A review by devsday
A Novel Summer by Jamie Brenner

3.0

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book— it sounded like the perfect beach read. Shelby wrote her debut novel loosely based around her summers spent in Provincetown with her two best friends and ex-boyfriend. Her dear friend who owns the town’s bookstore asks her to come help run it for the summer. P-town locals have mixed feelings about the book, and Shelby’s return.

While I think the premise was really interesting, I think the execution was lacking. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and I found the novel jumping around abruptly and focusing on too many storylines. It was hard to feel connected to anyone. I also found it disappointing that such a vibrant place like P-town didn’t feel accurately portrayed— and this book honestly could have been set in any beach town.