Reviews

A Picture Perfect Summer by Jessica Booth

areckers's review

4.0

She does it again! Jessica's second book is all about Jacob and Katie's love story. So sweet and a little spicy. The perfect beach read!

christinareadsontheroad's review

5.0

A Match Made in Autumn was a delightful debut last fall, and yet A Picture Perfect Summer somehow manages to top it with the humor, suspense, romance, steam, and southern charm. While it can be read as a standalone, I definitely recommend reading A Match Made in Autumn so you can be introduced to the delightful small town of Ruston, Louisiana.

Jacob is in a work slump and is sent to travel around Louisiana’s local festival circuit to bring some new life to the newspaper. Katie is an aspiring photographer but current coffee barista who is hired to join Jacob on trips to local towns and capture the moments of the festival. Yet somehow, at every turn, something goes wrong at each festival that keeps them both on their toes. These moments seem to bring them together and challenge their flimsy invisible walls that they’ve built over the years because it’s their best friend’s sister/brother’s best friend (my catnip…).

The romance in this book is spicier than a cajun crawfish boil, but there is also plenty of emotion to go around, including caring for his dad with declining health and her struggle to balance connections to home with moving forward to her future. Be warned that there are mentions of parent loss and a parent with dementia in this book, so if those are tender topics take care of yourself when reading.

Thank you Jessica for the advanced review copy!!

readbelievelove's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

read_youcleverbee's review

5.0

I was lucky enough to snag an eARC of this one! It’s releasing 6/20 so definitely add it to your TBR and/or preorder it now! If you’re a signed book fan you can get signed copies of Jessica’s books from @ or if you’re a Cincinnati reader come hang out at The Bookery on 6/24 to celebrate the launch of A Picture Perfect Summer and say hi to Jess and everyone there —literally couldn’t find nicer people.

A Picture Perfect Summer has it all!

Tropes we can expect to find:
—Brother’s best friends
—Strong family bond
—Mystery vibes
—Friends to Lovers
—Mutual pining
—One bed

Katie’s trying to find some direction and Jacob is just feeling well stuck, but what they have in common is a mutual crush that neither have been confident enough to explore yet. When summer festival season throws them together unexpectedly for the newspaper the temperature isn’t the only thing getting hot.

Jacob and Katie are perfection. This one had me laughing, blushing, cheering, anxious, and I teared up a bit too. +1000 bonus stars for Katie chasing her dream and Jacob being supportive—we don’t always get that and I loved seeing that play out.

I can’t wait to see which season Jessica Booth has in store for us next!

sometimesalyreadsbooks's review

5.0

Jessica, you did it again! I honestly loved this one even better than the first. The chemistry, flirtation and tension between Jacob and Katie was so good and - at times, hilarious. I "aww"-ed out loud on multiple occasions and admired their constant communication and respect of each other's boundaries.

They navigated so many hiccups and even tragedy, but with dialogue this full of one liners and teasing, A Picture Perfect Summer never felt heavy. I loved the Louisiana festival, food and culture references and of course, Ollie!

cass_lit's review

5.0

I’ll start off this review by warning that I am biased, because I know Jessica and I know the love and the work that she put into this book. A Picture Perfect Summer (a companion book set after A Match Made In Autumn, though it can be read as a stand-alone as I did!) has all the heartwarming emotions of a Hallmark Christmas movie but set in the Louisiana summer. The attraction between our two main characters has been building for a couple of years prior to present so we get to jump into the relationship relatively quickly — or maybe it just felt quick to me because I read this all in a day 😉. There’s also a little bit of mystery in here as we try to figure out who’s sabotaging our favorite pair. But what really got *me* was how the real life complexities of a relationship were portrayed. Jacob is going through a lot of grief in regard to his father’s declining health, and it’s bringing up a lot of grief from his late mother’s passing when he was young too. Not only did the care in handling that familial relationship touch me (particularly as someone who’s been there), but how Jacob and Katie handled it together. It can be messy because life is messy, but at the end of the day the people you love will always be there because they want to be there. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death of parent

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

sarahhavener's review

5.0

This was a rollercoaster of a book in the best way! I felt so much throughout this story, laughing one minute, tearing up the next. This is considered an interconnected stand-alone, but I think it would be beneficial to read the first book before starting this one.
I really enjoyed the imagery in regards to the weather, and the analogies for the weather and emotions the characters went through. There were some emotional parts that were hard to get through, though that may be because it hit too close to home for me. Part of the plot involves the decline of a close relative's health.
That being said, this romcom gives you slow burn spice and great banter, while also keeping events pretty true to real life. This was definitely the perfect small town southern summer read!

fortheloveofbooks95's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

First of all, thank you to the author, Jessica, for allowing me the oppurtunity to read this ARC.

I really enjoyed this story. I love Katie and Jacob's relationship. I was hoping for more mystery but for a romance novel it was still good. 

I was not expecting to cry but I did. The ending had me in happy tears. I haven't read Jessica's first novel yet but I bought it so I can 🙈

P.S. if you don't love Ollie we can't be friends 😉

sarahsbookstack's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

4.75

Super cute brother's best friend story! I love that they both had feelings pretty much from the beginning and I'm glad we didn't wait until the 80% mark for them to give into it. A lot of laugh out loud moments, but some very tender heart. I like the thought of a series of stories for a newspaper of small town festivals. 

I like how infectious Katie is! Such a fun and light person. Jacob is so sweet in the way he looks out for his dad as he stumbles medically. There was an air of mystery attached to what starts to happen at the festivals that make Katie and Jacob feel as if they are cursed. 

I haven't read book 1 but will go back at some point to. I felt like I got enough important info to still very much enjoy this connected story but that stands well in its own.