This Summer Will Be Different

Cliche romance novel. Nothing special here…

This one started out strong for me but then petered at as each summer is not in fact very different! Also one of those romances where you want to shake them and say “just talk to each other!!!”

I tried to give Carley another chance, but it seems we're just not simpatico. As an earth sign, I can see how this might happen with her being an air sign. The love story didn’t captivate me, and it was obvious Bridget was the true villain. She caused an uproar in her best friend and brother’s lives just because she had to move with her husband. These build-ups of secrets are really the worst. While some might enjoy the smut, it felt out of place and uncomfortable to me. Additionally, the past and present storytelling wasn’t pleasant either.

Romance novel through and through. I enjoyed it!

4.25 stars! Carley Fortune's third romance novel, This Summer Will Be Different, felt more similar in tone to her debut Every Summer After, which remains my favorite of hers, although this one was lighter and more fun. The atmospheric setting of Prince Edward Island is the perfect backdrop for this angsty 'I've fallen for my best friend's brother' romance, and it quickly shot up my travel destination wishlist. I adored both our leads, as well as the side characters, too. The friendship between Lucy and Bridget is the heart of the book, and while the "conflict" reveal fell a little short for me, it WAS nice to read a more lighthearted novel. It's a perfect summer, beach, and/or vacation read. And one I would reread!

#popsugarreadingchallenge2024 (prompt 31 - A book with a title that is a complete sentence)