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daniireads's review against another edition
4.0
After coming home to find her boyfriend gone, Brynn packs a bag and hightails it home to Wildstone in the hopes that her moms Olive and Raina will take her in.
Ashamed of how her life has turned out, Brynn has an awful panic attack that puts her in the ER. Upon her release, she stumbles across a childhood friend and long time crush Eli ransacking a vending machine. Their chance encounter is the catalyst to a summer full of rekindled friendships, life altering secrets, and found families.
This is the first book I’ve ever read by Jill Shalvis, and I really loved it. It was a quick read that instantly pulled me into the storyline, and is the perfect amount of drama and romance, and filled with relatable characters.
If you’re looking for a light bingeworthy read, The Summer Deal is for you!
Ashamed of how her life has turned out, Brynn has an awful panic attack that puts her in the ER. Upon her release, she stumbles across a childhood friend and long time crush Eli ransacking a vending machine. Their chance encounter is the catalyst to a summer full of rekindled friendships, life altering secrets, and found families.
This is the first book I’ve ever read by Jill Shalvis, and I really loved it. It was a quick read that instantly pulled me into the storyline, and is the perfect amount of drama and romance, and filled with relatable characters.
If you’re looking for a light bingeworthy read, The Summer Deal is for you!
kiercarnahan's review against another edition
3.0
The Summer Deal is a great example of a cover not fitting the book. The cover of it looks like a light, beachy read while in reality the story is more complex. When Brynn's life starts to fall apart she goes back home and ends up reconnecting with a childhood crush from camp, Eli. In need of a place to live, Eli invites Brynn to move into his house with his 2 other roommates, one of which is an old childhood enemy from camp, Kinsey. Kinsey and Brynn have a long history but the most important thing that connects them, Kinsey knows and Brynn doesn't. This is a story about friends, enemies, sisters, relationships, etc. I don't think the cover or the title fit the book in the slightest but that's my biggest problem with it. It was a fine read.
alleskelle's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the premise for this book a lot!
Setting up two romances into one book seems like the pattern in Wildstone series. In The Summer Deal, one is set between Brynn and Eli—her long lost childhood camp crush— with a slow burn relationship while the other one revolves around Kinsey (Eli’s best friend and Brynn’s childhood nemesis/secret step sister) and Deck, a male nurse I admit I would have liked to read more about.
Falling into like with Brynn as she navigates through her new life fresh from a bad break-up, having to deal with her nemesis from summer camp, Kinsey, and all the rest of The Summer Deal cast was no hardship! Once again Shalvis does a great job piquing a reader’s interest by developing endearing characters full of quirks and flaws, making them very relatable.
I loved the dichotomy between the two sisters, especially reading their journal entries. I particularly loved Kinsey, I could relate to her prickly behavior while being a big softie inside.
My only issue with the story was the repetitiveness in the pattern Eli and Kinsey keeping secrets from Brynn, up until the very end of the book. I just couldn’t understand why either of them kept another secret from Brynn when the first one had already made her fled and broke the trust she had so tentatively given them. If felt very contrived to use this again to keep the story going.
Reuniting two childhood frenemies around one big secret (disclosed in the blurb), The Summer Deal read like an easy beach read, entertaining throughout, it was lighthearted while still straddling heavier themes. Humor, family drama, romance and steam, is all I needed to get my mind off things this week. Special mention for the “Mini” effect, cute dog alert! The Jill Shalvis Magic lives!
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jaimereadsromance's review against another edition
4.0
Another great addition to the Wildstone series from Jill Shalvis!!
This book read more as women’s fiction to me than the rest of the series, which isn’t a bad thing, just something readers might want to keep in mind.
I found myself really invested in the relationship between Brynn and Kinsey, even as I struggled to believe how easily they fell into the role of roommates, and then sisters, after having such a tumultuous relationship as kids/teens.
That’s actually probably my biggest issues with this story. Other than the way secrets were revealed to Brynn, one by one, everyone in this story reacted and behaved almost too perfectly.
Eli was, dare I say it, almost too perfect. Even despite his familial backstory, he was a pillar of strength, understanding, patience and kindness.
Brynn’s history with Kinsey gave her a valid reason to want nothing to do with her, yet she handled the surprise of being her roommate and the revelation of them being related with more grace than I could ever imagine. At times I felt like she actually let Eli and Kinsey off too easily.
Yet, somehow, it all worked to make this a story that I couldn’t stop reading and finished with a smile and full heart. That’s the magic of Jill Shalvis’s writing and why she’ll forever be one of my favorite go-to authors.
*I received an ARC from the author for honest review
This book read more as women’s fiction to me than the rest of the series, which isn’t a bad thing, just something readers might want to keep in mind.
I found myself really invested in the relationship between Brynn and Kinsey, even as I struggled to believe how easily they fell into the role of roommates, and then sisters, after having such a tumultuous relationship as kids/teens.
That’s actually probably my biggest issues with this story. Other than the way secrets were revealed to Brynn, one by one, everyone in this story reacted and behaved almost too perfectly.
Eli was, dare I say it, almost too perfect. Even despite his familial backstory, he was a pillar of strength, understanding, patience and kindness.
Brynn’s history with Kinsey gave her a valid reason to want nothing to do with her, yet she handled the surprise of being her roommate and the revelation of them being related with more grace than I could ever imagine. At times I felt like she actually let Eli and Kinsey off too easily.
Yet, somehow, it all worked to make this a story that I couldn’t stop reading and finished with a smile and full heart. That’s the magic of Jill Shalvis’s writing and why she’ll forever be one of my favorite go-to authors.
*I received an ARC from the author for honest review
ssejig's review
4.0
Brynn, Eli, and Kinsey went to the same summer camp for many years. Eli and Kinsey were tight friends but Brynn was often on her own. In fact, Kinsey was her camp bully. Even though they're now grown-up, the hurt is there. So, when Brynn comes home, already tender from a break-up from a con who took all of her money and her grandmother's necklace, she's not exactly excited to move in with the two. Well, actually, Eli's gotten pretty hot so Brynn's okay with him but Kinsey is the same old mean girl.
But Kinsey's got her own things she's dealing with. Including a pretty heavy illness. She's not exactly in a place where she can give a lot of empathy to others and she is trying to hold herself back so she doesn't hurt anyone later.
This was an interesting story. Like other books in the Wildstone series, the only connection is that they are set in the same town. Also, the romance takes more of a backseat to the other relationships in the book. Maybe not AS good as some of Shalvis's books but regular readers will not be disappointed.
But Kinsey's got her own things she's dealing with. Including a pretty heavy illness. She's not exactly in a place where she can give a lot of empathy to others and she is trying to hold herself back so she doesn't hurt anyone later.
This was an interesting story. Like other books in the Wildstone series, the only connection is that they are set in the same town. Also, the romance takes more of a backseat to the other relationships in the book. Maybe not AS good as some of Shalvis's books but regular readers will not be disappointed.
blimowery's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Completely formulaic and I fell for it
abookwormwithwine's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5
I am now speeding my way through all of the Wildstone series and loving every single one of them. [b:The Summer Deal|49228821|The Summer Deal (Wildstone, #5)|Jill Shalvis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574742911l/49228821._SX50_SY75_.jpg|70946032] was no exception and I am really appreciating the way [a:Jill Shalvis|22370|Jill Shalvis|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1532461001p2/22370.jpg] can write books with so much humor and heart. This one didn't make me laugh quite as much as the others did, but man did it make me teary. The viewpoints switch between Brynn and Kinsey, and Kinsey's was definitely the story I gravitated to the most. Her health issues broke my heart, and she was the reason for all the tears I shed while reading this. I have also come to love the romance that Shalvis infuses into her novels, and there is no shortage of hunky guys and steam in The Summer Deal. Honestly, I wanted more of Kinsey's hot boyfriend, but that's neither here nor there.
The Summer Deal is the perfect beach read, and I will forever love the setting of Wildstone, CA. Another thing I love about Shalvis' novels is that her characters are all so relatable and real. Kinsey and Brynn feel like women you could know in real life and could see yourself being friends with, and that rings true will all the books I have read in this series. This is definitely a feel-good, leave a smile on your face type of novel, and I also loved that Brynn had two moms! I loved the audiobook as well which is narrated by Erin Mallon. When they first switched to her from Karen White I didn't like it, but now I can't imagine anyone else narrating this series. I don't like change, but this time the change definitely worked!
I am now speeding my way through all of the Wildstone series and loving every single one of them. [b:The Summer Deal|49228821|The Summer Deal (Wildstone, #5)|Jill Shalvis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574742911l/49228821._SX50_SY75_.jpg|70946032] was no exception and I am really appreciating the way [a:Jill Shalvis|22370|Jill Shalvis|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1532461001p2/22370.jpg] can write books with so much humor and heart. This one didn't make me laugh quite as much as the others did, but man did it make me teary. The viewpoints switch between Brynn and Kinsey, and Kinsey's was definitely the story I gravitated to the most. Her health issues broke my heart, and she was the reason for all the tears I shed while reading this. I have also come to love the romance that Shalvis infuses into her novels, and there is no shortage of hunky guys and steam in The Summer Deal. Honestly, I wanted more of Kinsey's hot boyfriend, but that's neither here nor there.
The Summer Deal is the perfect beach read, and I will forever love the setting of Wildstone, CA. Another thing I love about Shalvis' novels is that her characters are all so relatable and real. Kinsey and Brynn feel like women you could know in real life and could see yourself being friends with, and that rings true will all the books I have read in this series. This is definitely a feel-good, leave a smile on your face type of novel, and I also loved that Brynn had two moms! I loved the audiobook as well which is narrated by Erin Mallon. When they first switched to her from Karen White I didn't like it, but now I can't imagine anyone else narrating this series. I don't like change, but this time the change definitely worked!
ddobson5's review
5.0
I won this in a giveaway and I really enjoyed it. This book had my emotions everywhere and I found myself absolutely loving all of the characters even when I was angry with some choices they made.
jessmsamuels's review
4.0
When listening to how Brynn and Kinsey met, I couldn't help but think this was a very unique version of the Parent Trap. While the premise of half-sisters sharing a room at a summer camp for years seemed far-fetched, the rest of the book was a sweet double love story - between strong friendships and serious health and mental health issues. This librarian-suggested book was a good read.