Today I’m sharing my book recommendation for The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter, a contemporary romance novel that released last week.
Here’s the Book Description:
Maggie Reynolds is finally ready for love again—until the past shows up in the form of someone who may or may not be the late husband she thought she’d lost.
Five years after her husband’s death, Maggie is finally ready to let go of him and the dreams she had for their future. A summer at Seabrook, where she and Ethan first became childhood sweethearts, seems the perfect time and place to find closure. Plus, she gets to spend time with his family, the Reynoldses, whom she loves like her own.
Unbeknownst to Maggie, her brother-in-law, Josh Reynolds, has been in love with her since they first met all those years ago. But his brother ultimately won Maggie’s heart, and Josh’s unrequited love has ruined all his relationships. If Maggie is ready to move on, then Josh is ready to lay it all on the line and come clean about his true feelings for her.
But his plans soon get put on hold when, shortly after Maggie returns to Seabrook, she runs into a man who could pass for Ethan’s twin. But he disappears into the amusement park crowd before she can confront him.
The event rattles Maggie, stirs up impossible questions, and sends Josh and her on a quest to discover the man’s true identity. But their search ends up raising more questions than answers—and soon Maggie isn’t sure she wants those answers after all.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading The Summer of You and Me, a contemporary romance summer vacation novel set in coastal North Carolina. Maggie is a widow with an adorable four-year-old daughter, Zoey. Her husband, Ethan, served in the military and passed away during an overseas tour when Maggie was pregnant with Zoey.
Maggie’s narcissistic mother is difficult to manage, and Maggie has remained close with Ethan’s family. Ethan’s younger sister is Maggie’s best friend from high school. Their younger brother, Josh, stepped up and provided practical help and emotional support for Maggie and Zoey.
Josh is divorced and lives in the beach town where he owns and operates a river boat tour company. Josh has also secretly loved Maggie for years. He’s happy that Maggie and Zoey will spend the summer house-sitting at his parent’s beach home in his town while they’re away and traveling in Europe.
This summer, five years after his brother’s passing, Josh plans to reveal his feelings for Maggie. His plan hits a major hurdle when Maggie spots a man at the town carnival who looks exactly like Ethan. Maggie and Josh want answers and start searching for the man who couldn’t possibly be Ethan, but somehow looks so much like him.
Maggie and Josh’s strong friendship faces challenges when they consider navigating romantic feelings that have ramifications for relationships with other family members. I loved how Josh cared for Maggie and was a doting uncle to Zoey. Josh and Maggie had shared grief and emotional baggage to unpack and process during the story.
I didn’t guess how the intriguing mystery would pan out and I loved the satisfying story resolution. I recommend The Summer of You and Me to contemporary romance readers who like single parent friends-to-more romances with unrequited love, family drama, a fascinating mystery and relevant faith elements in the story.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.