Publishers Weekly
★ 04/08/2024
Summer romance, writes Monaghan (Same Time Next Summer) in this light and sunny contemporary, is “a love affair with no reality check.” People pleaser Ali Morris has spent her whole life putting other peoples’ happiness above her own. Stuck in a loveless marriage, she’s still grieving her mother’s death two years prior and juggling the schedules of her three kids when her husband asks for a divorce. She’s exhausted, numb, and reeling—until her lust for life is reawakened when her dog pees on the gorgeous Ethan at the dog park. Their attraction is palpable and when she learns that Ethan is “Scooter,” the younger brother of a good friend from high school, she struggles to reconcile the teenage screwup she knew in her youth with the dreamy man who sees the real her. But if Ethan, who had a crush on Ali all through high school, wants more than just a summer fling, he’ll need to convince her that he’s no longer the flaky, unreliable boy he was. Monaghan makes the blossoming love between Ali and Ethan both believable and heartwarming as they grow together out of painful past experiences. It’s the ideal beach read. Agent: Marly Rusoff, Marly Rusoff Literary. (June)
From the Publisher
A Scary Mommy Best New Book of 2024
A BookBub Best Romance of 2024
A PureWow Best Beach Read of Summer 2024
A She Reads Most Anticipated Romance of Summer 2024
A Forbes “What To Watch Out For” Novel
“An unputdownable love story about the messiness of life and lust. Summer Romance brims with heart, wit, and longing—the signature ingredients of my favorite beach reads. Anything Annabel writes, I’m reading it.”—Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After
“A bingeable five-star read.”—Abby Jimenez, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer
“Annabel Monaghan’s writing is smart, snappy and satisfying.”—Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hotel Nantucket
“The ideal beach read.”—Publishers Weekly (starred)
“The romance strikes the perfect balance of stomach-butterflies and the realities of dating with kids. Sweetly satisfying.” —Booklist (starred)
“Annabel Monaghan knows how to write romance, how to sweep you up and make you feel as though you, the reader, are falling in love. This is what romance books are all about. Ali is such a relatable protagonist and Ethan a perfect book boyfriend. I devoured it. Annabel has another hit on her hands.”—Sophie Cousens, author of Just Haven’t Met You Yet
“How I loved this book! Annabel Monaghan has joined my shortlist of instant autobuy authors. Her writing is packed full of chemistry and warmth and I could not put this book down. Ali is a heroine you will want to root for and Ethan is completely swoonworthy. I’ll be recommending Summer Romance far and wide!”—Paige Toon, author of Only Love Can Hurt Like This
“Summer Romance is a sweet, warm hug of a book. Annabel Monaghan's latest is like a chat from your best friend at the end of a long day - comfort personified. It's hopeful and fun, sprinkled with the kind of romance you wish for every summer.”—Elissa Sussman, author of Funny You Should Ask
Library Journal
05/01/2024
Ali Morris, a professional organizer with a less-than-organized personal life, is startled when her soon-to-be-ex-husband Pete announces it is time to file for divorce, on the second anniversary of her mother's death. Ali has been going through the motions of life for their year of separation while trying to hold it together for their three children, but she feels like she's failing. Social media keeps telling her what she should be doing for self-care, but Ali feels paralyzed by heartbreak, grief, and clutter. Then a chance meeting with a handsome stranger at the dog park at the beginning of the summer lifts Ali's spirits. When the stranger turns out to be Ethan, the younger brother of her childhood friend, the awkwardness of their initial attraction fades as he begins to remind Ali of her strength and confidence. She might not be able to stick to her plan of a no-strings summer fling with Ethan. VERDICT In this sweet romance, Monaghan (Same Time Next Summer) has created believable characters who are multidimensional, while her touches of humorous dialogue enhance the story and make the characters even more likable.—Nicole J. Suarez
