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kris_epub 's review for:
Same Time Next Summer
by Annabel Monaghan
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
Same Time Next Summer marks my fourth and final Annabel Monaghan book, and while it didn’t top the list for me, it still gave me that soft, warm feeling her stories are known for. Honestly, I missed the divorced energy this time around (what can I say? There's something so raw feeling about it), but I am admittedly a bit of a sucker for emotional infidelity, so I was still in.
Sam and Wyatt are adorable, and I loved the dual POV and dual timeline structure. The flashbacks to their childhood-sweetheart beginnings were super endearing and gave the whole story a real emotional arc — you see them fall in love, fall apart, and try to make sense of it all years later. It helped all the pieces click in a satisfying way. While I didn’t love Wyatt’s arc of singer-songwriter, he was still a fine love interest. The others in Monaghan’s books are just way better.
Sam’s stuck in a life she doesn’t even like — and wow, did that resonate. There’s something about watching a character realize they’ve been performing a life instead of living one that felt a little too close to my own current existential crisis. Do I hate my job? Am I just trying to pretend I have my life together? Unclear. But this book got me reflecting.
I closed the final page with two unexpected takeaways:
1. Maybe I really do want to be a teacher? And maybe that’s okay?
2. Happiness needs to be a goal, not just a byproduct.
So here’s to the rest of the summer — to friendship, to love, and to regular self check-ins to ask, “Is this really making me happy?”
Sam and Wyatt are adorable, and I loved the dual POV and dual timeline structure. The flashbacks to their childhood-sweetheart beginnings were super endearing and gave the whole story a real emotional arc — you see them fall in love, fall apart, and try to make sense of it all years later. It helped all the pieces click in a satisfying way. While I didn’t love Wyatt’s arc of singer-songwriter, he was still a fine love interest. The others in Monaghan’s books are just way better.
Sam’s stuck in a life she doesn’t even like — and wow, did that resonate. There’s something about watching a character realize they’ve been performing a life instead of living one that felt a little too close to my own current existential crisis. Do I hate my job? Am I just trying to pretend I have my life together? Unclear. But this book got me reflecting.
I closed the final page with two unexpected takeaways:
1. Maybe I really do want to be a teacher? And maybe that’s okay?
2. Happiness needs to be a goal, not just a byproduct.
So here’s to the rest of the summer — to friendship, to love, and to regular self check-ins to ask, “Is this really making me happy?”