Every Summer After

Generic summer romance book that was satisfying to read until you get to the end. This story all about a second chance at love. The secret that has kept them apart is troublesome. Overall 2.75 stars.

“Not many people meet the person they’re meant to be with when they’re thirteen.” But Persephone (Percy) Fraser and Sam Florek are the exception. “I fell in love with you when I was thirteen, and I never stopped. You’re it for me.” Until she wakes up to the “The wrong eyes. The wrong brother.” Now Percy keeps almost everyone around her at arm’s length. She cares little about the pompous douchebags she dates and she’s buried her sh*t with Sam under more piles of sh*t until she sees the love of her life for the first time in a decade at the funeral of her ex’s mom—a woman, who was like a second mother to Percy—and she has a panic attack at the wake. Percy and Sam discover, “Betrayals don’t cancel each other out. They just hurt more.” Messing it up is part of the deal…But I think we might be better at cleaning it up the next time.” Every Summer After is a love story of a relationship that spans many years and captures all the hormone-fueled angst and excitement of being a teenager and the heavy responsibilities of adulting. It’s an exploration of “the incredible feeling of finding your person, that friend who gets you like no one else does, who makes you feel seen and safe and sparkly.” It’s about people who grapple with their shortcomings, face obstacles–both external and internal–and screw up but ultimately try their best to do better. It’s a story of betrayal, forgiveness, acceptance and a hard-earned happily ever after. “It’s fireworks of lust and longing and humid summer nights.” A tribute to shimmering water and dense bush, to skies that stretch endlessly and the storms that light them up in the dark…friendship bracelets and drippy ice cream cones.” It’s an escape from the present and retreat into the best of childhood summers, the kind of book to be devoured in a single sitting and the kind of book that restores your love of reading.

Young love and how confusing it can be. Gets steamy so in parts. Easy predictable read.

Is this one of the greatest pieces of literature, no. BUT, if you can overlook a few annoying writing quirks like repetition of the same phrases, or unclear transitions within chapters of flashbacks or time lapses, it's a fun breezy summer read.

I'd categorize the plot as a cute friends to lovers romance. About 80% of the book was predictable but the surprise twist in the final few chapters that explains the distance between Percy and Sam over the years was an interesting additive! Granted, sure you could have guessed it earlier on if you were really fixated on why these two stopped talking for 10+ years. But if you choose to read it as (I expect intented) a reminiscent time to teenage romance, it takes you by surprise.

I am glad the author showed a modercum of resistance when approaching potential sex scenes. It was definitely not needed in the context of this story, so very happy Fortune chose to keep it relatively PG in that respect.

Like: Able to finish it in a day
Dislikes: just a few things first Sam, the nickname percy, and the secret (the whole time we are leading up to this moment and that moment is SO Predictable and then they have the nerve to wrap it all up, rush it out the door, and place a band aid on it). No thank you.