Reviews

One Summer Knight by Melissa Naatz

smutty_queen's review

3.0

Thank you The Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC!!

This was a really fun read! Poor Elise though, omg she couldn’t catch a break! I really loved her and Rhys together. They had such amazing chemistry, and were such a believable couple. I need more Ren Faire books, because that was a total vibe!!! I loved all the Ren guys!! Their personalities were so fun and quirky. 

I do have to say, I wish the FMC didn’t have a child. Their relationship was so strange. The ending felt a bit rushed to me as well, and with so much conflict happening I kinda feel like I’m missing a HEA.

But the writing was really enjoyable. The pace was great, and I loved the authors humor! The side characters were just as good as the main characters, which I love! Overall a great debut and an enjoyable read!

burkbooks's review

bleh. honestly, this is an older woman in a loveless marraige and the way she is acting is like a child. I lost patience for her very fast. 

dmnich's review

emotional funny lighthearted sad fast-paced

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

5.0

itslorei's review

2.0

My expectation on this book is definitely high, and I was super excited to read this after getting the arc. However, instead of happiness, the book gave me stress, and I was angry almost all the time.

I want to sympathise with Elise, but she's just so unlikeable. She just irritates tbh. Almost all characters were also unlikeable, except for Sarah and Rhys, perhaps.


This was just not it.

nikitatabor's review

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective tense 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

4.25

Thank you The Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC.
This is a lovely story of a woman in her late thirties finally allowing herself to discover what she wants. Elise gets a nudge by a certain Knight, to find herself and show a little courage in standing up for what she wants. It shows that it is never too late to find your happiness.

justsokristin's review

emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

This book was so cute! I couldn’t get the characters out of my mind and kept thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading. 

There isn’t any detailed spice, but wow is this book hot! 

I really enjoyed reading about someone in their late 30s dealing with real problems and then standing up for herself and going for things she really wanted. It was a refreshing tale with lots of found family and big growth and I just loved it!

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Domestic abuse

bgaugustine12's review

4.0

I really enjoyed this book and thank you to The Nerd Fam for it. All of this is my honest truthful review. I love that this is a reverse age gap book. Elise's marriage has been over for awhile with her husband's infidelity and other things and with her son older she is ready for it to really be over. 

She ends uo meeting Rhys who is a knight at a Renaissance fair. I love Rhys and his fellow knights. They are perfect and protective. Such a good read. It is done in one POV. I really hated Bryce. Ugh, what a horrible husband. Read this book.

chaiteaandbooks's review

3.5

🫑spice

I loved some things about this book, like the reverse age gap, the renaissance festival, and the crew there. I honestly hated most of the women in this book, but most of that was intentional. Elise was a little wishy washy for me, but Rhys was peak book boyfriend. Why did it take me until now to realize they rhymed? Anyways. The spice in this book was akin to me drawing a person. You get a stick figure, enough to know what’s happening, but no real details. Overall, a good read. 

❤️ Tropes ❤️
💋 reverse age gap
💋 opposites attract
💋 divorcee romance

Elise has known her marriage was over, but didn’t want to admit it to herself. But now her son is college age, and her husband thought an anniversary party would be a great time to surprise her, along with everyone else, about an international move. Maybe it has to do with the latest affair that called the house crying and looking for him. She’s found herself living a life she doesn’t want, until she got voluntold to help chaperone a field trip to the renaissance festival. A knight chose to fight for her honor, and bet her a beer he would win. And when it came time to cash in, she found she actually wanted to. Follow Elise to see if she follows her gut or if she does what society thinks she should do. 

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the copy, all thoughts are my own.

booksaremytherapy's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

In Melissa Naatz's "One Summer Knight," readers embark on a heartfelt journey of second chances and self-discovery wrapped in a compelling romance.

Meet Elise, whose outwardly perfect life masks a world of regret and unmet aspirations. Struggling with an unappreciated job, a cheating spouse, a troubled son, and betrayals from supposed friends, Elise reaches her breaking point. Determined to rewrite her story, she finds an unlikely companion in Rhys, a Renaissance Faire knight whose youthful enthusiasm offers her a glimpse of what could have been.

Naatz skillfully navigates Elise's complex journey, from the allure of escapism with Rhys to the harsh realities she must confront. As Elise grapples with divorce, career setbacks, and family strife, readers are drawn into a whirlwind of emotions and revelations.

What distinguishes "One Summer Knight" is its genuine portrayal of age-gap romance and societal scrutiny. Through Elise and Rhys's relationship, Naatz explores themes of self-acceptance and resilience with authenticity and grace.

In a genre often saturated with clichés, Naatz's fresh perspective and engaging storytelling shine through. "One Summer Knight" is a captivating read that resonates long after the final page, leaving readers eagerly anticipating more from this talented author.

nicolecurlsuptoread's review

funny lighthearted 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

3.5

⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½ • 🌶️🌶️

📌 You’ll dig this if you like
» Insta-love meet cutes.
» Cinnamon roll knights in armour.
» Age gaps
» Found families.

🎪🐎
→ I loved that when Elise decided to divorce Bryce, she didn’t waver. She knew the stakes and prioritised her happiness over her comfort zone.

→ Rhys is a gold-star book boyfriend. He can read her and was all-in from the start. He fell first and hard!

→ I enjoyed One Summer Knight and would’ve read it in one sitting if I could function without sleep.

📌 What stood out
» The lengths Rhys went to have that beer with her when he fought and won for her honour.

» Rhys’ friends immediately embrace Elise. She’s theirs now, and they’re hers. She's the Wendy to their Lost Boys. Fingers crossed this will become a series to feature them.

» Elise’s friendship with Sara defines ride or die, and I loved it.

📌 Moments
» When Travis tells Elise how she got the red scarf 🧣 🥹

→ This lost some points because I craved Rhys’ POV, the label used for Quinn’s party felt gratuitous and overused, and I thought the ending could’ve been bigger.

🚫 Contains domestic assault, and alcohol use. Please check warnings for others.

✨ Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC.