Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Summer Reading

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My one complaint is that McKinlay describes Emily with such an outdated view of what a professional librarian looks like!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??!!!

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kimib79's review against another edition

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funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I get the need for internal monologue, but her constant self doubt was a bit grating.

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shawniejo's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

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witcheep's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

3.0

It's a cute and heartwarming story that kept me entertained. My resons for not giving the book a higher rating come from unsatisfying drama in the plot. I love when the characters are good with communication, but here they were almost too good at it at all times: the drama didn't have enough time to grow to feel actually impactful. I feel like the conflicts built up in the plot felt a little plastered over overly mature main group of characters (even the teen sibling acts like an adult most of the time in big interpersonal events). This made the problems almost immediately resolve themselves with the characers always being very understanding and forgiving with each other.

Another thing that bothers me with the book is how the main character Sam is very fixated on her dyslexia. The representation for the neurodivergent struggles and coping mechanisms is great, but Sam lets her whole personality be dictated by that one trait in every aspect of her life: work, love life, and even familial relationships. She has been bullied and dumped over the dyslexia, and it has scarred her deep. This is a very real possibility for many, but I don't like how in the book Sam needs a "good man" to "fix her" by showing her that she is so much more than her dyslexia, and by doing so shifting Sam's inner monologue from the discourse set by the bullies to the new voice (and his words) of self love and positive affirmations. Sam has always had a supportive friend and made a successfull career for herself, so always feeling like a failure and a fraud because of the dyslexia in her late twenties feels wrong. Why wouldn't she had made any revelations by herself or with the help from that close friend by then that she is a multidimensional human being? Or why wouldn't she had seeked professional help, if not during the bullying on school, then later in life to deal with the consequenses of it?

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mandareads222's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

3.5

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sea_tea_books's review against another edition

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funny hopeful informative lighthearted

4.5

I devoured this delicious summer romance set on Martha's Vineyard.

She loves to cook and he detests it; he loves to read and she struggles. I found it refreshing to have the male character be the reader and the female character be the non-reader. It was also interesting to read about the main character's daily struggles as a neurodivergent woman in a dyslexic-unfriendly literary world.

Chapter 20:

Spicy scene!! 🌶️ 🥵

Chapter 27:

So gross when Ben used Samantha's body to escape his feelings. He became aroused when experiencing intense grief? Ew.

4.5 ⭐

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patriciarodriguez's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

1.75

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hannahgingerich's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

4.75

I feel like the title doesn’t really do justice for the book. Also I like that the relationship feels very even in this book. Usually in romance novels the men are the hero or the women are the heroine, it felt more like they were working together!

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