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flowersofquiethappiness's review
4.0
Ah, this is just what I needed! When life gets crazy and chaotic and my reading time gets severely limited as a result, then novellas are the way to go. Especially when I just want a fun story and a cute romance. And oh my, how these delivered! I've been a fan of Ms. Jones for several years now and she never fails to make me giggle and swoon over and over. Having never read anything by the other three, I was pleased to really enjoy their stories as well! I will certainly be searching out more from them in the future.
I admired how all four authors were able to write individual stories, yet link them together at the same time. Joss, Sydney, Darby, and Avery felt like girls who were great friends, yet were able to have their own adventures while still connecting with each other. Not unlike friendships in the real world, they grow separately yet together. Somehow it works.
Likewise the cute and the happy and the adorable are....I mean, these guys? These guys are keepers. They know how to make their ladies swoon, yet support and comfort in the tough moments. Because lest you think these are only fluffy, happy, shallow fantasies, I should note that each of the girls have hard and not-so-fluffy things to deal with. Their struggles are part of who they are becoming and it's a wonderful thing to see each one grow stronger by the end.
When you're in the mood for a few laughs, a few sweet moments, a few heart-melting moments, a few swoony moments, and a lot of happy grinning, then you should definitely check these stories out. Delightful summer reading just like the title suggests!
**I was provided a complimentary copy from the authors in exchange for my honest review.
I admired how all four authors were able to write individual stories, yet link them together at the same time. Joss, Sydney, Darby, and Avery felt like girls who were great friends, yet were able to have their own adventures while still connecting with each other. Not unlike friendships in the real world, they grow separately yet together. Somehow it works.
Likewise the cute and the happy and the adorable are....I mean, these guys? These guys are keepers. They know how to make their ladies swoon, yet support and comfort in the tough moments. Because lest you think these are only fluffy, happy, shallow fantasies, I should note that each of the girls have hard and not-so-fluffy things to deal with. Their struggles are part of who they are becoming and it's a wonderful thing to see each one grow stronger by the end.
When you're in the mood for a few laughs, a few sweet moments, a few heart-melting moments, a few swoony moments, and a lot of happy grinning, then you should definitely check these stories out. Delightful summer reading just like the title suggests!
**I was provided a complimentary copy from the authors in exchange for my honest review.
cupcakegirly's review
4.0
*eARC provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review*
Fun, Flirty and Full of Swoon!
What I Liked: Each of these stories has it's own unique character, wit and charm, and comes fully equipped with a pull-on-your-heartstrings romance. And kissing. Because you can never have too much kissing.
I enjoyed the friendship aspect too. All of the girls are connected, but they each had their own story to tell. As far as New Adult goes, this is perfect for readers who prefer their romance on the lighter side OR for those previously hesitant to dip their toes into the New Adult pool. Feel free to cannonball right into this one!
What Left Me Wanting More: I could read a full length novel about Owen. *hint hint Jenny B. Jones* ;D
Final Verdict: Makes for a great summer read!
Fun, Flirty and Full of Swoon!
What I Liked: Each of these stories has it's own unique character, wit and charm, and comes fully equipped with a pull-on-your-heartstrings romance. And kissing. Because you can never have too much kissing.
I enjoyed the friendship aspect too. All of the girls are connected, but they each had their own story to tell. As far as New Adult goes, this is perfect for readers who prefer their romance on the lighter side OR for those previously hesitant to dip their toes into the New Adult pool. Feel free to cannonball right into this one!
What Left Me Wanting More: I could read a full length novel about Owen. *hint hint Jenny B. Jones* ;D
Final Verdict: Makes for a great summer read!
mrssmithreadsrom's review
5.0
I laughed, I wanted to cry, and I spent too many nights reading WAY past my bedtime.
Just One Summer is a collection of novellas written by four different Christian authors. This collection is not claimed to be a Christian collection, just a clean, fun NA romance.
I loved the idea of four friends who are supposed to be spending the summer at their childhood lake home having to deal with the pressures of adulthood, sending each of them in separate directions. Each of them are having some sort of problem with their parents, and are all having to quickly learn that they are a separate entity within their family. Each of them all deal with these changes in their own way, and each of them find themselves in the fortunate position of meeting some hunky man to spend their summer. (Yes, very yummy, hunky guys!!)
The thing I loved most about these stories is that these girls are facing real issues about themselves, and while they are dealing with their issues in popular methods, they all end up seeing the error of their ways. Joss realizes she can’t stop her parents’ divorce by stopping the sale of the lake house. Sydney decides that life is meant to be lived as we want, and not how others want it for us. Darby learns that life doesn’t have to be so structured and that not all stereotypes are accurate. And lastly, Avery has to recognize that, despite how people have treated her in the past, it’s okay to lay her heart out there and trust others.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book is, in the first two novellas (Joss’s and Sydney’s stories), it’s implied that the girls rely on one another for just about everything. But in the last two novellas (Darby’s and Avery’s), I didn’t really feel the connection as strongly as I did in the first two.
Each story was well written though, and each character, although all having a bit of stubbornness in common, stands out separately from the others, as do the guys they fall for. I would highly recommend this fun and easy read, just perfect for the summer.
Just One Summer is a collection of novellas written by four different Christian authors. This collection is not claimed to be a Christian collection, just a clean, fun NA romance.
I loved the idea of four friends who are supposed to be spending the summer at their childhood lake home having to deal with the pressures of adulthood, sending each of them in separate directions. Each of them are having some sort of problem with their parents, and are all having to quickly learn that they are a separate entity within their family. Each of them all deal with these changes in their own way, and each of them find themselves in the fortunate position of meeting some hunky man to spend their summer. (Yes, very yummy, hunky guys!!)
The thing I loved most about these stories is that these girls are facing real issues about themselves, and while they are dealing with their issues in popular methods, they all end up seeing the error of their ways. Joss realizes she can’t stop her parents’ divorce by stopping the sale of the lake house. Sydney decides that life is meant to be lived as we want, and not how others want it for us. Darby learns that life doesn’t have to be so structured and that not all stereotypes are accurate. And lastly, Avery has to recognize that, despite how people have treated her in the past, it’s okay to lay her heart out there and trust others.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book is, in the first two novellas (Joss’s and Sydney’s stories), it’s implied that the girls rely on one another for just about everything. But in the last two novellas (Darby’s and Avery’s), I didn’t really feel the connection as strongly as I did in the first two.
Each story was well written though, and each character, although all having a bit of stubbornness in common, stands out separately from the others, as do the guys they fall for. I would highly recommend this fun and easy read, just perfect for the summer.
love_bookswillbetheendofme's review
5.0
I loved getting to know Joss, Sydney, Darby, and Avery in these four novellas. I liked Avery's story the best, but my favorite male lead was Lennon. The writing in all four was excellent, and each story was interesting. I had only previously been acquainted with Jenny's works, but I can't wait to read more from the other authors. I also loved the fact that they were all clean new adult. It seems really hard to find clean stories with characters that are closer to my age!
I also did a review on my blog! Here's the link http://thebooklifebyam.blogspot.com/
I also did a review on my blog! Here's the link http://thebooklifebyam.blogspot.com/
mjqueen's review
3.0
I didn't intend to write a review on this book but I figured it needed further explanation for the 3 star review. Part of me wishes that I could read and write a review for each individual novella because, although they are all interconnected, they are so different from each other that I think they deserve to be treated individually.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first novella,"A Summer Remade" by [a:Nicole Deese|6878628|Nicole Deese|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1418181117p2/6878628.jpg]. Of the 4 authors I had previously read books by Ms. Deese ([b:All for Anna|17208152|All for Anna (Letting Go #1)|Nicole Deese|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357317222s/17208152.jpg|23688068], [b:All She Wanted|18660741|All She Wanted (Letting Go, #2)|Nicole Deese|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381497935s/18660741.jpg|24341657], and [b:All Who Dream|22314547|All Who Dream (Letting Go, #3)|Nicole Deese|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400990400s/22314547.jpg|24341665] are definitely favorites of mine) so I thought that I would give this one a go also. I instantly fell in love with the quaintness of the cabin (once it got itself a bit of a clean up) and it had me reminiscing about childhood summers spent on a lake with family. It was easy to fall in love with the story of Joss and Drew and I (not so secretly) hope that there will be more to their story in future.
Never having read anything by [a:Tammy L. Gray|6436663|Tammy L. Gray|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1366811394p2/6436663.jpg] before I was not sure if I would like "Waves of Summer" but Ms. Gray had me at "sexy and smart bartender". Sydney's story was sweet and fun and perfectly matched with the previous novella. It was comfortable how the stories were completely different yet still felt like they belonged in the same series. Alost as if they were written by the same person or at least people who had the same ideology about summer love and the possibility of it being more than just a fling.
Now if I am being totally honest, I'm writing this review to explain how I could adore 3 out of the 4 and feel like "one of these things is not like the other". Again, I had never read anything by [a:Amy Matayo|7266412|Amy Matayo|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1410991940p2/7266412.jpg] before so I wasn't sure what to expect from "A Painted Summer". I wanted to like it, possibly even love it, after all the description was as intriguing as the first two. Unfortunately I feel like Darby's story fell a bit flat for me. So many stereotypical character flaws and personality traits that I found the story predictable and not in a good way. Darby has red hair and therefore a firey personality and short temper. Lennon has tattoos and seems gruff and tough initially only to later be the exact opposite; upstanding citizen, incredibly talented artist oh and by the way a Christian who's faith is bigger than his bicep. I guess it just felt very cliché and didn't fit with the others. There were some redeeming qualities though. This novella had some of the best one liners and sarcasm out of the 4 but it just wasn't enough for me really grow attached to or feel invested in Darby and Lennon's love story.
And finally "Wild Heart Summer" by [a:Jenny B. Jones|837420|Jenny B. Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1419302028p2/837420.jpg]. I've previously read some of Ms. Jones' boos ([b:On the Loose (A Katie Parker Production)|22912828|On the Loose (A Katie Parker Production) (Volume 2)|Jenny B. Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1425795488s/22912828.jpg|1832829], [b:In Between: A Katie Parker Production|7494628|In Between A Katie Parker Production (ACT I)|Jenny B. Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386587366s/7494628.jpg|954463], and [b:The Big Picture|19316830|The Big Picture (Katie Parker Production #3)|Jenny B. Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386619379s/19316830.jpg|2162708]) so I knew what to expect and was definitely not disappointed. Filled with food and cowboys, I found myself swooning alongside Avery with every descriptive sentence about Owen. The strained relationship with her family was also very relatable for me. I'm hoping that there will be more of Owen and Avery in the future too.
Perhaps a sequel where all 4 girls reunite at the summer house with their beau's or maybe even the picturesque cliché of their 4 daughters being best friends too. I'm a sucker for summer swoon fests and for the most part that is exactly what I got. I think that I will recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a short happily ever after...at least until summer ends.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first novella,"A Summer Remade" by [a:Nicole Deese|6878628|Nicole Deese|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1418181117p2/6878628.jpg]. Of the 4 authors I had previously read books by Ms. Deese ([b:All for Anna|17208152|All for Anna (Letting Go #1)|Nicole Deese|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357317222s/17208152.jpg|23688068], [b:All She Wanted|18660741|All She Wanted (Letting Go, #2)|Nicole Deese|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381497935s/18660741.jpg|24341657], and [b:All Who Dream|22314547|All Who Dream (Letting Go, #3)|Nicole Deese|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400990400s/22314547.jpg|24341665] are definitely favorites of mine) so I thought that I would give this one a go also. I instantly fell in love with the quaintness of the cabin (once it got itself a bit of a clean up) and it had me reminiscing about childhood summers spent on a lake with family. It was easy to fall in love with the story of Joss and Drew and I (not so secretly) hope that there will be more to their story in future.
Never having read anything by [a:Tammy L. Gray|6436663|Tammy L. Gray|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1366811394p2/6436663.jpg] before I was not sure if I would like "Waves of Summer" but Ms. Gray had me at "sexy and smart bartender". Sydney's story was sweet and fun and perfectly matched with the previous novella. It was comfortable how the stories were completely different yet still felt like they belonged in the same series. Alost as if they were written by the same person or at least people who had the same ideology about summer love and the possibility of it being more than just a fling.
Now if I am being totally honest, I'm writing this review to explain how I could adore 3 out of the 4 and feel like "one of these things is not like the other". Again, I had never read anything by [a:Amy Matayo|7266412|Amy Matayo|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1410991940p2/7266412.jpg] before so I wasn't sure what to expect from "A Painted Summer". I wanted to like it, possibly even love it, after all the description was as intriguing as the first two. Unfortunately I feel like Darby's story fell a bit flat for me. So many stereotypical character flaws and personality traits that I found the story predictable and not in a good way. Darby has red hair and therefore a firey personality and short temper. Lennon has tattoos and seems gruff and tough initially only to later be the exact opposite; upstanding citizen, incredibly talented artist oh and by the way a Christian who's faith is bigger than his bicep. I guess it just felt very cliché and didn't fit with the others. There were some redeeming qualities though. This novella had some of the best one liners and sarcasm out of the 4 but it just wasn't enough for me really grow attached to or feel invested in Darby and Lennon's love story.
And finally "Wild Heart Summer" by [a:Jenny B. Jones|837420|Jenny B. Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1419302028p2/837420.jpg]. I've previously read some of Ms. Jones' boos ([b:On the Loose (A Katie Parker Production)|22912828|On the Loose (A Katie Parker Production) (Volume 2)|Jenny B. Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1425795488s/22912828.jpg|1832829], [b:In Between: A Katie Parker Production|7494628|In Between A Katie Parker Production (ACT I)|Jenny B. Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386587366s/7494628.jpg|954463], and [b:The Big Picture|19316830|The Big Picture (Katie Parker Production #3)|Jenny B. Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386619379s/19316830.jpg|2162708]) so I knew what to expect and was definitely not disappointed. Filled with food and cowboys, I found myself swooning alongside Avery with every descriptive sentence about Owen. The strained relationship with her family was also very relatable for me. I'm hoping that there will be more of Owen and Avery in the future too.
Perhaps a sequel where all 4 girls reunite at the summer house with their beau's or maybe even the picturesque cliché of their 4 daughters being best friends too. I'm a sucker for summer swoon fests and for the most part that is exactly what I got. I think that I will recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a short happily ever after...at least until summer ends.
cctblog's review
4.0
This collection proved to be the perfect light vacation read.
It kicks off with A Summer Remade, which is a nice, cute story. I enjoyed reading it, though I didn't find myself particularly drawn into the romance. 4 stars.
Waves of Summer had romance and chemistry in spades. I loved watching Sydney and Jacob fall for each other, and I'd love to watch their journey continue. 4-1/2 stars.
A Painted Summer was very interesting—Darby is a "good girl" who finds herself drawn to "bad boy" Lennon ... who turns out to not be bad at all. 4-1/2 stars.
Wild Heart Summer was the one story that fell a bit flat to me at first. I just really didn't care much about Avery or Owen. In fact, I stopped reading it about halfway through. About three months later, I picked it up again ... and I ended up really enjoying it! So I didn't care for the first half of the novella, but I really liked the second half. 3 stars.
Apparently I took long enough to read this collection that it's not even available anymore! Most of the novellas are available individually—I'd especially recommend A Painted Summer.
It kicks off with A Summer Remade, which is a nice, cute story. I enjoyed reading it, though I didn't find myself particularly drawn into the romance. 4 stars.
Waves of Summer had romance and chemistry in spades. I loved watching Sydney and Jacob fall for each other, and I'd love to watch their journey continue. 4-1/2 stars.
A Painted Summer was very interesting—Darby is a "good girl" who finds herself drawn to "bad boy" Lennon ... who turns out to not be bad at all. 4-1/2 stars.
Wild Heart Summer was the one story that fell a bit flat to me at first. I just really didn't care much about Avery or Owen. In fact, I stopped reading it about halfway through. About three months later, I picked it up again ... and I ended up really enjoying it! So I didn't care for the first half of the novella, but I really liked the second half. 3 stars.
Apparently I took long enough to read this collection that it's not even available anymore! Most of the novellas are available individually—I'd especially recommend A Painted Summer.
jessieweaver's review
4.0
I am not usually a fan of novellas. There just isn't enough time to flesh out anything. But I was pleasantly surprised by this collection, which Jenny B. Jones's publicist sent me to review. (I'm a huge fan of Jenny's!) The collection features four best friends, all going into their senior year of college, as they spread out for the summer on adventures. My favorite story was actually the first one by Nicole Deese, about Joss, who goes back to her parents' beach house alone as she tries to understand their recent divorce. I did like Jones's story, too, and her obvious talent for family tales as well as romance shone. In fact, I liked all four stories, the four girls having different weaknesses and strengths and ways of falling in love. So although it's not my normal thing, I really enjoyed this collection as a fun summer read.
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