Plotting Summer was fantabulous. 😍 I think Jess Heileman outdid herself with this one. She's completely delivered on a swoony romance with a community that feels real (and makes you want to at least visit if not move to Sunset Harbor), and growth to her characters that will have you rooting for them every step of the way.

For real, Capri and Tristan have my heart. Full disclosure, this is the kind of read I ended up PFNing (pausing for now) but I'm glad I did because, moody reader that I am, it allowed me to fully enjoy the second (or more like the third) part of the story as it should. And it was fantastic! I can't remember a more swoony hero than Tristan, a more relatable (to an extent) heroine than Capri, and I loved how perfect they were for each other! The pace was just right, and I thoroughly enjoyed their (non) dates competition, his pursuit of her, the lovable community that helped bring them together (especially Jane and Tala), and Capri's own growth. I think that was one of the most beautiful parts to see throughout the story, and it made for an even sweeter HEA.

As for the narrator, she did a phenomenal job! Every character had their own distinct voice, and this is no small community! But I especially loved the voices of the MCs and how perfect her delivery was. She nailed all the nuances and I didn't even miss this wasn't dual/duet narrated, that's how good she was! Seriously, if you have the option, give the audiobook a chance, since it's a game-changer in the experience of this book. 🥰

Having said all of this, I wholeheartedly recommend this one to all fans or not fans (yet 😉) of Jess Heileman, as well as lovers of clean/sweet romance and romcoms. Now I'm intrigued about a couple of the characters mentioned here, so I'm off to catch up on their stories. ~ 5 stars!

Many thanks to #Netgalley and the author/publisher for the complimentary copy of #PlottingSummer. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and are given voluntarily.

This is the third book in the Falling For Summer series and it was such a charming story! I listened to the audio format which was narrated by Ellen Quay. I really enjoyed this performance and would recommend!

*many thanks to Dreamscape and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

This audiobook was so much fun! Thank you so much for the opportunity to listen to it. I enjoyed getting to know the characters so much! I hope to read more from this author in the future

Plotting Summer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Jess Heileman

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Ten years ago I made a mortifying, life-altering mistake. Now, this once seemingly insignificant choice is threatening to wreck my entire existence. And possibly throw Tristan Palmer—my next-door-neighbor and the guy I’ve had a secret crush on for the entirety of my life—into the fray unaware.

The mistake? I am Sunny Palmer. As in the anonymous, best-selling author of over a dozen beloved romances and renowned thief of Tristan’s last name. Okay, not renowned yet, thank the high heavens! But that news will spread like wildfire if people discover that this introverted book nerd is the woman behind the pen name. And the fact that my first book, Secret Crush, is Tristan’s and my fictionalized love story leaves zero room for calling it anything but what it is—a travesty of greatest proportions.

That’s why NO ONE can know! Ever! So it’s wretched luck that when I finally visit Sunset Harbor, the small-town island where I grew up, I run into the still heart-stopping, book-boyfriend-worthy man himself. And shockingly, Tristan seems intent on reminding me what the island has to offer. Because that’s what friends do.

Logic demands I resist his charm and guard my secret at all costs, which is why it’s vastly unfortunate that Tristan Palmer was and always will be … my greatest weakness.

My Thoughts: This is the third book of the Falling for Summer Series, a very delightful series that I have enjoyed immensely. Capri and Tristan lived next door to each other growing up. She has always had a secret crush on him but never acting on it. To express her emotions, and to quip her love of writing, she fictionalized a story after her and Tristan, under the pin name os Sunny Palmer (yes borrowing his last name), not knowing it would become a best seller. Now that she is back in town, her crush is just as vivid as when she was a teen. With him being her biggest weakness, will she be able to resist his charm? Or will she succumb to it? This follows the tropes of neighbors to lovers, friends to lovers, small town romance, no third act breakup, secret crush, and closed door romance.

This is narrated by Capri, through her eyes, POV in first person. I love this island. With each book, we get more and more a glimpse of it and the cultures and community that makes Sunset Harbor home to many. I loved to be able to escape to this island 7 different times from varying author perspectives. Capri is a secret writer, independent, fierce, and kind. Tristan is charming, sexy, and kind. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, angst/tension, mad chemistry, and engaging. The supporting characters, some have their own books in this story, really do elevate this story to another level. The author’s writing style was complex, closed door, funny, heartwarming, and really touched my heart. The plot was fantastic and the ending was chef’s 💋.

The narrator, Ellen Quay, does a fantastic job with voice variation through character distinction. Her pitch and flow is so easy that I was able to listen at 2x speed with no issues. My only con with this is I really enjoy a dual POV so to have some of the book from Tristan’s perspective would have been top notch. However, this did not take away from the story, just more of a personal preference. This romance will enlighten your heart and make you believe in love. I highly recommend this book and all of the series. Note, some of the stories run concurrently so you will see characters show up in each other’s book without their story happening, I believe it enriches the series that way. I love when a group of authors get together and plan a series that runs concurrently with each other.

I LOVED this book series. It was perfect for summer! And the audiobook was WONDERFUL- the narrators did SO well!! Jess Heileman does such a great job weaving an intriguing story that readers will fall in love with like I did!! I would highly recommend this read to anyone who loves romance books!!

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.