achoward's review against another edition
3.0
Ashleigh McAllister is a year removed from amicable divorce from her wife of a dozen years, and plans to use her summer vacation to explore Brooklyn, where she lives - and where she constantly runs into her ex and her ex's boyfriend, much to her annoyance. Kellan Dwyer is housesitting for her aunt (and watching over her aunt's cat) for the summer, wants to see what Brooklyn has to offer, but also wants to meet up with her old Army buddy Liam and her old friend Dara, for reasons not given - just a mysterious indication that they haven't spoken in a long time.
As it turns out, Ashleigh also knows Liam, and has known him since childhood. Liam's just renovated a pub that's been in his family for a few generations, and it is at the pub that Kellan and Ashleigh meet, with Liam suggesting Ashleigh show Kellan around Brooklyn, since he's very busy with the reopening. They agree, and so begins the tour of the city.
At least they didn't meet cute. I'll buy the use of a friend of a friend once in a book, but there are two in this, one early, one late. The first one made a lot more sense.
That the two would fall for one another is a given, but their internal monologues about each other start off right then and there, and after awhile, that starts crowding out everything else. We also get a pronoun discussion when the doorman at Kellan's aunt's place calls her "Mister", which seemed kind of odd. Eventually, Ashleigh takes Kellan to meet the family, and also asks her to be her plus-one to her friend Shauna's wedding.
Spoilers from here
I think what bugged me was the Dara subplot - the thing that drives the lovers apart portion. This is also the late friend of a friend mentioned previously, at about the 80% mark on my Fire. Dara happens to be friend with one of Ashleigh's friends (Shauna), is at Shauna's wedding - and has a kid who looks just like Kellan.
Now, throughout the book, in between descriptions of places and what each one is thinking about doing to the other, Kellan hems and haws about telling Ashleigh (and thus, the reader) about Dara. This doesn't make much sense to me, as they have been spilling their guts to one another up to this point. Ashleigh's response to seeing the kid is just overly dramatic and really just very odd. Instead of listening to Kellan's explanation, she runs off and ignores her. Now, part of this is on Kellan, because I can't fathom why on earth this would be so difficult to tell Ashleigh about given the other things they've talked about, especially since the explanation is rather mundane: Dara needed an egg donor, and Kellan, being her friend, donated. That's it. They weren't married or even partnered, and there's no obligation on Kellan related to the kid. I did, though, find it funny that Dara's last name is Torres - I've no idea if the author is a fan of the real Dara Torres or not, but that might be a little jarring note to people who know the name, bouncing them out of the story for a moment.
Eventually, Ashleigh gets over herself, and they all live happily ever after.
Overall, the writing is good, the two main characters are fleshed out fairly well, and the actual sex scenes are decent. It's a light summer kind of read for fans of the genre.
Three and a half stars out of five.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the advance copy.
As it turns out, Ashleigh also knows Liam, and has known him since childhood. Liam's just renovated a pub that's been in his family for a few generations, and it is at the pub that Kellan and Ashleigh meet, with Liam suggesting Ashleigh show Kellan around Brooklyn, since he's very busy with the reopening. They agree, and so begins the tour of the city.
At least they didn't meet cute. I'll buy the use of a friend of a friend once in a book, but there are two in this, one early, one late. The first one made a lot more sense.
That the two would fall for one another is a given, but their internal monologues about each other start off right then and there, and after awhile, that starts crowding out everything else. We also get a pronoun discussion when the doorman at Kellan's aunt's place calls her "Mister", which seemed kind of odd. Eventually, Ashleigh takes Kellan to meet the family, and also asks her to be her plus-one to her friend Shauna's wedding.
Spoilers from here
Spoiler
I'm trying not to be too hard on the book here, because I know the genre and it ticks all the boxes on what one might expect: femme meets butch through mutual friend, they immediately begin having very intense thoughts about one another, they run into at least one of their exes, and eventually sleep together, with some fairly heavy sex scenes thrown in, and there's the requisite thing that drives the lovers apart before they reconcile and live happily ever after.I think what bugged me was the Dara subplot - the thing that drives the lovers apart portion. This is also the late friend of a friend mentioned previously, at about the 80% mark on my Fire. Dara happens to be friend with one of Ashleigh's friends (Shauna), is at Shauna's wedding - and has a kid who looks just like Kellan.
Now, throughout the book, in between descriptions of places and what each one is thinking about doing to the other, Kellan hems and haws about telling Ashleigh (and thus, the reader) about Dara. This doesn't make much sense to me, as they have been spilling their guts to one another up to this point. Ashleigh's response to seeing the kid is just overly dramatic and really just very odd. Instead of listening to Kellan's explanation, she runs off and ignores her. Now, part of this is on Kellan, because I can't fathom why on earth this would be so difficult to tell Ashleigh about given the other things they've talked about, especially since the explanation is rather mundane: Dara needed an egg donor, and Kellan, being her friend, donated. That's it. They weren't married or even partnered, and there's no obligation on Kellan related to the kid. I did, though, find it funny that Dara's last name is Torres - I've no idea if the author is a fan of the real Dara Torres or not, but that might be a little jarring note to people who know the name, bouncing them out of the story for a moment.
Eventually, Ashleigh gets over herself, and they all live happily ever after.
Overall, the writing is good, the two main characters are fleshed out fairly well, and the actual sex scenes are decent. It's a light summer kind of read for fans of the genre.
Three and a half stars out of five.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the advance copy.
m_heike's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
claire60's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this book, a light read and a well written romance. The characters are well developed and believable, Ashleigh a nerdy maths teacher is recovering from divorce and running into her ex and the exes new man, Kellan has recently retired from the army so butch and fit as hell, she goes to the bar run by an old army buddy Liam who just happened to be Ashleigh's best friend. They decide to explore New York together during the summer and romance blossoms and stutters. The storyline is not that new but there is a freshness to the writing especially the sex scenes and a love of Brooklyn and New York that shines through on the page, making this a joy to read.
With thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
hhushaw's review against another edition
4.0
An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This was a great read! I loved the characters and their connection was amazing. I was very confused with all the hints about Dara, and the secret was built up so much that the conclusion was very obvious. I did want to know more about Reagan as the whole ex-wife who Ashleigh was obsessing over for a while. The interactions with Reagan and Ashleigh made me want to know more about them. Over all Kellan and Ashleigh were perfect and this was a great romantic read.
roomforbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Rep: w|w, lesbian MCs, gay side character, bi side character, Dominican-American side character
pandon's review against another edition
5.0
This book has everything, love, angst, heartache, great friends and family. Set in Brooklyn, this book made me want to explore the area.
judeinthestars's review against another edition
5.0
I’m fully prepared to admit that I might be overrating this book a tad. As I’ve written before, my ratings reflect the feelings a book evokes, not whether it’s perfect or not. Brooklyn Summer definitely made me feel a lot, in a good way. It’s heartwarming and immensely romantic and it makes me happy.
There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with Ashleigh’s life. She loves her job, she loves her friends. Sure, she’s living with her parents and sassy grandmother at the moment, after a rather amicable divorce, but she loves her family and they’re all very supportive. She’s not jealous of her ex-wife Reagan’s happiness with her new boyfriend, she’s not even unhappy. Mostly, she feels pathetic. With the summer break starting, she hopes to take control back over her life and plans on visiting all the places she never has time for in her hometown of New York. She was hoping her best friend Liam could tag along but having just taken over his parents’ pub, he can’t go gallivanting all day. As luck would have it, Kellan, one of his army buddies, has been summoned to New York to catsit for her aunt and would love nothing better than to discover the city with a local. The two women hit it off right away, becoming fast friends before admitting there’s more to their relationship than friendship.
The author does a wonderful job of conveying the sensation of falling in love, the way colours are brighter, sounds are clearer, food and drinks taste better. I don’t mind the instalove when it’s done well. I know it happens IRL, I fell in love with my wife immediately – I just didn’t realise that’s what was happening at first. While the characters’ backstories are very different from mine, how they feel about each other sounds a lot like what I’ve experienced, and still feel. The way Ashleigh and Kellan get closer and closer, how their feelings grow, it all feels very organic.
At one point, Kellan thinks of a moment as “perfect and sweet and unbelievably sexy”. These modifiers fit the novel just as well. I’m a little sad I’m done reading this book already, I wouldn’t have minded staying a bit longer in its warmth.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with Ashleigh’s life. She loves her job, she loves her friends. Sure, she’s living with her parents and sassy grandmother at the moment, after a rather amicable divorce, but she loves her family and they’re all very supportive. She’s not jealous of her ex-wife Reagan’s happiness with her new boyfriend, she’s not even unhappy. Mostly, she feels pathetic. With the summer break starting, she hopes to take control back over her life and plans on visiting all the places she never has time for in her hometown of New York. She was hoping her best friend Liam could tag along but having just taken over his parents’ pub, he can’t go gallivanting all day. As luck would have it, Kellan, one of his army buddies, has been summoned to New York to catsit for her aunt and would love nothing better than to discover the city with a local. The two women hit it off right away, becoming fast friends before admitting there’s more to their relationship than friendship.
The author does a wonderful job of conveying the sensation of falling in love, the way colours are brighter, sounds are clearer, food and drinks taste better. I don’t mind the instalove when it’s done well. I know it happens IRL, I fell in love with my wife immediately – I just didn’t realise that’s what was happening at first. While the characters’ backstories are very different from mine, how they feel about each other sounds a lot like what I’ve experienced, and still feel. The way Ashleigh and Kellan get closer and closer, how their feelings grow, it all feels very organic.
At one point, Kellan thinks of a moment as “perfect and sweet and unbelievably sexy”. These modifiers fit the novel just as well. I’m a little sad I’m done reading this book already, I wouldn’t have minded staying a bit longer in its warmth.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
elvang's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this light and breezy summer romance. It’s a love story times two when you include the sights and sounds of NYC. Ashleigh the math teacher decides to use her summer holidays to explore her city hoping her best friend Liam will join her in the adventure. Liam suggests his old army buddy Kellen in his place as she is in the city babysitting her Aunt’s kitty.
Ash is reluctant to date much less fall in love again after so many years with her now divorced wife. I liked how the vulnerable “what if it was me, not her” self esteem issues keep Ashleigh wary of the feelings she has for Kellan.
Kell is everything a femme could want in a soft butch. She’s kind, generous to a fault and quick to make the most of flirting opportunities with Ash. She makes her feel special. She is almost too perfect, the gentlewoman filled with kindness even when Ashleigh throws up blocks in their relationship.
While there is insta-attraction, I found this to be a slow burn romance. When they did acknowledge their attraction the sex scenes were varied and hot. I liked how adventurous Ashleigh became when she grew more comfortable with Kellen. The inevitable bumps along the road to happiness happen and you want to slap some sense into certain characters but overall, a pleasure to read.
Nicely done.
ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.
Ash is reluctant to date much less fall in love again after so many years with her now divorced wife. I liked how the vulnerable “what if it was me, not her” self esteem issues keep Ashleigh wary of the feelings she has for Kellan.
Kell is everything a femme could want in a soft butch. She’s kind, generous to a fault and quick to make the most of flirting opportunities with Ash. She makes her feel special. She is almost too perfect, the gentlewoman filled with kindness even when Ashleigh throws up blocks in their relationship.
While there is insta-attraction, I found this to be a slow burn romance. When they did acknowledge their attraction the sex scenes were varied and hot. I liked how adventurous Ashleigh became when she grew more comfortable with Kellen. The inevitable bumps along the road to happiness happen and you want to slap some sense into certain characters but overall, a pleasure to read.
Nicely done.
ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.
natalieunread's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, who doesn't love a summer romance? This one is so romantic!
Ash and Kellan meet while they're both in NYC just for the summer. Ash has been going through a rough time after a divorce and wants to spend her summer sightseeing, and Army vet Kellan is, I think, just there cat sitting for a friend? Either way, they meet, they're attracted, and they decide to enter into a friends-with-benefits situation. Good for them. I love this trope, and this is a pretty good one in a subgenre (f/f) that I don't read much of, but I do appreciate!
This is a pretty straightforward f/f romance that is easy to predict and does contain the typical Big Dramatic Thing very near the end of the story, but it's still very enjoyable. I haven't been to New York City in years, but the author does an excellent job describing it in detail, which really made me want to go back. This kind of book is probably all the travel we'll get to do for a while, so I'm glad I read it!
Ash and Kellan meet while they're both in NYC just for the summer. Ash has been going through a rough time after a divorce and wants to spend her summer sightseeing, and Army vet Kellan is, I think, just there cat sitting for a friend? Either way, they meet, they're attracted, and they decide to enter into a friends-with-benefits situation. Good for them. I love this trope, and this is a pretty good one in a subgenre (f/f) that I don't read much of, but I do appreciate!
This is a pretty straightforward f/f romance that is easy to predict and does contain the typical Big Dramatic Thing very near the end of the story, but it's still very enjoyable. I haven't been to New York City in years, but the author does an excellent job describing it in detail, which really made me want to go back. This kind of book is probably all the travel we'll get to do for a while, so I'm glad I read it!
mjsam's review against another edition
4.0
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve had mixed luck with Cummings’ books. I didn’t think much of Totally Worth It, but enjoyed Perfect Partners. This one I loved. I’ve actually been in a bit of a book slump, so this was a breath of fresh air.
So, this features Ashleigh, a high school math teacher about to start summer break, she’s recently divorced and still sees her ex and the ex’s new husband around the neighbourhood. To get out of her slump she decides to spend the summer doing all the touristy things New York has to offer. Enter Kellan, who has recently retired from the army and is in town to house/cat-sit (Blue was adorable) for her aunt for the summer. The two meet through Ashleigh’s childhood friend Liam, who also served with Kellan, who suggests that Ashleigh should show Kellan the sights.
The beauty of this scheme is that the two leads spend ample time together, and during this time the get to know each other, develop an attraction for each other and eventually fall in love. Even though this is set during a summer, the sheer amount of time they spend together (and all the TALKING they do, OMG I love books where the leads talk) make the relationship feel entirely natural.
Both main characters are sweet as pie, even though they are entirely different. Usually when I read a book, even if I like them both, there’s one that I prefer, but not here. Were it possible, I’d take one of each! I also loved revisiting New York through their day trips.
The side characters aren’t terribly fleshed out, but they add to the story as needed. I was loving the book til the 80% mark, but then the requisite ‘drama’ cropped up and sort of derailed it a bit. I could see both sides, but in all honesty I was annoyed that in a book where the leads did so much talking that Kellan would hold back on this particular issue. I was pretty much with Ashleigh on that one, though wouldn’t have made the same decision she did. The end redeemed that for me though and I liked the way the HEA was resolved. This is a lovely romance, well worth the read. 4 stars.
I’ve had mixed luck with Cummings’ books. I didn’t think much of Totally Worth It, but enjoyed Perfect Partners. This one I loved. I’ve actually been in a bit of a book slump, so this was a breath of fresh air.
So, this features Ashleigh, a high school math teacher about to start summer break, she’s recently divorced and still sees her ex and the ex’s new husband around the neighbourhood. To get out of her slump she decides to spend the summer doing all the touristy things New York has to offer. Enter Kellan, who has recently retired from the army and is in town to house/cat-sit (Blue was adorable) for her aunt for the summer. The two meet through Ashleigh’s childhood friend Liam, who also served with Kellan, who suggests that Ashleigh should show Kellan the sights.
The beauty of this scheme is that the two leads spend ample time together, and during this time the get to know each other, develop an attraction for each other and eventually fall in love. Even though this is set during a summer, the sheer amount of time they spend together (and all the TALKING they do, OMG I love books where the leads talk) make the relationship feel entirely natural.
Both main characters are sweet as pie, even though they are entirely different. Usually when I read a book, even if I like them both, there’s one that I prefer, but not here. Were it possible, I’d take one of each! I also loved revisiting New York through their day trips.
The side characters aren’t terribly fleshed out, but they add to the story as needed. I was loving the book til the 80% mark, but then the requisite ‘drama’ cropped up and sort of derailed it a bit. I could see both sides, but in all honesty I was annoyed that in a book where the leads did so much talking that Kellan would hold back on this particular issue. I was pretty much with Ashleigh on that one, though wouldn’t have made the same decision she did. The end redeemed that for me though and I liked the way the HEA was resolved. This is a lovely romance, well worth the read. 4 stars.