One Last Summer

After being told by her boss, in front of the entire company no less, that she's suffering from burn out, Clara is forced to take a mini-sabbatical. It kind of works out good because she'll actually get to go on the annual camp vacation with her friends - the one she recently cancelled because of...work - which she coincidentally hasn't been on in years because of....work. Sensing a trend here?

The truth is, not only has it been work that's kept Clara away. Her and her boyfriend of many years recently called it quits, and while he's already engaged, she's got...work. Also, Clara knows she's not been the best of friend to this group who have stuck together ever since their years of attending the camp as kids. It turns out, this will be show more the last summer Clara has a chance to turn things around because the camp is scheduled to be sold. She is determined to make this a summer to rival those of her childhood. Possibly also including kissing the boy, now man, that she first kissed when she was fifteen.

This book literally captures that excitement and nostalgia of summer. I swear I could smell the scent of the woods wafting up through my e-reader! Kate Spencer just so easily captures those moments, especially the people you spend those moments with.

I think that's what I loved the most about this book, was that I could see myself and my friend group in these characters. The whole idea of long-time friendships or even those friendships that form an everlasting bond where you may go a long time without speaking, but as soon as you do, or as soon as you see those people again, you instantly just pick up right where you left off.

Yes, there are complications, and disagreements and differing viewpoints, but it's about the fact that the bond runs deeper than all of these more superficial things. These are the people you show up for, no doubt. And Kate Spencer gets that so well.

I also liked the rather uncomplicated relationship between Mac and Clara. I mean, it's like it's always been there, they just weren't fully ready to take things to the next level. But once they do it's as though the little misunderstandings and such can't ruin the bigger picture as we often see happen in romances for the sake of the tension.

Instead, it's more an internalized idea that Clara has of figuring out who she wants to be. She always thought she was doing what she wanted to do with her life, but after a series of events that she didn't see coming, she begins to reevaluate. Couple that with Clara finding a letter written on the last day of camp by her younger self where she lists out her future goals. Realizing she's met none of those goals, Clara begins to take stock of what she wants her life to look like.

I think it's great to reevaluate who we are as people because we are ever-changing. We shouldn't be too settled because then things kind of just run on autopilot and we need to be actively running the controls.

I think this goes really great with the summery setting. Summer is a time for change. School is out, schedules change, days are longer, it almost feels like things are opening up for opportunity and that is captured beautifully in this book.

I wish we had gotten more from the entire group. Instead everything, understandably as she's the narrator, revolves around Clara. The group was just so varied and interesting that I wanted more.

Overall, though, this is a wonderful read. I found myself smiling and laughing regularly throughout. If that's not a sign of a good read, I don't know what is.

Also, I got to enjoy the audiobook version of this one, and I think that the narrator did a great job of conveying Clara's emotions. From the enthusiasm of being back with her friends in their favorite spot to her obvious anxiety about her job. There's a lot of rumination and back and forth about feelings and it was all performed so well. In fact, every character came to life to easily. It's a wonderful listen. show less

I just finished this one, thanks to an advanced copy from Forever and Net Galley. As a former camp kid, I was eager to read a romance filled with camp and summer nostalgia. It delivered a light and easy read that managed to tug at my heartstrings a few times, though mostly not from the romance. The dialogue between the main characters felt too artificial, making it hard to believe in their developing relationship. The build-up to their romance lacked depth for me by relying on a single revealing conversation to move the plot forward without showing them genuinely getting to know each other. How did their connection evolve into love? The main character was not relatable to me, but her friend, Sam, was a much-needed layer of warmth and show more authenticity. Despite these issues, the story was complete and enjoyable overall. There were several things I wish had been handled differently, but I'm glad I finished it. This book offers a nostalgic summer escape, but it fell short of delivering a believable and engaging romance. show less

One Last Summer by Kate Spencer
Contemporary romance, second chance troupe.
Clara Millen is working full tilt at her marketing dream job, sure the next promotion is just around the corner after the next successful pitch. Yes, she’s more or less dropped her friends and life outside of her job, but she’s a career woman and that’s just what is expected.
Clara is surprised when her boss sends her on a mandatory leave of absence. It’s only a week but the boss says that Clara is burned out and needs a reset.
The timing couldn’t be better for Clara. Her childhood friends all happen to be meeting at Pine Lake Camp for an annual retreat like they do every year. Clara hasn’t been able to go recently but this forced vacation has her in show more the car with and on the way to her nemesis, Mack. Or is he the one that got away? Clara has a lot of decisions to make in this week that could change everything.

The sparks have always been there between Clara and Mack but she was never ready to see it. He’s always been there for her. So much so that he really can’t help but watch her and make sure she has whatever she needs. If only it were him.
I didn’t really like Clara. I totally understand the professional drive but how did she not see the passing of the award for what it was? I’m glad she finally figured out that she needs her friends, and a love and life outside of work. We all need to do a better job at that!
3.5

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. show less

In this Kate Spencer novel, the heroine had not been enjoying her life as she should had been doing. After finally having the time to enjoy it, the heroine joined her friends on their summer vacation to Pine Lake Camp. However, the heroine learned that the camp is going to be sold, prompting the group of friends to reminiscence about their childhood and an intimate connection with the hero. As the relationship between the heroine and the hero grows more romantic, there appears some changes in the heroine's life that she has to make decisions that will lead to her own happy ending.

This Kate Spencer novel is a blend of romance and women's literature. It has a nice story vibe that made reading it an enjoyable one. The friendship circle and show more the summer camp setting enriched the whole story. The romance is a nice addition to the story, though it would have been nice to have the hero's viewpoint. It would have been nice to have a bit more details in the book, but the preference isn't detrimental to my reading enjoyment. Overall, a nice read that brings nostalgia of summer camping.

** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in my review are my own. ** show less