part of a multi-author romane series and this one was one my least favorites of the series. liked seeing other characters from other books in here but this one didn't do it for me

Plotting Summer is one book in a series of books called Falling for Summer but it can be read a a standalone. Each book in the series is a small town romance that takes place in the beautiful, but fictional, town of Sunset Harbor…where the residents are close knit and the retirees are nosy!

This romance is perfect for book lovers because it features an author that writes the wannabe love story with her secret crush from childhood…who happened to be her neighbor growing up, Tristan Palmer. And, did I mention that her pen name is Sunny Palmer?

Sunny’s real life name is Capri. She visits her family in her home town and happens to run across Tristan who is recently single. Can Capri keep her author identity and secret crush story under lock and key or will someone spill the beans?

Thank you to @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Summery Delight

Jess Heileman's Plotting Summer is a delightful addition to the Falling for Summer series. This heartwarming romance follows Capri, a young woman who reluctantly returns to her hometown of Sunset Harbor. As she reconnects with her childhood crush, Tristan, sparks fly and secrets are revealed.

Heileman's writing is both witty and heartfelt, creating a charming and engaging story. The slow-burn romance between Capri and Tristan is perfectly paced, filled with sweet moments and playful banter. The author's knack for crafting relatable characters and picturesque settings makes this book a truly enjoyable read.

The audiobook narration by Ellen Quay is exceptional. Her performance brings the story to life, capturing the characters' emotions and the summery atmosphere perfectly.

If you're looking for a heartwarming and romantic read, Plotting Summer is the perfect choice.

4 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #dreamscapemedia #plottingsummer #jessheileman #fallingforsummer

A cute summer romance that includes a writer FMC and a childhood crush/friends to lovers romance! It was cool to see how this story intersected with Summer Ever After, and I really related to the introverted writerly main character. But I do wish there’d been a little more depth to the story, especially with Tristan - I think the story would’ve benefitted from having his POV and seeing more of his character growth. But overall a very fun and clean closed door romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending me an advanced audio copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

I really enjoyed how well this connected to the first book (you can definitely read as a stand alone but there were many hints and nods to things I already had known about from the first book). I thought that was really fun since it was written by different authors. I liked that this had a unique secret that the character was keeping. I was also happy the conflict in the book was minimal! Overall cute and I enjoyed it!

I can't believe this is my first book in this series I've read?! Omg i loved it so much. Childhood crush!! Boy next door! Like yessss pls. Tristan was so freaking cute and swoon worthy.. I loved the secret identity aspect of this! I would recommend this to anyone who's looking for the perfect summer read.

Fun read for the summer. Very mellow love story, not too spicy but still has some warm romance. I love seeing all the characters storylines come together since I have read two of the other books within the series. I will most likely read the others in the future and like the idea of different characters stories written by all different authors. Very creative! And it’s introducing me to new authors I may not know of otherwise.

I am LOVING this series! I’ve listened to them all on audio and have enjoyed every single one. This one was no exception! It was witty, fresh, and fun. The audio was fantastic and I found it very engaging!

I loved this book! It was such a good listen and I loved that she was a secret author! I also loved her friendship with the MMC throughout the book and the big reveal was perfect! The narration was excellent and I would love to listen to them again!

✨ 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ✨

Plotting Summer
Jess Heilman
#3 in the Falling for Summer Series

I don’t know what it is about this series but each and every book so far has been so good!

Capri is a best selling author who uses a pen name - Sunny Palmer. She used her next door neighbor and longtime crushes last name! So, of course when readers want to unmask the writer behind the pen name Capri is nervous. There’s also the fact that her first book is based on their experience growing up!

I just loved this plot so much. The tension between Tristan and Capri. The way that she handles this predicament with her pen name made for such an enjoyable read. There were times that I questioned her past actions and had some second hand embarrassment for her. 😂 That all just shows that I was completely invested in this storyline!

I really like how the two precious books in this series main characters are also mentioned in this story. Love the continuation of their stories!

Narration was done by Ellen Quay. I really enjoyed this audiobook. I had so much fun listening I binged it in less than 24 hours!

The secret romance author and the wallflower book nerd combo was so fun! I was slightly thrown off when I realized this one wasn't a dual POV, like the first 2 in the series. However, the author was somehow able to give us enough of Tristan’s that it didn’t feel like it was missing anything but not including this POV. It was the perfect amount of tension, banter, chemistry, small town and family meddling, awkward situations that push them together (my favorite haha), and island life. Loved this sweet story so much and how they cared for each other!

The Falling for Summer series is an amazing series. Not only have I loved every single one that I’ve read, I’ve also been introduced to many new authors. Jess Heileman is one of them, and I quickly added her backlist to my TBR.

Plotting Summer was fantastic in every way. I loved every single second that I spent with Capri and Tristan. Capri avoids Sunset Harbor like her life depends on it after making a mistake years earlier. When she has to return for a quick visit to see her family, she finds herself stuck on the island. Next door is her longtime crush, Tristan Palmer, who just so happens to want to spend time with her. The start of a friendly competition brings these two together even more. Secret crush might be a new favorite trope. Oh my goodness. I can’t tell you how much I loved this one.

I listened to the audio book, and loved it. Ellen Quay did a fabulous job narrating. I’m excited to listen to it again.

Plotting Summer was one of my favorite books of the summer. If you love unrequited love, secret identity, and boy next door, this should be next on your TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio book. These thoughts are my own.

This was a lovely story, sweet and clean for those who look for that in a book. I enjoyed the hidden identity trope, without feeling like the reason for it was too contrived or unbelievable. I have already looked up the other Sunset Harbor books and have added them to my TBR. *A note about the audio book, I really enjoyed the narrator, especially how she did not need to put on a silly deep voice for the MMC. Great read.

Mini Review:

Plotting Summer by Jess Heileman is book 3 in the (Falling For Summer) Series but it can also be read as a standalone. This book is super adorable and I loved Capri’s character so much. I could relate to her character a bit because she is a bit of an introvert and a book nerd. Her inner thoughts were always so fun and made me smile. Tristan is Capri’s lifelong crush. She’s got a secret and has been doing her best to avoid him at all cost but this summer she might not have a choice but to spend a little time with him. With things or people conspiring to keep her in Sunset Harbor will she be able to keep her big secret.
Some things I loved:
*Capri’s inner thoughts and humbleness
*Capri’s family
*The audio narration was amazing and even the kid voices were on point.
* Who is Sunny Palmer?
*So many Fun Dates
If you’re looking for hidden identities, secret crushes, an introverted book nerd, friends to more, unrequited love, and several fun side characters then this is the book for you. I literally wish I lived in Sunset Harbor. Summer isn’t over yet go grab a copy of this just kisses/sweet romance.

Plotting Summer by Jess Heileman was such a cute beach read!

Capri had a HUGE childhood crush on Tristain Palmer. So huge that when she became an author, she used the pen name Sunny Palmer. Little did Capri know that one day she would be a best-selling author with women across the globe trying to figure out the identity of Sunny Palmer.

This book was so cute! A super easy read with little drama. A very G/PG read that leave you feeling happy.

Ellen Quay does an excellent job narrating the book.

I would recommend! 4 stars! Easy, breezy beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve enjoyed the Falling For Summer series. I think this is my 5th book in the 7 book multi-author series. I love this small town island and getting the characters own stories and seeing the characters throughout and how it’s keeping time to their own books. You can tell all the authors plotted a lot.

Which leads nicely to Plotting Summer about the famous Sunny Palmer books. Capri gave herself that pen name years ago after her insanely embarrassing childhood crush on Tristan Palmer. Have you ever written your name + crush’s last name? I definitely have 😂 in all the different ways you can write letters, big dot for the i, cursive, block letters, etc.

Capri has been avoiding the island so no one would make the connection. But forces bring her back for a time. She’s determined to come clean to everyone on her terms while she still has the time.

Tristan concocts outings together to change Capri’s feelings about the island. I feel this + the unrequited childhood crush is too similar to “Summer Tease”. I realize some tropes will be used multiple times but the basic plot points were the same. That left me underwhelmed. If it was all about the author story which it ended up that way, it became more satisfying.

The hardest parts about authors writing side characters that another author writes their main story is sometimes personalities don’t match up. I had a different version of Tristan made up in my mind from other books and the Tristan in this story felt too weak. I think his POV would help knowing his feelings and how the events unfolded.

The narrator did great and I always like her pleasing and calming voice in other books I’ve listened to. I received an alc from Net Galley and Dreamscape Media. This audiobook released last month and these are my own thoughts and opinions.

I cannot say enough good things about this series. Each author gave their unique story but they all tied together so wonderfully. They are adorable romances and each one is so special and cute in its own way. I love the small town island charm and how people seems to find different versions of themselves throughout these stories. So very well done- I’d recommend them as stand alones or a series to anyone! Perfect summer reads!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’re a sucker for small-town romance and hidden identities, Plotting Summer is the perfect light-hearted read! Sunny Palmer is an anonymous bestselling author whose first book is based on her longtime crush, Tristan Palmer. When she returns to her hometown and runs into Tristan, keeping her secret gets a whole lot harder!

This sweet, friends-to-lovers romance has all the right summer vibes. I loved the tension between Sunny and Tristan, and the setting of Sunset Harbor is dreamy. 🌅 The story is filled with humour, heart, and a bit of nostalgia. If you're into relatable characters and feel-good romance, you'll adore this one.

What you’ll find in Plotting Summer:
Small Town
Island Life
Secret Author
Secret Teenage Crush
Neighbours To Lovers
Friends To Lovers
No 3rd Act Breakup

Ellen Quay did a great job of narrating. I loved it!
A delightful read for anyone looking to escape into a charming, beachy romance! 🌞🏖️

Returning back home can be hard. Facing your past can be even harder. For the character in our book a very newly famous Sunny Palmer, coming home could be the undoing of her elusive and anonymous life.

Sunny Palmer is not a real person or rather is not the real name of the person. As a teenager She Wrote a fiction about her real life town and next door neighbor crush. In a cringy and fairy teenage type decision, she used her crushes last name in her pen name. She has carried the secret for so many years now and being home her real identity, and story, is threatening to unleash itself. The consequences for her small Beachside town, her family, and that not so extinguished Crush, could be major.

I loved how awkward and yet endearing the characters were together. You could totally feel the absolute connection and also the underlying nervousness of the character and her Crush.

A fantastic summer time romance and I truly enjoyed it. One of the best romances I have listened to this year. So thankful that netgalley granted me an ARC for this novel. I am going back to look for more works by this author.

The idea of Sunny hiding her pen name was intriguing, but the drawn-out plot made this feel longer than necessary. The romance with Tristan had potential but didn’t quite deliver the punch I hoped for.