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Same Time Next Summer
Beach Rules:
Do take long walks on the sand.
Do put an umbrella in every cocktail.
Do NOT run into your first love.
Sam’s life is on track. She has the perfect doctor fiancé, Jack (his strict routines are a good thing, really), a great job in Manhattan (unless they fire her), and is about to tour a wedding venue near her family’s Long Island beach house. Everything should go to plan, yet the minute she arrives, Sam senses something is off. Wyatt is here. Her Wyatt. But there’s no reason for a thirty-year-old engaged woman to feel panicked around the guy who broke her heart when she was seventeen. Right?
Yet being back at this beach, hearing notes from Wyatt’s guitar float across the night air from next door as if no time has passed—Sam’s memories come flooding back: the feel of Wyatt’s skin on hers, their nights in the treehouse, and the truth behind their split. Sam remembers who she used to be, and as Wyatt reenters her life their connection is as undeniable as it always was. She will have to make a choice.
Do take long walks on the sand.
Do put an umbrella in every cocktail.
Do NOT run into your first love.
Sam’s life is on track. She has the perfect doctor fiancé, Jack (his strict routines are a good thing, really), a great job in Manhattan (unless they fire her), and is about to tour a wedding venue near her family’s Long Island beach house. Everything should go to plan, yet the minute she arrives, Sam senses something is off. Wyatt is here. Her Wyatt. But there’s no reason for a thirty-year-old engaged woman to feel panicked around the guy who broke her heart when she was seventeen. Right?
Yet being back at this beach, hearing notes from Wyatt’s guitar float across the night air from next door as if no time has passed—Sam’s memories come flooding back: the feel of Wyatt’s skin on hers, their nights in the treehouse, and the truth behind their split. Sam remembers who she used to be, and as Wyatt reenters her life their connection is as undeniable as it always was. She will have to make a choice.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2023
About the author
Annabel Monaghan
11 books5,680 followersAnnabel Monaghan is the bestselling author of SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER and NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT. She is also the author of two novels for young adults, A Girl Named Digit and Double Digit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,000 reviews
May 30, 2024
3.5 ⭐️!!!!
August 13, 2024
The journey through "Nora Goes Off Script" captivated me in a way that few books have. The story was beautifully crafted, filled with vivid characters and heartfelt moments that left a lasting impression. As much as I enjoyed the new release by Annabel Monaghan, it didn't quite surpass the magic of "Nora Goes Off Script."
In "Nora Goes Off Script," I found myself completely engrossed in Nora's world, her struggles, and her journey of self-discovery. The way the author weaved together humor, romance, and personal growth was simply delightful. Each page was a joy to read, and I couldn't help but fall in love with Nora and her witty, relatable personality.
However, that doesn't mean I didn't appreciate the charm of the latest book by Annabel Monaghan. The exploration of Sam and Wyatt's complicated relationship had its own allure. The chemistry between them was palpable, and their unresolved history kept me eagerly turning the pages. I admired the author's ability to portray their growth and change over the years, and I found myself rooting for them to find their way back to each other.
One aspect that stood out in both books was the author's knack for creating lovable supporting characters. In "Nora Goes Off Script," Nora's eccentric family members added an extra layer of warmth and humor to the story. Similarly, in the new release, Sam's family members, particularly Grandpa, Grandma, and Gracie, brought a touch of endearing quirkiness that made the book all the more enjoyable.
While the latest book had its merits, "Nora Goes Off Script" remains a personal favorite. Its unique storyline, memorable characters, and the way it touched my heart make it a standout in my book collection. Nevertheless, I'm grateful for the opportunity to delve into another Annabel Monaghan masterpiece and experience the author's storytelling prowess once again.
Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
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In "Nora Goes Off Script," I found myself completely engrossed in Nora's world, her struggles, and her journey of self-discovery. The way the author weaved together humor, romance, and personal growth was simply delightful. Each page was a joy to read, and I couldn't help but fall in love with Nora and her witty, relatable personality.
However, that doesn't mean I didn't appreciate the charm of the latest book by Annabel Monaghan. The exploration of Sam and Wyatt's complicated relationship had its own allure. The chemistry between them was palpable, and their unresolved history kept me eagerly turning the pages. I admired the author's ability to portray their growth and change over the years, and I found myself rooting for them to find their way back to each other.
One aspect that stood out in both books was the author's knack for creating lovable supporting characters. In "Nora Goes Off Script," Nora's eccentric family members added an extra layer of warmth and humor to the story. Similarly, in the new release, Sam's family members, particularly Grandpa, Grandma, and Gracie, brought a touch of endearing quirkiness that made the book all the more enjoyable.
While the latest book had its merits, "Nora Goes Off Script" remains a personal favorite. Its unique storyline, memorable characters, and the way it touched my heart make it a standout in my book collection. Nevertheless, I'm grateful for the opportunity to delve into another Annabel Monaghan masterpiece and experience the author's storytelling prowess once again.
Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
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June 5, 2023
I loved Nora Goes Off Script. Loved it. I think it set my expectations way too high for this one. There's nothing overly wrong with this book, so if you're looking for a summer romance, then you cannot go wrong with this one.
What I liked:
Sam's character arc. She's almost a caricature at first, a straight laced, rule following person who likes everything to work out just as it should. It annoyed me at first, but as the story develops, we do eventually learn why she is the way she is and get to watch her learn and grow and become the person she was always meant to be.
What didn't really work for me:
Way too much back story, it felt so YA to get the full on development of the relationship between Sam and Wyatt as teenagers.
I didn't quite buy into the fact that she was still pining for Wyatt and drawn to him so much after so many years...which leads into another thing I didn't care for, which was "cheating adjacent" behavior. She is so focused on Wyatt, yet she is still planning her wedding and trying to act like her intentions and behavior are normal. Just break it off with the fiancé or at least talk to him about your feelings, but it just left me feeling kind of icky.
Overall, this is a cute story and maybe I can't really relate because the main character is so much younger than I am. I know that tons of people have adored this book so go read their reviews and you might connect to the story more than I did. I'll definitely give this author another chance in the future though!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
What I liked:
Sam's character arc. She's almost a caricature at first, a straight laced, rule following person who likes everything to work out just as it should. It annoyed me at first, but as the story develops, we do eventually learn why she is the way she is and get to watch her learn and grow and become the person she was always meant to be.
What didn't really work for me:
Way too much back story, it felt so YA to get the full on development of the relationship between Sam and Wyatt as teenagers.
I didn't quite buy into the fact that she was still pining for Wyatt and drawn to him so much after so many years...which leads into another thing I didn't care for, which was "cheating adjacent" behavior. She is so focused on Wyatt, yet she is still planning her wedding and trying to act like her intentions and behavior are normal. Just break it off with the fiancé or at least talk to him about your feelings, but it just left me feeling kind of icky.
Overall, this is a cute story and maybe I can't really relate because the main character is so much younger than I am. I know that tons of people have adored this book so go read their reviews and you might connect to the story more than I did. I'll definitely give this author another chance in the future though!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
June 7, 2023
I got lost in the pages of this book, today……📖
It wasn’t that I hadn’t read something similar before, I had-But, this time, I was transported back in time!
Growing up near Ft. Lauderdale beach, I can remember the warmth of the sand, the sound of the waves as they break on the shore, and the look of the foam as it retreats back into the ocean.
And, how intoxicating FIRST LOVE can feel.
Sam and her fiancé are in Long Island to check out a wedding venue. But, when she arrives she is shocked to discover that her first love Wyatt, HER WYATT, was also back home.
She hasn’t seen him since he broke her heart fourteen years ago.
This should not bother a happily engaged woman, and YET, it does.
Initially told in alternating the timelines of THEN and NOW-until we remain in the present day timeline…
Maybe, SAFE isn’t what adult love should feel like?
MAYBE it should always feel just a bit more dangerous than that and if safe is all you are feeling it’s because you are afraid of being hurt again if you demand more?!
A soul searching love story with wonderful characters that had me glued to the pages ALL afternoon. This may have been my favorite romance so far, this year! ❤️
4.5 ⭐️
NOW AVAILABLE !
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
It wasn’t that I hadn’t read something similar before, I had-But, this time, I was transported back in time!
Growing up near Ft. Lauderdale beach, I can remember the warmth of the sand, the sound of the waves as they break on the shore, and the look of the foam as it retreats back into the ocean.
And, how intoxicating FIRST LOVE can feel.
Sam and her fiancé are in Long Island to check out a wedding venue. But, when she arrives she is shocked to discover that her first love Wyatt, HER WYATT, was also back home.
She hasn’t seen him since he broke her heart fourteen years ago.
This should not bother a happily engaged woman, and YET, it does.
Initially told in alternating the timelines of THEN and NOW-until we remain in the present day timeline…
Maybe, SAFE isn’t what adult love should feel like?
MAYBE it should always feel just a bit more dangerous than that and if safe is all you are feeling it’s because you are afraid of being hurt again if you demand more?!
A soul searching love story with wonderful characters that had me glued to the pages ALL afternoon. This may have been my favorite romance so far, this year! ❤️
4.5 ⭐️
NOW AVAILABLE !
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
May 7, 2024
3.5 stars. I thought this was cute and really interesting but for some reason I wasn’t super connected to the emotions and main character. I would still recommend this to people though
February 16, 2023
I'm calling it now. This is going to be THE beach book of the summer. I was totally sucked in from the very first chapter. Sam is the textbook definition of buttoned up. She brings her equally straight-laced fiancé to the laid back beach town where she grew up spending summers to look at wedding venues, only to run into Wyatt, her first love. Told in alternating now and then timelines, we get to see the free, joyous, messy first love between Sam and Wyatt come together and then fall apart, and in the present watch them try to resist the gravitational pull towards each other.
The character development in this book is fantastic, and there's a fun extended cast in Sam's family. The writing is gorgeous. I was reading with tabs and a highlighter and some pages have three tabs, because it was just that good. I think this book has whiffs of EVERY SUMMER AFTER by Carley Fortune, but is ultimately all it's own. I have a reading experience like this 2 - 3 times a year where I finish a book and feel compelled to press it into the hands of every friend and stranger. THIS is one of those books.
The character development in this book is fantastic, and there's a fun extended cast in Sam's family. The writing is gorgeous. I was reading with tabs and a highlighter and some pages have three tabs, because it was just that good. I think this book has whiffs of EVERY SUMMER AFTER by Carley Fortune, but is ultimately all it's own. I have a reading experience like this 2 - 3 times a year where I finish a book and feel compelled to press it into the hands of every friend and stranger. THIS is one of those books.
June 14, 2023
You guys know i’m stingy with my 5’s, so wow. Just loved every single thing about this book from start to finish. I had to pace myself and tell myself to slow down because I wanted to savor every single page! Teenage summer romance at the beach that moves into their adult lives. Fell in love with every character in this book.
May 15, 2023
So painful to give this rating after LOVING Nora but I had to force myself to finish this :(
Something about the writing left me feeling very disconnected from the characters and the ending felt rushed. I found myself rolling my eyes on multiple occasions which is not a good sign in a romance. I’ve also realized I don’t love second chance romance when the “before” timeline is when they are in high school. It feels like YA which is not what I was in the mood for.
I will preface this all by saying I read an early review copy and the formatting was off on my kindle which probably didn’t help with the disjointed feeling.
Such a bummer!
Something about the writing left me feeling very disconnected from the characters and the ending felt rushed. I found myself rolling my eyes on multiple occasions which is not a good sign in a romance. I’ve also realized I don’t love second chance romance when the “before” timeline is when they are in high school. It feels like YA which is not what I was in the mood for.
I will preface this all by saying I read an early review copy and the formatting was off on my kindle which probably didn’t help with the disjointed feeling.
Such a bummer!
October 7, 2024
cute. nothing special
🏖prereview🏖
currently in my summer mood, manifesting for summer if you cant tell lol. ive seen haley pham read this book and really enjoy it i'm excited to read it myself and see what i think about it. also love the trope of childhood friends so hoping that this book gives me everything that i want.
🏖prereview🏖
currently in my summer mood, manifesting for summer if you cant tell lol. ive seen haley pham read this book and really enjoy it i'm excited to read it myself and see what i think about it. also love the trope of childhood friends so hoping that this book gives me everything that i want.
August 11, 2023
I loved Nora Goes Off Script so it was a no-brainer to request this one.
In the Same Time Next Summer, we meet Sam. She is going to her family's beach house in Long Island in search of a venue for her wedding. Her fiance Jack is going with her.
Sam is shocked to find out that Wyatt, her first love is there too. He broke her heart when she was eighteen. Now more than a decade later, she is not ready to see him again.
This second chance romance was just what I needed. I loved Sam's character and learning about her romance with Wyatt. The dual POV helped me root for Wyatt.
I won't second guess requesting Annabel Monaghan's next book.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
In the Same Time Next Summer, we meet Sam. She is going to her family's beach house in Long Island in search of a venue for her wedding. Her fiance Jack is going with her.
Sam is shocked to find out that Wyatt, her first love is there too. He broke her heart when she was eighteen. Now more than a decade later, she is not ready to see him again.
This second chance romance was just what I needed. I loved Sam's character and learning about her romance with Wyatt. The dual POV helped me root for Wyatt.
I won't second guess requesting Annabel Monaghan's next book.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
March 12, 2023
This book made me want to drag my face through gravel. I do not recommend.
May 19, 2023
UPDATE: I was able to listen to the audiobook (dual narration) and hate to say that the story is just a flat 3 star story. The audio was narrated ok with good voice actors, but it's the story. Bummer!
I wanted to love this one but I think the second chance trope is rarely done right. We live too much in the past and the what if’s just take over the story. The development was just too slow and we all knew how it was going to end. I cannot get over the fact that Sam didn’t google Wyatt in all the years since they were together. 12 years and not one google search??? Ugh. I’m sorry but everyone does google searches…especially on the “could have been” boy. I think this will be a fun one to read during the summer but it cannot hold up to Nora Goes Off Script.
I wanted to love this one but I think the second chance trope is rarely done right. We live too much in the past and the what if’s just take over the story. The development was just too slow and we all knew how it was going to end. I cannot get over the fact that Sam didn’t google Wyatt in all the years since they were together. 12 years and not one google search??? Ugh. I’m sorry but everyone does google searches…especially on the “could have been” boy. I think this will be a fun one to read during the summer but it cannot hold up to Nora Goes Off Script.
May 9, 2024
•Dual POV
•Past + present timelines
•beach house setting
•second chance at love
•love triangle
•short chapters
Fast, fun, beachy read.
I liked, but not loved, Nora Goes Off Script. & I pretty much feel the same about Same Time Next Summer. Cute but average. I did enjoy it enough that I'd give her upcoming book a go.
First things first, not a huge fan of love triangles or cheating tropes. But I am also a sucker for a second chance/first love romance, so I digress. Same Time Next Summer gave me bits and pieces of vibes from other stories I've enjoyed...Every Summer After, The Notebook, The Wedding Singer. Young love at the beach. Two people torn apart by circumstances finding their way back to each other. & cake tasting with your secret love instead of your fiancé. *cue Hall & Oates*
The story is told in two parts with dual narration...and both first and third person POVs. I was skeptical going in but it worked. The third person served as a reminder that we were in the past for those portions. If love triangles, quirky families, and summers at beach are your thing...check, check, check!
3.5 stars
•Past + present timelines
•beach house setting
•second chance at love
•love triangle
•short chapters
Fast, fun, beachy read.
I liked, but not loved, Nora Goes Off Script. & I pretty much feel the same about Same Time Next Summer. Cute but average. I did enjoy it enough that I'd give her upcoming book a go.
First things first, not a huge fan of love triangles or cheating tropes. But I am also a sucker for a second chance/first love romance, so I digress. Same Time Next Summer gave me bits and pieces of vibes from other stories I've enjoyed...Every Summer After, The Notebook, The Wedding Singer. Young love at the beach. Two people torn apart by circumstances finding their way back to each other. & cake tasting with your secret love instead of your fiancé. *cue Hall & Oates*
The story is told in two parts with dual narration...and both first and third person POVs. I was skeptical going in but it worked. The third person served as a reminder that we were in the past for those portions. If love triangles, quirky families, and summers at beach are your thing...check, check, check!
3.5 stars
October 8, 2023
Then and Now. Second chance romance 💞 on Long Island.
I loved Annabel Monaghan's "Nora" last year so much but don't feel this romance is in the same league. Maybe I'm the wrong audience for this novel which feels more YA with "then" being in high school.
Furthermore, as a mood reader, I'm blaming my 2 star review on the fact that I'm over summer romance for the time being. Hopefully, the next 11 people waiting for this will enjoy it more than I did. 2.5⭐
I'll definitely check out her new release next year and will read it promptly if it's a summer read.⛱️
I loved Annabel Monaghan's "Nora" last year so much but don't feel this romance is in the same league. Maybe I'm the wrong audience for this novel which feels more YA with "then" being in high school.
Furthermore, as a mood reader, I'm blaming my 2 star review on the fact that I'm over summer romance for the time being. Hopefully, the next 11 people waiting for this will enjoy it more than I did. 2.5⭐
I'll definitely check out her new release next year and will read it promptly if it's a summer read.⛱️
June 28, 2024
” it’s like i went out into the world and grew up, and he’s still right here. Right where i left hi”
This book is so good! To be honest I didn’t think i’d love this when i first picked it up because people where saying that it’s another version of “every summer after” book. And if u know me you’d know how much I lOATH HATE this book. So i was shocked when i found this one to be totally different from “every summer after” yess the summer and beach vibes were kinda of the same but the plot twist is not and i was so so so grateful for that.
It was cute and a very quick read. I finished it in one day. I loved the beach and the sun, the sand, the surfing. It give me the summer vibes i needed and it made me so relaxed ( not for the most part but still). I liked the plot a-lot because I didn’t see it coming 😭 like I imagined the reason they broke up was totally different but i was happy that i was wrong! I also liked the side characters. They were fun and i loved the way they supported sam and wyatt no matter what.
” if i’m going to stay out here, I am going to have to get used to feeling him in the air, hearing him in the sound of the gulls. Now that I’m listening to my heart, I realize he’s been right there all along anyway”
I can’t say i was so invested in wyatt and sam love story from the beginning because i felt like there was something missing. I wanted to feel more depth to there love more anguish. Yes i know they loved each-other and i was rotting for them but at the same time i wanted more! The flashbacks were so short and very rushed i didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the present. I was so in love with them in the present tho. The fact that he writes all his songs about here even after years of them not talking. That he still thinks that she was the most beautiful part in his life and that she was the reason why he is doing all of this. And that he was selfless enough to let her go when he thought she was happy without him ugh i love himmm🤍 i still think he should have fought a little more for her tho! But anyway i loveedd their characters development 🫶🏻
” the great thing about first love is that we don’t know enough to protect ourselves from it”
One of the things I didn’t like about this story is how fast her father get away with what he did! I didn’t blame wyatt for being angry. I was angry myself. I wanted him to be blamed more. I wanted people to hate him more! But no it was like he didn’t do anything! I really didn’t like that.
But overall the story was good. And enjoyable. And it totally perfect for summer reads 🫶🏻
” we have all summer”
“ i want forever”
” you cheat because you think it’s going to make u someone else, that it’s going to save u from you own damn misery. And that’s the lie you’re telling yourself. I guess that’s the point. Sam. Another person is not going to turn you anything but who you truly are. Make sure you’re not trying to turn yourself into someone else for jack”
October 4, 2022
3.75✨
Not me sitting here misty-eyed after finishing this book???
On some level, I hoped that if I came back to myself, Wyatt would come back to me too.
Same Time Next Summer follows Sam from the time she was growing up on the shores of Long Island during the summer and falling in love with Wyatt, to when she’s back on Long Island planning her wedding to Jack.
Sam is such a real character. An awkward, self-conscious teen, she falls in love with Wyatt quietly over the summers at the beach. Sometimes flashback scenes can bore me, but I really loved the flashbacks in the one. As we read about Sam in adulthood following the earth-shattering breakup in her young adulthood, the author does such an amazing job of writing what it feels like to be so utterly lost and confused about what you want your life to look like vs what it should look like. Watching Sam and Wyatt come back together after nearly a decade apart was literally perfect.
I loved each and every one of these imperfect characters. I didn’t even hate Jack. The author does such an amazing job writing flawed, believable characters that I couldn’t help but love.
I do have some things I didn’t love. I wish we got a little more of a grand finish. Buuuut as I said in the beginning, I closed this book with tears nearly in my eyes. I also wished we had more of Wyatt. This reads more like chick-lit as opposed to romance and at times I felt like I didn’t know Wyatt all that well. There is essentially zero time with them as a couple as adults. I feel like for second chance romance with such a build up, I need more of the after they get back together.
Read if you like second chance romance, small towns, and an emotional beach read.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin for this arc! It comes out June 6th, 2023.
Safety stuff:
There’s no cheating in this book between mcs. She has a fiancé for the majority of the “now” timeline. I personally felt like there was emotional cheating, but that might be my personal impression. It’s also closed door (1 scene).
Not me sitting here misty-eyed after finishing this book???
On some level, I hoped that if I came back to myself, Wyatt would come back to me too.
Same Time Next Summer follows Sam from the time she was growing up on the shores of Long Island during the summer and falling in love with Wyatt, to when she’s back on Long Island planning her wedding to Jack.
Sam is such a real character. An awkward, self-conscious teen, she falls in love with Wyatt quietly over the summers at the beach. Sometimes flashback scenes can bore me, but I really loved the flashbacks in the one. As we read about Sam in adulthood following the earth-shattering breakup in her young adulthood, the author does such an amazing job of writing what it feels like to be so utterly lost and confused about what you want your life to look like vs what it should look like. Watching Sam and Wyatt come back together after nearly a decade apart was literally perfect.
I loved each and every one of these imperfect characters. I didn’t even hate Jack. The author does such an amazing job writing flawed, believable characters that I couldn’t help but love.
I do have some things I didn’t love. I wish we got a little more of a grand finish. Buuuut as I said in the beginning, I closed this book with tears nearly in my eyes. I also wished we had more of Wyatt. This reads more like chick-lit as opposed to romance and at times I felt like I didn’t know Wyatt all that well. There is essentially zero time with them as a couple as adults. I feel like for second chance romance with such a build up, I need more of the after they get back together.
Read if you like second chance romance, small towns, and an emotional beach read.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin for this arc! It comes out June 6th, 2023.
Safety stuff:
There’s no cheating in this book between mcs. She has a fiancé for the majority of the “now” timeline. I personally felt like there was emotional cheating, but that might be my personal impression. It’s also closed door (1 scene).
April 14, 2023
Sam and Jack are due to get married in October and although conventional Jack would prefer to get married in Manhattan the pair head to Sam’s parents beachside holiday home on Long Island to look at an alternative wedding venue. However, Sam learns that Wyatt, her ex who broke her heart aged 17 is also there, next door, just as in their teens. Will this set the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons forcing Sam to confront the past and what’s more make comparisons to her present day situation? The story is told Then and Now which works well so we learn the back history of the teenage couple and it contrasts well with the here and now.
I really enjoy the nostalgia of this novel as you can’t relate to that wonderful feeling of first love? It evokes memories and lovely reminders of the flurries of excitement (!) and the intoxication which in my case doesn’t last but it’s fun while it did!! At times the story of Wyatt and Sam is heartbreaking and moving. As she recalls the relationship it enables her to focus on the addictive nature of first love to decide if the image she has in her head is real with her uncertainty both in the past and present feeling authentic. As her dilemma intensifies should she/will she stick with the safe of Jack and choose vanilla cake or grab a second chance and eat chocolate cake???!!!! The characterisation is very good, they’re all likeable and relatable and to be honest, I could fall in love with Wyatt myself! All this decision making is set against a backdrop of Long Island which definitely adds atmosphere and romance with the lure of the sea and long sunny days.
This is a fun, entertaining and above average romance novel with some drama and smiles and bringing some much needed feel good factor. It’s an obvious choice to take to whatever beach you’re heading to this summer for a light, breezy, sunny read.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
I really enjoy the nostalgia of this novel as you can’t relate to that wonderful feeling of first love? It evokes memories and lovely reminders of the flurries of excitement (!) and the intoxication which in my case doesn’t last but it’s fun while it did!! At times the story of Wyatt and Sam is heartbreaking and moving. As she recalls the relationship it enables her to focus on the addictive nature of first love to decide if the image she has in her head is real with her uncertainty both in the past and present feeling authentic. As her dilemma intensifies should she/will she stick with the safe of Jack and choose vanilla cake or grab a second chance and eat chocolate cake???!!!! The characterisation is very good, they’re all likeable and relatable and to be honest, I could fall in love with Wyatt myself! All this decision making is set against a backdrop of Long Island which definitely adds atmosphere and romance with the lure of the sea and long sunny days.
This is a fun, entertaining and above average romance novel with some drama and smiles and bringing some much needed feel good factor. It’s an obvious choice to take to whatever beach you’re heading to this summer for a light, breezy, sunny read.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
July 9, 2024
3.5
Ładne spojrzenie na wartość rodziny i własnego szczęścia, ale zabrakło mi tak z 50 stron historii w 2 części po decyzji
Ładne spojrzenie na wartość rodziny i własnego szczęścia, ale zabrakło mi tak z 50 stron historii w 2 części po decyzji
June 19, 2023
2.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 3 on Goodreads. IG review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtpmLQir360/
This book had all my favorite things:
* a summery setting
* childhood friends that turn into something more and are then reunited years later
* a shared family house at the beach.
I LOVE this kind of story. I assumed this would be a sure-fire win for me, especially after adoring Nora Goes Off Script. When I ended up DNFing Meet Me at the Lake a few weeks ago after loving Every Summer After from last year, I was pretty positive that this 2022 to 2023 book comparison would be a different story. I was wrong.
There were so many things that bothered me in this book. When I first started reading it, I thought it would be a new favorite, but the more I read, the less I liked it. By the end, I was rooting for the two to not even end up together LOL
What I Didn’t Like: **Minor spoilers ahead!
* The book is 285 pages. Jake, the fiancé, is in 257 of them. He should have been gone by p. 50. He added absolutely nothing to the story. There was no point to this character. Lon from The Notebook was a more believable love triangle love interest, and everyone knew he didn’t stand a chance against Noah Calhoun. Jake the fiancé was laughable. By keeping him involved, it restricted the swoony moments between Sam and Wyatt, but didn’t create any swoony angst. He was just there.
* The chemistry between Wyatt and Sam was comparable to a saltine cracker when you’re starving. I didn’t swoon once.
* The flashback chapters were mostly written in a tell, not show way. Does this make sense? I hate when a book is written in paragraphs of description instead of having the characters actually talk or actively show what is happening. Don’t tell me about it. Show me!
* I’m not a therapist, but the advice that Dr. Judy gave Sam when she was a teenager didn’t sound accurate to me. I didn’t love how that part was handled. I felt like she belittled Sam’s feelings and basically said get over it.
* By the end, I couldn’t stand Wyatt. The last line on p. 243 infuriated me. HE CAME TO THE BEACH TO SEE HER. He acted like she was insane for finalizing wedding details, but then when she went to the treehouse to try and talk after she started to have this realization herself, he says what he said on p. 243. THE NERVE of that man. She should have slapped him, left the treehouse, and never looked back.
* My favorite part was the storyline of Sam’s job, and I really liked how that ended. BUT I thought it was ridiculous that Wyatt ended up basically making the same choice. He got exactly what he wanted when he moved to LA at 18, but then one little thing doesn’t go his way, and he demands a change and then quits? And then suddenly his name is ruined in the industry? Oh my goodness that’s ridiculous. Her reasons for quitting were justified and made sense to her character. It showed growth and self realization. His choices made him look like a whiny baby who didn’t get his way.
* The big family event that happened when Wyatt and Sam were teens that caused them to break up? There were SO many unanswered questions that were never addressed. SO MANY.
This book had all my favorite things:
* a summery setting
* childhood friends that turn into something more and are then reunited years later
* a shared family house at the beach.
I LOVE this kind of story. I assumed this would be a sure-fire win for me, especially after adoring Nora Goes Off Script. When I ended up DNFing Meet Me at the Lake a few weeks ago after loving Every Summer After from last year, I was pretty positive that this 2022 to 2023 book comparison would be a different story. I was wrong.
There were so many things that bothered me in this book. When I first started reading it, I thought it would be a new favorite, but the more I read, the less I liked it. By the end, I was rooting for the two to not even end up together LOL
What I Didn’t Like: **Minor spoilers ahead!
* The book is 285 pages. Jake, the fiancé, is in 257 of them. He should have been gone by p. 50. He added absolutely nothing to the story. There was no point to this character. Lon from The Notebook was a more believable love triangle love interest, and everyone knew he didn’t stand a chance against Noah Calhoun. Jake the fiancé was laughable. By keeping him involved, it restricted the swoony moments between Sam and Wyatt, but didn’t create any swoony angst. He was just there.
* The chemistry between Wyatt and Sam was comparable to a saltine cracker when you’re starving. I didn’t swoon once.
* The flashback chapters were mostly written in a tell, not show way. Does this make sense? I hate when a book is written in paragraphs of description instead of having the characters actually talk or actively show what is happening. Don’t tell me about it. Show me!
* I’m not a therapist, but the advice that Dr. Judy gave Sam when she was a teenager didn’t sound accurate to me. I didn’t love how that part was handled. I felt like she belittled Sam’s feelings and basically said get over it.
* By the end, I couldn’t stand Wyatt. The last line on p. 243 infuriated me. HE CAME TO THE BEACH TO SEE HER. He acted like she was insane for finalizing wedding details, but then when she went to the treehouse to try and talk after she started to have this realization herself, he says what he said on p. 243. THE NERVE of that man. She should have slapped him, left the treehouse, and never looked back.
* My favorite part was the storyline of Sam’s job, and I really liked how that ended. BUT I thought it was ridiculous that Wyatt ended up basically making the same choice. He got exactly what he wanted when he moved to LA at 18, but then one little thing doesn’t go his way, and he demands a change and then quits? And then suddenly his name is ruined in the industry? Oh my goodness that’s ridiculous. Her reasons for quitting were justified and made sense to her character. It showed growth and self realization. His choices made him look like a whiny baby who didn’t get his way.
* The big family event that happened when Wyatt and Sam were teens that caused them to break up? There were SO many unanswered questions that were never addressed. SO MANY.
December 16, 2022
Summary: When Sam and her fiancé Jack head back to her family’s Long Island beach house in search of a nearby wedding venue, she is thrown for a loop when it turns out her first love Wyatt has returned as well. As she and Wyatt begin to reconnect, Sam is confronted with the memories of all that she shared with him and finds herself torn between her past and her present.
Thoughts: Earlier this year, I read and loved Nora Goes off Script, so when I saw Annabel Monaghan had a new book out, I jumped at the chance to read it (a whole six moths prior to publication). Featuring a few of my favorite tropes such as second chance love and friends to lovers, this book strikes the perfect balance between romance and women’s fiction.
The romance at the center of this story is perfection. Told in dual timeline with dual points of view, it was incredibly moving to read about the journey these two MC’s took from friends to lovers, to a years long estrangement and then ultimately back into each other’s lives. While I struggled to connect to Sam’s character at first, in large part because of her counterpart Jack, once she allowed me in, I felt as though I really knew and understood her. Because of that connection, my emotional investment in her outcome both personally and professionally was incredibly high.
I also loved the beach setting, especially having spent summers on Long Island myself, and could just envision Sam’s family home, with all of the quirky intricacies it held. It brought back such fond memories of looking for sea shells and beach glass all summer and spending entire days on the beach from sunrise to sunset. I also loved the use of the dual settings to show the juxtaposition between the two worlds Sam found herself torn between.
Read if you like:
•second chance love
•friends to lovers
•beach setting
•dual timeline/dual pov
•Every Summer After
Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. Monaghan has become an auto-buy author for me and I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next.
Thoughts: Earlier this year, I read and loved Nora Goes off Script, so when I saw Annabel Monaghan had a new book out, I jumped at the chance to read it (a whole six moths prior to publication). Featuring a few of my favorite tropes such as second chance love and friends to lovers, this book strikes the perfect balance between romance and women’s fiction.
The romance at the center of this story is perfection. Told in dual timeline with dual points of view, it was incredibly moving to read about the journey these two MC’s took from friends to lovers, to a years long estrangement and then ultimately back into each other’s lives. While I struggled to connect to Sam’s character at first, in large part because of her counterpart Jack, once she allowed me in, I felt as though I really knew and understood her. Because of that connection, my emotional investment in her outcome both personally and professionally was incredibly high.
I also loved the beach setting, especially having spent summers on Long Island myself, and could just envision Sam’s family home, with all of the quirky intricacies it held. It brought back such fond memories of looking for sea shells and beach glass all summer and spending entire days on the beach from sunrise to sunset. I also loved the use of the dual settings to show the juxtaposition between the two worlds Sam found herself torn between.
Read if you like:
•second chance love
•friends to lovers
•beach setting
•dual timeline/dual pov
•Every Summer After
Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. Monaghan has become an auto-buy author for me and I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next.
July 4, 2023
4.5/5 ⭐️
- I absolutely LOVED this book and honestly was THIIIIIS close to rating it 5 stars, but the few parts of the book that were in third person knocked the rating to 4.5 but it was still SUCH an incredible read. I feel like this is THE perfect summer book. It gave me Happy Place by Emily Henry vibes, but adding in the friends to lovers trips which is my absolute favorite trope ever.
- The author really encapsulated how it feels to fall in love and how it feels to be stuck in a career or city you don’t love, but feel expected to live in. She also had SO many good quotes. I never annotate books and I found myself wanting to write down all of the quotes because they were so good. I also loved how the author did such a great job of making you truly feel the awkward and weird feeling that is the human experience.
- The character development is so good and the conflict between Wyatt & Sam feels so believable. Annabel Monaghan is officially an auto buy author for me now!!
- I absolutely LOVED this book and honestly was THIIIIIS close to rating it 5 stars, but the few parts of the book that were in third person knocked the rating to 4.5 but it was still SUCH an incredible read. I feel like this is THE perfect summer book. It gave me Happy Place by Emily Henry vibes, but adding in the friends to lovers trips which is my absolute favorite trope ever.
- The author really encapsulated how it feels to fall in love and how it feels to be stuck in a career or city you don’t love, but feel expected to live in. She also had SO many good quotes. I never annotate books and I found myself wanting to write down all of the quotes because they were so good. I also loved how the author did such a great job of making you truly feel the awkward and weird feeling that is the human experience.
- The character development is so good and the conflict between Wyatt & Sam feels so believable. Annabel Monaghan is officially an auto buy author for me now!!
July 10, 2024
maybe my expectations were too high after summer romance but this just didn’t hit for me.
i felt no connection to the main characters and it was hard for me to believe they were still pining for each other all of these years later.. specially when she’s engaged.
it also went so deep into their past, that it sort of lacked on their present. and the timeline was a little all over the place.
i listened to the audiobook, which was the only reason i was able to finish. ⭐️🎧
i felt no connection to the main characters and it was hard for me to believe they were still pining for each other all of these years later.. specially when she’s engaged.
it also went so deep into their past, that it sort of lacked on their present. and the timeline was a little all over the place.
i listened to the audiobook, which was the only reason i was able to finish. ⭐️🎧
September 26, 2023
For anyone who is following this author, you may recall her debut novel, Nora Goes Off Script. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
In A Conversation with the author at the back of this book, when asked what inspired her to write this novel, she shares a story about one of her favorite movies, “The Philadelphia Story” with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
If you aren’t familiar with that story, Tracy Lord played by Katherine Hepburn, comes home to get married and finds her ex-husband C.K. Dexter Haven, played by Cary Grant living next door. Of course, just from this premise, you can see that he is going to meddle in her life, and create all sorts of havoc in her plans to marry again.
For the author, she loved the “funny dialogue and the scandalous way the adults were always making bad choices.”
Would this be how she would write this story?
This is the story of Sam and her first love, Wyatt. After their devastating break-up as teenagers, Sam tries to build a life that would protect her from ever feeling that desperate or lost again. She has even avoided the summer home where the two fell in love and found a stable relationship with a doctor who lives by the rules.
Then…
Her parents convince them to come check out a potential wedding venue, and Sam finds herself colliding with the person she used to be…
And…
The man she used to love.
Shall we do a quick recap here?
So, let’s get this straight. We have a woman from NYC who goes home to her family’s summer house on Long Island only to run into the boy next door who used to be her great love…except she brought her fiancé with her.
What can readers expect?
Been-here-before?
Especially…
When the fiancé is painted as a character that is rather stiff and rigid in his planning and thinking.
And…
The cute boy, Wyatt next door also happens to be a musician who writes love songs about her.
Irresistible, right?
Who do you think readers are going to root for?
Does Sam need to find herself again?
With cute, grown-up boy, Wyatt?
The author shares…
“We are all great survivors, and we have endless ways that we adapt to protect ourselves. There’s a balance between being safe and truly living, and it’s our job to determine how much risk our hearts can take and how deeply we are willing to love. This is a story about returning to your truest, bravest self.”
Okay, I admit it. It was cute.
And...
Cozy..
And...
The perfect escape read.
Sometimes all we need is the perfect escape read.
In A Conversation with the author at the back of this book, when asked what inspired her to write this novel, she shares a story about one of her favorite movies, “The Philadelphia Story” with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
If you aren’t familiar with that story, Tracy Lord played by Katherine Hepburn, comes home to get married and finds her ex-husband C.K. Dexter Haven, played by Cary Grant living next door. Of course, just from this premise, you can see that he is going to meddle in her life, and create all sorts of havoc in her plans to marry again.
For the author, she loved the “funny dialogue and the scandalous way the adults were always making bad choices.”
Would this be how she would write this story?
This is the story of Sam and her first love, Wyatt. After their devastating break-up as teenagers, Sam tries to build a life that would protect her from ever feeling that desperate or lost again. She has even avoided the summer home where the two fell in love and found a stable relationship with a doctor who lives by the rules.
Then…
Her parents convince them to come check out a potential wedding venue, and Sam finds herself colliding with the person she used to be…
And…
The man she used to love.
Shall we do a quick recap here?
So, let’s get this straight. We have a woman from NYC who goes home to her family’s summer house on Long Island only to run into the boy next door who used to be her great love…except she brought her fiancé with her.
What can readers expect?
Been-here-before?
Especially…
When the fiancé is painted as a character that is rather stiff and rigid in his planning and thinking.
And…
The cute boy, Wyatt next door also happens to be a musician who writes love songs about her.
Irresistible, right?
Who do you think readers are going to root for?
Does Sam need to find herself again?
With cute, grown-up boy, Wyatt?
The author shares…
“We are all great survivors, and we have endless ways that we adapt to protect ourselves. There’s a balance between being safe and truly living, and it’s our job to determine how much risk our hearts can take and how deeply we are willing to love. This is a story about returning to your truest, bravest self.”
Okay, I admit it. It was cute.
And...
Cozy..
And...
The perfect escape read.
Sometimes all we need is the perfect escape read.
Shelved as 'dnf'
August 13, 2023DNF@22%. It started off bad when the FMC is 30 and engaged to someone put is still pining over her high school sweetheart, BUT IT JUST GETS WORSE! I couldn’t take it when she compares kissing her fiancé (who you can tell from the get go she’s only with due to her fear of abandonment which is Not A Good reason to stay w someone) to “dating the captain of the football team.” PLEASE GROW UP A BIT?? I wanted to like this, as I’m usually a big fan of second chance romance, but not if it teeters the line of emotionally cheating on your fiancé
June 21, 2023
"We have all summer."
I want forever, he thought.
Swoon! Add this one to your summer reading list. If you've read and enjoyed Every Summer After and/or Love and Other Words, this summery, second chance romance with dual timelines gave me very similar vibes!
Sam is set to marry her perfect-on-paper fiancé, Jack. Next on the wedding plans is touring a venue near her family’s Long Island beach house. But everything gets complicated when Sam discovers Wyatt—the boy from her childhood who broke her heart—is back in the small town, too.
A lot of this story is told in the past. I thought that would hinder my enjoyment, but it was rather the opposite. You truly get to see Sam and Wyatt grow up together. All their history. All the anguish. It was so good.
I felt for Sam. She had buried herself into a false sense of comfort. I loved that Wyatt helped her see clearly while still allowing her to make her own choice. Part of me wanted MORE towards the end (considering how much time had passed between them), but this really was a wonderful romance. Very short chapters too, making it SO easy to binge!
(heat level: fade to black)
I want forever, he thought.
Swoon! Add this one to your summer reading list. If you've read and enjoyed Every Summer After and/or Love and Other Words, this summery, second chance romance with dual timelines gave me very similar vibes!
Sam is set to marry her perfect-on-paper fiancé, Jack. Next on the wedding plans is touring a venue near her family’s Long Island beach house. But everything gets complicated when Sam discovers Wyatt—the boy from her childhood who broke her heart—is back in the small town, too.
A lot of this story is told in the past. I thought that would hinder my enjoyment, but it was rather the opposite. You truly get to see Sam and Wyatt grow up together. All their history. All the anguish. It was so good.
I felt for Sam. She had buried herself into a false sense of comfort. I loved that Wyatt helped her see clearly while still allowing her to make her own choice. Part of me wanted MORE towards the end (considering how much time had passed between them), but this really was a wonderful romance. Very short chapters too, making it SO easy to binge!
(heat level: fade to black)
April 12, 2023
Well, it’s official. I would enthusiastically read Annabel Monaghan’s grocery list, and it would likely be one of the best things I’ve read in a long while. Thank you to the publisher for my free review copy.
SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER perfectly captures first love, first heartbreak, and finding yourself as an adult. The characters, flawed yet lovable, feel so real that I got the urge to look up their photos online. Their story was a perfect example of “God bless the broken road” and man, what a journey that road was. My heart swelled, broke, and felt like it stopped over and over again.
The beach house and the town were characters themselves, with quirks and descriptions that had me longing to pack up and head to the nearest small beach city. Monoghan doesn’t waste time with unnecessary details, but gives just enough so you can feel like you’ve opened up the book and walked right into the story. The wind, waves, salty air, and sunsets were satisfying and idyllic, making this book the perfect summer read.
Another thing Monoghan does well is creating conflict that feels believable, painful, yet solvable. While Wyatt and Sam’s characters have a complicated past, the reader doesn’t sit there and think, “Is it best for these two to want to be together?” Throughout the story, I never lost confidence in who these two were as individuals and what they could be if they came together.
I recommend this book to anyone looking to read about first love without it feeling cheesy. Or anyone who wants to be transported to a small town getaway where everyone feels like family. All in all, you can’t go wrong picking up SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER.
SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER perfectly captures first love, first heartbreak, and finding yourself as an adult. The characters, flawed yet lovable, feel so real that I got the urge to look up their photos online. Their story was a perfect example of “God bless the broken road” and man, what a journey that road was. My heart swelled, broke, and felt like it stopped over and over again.
The beach house and the town were characters themselves, with quirks and descriptions that had me longing to pack up and head to the nearest small beach city. Monoghan doesn’t waste time with unnecessary details, but gives just enough so you can feel like you’ve opened up the book and walked right into the story. The wind, waves, salty air, and sunsets were satisfying and idyllic, making this book the perfect summer read.
Another thing Monoghan does well is creating conflict that feels believable, painful, yet solvable. While Wyatt and Sam’s characters have a complicated past, the reader doesn’t sit there and think, “Is it best for these two to want to be together?” Throughout the story, I never lost confidence in who these two were as individuals and what they could be if they came together.
I recommend this book to anyone looking to read about first love without it feeling cheesy. Or anyone who wants to be transported to a small town getaway where everyone feels like family. All in all, you can’t go wrong picking up SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER.
May 30, 2024
A truly amazing summer read! Cute, heartfelt, and with just enough depth to it … this is the perfect book to kick off the beach read season with.
I have never craved a summer night with the people I love more!!! UGH so good!
I have never craved a summer night with the people I love more!!! UGH so good!
June 21, 2023
Where do I begin!!!!!! I wish I had a superpower to erase this book from my memory as many times as I want so I could endlessly experience it time and time again.
I often found myself thinking of the song Washington Lilacs by Zach Bryan as I read this… if that tells you anything.
I had no idea what to expect going into this book because I hadn’t heard anyone talk about it yet. I haven’t read Nora Goes Off Script yet either, but this book was QUITE the first impression of Monaghan’s writing!
I should lead with this - I am someone who grew up by & loves the beach/surfing, so it has significant meaning to me & I obsess over books with a beach setting because of it. I also love music & often refer to it as my love language. Like Sam, I am a risk averse creative that puts themselves in a box to create as many predictable outcomes as possible with their life. As a result, I know the painful and confusing journey of getting back to & finding your authentic self all too well. These facts alone are some of the reasons why this book resonated so strongly with me - I truly felt this book in my soul (dramatic? probably. But that’s what nostalgia, being 25, and loving the beach does to you).
This is definitely my favorite summer romance I’ve ever read. I can’t get over how powerful the imagery was - I felt the childlike joy of being in the water & the freedom found in relying on a dip in the ocean to escape reality.
The descriptive language of key life events/experiences and some of the analogies used were nothing short of incredible. Monaghan perfectly captures the free fall of first love as a teenager & the seemingly world-ending heartbreak that often follows - as well as how it shapes our identity going forward. She articulates the struggle of growing up & knowing so much has changed but feeling as though nothing has at the same time - a feeling that most young adults know all too well.
I loved the characters & their development so much. I understand that many people won’t find this book as riveting and captivating as I did and I’m okay with that! The romance is definitely more YA, but I think it’s perfect for the plot.
Some of my favorite quotes the author Q&A at the end, which I never usually read:
“I am fascinated by the lengths we go to in order to reframe our life stories and reimagine ourselves. Some people can do this for their whole lives and safely inhabit a new, false persona. But I think the truth usually surfaces, and the happiest people are living their most authentic lives.”
“When I am at that beach, the smell of the air and the rough feel of dried salt on my skin whispers at me about who I used to be.”
“But still, I find that certain songs contain full years of my life, and others can take me back to a single moment… There are studies that show that the music we listened to during our teenage years actually attaches itself to our emotional memory in a much deeper way than music we hear for the first time as adults.”
“There’s a balance between being safe and truly living, and it’s our job to determine how much risk our hearts can take and how deeply we are willing to love.”
Some of my favorites (spoiler-free) from the book:
“I know what each day is going to look like even before I open my eyes, and there’s so much strength in that knowing. If I stay at the beach for too long, I get pulled back. My old self is there and she wants to drag me out through the rusty chinks in my armor. I blame the salt air.”
“The endlessness of it all overwhelms me. I feel like the ocean should have stopped and changed when I did.”
“Coming home feels like tiptoeing through a minefield, like I could happen upon one particularly compelling shell and all of my hard-earned defenses will be gone.”
“Being out on the water felt completely natural, and he wondered if his whole life could be filled with things that felt easy and made sense.”
“The most fun she ever had happened when she acted on an idea without thinking it through.”
“It was the specific kind of dreaming that belongs to a person who doesn’t know any better.”
“Wyatt stayed out on the water as long as he could, because there he couldn’t help but be honest with himself.”
“I wonder if it’s possible to stay buttoned up at the beach—whether I could come back here freely for the rest of my life without regressing back into an impulsive kid.”
“I wonder what it would be like to be an adult who followed her spirit around, who just up and quit her well-paying job to start over as an art teacher.”
“You’re the cake that looks normal until people dig in and find out it’s spectacular. You’re the chocolate fucking cake, Sam, and you won’t even choose it.”
“‘What’s wrong with safe?” “Nothing at all. Safe is great. There’s just a balance between safe and free, and I think you’re a person who might like to be a little more free in your life than you are.’”
“How pointless it was to have spent so much time and energy organizing my shells to look the way nature would have arranged them anyway.”
“Falling in line has been my signature move my whole adult life.”
Well…. Can’t wait for Nora Goes Off Script!
I often found myself thinking of the song Washington Lilacs by Zach Bryan as I read this… if that tells you anything.
I had no idea what to expect going into this book because I hadn’t heard anyone talk about it yet. I haven’t read Nora Goes Off Script yet either, but this book was QUITE the first impression of Monaghan’s writing!
I should lead with this - I am someone who grew up by & loves the beach/surfing, so it has significant meaning to me & I obsess over books with a beach setting because of it. I also love music & often refer to it as my love language. Like Sam, I am a risk averse creative that puts themselves in a box to create as many predictable outcomes as possible with their life. As a result, I know the painful and confusing journey of getting back to & finding your authentic self all too well. These facts alone are some of the reasons why this book resonated so strongly with me - I truly felt this book in my soul (dramatic? probably. But that’s what nostalgia, being 25, and loving the beach does to you).
This is definitely my favorite summer romance I’ve ever read. I can’t get over how powerful the imagery was - I felt the childlike joy of being in the water & the freedom found in relying on a dip in the ocean to escape reality.
The descriptive language of key life events/experiences and some of the analogies used were nothing short of incredible. Monaghan perfectly captures the free fall of first love as a teenager & the seemingly world-ending heartbreak that often follows - as well as how it shapes our identity going forward. She articulates the struggle of growing up & knowing so much has changed but feeling as though nothing has at the same time - a feeling that most young adults know all too well.
I loved the characters & their development so much. I understand that many people won’t find this book as riveting and captivating as I did and I’m okay with that! The romance is definitely more YA, but I think it’s perfect for the plot.
Some of my favorite quotes the author Q&A at the end, which I never usually read:
“I am fascinated by the lengths we go to in order to reframe our life stories and reimagine ourselves. Some people can do this for their whole lives and safely inhabit a new, false persona. But I think the truth usually surfaces, and the happiest people are living their most authentic lives.”
“When I am at that beach, the smell of the air and the rough feel of dried salt on my skin whispers at me about who I used to be.”
“But still, I find that certain songs contain full years of my life, and others can take me back to a single moment… There are studies that show that the music we listened to during our teenage years actually attaches itself to our emotional memory in a much deeper way than music we hear for the first time as adults.”
“There’s a balance between being safe and truly living, and it’s our job to determine how much risk our hearts can take and how deeply we are willing to love.”
Some of my favorites (spoiler-free) from the book:
“I know what each day is going to look like even before I open my eyes, and there’s so much strength in that knowing. If I stay at the beach for too long, I get pulled back. My old self is there and she wants to drag me out through the rusty chinks in my armor. I blame the salt air.”
“The endlessness of it all overwhelms me. I feel like the ocean should have stopped and changed when I did.”
“Coming home feels like tiptoeing through a minefield, like I could happen upon one particularly compelling shell and all of my hard-earned defenses will be gone.”
“Being out on the water felt completely natural, and he wondered if his whole life could be filled with things that felt easy and made sense.”
“The most fun she ever had happened when she acted on an idea without thinking it through.”
“It was the specific kind of dreaming that belongs to a person who doesn’t know any better.”
“Wyatt stayed out on the water as long as he could, because there he couldn’t help but be honest with himself.”
“I wonder if it’s possible to stay buttoned up at the beach—whether I could come back here freely for the rest of my life without regressing back into an impulsive kid.”
“I wonder what it would be like to be an adult who followed her spirit around, who just up and quit her well-paying job to start over as an art teacher.”
“You’re the cake that looks normal until people dig in and find out it’s spectacular. You’re the chocolate fucking cake, Sam, and you won’t even choose it.”
“‘What’s wrong with safe?” “Nothing at all. Safe is great. There’s just a balance between safe and free, and I think you’re a person who might like to be a little more free in your life than you are.’”
“How pointless it was to have spent so much time and energy organizing my shells to look the way nature would have arranged them anyway.”
“Falling in line has been my signature move my whole adult life.”
Well…. Can’t wait for Nora Goes Off Script!
July 12, 2023
Book Rating: 4/5
Audiobook Rating: 5/5
Song to listen to while reading: Sunny and 75 by Joe Nichols
Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan is a super sweet book, and it is the perfect thing to pick up for summer! I love that summer is even in the title, and there is plenty of sun, beach, and water packed into the story. This is a fully closed-door romance which I liked since I love Hallmark movies, and I really enjoyed the way this story blended the themes of friends becoming lovers and first love, resulting in a truly delightful ending. Music and family are also a large part of the story, and I thought the way Monaghan tied everything together was very unique and engaging. The majority of the book is told from Sam’s POV in both past and present, and we also get Wyatt's POV although it is almost entirely set in the past. I read an interview with the author at the end of the book, and not only did I appreciate her reason for doing this, but I absolutely loved it that way as well.
The audiobook also makes you feel like you are getting to know the characters extra well, and our narrators Dan Bittner & Brittany Pressley did a wonderful job. Bittner was very fitting for Wyatt as was Pressley for Sam, and they couldn't have complimented each other or their characters more. You definitely can't go wrong with the audio, and I would recommend it for an even tighter connection to the characters. Same Time Next Summer left a smile on my face and I loved the emotions that reading it brought me. First love is hard as we probably all know, and I thought Monaghan did a fantastic job of showing the reader that rather than simply telling. These are fully faceted, very real feeling characters and she brought them to life extremely well. The setting is also glorious, and I could practically taste the salt air myself. Highly recommend to romance readers and anyone else who loves a Hallmark movie.
I received an advanced listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Audiobook Rating: 5/5
Song to listen to while reading: Sunny and 75 by Joe Nichols
Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan is a super sweet book, and it is the perfect thing to pick up for summer! I love that summer is even in the title, and there is plenty of sun, beach, and water packed into the story. This is a fully closed-door romance which I liked since I love Hallmark movies, and I really enjoyed the way this story blended the themes of friends becoming lovers and first love, resulting in a truly delightful ending. Music and family are also a large part of the story, and I thought the way Monaghan tied everything together was very unique and engaging. The majority of the book is told from Sam’s POV in both past and present, and we also get Wyatt's POV although it is almost entirely set in the past. I read an interview with the author at the end of the book, and not only did I appreciate her reason for doing this, but I absolutely loved it that way as well.
The audiobook also makes you feel like you are getting to know the characters extra well, and our narrators Dan Bittner & Brittany Pressley did a wonderful job. Bittner was very fitting for Wyatt as was Pressley for Sam, and they couldn't have complimented each other or their characters more. You definitely can't go wrong with the audio, and I would recommend it for an even tighter connection to the characters. Same Time Next Summer left a smile on my face and I loved the emotions that reading it brought me. First love is hard as we probably all know, and I thought Monaghan did a fantastic job of showing the reader that rather than simply telling. These are fully faceted, very real feeling characters and she brought them to life extremely well. The setting is also glorious, and I could practically taste the salt air myself. Highly recommend to romance readers and anyone else who loves a Hallmark movie.
I received an advanced listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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