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sariereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual content
gwenswoons's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? No
5.0
I loved this so much — I always love Annabel Monaghan (loved all three so far); and I loved this as much as Nora, which is to say it is among my favorites of all favorite romances and rom-coms. I am a major romance reader! So I don’t mean this as a negative about the genre, truly: but this, and AM’s books in general for me, truly transcend their identities as romance novels and are about love in bigger and more transcendently human ways somehow. I am truly just so stunned and moved by the way in which she deals with grief in this book: in the main character’s ongoing grappling with the loss of her Mom, and the ways in which that is not at all a simple sadness; but also in Ali’s reckoning with her divorce — the breakup not in itself a source of grief, but rather mourning the ways in which she was not true to herself in a relationship that was deeply unhealthy and painful.
I love the depth of the side characters (again, an aspect of storytelling that Annabel Monaghan handles so masterfully and with such care): the layers of love and complexity in parental relationships, and the fact that the children are so thoroughly drawn and vividly themselves; and I love the ways in which these side characters and their relationships with our heroes impact the plot and arc of the story. The dogs are SO wonderful!! I love them! (And by the the way - they do NOT die! I’m not sure how that is a content warning others added here, and I want to mention it since it was worrying me a bit. Brenda and Ferris are totally ok!!)
Some of the language was so heart-stoppingly beautiful that I went back on my audio and listened a couple more times — I will definitely get a physical copy of this one since I want to hold it.
Anyway. I could go on forever, as I wish this book had. But I loved it. I will read it again someday. ❤️
I love the depth of the side characters (again, an aspect of storytelling that Annabel Monaghan handles so masterfully and with such care): the layers of love and complexity in parental relationships, and the fact that the children are so thoroughly drawn and vividly themselves; and I love the ways in which these side characters and their relationships with our heroes impact the plot and arc of the story. The dogs are SO wonderful!! I love them! (And by the the way - they do NOT die! I’m not sure how that is a content warning others added here, and I want to mention it since it was worrying me a bit. Brenda and Ferris are totally ok!!)
Some of the language was so heart-stoppingly beautiful that I went back on my audio and listened a couple more times — I will definitely get a physical copy of this one since I want to hold it.
Anyway. I could go on forever, as I wish this book had. But I loved it. I will read it again someday. ❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
abidavisf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
You know you’re onto a winner when even the acknowledgments warmed your heart from the inside out. Summer Romance is a thrill. It is hilarious and emotional and life-affirming. It is reflective and gut-wrenching and everything I want in a book. Hope is never lost in this book, even when it tries so hard to be. Summer Romance is love in written word.
Humour blends so perfectly with raw emotion and grief that I found myself laughing while crying multiple times throughout this book. Ethan, in particular, had me howling, while Ali’s journey to rediscovering herself tugged on my heart incessantly. There are matches made in heaven, and then there are two genuinely good people who make everything around them better finding their soulmates in each other. Summer Romance is beautiful.
Remember, folks, the time will pass anyway. “Life’s going to do what life’s going to do.” Get the dog.
Humour blends so perfectly with raw emotion and grief that I found myself laughing while crying multiple times throughout this book. Ethan, in particular, had me howling, while Ali’s journey to rediscovering herself tugged on my heart incessantly. There are matches made in heaven, and then there are two genuinely good people who make everything around them better finding their soulmates in each other. Summer Romance is beautiful.
Remember, folks, the time will pass anyway. “Life’s going to do what life’s going to do.” Get the dog.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
dooleynoted's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Bullying and Miscarriage
enzopudge's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Bullying, Miscarriage, and Misogyny
lydiarama's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.75
In Monaghan’s third release, we follow her main character, Ali, who longs to reconnect with herself and what brings her joy in the aftermath of her mother’s death and her subsequent divorce from her husband and father of her three children. The catalyst of her journey is set upon meeting someone from her past in the dog park, who is nothing like the person she remembers him to be.
Ethan is a quintessential book boyfriend: goofy and kind, supportive and understanding, unwavering in his faith in a woman he has adored, unbeknownst to her, for years. This is perfect for Ali, whose mother’s passing has left her unmoored, bereft of the person she used to be. Ethan’s belief in Ali and lasting infatuation with her is beautiful and tender, a balm for Ali’s heart.
I was very excited to step back into one of Monaghan’s worlds, where the setting feels like your hometown, and the simple pleasures of a cup of coffee or a walk in the park are exciting and meaningful. Her writing is stripped down and bare, like an acoustic version of a song. She articulates emotion in a raw way, no frills or flowery language (although flowers are important in this novel!); the words are soft and sharp at the same time.
Summer Romance is at the same time a beach read but also a meditation on grief. Throughout the novel, Ali grapples with the risk of choosing joy, often relating it to the act of getting a dog: is the love you feel for it worth the inevitable heartbreak of its finite time with you? Monaghan’s story leaves us with an emphatic yes.
Ethan is a quintessential book boyfriend: goofy and kind, supportive and understanding, unwavering in his faith in a woman he has adored, unbeknownst to her, for years. This is perfect for Ali, whose mother’s passing has left her unmoored, bereft of the person she used to be. Ethan’s belief in Ali and lasting infatuation with her is beautiful and tender, a balm for Ali’s heart.
I was very excited to step back into one of Monaghan’s worlds, where the setting feels like your hometown, and the simple pleasures of a cup of coffee or a walk in the park are exciting and meaningful. Her writing is stripped down and bare, like an acoustic version of a song. She articulates emotion in a raw way, no frills or flowery language (although flowers are important in this novel!); the words are soft and sharp at the same time.
Summer Romance is at the same time a beach read but also a meditation on grief. Throughout the novel, Ali grapples with the risk of choosing joy, often relating it to the act of getting a dog: is the love you feel for it worth the inevitable heartbreak of its finite time with you? Monaghan’s story leaves us with an emphatic yes.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
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