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A review by katemc7
The Summer I First Saw You by Elizabeth O'Roark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was my intro to this world! I have had this series on my radar for a bit and even have the first one, but when I got the ARC for this one obviously I had to jump in. I will say that though this is able to be read as a standalone, I feel that I would have known more about these characters and others had I read the others first. All that being said- this book was GREAT! It was a true SLOW burn yall. The buildup was perfect. These characters were pretty perfect for each. We have Daisy who has been secretly crushing on Harrison from a far since she was a kid. And then Harrison who has been checking all of his boxes in his life plan not really thinking through what he would do if his life plan fell apart. They have history together. They have trust. I LOVED how Daisy helped Harrison get out of his shell- she helped him realize how to change his priorities and recognize what he could be doing with his life. Meanwhile Harrison helped Daisy feel understood and not as a placeholder for something or someone else but for her and who she is as a woman. This book was HOT too- loved the touch her and die vibes and how Harrison's brother was messing with him to bring that side out. I also think Harrison was kind of a grump so again watching him unravel was FUN! All that being said- there are some heavier topics discussed so I would check TWs if that gives you pause.
Daisy is going home for the summer. She needs it after the semester she just went through. The semester from hell that NO ONE knows about but herself. Then of course she gets home and her stepfather Scott is being his lovely self and so she decides she is going to "break into" her uncle's BF's house. Harrison. The man she has been crushing on from afar for forever. The man who is married to the worst woman in Daisy's opinion. He is supposed to be traveling so imagine Daisy's surprise when he finds her entering his home and he is drunk. Like drunk drunk. There is clearly more going on in his life than he is letting on. So Daisy sets her sights on making him smile again. Making him come alive again. Making him become the man she wants. Meanwhile she is going to use this time to reset and surf and remember what matters to her. But when Harrison starts looking at her like a woman and not the kid he remembers her as, her plans change. She is now determined to unlock him in a totally different way. She has to keep reminding herself though that she has to go back to school in August. She has to go back early for reasons no one knows, but when her and Harrison finally happen she falls harder than she thought. Could they make it work from afar? Or will he get tired of her like the men in her past have? Could they go the distance even though their relationship is considered taboo? What will happen when everyone finds out?
Harrison is in hiding. He has lied to his friends about having a fake GF to disguise that his marriage has imploded. The thing is that he isnt even upset about the implosion. He is upset that his life has become derailed. He is realizing that he has made the wrong choices and instead of doing what he wants, he has been doing the life that he thought he wanted. Now he is just going to hide away until he can talk about it. Or that is the plan until Daisy shows up. His best friend's niece who is NOT the 16 year old he remembers but has become this beautiful woman with luscious curves and some sass that he kind of needs right now. He absolutely can't go there though. And he tries to fight it. Lord does he try but then he realizes that she is what he wants and he is done doing what he should do. So he makes a move and MAN does it pay off. They fall into a regular rhythm. He knows she is hiding things from her past and of course it bothers him but he trusts she will share when she is ready. He does NOT expect what she tells him and how it makes him feel like he is in the wrong. He knew they would have to end when she went back to school but had kind of started thinking maybe they could go the distance. Will he be able to get out of his head and realize they could before it's too late?
While this was a slow burn, it was an easy fast read. I enjoyed watching this world come together and am sad to hear this is the last one in the series. I found myself hopeful in this one. I smiled and laughed out loud at Daisy's sass to the world. I loved her carefree energy. I also found myself heartbroken for her and what she had gone through. But wow what a strong woman. Her and Harrison were just YUM. And I just got the novella of their wedding- diving in now!!
Thank you to Valentine PR and Elizabeth for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review :)
Daisy is going home for the summer. She needs it after the semester she just went through. The semester from hell that NO ONE knows about but herself. Then of course she gets home and her stepfather Scott is being his lovely self and so she decides she is going to "break into" her uncle's BF's house. Harrison. The man she has been crushing on from afar for forever. The man who is married to the worst woman in Daisy's opinion. He is supposed to be traveling so imagine Daisy's surprise when he finds her entering his home and he is drunk. Like drunk drunk. There is clearly more going on in his life than he is letting on. So Daisy sets her sights on making him smile again. Making him come alive again. Making him become the man she wants. Meanwhile she is going to use this time to reset and surf and remember what matters to her. But when Harrison starts looking at her like a woman and not the kid he remembers her as, her plans change. She is now determined to unlock him in a totally different way. She has to keep reminding herself though that she has to go back to school in August. She has to go back early for reasons no one knows, but when her and Harrison finally happen she falls harder than she thought. Could they make it work from afar? Or will he get tired of her like the men in her past have? Could they go the distance even though their relationship is considered taboo? What will happen when everyone finds out?
Harrison is in hiding. He has lied to his friends about having a fake GF to disguise that his marriage has imploded. The thing is that he isnt even upset about the implosion. He is upset that his life has become derailed. He is realizing that he has made the wrong choices and instead of doing what he wants, he has been doing the life that he thought he wanted. Now he is just going to hide away until he can talk about it. Or that is the plan until Daisy shows up. His best friend's niece who is NOT the 16 year old he remembers but has become this beautiful woman with luscious curves and some sass that he kind of needs right now. He absolutely can't go there though. And he tries to fight it. Lord does he try but then he realizes that she is what he wants and he is done doing what he should do. So he makes a move and MAN does it pay off. They fall into a regular rhythm. He knows she is hiding things from her past and of course it bothers him but he trusts she will share when she is ready. He does NOT expect what she tells him and how it makes him feel like he is in the wrong. He knew they would have to end when she went back to school but had kind of started thinking maybe they could go the distance. Will he be able to get out of his head and realize they could before it's too late?
While this was a slow burn, it was an easy fast read. I enjoyed watching this world come together and am sad to hear this is the last one in the series. I found myself hopeful in this one. I smiled and laughed out loud at Daisy's sass to the world. I loved her carefree energy. I also found myself heartbroken for her and what she had gone through. But wow what a strong woman. Her and Harrison were just YUM. And I just got the novella of their wedding- diving in now!!
Thank you to Valentine PR and Elizabeth for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review :)