First I muuust point out that lovely cover. I loved it on sight! As a Trini and us literally being in the middle of Carnival season right now, this was the perfect read for the season. It didn't disappoint!

This felt so familiar to me with the Caribbean-ness of it all. Mentions of fetes, and soca had me grinning as someone who loves soca and a good fete (and has also playing mas in a pretty costume). Then we add in the two different characters of Trinidad and Orlando. Ms. Trinidad being a 35 year old mom of teens an Orlando being 25 years old, of course I wondered how they'd work this out but A.H did a great job balancing their chemistry, the steam, the conflicts. It was really well done, showing how these two were able to come together and create a beautiful thing.

This is why I am a fan of A.H. Cunningham. This has spice, love, and I loved the cultural elements. To find love in the most unconventional ways. And while finding that ❤️ you find a reason to just BE...Orlando, and Trinidad found what they needed and more within each other. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I found this story to be charming and engaging; it's the first work by A. H. Cunningham that I've read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The narrative flowed well, the characters were believable and relatable, and I connected with the storyline. I appreciated the September-December relationship dynamic; it was humorous, passionate, and heartwarming.

This was such a blast! Admittedly I am much more of a fan of age gap romances when the woman is older, but this was such a good time! I love this! It was funny, it made you feel all the emotions all the time, it was great!

This was my first A.H. Cunningham book, but it definitely won’t be my last! This story was such a fun and sexy take on growth, adulthood, and the reality of navigating life at different stages. We have Trinidad, a grown and sexy single mom in her 30s, raising twin boys and thinking her hot girl days are behind her in favor of a more “stable” future. Then there’s Orlando, younger but mature beyond his years after stepping up to take care of his mother and younger brothers following his father’s passing only to find himself facing a whole new surprise in his life.

This book beautifully explores how love, relationships, and adulthood aren’t linear but constantly evolving. And let’s talk about the chemistry because whew Trinidad and Orlando were straight 🔥 from start to finish! The amount of spice in this book caught me off guard in the best way. I also loved the rich Caribbean and Afro-Latine vibes woven throughout the story. Highly recommend this one for my grown and sexy friends looking for a hot age-gap romance!

V and Orlando bring magic to the island of Trinidad set against the backdrop of Carnival. This was an amazing trad follow up for AH Cunningham's Out of Office and I really enjoyed it.

I read Ms. V’s Hot Girl Summer and I really enjoyed it. This book follows Trinidad aka Ms. V who is a single mother to two teenage boys who is tired of being strung along by her current situationship. She is looking to just leave her responsibilities behind and have some fun where she decides to go to the Caribbean for Carnival. She meets Orlando who is a 25 year old man who had to grow up fast to take care of his family. He helps Ms. V with her boys in the sports department and has always kept his interactions with her respectful. Ms.V and Orlando go to the Carnival for some fun and sparks fly. I loved the Caribbean representation. I give this book a 3.5 but I had to round it up on here. I just didn’t like how Ms.V kept referencing Orlando as a little boy. I get that he was younger but he was very much grown.

Really enjoying this book so far. Coming back to update review. Ms. V is living up to being a hot girl.

Carnival is fast approaching in Trinidad (also coincidentally the name of a character in this book) so reading this book right now was just perfect timing. In Guyana it’s known as Mashramani and in Toronto there’s the classic Caribana during the summer months. It’s a celebration of culture, music, and the joy of the Caribbean. It’s the heat, the food, the dancing, time with friends, and the costumes - it’s effervescent.

I’ve been longing for a book to be set during Carnival because it offers such a great backdrop of fun and is often filled with budding romance. A.H. Cunningham takes advantage of that fully in this book. Hoping an Indo-Caribbean author takes a crack at it soon!

Giving this 3.5 but rounding up to 4 stars as there were some pacing issues for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC.

Reading an A.H Cunningham book always feels like coming home to me.

I absolutely loved Trinidad & Orlando’s story. A.H gave us grown and spicy — of course I’m here for it. This was a story of self discovery and second chances. Trinidad believed she needed to go down a certain path to lead a happy life for herself and her boys. But with the help of some meddling kids, a mini vacation and the younger man she couldn’t stop thinking about, Orlando, she was able to see a clearer path.

Orlando being a child that had to grow up too soon deeply resonated with me. I admired his dedication to do what was right and protect his family despite it being a heavy weight to carry on his own. I love the dynamic between him and Trinidad and that they were able to both teach and learn from one another.

I love how A.H Cunningham represents our Caribbean culture. It’s so rare to see characters with these origins. It’s truly a treat to read about food from home or see patois in traditional print.

Another phenomenal book!

I’ve been eager to get my (virtual) hands on this book ever since I first saw the cover—a stunning illustration of a beautiful Black woman with a blissful expression, dressed in a gorgeous carnival costume. The description hooked me even more because I’m a sucker for stories about dedicated single moms finding their groove again.
I dove into the book fully expecting to fall head over heels for the story, but that didn’t quite happen. Things started off strong, but when I reached the part about the “trick” Trinidad’s sons pulled to get her to connect with Orlando, the love train derailed. I can usually suspend disbelief enough to enjoy slightly far-fetched forced-proximity setups, but this one actually made me frown in real life. Thankfully, things got back on track, but in the end, I liked the book rather than loved it.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable story that just fell a little short of my (admittedly very high) expectations.

#MsVsHotGirlSummer
#NetGalley

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.