4 Maggie May stars

This one has many of my favorite elements: a summer setting, romance, family, and weddings. Bonus points for Fire Island—now I want to visit!

Maggie Mae Wheeler (yes, she’s named after the Rod Stewart song) is 30 and has a marriage proposal pending from her long-time best friend. Before she answers, she wants to seek out her birth mother. Maggie has just tracked her down, thanks to a genealogy site.

Bea Silver, her mother, is a professor at a nearby college but is soon headed to Europe for a sabbatical. Maggie finds out that Bea will be at a wedding on Fire Island, and she books a trip to decide whether she wants to meet her.

Maggie finds crazy family dynamics on Fire Island but meets a fascinating man, Matt, who loves music as much as she does. They have tangible chemistry! She and Matt pretend to be involved, and Maggie gets an invite to the wedding.

As the situation becomes increasingly complicated, Maggie is torn between her new family and her life back in Ohio.

I loved that each chapter had a song title, and there was a playlist for this book. It was very fun! I adored this book and will definitely read more from this author.

This felt like such a great summer book. It was romantic and nostalgic. Not my first book by this author and wont be my last.

Beautiful summer vibes, nostalgia and love story in this was so beautiful. First book by this author but certainly not my last.

I liked this book! It’s a cute and quick read. Very easy to follow the plot and the feelings of all the characters. It got a tad slow, but the ending was done really well!! I loved her finding herself and her heritage. Well done! Cute book about a small town girl.

A refreshing read about discovering family and self. What could possibly go wrong when a thirty year old music shop owner decides she might want to meet her birth mother.? Maggie Mae , a young woman who loves music and lives thru song in all aspects of her life, is on a quest to find her birth mother with help from Jason, her fiancé and a cast of characters that will make your heart sing. Songs of Summer was a joyful homage to days past thru the references to music which could easily have been a rom-com musical! While the ending was known early on the way to it was paved in a wonderful dance. It was also very comforting to have the early story set in Chagrin Falls, Ohio….where I have visited often!

I absolutely loved this book! Everything about it was perfect. I couldn't put it down and just wished it kept going.

This book came to me for free through Netgalley in return I am volunteering my honest opinion.

I felt this book was a wee bit slow. As I have said in the past, I love my job as a book reviewer because we all have different views of books and writing styles. The characters were wonderful, and I loved the music references throughout the book. I could even, at times, hear the soundtrack, but the story itself was a bit slow for me.

I loved Maggie and I was with her as she sought her biological mother. The road to finding her family was emotional I just had a hard time connecting with all the characters. that said I did enjoy it I just didn't feel for me it was a 5-star reading experience. Plus there were times I felt I was missing something like I wasn't fully aware of all that was happening on Fire Island.

That said I did enjoy the book and I felt the author did a good job writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this in less than 24 hours and absolutely adored the story! It was great being back in Bay Harbor with some of my favorite island friends and this story was especially sweet! I loved the adoption story and the new characters too. Maggie May was such a sweetheart and I loved getting to see where Ben and Addison are now!

I was really looking forward to this, having enjoyed Seven Summer Weekends. I was delighted that there was so much Ohio, and specifically, Chagrin Falls, in this book! And, I'm happy that this didn't end up being another book about a main character leaving small-town Ohio. That being said, parts of the book felt overly contrived, including the many, many characters who received chapters from their own point of view. And, I wish there had been more chemistry between the characters—the author kept telling us that Maggie, the main character, had never felt this way about anyone, but I would have loved to see it reflected on the page. Maybe if we hadn't had so many chapters from different perspectives, we could have gotten to know the main characters, and how they felt, better. I think the author was trying to accomplish too much, at times. Also, it felt like Maggie's newfound Jewish identity was thrown in a bit haphazardly. I would've loved to see the author explore that more.

Still, I largely enjoyed reading it, and it was nice to revisit some of the characters from Seven Summer Weekends, particularly Shep. Plus, this book answers the all-important question: what if we kissed at the William Greenberg bakery, next to the black and white cookies? 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There is much to recommend this book - maybe too much. I enjoyed the song/tract headings of each chapter and the clever dialogue around songs, but I found all the complications in this predictable romance a bit much:: 1) two platonic relationships only one has side benefits and a secret engagement although the bride to be is not enthusiastic, 2) a search for family - specifically Maggie May's birth mother, but a birth father also turns up who had no knowledge of his daughter. 3) a wedding of one platonic friends parents with ambivalent feelings, 4) a rich bitch sister/aunt with a drinking problem and unresolved issues, 5) Maggie May's discovery of being Jewish and quickly embracing her heritage, 6) and, of course, false identities to complicate matters. The mish/mash had to be sorted out in my head occasionally ("Who's is Seth? Oh, yeah, the grandfather!). I did enjoy the description of Fire Island and the resolution, of course. All in all, a decent beach read.

Great summer novel. Romance, heartbreak, family drama. Finding out you’re adopted and then traveling to find your birth mom has the potential for disaster. The plot was intriguing and I finished it in a couple hours. Thanks NetGalley for an arc.

A light, heartwarming book with romance, family drama and friendship. If you’ve enjoyed the other Fire Island novels by this author, you’ll love this one too. Many of the same characters reappear with some great new additions as well. Could read as a stand alone, but reading the other 2 first makes for a great reading experience!

Thanks to Berkeley and NetGalley for a copy of this book!

Rosen does it again.

I am a very big fan of Fire Island and Seven Summer Weekends. I was very excited to see a third Fire Island themed book being published. This book did not disappoint.

The story follows Maggie May. A 30 year old who is set out to find her birth mother... with the help of her childhood best friend- who she just got engaged to be engaged to.

Each chapter is from the point of view of a different character and is set to a theme song. Which you could find the playlist on Spotify at the back of the book. There is lots of music references in the book. Many that I grew up listening to with my parents, and it was a nice way to put yourself into the book.

It was nice to see many of the original characters from Fire Island in the book. While you don't have to read the other two books to understand what is happening, it is nice to understand the references. I highly recommend doing so. I personally read Seven Summer Weekends and then Fire Island and it helped me connect the dots.

I personally love the write style of the author. She really lets you understand the connection the people have to the island. It reminds me of all the summers I have spent in Cape May- a magical place that sucks you in and makes you forget there is a completely different world happening on the outside of it.

It does have some heavy topics- alcoholism, death, adoption. But don't let these steer you away.
I personally loved the book and hope to see more.

I would pack this for a beach trip and I guarantee you will devour it under the sun in no time.
I anticipate it will be on many best of 2025 lists.

On shelves everywhere May 20th.

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the digital advanced copy.

3.25 stars, Song of summer is lovely summery women’s fiction with the perfect amount of romance that also includes a great representation of friendship. I would highly recommend!

Maggie May learns she is adopted at the age of 9. She had a good childhood, but once her parents passed, she did a 23 & me test and found her mother. Her best friend and birthday buddy Jason became engaged to be engaged. They were safe with one another. She managed to find a way into a family wedding with the help of a new friend Matt. Matt pretended to be her boyfriend, but he made her feel things she never had before. A lot of family drama, wonderful stories, relationships and the realization that following your heart can be scary, but worth the risk. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

read if you like:
👵🏼 adoption stories
📍 fire island
👰🏻 wedding crashers

summary:
This book was such a pleasant surprise! It follows Maggie May Wheeler, a 30-something year old, running her deceased parents record store in Ohio and engaged to her childhood best friend. As she grieves the loss of her parents, she decides to find her birth mother — who gave her away when she was born. Her search leads her to Fire Island, where her birth mother is the guest of the wedding of the year. She finds herself befriending Matt, a local man on the island, who offers to let her join him at the wedding. As she learns more about her birth mother, her family and Matt’s family, she begins to realize she may belong more than she thinks.

This book is an amazing balance of romance, family and humor. Each chapter is from a different characters point of view, so we follow the weekend organically from various family members and guests. While some of them are more likable than others, it’s a balance of whimsical and real. I couldn’t help but love Maggie — she’s vulnerable, strong and full of grace, and you can’t help but root for her happiness despite everything going on around her. The family members quirks also made the book more fun. As for the setting, I’ve never been to Fire Island, but the author paints a picture of it perfectly!!! She describes the idyllic, small and lazy beach community in such a loving way that it makes me want to visit. The charm of it adds to the story and characters themselves, and you can almost feel like you’re a part of the weekend with them.

The ending of this book is so perfect — it wraps up so idyllically. Think the Notebook. If you need a happy and pick-me-up read, DEFINITELY pick this up when it releases on May 19! Thank you to Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Maggie Mae Wheeler has been living a nice life. She enjoys that her life is consistent - she lives in the apartment above her family's business where they lived for the early part of her childhood in a quaint Midwestern town. She runs the record store downstairs. Every year, she and her best friend, Jason, celebrate their birthdays together with family. She learned she was adopted when she was in the second grade but had no major desire to find her birth parents as she loved her sweet adoptive parents and felt that she didn't need anyone else. Her adoptive parents were older and have passed but she still spends her birthday with Jason's family. After their 30th birthday party, they climb up to their old tree hangout and retrieve the letters they wrote to themselves when they were 13, describing how they expected their lives to be. For the most part, Maggie's life matches what she wanted. She's content, but still hesitates to take the next step with Jason. Knowing where she came from so she can know who she is and where she's going seems like the best start so she decides to find her birth mother.

The story is told from multiple POVs and each chapter has an accompanying "theme song" (so the book has a Spotify playlist and you can find the link on the author's website). Although it deals with some heavy topics, it is written in a more lighthearted way so I found that it hit that sweet spot between being too fluffy and being too heavy. I loved almost all of the characters, especially Maggie's grandfather, Shep, and her fake boyfriend, Matt. The chapters were short and it was such a good story that it was a really quick read. It is a sweet, heartwarming story that would be perfect to read in a cute beach town! This was the first book that I've read by Rosen and I will definitely be coming back for more!

At thirty, Maggie May Wheeler finally decides to shake up her cozy life and search for her birth mother. Along the way, Maggie crashes a wedding, discovers her dramatic and lovable second family, and meets an intriguing stranger. Sometimes, complicated drama makes for a very enjoyable read. Jane Rosen does an amazing job capturing the chemistry, quirkiness, and drama of the characters, making the book truly fun to read.

A quick summer read (on a January wintry day) that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to BookBrowse and Berkley Paperback for the early read in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book! It was well written and had a great storyline that was captivating. I have never read a book with a concept of the main character crashing a wedding in hopes of finding her biological mom, but it was a great book. I recommend this book to those who want a fun summer read with romance vibes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Jane L. Rosen for a digital copy for me to review.

3.5 ⭐️ Charming story, characters & setting.
Luved the multiple references and character connections to the author's previous two books set on Fire Island, tho this was my favorite by far!

With thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this e-ARC.