"I create a mental image of him to store away for later because he's radiating a this-scene-needs-to-be-in-a-romance-book vibe. Not that I intend to write another story about him—one is regrettably too many—but that doesn't mean I can't grab nuggets of inspiration here and there to jot down. The man is basically a living, breathing book boyfriend, and it would be a travesty not to continue to share bits and pieces of him with my readers."

I have read and loved each book in the Falling for Summer series, but Plotting Summer is one of my favorites! This book put a smile on my face and had me laughing out loud! Tristan and Capri are absolutely adorable together. I loved watching Tristan slowly coax Capri out of her shell and get her to open up to him. Their banter and chemistry are so good!!!

One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing the overlap of the characters and their storylines. It's so fun to see each of the main characters from different viewpoints. This whole series was so well planned and executed!

Although I really enjoyed this book when I read it, listening to the audiobook made me love it even more! The narrator brought these characters (all of them, not just the MCs) to life! Her pacing and inflection added another level to the humor and witty/flirty banter as well as the heartfelt moments. Ellen Quay managed to give each character a distinct and fitting voice! I will definitely be listening to this one again!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Plotting Summer, by Jess Heilerman, is the third book in the collaborational Falling for Summer series. This is the story Capri Collins making a rare visit to Sunset Harbor to visit her family and for the purpose of picking up the boxes of books that were in her grandfather’s library. Talla, Capri’s older sister, has purchased the family home from their gramma DeeDee when she moved to the Seaside Oasis Senior Center. Talla and Heath have three children and really need the space the boxes occupy. Expecting to make a quick trip in and out, Capri is detained when her car keys go mysteriously missing. Capri is now stranded on the Island.

Ten years ago, a young Capri wrote a bestselling novel. With her major crush on neighbor Tristan Palmer, who teasingly called her Capri Sun, she published under the pseudonym of Sunny Palmer. Now, with a dozen bestselling romance novels to her pen name, Capri is fearful of being discovered, especially when her novels seem to be a mainstay of the Island’s book clubs.

Back on the Island, Capri does her best to avoid Tristan but seems to encounter him wherever she goes. As he makes his intentions clear, it is time for Capri to drop pretenses leading to a very fun story. I did enjoy this book and do recommend it!

Just loved every part of this book! It was such a sweet, tender love story. Tristan was such a cinnamon roll, and that's my favorite kind! This whole series has been fantastic. I loved this love story so much!

I love Jess Heileman's books so when I found out she was going to be a part of the Sunset Harbor series I couldn't wait to read it. Plotting Summer has humor, romance, and a heroine with a long-time crush and a secret!!

Capri Collins has a BIG secret. She's Sunny Palmer, best-selling author, but no one on the small island of Sunset Harbor where she grew up knows, except her sister! Why does no one know? Because she kind of took the last name of her high school crush, Tristan Palmer, as her pen name when she wrote her first book. She had no idea that book would take off like it did and now 9 years and many books later it's too late to change her author name.

Be still my heart, Tristan is the perfect book boyfriend!! He and Capri had so much chemistry right from the beginning and all the "outings" he planned were perfect for her. All I know is any man who plans a spa day is well on his way to winning me over. I loved Capri's relationship with her sister and her grandma is something else!

The setting of Sunset Harbor added charm to the story and the cozy, small-town setting added to the romance. It also reminded Sunny of her roots and everything she left behind while pursuing her writing career. Plotting Summer is a perfect summer read for romcom fans.

You need to add this one to your TBR now! It’s filled with heart, humor, and the kind of romance that leaves you smiling long after you’ve turned the last page. Jess Heileman has given us a story that’s as warm and inviting as a summer day at the beach.

I loved the narrator and thought she did a fantastic job. I would happily listen to her narrate more books. I received a complimentary audiobook from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I love that Capri stands by the romance genre as a writer and is patient with people's curiosity and opinions about it. I feel bad for her longstanding crush on Tristan. There's something off about Tristan's character that I can't put my finger on. The way he explains things to Capri—about how he's been living his life based solely on people's expectations of him—is so spineless. I bet he'd still be living the life he thought was meant for him if things didn't happen to him the way they did. And he was definitely playing her when they were younger. I don't like the idea that just because the girl he's been with for more than a third of his life broke off their engagement and ran off with someone else that he was now conveniently available and ready to explore whatever connection he has with Capri. It's just so cheap. He had the chance to do that when they were younger, but he didn't. He was too chicken shit, and well, as I mentioned earlier, spineless.

I enjoyed Ellen Quay's narration of this. She kept my attention during the parts I felt like skipping. This book is around 2.5 stars for me, but I'll round it up to 3 stars for the narrator.

If I had one word to describe this book, it would be adorable! Tristan and Capri (pronounced CAP-ree, not cuh-PREE) are so freaking cute. They were neighbors growing up & Capri had a massive crush on Tristan. So much so, that she combined his nickname for her with his last name to make her author pen name.

Now, she avoids the island to avoid Tristan and any chances of having her secret uncovered. When circumstances force Capri to stay on the island longer than the day trip she anticipated, Tristan suggests they do some outings together. I loved seeing the things they chose to do! I also liked how Capri wasn’t a perfect character— she’d made past mistakes that hurt some people and she owned up to those and reconciled as best as she could.

I also loved that Gainesville is mentioned in the book. My husband and I lived there during his grad school & my daughter was born there so that was fun. 🐊 #chompchomp

*Audio Note: The narrator did such a good job with Capri’s internal monologues and just was lovely overall.

Favorite Quotes:
😍 I create a mental image of him to store away for later because he's radiating a this-scene-needs-to-be-in-a-romance-book vibe. Not that I intend to write another story about him—one is regrettably too many—but that doesn't mean I can't grab nuggets of inspiration here and there to jot down. The man is basically a living, breathing book boyfriend, and it would be a travesty not to continue to share bits and pieces of him with my readers.

📚 "And love, or the lack of it, encompasses countless other feelings-happiness, sadness, jealousy, heartbreak, redemption, pettiness, wholeness, and on and on. Love stories are where we can see the whole spectrum of human emotions on display—in both its lowest and highest forms. That's what romance is. What's better and more impactful than that?"

❤️ "You're worth remembering, Capri Sun."

💍 “And while in some respects, you have your own claim to Palmer now, I want to officially give you my name." And then suddenly, Tristan is down on one knee, pulling a ring from his pocket.

Second chance romance meets A Novel Love Story. One day Capri wrote a romance novel based on her childhood crush Tristian Palmer. Now she is a famous romance author (in secret) publishing under the pen name Sunny Palmer who is stuck back at home on the island. Could the story be any cuter?

Sweet and low angst summer romance.

“Like you were embarrassed to be seen with me…
“I know how gossip works on this island. You’ll need a lot more than a squirt gun if Grams is lead to believe we’re on a date”

📚 rival families
📚 small town
📚 he falls first
📚 police officer
📚 cute dog sidekick
📚 interconnected series
📚 single POV

“I hate hot Satan. I can’t be selling my soul to the devil though, no matter how attractive he is”

🚫 clean romance

|Thoughts|
This is my 3rd book in the Falling For Summer series and it has me falling for the swoony leading men. Get a thrill out of how the characters and storyline’s cross over between the books. It seems like most romances are blossoming at the same time, so you get different perspectives on their romance.

Loved the tension that built better Gemma and Beau as he tries to get her to see the magic on the island.

“Did that Palmer boy blackmail you into going out with him?”

Beau is the picture perfect version of a golden retriever and it’s sweet to see him through Gemma’s eyes, as she literally records him for a promo. Although he falls first, they both fall fairly fast for each other.

“I didn’t just kiss Beau Palmer, I’m falling in love with him”

This book is part of the interconnected, Falling for Summer series. It can be read as a standalone or as part of the set. Events and characters cross over throughout each of the 7 books (so far I’ve read 3).

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media & the author for an eARC in exchange for this honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a fun lighthearted book! This was such a cute love story. I really enjoyed watching their love story unfold. I really liked both characters. This book was very enjoyable. I listened to the audio book and I enjoyed the narrator.

This was a fun read. Probably a 3.5 star rating rounded up. There were things about the female lead that really bothered me, but in general, the story was cute. I wish that the female lead was not quite so self-deprecating. It was just too much, and didn't really ever get dealt with. Not the best book in this series, but not the worst one either.

Contains an audiobook review.

Plotting Summer is part of the Falling for Summer series. This is a series of standalone stories but with interconnected characters set in the fictional town of Sunset Harbor written by 7 different closed-door/clean romcom authors. They can be read in any order, but take my advice and read them all! It is a really fun series!

This book is probably one of my favorites of the series so far. I really enjoyed the tropes and the interaction with the characters. We get to see some of the other characters featured in this story as well. It was fun to get some back story on these two as well.

Plotting Summer is told from a single point of view, so it has just a female narrator. She does a wonderful job of reading the story and using different voices for all of the characters. I wouldn't have minded getting some perspective from Tristan along the way, but that's because I love dual POV stories. This one was well rounded as a single POV though.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media, Netgalley and Jess Heileman for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. I'm happily and voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I loved this book the first time I read it and I loved the audio! This is one of my favorite romances of the year I plant to reread it in the summer and would definitely recommend it! Capri and Tristan are the best!

I absolutely adored this book when I read it with my eyes. But listening to it? I couldn't get enough! In fact, I stayed up HOURS past my bedtime one night simply because I didn't want to turn it off. The book is marvelous, and the narrator did an exceptional job!

~I was given a complimentary copy of this audiobook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.~

I am a big fan of this series and this was such a cute addition to the series. I love these characters and this was such a sweet story. I truly loved seeing some of the connections made in other books.

Meet Capri. If that’s not the sunniest name. She had a crush that she even wrote about. And then it got published. And then the guy comes back. Not the plans she had. It’s like the MASH game you always wanted to come true. And then it does. Kind of.

Meet Tristan. This isn’t a dual POV and I would have loved a glimpse in his thoughts. But what I did know was enough to be totally on board the Tristan train. I’m the engineer. Helloooooo.

When the two reconnect and Tristan throws down a competition, things heat up. And it’s just laugh out loud fun and flirty from that point on. Happy sigh. The author will keep you smiling and turning pages

- the outings
- the writing drama
- resolving pasts
- the friends and family
- the secret identity
- the nickname
- the end grand gestures were melty

Push aside your school shopping and add this to keep the summer vibes. Can Capri reveal her secret and find the love she longingly describes?

The narrators are so good and I liked the way she did the male voices and took us right into the story. Super enjoyable!

This story is sooooo cute!!! Books about writers writing can often be tedious or silly or I just don't like them for whatever reason, but I loved how it was done in Plotting Summer! She's writing romance under a pen name to hide that her hit debut novel is a straight rip from real life! Except the love interest isn't actually interested....

It's deliciously awkward!!!! The main character is so awkward and repeatedly stuck in awkward situations as she desperately tries to hide her identity and is torn between her continued attraction to her childhood crush and avoiding him! Heileman wrote the characters and their shenanigans soo well!

Regarding the whole series, I've now read 3 of the books, and I can say I love how they are fitting together!

The audiobook is narrated by Ellen Quay, and she was a perfect choice for this. She does the whole thing with no weird faux-man voice. She was easy to listen to and a great fit for the story!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for an audiobook to listen to and review honestly and voluntarily.

I am entering my 'audiobook era' thanks to this wonderful book!

Here is what I absolutely adored about both the story and the narration:
🎧 The narrator has such a wide variety of voices and subtle shifts that truly brought the book to life! Capri (FMC) has so many moments of inner dialogue and the way the narrator was able to differentiate between her inner and outer voice will never cease to amaze me.
🌅 This was my first introduction to the Falling for Summer multi-author series and it HOOKED me! This small fictional island is home to not just the most swoony of love stories, but also the small town characters that make it hysterical.
📚 Capri (FMC) has one of the best cases of hidden identity I have seen in a story and watching it unfold had me on the edge of my seat. Every time I thought I saw how the plot was going to unfold, the author threw a little twist in there. Kept me captivated throughout.
💪 This one is weird for me to say out loud... I really liked the narrator's man voice. 🤣 It didn't feel odd to have a woman speaking as a man, which like I said, is weird to admit.

If you are looking for a book that will keep you laughing, blushing with embarrassment (in the most entertaining of ways), begging for someone to break the tension, and keep you guessing until the end... this is the book/audiobook for you! ♥️

This was an excellent narrator for this single POV book! I feel like she did a great job voicing both characters even though it was only from the FMC’s perspective.

Okay, I love me a good “pining after a secret crush” story! This book had it all: the secret author, the handsome and slightly jealous MMC, the pining, the sizzling chemistry filled moments, the romantic get-aways, and so much more! The competition to see who could plan the best outing on the island led to so many great moments between Tristan and Capri. I adored this couple! (and how Capri looked at every romantic moment as something to pen into her next novel 🤭)

Capri Collins has a secret; she’s the famous author, Sunny Palmer, who writes amazingly swoony romance novels! The only problem is that she doesn’t want anyone finding out because she based her first book off of her unrequited childhood crush. Since Capri couldn’t be with Tristan in real life, she took to writing to make all of her romantic dreams come true, and women loved it! (I love the fact that the old ladies of Seaside Oasis are absolutely enthralled with her romance novels) In a series of events, Capri ends up back on the island and of course Tristan is there. One thing leads to another, and our favorite author finds her way into her dream man’s heart (and his arms 😏).

I have been loving this series and I’m going to be so sad once I’m finished with it! I love seeing how each of the stories connect and it’s so fun to read the other character’s POV’s of certain scenes!

Highlights:
☀️ Sunset boat ride
☀️ Capri Sun
☀️ “Secret Crush”
☀️ Manatees
☀️ Handlebar bike ride
☀️ Hidden keys
☀️ Mud bath + shower after
☀️ Pool of pillows + a movie
☀️ THE KISS

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook! All opinions listed above are my own.

4⭐️ Another sweet Falling for Summer love story! First, friends to lovers is not my go to trope, but it was written so well that it has convinced me that I might need to start picking that trope up more often. It was just so sweet!

Capri and Tristan were adorable. Their little "outings" were so cute and I enjoyed every single one. That tension between them was killing me! (That spa trip in particular had me dying! Iykyk) Second, romances like this sometimes fall into the cheesy side, but honestly, I never felt that reading it. No cringe moments here! It was just a downright sweet romance that feels like a warm hug. I have almost read all of the books in this series and can honestly say I have not been let down.

I did listen to this in tandem with reading the physical book, and I ended up listening to it more than I read it. The audiobook narrator, Ellen Quay, just has such a cute and enjoyable voice to listen to. She’s not monotone and makes the listening experience fun. I enjoyed it.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Jess Heileman for the complimentary copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read if you enjoy:
- Friends to lovers
- Childhood crush
- Secret identity
- Closed-door/clean romance

Capri’s story is one of my favorites because she’s a closet romance writer. I remember back in the day writing play-by-plays in my journal of every little interaction with my current crush–can you imagine turning that into a book? Yes!

Ellen Quay did a great job of narrating this fun summer romcom and I couldn’t get enough of Tristan and Capri’s story. It was a treat to listen to this one all over again. I love the way Jess Heileman wrote this and brought another Sunset Harbor love story to life in so many fun ways.

Fantastic plot, wonderful characters, charming setting, sweet and hilarious interaction, terrific swoon–this one is one my favorites list.