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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
I had a really fun time reading this book. I don’t read many mystery or romance books but this story had me hooked all the way through.
I loved Kinsley and Thomas’s relationship, the tension, the way they talk about each other and the chemistry was perfect. Adored there little inside jokes and games they had with each other and the snippets we got of their relationship before.
The whole friendship group was lovable and I loved the references to scooby doo because that’s how the group made me feel, like I was part of the gang.
The mystery was intriguing and I found myself trying to put the clues together along with the characters.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down.
I loved Kinsley and Thomas’s relationship, the tension, the way they talk about each other and the chemistry was perfect. Adored there little inside jokes and games they had with each other and the snippets we got of their relationship before.
The whole friendship group was lovable and I loved the references to scooby doo because that’s how the group made me feel, like I was part of the gang.
The mystery was intriguing and I found myself trying to put the clues together along with the characters.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Just couldn’t get into the story. The writing wasn’t great and was very repetitive
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-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
This book? It gripped me from the very first chapter. Our Darkest Summer is an emotional, atmospheric, and deeply human story about grief, healing, and the slow, complicated road toward love. The writing feels intimate and poetic, and the author really takes their time letting us sit in the messy, raw parts of the characters’ lives, and I appreciated every second of it.
Aurora’s journey hit me hard. Her grief isn’t pretty or neat. It’s jagged, honest, and something I think a lot of readers will relate to. The way she slowly allows herself to feel again and to connect again was beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. And Asher? The definition of soft but strong. His patience, his presence, his quiet care... it was everything.
What I loved most was that the romance didn’t feel like a cure for grief. It felt like an anchor. Like something built gently, in the shadows of pain. It’s tender and real and honestly just made my heart ache in the best way.
This book isn’t fast-paced, and it’s not full of dramatic twists. But if you’re looking for a reflective, slow-burn emotional romance that honors grief while holding space for healing, this story delivers.
Our Darkest Summer is soft, sad, and hopeful. A perfect read when you want something that feels like a long, quiet exhale.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Our darkest summer is about our main characters Thomas Rhodes and Kinsley Green returning to the Rhodes house in Maine to try and uncover what has happened to Thomas's mom after her sudden disappearance 12 years ago. Together, with some friends made along the way, the two grow closer to uncovering the mystery and to each other.
Overall I had a pretty good time reading this book. The mystery of the whole thing kept it really suspenseful and made sure you were on the edge of your seat the whole time. Personally, as an anxiety girlie I would put this book to the side once it got dark lol.
I also really enjoyed the characters. I thought they were fairly fleshed out and I especially enjoyed getting the two main characters pov in different chapters.
The mystery is where it kind of lost me a little because although it was suspenseful and I think the author did a good job at integrating all these moving pieces, I got a little lost towards the very end. 🚨slight spoilers🚨I also took a little issue with what caused the mother to go missing. The reason why she went missing was 100% related to a persons mental health and the condition they had which felt a little bit harmful although I truly don't think that was the authors intention.
The last part I want to touch on is the romance. Since this is the second version of this book, there were some changes. One major one was the amount of spice. With this being said, I don't think I would have enjoyed the earlier version as much due to the higher amount of spice because it would have felt out of place. Even within this version, the first time they chose to be together felt like an odd time considering they were still in the midst of the mystery. I still enjoyed them being together but I think I would have pushed off that first spicy scene to the end. 🚨slightspoilers🚨The last thing is I didn't completely understand why Thomas was staying away from Kinsley. Like I understood that his dad threatened him but I didn't understand how that had to do with her??
In the end, although I took some issues with this book, I still had a decent time reading it. Like I said, I enjoyed the characters and I liked all the running around we did to all the different people involved and getting to explore the little town where the house was. Overall I think it was a solid 🌟🌟🌟 stars.
**huge thank you to the author - Hanga E. Pavel - for the digital ARC and I still recommend checking it out if it sounds up your alley!!
Overall I had a pretty good time reading this book. The mystery of the whole thing kept it really suspenseful and made sure you were on the edge of your seat the whole time. Personally, as an anxiety girlie I would put this book to the side once it got dark lol.
I also really enjoyed the characters. I thought they were fairly fleshed out and I especially enjoyed getting the two main characters pov in different chapters.
The mystery is where it kind of lost me a little because although it was suspenseful and I think the author did a good job at integrating all these moving pieces, I got a little lost towards the very end. 🚨slight spoilers🚨I also took a little issue with what caused the mother to go missing. The reason why she went missing was 100% related to a persons mental health and the condition they had which felt a little bit harmful although I truly don't think that was the authors intention.
The last part I want to touch on is the romance. Since this is the second version of this book, there were some changes. One major one was the amount of spice. With this being said, I don't think I would have enjoyed the earlier version as much due to the higher amount of spice because it would have felt out of place. Even within this version, the first time they chose to be together felt like an odd time considering they were still in the midst of the mystery. I still enjoyed them being together but I think I would have pushed off that first spicy scene to the end. 🚨slightspoilers🚨The last thing is I didn't completely understand why Thomas was staying away from Kinsley. Like I understood that his dad threatened him but I didn't understand how that had to do with her??
In the end, although I took some issues with this book, I still had a decent time reading it. Like I said, I enjoyed the characters and I liked all the running around we did to all the different people involved and getting to explore the little town where the house was. Overall I think it was a solid 🌟🌟🌟 stars.
**huge thank you to the author - Hanga E. Pavel - for the digital ARC and I still recommend checking it out if it sounds up your alley!!
RR: Again, loved this story and characters so much the second time around. I still like the og manuscript a bit more so I feel like the re-edit was not completely necessary, but the essence of the story is still here and I still love it all the same. The bonus chapters added so much to the background of the characters and were sooo cute