Em clima do passado escolar conturbado dos protagonistas, começo essa resenha dizendo que, apesar dos altos e baixos, o último livro da série Falling for Summer passa de ano tendo cumprido seu propósito tanto no plot em si, que não é nada muito uau, mas tem seu charme em meio às questões de passado x presente (e até um quê de futuro) enfrentados por Ivy e Dax. Foi interessante ver a breve apresentação de como eles interagiram quando mais jovens, no início dos capítulos, e o contraste com esse reencontro como adultos após um acidente que nossa mocinha causa sem querer - que felizmente não deixa nenhuma vítima que não o ego ferido do pai dela, então candidato a senador, e que desde sempre controlou a vida da moça e recriminou as atitudes e histórico do mocinho ao mesmo tempo.

É uma leitura leve e tranquila, como nos outros livros da série, apesar de uma ou outra situação sensível de assédio e negligência parental, que me deixaram para entrar na história e puxar a orelha dos personagens - para dizer o mínimo -, mas felizmente nunca é tarde para tomar as rédeas da própria vida quando se quer fazê-lo de fato. A interação forçada entre Ivy e Dax pelo carro de lego inicialmente me deixou meio "tanto faz", mas depois vamos entender que isso não só vai ter um significado passado, como, eu diria até, para o futuro da Ivy de uma forma um tanto simbólica. É curioso como justo numa ilha onde carros são proibidos como Sunset Harbor, o recomeço da nossa mocinha no desfecho da série se dá de certa forma representado não apenas por um, mas vários veículos. Queria ter sido mais cativada pelo romance, mas especialmente no final tudo correu muito e me senti distante da química que estava sendo construída entre Ivy e Dax até ali, ainda que isso não tenha feito da leitura de todo ruim, ela tem seus bons momentos sim.

ADORABLE!! EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND.

HOW DOES SHE DO IT?! Cindy Steel hit another home run with this last installment of the Falling for Summer multi-author series. There is so much to love with this book! The humor, romance, depth, growth, and a whole lot of Cindy’s charm came together to deliver everything you want in a romcom. I loved it all!

The romantic moments were FIRE and I was obsessed with all the little gestures. The flashbacks were so stinkin cute and nostalgic and gave the story even more layers to love.

I felt like I was hanging out in the Sunset Repairs garage with Dax and Ivy, listening to 70’s music, eating chips and joking around with island friends. Her writing style sucks you in and I didn’t want to come out!

I usually prefer dual POV, but Cindy writes in a way that doesn’t leave me wishing for the male POV at all. And that says A LOT! With the flashbacks, all their discussions at the end, and a few comments from family members, I knew exactly what was going on in his head. It feels like magic that she masters the single POV so well!

In typical Cindy Steel fashion, every interaction between Dax and Ivy is sizzling with chemistry and flirty dialogue. I quickly fell in love with this incredibly endearing and dynamic pair. Dax and Ivy FOREVER!!

🔥Romance: Kissing

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rebel Summer is the perfect mix of sweet and sassy! 🌞 Ivy’s summer takes an unexpected twist when she’s sentenced to community service with Dax Miller—the rebellious guy she swore she'd never get involved with again. Their chemistry is electric, the banter is sharp, and as the summer heats up, so do the feelings they’ve both been trying to ignore. 🔥
This story is full of summer nostalgia, second chances, and slow-burn romance. Dax’s bad-boy charm is balanced by his softer side, making him impossible not to root for. Ivy’s personal growth and the way she grapples with her ‘good girl’ persona versus her rebellious heart is both relatable and satisfying.

What you’ll find in Rebel Summer:
Small Town
Island Life
Family Drama
Flashbacks
Community Service
Forced Proximity
Opposites Attract
Bad Boy/Good Girl
Slow Burn
Friends to Lovers

This book is part of the "Falling for Summer" series, a collection of standalone novels by various authors that revolve around summer romances.
For fans of closed-door romance, this one is a gem—plenty of sizzle, no explicit content, just pure romantic tension! If you love a summer love story with humour, heart, and a dash of rebellion, this one is for you. 💕

The rebel trope with Dax had potential, but the story felt a little flat for me. It didn’t have the depth or intrigue I was hoping for. Still, the banter was fun, and I could see this appealing to readers who love light, non-spicy romance.

Dax Miller is the island mischief maker, mechanic, and thorn in Ivy’s side since high school. Ivy is now back on the island for a wedding and after an unfortunate incident is now completing required community service. That just so happens to be done under the supervision of Dax.

Throw in an overbearing politician father, big life decisions, and a whole lot of personal growth.

Ivy and Dax have the best banter and pranks throughout the story. I didn't want to stop listening to this gem!

Narrated by Marli Watson. The voicing was perfect and made this book even better!

The Falling For Summer series has been absolutely fantastic! This book starts with a car crash that turns into a court appearance that turns into a summer of required community service hours. Even though a lot when "wrong" in this book, there were so many healing moments that made the journey of Ivy that much sweeter to read.

Here are a few of my favorite aspects of the book:
- The Judge
- The car honking (iykyk)
- "Bad" Boy vibes
- Shucking off an overbearing parent

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance listener copy of this book. A review was not required.

Huge thank you to Dreamscape Media for the gifted audiobook!

I"m a huge Cindy Steele fan both as an author and as a person. She writes exactly the kind of romance books that I want to read: clean, deep and hilarious.

Faking Christmas by her is one of my favorite romance books of all time.

While this one was fun and easy to listen to, I do think it lacked a little bit of the "awww" moments for me and the depth I'm used to with her books.

While it wasn't my favorite, I'm glad I listened to it and will continue to read everything she writes!

Ivy returns to her hometown and all her perfectly laid plans go off the rails.
After a little accident, she sees herself closer than she ever expected to Dax - her friend? colleague? neighbor?

A summer of fun, love, friendship, rediscovery, and personal growth.
A lovely story about two friends on an island with so much history for them.

Ivy rethinks her future, and Dax gets what he didn't dare wish.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book so much. What a surprise!

As for the audiobook: great narration!!

4.5*

P.S. I love legos!

4.25⭐️, 1🌶️

Ugh I LOVE this series! Dax & Ivy were so freaking cute! I loved the good girl, bad boy dynamic turned when the good girl gets arrested and charged with a crime, resulting in her being on probation and serving community service hours. The then-and-now time shifts were fun and I really just enjoyed how adorable this story was! It just made me smile over and over!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Cindy Steel. Oh, Cindy Steel. I don’t even know what to say besides she’s done it again! Her book, “The One With The Kiss Cam” is one of my favorites of 2024 – it just had this magical quality about it. So when I found out she would be writing Rebel Summer for the Falling for Summer multi-author series, I was so excited to read a little bit more of that magic that captured my attention so fully in “Kiss Cam,” but with Dax and Ivy in SunsetHarbor.  And Steel knocked it out of the park! I’ve read 6 out of the 7 books in the series so far, and while I’ve loved all of them, there have been some standouts, and this is definitely one of those for me!

The humor, tension, and flirty banter sucked me in, but so did the conflict with Ivy’s dad. I was so invested in her journey through that relationship. Dax (the misunderstood bad-boy, but is he?) was such a layered character, and I loved how Steel slowly pulled back those layers throughout the story. Ivy, the anxious people-pleaser, was the female main character I love rooting for. I LOVED watching her blossom over that Rebel Summer (see what Idid there?) The flashbacks were also SO fun!

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out Rebel Summer!It’s a sweet, swoony journey and I loved every second of it. I listened to an advanced listener copy of the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrators, too.

Intimacy: Kisses only

Content Considerations: Attempted Sexual Assault on page(not graphic), manipulative/emotionally abusive parent, sibling abandonment

Thank you to the author, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced listener copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

If you are looking for an easy quick summer rom-com to read then this is exactly what you need. My one complaint is that there is no steam in these scenes and so that was lacking for my personally. Still a decent book over all.

Dax and Ivy stole my heart. I adored their banter and the way they verbally sparred with each other. Their attraction could be felt immediately and I loved the flashbacks to where it all began. He provided stability for her and she brought sunshine into his life. They are a new favorite couple. The audiobook was a delight to listen to and added another layer to this fantastic romance.

Dnf. I’ve listened to another audiobook of a Cindy Steele book, so I decided to check out another. I’m just not really into the story. It’s nothing necessarily about the book itself, it’s more I’m not in the mood for a book like this

I listened to this audio, and the single POV’s are giving me the angst I need lately. I love how smooth the narrator’s voice was, and how she didn’t get all growly and ridiculous for the male dialogue. Nicely done.

Let me just say I love a rebel, because y’all I was one. I was one well placed write up away from expulsion in the year 2004 and I WAS MISUNDERSTOOD! So I actually really related more to Dax’s character here. In more ways than one but IM NOT PUTTING ALLL MY BUSINESS HERE. 🤣 The way that they both had to figure out what they wanted for the future, for themselves, and make a mature decision about that was fun to watch unfold. I love a story with some petty crime, too. My grandmother taught me how to roll yards, ma’am! Speaking of grandmothers, it thrilled my soul that Virginia makes an appearance here, as well.

Listen to this if you like a story about how we don’t stay who people tell us we are in high school, or if you just love a good rebel.

Spice: 🫑🫑

"With him, I was safe to fall. Safe to be less than perfect. The feeling was both addicting and liberating. There was a power in feeling safe with someone - safe to make mistakes and to be completely yourself. Safe to trust someone that much."

Read if you like:
* Frenemies to Lovers
* Opposites Attract
* Forced Proximity
* Witty/Flirty Banter

I have LOVED the entire Falling for Summer series, but this book stole my heart! Every single time Cindy Steel releases a new book, I squeal with excitement and then sigh in contentment as I settle in to read what I know will become a new well loved book demanding a permanent space on my shelf of favorites.

I absolutely fell in love with Dax and Ivy. They literally jumped off the page and invaded my heart! Cindy takes flirty banter to a whole other level. The tension she creates through verbal sparring is unmatched! As if that weren't enough, the chemistry and emotion she is able to evoke with the press of a leg or the graze of fingertips is unbelievable!

This is most certainly a romcom, but it's a romcom full of depth and character growth. Dax and Ivy are beautifully layered MCs who each have their struggles and past hurts. The beauty is in how they slowly lower their walls and help strengthen and support each other as they each learn more about the other.

I could literally gush about this book all day, but I don't want to spoil anything! Suffice it to say, Rebel Summer is at the top of my list for 2024 and it's already sitting in its proper place on my shelf of favorites!

After reading this book I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and let me tell you...Marli Watson nailed it! She really brought Ivy and Dax to life! The narration was emotive and well paced and raised this already stellar book to another level!

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

Rebel Summer, by Cindy Steel, is the seventh book in the collaborational Falling for Summer series. This is the story of Ivy Brooks as she returns to the island to be a bridesmaid in her cousin’s wedding. After terrible misadventures of the canceled and rerouted flights kind, Ivy arrives at the wedding venue with a terrible case of jet lag, a raging headache, and dead on her feet. Rushed through hair and makeup and into her dress, Ivy makes it through the ceremony still on two feet. After taking two of what she believes to be Tylenol, about halfway through the reception Ivy is dead on her feet and asks her stepmother if she may use her golf cart to head to the house to get some sleep. As Ivy drives along she becomes so sleepy she can barely hold her eyes open and the next thing she knows a loud crash and flying glass snap her awake.

Ivy has crashed into Dax Miller’s engine repair shop, breaking the showroom window and destroying the almost life size Lego model of a golf cart. Police and rescue are on the scene and it’s later determined that Ivy was driving under the influence of something a lot stronger than the Tylenol she thought she had taken. Fined and relegated to community service, Ivy will be spending the summer on Sunset Harbor trying to undo the harm she has caused.

Ivy has no real problem with the sentence, but she does have a problem with her overbearing father, Congressman Brooks, who has always put optics, politics, and campaigning ahead of family. While it seems her father never has her back, Dax Miller, the small business owner Ivy has wronged, always will.

This is a very interesting story with many threads woven into a tapestry of both beach read and serious topics. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

Cindy Steel writes such charming romances that are full of heart, humor, and perfectly swoon-worthy moments. Rebel Summer was no exception! The narrator did an amazing job at bringing this story to life and I thoroughly enjoyed the listening experience from start to finish.

A mostly cute, fun summer read. My enjoyment of the book was lessened by my fear that the author was going to give a very emotionally abusive parent an undeserved redemption arc. Thankfully that did not happen, but I am also not certain this book takes the level of emotional abuse as seriously as it should. At the very least, this book should come with trigger warning for narcissistic emotional abuse, because it was that big a part of the plot.

*an aside for this series as a whole--while it is extremely believable that an isolated southern town of only 2000 people would be entirely white, it does become more and more glaringly obvious as the series continues. It is particularly obvious in this edition, where the main plot revolves around a rich white girl saying things like "people don't go to jail and have their lives ruined over a misdemeanor"... Maybe not YOUR people, but you've been living outside for a decade. How are you 28 years old and still that sheltered?

Dax may be my favorite. But it could be because we see him through the whole series and his book is the last! He was hilarious. I just loved every second! This love story was so well written. I will definitely be coming back to this one!

Cindy does it yet again!! I binged this book in a day and had the best time with it!!! Ivy and Dax were so so good together and I loved their story and history and connection! The character development and emotional threads throughout were perfect and the summery vibes of Sunset Harbor all came together in the best way! And I really loved the audiobook narrator! I’ll definitely be rereading this one soon!