up inadvertently causing the main characters divorce really put me off. however, this is a personal preference of mine, and i’m sure other people prefer the hyperrealism.

i will say that i loved the main characters commitment to her ambitions, her tennis career was her everything, and that was nice to see. i loved the way she ended up choosing her own ambitions and plans over those of fred when he proposed to her at 21. which, when she said she wanted to not get married to her, he thought the best move was ending that relationship–and i think this underscores what i disliked about this book so much: none of these leaps in miscommunication felt realistic or logical. miscommunication, especially in love stories which span such a long timeline, is natural and human. but none of these instances felt realistic. or, if they did, they felt like things i wouldn’t be able to get past if i was in that situation (i.e. her not telling fred she had a fiance and him finding out when he popped by her hotel room before what was basically a date).

i also loved the thread throughout here about the main character discovering more about her mother, who passed away in when she was a teenager, through the house. finding her journal, her favorite books, and using that to understand her mother’s life–and relate to it, now that she had lived similar experiences. again, i will say that it felt too on-the-noose for her mother’s favourite book to be persuasion and to discuss persuasion *inside* a persuasion retelling–but perhaps that is a personal preference again.

lastly, i would like to add that the ‘final plot twist’ made absolutely no sense. if the author had wanted to make this kind of plot twist work, they would have had to make wes (the husband) behave very differently–both in terms of trying to fix his relationship all summer only to apparently be plotting against the main character so he could get her money? but also in terms of how he acted towards their realtor. there was absolutely no indication of anything that our main character suddenly *discovered* (discovered by reading the fucking contract to sell the house, something SOMEBODY surely should have done earlier). it felt like a last-ditch effort to make the audience prefer her relationship with fred, and without feeling guilty that she’d have to get a divorce to do so.

furthermore, the idea of her and fred moving in together (back into her family’s house, which he *obviously* bought for her this whole time (after she lied about not having a fiance)) felt a little nonsensical. it didn’t feel like a healthy and natural start to an adult relationship.

however, i did love the part of the epilogue where she picks her tennis career up again, and this time with the security of having people at home cheering for her and ready to pick up the pieces if she loses again. it was a nice little conclusion to her tennis career subplot, especially when she sacrificed so much for it.

i will say, the audiobook was wonderfully read. the narrator’s pacing, tone and ability to differentiate between characters was fantastic!

This has all the makings for a great summer read! The coast, family dynamics, sweet romance. However, the plot just dragged on. And on. It was entirely too long and I felt the storyline was wrapped up long before the book actually ended. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

"Summer After Summer" was an engaging second-chance (and third, and fourth and fifth) romance featuring Olivia and Fred. They first met as teenagers, when Fred came to Olivia's hometown in the Hamptons to visit family for the summer. They had a blissful few weeks together before he had to return home and things kind of went off the rails right away.

Each five years over the ensuing decades, they seem to run into each other again, but the timing is never right, until suddenly it is. They're both getting out of relationships that can't possibly work because they're each with the wrong person.

But before we can get to the happily ever after, there is a lot of drama back and forth as we follow this dual timeline narrative, learning how they first met and the disasters they've previously endured as well as what's happening in the present day.

This author is new to me, but I enjoyed her storytelling and characters and look forward to reading something more by her in the future.

Thank you you Lauren Bailey, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Summer After Summer
Author: Lauren Bailey
Romance

Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for this ALC! Okay I was super surprised. I actually really enjoyed this. I am not familiar with the Persuasion story so it was all fresh for me. Olivia is returning to her family’s estate in the Hamptons to help them pack up and sell it. Her marriage is about to end, and she’s just a mess. Fred was the love of her life, and it’s been five years since she has last seen him. She gets hit with a curve ball when it ends up being Fred that is trying to buy the property. This book alternates timelines and has lots of five year time jumps. I found myself in awe with the characters while at times also being infuriated with them! I was not sure if I was going to be team Fred since he upset me a bunch of times. However the story was good and it kept me going until the very end. This was such a unique read for me… I know I suck since I have not read Persuasion. 😂. Olivia was also a professional tennis player which I loved.. 🎾

In this contemporary retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Olivia’s marriage is falling apart so she decides to move home to the Hamptons to help her sisters pack it up their family’s estate. After years of financial difficulties someone is bailing them out…Fred. Her first love. For years they tried to make it work but the timing never worked out…maybe this summer will be different.

This was Lauren Bailey’s debut novel and I really enjoyed it. It was the perfect summer read. It had drama, love, deception, summer romance, basically everything you want in a beach read. I was surprised to read this was her first book. I’m looking forward to reading her next!

I loved the split timeline of this story! Seeing Olivia (and Fred)’s lives laid out between them meeting up every five years and where they are currently in life was perfect! You couldn’t help but root for them every time they were around each other again! This was the perfect read for the summer! If you are a fan of Elin Hilderbrand or Kristy Woodson Harvey, you should definitely give this one a try!

Can the fifth time be the charm? Olivia and Fred meet for the first time as teenagers and they had big plans for a lifetime together. But life doesn't always turn out the way we plan, and they drift apart. Now it's twenty years later, and Olivia is going back to her childhood home to help clean it out before it's sold. Turns out, Fred has gone on to become quite a successful and wealthy man, and has bought the house. And we learn that their relationship has been a 5-year cycle of coming together for a bit, only to be pulled apart again by circumstances, by misunderstandings, by life in general. Over the course of the book we see the previous four time periods where they tried to make things work. Now Olivia's marriage is crumbling, and their attraction is as strong as ever. Can they manage to make it work for the long haul this time? These are very human characters - they make bad decisions. They don't always communicate well. We don't always agree with what they say/do. It's almost like real life. But by the end I was pulling for them to get past their past and move into their future. It was a very good debut novel. I did listen to the audiobook, and the narration by Megan Tusing was excellent.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

This was such a charming, sweet summer book! I loved the premise, and I honestly couldn’t stop! This one will stay with me for a while.

If you liked Carrie Soto is back but wanted more of a love story. Then Summer after Summer is for you! I am shocked that this is Lauren Bailey's debut novel. It is so fun and insightful at the same time. I really connected with some of the family dynamics in this as well. Great read!

I'm so glad I gave this debut novel a chance. Great writing and narration! A perfect summertime 'second chance' love story 💖 that includes a beautiful backdrop of a Hampton's summer home, some family drama and my favourite summertime sport- tennis 🎾

The story is told slowly yet it always had me wanting to listen. Olivia's family is selling their beachfront Hampton's home. Her marriage is in trouble and she decides to go back and help her family pack it up. Once she's back in the Hampton's she's greeted with a surprise about the house and also runs back into Fred who was her 'first love.'

It's a dual time line as the story goes back and forth with the present situation and into the past relationship of Fred and Olivia. The past begins in 2003 when they first meet as teenagers and then again in 2008 and 2018. I enjoyed both time lines but did enjoy the past ones just a little bit more.

This story has all the summer time feels to it so it's perfect for this time of year. I'd highly recommend packing it for a day lounging lakeside or on a beach ⛱️ There's a good little twist and an epilogue at the end.

☀️ Summer After Summer - Lauren Bailey

3.5 ⭐️ - This is a lovely, enjoyable, huggable summer romance read. Nothing too earth shattering and I hear it’s a retelling, but it was enjoyable, easy to listen to (highly recommend the audio) and light for the summer.

This one has your second chance, young love romance and it’s sweet, heartbreaking, and heartwarming at the same time. I enjoyed the characters, their relationships with each other both in romantic and familial ways, and the progression of the story. The flashbacks kept me engaged with learning about our characters past loves and current lives. I definitely recommend this for your summer reading list, especially for romance readers!

<i>Summer After Summer</i> is a romance in the most infuriating first lost love way. Olivia and Fred are that kind of summer love that is also love at first sight. It burns quick and fizzles out just as fast. But every 5 years they seem to cross paths again. That spark is still there and makes just was much damage every time they meet and then burn out. Expect more people start getting hurt along the way with them each time.
This is a find your truest self before your find true love beach read. Could the love that you had at 17 be the love that you should have when you are ready to settle down if you can find each other again?

I really enjoyed this story. A lovely enjoyable romance read. Going back and forth between the past and present day. Well written and a great storylines. In the lovely sunny setting of the Hamptons.
I had the audio book which was well narrated and clear and easy to listen to.
Recommended.

Sumer after Summer tells the love story of Olivia and Fred. Both met the summer they were 17. Despite that their love affair only lasted a couple of weeks, they fell in love almost instantly. Years later, and recently separated from her husband, Olivia is back home to sell her parents estate and the buyer is none other than Fred. Their story continues, is it the end or the beginning or their love story?

I loved this audiobook! This was the perfect book to start the summer of 2024 with. If you have read Carley Fortune's Every summer after, then you will love this one too! Really liked the location, small beach town with a coastal beach house. This summer romance got me hooked up from the very first chapter.

Good story with interesting family dynamics. This book had a nice relaxed vibe and an unexpected ending!