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!

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the ALC!

I’ve recently gotten into Cindy Steel and I’m thankful for this opportunity to listen to her newest book!

I liked the idea of the story but overall it wasn’t a hit for me. I just couldn’t connect with the characters and didn’t fall in love with them like I have with other books of hers I’ve read lately.

This is totally a me issue though, I have no doubt others will love this romcom. Cindy writes closed door romances that still have great tension so I’m sure this will be a win for a lot of people!

ARC REVIEW❤️

3.5⭐️

Ivy and Dax are the perfect romcom couple.
I fell in love with Dax immediately! I really liked how Jax got Ivy to stop living to please her father. You also got a lot of insight into Jax and how he got to be the person he is.

What is supposed to be a quick trip back home, turns into an entire summer after a series of unfortunate events. If that’s not bad enough, Ivy is forced to work with her high school science partner and town rebel, Dax. As fighting turns to flirting, they help each other work through past trauma.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cindy Steel for the arc.

“You could crash into my building ten more times and you’d still be okay.”

* Oh man…
* Hehe Dax
* Oh my gosh the gall of her dad
* Ahh these little glimpses of them in the past are too good
* Ooohh this is gonna be good hehehe
* Oh my gosh ding dong ditching a fish has been on my bucket list FOREVER! How does Cindy Steel know my soul?
* Yesss! Go Dax!
* Her getting a tattoo is so funny
* Literally LOVE that he calls her Books 😍
* Ugh. Why are all Cindy Steel men so dang good?
* Oh my goodness that epilogue 😍

I say this every time, but Cindy Steel can do no wrong. If she writes a book, I’m going to be obsessed with it and that’s that.

Ivy is so relatable and I loved her. She was so funny and I loved how she was able to overcome her past and figure out who she really was and who she wanted to be.

And Dax? Ugh, love him. The guys are always so gooey inside and I LOVE it! I loved how he teased and laughed and helped Ivy figure herself out as well as coming to realize what he really wanted.

Do we need more bad guys who are really so tender and sweet and stand up for the girl and are just the best? Yes, yes we do. 😍

“I just…didn’t know trouble could have such gentle hands.”

“You’re exactly who I want. Who I’ve always wanted.”

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC. The narrator was fabulous! All opinions are my own.

REVIEW START...

THE BEST BOOK EVER (AND IN THIS SERIES)!!!!!!!!

THE END.

Seriously, this book is adorable and cute. The dialogue, the character, and the premise all just jelled together to bring us the best boyfriend couple Ivy and Dax. Between current life and flashbacks, we see how the romance was budding in high school, but really, the engines roar when Ivy returns home and has to serve time with Dax. There are some serious issues that are discussed, but done so very well.

The narration was on point. Ivy and Daxs voices and emotions came through so well.

#netgalley #RebelSummer

Cindy Steel never misses!

I loved this cute summer romance and the banter between Dax and Ivy was so well crafted, the chemistry between them was sizzling. I do wish we could have seen a bit more of them as a couple as the romance mostly happened later in the book, but I loved all the shenanigans they ran into on the island and the small town community that Ivy found herself in.

If you're looking for a great laugh and a swoony couple, this book is for you!

🏝️ Opposites attract
🏝️ Bad boy x good girl
🏝️ Closed door
🏝️ Shared history
🏝️ Tattoos
🏝️ No third act breakup

Cindy Steel is one of my favorite authors so I was extremely excited to read her book in the Falling for Summer series! I thought for sure it as going to be the best one! Unfortunately, I ending up DNFing it at 28%. I never like flashbacks to high school, and it happened every other chapter. Second chance romances when the first chance is in high school are also not my thing. I wish the back-o-f-book synopsis had been a bit more detailed in that regard. I really didn't like all of the mean things that people in the town said about the hero. It’s ok to have tattoos and be a loner. Lol. It just felt like they were trying to make him into the stereotypical "bad boy" and then fulfill their own stereotype of typecasting people based on their looks. I also just don’t like the narration style. Fake southern accents don’t do it for me. It's too bad, really! But thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity! Since I'm not finishing the book, I will not be writing a formal review anywhere.

🌟A L C R E V I E W🧬💞
Title: Rebel Summer (Audio)
By, Cindy Steel
Pub Date: 8/13/2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-Five Stars!

💞Cindy Steel delivered an end of the summer romcom with depth and I loved every second of it.

🧬This book made me laugh out loud but also had a deeper component of a specific type of grief and setting boundaries with narcissistic people that made me contemplate my own life.

💞My heart broke for Ivy and the pain she suffered due to her family members refusing to show her the love and respect she deserves.

🧬But! It also made it all the sweeter when Dax went out of his way to care for her. All of his considerate and kind actions left me in a puddle 🫠

💞Things I Loved:
☀️Opposites attract
☀️Shared history/flashbacks to high school
☀️Dax + Ivy’s playfulness
☀️Excellent classic music vibes
☀️His nickname for her 🫠
☀️He defends her
☀️No miscommunication
☀️No 3rd act breakup

Overall I was so impressed with this story and the audiobook narration was fantastic. This book is 1 POV (Ivy’s) and I enjoyed watching the story unfold from her perspective. It took a little time but Dax and Ivy saw beneath the masks and believed the best about each other. Ultimately they made each other better and stronger (with a lot of flirting and teasing along the way)

Thank you so much dreamscape media and NetGalley for providing me with this ALC. All thoughts are my own.

#arcreader #closeddoorromance #momswhoread #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #summerreads #fivestarbooks #netgalley #rebelsummer #cindysteel #dreamscapemedia #audiobookreview #romcombookrecs

I was waiting for this story through the whole series and it did NOT disappoint. Dax is everything you could want in an MMC. Kind, fun, challenging, flirty, protective, and genuine— he was exactly what I was looking forward to. And Ivy/Caroline/Books was a fun FMC who is sort of finding herself— well written and complex. I loved her journey to see what she really wanted, especially in opposition to her controlling family. This was just a really great summer read to wrap up the season with. I loved it.

The narrator did a good job with the various characters, an enjoyable experience!!

Though it would be hard for me to pick my favorite of this series…this one is definitely near the top. I love a guy with tattoos and I’m a sucker for a second chance romance. I love how he hid his feelings for so long and then finally let them come spilling out. As I mentioned, the whole series is good and I love how they all tie together. I truly fell in love with this little island this summer and am sad that it’s coming to a close. Highly, highly recommend.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"Rebel Summer" by Cindy Steel is the perfect blend of sizzling chemistry, witty banter, and heartfelt moments, all wrapped up in a sweet, closed-door romance. Marlie Watson's narration brings the characters to life, making the tension and humor between Dax and the protagonist irresistible. I loved how the story unfolded, with Dax’s rebellious charm and the protagonist’s journey from reluctant community service to something much deeper. If you’re looking for a summer romance with just the right amount of heat and heart, this is it!

This is part of an interconnected series and I read Beachy Keen and enjoyed it so grabbed this one too! I am happy to report, I loved this one so much, a lot more than Beachy Keen which I just didn’t connect with.

Rebel Summer gives you Ivy, a smart and sassy leaf with a whole slew of daddy issues, and Dax, the small town guy with the bad reputation who also seems to have the entire town in love with him… except for Ivy’s awful father.

I loved how each lead had their own backstory that felt real and tangible. They each had some serious baggage but they also each were willing and wanting to put in the work to sort through it.

Ivy and Dax are so cute together and I found myself rooting for them from their high school biology class straight through to the rehab of the lego car.

This was the perfect read to cap off the summer!

Thank you netgalley and dreamscape media for this audio arc of Rebel Summer! It’s currently out and ready for you to listen. This is the seventh is a series called Falling for Summer that are standalones all set on an island in Florida called Sunset Harbor.

I listened to this on my way down to Florida and it made the trip fly by, in fact I was really sad to say goodbye to these characters when the book ended and I had a couple hours to go.

Ivy is the senator’s daughter who has always followed the path set out for her. Dax is the former town bad boy known for illegal pranks. Every chapter begins with a little insight into how these two met as biology lab partners senior year of high school and then continues with the current time line of summer ten years later.

Ivy is in town for a wedding and accidentally crashes her golf cart into Dax’s repair shop. What follows is an amazing story of growth, support, and healing.

I absolutely loved this. I’ve never read Cindy Steel before but this will not be my last. I loved the chemistry created between the main characters and I loved that I couldn’t predict the resolution. Everything about this book was perfect.

This was as charming as the other books of this series. The tropes in this were my favourite ones thus it easily became my comfort book. The narration was smooth and easy breezy one thus it enhanced my reading experience of this book.
The characters were well penned and drafted too. Overall the plotline was well paced and executed too.

Loved it! All of Cindy Steel’s books are so good and this one was the perfect summer read. Had her hallmark witty banter along with such great chemistry. I loved the flashbacks to high school at the beginning of each chapter. I loved Dax and Ivy so much. Their personalities are so different, but I loved how much they helped each other and became such a safe place for each other. Great character growth, and of course fun to see the other characters from Sunset Harbour. Highly recommend!

Genre: romcom
Content: attempted sexual assault, mild language, toxic parent, familial abandonment

Rebel and good girl? Forced proximity? High school flashbacks? SAY LESS.

This book left me an absolute puddle of goo on the floor. Dax and Ivy’s love is just so dang sweet! Don’t let the gorgeous cover and/or the romcom genre fool you— this book has so much depth.

Straight-arrow Ivy Brooks is back in Sunset Harbor just for the weekend. But an incident occurs that ends with her owing court-ordered service hours to none other than her old HS biology lab partner, bad boy Dax Miller.

Ivy and Dax are total opposites but they are so good for each other! Dax helps Ivy to live life on her own terms, rather than her father’s. Ivy helps Dax realize it’s okay to let people in and to care for them again.

I also need to say as a member of a Lego-obsessed family, I was so happy to see that they played a role in this book.

I loved this one so much!

*Audio Note: Dax and Ivy’s story was great in written form and it is equally amazing on audio. Happy sigh.

Favorite Quotes:
⚠️ He was trouble. I just...didn't know trouble could have such gentle hands.

😏 The best thing he wore was the smirk across his face, and I would never admit that in a million years.

☕️ "There's a guy here who wants his coffee from you." "What?" "The hot mechanic guy. He wants a cup of coffee, but he says he wants it mediocre, and you're the only one who can do that." She made a face, looking slightly horrified before adding, "He told me to say that word for word."

🧬 Was I attracted to Dax Miller? Sure. What red-blooded female wouldn't be? The guy could fix anything with or without a shirt and had muscles built from physical labor. The attraction couldn't be stopped. It was science.

😉To my dismay, his door opened right away. Even the way he opened his door was smooth and casual. Smooth like the bare chest he currently wore with not a care in the world. Did I allow my gaze to trail downward? Just a little bit. On accident. The smile he gave me was almost like he'd been expecting me, which scrolled my annoyance factor up from a casual nine out of ten to a one hundred out of ten.

😂 "Why do you assume you're going to be coming to me?" He pointed to himself in mock disbelief. I motioned to where I was standing."Because you're always the one causing trouble." His easy smile brandished before me like a weapon. "I do think it's worth mentioning that, of the two of us, there's only one person court-ordered to be here this summer."

😍 "Just to be clear, this is about proving something to my dad. I'm leaving in a few weeks. And I don't like you." A low breathy chuckle escaped his lips. The unfortunate kind that had me craving a life of beaches and babies and a warm Floridian sun.
"I don't like you either," he murmured, his left hand grazing my cheek to tuck a curl behind my ear.

🔥 “The kiss outside your cafe the other night was the hottest kiss I've ever had. I've been dropping tools in my garage ever since because my hands don't work right because I can't get it out of my head. I can't get you out of my head.”

❤️ Because with him, I was safe to fall. I had always been 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.

‼️ Part of life is knowing that there is going to be disappointment sometimes." … "But when it comes to matters of your life and your heart, it shouldn't be you that's disappointed."

4.5. I was not too convinced by the writing at the beginning, but boy was I wrong! This is a morally gray MMC who is really just a cinnamon roll in disguise. This turned into my favorite of the series. This second chance romance will give you all the feels.

Rebel Summer was a fun, sweet, and escapist romance, and while 7th in the series it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone.

I loved Dax and Ivy’s playful and authentic chemistry, and the enemies to lovers storyline. Both characters had a strong sense of personal identity, which was explored through flashbacks and present day. The island setting made for some really creative situations and complications and I particularly loved Dax’s family and his nickname for Ivy - ‘Books’.

This made for a great audiobook and the narrator did a great job of brining the cast of characters to life. I was so immersed I had to go back and check that there wasn’t multiple narrators! A great read to pick up if you’re looking for a sweet, fun, engaging summer romance.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this audiobook. Opinions expressed are my own.