Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay
Publication Date: May 16th 2023 by Berkley
Pages: 438
Source: Publisher
Rating: ★★★★
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads
My
Thoughts:
Sam quit her job after being passed over for a promotion as
head chef she suspects is due to her dyslexia. Now she’s spending the summer at Martha’s Vineyard
to watch her younger half-brother, Tyler, while her parents are off on a European
vacation. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. She can figure out what her next
move will be while getting to know her younger brother.
On the ferry ride out she has an unfortunate accident with
Ben, who she finds out is the library director. A man she’ll be seeing daily
thanks to the Tyler’s robotics program taking place at the library where Ben
works. There are sparks of attraction, but Sam wonders how a relationship would
ever work when she has such issues with reading and Ben’s so very bookish. They
end up thrown together over and over, and Sam offers to help Ben with his
search for his father, and while Ben helps Sam write a cookbook with all the
recipes her beloved grandmother shared with her.
Summer Reading was an easy romance to settle into and
enjoy. I didn’t realize the hurdles some with dyslexia have to navigate and I
appreciated learning about it through Sam’s story. My heart went out to her and
the insecurities she struggled with because of it. I loved how Ben helped her
realize how talented and smart she was and how wonderfully she coped with her
disability. He was a sweetheart and a bookish hottie! Hard to resist!
Besides that, Sam was a spunky extrovert and a lot of fun! I
enjoyed seeing her get to know her younger brother more, bond bring him out of
some of his teenage angst. I really liked Em, Sam’s best friend, and enjoyed
seeing them reconnect. Em’s story is next, and it sounds like a good one! Set
in Ireland at a bookstore, I’m so there!
4 Stars
Book Description:
When a woman who'd rather do anything than read meets a swoon-worthy bookworm, sparks fly, making for one hot-summer fling in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay's new rom-com.
For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha's Vineyard at her family's tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she's tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there's no place Sam, who's dyslexic, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library's interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.
Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he's never known. He's taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn't interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can't stop thinking about her.
An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she's always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.
This one sounds so fun! I love when opposites complement each other so well. I'm picking up my library hold of this one today and I can't wait to read it. Oh, and I just finished reading Uncharted by Adriana Anders. So good! I totally loved Elias. :D
ReplyDeleteIt was fun! Low drama and cute. Looking forward to your thoughts, on this and on Uncharted! So thrilled you loved it too! :)
DeleteAwesome review. I've often suspected my daughter has dyslexia but overcame it with tutoring and being super smart. Bad spelling runs in the family and also smart with math/science. Fortunately I did not get the bad spelling gene. Sounds like a good read with books and relationships.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart
My son has some sort of processing learning disability. He's super smart, but is an awful speller too. Science and math are his strong suit as well. It was a fun story.
DeleteMy best friend growing up had dyslexia and it was tough on him. I'm glad the author wrote a personable main character with such struggles. Sounds like a good summer read.
ReplyDeleteI did appreciate how the author wrote about it. It was an education for me. I didn't realize what a struggle it is for some! It was!
DeleteI am a fan of siblings in books, and I like that a blended type of family is part of the story
ReplyDeleteI love it when the mend fences and become close. It was a pleasure to so through her journey.
DeleteThanks for this review, Rachel. I have been waffling on this one and it is now on my shelf. I know a couple of people who have struggled with dyslexia and this book sounds realistic. I am always looking for realistic representation as well as a fun story, so this sounds perfect.
ReplyDeleteI hope to get a chance to read this one. Great review!
ReplyDelete