Firstly as a person with a neurodivergent brain, I loved how the writer portrayed Samantha. Seeing a character who struggles but who isn't unnecessarily 'quirky' made for a relatable character so I really appreciated this. Also using a dyslexic friendly font was such a simple but important decision and I think more writers could follow suit on this.

Samantha has been passed over for promotion and unable to swallow this unfair decision, she quits. Using this hiatus in her career to spend the summer back home at Martha's Vineyard, she's a little apprehensive. Her Dad and Stepmom are going away and she's going to be looking after her half-brother Tyler. They've never spent much time together and things are a little prickly to begin with.

But as Sam settles back into island life, she finds work and things with Tyler gradually thaw, until their relationship blossoms and it was a joy to watch this unfold.

Add to the mix, Ben. Hot librarian who not only doesn't judge her for her neurodiversity, but actually finds a way to allow her to love books. He reads aloud to her and I loved these moments. When someone sees you and accepts you for exactly who you are, there is no better feeling.

With all good romances there are bumps along the way, but ultimately there is a wonderful ending.

I really loved Summer Reading and the inclusion of the recipes referenced is always a lovely touch.

3 STARS OCTOBER 11, 2023
Review: Summer Reading Jenn McKinlay ★★★

When a woman who'd rather do anything than read meets a swoon-worthy bookworm, sparks fly, making for one hot-summer fling in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay's new rom-com.

For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha's Vineyard at her family's tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she's tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there's no place Sam, who's dyslexic, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library's interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.

Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he's never known. He's taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn't interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can't stop thinking about her.

An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she's always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.

REVIEW
Summer Reading was a cute, light-hearted summer romance novel that I admittedly left a little late in the year to read (October 🤭). But honestly, aside from one scene at a beach, this book doesn't especially give off summer vibes so I'd say you could happily read it whenever you please.

The story follows main character Samantha who struggles through life with dyslexia. This was a very unique and thought-provoking aspect of the book. I'd honestly never given much thought to what that must be like but the author did a really superb job of showing just what a daily struggle that would be. Not being able to read a menu, instructions, the back of a food packet... When people ask Sam about reading, particularly novels, her coping mechanism is usually to just pretend to dislike reading and that she would rather watch the movie.

Sam was a pretty cool character and aside from the romance I really enjoyed her personal story with her family, her half-brother, her career worries, etc, and I just generally enjoyed her as a character. She was funny and her banter was on point.

For our male love interest, we have librarian Ben who's pretty instantly taken with Sam. During their meet-cute, she accidentally destroyed the book he was reading which led to a conversation about reading. Initially, she went with her usual white lies about movies being better but as their relationship develops, Ben learns the real reason behind her aversion to reading and I'm soooo glad this aspect wasn't dragged out too long.

In conclusion, Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay is a sweet and heartwarming "summer" romance with a unique focus on dyslexia. It's a pleasant way to pass the time for any romance lover.
3 stars ★★★

Samantha is back on Martha's Vineyard after lots if years away to look after her half brother for the summer, she's just quit her job after being passed over for a promotion and she's unsure what to do next. On the boat over, she meets Ben, but it isn't a great start when she knocks his book into the ocean.
Sam has dyslexia and struggles with reading. This is the first time I've read an adult book with the MC having this, and the author seemed to do a good job. Her note at the beginning stated the research carried out and how the book was set out to help, etc.
I really enjoyed this small town enemies to lovers, Sam was a fabulous (albeit prickly through circumstance) character, and I loved how sweet Ben was to her throughout. It was lovely to read how Sam and her brother came together, and that aspect of the book was a joy to read.

I really enjoyed this. It was an easy read and the story line kept me up turning pages into the morning. Would definitely recommend to all I know.

Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay takes the book lover trope and turns it on its head in this romantic drama with a beautiful Summer setting.

Samantha Gale is returning to her hometown on Martha's Vineyard for the Summer. Her Dad and Stepmother are going to Europe, and they've asked Sam to keep an eye on her fourteen-year-old half brother, Tyler. This is the perfect opportunity for Sam and Tyler to get to know each other better, and for Sam to have some down time while she figures out what to do after leaving her job as a chef. Sparks fly when Sam meets Ben, a hot local librarian - but she's worried that he might judge her if he finds out that she has dyslexia and has difficulties reading.

This had an interesting premise, and I really appreciated the author's research and efforts to make dyslexia easier to understand. I learned some things I hadn't known before about the condition, which was great. However. I just felt like the main character mentioned it constantly and instead of showing that people can live a perfectly normal life with dyslexia, it almost became a burden that had to be considered before every conversation between Sam and Ben. This woman had carved a very successful career for herself as a chef purely by remembering recipes and methods, she was incredibly capable, and it seemed like she had completely forgotten that. I also felt like there were far too many side plots happening - from the friend's health scare, to Ben's parents, to Tyler's love life, to the local job, to the dancing - so much of it seemed like unnecessary filler. One of the sex scenes towards the end also made me feel really uncomfortable given the emotional state of one of the participants at the time.

The setting was gorgeous, the book just wasn't as enjoyable for me as I'd hoped it would be. Sincere thanks to Random House UK for the opportunity to read it nonetheless.

I wanted to post this after my last review because I think this book, the last one (Beach Rivals) and Emily Henry’s Book Lovers all have very similar threads running throughout them but for me, I think this one is the best out of them all.

This felt like such a sweet, heartwarming book to me, something that the other too didn’t and the book element in this one felt fun and I think it worked really well to bring more to the story but it also had so much more to back it up like the relationships and family dynamics that I felt really made this book shine!

I absolutely loved the Martha’s Vineyard setting too! I really recommend this if your looking for a book with a book setting (a library, writing a book) that will give you those end of summer vibes too!

From the blurb -

Sam set out to spend the summer resurrecting her career as a chef but instead, has to chaperone her half-brother to a robotics competition at the local library.

And naturally, because the universe hates her, the library's interim director, Ben, turns out to be the Hot Reader Guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry to the island.

Sam doesn't do reading. Ben doesn't do romantic relationships.

But when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she's always dreamed about, they discover there might be more than just a creative spark between them.
*ARC from NetGalley ✨

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley books for granting me an ARC of Jenn McKinlay's newest novel 'Summer Reading'.

I requested this book upon seeing this beautiful cover and reading a little of the blurb. When reading I quickly found out that our main character, Sam, has dyslexia. As a dyslexic myself, I was excited to see the representation in this book as I have never read a book with a dyslexic MC before.
Unfortunately, I feel like Sam's dyslexia defined her and played too big of a part in this story. I really struggled with reading as a child and I definitely felt seen when Sam described her difficulty with time management and how she has overcompensated for her dyslexia, but throughout this book, Sam hyperfixates on what she can't do as a dyslexic. While I think neurodivergent representation is SO important, I would have liked the learning difficulties to have played a slightly smaller part in the story as I feel like there was less room for the romantic plotline with Ben.

I loved the Martha's Vineyard setting and felt like I could really visualise it through the author's wonderful descriptions. I also enjoyed the mystery subplot, but felt a little icky when there was a question if Sam and Ben could be related!

I loved the relationship growth we saw between Sam and her younger half-brother Tyler, and it felt like it happened at a realistic pace. I would have loved to have seen more moments with him and Sam.

Aside from a few cringy moments (the shuffle dancing?) and what's mentioned above, I did enjoy reading this book. For the most part, this book was an easy read with funny, exciting and heartwarming moments.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley.

Sam Gale is nursing broken Dreams when she returns to Martha's vineyard to act as child minder whilst her father and stepmother take the holiday of their dreams.

The book is much nore than it's contemporary Romance genre suggests. The author weaves a catching up with the past, a redefining of the future, neurodiversity and family re connections into the narrative. It has layers of both gentle humour and suspense and kept me entertained throughout.

A multi layered book and an author I wouold read more of

McKinlay grabbed my attention immediately with her author's note talking about making the print copy of this book Dyslexia friendly. I had an e-ARC of this book and then purchased an audiobook copy, so I had to go into a physical bookshop to see what she was talking about. My husband is Dyslexic and I told him about the print adjustments and also the storyline that involves our neurodiverse MFC and the bookish MMC. He happened to be with me when we found the physical book and was impressed! Well done Penguin books!

Anyway, the story is good, lots of descriptions that I found helpful to understand the nature of Sam's neurodiversity and I loved the cooking descriptions too. The relationship that Sam develops with her half brother Tyler is very touching and real.

Overall, quite different to a standard romance fiction, but in a really good way. A solid 4 stars from me.

The perfect Summer read, a story of best friends, reconnected siblings, and the perfect love story. I felt like everything was happening at the right time, just as it was always destined to. The reality of life sometimes getting in the way of what really matters but it’s never too late and this book is a reminder of that 🤍

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy!

Books, romance and beachy vibes -of course, I wanted this for my summer TBR. I’ve not read a Jenn McKinlay book before but I had heard that she writes cosy mysteries set in libraries. Although I knew this one didn’t feature a mystery, I was still really looking forward to the light fluff that this novel promised.

Recently laid off from her chef’s job, Sam is back on Martha’s Vineyard where she grew up. Her task for the summer is to watch her 14-year-old half brother while their father and his wife take a long holiday. But Sam’s brother Tyler is taking part in a robotics summer scheme at the local library. That’s where Sam bumps into Bennett, the handsome interim library director, who she happened to have a rather awkward first encounter with on the boat on her way over. Bennett seems to have his own reasons for spending the summer on the island but can Sam give him another one?

I really didn’t like Sam at all. From the very first chapter, she came across as ignorant, self-absorbed and honestly, really quite rude. I know there are probably readers who this wouldn’t be a problem for because they pick up romance books for the spice or the chemistry but it was a sticking point for me. It’s unfortunate that I did really like Bennett because had I disliked them both, I may have enjoyed it more as I wouldn’t have been shouting at him to wake up and see how irritating she was!

The thing is, Sam’s entire personality was based around her dyslexia. You couldn’t possibly have missed the fact that she was dyslexic. In fact, it has shaped her entire life and everyone who she has ever been in a relationship with has been severely disgusted by the fact that she struggles to read and has left her because of it. But she does have a very high IQ, so let it be known that she is very much not like other girls. No, she is incredibly smart even though she can’t read. I sigh heavily.

Oh but she does actually like books! It’s just that everyone in her past has treated dyslexia like it’s rabies and now she can’t bear to even try picking up a book. I really hated how dismissive she was of reading in general and greatly admired Bennett, a librarian and therefore professional bookworm, being patient with her because I certainly never had any.

One thing I did like was the exploration of what dyslexia is, besides finding it hard to read. Sam is also disorganised, neurotic and anxious. The similarities between dyslexia and ADHD were really apparent and I’m not sure I’ve read a book with either of these represented that has so clearly illustrated how alike they are. I just hated how Sam was a complete victim of her dyslexia. There is no part of this book where she decides that despite her disability, she is going to give herself a reading challenge. She did absolutely nothing to help herself and getting Bennett to read to her really doesn’t count as that.

Also, she likes rom-coms but that’s embarrassing apparently and she never ‘admits’ that to anyone. So, yeah there’s that.

Summer Reading was sadly full of cringey moments and highly jarring, unrealistic perceptions of dyslexia. There is no way that a woman in her late 20s can have lost multiple partners due to dyslexia. I understand that she may have suffered some bullying throughout her school career but adults do not leave other adults because of that -they simply don’t! I also wasn’t completely sold on the romance because I just couldn’t ever see them together as real people. I did find it an easy read though and I guess that is (kinda) what I wanted!

I thought this book has what it takes for me to love it, but sadly it didn't deliver. I have no feelings whatsoever about the romance in it or the characters, the only thing I liked being the relationship of Sam with her brother.

Firstly, a big thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and Net Galley for the ARC and the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

This was a 4⭐️ read for me. The characters in this are fantastic. The friendship between Sam and Em is really sweet, and you can tell they are platonic soulmates. I love the sibling bond that Sam and Tyler were able to create, again, it was really sweet. Sam and Ben are a great pairing even though they seem like complete opposites.

I really like that this book has been made to be dyslexic friendly with font and design. Our main character, Sam, is dyslexic, and I’ve learnt quite a bit about dyslexia and how it can affect individuals.

I love that Ben would read to Sam so that she could enjoy reading in a way that was accessible to her. This just showed how much he cared for her and it’s what made me really root for their relationship.

I loved the ending! A very ‘romance book’ ending that had me swooning and proved that our main characters were meant for each other.

This book is a perfect summer read – not only does it have a perfect dose of romance with a little added spice, this book isn’t just about romantic love, it’s about love between friends and family, and that’s what makes it even more enjoyable. The setting is great, the plot flows nicely, and the characters have been crafted really well.

Summer Reading is a feel-good romance, a love story that will make you smile but also includes a heartfelt look at the value of friendships and family.

After some time away Sam is back home, looking to find her feet again but also hoping to embrace the opportunity to get to know her little brother again. What she's not looking for is love, but when she meets Ben, the interim library director, that all changes.

The question is, will this just be a short Summer fling or has she truly found her person? The pair tackle various challenges together over the next few weeks, and in between the sparks flying there are also some serious topics covered from step family to dyslexia, from following your dreams to facing your fears.

I loved this book.

I loved the title and premise of this book, but unfortunately it disappointed me. Too much belaboured focus on Sam’s dyslexia, plot diversions which were resolved too quickly/conveniently, and character development which didn’t always make sense. A shame, as this could have been an enjoyable summer read. 2.5*

I thought this was an excellent book for the warmer weather, it was super easy to read and I didn't want to put it down. Such an uplifting story, although I feel it was more of a teen book than adult - I enjoyed it nonetheless!

Samantha Gale is spending the summer at her family’s cottage in Martha’s Vineyard.
She is off reading until she meets hot librarian Bennett Reynolds - there’s an instant attraction but will it be just a summer fling or could it lead to more.
A light hearted romance with hidden depths.
Loved the accessibility of the book - the main character has dyslexia and the author has ensured the book is printed in a dyslexic friendly font.
By writing in the first person, the author invites us to see the struggles Sam has faced and the many ways she has learned to cope.
An easy escapist read - funny, emotional and entertaining - perfect for fans of Beth O’Leary
Thanks @jennmckinlay @centurybooksuk & @netgalley for the eARC

Great book, really enjoyed this one. A nice way to lose yourself in another world. Loved the characters and their world

Disclaimer: I think I am the wrong age group for this. That being said take my review with a pinch of salt.

Sam is dyslexic and has ADHD. This is very important because she meets Ben who is a book lover and library director. They instantly fall in love, which I don’t mind as a trope when it is done well. However our main female character is so insecure because of her dyslexia that everything evolves about that because apparently in 2023 we still think people with dyslexia are stupid, which I think we sort of went past in the early 2000s but I might be wrong here because I never thought a learning disability makes someone stupid. That being said while I appreciate the representation of neurodiversity I think it is not done well here.
As for the romance part there were just so many cringy moments (and yes also moments where the dyslexia had to be inserted) that I just can’t give it a better rating. I sometimes felt like reading YA. The two stars are only based on keeping my interest of finding out Bens little mystery other than that this was not for me.

Thank you to Netflix and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Amazing
I’m all down for those cosy summer reads
I want to go on holdiays now

Characters super cute