Annabel Monaghan

I really enjoyed Dolly All the Time. I think Annabel Monaghan is one of the best writers of attraction and longing. Dolly has been putting herself last for a long time. A single mother with a disabled brother and a father with financial struggles, she juggles a lot of things. When she has a meet cute with the handsome son of a prominent family on the island where she grew up, she agrees to a fake dating relationship with him to finance the new roof for her father's house. The fake dating show more trope is handled really well and you can feel the pull of Dolly's attraction to Stewart, even as she tells herself not to get attached to him. I also loved Dolly's relationship with her preteen son - I thought it was very realistic and well done (I have two sons). I did think that the break up went on a little too long. The setting of the book is perfection for a summer read. It made me want to get out on the water and eat some seafood. Overall, This book is a lovely summer romance - the quintessential beach read.

Thanks to NetGalley for a prepublication copy of this book. show less

"There was a sound to summer music...It sounded like warm air." Somehow, that's exactly what reading this book felt like as well. Like a summer night on the beach – a blanket wrapped around your shoulders, a bonfire blazing bright in the distance and saltwater & sand cushioning your feet.

Same Time Next Summer was a surprisingly quick and fun read with a (mostly) lovable cast of characters, suffused with an aptly sweet summer love feeling. There's really no better way to describe the vibes show more than nostalgic and beachy, so that's what we're going with.
Sam and Wyatt started out as a classic girl/boy next door, first love, summer love story until life's curveballs forced them to go from growing up together to falling completely apart. The funny thing about loving and being loved with such passion though, is that sometimes your roots grow parallel to each other even when they've grown apart.
Cut to their "we're completely over it," grown-up present and as it turns out, this story is not quite as finished as they thought...

This book does incorporate both a dual timeline and a dual pov, which was pretty well done for the most part. However, I wish the present timeline would have been fleshed out a bit more, because that did end up feeling a bit vague and rushed in comparison to the "THEN" parts of the plot.
I did appreciate the emphasis on the more intangible aspects of relationships, as opposed to just the physicality, which made for a really authentic feeling read.
Overall, this was a pleasant, breezy read perfect for those golden afternoons when all you want is a cozy, straightforward read with some substance and a whole lot of heart.

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons & NetGalley for the DRC! show less

”You live your whole life so that you can be surrounded by too many people in too small of a room and tell the story of how it all happened.”

There are books that feel like a hug, and this was one of them.

When Jane and Dan first met, they felt an instant connection. But then an artistic disagreement occurred, a fight followed, and things between them soured.

Now, they’re enthusiastic about the same idea and must work together to make it happen. Working together entails chasing a show more celebrity, staying at Dan’s parents' place in Long Island, and hanging out with his family.

I’ve said this before, and I’ll probably say it again: I love books about big families. There’s something magical about them—life is rarely messy in book families, the parents are wise, understanding, and supportive, and so are the siblings. They are always there to make you feel unconditionally loved and accepted. What’s more important, these families give us so many book boyfriends!

Jane and Dan were adorable together. Dan had this unique approach to life; he knew what was important and did his own thing regardless of what the world had to say about it. I loved his quiet confidence and his big heart. Jane had issues, which unfortunately caused the third-act drama, but I’m just going to pretend it didn’t happen. I’m so sick of third-act breakups, I’ll just pretend they don’t exist. That’s my new strategy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Approved for the arc show less

Nora writes scripts for the romance channel and she's good at it. She knows all the beats of a good romantic comedy and her ability to churn out scripts has kept her family financially afloat for years. When her good-for-nothing husband finally leaves, Nora turns it into a script that her agent sells as a serious movie. When the film crew comes to shoot on Nora's property for a few days, she expects minor upheaval. What she doesn't expect is one of Hollywood's sexiest stars, Leo Vance, to be show more on her porch after filming ends to ask to stay. She doesn't expect him to be so fascinated by her and her structured days, nor to be having thoughtful dinner conversations with her two kids. Nora's written scripts exactly like this, but in real life can a potential romance between her and Leo actually have a happy ending?

I had a grand time with this cute romance and devoured it in two days. Nora is a smart, competent woman in her late thirties who is largely relieved by her divorce rather than devastated. But she still comes with baggage and watching her and Leo find their common ground is charming. While I expected the big misunderstanding of this one, the final resolution of it surprised me. A fun contemporary romance, especially for those who love (but also love to mock) formulaic rom coms. show less