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mgraceq15's review
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
shelbyjo's review against another edition
4.5
I obviously know Jill Shalvis is a really big name in the romance industry, but I think this is somehow my first read of hers. I shouldn't have waited so long! I really enjoyed it! The characters, storyline, and narration were all great and entertaining. This book is #5 in the series, but it worked perfectly as a standalone.
beckymmoe's review
5.0
OMG, I am loving this series so hard!
The Summer Deal is a contemporary romance hidden inside a women's fiction novel (ugh, I really dislike that term, but apparently it's here to stay)--as are the rest of the books in this series, really. Told from three POVs--Brynn, Kinsey, and Eli--you'd be hard pressed to say whether Brynn and Eli's or Brynn and Kinsey's relationship is the more satisfying one to read about.
As is customary in Ms Shalvis's books, the secondary characters here nearly steal the show--I adored Max (Eli's half brother and the forth roommate in the house the three POV characters live in), Deck (Kinsley's love interest; if this were a straight up contemporary romance we would have had his POV too!), Brynn's moms Olive and Raina, and of course the animals, Catherine the Great Cat and Mini. They all played their part, bringing the story to an extremely colorful life. Then there's the setting--OMG, I've never wanted to be at the beach so badly as while I was reading this...
But I digress.
I only have two complaints (beyond the women's fiction label) here. First, secrets (mostly Kinsey's, though Brynn wasn't blameless here) were held just a little *too* long here. Ms Shalvis did her best to convince us that they both felt they needed to keep them, but at the same time both knew that they did so far past the point where they should have, and it was frustrating. Second, Brynn's past hurts just didn't seem to live up to the emotional scarring she apparently had from them. I get the grudge she had against Kinsey--I am the queen of keeping grudges, so I felt her there!--but other childhood bullying (over her lesbian moms and...wearing glasses, I guess?) and one bad relationship (admittedly, she just had that bad relationship, and it did end in one heck of a betrayal, so at least that wound was fresh) really shouldn't have affected her as much as they did here. Fortunately she was eventually able to move on, but with as fabulous as her relationship with her moms was, it was hard to buy her "I never really fit in anywhere before" complaint. Sure, they were smothering, but she clearly fit with them, so...
Honestly, though, even with that super long paragraph I just wrote, I only took off a half a star, so what does that tell you? ;)
One thing that I really liked about this book is thatall the drama of Brynn finally giving Kinsey a kidney plays out 100% off the page. Ms Shalvis totally could have put it all out there in front of us--I almost expected her to, as almost any other author would have!--but she didn't. Honestly, I liked it so much better this way, because it kept the book's focus on establishing and growing relationships, exactly where it should be.
And OMG, that epilogue--with the most perfect, most Kinsey-ish final line! :D
Like the other books in this series, The Summer Deal absolutely works as a standalone. It's set in the same town as all the others (Wildstone, obvs) but other than that there was no relationship to the other stores. So--a great place to start, but do yourself a favor and read them all! ;)
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
The Summer Deal is a contemporary romance hidden inside a women's fiction novel (ugh, I really dislike that term, but apparently it's here to stay)--as are the rest of the books in this series, really. Told from three POVs--Brynn, Kinsey, and Eli--you'd be hard pressed to say whether Brynn and Eli's or Brynn and Kinsey's relationship is the more satisfying one to read about.
As is customary in Ms Shalvis's books, the secondary characters here nearly steal the show--I adored Max (Eli's half brother and the forth roommate in the house the three POV characters live in), Deck (Kinsley's love interest; if this were a straight up contemporary romance we would have had his POV too!), Brynn's moms Olive and Raina, and of course the animals, Catherine the Great Cat and Mini. They all played their part, bringing the story to an extremely colorful life. Then there's the setting--OMG, I've never wanted to be at the beach so badly as while I was reading this...
But I digress.
I only have two complaints (beyond the women's fiction label) here. First, secrets (mostly Kinsey's, though Brynn wasn't blameless here) were held just a little *too* long here. Ms Shalvis did her best to convince us that they both felt they needed to keep them, but at the same time both knew that they did so far past the point where they should have, and it was frustrating. Second, Brynn's past hurts just didn't seem to live up to the emotional scarring she apparently had from them. I get the grudge she had against Kinsey--I am the queen of keeping grudges, so I felt her there!--but other childhood bullying (over her lesbian moms and...wearing glasses, I guess?) and one bad relationship (admittedly, she just had that bad relationship, and it did end in one heck of a betrayal, so at least that wound was fresh) really shouldn't have affected her as much as they did here. Fortunately she was eventually able to move on, but with as fabulous as her relationship with her moms was, it was hard to buy her "I never really fit in anywhere before" complaint. Sure, they were smothering, but she clearly fit with them, so...
Honestly, though, even with that super long paragraph I just wrote, I only took off a half a star, so what does that tell you? ;)
One thing that I really liked about this book is that
And OMG, that epilogue--with the most perfect, most Kinsey-ish final line! :D
Like the other books in this series, The Summer Deal absolutely works as a standalone. It's set in the same town as all the others (Wildstone, obvs) but other than that there was no relationship to the other stores. So--a great place to start, but do yourself a favor and read them all! ;)
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
sslovesbooks's review
4.0
A feel-good romance which is easy to read but packs a punch on family relationships,serious health concerns, betrayals and secrets.
I have read a number of Jill Shalvis's books before and have always enjoyed them, they are full of fun and romance but this one was more in depth for me with more complex family dynamics and the vulnerability of many of the main characters.
The story follows Brynn who returns to her home town after a difficult end to her relationship and meets an old friend Eli from the summer camps she attended as a youngster. He offers a room in his house to Brynn who doesn't realise that Eli's best friend and fellow housemate is Kinsey, a girl whom she did not like from the summer camps of her youth and from their diary entries the feelings were mutual.
As the romance between Brynn and Eli blossom at the same time Kinsey has a few secrets she has withheld from Brynn and as the story moves forward their relationship feels like an emotional roller coaster ride of highs and lows for the reader.
Although the main story of romance was between Bryn and Eli, I loved the relationship between Kinsey and Deck who she keeps at arms length for reasons that all become too clear, I don't want to give any spoilers.
Brynn's two mums and Max, Eli's younger brother are also really likeable characters and as secrets and revealed and people take a chance on love the book moves towards its end. By the end I had a smile on my face and as I usually do reading Jill Shalvis books I know that it wont be long until I pick up another one.
I would give this book 4 stars - a romance novel with a bit of extra to think about.
Thanks to the publisher William Morrow Paperbacks for my review copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
I have read a number of Jill Shalvis's books before and have always enjoyed them, they are full of fun and romance but this one was more in depth for me with more complex family dynamics and the vulnerability of many of the main characters.
The story follows Brynn who returns to her home town after a difficult end to her relationship and meets an old friend Eli from the summer camps she attended as a youngster. He offers a room in his house to Brynn who doesn't realise that Eli's best friend and fellow housemate is Kinsey, a girl whom she did not like from the summer camps of her youth and from their diary entries the feelings were mutual.
As the romance between Brynn and Eli blossom at the same time Kinsey has a few secrets she has withheld from Brynn and as the story moves forward their relationship feels like an emotional roller coaster ride of highs and lows for the reader.
Although the main story of romance was between Bryn and Eli, I loved the relationship between Kinsey and Deck who she keeps at arms length for reasons that all become too clear, I don't want to give any spoilers.
Brynn's two mums and Max, Eli's younger brother are also really likeable characters and as secrets and revealed and people take a chance on love the book moves towards its end. By the end I had a smile on my face and as I usually do reading Jill Shalvis books I know that it wont be long until I pick up another one.
I would give this book 4 stars - a romance novel with a bit of extra to think about.
Thanks to the publisher William Morrow Paperbacks for my review copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
love2read1995's review against another edition
4.0
Brynn returned home and runs into Eli at the hospital. Eli was there with Kinsey who was awaiting a kidney transplant. All 3 used to attend the same summer camp as children. When Eli offers Brynn a room, he's hoping it will give Brynn and Kinsey a chance for fresh start all the while knowing that they are half-sisters. Kinsey found out when she was 15 but Brynn doesn't know. The story focuses on Brynn learning the truth and the ups and downs of their relationship as both Kinsey and Brynn learn what it means to have a sister.
Along with the Brynn/Kinsey relationship, you also have the romantic relationships between Eli/Brynn and Kinsey/Deck. Kinsey is afraid to let anyone in due to her illness but Deck is always there as is Eli. Brynn and Eli deal with their own issues due to their individual insecurities.
I've read a few of Jill Shallots Shalvis' books over the years and enjoy her stories. This one was a hit with me. Though there was definitely romance at the heart of the story was the relationship between sisters, Brynn and Kinsey, which made for a great read.
Along with the Brynn/Kinsey relationship, you also have the romantic relationships between Eli/Brynn and Kinsey/Deck. Kinsey is afraid to let anyone in due to her illness but Deck is always there as is Eli. Brynn and Eli deal with their own issues due to their individual insecurities.
I've read a few of Jill Shallots Shalvis' books over the years and enjoy her stories. This one was a hit with me. Though there was definitely romance at the heart of the story was the relationship between sisters, Brynn and Kinsey, which made for a great read.
tybabess's review
4.0
2023 reread: Each time I read this book I find Brynn more and more annoying. Mini, the dog, is the best character and Deck/Kinsey are by far the superior couple, I love them. I came back to this to annotate it but I’m actually going to DNF and let it go.
7/6/2021 reread: I really enjoyed the first 250 pages of this book.. but the ending wasn't my favorite, and I honestly found Brynn to be quite annoying. I do love some of the supporting characters though, so 4 stars it stays.
7/6/2021 reread: I really enjoyed the first 250 pages of this book.. but the ending wasn't my favorite, and I honestly found Brynn to be quite annoying. I do love some of the supporting characters though, so 4 stars it stays.
eshaaeron's review against another edition
3.0
It was a fun read...
My issue with this novel was the repetitive pattern in which Eli and Kinsey continuously kept secrets from Brynn knowing how hurt she was the when the first one came out..
My issue with this novel was the repetitive pattern in which Eli and Kinsey continuously kept secrets from Brynn knowing how hurt she was the when the first one came out..
tazladyok's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful story
This story is full of family and friends that become your chosen family. The characters were very easy to identify with and I enjoyed learning about each one and their pasts.
This story is full of family and friends that become your chosen family. The characters were very easy to identify with and I enjoyed learning about each one and their pasts.
loribreereads's review
4.0
Another great book in the Wildstone series! I don't think this was my favorite in the series so far, but I did love it. What I loved about prior Wildstone books was that you really got a feel for the setting and coastal vibes of Wildstone--I didn't feel that as much with this one. What I did love though were the fantastic characters. I loved every single one of them. Brynn, her moms, Eli (dreamy), Max, Deck and even Kinsey. I especially loved Mini, the dog :) I wanted to be friends with them, I wanted to hang out and have late night pancakes and games of Cards Against Humanity with them. They were all so real and likeable. I loved the bonds and relationships between all of them and how they cared for and looked out for each other. This was a perfect weekend read because it was so hard to put down. I got so attached to these characters! Though this is the fifth book in the Wildstone series, it can definitely be read as a stand alone--BUT I do highly recommend the entire Wildstone series as well. This is a perfect read for your beach bag this summer!
Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.