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wagrobanite's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? It's complicated
5.0
I've always liked McKinlay as an author but this is my first romance of hers and it was wonderful. I was a bit skeptical when I read her note to readers about how the book was put together but it worked out wonderfully. While I don't have dyslexia there were so many parts of Sam that I connected with. Also, I want a man like Ben! This book was very well written, easy to read, and it was great to watch Sam's relationship with her brother change and grow. Someone really needs to buy the movie rights for this book because it would be an excellent romcom (just like Sam likes!).
My one complaint is that McKinlay describes Emily with such an outdated view of what a professional librarian looks like! 😡 Why must this stereotype of librarians wear cardigans continue??!!!
My one complaint is that McKinlay describes Emily with such an outdated view of what a professional librarian looks like! 😡 Why must this stereotype of librarians wear cardigans continue??!!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Abandonment
kelly_e's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Title: Summer Reading
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Genre: Romance
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: May 16, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Beachy • Breezy • Relaxing
📖 S Y N O P S I S
For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha’s Vineyard at her family’s tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she’s tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there’s no place Sam, who’s dyslexic, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library’s interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.
Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he’s never known. He’s taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn't interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can’t stop thinking about her.
💠T H O U G H T S
When I was researching 2023 beach reads, Summer Reading was one that really piqued my interest. The idea of a book loving male character and a female lead who doesn't like to read sounded really interesting. Unfortunately, this novel tried to cover too much ground and ended up falling kind of flat.
I'll start off by saying that I highly commend Jenn McKinlay and her publishing team for offering a formatting friendly novel to readers. This isn't necessarily something I have considered before but I really appreciated the author's note explaining the reasoning and I do think it's something I will be more conscious of going forward. Additionally, the neurodivergent rep (dyslexia) is something that is often overlooked in the reading world. I definitely know that not all people with dyslexia don't like to read, and maybe it would have been nice to see that side of the coin, but I also understand why the story went the way it did.
As for the characters, I adored Ben in the beginning, but that connection waned as the story progressed. Sam's disinterest in her brother kind of bothered me at the start, but it was nice to see their relationship develop as they came to know and understand one another better. It was Tyler's character and the island setting that really kept me invested.
While Summer Reading did a lot of things right, it also tried to cover too much ground. Some of the side plots could have easily been left out, or it could have easily been turned into a series with multiple books where these side plots were explored. Instead it ended up being too long and lost my attention before I made it to the end.
A very summery novel exploring family, self-discovery and love, this isn't one that will stick with me. I could see how readers could easily devour it in a sitting or two while on vacation, but also if you skip it I wouldn't say you'd be missing out.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers looking for neurodivergent rep
• anyone in need to quick beach read
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Honestly, some days it was exhausting being in my own head."
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Genre: Romance
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: May 16, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Beachy • Breezy • Relaxing
📖 S Y N O P S I S
For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha’s Vineyard at her family’s tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she’s tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there’s no place Sam, who’s dyslexic, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library’s interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.
Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he’s never known. He’s taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn't interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can’t stop thinking about her.
💠T H O U G H T S
When I was researching 2023 beach reads, Summer Reading was one that really piqued my interest. The idea of a book loving male character and a female lead who doesn't like to read sounded really interesting. Unfortunately, this novel tried to cover too much ground and ended up falling kind of flat.
I'll start off by saying that I highly commend Jenn McKinlay and her publishing team for offering a formatting friendly novel to readers. This isn't necessarily something I have considered before but I really appreciated the author's note explaining the reasoning and I do think it's something I will be more conscious of going forward. Additionally, the neurodivergent rep (dyslexia) is something that is often overlooked in the reading world. I definitely know that not all people with dyslexia don't like to read, and maybe it would have been nice to see that side of the coin, but I also understand why the story went the way it did.
As for the characters, I adored Ben in the beginning, but that connection waned as the story progressed. Sam's disinterest in her brother kind of bothered me at the start, but it was nice to see their relationship develop as they came to know and understand one another better. It was Tyler's character and the island setting that really kept me invested.
While Summer Reading did a lot of things right, it also tried to cover too much ground. Some of the side plots could have easily been left out, or it could have easily been turned into a series with multiple books where these side plots were explored. Instead it ended up being too long and lost my attention before I made it to the end.
A very summery novel exploring family, self-discovery and love, this isn't one that will stick with me. I could see how readers could easily devour it in a sitting or two while on vacation, but also if you skip it I wouldn't say you'd be missing out.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers looking for neurodivergent rep
• anyone in need to quick beach read
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Honestly, some days it was exhausting being in my own head."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Bullying and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Death of parent, and Alcohol
meganpbennett's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
Summer Reading is a fun romance novel that also covers some very serious issues, as is common in this genre. I enjoyed the twin storylines, and appreciate the representation given for ADHD and Dyslexia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent
readingwithmeredith's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing and Medical content
cameron_bennett's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cancer
anbieker's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
emmas_bookshelf's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is the perfect start of summer book! Chef Samantha, in between jobs, heads home to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer to watch her teenage half brother while her dad and stepmom head off on a European vacation. On the ferry she meets a guy named Ben, and then they meet again on island. Sam has dyslexia and is convinced dating a librarian like Ben will never work, but Ben proves her very very wrong. There’s also a mystery element as Sam helps Ben find out who his father is. I really enjoyed the book and found it very charming, heartwarming, and funny. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent and Alcohol