the_romance_regent 's review for:

The Summers Between Us by Noreen Nanja

4.0

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“The Summers Between Us” is a second-chance, slow-burn romance packed with longing, secrets, and one unforgettable summer that just might change everything.

Lia’s back at her family’s cottage—the one place she’s been avoiding for a decade—and surprise: so is Wes, the boy she once loved and never really stopped. Now she’s a corporate lawyer with the perfect-on-paper boyfriend and a very long list of things she doesn’t talk about. Wes is still sweet, still steady, and still confused about why she ghosted him all those years ago.

Told across one summer in the present and flashbacks to their younger years, this debut serves up heartbreak, healing, and the kind of love that simmers under the surface until it demands to be felt. There’s family pressure, cultural expectations, quiet rebellion, and a heroine learning—finally—that she gets to want things just for herself.

Noreen Nanja’s writing is honest, emotional, and full of heart. If you're into childhood sweethearts, secret pasts, and tender moments that hit you right in the chest, this is one to add to your summer reading list. Congratulations on your debut!

Author’s Note:

The Summers Between Us is a story that aims to represent the messiness of life. This book contains discussion of divorce, homophobia, pregnancy loss, grief over the loss of a parent as an adult and coping with family illness.

Thank you @noreennanjawrites, @randomhouseca and @booksforwardpr for the #gifted book and goodies. All opinions expressed are my own.