jenjenbookfan 's review for:

Long Summer Nights by Laura John

5.0

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Long Summer Nights is the first book in the new Sultry Summer Series by Laura John. It introduces us to Tessa, who swore off men and never wanted to return to her hometown, due to the drama and heartbreak in her past, as well as Maddox, whose own past relationships led him to start over under a cloak of anonymity. Can they both overcome insecurities from past experiences to find the true love they both deserve? While the storyline for the main couple is light on drama directed at them, there are plenty of interesting characters and subplots going on that keep it intriguing and are going to make for a great series! The author does provide a trigger warning for LGBTQ+ issues that are part of a subplot, and it was all handled well, but also doesn’t take over the story and overshadow Maddox and Tessa. One of my favorite things about the book is the overall world building. Summerville is a great representation of your quintessential small town, with your gossiping busybodies, economic class divisions, and those select few mean girls you want to see brought down. But aside from those things, it’s the good people who care, who will help others, whether they can afford to or not, and wave at everyone as they go by. It’s that sense of community you can’t get in a big city! Laura John also develops well rounded characters that are easy to relate to, and bring the reader on the journey with them, from laughing to crying and everything in between. And then there’s Maddox… a top notch book boyfriend who practically melted my iPhone with his scenes with Tessa! He’s also so good at breaking her walls down and getting her to communicate, and their chemistry was smoking hot!! This was a phenomenal start for a new series, and judging from the way the other characters were brought in, I can’t wait to see what happens next!!

I received an advanced review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.