This has been an average romance, nothing special, and if it had not been for the inevitable drama situation almost at the end, typical and seemingly necessary, to my regret, I would definitely have rated it higher. And besides, I think that one of the protagonists, Kellan, gives much more to push forward the relationship than the other protagonist, Ashleigh.

Ashleigh has just ended a marriage of twelve years and her ex-wife is now in a relationship with a man, a very happy one for what it seems. And Ashleigh, her ex and her boyfriend and the rest of the friends, all live in Brooklyn, so they are continually seeing each other. And Ashleigh doesn't get over the breakup, she's living with her parents and doesn't know how to date again. Kellan arrives in Brooklyn to take care of her aunt's cat, and also her apartment, during the summer. Ashleigh and Kellan have a friend in common, Liam, who has just opened a bar where they meet for the first time and they decide that will spend the next two months of summer discovering the places in New York that the locals like Ashleigh don't frequent normally and Kellan will take the opportunity to visit, with Ashleigh as hes personal guide.

The discovery of the city and, at the same time, of the two women with each other, is an interesting premise. But the imbalance of attitude between the two women, with Ashleigh's negativity and Kellan's compliance, has ruined the result a little. And the misunderstanding, mistrust, whatever, in the end, was the last straw.

It is not, in any way, a bad reading, but it could have been much better.

Having the pleasure of reading some other works by this author I can honestly say this one is the best.
Kellan Dwyer has just retired from the Army after a number of years. She has got to travel around the world including some of the hot-spots where the USA is fighting terrorists but she has been lucky in that she is coming home relatively intact. She decides that working in Vail, Colorado with her family owned resort is perfect for her. When her aunt has to leave New York for her job she needs someone to look after her cat, Blue. Since Kellan just got home her aunt along with her mother think this will be a wonderful way to spend the summer, house sitting and hopefully get to see the city up close. It also helps that Kellan has two of her best friends living in NY which will enable her to catch up with what is going on with them. Perfect.
Ashleigh McAllister’s life is not where she thought it should be. She recently divorced her wife after 17 years together when her wife informs her she’s in love with someone else. Giving up her home to the ex means she has to move in with her family while she tries to adjust to being single again. She works as a teacher and is lucky enough to have the whole summer off. This summer she decides to take the time and actually visit all of the tourist venues because even though she lives in Brooklyn, she has never taken the time to explore the very city she lived in.
When she first meets Kellan at the bar her friend Liam owns it wasn’t exactly fireworks. Kellan certainly isn’t her type but when their mutual friend Liam finds out Ashleigh’s plan for the summer he thinks it would also be perfect for Kellam. Ashleigh and Kellan might as well explore the city together.
Now they are spending time together, telling each other their life stories, trying to be honest with each other, becoming friends. Problem is Kellan hasn’t been as open and honest as Ash has been because there is one story she has yet to address.
As I said this is the best Ms Cummings book I’ve read. The writing has a more mature vibe, good dialogue, all in a nicely paced read.
Very, Very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

This book was a little slow for me. Nothing much happened and then finally when there was a conflict they resolved it too quickly. Not enough angst for my personal taste. And for some reason it bothers me when people write about New York City who don’t seem to have ever lived here. As a long time New Yorker it just feels a bit cheesy at times, all the explanations about the neighborhood names and landscape and such.

Ashleigh McAllister is going through a rough patch, her ex-wife left her for a man and now she seems to bump into them in their neighbourhood all the time. As Summer approaches she decides to spend it sightseeing in NYC by herself. That is until army vet Kellan Dwyer makes an appearance and joins her in her daily city tours. As time goes by, their attraction is undeniable and they decide to become friends with benefits. But that was a bad idea, wasn’t it?

I absolutely loved this romance, it shows how far Ms. Cummings has evolved as an author. In my opinion, even though I liked her previous novels, this book is so much better than the others. The backdrop of the story in the fantastic New York makes it more enjoyable, as a New Yorker herself, the author knows what she’s writing about and it shows. I lived in NY a long time ago and for me personally it was great to see the city through the eyes of the main characters, one of them a New Yorker.

The chemistry between the mains is very well done. In a romance sometimes it’s hard to convey the characters’ feelings from the start point of a no-strings relationship, but the author delivers the growing emotions perfectly. The sex scenes were varied and hot, which is a must in this type of trope. I found that Ms. Cummings managed really well the development of their relationship into something more meaningful.

I have to admit that while I was reading and seeing the direction the plot was taking, I was a bit apprehensive of how the author was going to handle the conflict between the characters because the issue has the potential of becoming a big melodrama. I was happy to see that Ms. Cummings handled it convincingly and realistically within the world she created. My only criticism is that some parts of the plot seemed to slow down and becoming tedious but fortunately they were scarce and short. Otherwise, it would have been an easy 5 stars for me.

Overall, a very good lesbian romance with the beautiful scenery of New York. 4.5 stars.

ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com

A cute summer romance novel.

Ashleigh is looking to take the summer by the horns and finally set aside time to explore NYC - in a way that those who live there rarely do. Take in the tourist sites, the museums and forget about her lack of love life. As always happens when you write off love, in steps the girl of your dreams. Kellan is recently out of the army, and in NYC for the summer to house- and cat-sit for her Aunt.

A mutual friend pushes the two to explore the city together, and as they spend more time together, the two fall deeply. However, Kellan has a secret that may tear the two apart and, besides, she's only there for the summer. Will the stars that brought them together for a summer be enough to build on, or will going for it be too much for Ashleigh to handle?

**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This book was darling! I definitely wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. Based off the synopsis. I thought Ashleigh and Kellan would be much younger than their actual 37/38 years old, and this book would be a lot more youth drama and miscommunication. But no, this book was genuine, the two leading ladies mature, and sweet, and damn sexy. I loved every moment of it!

Ashleigh is fresh out of a seventeen year relationship, where her ex-wife left her for a man. She'd feeling defeated and embarrassed, living at her parents house and bumping into her ex far too often in Brooklyn. As a teacher, she has the whole summer free, and she's determined to make it a summer to remember by visiting all the places in NYC she hasn't seen and to break out of her funk. When she meets Kellan, fresh out of the army with nothing to do except house sitting for her aunt, the two decide to tackle Ashleigh's list of places to visit together. Neither women are prepared for the mutual attraction they experience. But Kellan's set to go back to Colorado at the end of the summer, and Ashleigh's life is in Brooklyn. Does their love have a time limit, or will it be forever?

I love how Maggie Cummings really captured the magic of summer. You could feel the weather, the sun the heat, the freedom of nothing to do, the excitement of exploring a city like it's new. Plus, I've got a list a mile long now for the next time I visit New York City - the Ashleigh tour! Ashleigh and Kellan were incredible characters. They were both unique and strong and gorgeous inside and out. I loved their families and friends surrounding them, they were so loving and really created such a warm, feel good story.

This is the perfect book to read in the summer, reminding you that possibilities are endless when it comes to adventures right outside your front door. And, this book is a perfect winter read, because it is such a cozy read, your heart will be so full and happy and content.


I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ah, this was cute. One major question though, where was my tour guide when I visited New York? I mean who wouldn’t want an adorable nerd with an itinerary to show them around the Big Apple. Plus they get to fall in love too. It’s a dream come true. I don’t think the secondary storyline was needed, although I know it was there to provide an obstacle to overcome, which added a bit of interest, it kind of detracted a bit from the main storyline. I would have preferred more focus on the places they visited, but I realise that may be boring for the US audience. For Brits, the New York travelogue is exotic and adds to the romance of the story. Well worth reading for the steamy scenes alone, let alone the friendship with their best pal. I remain unconvinced you should be friends with your ex though, way nicer to never see them again.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve had mixed luck with Cummings’ books. I didn’t think much of Totally Worth It, but enjoyed Perfect Partners. This one I loved. I’ve actually been in a bit of a book slump, so this was a breath of fresh air.

So, this features Ashleigh, a high school math teacher about to start summer break, she’s recently divorced and still sees her ex and the ex’s new husband around the neighbourhood. To get out of her slump she decides to spend the summer doing all the touristy things New York has to offer. Enter Kellan, who has recently retired from the army and is in town to house/cat-sit (Blue is adorable) for her aunt for the summer. The two meet through Ashleigh’s childhood friend Liam, who also served with Kellan, who suggests that Ashleigh should show Kellan the sights.

The beauty of this scheme is that the two leads spend ample time together, and during this time the get to know each other, develop an attraction for each other and eventually fall in love. Even though this is set during a summer, the sheer amount of time they spend together (and all the TALKING they do, OMG I love books where the leads talk) make the relationship feel entirely natural.

Both main characters are sweet as pie, even though they are entirely different. Usually when I read a book, even if I like them both, there’s one that I prefer, but not here. Were it possible, I’d take one of each! I also loved revisiting New York through their day trips.

The side characters aren’t terribly fleshed out, but they add to the story as needed. I was loving the book til the 80% mark, but then the requisite ‘drama’ cropped up and sort of derailed it a bit. I could see both sides, but in all honesty I was annoyed that in a book where the leads did so much talking that Kellan would hold back on this particular issue. I was pretty much with Ashleigh on that one, though wouldn’t have made the same decision she did. The end redeemed that for me though and I liked the way the HEA was resolved. This is a lovely romance, well worth the read. 4 stars.

Kitty therapy.

Ashleigh (awesome spelling, by the way) is a divorced high school math teacher that spends time at her best guy friend's Brooklyn bar. She hasn't quite gotten beyond the disappointment of her failed relationship. To rub things in, she frequently sees her ex-wife and the new boyfriend all over the neighborhood.

Kellan is a retired military butch that resides at her families' resort in Vail, Colorado. But a cat sitting job brings her to Brooklyn for the summer. She decides to hit up her old military friend, which happens to be Ashleigh's best friend, Liam.

Liam suggests Kellan join Ashleigh on her mission to visit all the tourist hot spots over her summer break.

First of all, it was fun to read all of the descriptions of Brooklyn. Especially Dumbo. That is a spot I take everyone who visits. Best view of Manhattan, in my opinion. I did wonder about beach volleyball as that is not something I've seen there. But maybe I just haven't been there on the right days.

The main characters really did have a strong connection and a lot of chemistry. The author did a fantastic job at making me feel it through glances and touches. It was like I was a fly on the wall as I watched these two develop feelings for one another. Even though the amount of time that passes in the story is short, it really felt like their relationship became authentically robust.

Of course there were some challenges. Kellan was only in Brooklyn for the summer. Ashleigh didn't feel like she was ready to open up and be vulnerable. Especially knowing Kellan would be leaving. Kellan wanted to find an estranged friend from her military days while she was there. And there was more to that relationship than met the eye.

I liked that this story was about them and mostly just them. Either we were reading scenes with them together or scenes with one of them talking or thinking about the other. It was a nice change to have a story like this where it doesn't try too hard to pack insignificant side plots and characters.

And the intimate scenes were so good! I generally don't like to read explicit sex, but for some reason I really enjoyed that aspect of this book. Even when one of them was thinking about sex they had, it was hot. Probably a tribute to how much I connected with these characters that had crazy amounts of chemistry.

Overall, this was a really satisfying romance. I laughed. I cried. And I didn't want it to end.

I recommend this to anyone who likes to read about romance, Brooklyn, New York, bars, coffee, getting over the ex, math teachers, military retirees, attraction, cuteness, and cat therapists.

Ashleigh is a 38 year old high school math teacher who is probably the last one to believe she would be living with mom and dad in the home she grew up in. But this is where she finds herself after a 17 year marriage that has come to a painful end. To pick herself up, she decides a summer full of hometown sightseeing in NYC is the remedy. What she doesn’t anticipate is the company of a very handsome friend of a friend.

The book is a true summer fling, warm breezes and laughter, kisses in the sand, strolls through the park while holding hands, a sunny, steamy romance that brings together broken-hearted Ashleigh and Kellan who is also confronting a difficult past. Although there’s a bit of mayhem at the 80% mark, all goes well at the end. Perfect for the diehard romance fan.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review of the story.

Everyone loves a love story, right? That vicarious pleasure of someone giving the first glance that led to a smile that led to a casual conversation left hanging with possibilities.

This is that love story between two mature women. Both have careers, pasts, friends and are not looking for any thing more than happy lives.

They have experience, this isn't the first time they've been in love or lust with a woman. But will it be the last time - who knows.

The story and chemistry happens quickly, the sex is hot and descriptive (sometimes I wish more were left to my imagination, but that's just me.)

Ashleigh is recovering from a broken trust - her wife left her for a man.

Kellen just retired from the army and is looking forward to joining the family business.

As they see the sights of Brooklyn and New York, they work through issues, fall in love and begin to live life again. Until a secret of Kellen's blindsided Ashleigh.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it. The characters are well spoken, vulnerable and grow as individuals.

I look forward to more from this writer and Bold Strokes.

A true love letter to greater New York City. There's so much to love about this book ... butch/femme where the femme isn't normally attracted to butch, slowish burn, super hot love scenes, fantastic dialogue, interesting side characters, perfect pacing. In my opinion this book didn't need the Dara storyline - I would've have liked it even more if Kellan and Ashleigh had broken up due to the summer timeline and realized they couldn't live without each other.

Really enjoyed this book, a light read and a well written romance. The characters are well developed and believable, Ashleigh a nerdy maths teacher is recovering from divorce and running into her ex and the exes new man, Kellan has recently retired from the army so butch and fit as hell, she goes to the bar run by an old army buddy Liam who just happened to be Ashleigh's best friend. They decide to explore New York together during the summer and romance blossoms and stutters. The storyline is not that new but there is a freshness to the writing especially the sex scenes and a love of Brooklyn and New York that shines through on the page, making this a joy to read.

I’m fully prepared to admit that I might be overrating this book a tad. As I’ve written before, my ratings reflect the feelings a book evokes, not whether it’s perfect or not. Brooklyn Summer definitely made me feel a lot, in a good way. It’s heartwarming and immensely romantic and it makes me happy.

There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with Ashleigh’s life. She loves her job, she loves her friends. Sure, she’s living with her parents and sassy grandmother at the moment, after a rather amicable divorce, but she loves her family and they’re all very supportive. She’s not jealous of her ex-wife Reagan’s happiness with her new boyfriend, she’s not even unhappy. Mostly, she feels pathetic. With the summer break starting, she hopes to take control back over her life and plans on visiting all the places she never has time for in her hometown of New York. She was hoping her best friend Liam could tag along but having just taken over his parents’ pub, he can’t go gallivanting all day. As luck would have it, Kellan, one of his army buddies, has been summoned to New York to catsit for her aunt and would love nothing better than to discover the city with a local. The two women hit it off right away, becoming fast friends before admitting there’s more to their relationship than friendship.

The author does a wonderful job of conveying the sensation of falling in love, the way colours are brighter, sounds are clearer, food and drinks taste better. I don’t mind the instalove when it’s done well. I know it happens IRL, I fell in love with my wife immediately – I just didn’t realise that’s what was happening at first. While the characters’ backstories are very different from mine, how they feel about each other sounds a lot like what I’ve experienced, and still feel. The way Ashleigh and Kellan get closer and closer, how their feelings grow, it all feels very organic.

At one point, Kellan thinks of a moment as “perfect and sweet and unbelievably sexy”. These modifiers fit the novel just as well. I’m a little sad I’m done reading this book already, I wouldn’t have minded staying a bit longer in its warmth.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is such a romantic book :) my heart is happy !

So you have Kellan the army butch with incredible green eyes and the other MC Ash who’s your typical New York girl. Although the book mainly is during the summer period, I didn’t feel that it was insta love! There was a lot of dialogue and I felt the author managed to make their love feel so real and deep even though it was in a short period of time ! I would’ve loved a bit more details on Kellan’s time in the army though, I think this would’ve been interesting (or maybe because I liked Kellan a bit more than Ash so I wanted more of her story than Ash’s).

There was a point where I got a little bored in the middle because I felt it dragged a bit, but it passed so fast because of the very good supporting characters that really added a lot to the whole story. You know with some books unfortunately there’s always a best friend thrown in the middle just to fill in some gaps, or at least that’s how i feel. But with this one, every supporting character had an interesting part to play. You have the common best friend, the ex, the other best friend and my favorite was the funny grandmother:)

I also enjoyed the sex scenes a lot.. But what really made this a solid 4 star read was the angst that came in the last couple of chapters! Yes I love angst but sometimes it’s forced! For me, this one was perfect ! Everything just made sense!

I loved the ending, I really liked the book and I totally recommend it :)

“I received an ARC for an honest review.”

This is my third time reading a Maggie Cummings romance and this is probably my favorite thus far. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one because of the blurb, but now that I am finished I wish the blurb was different. Ashleigh M. is a High School Math teacher who lives at home with her parents. She landed back at home after her marriage ended and got a divorce. Honestly, her life is not a mess to me. Professionally she is in a good place. Her personal life is a bit wonky because she keeps bumping into her ex wife and her boyfriend on a regular basis. She does have some issues to work out. Kellen just retired from the army and heads to Brooklyn for the summer to house sit and take care of her aunt's cat. She doesn't mind because it will give her a chance to explore Brooklyn and possibly meet up with a long lost friend from the army.

So I have to be honest, I really did like this romance. Ashleigh and Kellen hit it off pretty much immediately. Kellen isn't Ashleigh's type per say, but she really only had one significant relationship and that was with the ex-wife. The chemistry is there and the interaction between the mains is easy and fun and light. As I read this one, I just was really invested in the story. The pace of the story was seamless and worked well for the timeline. The falling in love part was gradual and is believable. And lets talk about the sex. Goodness! HOT, HOT, HOT! The scenes were well done and didn't leave me wanting more...because there was more. I even liked the angst in this one. I must say Cummings did a really good job and I can't help but wish that Abby Craden will narrate this one when and if an audio book comes out.

I happily give this one 5 stars.

Brooklyn Summer by Maggie Cummings
4 Stars

I’ve only read the author’s debut novel, Totally Worth It. I thought it was just OK and I didn’t read the rest of the series. I enjoyed this one much more.

Ashleigh McAllister is a teacher with the summer off. She is recently divorced after 12 years, though she reluctantly admits it was over for many years. Her ex-wife left her for a man. Ashleigh moved back in with her parents in Brooklyn and decides to be like a tourist and spend the summer exploring her hometown, New York City.

Kellan Dryer is apartment/cat sitting in Brooklyn for her Aunt for the summer. She is just out of the army, so it is a perfect time to chill before she is slated to return to Vail, Colorado to help her brother run the family ski resort.

They have a mutual friend, who owns a bar and it is there that they meet and decide to tour NYC together. Ashleigh planned the days and Kellan happily going along for the ride. I’ve visited NYC at least a half a dozen times. A couple of times with a relatively large group of friends and the other times with my niece for her graduation or by myself. I’m a theater junkie, so when I’m by myself, go to 4 or more plays a trip. So it was fun reading where these two went and knowing where they went (I’ve been there!). I’m glad they eventually did go to one play. When I visit NYC again, I’m definitely going to take notes from this book, for new places to visit.

Of course romance was inevitable. I suppose it was relatively fast, but considering they spent almost every day and evening together, they did get to know each other relatively well in a short period of time. Believe me, taking a trip with someone for the first time, you get to know them better in short order. The big difference is that this pair didn’t have the stress of housing costs for the summer.

But of course, you can’t have a romance without angst thrown in around 80% mark. I did see it coming, though I didn’t guess the exact details, but I was close. I didn’t understand why it was a huge problem for either side.

An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes books and Netgalley for an honest review.

Summer Loving
Ashleigh is a high school math teacher who lives with her parents. She’s been divorced from her wife for a few years now and her ex has moved on with a man. Ashleigh isn’t in love with Regan anymore, and hasn’t been for quite a long time, but she still feels hurt and betrayed (even though Regan never cheated) and lost. She has decided to spend the summer doing the touristy things in her home of NYC, doing all those things that she’s never done or wants to do again. She’s asked her friend Liam to go with her but he is busy with his new bar. Kellan is Liam’s Army friend and one of his closest friends. She lives in Colorado but she is in Brooklyn for the summer house and cat sitting for her Aunt. She too asked Liam to show her around when he has time but he has a better idea and the next thing you know, he’s roped Ashleigh into the task. As the summer progresses their friendship deepens until it’s something more. The question is, will this summer fling turn into something more???

This was a good book. As anyone who knows me will tell you, NYC is one of the last places in the USA that I would want to be but this book actually made it sound… well, (SHHH) fun… Who knew? Anyway, I really liked Kellan and Ashleigh, though a bit neurotic, wasn’t too bad either. She kind of grows on you but I really didn’t get all the angst in her responses to even seeing Regan. The story was entertaining. There was a lot more to it than just the city, they spent a lot of time in their neighbourhoods too. I liked the slower burn build up to them becoming a couple and I liked the relationships between the friends as well. Blue, the cat stole the show in my opinion, not that he had a big role, I just love cuddly, adorable cats lol! Actually, the parts right before the epilogue was my favourite because it was just so perfect. I did love the follow up at the end because it tied everything together nicely and neatly.

so much fun...i loved exploring New York through this story...as someone who has never been it was a fun part of the experience. The relationship is flirty, funny, and sexy. A must read from Maggie Cummings

This books was a perfect example of romance without all the frills and spectacles. Just a good story with enjoyable main characters, plausible storyline and a realistic development of the relationship. So don't expect big plot twists in this story about Kellan and Ashleigh, but do yourself a favor and laze around on the couch (or beach, or balcony or wherever) and enjoy this sweet story against the background of summer in New York.