thank you netgalley for the advance reader copy of this book! i loved this so so so much it has easily become one of my favourites! 5 ⭐️

3.75 Stars

A heartwarming and emotional journey of love, loss and self discovery.

Grieving the loss of her mother and in the process of getting a divorce, we see our FMC Ali struggling with her motivation. Despite her struggles, she’s such a strong and caring character, who is fiercely protective of her children and looks out for her elderly neighbour, Phyllis. I loved the scenes of the family together, as they were so wholesome. She reflects on her past relationship with her ex-husband and also on her mother’s heavy involvement in her life. This was really interesting, especially as she talks to her mother in her car, as part of her grieving. Whilst the topic is serious, Annabel weaves it throughout the book in a way that gets you to reflect and doesn’t weigh down the story. I loved seeing her gain back her confidence and personal growth over time.

The MMC, Ethan, has a difficult relationship with his family, as they have a fixed image of him in his more rebellious teenage years, which is why he moved away. Seeing the life he has built, whether it be the friendships he formed with his local townspeople or particularly his love of skateboarding, was truly heartwarming. I would loved to have the arc of him wanting acceptance from his family to be developed more, as this was only touched upon. His caring nature and constant support of Ali was so beautiful to see.

Both Ali and Ethan knew each other in high school, and Ethan often references Ali’s graduation speech - “You’re the architect of your own experience.” I loved this being included as many years have passed, and people change a lot over time. We get to see Ali take the wisdom of her past self and apply it to her present life. Their summer romance had tender and emotional moments, and it was lovely as we get to see their connection form organically.

The themes throughout this book about taking risks, control, grief and interpersonal relationships were developed really well. The descriptions of the town and even the clothes the characters were wearing really helped set the scene of the summer season. There were a lot of little everyday moments between characters, so the pacing did feel a bit slow at times. However, this was an enjoyable summer read with a heartfelt romance and deeper life lessons weaved throughout.

What to expect:
- Summer romance
- Best friend’s brother
- Small town/community

This was such a lovely book. The main characters growth throughout the novel was so delightful to see and the rest of the characters were really well written. Highly recommended.

𝟒.𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 ❀˖°

this book was just so refreshing to read!
i love stories of people finding love again!

this book deals with some heavy topics but its still able to handle them in the best way possible. the book has, divorce, grief & loss and we follow our main character Ali as she tackles all of these difficult emotions while simultaneously & unexpectedly beginning to fall in love again.

i loved all the diverse plot lines and complex characters, besides pete, i loved everyone. they were all written with such realistic characteristics which i really enjoy reading in a book especially when there are so many characters to keep track of, it really helps when they can be easily identifiable to the reader.

this is actually my first annabel monaghan book so you can bet that im about to go read all the other books i’ve missed out on!

I read Nora Goes Of Script by this author at the beginning of the month and thoroughly enjoyed! I was lucky enough to receive an early copy from NetGallery which came at the prefect time for my holiday. I fell in love with the characters straight away and I specifically loved how they met. Ali was an amazing relatable character who I loved seeing rediscover love and herself. She was honest, realistic and her situation I’m sure lots of readers can relate to. The pace of the book and their relationship was just right making the story easy to read but also never wanting to put the book down. They just hit it off straight away and I loved their chemistry. I loved all the side characters in this book and I loved the kids! I think they were the perfect edition to the story and development of the relationship.

I really liked how the story was a lighthearted romance but had so many deeper storylines and parts to the book. It took us through grief, divorce and healing (not a spoiler) which was written beautifully. It had so many tropes I love such as small town romance, slow burn, single mum, best friends brother. It had me giggling and kicking my feet. The only thing I felt this book was missing was duel pov, I would have loved to have known what was going through Ethan’s head!

It was the perfect summer read, fun, quick, easy, loveable characters and the ideal beach read

4 ⭐️, this book took me by surprise, it was a well written heart felt romance.

this book was a cute very easy summer binge, I liked the setting and I also liked how it was an older romance sp the characters felt more mature.

I had read Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan and thought this book was going to be a similar vibe to that one, being the same author. I didn't have issues with Nora Goes off Script but it definitely wasn't my favourite romance I've read.

This book, however, might get closer to that title. I love how Annabel Monaghan focuses on women in their late 30s in her fiction, and how she manages to blend the plot with important topics like grief and parenting.

Summer Romance is perfect for the summer but, be warned, it's no summer romance - this book will have you feeling everything Ali is experiencing.
You might giggle and smile at the romance plot which is, if I say so myself, so amazing. You might also read this book in a day, which is what I did.

Once I started, I simply couldn't put it down. I didn't want to let Ali and Ethan go.

I am now a turned Annabel Monaghan fan and I am so glad I got to read this!

4.25⭐️

A beautiful summer romance that hits you hard. This is what I want in a romance book. I want depth and emotions, I want to feel like I know and understand the characters. I want it all to feel real. (Or at least could be real).

I also really love getting just the females pov and feeling like it’s her story rather than solely romance based. It delved very much into her as a person, the divorce she’s going through, the grief with her mother passing, and navigating co parenting and being a newly single mother.

The writing was beautiful. I loved Ethan. Just overall a really great balance of romance and general fiction, which will tug on your heart strings.

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan swept me along. It's easy-reading with a core of real-life truth. Ali's life is falling apart and taking her with it. Exactly a year after her mother's death, her husband announced he was leaving and a year on again he initiated divorce proceedings. Timing anyone? And then, as she's struggling to pull herself out of the mire that is her life and maintain stability of a sort for her three children, fate sends her Ethan. Is Ali brave enough to take a chance on life?

Such a cute book!
I loved following the FMC Ali on her journey of self discovery & taking back control of her life!
Ethan (Scooter) was all in from the off and makes for a swoon worthy MMC.

“You are the architect of your own experience “
This has got to be one of my favourite quotes from the whole book 👌🏼

This was my first Annabel Monaghan book

AND LET ME TELL YOU IT WAS AMAZING!!!
this book is the embodiment of summer
I loved it!!!! so much!!!!

Annabel Monaghan is quickly cementing herself as one of my favourite romance authors. This book was a gorgeous romantic read with great character depth and scenes that had me both near tears and squealing and kicking my feet. It is more than just a summer romance, it is a summer of healing and change. You could say this book has left me feeling carbonated. I can't wait for her next release!

(4.5 stars)

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
Release Date: 4 July 2024
Rating: 4/5

Benefits of a summer romance: it’s always fun, always brief, and no one gets their heart broken.

Ali Morris’s life is a mess. Two years after her mother’s death, her husband left, and she hasn’t worn anything with a zipper in ages. Despite being a professional organiser, her pantry is a disaster.

When Ali finally takes off her wedding ring and dons overalls, she unexpectedly meets someone new. Her dog introduces her to Ethan in an unusual way—by peeing on him, just like he did with her favourite child. Ethan smiles at her as if her overalls are perfect, and Ali finds herself intrigued. Though she’s wary of adding more complications to her life, she wonders if a little summer romance could be just what she needs.

I was buzzed when I saw another book by Annabel Monaghan being released, especially after adoring "Nora Goes Off Script" last year. Annabel's knack for crafting romances for women who've lost faith in love impresses me.

In this tale, I admired the protagonist's evolution as she navigated grief, aided by friends like Frannie and Ethan.

Though I didn't feel a profound connection between the main couple, the book's charm and brisk pace made it a delightful read. Monaghan expertly portrays Ali and Ethan as an ideal partnership, highlighting how they bring out the best in each other. Their journey is a touching blend of warmth and sorrow, exploring themes such as grief, love, and resilience, keeping readers engaged throughout.

"Summer Romance" is a must-read for romantic comedy fans who enjoy authentic, relatable stories filled with emotional highs and lows.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Aria & Aries, and the author, Annabel Monaghan, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I loved reading this. Annabel always produces the cutest romance books.I think this book is intended for an older audience than me, I don’t relate to the stuff that Ali is going through but still enjoying nonetheless.

Ali and Ethan’s meet cute made me laugh. Ferris is a good wingman haha!

There are obviously obstacles that get in the way of them being together in the long run and I honestly thought this book might not have had a happy ending. Other than this, it didn’t really have much of a plot but I didn’t mind this as the character development was perfect.

This book is a perfect summer romcom. It is so easy to read and you get completely lost in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Ares for the ARC

Is this the book of the summer? It surely is one of them! A really entertaining book I devoured in a few hours. Perfect to read on vacation

Ali is trying to find herself again after her mothers passing and her divorce, and then comes along Ethan Their relationship was so heart warming and I loved their banter and the way he took care of her. I cried through the last few chapters, which showed me how much I had grown to love this book and all its characters.
Perfect for fans of Emily Henry!

I was so excited to dive in to Summer Romance after recently reading Nora Goes Off Script which was one of my favourite reads of late. I love that even though my life is as far as possible from the female characters in her books, the author finds a way of making them so relatable to the reader, irregardless of their situation. Whilst I did not connect to this novel as much as the author's previous work, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable, easy read.

This was such a sweet and fun summer romance! It is my first of the authors and I will definitely be returning. I really enjoyed the characters and the premise, I was completely rooting for our lead female the whole through and was satisfied with the ending.

So fun and cute - the perfect summer story. I honestly loved it from start to finish.

Though a large portion of the book is focused on Ali and Ethan's romance, it also revolves a lot around Ali's journey of self discovery. Ali, whose loss of her beloved mother is still raw, is navigating her way through her marriage falling apart, only to realise that maybe she wasn't happy all along.

By chance, she encounters Ethan 'Scooter' whilst they're both out walking their dogs, and they soon form a strong connection. Not wanting to get her heart broken again, Ali decides she needs to let off some steam and embrace a fun summer romance - and her relationship with Ethan takes off.

However, she soon realises she's fallen harder than she could have ever imagined. However, with Ethan having a life in a different state four hours away, will this summer romance break her heart all over again?

I really enjoyed this book. I absolutely loved Annabel Monaghan's first book 'Nora goes off script' and recommend it all the time to library customers, her second novel, 'Same time next summer' whilst good, didn't quite match up to her first and this, her third book comes somewhere between the two in my ranking of them!

Recently separated and soon to be divorced the main character Ali is also still grieving the loss of her much loved mother. With two children to look after and a struggling business, life is pretty tough for Ali who seems to have become stuck in her own life, unable to make decisions or wear anything but 'soft clothing'. Enter, Ethan, the handsome man at the dog park who might be just the person to get Ali back into 'hard' clothes and start living her life again, but is there something complicating this new romance? Of course! Will it end well? Of course!

This was a heart warming, fun read but with depth of character in both the main and side characters. Yes, a bit predictable but that's what you read this sort of book for!