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The Summer #1
The Summer We Fell
Part coming-of-age and part second chance romance - THE SUMMER WE FELL is an emotional rollercoaster full of sacrifice, love and heartbreak. Perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover and Mia Sheridan.
He was my boyfriend's best friend-and the bane of my existence. I wanted to hate Luke Taylor. I did hate him. I just never hated him enough.
Now, a decade later, tragedy has brought us back to the place where it all happened-my best times, and my worst.
Our lives have changed, but that pull between us is just as strong as ever.
Only this time, it's more dangerous too.
__________________________________________
Readers can't get enough of the Summer series
'The Summer We Fell is full of tragedy, heartbreak, sacrifice, longing, lust, and never-ending, soulmate-level love'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'You tell Elizabeth to write a book and she writes a masterpiece'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'An absolute angst fest and I loved every minute of it'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'This book is everything'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
He was my boyfriend's best friend-and the bane of my existence. I wanted to hate Luke Taylor. I did hate him. I just never hated him enough.
Now, a decade later, tragedy has brought us back to the place where it all happened-my best times, and my worst.
Our lives have changed, but that pull between us is just as strong as ever.
Only this time, it's more dangerous too.
__________________________________________
Readers can't get enough of the Summer series
'The Summer We Fell is full of tragedy, heartbreak, sacrifice, longing, lust, and never-ending, soulmate-level love'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'You tell Elizabeth to write a book and she writes a masterpiece'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'An absolute angst fest and I loved every minute of it'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'This book is everything'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 6, 2023
5330 people are currently reading
45747 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth O'Roark
31 books7,680 followersElizabeth O’Roark lives in Washington, DC with her 3 children. After many years spent writing scintillating brochures about amniocentesis and heart surgery, she is thrilled to have found a job that allows her to just make s*** up.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,525 reviews
February 1, 2023
GOD, let me gather my thoughts.
You guys are not ready for this 😭😭😭😭😭
You guys are not ready for this 😭😭😭😭😭
April 10, 2023
Well, damn. I've never read an Elizabeth O'Roark book before last night, and if this one is any indication, I've been missing out! The Summer We Fell is everything my little angst whore heart could have hoped for!
If you've followed me for a while now, you may have noticed that 2023 hasn't been the best reading year for me thus far. This book alone has been worth all of the disappointments! It's going to be on my favorite reads of the year list. No question! I've been searching for a book with this level of angst and emotional torment for a hot minute, and I finally found it with Luke and Juliet.
The Summer We Fell is full of tragedy, heartbreak, sacrifice, longing, lust, and never-ending, soulmate-level love. My heart will never forget it. Having said that, this book won't be for everyone. There is cheating involved in this story, though the hero and heroine don't cheat on each other. If that's not your shit, you may want to avoid this one.
I loved every second of this story, so if I went into depth on my feelings on every character I wanted to, this review would be a whole ass book. For that reason, I'm choosing to just shine a light on my favorite one, Luke. Luke is a hero that melted my heart over and over again. I loved him from the moment he appeared on the page. Everything he did and said, from the words he used to describe Juliet to the way he beat the shit out of anyone that hurt her, had my heart pitter pattering all over the place. Luke sees Juliet in a way that nobody else does, and it's obvious they're meant to be right from the start.
Though I love all of the major characters in this story, I didn't always agree with everything they did, said, and went along with, but at the end of the day, we're all human, and life isn't easy. It's full of hard times and tough decisions. Humans make mistakes, even when they're trying to do the right thing. Some of those mistakes can have consequences they may regret forever, but at the end of the day, everyone is responsible for their reactions to whatever life throws at them.
My heart broke for Juliet, Luke, Donna, and Danny. I cried for each one of them. None of them were perfect, but all of them loved each other in different ways. I wish each of them could've gotten the ending I wanted for them. Despite that, I love The Summer We Fell just as it is. It deserves every single one of the five stars I'm giving it. Elizabeth O'Roark has a new fan in me, and I can't wait to tackle her backlist for more of this magic.
Angsty romance fans, this one's for you!
*Please check trigger warnings from someone else, who is way better at identifying them than I am, because there are definitely some to be aware of.
If you've followed me for a while now, you may have noticed that 2023 hasn't been the best reading year for me thus far. This book alone has been worth all of the disappointments! It's going to be on my favorite reads of the year list. No question! I've been searching for a book with this level of angst and emotional torment for a hot minute, and I finally found it with Luke and Juliet.
The Summer We Fell is full of tragedy, heartbreak, sacrifice, longing, lust, and never-ending, soulmate-level love. My heart will never forget it. Having said that, this book won't be for everyone. There is cheating involved in this story, though the hero and heroine don't cheat on each other. If that's not your shit, you may want to avoid this one.
I loved every second of this story, so if I went into depth on my feelings on every character I wanted to, this review would be a whole ass book. For that reason, I'm choosing to just shine a light on my favorite one, Luke. Luke is a hero that melted my heart over and over again. I loved him from the moment he appeared on the page. Everything he did and said, from the words he used to describe Juliet to the way he beat the shit out of anyone that hurt her, had my heart pitter pattering all over the place. Luke sees Juliet in a way that nobody else does, and it's obvious they're meant to be right from the start.
Though I love all of the major characters in this story, I didn't always agree with everything they did, said, and went along with, but at the end of the day, we're all human, and life isn't easy. It's full of hard times and tough decisions. Humans make mistakes, even when they're trying to do the right thing. Some of those mistakes can have consequences they may regret forever, but at the end of the day, everyone is responsible for their reactions to whatever life throws at them.
My heart broke for Juliet, Luke, Donna, and Danny. I cried for each one of them. None of them were perfect, but all of them loved each other in different ways. I wish each of them could've gotten the ending I wanted for them. Despite that, I love The Summer We Fell just as it is. It deserves every single one of the five stars I'm giving it. Elizabeth O'Roark has a new fan in me, and I can't wait to tackle her backlist for more of this magic.
Angsty romance fans, this one's for you!
*Please check trigger warnings from someone else, who is way better at identifying them than I am, because there are definitely some to be aware of.
May 3, 2023
3 Stars
This is my second Elizabeth O'Roark book (the first being THIS, which I really, really enjoyed) and I liked this well enough.
I love second chance stories and angst and this definitely delivered a bit on that front...but I would have liked to have seen everything a little more flashed out. I wanted more page time between Luke and Juliet...something to make their chemistry a little more hard-hitting for me.
I also thought Juliet's reason for...disappearing felt a little weak when it was finally revealed. Otherwise, a super decent read. I will definitely read more from this author.
This is my second Elizabeth O'Roark book (the first being THIS, which I really, really enjoyed) and I liked this well enough.
I love second chance stories and angst and this definitely delivered a bit on that front...but I would have liked to have seen everything a little more flashed out. I wanted more page time between Luke and Juliet...something to make their chemistry a little more hard-hitting for me.
I also thought Juliet's reason for...disappearing felt a little weak when it was finally revealed. Otherwise, a super decent read. I will definitely read more from this author.
April 7, 2023
reading this book felt like being jerked back and forth without ever actually moving. horrid sensation really. even when the story was progressing, it felt like nothing had progressed. then suddenly it's the epilogue and they are together. don't even know how it happened
April 11, 2023
4.75 stars 🌊
you tell elizabeth to write a book and she writes a masterpiece 💫
i don’t care how many people dnf-ed this because of the flashback scenes, this book is everything i wanted. the definition of, “right person, wrong time.” i swear, every EOR book i read, the woman changes my life
and yes, do flashbacks chapters usually suck 99% of the time? yes. but not giving this book a chance for that reason is quite possibly the biggest mistake of your life
i’m being dramatic but juliet (h) and luke (H) just changed me 💀
everything about juliet’s story broke me. between her backstory, basically every conversation she had with another character (besides luke, libby, and donna), her need to please everyone, and her ability to sacrifice her entire future for the person she loves...perfection, all of it
and luke…i mean wow. he fell first and it was so beautiful. he was the only one who actually gave a fuck about juliet since the moment they met. he protected her, defended her, pushed her to follow her dreams, and loved her for who she was...not the person others were shaping her to be
based on the amount of pain i endured reading this book, i know for a fact i’m a masochist
“If you think the past seven years haven’t killed me, then you can’t possibly love me the way I love you, the way I’ve loved you since you first walked into the diner, because when you love someone like that, yes, you’ll fucking lie to him and for him—”
My words die off as he closes the distance between us, pinning me to the wall with his hands framing my face. “Don’t try to tell a man who’s waited ten years for you that you love him more.”
you tell elizabeth to write a book and she writes a masterpiece 💫
i don’t care how many people dnf-ed this because of the flashback scenes, this book is everything i wanted. the definition of, “right person, wrong time.” i swear, every EOR book i read, the woman changes my life
and yes, do flashbacks chapters usually suck 99% of the time? yes. but not giving this book a chance for that reason is quite possibly the biggest mistake of your life
i’m being dramatic but juliet (h) and luke (H) just changed me 💀
everything about juliet’s story broke me. between her backstory, basically every conversation she had with another character (besides luke, libby, and donna), her need to please everyone, and her ability to sacrifice her entire future for the person she loves...perfection, all of it
and luke…i mean wow. he fell first and it was so beautiful. he was the only one who actually gave a fuck about juliet since the moment they met. he protected her, defended her, pushed her to follow her dreams, and loved her for who she was...not the person others were shaping her to be
“You’re something wild and magnificent, and he has no idea how to take care of you, so he spends all his time making sure your cage is secure because he has no idea what else to do. And that’s why this kills me, Juliet. Because I think I do know how to take care of you, and I want to take his place so bad that it fucking hurts to look at you sometimes.”
based on the amount of pain i endured reading this book, i know for a fact i’m a masochist
April 8, 2023
dnf @50%
insufferable. why do we get dual timelines when the situation is the exact same one in both? she's always dating awful men, he's silently pinning, they don't have one meaningful conversation and they just lust after each other with a look. if only they talked then i'd believe how they go out of their way to protect and defend each other, but it feels exaggerated when they haven't bonded at all.
and i only got to read two sex scenes but they were so bad, my god. absolutely zero build-up.
insufferable. why do we get dual timelines when the situation is the exact same one in both? she's always dating awful men, he's silently pinning, they don't have one meaningful conversation and they just lust after each other with a look. if only they talked then i'd believe how they go out of their way to protect and defend each other, but it feels exaggerated when they haven't bonded at all.
and i only got to read two sex scenes but they were so bad, my god. absolutely zero build-up.
October 28, 2023
“People talk about love like it’s peaceful, but it isn’t, at all. It’s turbulent and anxious. It’s euphoria and despair.”
Trust me when I say there's a Lewis Capaldi song for every chapter of this book.
***
🏄♂️𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗘 𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗟 - 𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗭𝗔𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗛 𝗢'𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗞🏄♂️
★𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
★𝗬𝗔/𝗡𝗔/𝗔: 🅽🅰/🅰
★𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦: 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙰𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙴
★𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦: 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 - 𝙳𝚁𝙰𝙼𝙰 - 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙿𝙾𝚁𝙰𝚁𝚈
★𝗣𝗢𝗩: 𝚂𝙸𝙽𝙶𝙻𝙴 𝙿𝙾𝚅 - 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽 - 𝙿𝚁𝙴𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚂𝙴
★𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: 𝙱𝙾𝚈𝙵𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙽𝙳'𝚂 𝙱𝙴𝚂𝚃 𝙵𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙽𝙳 - 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙱𝙸𝙳𝙳𝙴𝙽 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴 - 𝚂𝙴𝚇𝚄𝙰𝙻 𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚂𝙸𝙾𝙽 - 𝚃𝚁𝙾𝚄𝙱𝙻𝙴𝙳 𝙿𝙰𝚂𝚃𝚂 - 𝚁𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽, 𝚆𝚁𝙾𝙽𝙶 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴 - 𝙸𝚃 𝚆𝙰𝚂 𝙰𝙻𝚆𝙰𝚈𝚂 𝚈𝙾𝚄 - 𝚂𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 - 𝙿𝙾𝚆𝙴𝚁𝙵𝚄𝙻 𝙰𝚃𝚃𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 - 𝚂𝙴𝙲𝚁𝙴𝚃 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿 - 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙷 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚈𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚂 - 𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙾𝚄𝚂 𝙿𝙴𝙾𝙿𝙻𝙴 𝙵𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙸𝙽 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴
★𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: 👥👥👥👥/𝟱
★𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼½/𝟱
★𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧: 📜📜📜📜/𝟱
★𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗦 & 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: 💀💀💀💀/𝟱 (𝙳𝙸𝚂𝙵𝚄𝙽𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻 𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝙸𝙴𝚂 - 𝙿𝙷𝚂𝚈𝙸𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙴𝙼𝙾𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻 𝙰𝙱𝚄𝚂𝙴 - 𝙻𝙸𝙴𝚂 - 𝙳𝙸𝚂𝙵𝚄𝙽𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿𝚂 - 𝚂𝚃𝚁𝙾𝙽𝙶 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙶𝙸𝙾𝚄𝚂 𝚅𝙴𝙻𝚄𝙴𝚂 - 𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙴 - 𝙰𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙿𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙴 - - 𝙳𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙷 - 𝙻𝙾𝚂𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴𝙳 𝙾𝙽𝙴𝚂/𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝚈 𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙱𝙴𝚁𝚂 - 𝙽𝙾 𝙱𝙻𝙾𝙾𝙳 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚂𝚃 - 𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚁 - 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙳𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 - 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚉𝙴𝙳 𝙷𝙾𝙼𝙾𝙿𝙷𝙾𝙱𝙸𝙰 - 𝚂𝙾𝙲𝙸𝙰𝙻 𝙿𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚂𝚄𝚁𝙴 - 𝙿𝙾𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚃𝚈 - 𝙵𝙴𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙾𝙵 𝙸𝙽𝙰𝙳𝙴𝚀𝚄𝙰𝙲𝚈 - 𝚅𝙸𝙾𝙻𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 - 𝙳𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁𝙾𝚄𝚂 𝚂𝙸𝚃𝚄𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧/𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🔥🔥🔥½/𝟱 (𝚅𝙰𝙶𝚄𝙴 𝙳𝙴𝚂𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝙽𝙾𝙽-𝙲𝙾𝙽 𝚂𝙴𝚇 - 𝚅𝙰𝙶𝚄𝙴𝙻𝚈 𝙳𝚄𝙱-𝙲𝙾𝙽 𝙻𝙾𝚂𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝚅𝙸𝚁𝙶𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝚈 𝚄𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙸𝙽𝙵𝙻𝚄𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝙰𝙻𝙲𝙾𝙷𝙾𝙻 (𝙵𝙼𝙲'𝚂 𝙱𝙾𝚈𝙵𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙽𝙳) - 𝙺𝙸𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙾𝚁𝙰𝙻 𝚂𝙴𝚇 - 𝚂𝙴𝚇)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🚒🚒🚒🚒/𝟱 (𝙱𝙴𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙴𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙼𝙲𝚂:𝙿𝚁𝙴𝚃𝚃𝚈 𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙷𝙸𝙲, 𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽 - 𝚂𝙽𝙴𝙰𝙺𝚈 𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙰𝙼𝚈 𝚂𝙼𝚄𝚃 - 𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙰𝚁 𝙲𝙷𝙴𝙼𝙸𝚂𝚃𝚁𝚈)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬: 💣💣💣/𝟱
★𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: 🤐🤐🤐½/5 (𝙼𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴 𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙶𝚄𝙰𝙶𝙴 - 𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙷𝙸𝙲 𝙳𝙴𝚂𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝚂𝙴𝚇/𝚅𝙸𝙾𝙻𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴)
★𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🌻🌻🌻🌻/𝟱
★𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🌹🌹🌹🌹/𝟱 (𝙸'𝙻𝙻 𝙳𝙸𝙴 𝙾𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝙷𝙸𝙻𝙻)
★𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗦𝗧 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: 💔💔💔½/𝟱
★𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘: ✔️ (𝙵𝙼𝙲 𝙸𝚂 𝙸𝙽 𝙰 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝙼𝙼𝙲'𝚂 𝙱𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙵𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙰 𝙱𝙸𝙶 𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺)
★𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 𝙵/𝙼
★𝗥𝗘𝗣: 𝙽𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙴𝚅𝙰𝙽𝚃
★𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗦-𝗧𝗢-𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: 🖤/𝟱
★𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚:
★𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧/𝟱
★𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘 𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗚: 🎶𝚆𝙸𝚂𝙷 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝙴𝚂𝚃 - 𝙻𝙴𝚆𝙸𝚂 𝙲𝙰𝙿𝙰𝙻𝙳𝙸🎶
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰
***I always try to be as objective as I can with my ratings for DARK THEMES & TRIGGER WARNINGS, SMUT TECHNICAL CONTENT/INTENSITY, SMUT QUANTITY, ROMANCE QUANTITY, ANGST LEVEL, ENEMIES-TO-LOVERSNESS; the ratings for CHARACTERS, WRITING, PLOT, SMUT QUALITY, ROMANCE QUALITY, are instead tied to my own subjective reading experience and final opinion of the book.
But Wish You Were Here? If this book had a soundtrack, it should be this one song in particular.
Please listen to it after you've read the book and confirm I'm not going insane and obsessing over a love story that's not mine.
The Summer We Fell grabbed me hard, fucked me up, tossed me aside and didn't even offer me lunch afterwards.
Since the very first page, I knew I was bound to fall into a hole I wouldn't have been able to crawl out from without a fight.
I started the AB at work, after seeing my idol Samantha Brentmoor advertize it on her Instagram.
I really need to stop caving in every time I feel like a book will rip my soul.
I won't come back alive, one of this days.
I got pretty close with this one.
Every time I had to pause it, it was pure torture, which is why I eventually gave up and got the ebook copy, along with the audiobook, because I couldn't stand not knowing.
I spent my entire lunch break eating pasta and angst, sobbing in my coffee.
I'm slightly dehydrated, now, but on a reading level, asbolutely satisfied and possibly in a temporary post-bliss slump.
O'Roark writes the best FMCs in the romance scene.
This was my fifth encounter with this author and I've yet to find a female main character she's written that I don't relate to at least a little.
I don't share Juliet's past but I relate to her struggles, and, like Drew and Gemma and Tali before her, there was something about this character that I couldn't help but feel like it reflected something of mine.
Speaking of Drew & Co. I can't believe it took me until I was almost done with the book to realize this book is set in the same universe as O'Roark's The Devils series.
I facepalmed myself so hard the moment I figured out I was reading about that Juliet! I was so curious about her when they mentioned her in The Devil You Know.
I simply adored Luke.
I'm a little biased, because I love the name Luke and I love this one Luke Taylor in particular, even if he was a little too reckless when it came to Juliet, and definitely not subtle about his interest in her.
Their romance, so forbidden, intense, sexy like no others, gave me all the emotion I didn't know I needed on this gloomy Tuesday, and the Samantha Brentmoor/Teddy Hamilton duo managed to make it even more perfect.
There are a couple elements I had to overlook (that you'll find under the TW spoiler tag of my review chart), because even I have lines I like to draw when it comes to my readings, but the pull I had towards this book and its main love story was so agonizingly strong, my head and heart just didn't care about the what could be perceived as wrong: they focused on the wanting.
And I? I focused on my breathing, because I lost count of how many times I had to remind myself I need oxygen to live and process words.
The whole Danny/Donna thing drove me insane.
I need to stop reading books that will emotionally destroy me and then pretend they didn't and move on with my life.
I was so frustrated, so sad, so shaken...I wanted to punch a wall, so damn bad.
And even though everything turned out fine, in the end, this was a reading journey I won't forget very easily, and part of it is to blame on the pain it inflicted me.
You know what they say.
What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger.
So...Elizabeth O'Roark, bring on the next book.
I'll brace my heart for it.
Also, kudos to the narrators, because their performance was simply terrific.
Elizabeth O'Roark, Samantha Brentmoor AND Teddy Hamilton??
In case you want to know who that handsome guy on the cover is, his name is Sergio Carvajal, and his girlfriend is as gorgeous as he is, if not more. Go check out their couple pics and swoon like I did *__*
April 6, 2023
*putting a mild spoiler disclaimer at the end*
what a freaking rollercoaster, jesus christ but WHAT A FREAKING BOOK.
juliet is living with her boyfriend and his parents, including his pastor father, after she’s abused by her stepbrother. after a couple of years being with danny, she’s been molded into a meek workhorse who carries a heavy load of the house work and expected to be endlessly grateful for the roof above her head. she’s fought to keep her true self buried deep down inside and tries to become what they want her to be but all of that crumbles when one summer, danny brings his friend luke home from college.
this is quite literally a rollercoaster of emotions that did not let up until the epilogue but wow, was i rooting for luke and jules the entire time. he was the only person who saw who she really was and loved her for just that. he was hot, protective, possessive, supportive, everything and more. true soulmates and they both did everything to protect each other even if it drove them apart.
there were also so many little twists and turns, i could not put this down because i wanted everything to be revealed.
*****mild spoilers*****
this includes some cheating, not between the main couple, but trust me you will be rooting for the cheating lmao.
what a freaking rollercoaster, jesus christ but WHAT A FREAKING BOOK.
juliet is living with her boyfriend and his parents, including his pastor father, after she’s abused by her stepbrother. after a couple of years being with danny, she’s been molded into a meek workhorse who carries a heavy load of the house work and expected to be endlessly grateful for the roof above her head. she’s fought to keep her true self buried deep down inside and tries to become what they want her to be but all of that crumbles when one summer, danny brings his friend luke home from college.
this is quite literally a rollercoaster of emotions that did not let up until the epilogue but wow, was i rooting for luke and jules the entire time. he was the only person who saw who she really was and loved her for just that. he was hot, protective, possessive, supportive, everything and more. true soulmates and they both did everything to protect each other even if it drove them apart.
there were also so many little twists and turns, i could not put this down because i wanted everything to be revealed.
*****mild spoilers*****
this includes some cheating, not between the main couple, but trust me you will be rooting for the cheating lmao.
August 3, 2023
i really wanted to love this. i think i’m being generous giving this 2 stars ⭐️ bc i don’t think i’ve ever suffered to get through something more than i suffered reading this book.
this is gonna be more of a rant than a review bc me giving this a review would imply that i recommend this reading experience and i would never do that to you guys.
so i’ll start off with some of the major trigger warnings in this book:
-rape ( off screen )
-death of loved ones
-assault
-homophobia
-religious trauma
-suicide ideation
-cheating
-blackmail
-abuse
plot:
the story centers around juliet, who is taken out of her abusive home and placed with the town's pastor and his wife. their son, danny, starts a relationship with juliet soon after she moves in. juliet admits she is high-strung and impulsive, but living with the family compels her to become a much more disciplined version of herself. her connection with danny is also restricted as he strictly follows his father's beliefs and refuses to engage in anything against them. juliet accepting of danny’s choice to wait for marriage still aches to feel desired by danny and wishes him to be more emotionally available for her. she expresses this to him only to be shut down multiple times. throughout the plot, juliet is a complete doormat for the family, essentially treated as a housewife despite working full-time at a diner to support herself. while the caring and good-natured pastor's wife, donna, is there, she does little to protect or support juliet. feeling indebted to the allen’s for saving her, juliet believes she must fulfill this role to repay them.
the summer before her senior year, danny returns home from college with his best friend luke, whom the family has agreed to host for the season. juliet is instantly drawn to luke, both physically and emotionally. despite having only spoken three sentences to each other, luke has the ability to see through juliet & his brooding eyes and snarky comments continuously challenge her. unlike danny, luke is not constrained by the same religious beliefs, which sparks jealousy in juliet. moreover, she can't help but notice the desire in luke’s eyes, which further intensifies her attraction to him. furthermore, luke also doesn’t treat her like a slave in her own household & views juliet as a captive in her own home. he consistently pushes her to speak up for herself & want more for herself. specifically in terms of her music which the allen’s have dismissed as a “hobby”.
what i liked:
their was something about this story that compelled me to keep reading it. despite the frustration w the way the allens and danny treated juliet, and her struggle to stand up for herself, their was an element in the narrative that had me invested enough to see it through. i also have to credit the author for her immersive writing style. it evoked strong emotions & vivid imagery through the dialogue. i was able to vividly imagine this little beach town & absolutely loved that element of the book. nevertheless, the only enjoyment of the book boiled down to the fact that it managed to keep me engaged & turning the pages.
what i didn’t like:
luke & juliet just felt unrealistic to me. for a book that markets itself on angst, i didn’t feel their chemistry at all. this could have rectified itself if they actually spoke to each other LMFAO. it would have been more believable if they developed an emotional connection that went beyond staring contests and mind reading. i just felt lied to. the supposed angst marketed in this book felt very insincere to me.
i also wanted to quickly mention that this book takes place in form of flashback and present chapters. as a reader i usually don’t mind flashback chapters but it royally irritated me in this story. just as i was really starting to get invested in the story occurring in the past, suddenly we were being thwarted back into the present. another aspect that bothered me about this was the fact that i felt even less chemistry between juliet and luke in the present than i did the past. i just absolutely despised the chapters that took place in the present. like i couldn’t care less.
of all this books frustrations however, the biggest one was juliet. i’ve never read about a character so hell-bent on her downfall than juliet. this exceeded more than her ability to stand up for herself. if luke hadn’t come into her life, juliet likely would have lived the rest of her life with the allen’s, and while i sympathized with her in the beginning, my pity can only stretch so far. even after she begins her life away from the allen’s ( which only happened bc she was blackmailed away! ) the present chapters reveal that she is still in a physical & abusive relationship ( despite a video leaking of her famous boyfriend being physically abusive, she is still with him!! ) this exemplified that she hadn’t grown nor changed in the 7 years after her relationship w danny. it wasn’t until 95% of the book that she finally came to her senses.
another aspect of juliet that bothered me was how difficult it was to connect with her. besides having little to no back bone, she claims this side of her exists that she cannot display while living with the allen’s. yet as the audience, we never see this side of her. she never assumes into this person even after she leaves the allen’s home. i’m not even entirely sure how luke foresaw this side of her having only briefly met & spoken to her…and while she did have moments where her patience drew thin she was overall hellbent on her own destruction.
similarly, another important detail to note is that juliet is a celebrity in the present. we have no idea how it happened, what exactly she does, what her music is about, we know she is a singer based on the ill willled attempts in the past to make her seem like she has a personality. it is completely glossed over. just as other aspects of juliet’s past home life are, including her brothers death. several aspects that i personally think contribute to someone’s story and their being. at the end of this i still felt like i knew nothing about her.
i want to quickly touch on the actual infidelity and the cheating. first, it occurred in less than 10% of the book, and the way it was marketed seemed to me that it stretched the entirety of the novel, that wasn’t the case. regardless of the fact, i didn’t even actually care that she cheated on danny. he was a horrible boyfriend. he never made her feel desired, dismissed her sexual assault and treated her like something he owned. nevertheless, she could have just as easily broken up with him. leaving her life with the allen’s & pursuing a relationship with luke was an option that was presented to her several times, she just loved being miserable so much that she let that opportunity slip by among many others. in the grand scheme of things, so many of the conflicts presented in this book could have self solved themself if juliet was honest, respected herself, and had a hint of backbone to her.
by the end of this reading experience i was so emotionally exhausted that i was just RELIEVED it was over. i understand with any book their is to be emotional turmoil but this did not feel like romance book. their was no escapism in this & i would not call this a romance book. it felt like a trauma dump, one that included cheating, a weak plot, & the most frustrating characters i think i’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about in my entire life.
lastly, juliet absolutely did not deserve luke nor did she deserve his patience. i believe that if this book was entirely in luke’s pov, i may have liked it better. juliet simply destroyed everything in this book that could have been good. i was so done and exhausted by the end of this, i didn’t even bother reading the epilogue!! i just celebrated the fact that it was finally over!
don’t ask me why i continued reading this either bc i too am asking myself that. if you made it to the end of this you deserve all the flowers 🥲 really, thank you.
and if you did enjoy this book i am happy it was a good reading experience for you :)
this is gonna be more of a rant than a review bc me giving this a review would imply that i recommend this reading experience and i would never do that to you guys.
so i’ll start off with some of the major trigger warnings in this book:
-rape ( off screen )
-death of loved ones
-assault
-homophobia
-religious trauma
-suicide ideation
-cheating
-blackmail
-abuse
plot:
the story centers around juliet, who is taken out of her abusive home and placed with the town's pastor and his wife. their son, danny, starts a relationship with juliet soon after she moves in. juliet admits she is high-strung and impulsive, but living with the family compels her to become a much more disciplined version of herself. her connection with danny is also restricted as he strictly follows his father's beliefs and refuses to engage in anything against them. juliet accepting of danny’s choice to wait for marriage still aches to feel desired by danny and wishes him to be more emotionally available for her. she expresses this to him only to be shut down multiple times. throughout the plot, juliet is a complete doormat for the family, essentially treated as a housewife despite working full-time at a diner to support herself. while the caring and good-natured pastor's wife, donna, is there, she does little to protect or support juliet. feeling indebted to the allen’s for saving her, juliet believes she must fulfill this role to repay them.
the summer before her senior year, danny returns home from college with his best friend luke, whom the family has agreed to host for the season. juliet is instantly drawn to luke, both physically and emotionally. despite having only spoken three sentences to each other, luke has the ability to see through juliet & his brooding eyes and snarky comments continuously challenge her. unlike danny, luke is not constrained by the same religious beliefs, which sparks jealousy in juliet. moreover, she can't help but notice the desire in luke’s eyes, which further intensifies her attraction to him. furthermore, luke also doesn’t treat her like a slave in her own household & views juliet as a captive in her own home. he consistently pushes her to speak up for herself & want more for herself. specifically in terms of her music which the allen’s have dismissed as a “hobby”.
what i liked:
their was something about this story that compelled me to keep reading it. despite the frustration w the way the allens and danny treated juliet, and her struggle to stand up for herself, their was an element in the narrative that had me invested enough to see it through. i also have to credit the author for her immersive writing style. it evoked strong emotions & vivid imagery through the dialogue. i was able to vividly imagine this little beach town & absolutely loved that element of the book. nevertheless, the only enjoyment of the book boiled down to the fact that it managed to keep me engaged & turning the pages.
what i didn’t like:
luke & juliet just felt unrealistic to me. for a book that markets itself on angst, i didn’t feel their chemistry at all. this could have rectified itself if they actually spoke to each other LMFAO. it would have been more believable if they developed an emotional connection that went beyond staring contests and mind reading. i just felt lied to. the supposed angst marketed in this book felt very insincere to me.
i also wanted to quickly mention that this book takes place in form of flashback and present chapters. as a reader i usually don’t mind flashback chapters but it royally irritated me in this story. just as i was really starting to get invested in the story occurring in the past, suddenly we were being thwarted back into the present. another aspect that bothered me about this was the fact that i felt even less chemistry between juliet and luke in the present than i did the past. i just absolutely despised the chapters that took place in the present. like i couldn’t care less.
of all this books frustrations however, the biggest one was juliet. i’ve never read about a character so hell-bent on her downfall than juliet. this exceeded more than her ability to stand up for herself. if luke hadn’t come into her life, juliet likely would have lived the rest of her life with the allen’s, and while i sympathized with her in the beginning, my pity can only stretch so far. even after she begins her life away from the allen’s ( which only happened bc she was blackmailed away! ) the present chapters reveal that she is still in a physical & abusive relationship ( despite a video leaking of her famous boyfriend being physically abusive, she is still with him!! ) this exemplified that she hadn’t grown nor changed in the 7 years after her relationship w danny. it wasn’t until 95% of the book that she finally came to her senses.
another aspect of juliet that bothered me was how difficult it was to connect with her. besides having little to no back bone, she claims this side of her exists that she cannot display while living with the allen’s. yet as the audience, we never see this side of her. she never assumes into this person even after she leaves the allen’s home. i’m not even entirely sure how luke foresaw this side of her having only briefly met & spoken to her…and while she did have moments where her patience drew thin she was overall hellbent on her own destruction.
similarly, another important detail to note is that juliet is a celebrity in the present. we have no idea how it happened, what exactly she does, what her music is about, we know she is a singer based on the ill willled attempts in the past to make her seem like she has a personality. it is completely glossed over. just as other aspects of juliet’s past home life are, including her brothers death. several aspects that i personally think contribute to someone’s story and their being. at the end of this i still felt like i knew nothing about her.
i want to quickly touch on the actual infidelity and the cheating. first, it occurred in less than 10% of the book, and the way it was marketed seemed to me that it stretched the entirety of the novel, that wasn’t the case. regardless of the fact, i didn’t even actually care that she cheated on danny. he was a horrible boyfriend. he never made her feel desired, dismissed her sexual assault and treated her like something he owned. nevertheless, she could have just as easily broken up with him. leaving her life with the allen’s & pursuing a relationship with luke was an option that was presented to her several times, she just loved being miserable so much that she let that opportunity slip by among many others. in the grand scheme of things, so many of the conflicts presented in this book could have self solved themself if juliet was honest, respected herself, and had a hint of backbone to her.
by the end of this reading experience i was so emotionally exhausted that i was just RELIEVED it was over. i understand with any book their is to be emotional turmoil but this did not feel like romance book. their was no escapism in this & i would not call this a romance book. it felt like a trauma dump, one that included cheating, a weak plot, & the most frustrating characters i think i’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about in my entire life.
lastly, juliet absolutely did not deserve luke nor did she deserve his patience. i believe that if this book was entirely in luke’s pov, i may have liked it better. juliet simply destroyed everything in this book that could have been good. i was so done and exhausted by the end of this, i didn’t even bother reading the epilogue!! i just celebrated the fact that it was finally over!
don’t ask me why i continued reading this either bc i too am asking myself that. if you made it to the end of this you deserve all the flowers 🥲 really, thank you.
and if you did enjoy this book i am happy it was a good reading experience for you :)
April 7, 2023
dnf 60%
oh oh this was BAD how is this a romance if these mfs barely interact 😭 they also don’t have any chemistry i was so excited killing myself rn
oh oh this was BAD how is this a romance if these mfs barely interact 😭 they also don’t have any chemistry i was so excited killing myself rn
April 17, 2023
I didn’t even understand when the main characters fell in love ?
May 3, 2024
Summary: Juliet Cantrell thought her days of interacting with Luke Taylor - her boyfriend’s best friend and the bane of her existence - were over. Ten years later, tragedy brings them back to where it all began, and together they must confront the ghosts of the past.
Thoughts: There is something incredibly comforting about seeing Elizabeth O’Roark’s name emblazoning the cover of a book. I immediately know three things - I will become emotional invested in the characters, it will make me think about preconceived ideas I had going in, and I will ultimately love it. The Summer We Fell, although quite a different tone from her previous work, was no different.
First and foremost this book features some of my all time favorite tropes. No one, and I mean no one, does enemies to lovers like Elizabeth O’Roark does enemies to lovers. Add in second chance romance and forbidden love, and I was hooked. I finished this book in under a day, and continue to think about some of the issues it touched upon even now.
While the plot is very important for keeping me engaged, O’Roark’s character development is what makes her an auto-buy author for me. She has a way of developing her characters so well, with each and every one of them managing to work their way into my heart - even those who have me less than enthused.
I admit that I struggled a bit with some of the decisions our MC made, and felt incredibly frustrated at times, yet I still understood on a fundamental level why she was taking the actions she was. The nuanced backstory the author presents, both in past and present day, help to create a 3D character who could logically make the decisions she did.
And as for the love story, I simply adored it. The chemistry and pure adoration leap from the pages as does the visceral pain felt. The characters become so real, it is hard to let them go at the conclusion. Ultimately though, it was an ending I was satisfied with.
Read if you like:
•Enemies to lovers
•forced proximity
•forbidden love
•second chance
•found family
•star crossed lovers
TW ⇢ YES. Please DM me if sensitive to triggers.
A huge thank you to Elizabeth O’Roark and Valentine PR for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thoughts: There is something incredibly comforting about seeing Elizabeth O’Roark’s name emblazoning the cover of a book. I immediately know three things - I will become emotional invested in the characters, it will make me think about preconceived ideas I had going in, and I will ultimately love it. The Summer We Fell, although quite a different tone from her previous work, was no different.
First and foremost this book features some of my all time favorite tropes. No one, and I mean no one, does enemies to lovers like Elizabeth O’Roark does enemies to lovers. Add in second chance romance and forbidden love, and I was hooked. I finished this book in under a day, and continue to think about some of the issues it touched upon even now.
While the plot is very important for keeping me engaged, O’Roark’s character development is what makes her an auto-buy author for me. She has a way of developing her characters so well, with each and every one of them managing to work their way into my heart - even those who have me less than enthused.
I admit that I struggled a bit with some of the decisions our MC made, and felt incredibly frustrated at times, yet I still understood on a fundamental level why she was taking the actions she was. The nuanced backstory the author presents, both in past and present day, help to create a 3D character who could logically make the decisions she did.
And as for the love story, I simply adored it. The chemistry and pure adoration leap from the pages as does the visceral pain felt. The characters become so real, it is hard to let them go at the conclusion. Ultimately though, it was an ending I was satisfied with.
Read if you like:
•Enemies to lovers
•forced proximity
•forbidden love
•second chance
•found family
•star crossed lovers
TW ⇢ YES. Please DM me if sensitive to triggers.
A huge thank you to Elizabeth O’Roark and Valentine PR for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 26, 2025
Angst and yearning are my love languages. This book delivered spades.
We have two timelines.
Current - Juliette is a famous singer and Luke is a famous surfer and they reunite in their hometown ..
Past - Juliette is dating the Pastor’s son (aka wet blanket) and wants to leave him but she feels indebted to the family for taking her in when she had no where to go (the Christian guilt is serveddddd). And who is wet blankets best friend ???????? hot surfer of course !!!!!! The perfect recipe.
Definitely picking up more books from this author.
We have two timelines.
Current - Juliette is a famous singer and Luke is a famous surfer and they reunite in their hometown ..
Past - Juliette is dating the Pastor’s son (aka wet blanket) and wants to leave him but she feels indebted to the family for taking her in when she had no where to go (the Christian guilt is serveddddd). And who is wet blankets best friend ???????? hot surfer of course !!!!!! The perfect recipe.
Definitely picking up more books from this author.
May 1, 2023
What a clusterfuck.
People said we weren't ready for this book and they were right.... and I'm truly disappointed. Half of the time I felt like I was reading a Colleen Hoover book. And no, this is not a compliment. I don't really enjoy a book that the FMC suffers 95% of it.
I wanted the scream for all the things Juliet had to put up with. The patriarchy, the religiosity, ughhh. Felt. However, after a certain point, I stopped empathizing with her. Juliet has no self-esteem whatsoever. None. Zero. Nada. It was painful to see the way she treated herself and, by extension, how she let people treat her. Even though it was a dual timeline, I thought it would be handled differently. We didn't get to really see her in the present. I don't see her being different from the girl she was. She's the same as 7 years ago, but older, richer, but with the same problems and insecurities.
Danny was a fucking TOOL! Oh my god, I was FUMMING. Seriously. I've never been so pissed reading a book in my life. He was UNBEARABLE. He was a misogynistic, self-absorbed, entitled, self-righteous, judgemental, holier-than-thou piece of shit and I didn't feel bad for him for a second. Good riddance. Sue me. I legitimately hated him.
The book has a single POV (Juliet's), which was very refreshing. I liked that, it kept the mystery. I'm usually all for the angst. But god, those "then" chapter stroke a nerve. Juliet was belittled, and not once supported. Until Luke. The way they had each other's back was so precious. I was yearning for these moments in each "then" chapter, that was what made those bearable. Luke made this whole book bearable, actually. But besides that, I don't really get why they fell for one another in the first place. I get everything that Juliet has done, the lengths she took, and her motivations. But not once she chose Luke and that broke my heart.
This story made all my religious traumas resurface. I can read a dark romance without blinking an eye, but this kind of shit here I can barely handle because it's real. People like that do really exist.
Things really wrapped up at 95% and those last 5% most definitely not made up for the stress that the book had already caused me. Luke, though, this book is his. This man deserves the world and more. And if Juliet and he have gotten their happily-ever-after is because of HIS efforts. He was relentless.
"People talk about love like it’s peaceful, but it isn’t, at all. It’s turbulent and anxious. It’s euphoria and despair. It’s the willingness to brave cold water and humiliation and stab the people who love you in the back. I’ll do all those things for Luke."
Yet, she didn't.
-
Also, there's no TW advised in this book, and, believe me, it should be. So here they are:
- Rape (off page)
- Death of loved ones
- Suicide ideation
- SA (attempt, on page)
- Religious trauma
- Toxic relationship
- Homophobia
People said we weren't ready for this book and they were right.... and I'm truly disappointed. Half of the time I felt like I was reading a Colleen Hoover book. And no, this is not a compliment. I don't really enjoy a book that the FMC suffers 95% of it.
I wanted the scream for all the things Juliet had to put up with. The patriarchy, the religiosity, ughhh. Felt. However, after a certain point, I stopped empathizing with her. Juliet has no self-esteem whatsoever. None. Zero. Nada. It was painful to see the way she treated herself and, by extension, how she let people treat her. Even though it was a dual timeline, I thought it would be handled differently. We didn't get to really see her in the present. I don't see her being different from the girl she was. She's the same as 7 years ago, but older, richer, but with the same problems and insecurities.
Danny was a fucking TOOL! Oh my god, I was FUMMING. Seriously. I've never been so pissed reading a book in my life. He was UNBEARABLE. He was a misogynistic, self-absorbed, entitled, self-righteous, judgemental, holier-than-thou piece of shit and I didn't feel bad for him for a second. Good riddance. Sue me. I legitimately hated him.
The book has a single POV (Juliet's), which was very refreshing. I liked that, it kept the mystery. I'm usually all for the angst. But god, those "then" chapter stroke a nerve. Juliet was belittled, and not once supported. Until Luke. The way they had each other's back was so precious. I was yearning for these moments in each "then" chapter, that was what made those bearable. Luke made this whole book bearable, actually. But besides that, I don't really get why they fell for one another in the first place. I get everything that Juliet has done, the lengths she took, and her motivations. But not once she chose Luke and that broke my heart.
This story made all my religious traumas resurface. I can read a dark romance without blinking an eye, but this kind of shit here I can barely handle because it's real. People like that do really exist.
Things really wrapped up at 95% and those last 5% most definitely not made up for the stress that the book had already caused me. Luke, though, this book is his. This man deserves the world and more. And if Juliet and he have gotten their happily-ever-after is because of HIS efforts. He was relentless.
"People talk about love like it’s peaceful, but it isn’t, at all. It’s turbulent and anxious. It’s euphoria and despair. It’s the willingness to brave cold water and humiliation and stab the people who love you in the back. I’ll do all those things for Luke."
Yet, she didn't.
-
Also, there's no TW advised in this book, and, believe me, it should be. So here they are:
- Rape (off page)
- Death of loved ones
- Suicide ideation
- SA (attempt, on page)
- Religious trauma
- Toxic relationship
- Homophobia
August 5, 2023
an absolute angst fest and I loved every minute of it!! coming off the grumpy devils series which was much more lighthearted and just so witty and hilarious, this book was definitely a different vibe but i still loved it soo much. the tension and angst in both timelines of the story were so good, and I just waiting for my girl juliet to catch a damn break!! loved luke, love how they never got over each other. a very well deserved happy ending!!! excellent audiobook!!
July 5, 2023
4.5 stars
I loooove an angsty love triangle and I knew that Elizabeth O'Roark would deliver on an emotional good time. From the beginning I loved the tension between Luke and Juliet. She's in a tough spot where she was taken in by her boyfriend's family to leave an abusive situation, so she feels like she owes everything to them and could never leave her boyfriend. But Luke makes her want to live and chase her dreams. This book flashes between the past and ten years to the present, and I honestly enjoyed the past chapters more because they were so angsty and emotional and fleshed out. The present chapters were emotional and angsty, but not as deep and heart wrenching. I would have loved a bit more for the present chapters so I was as emotionally invested in them as the past. But I could not put this book down and loved all of the angst! This is a love triangle that you know who you want in the end, which I didn't mind. It was more about the journey of how they would have their HEA when the world seemed so much against them.
I loooove an angsty love triangle and I knew that Elizabeth O'Roark would deliver on an emotional good time. From the beginning I loved the tension between Luke and Juliet. She's in a tough spot where she was taken in by her boyfriend's family to leave an abusive situation, so she feels like she owes everything to them and could never leave her boyfriend. But Luke makes her want to live and chase her dreams. This book flashes between the past and ten years to the present, and I honestly enjoyed the past chapters more because they were so angsty and emotional and fleshed out. The present chapters were emotional and angsty, but not as deep and heart wrenching. I would have loved a bit more for the present chapters so I was as emotionally invested in them as the past. But I could not put this book down and loved all of the angst! This is a love triangle that you know who you want in the end, which I didn't mind. It was more about the journey of how they would have their HEA when the world seemed so much against them.
April 7, 2023
The premise seemed good and I thought that this would take off at some point , but nope. It got redundant . Juliet was the worst doormat I’ve probably ever read . It made her so unlikable. How in the world do readers connect to such a coward ? She was mentally, verbally, physically abused by everyone . Not one single person in this book was innocent of it . And yet we are suppose to believe she was supposed to be loved when not one damn person even cared or liked her . How are we as readers suppose to like her when no one else does? She had absolutely no good trait . She was dry, no personality , no humor, no emotions, nothing but just constantly in a woe is me state . She was just pathetic .
Luke was ok, but still nothing to write home about and the back and forth from past to present was just headache inducing. They barely had any chemistry . They didn’t even have any character development. How are we suppose to believe in this love?
I was highly anticipating this book only to be completely let down .
Luke was ok, but still nothing to write home about and the back and forth from past to present was just headache inducing. They barely had any chemistry . They didn’t even have any character development. How are we suppose to believe in this love?
I was highly anticipating this book only to be completely let down .
April 11, 2023
The Summer We Fell quickly became one of those stories that you know is going to hurt to a certain degree. How emotional was this going to be? Was I going to lose myself in the process of reading this because these characters were going to test me? Or will I walk away knowing that I read a complex and emotional romance that was worth it?
The one thing that Juliet has only ever wanted was to be loved and feel safe. After going through a rough childhood and finding a boy that changed her life for the better, Juliet is more than content with her life. That is until when one summer changed the entire course of her life and led her to the one person that's going to be a driving force for her for years to come.
I have to admit that regardless of a few issues I had with this story, I was invested in it and I wanted to see what was going to happen with these characters. I really liked the alternation between the past and present because we got to see the mistakes that were made that led them to the now. What I wanted and was expecting from this story was more interaction between the main characters. A lot of things felt rushed in a sense we never truly got to see one on one time between them because there was always an interruption. I also wanted more than one pov because I felt like it was necessary to have that and to see the different emotions from the hero.
Aside from that, this was a heavy heartbreaking read at times but it showed you the journey of a woman who went through a lot to get her happily ever after her own way.
February 16, 2023
Omgggggg! This book is everything! Second chance, forbidden, lust, love, anger, possessiveness... Some things took me by surprise but the love that never fails, never ends oh my heart and omg the angst *chef’s kiss”
I want more of course and was so sad to see it end. I love O’Roark books and this is my favorite 😍
I can’t stop thinking about it days later and am so excited for everyone to experience the absolute magic of this beautiful book ❤️❤️❤️
I want more of course and was so sad to see it end. I love O’Roark books and this is my favorite 😍
I can’t stop thinking about it days later and am so excited for everyone to experience the absolute magic of this beautiful book ❤️❤️❤️
April 28, 2023
Interesting take woth the alternating timelines. I love how this author deals with heavy themes and how they affect and cause change in the characters.
But this book also didn't feel like a true romance. It rides the line with women's fiction and romance, IMO.
And truly, it's full of triggering content.
Impressed with it as a work of fiction, not sold on it as a successful romance.
CW: religious trauma, purity culture, cheating, homophobia, death of loved ones, off page SA.
But this book also didn't feel like a true romance. It rides the line with women's fiction and romance, IMO.
And truly, it's full of triggering content.
Impressed with it as a work of fiction, not sold on it as a successful romance.
CW: religious trauma, purity culture, cheating, homophobia, death of loved ones, off page SA.
June 12, 2024
2.5 Stars
Quick Opinion: This was disappointing. So disappointing that I don't even feel like writing my typical review. It was anticlimactic. They finally get together and it's over. I hate that! I didn't even cry and I was expecting to, so that in itself was disappointing. It's definitely Not Safe for my safety gang gals, since there is cheating.
On to the next...
Quick Opinion: This was disappointing. So disappointing that I don't even feel like writing my typical review. It was anticlimactic. They finally get together and it's over. I hate that! I didn't even cry and I was expecting to, so that in itself was disappointing. It's definitely Not Safe for my safety gang gals, since there is cheating.
On to the next...
January 7, 2024
5 Homecoming Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Firstly, I couldn't write a review half as good as my twinsie which was the reason for me adding this book to my TBR...Do yourself a favour and go read her review here.
I knew from the first chapter that I was a goner and would fall for this book, and fall hard. Never mind the fact that the narration and performance by Samantha Brentmoor and Teddy Hamilton were superb; the entire story just melted my heart in a way that is very difficult to explain.
Juliet... was an utterly broken, poor sweet darling who is so incredibly hard and belittling to herself. She never allowed herself to be truly happy, punishing herself for being "bad." It was agonizing to read how Danny, Donna, and the Pastor seemed to walk over her so easily, and she would remain meek with a smile on her face. This perception caused her to take forever to realize that Luke’s disdain was not a commentary on her worth but on their actions.
I used to think I didn’t have any triggers; I mean, I read some of the darkest and most depraved books out there, with seriously blurred lines of what is acceptable. In many cases, those books often enter into realms of "this is messed up."
BUT, this is the book I battled to complete and then didn't want to finish because then it would be over, and I wouldn't be able to experience it for the first time again. I struggled with this story as I found myself in a constant state of sobbing my heart out. There are so many aspects of Juliet’s story mirrored in my past, and it was not something I was expecting to be faced with. Her self-deprecating, self-degrading, and defeated internal dialogue that I know I can’t judge her for because it sounds exactly like mine at times.
Juliet’s story meant so much to me, and while I might not be special or the only one who feels this way, there is a small aspect of her story we share. Yes, there were slight differences between them, and they might not have happened the same, but the underlying theme and underlying feeling we both felt were the same—the guilt and blame for situations that are not her fault but still carry the burden and blame as if it were. There is just something about a book that can validate and articulate all your insecurities in a way you have never been able to fully articulate yourself.
I love Luke. While he is very much a man of few words, when he does choose to speak, he does so with reason. He spent his life wanting the one thing he couldn't have, but that didn't stop him from fighting for it and standing up for Juliet when no one else would.
Overall, I do see some problems in this that not everyone would appreciate; there are heavy elements of actual and emotional cheating. We don't see much of Luke in the present, and when he does talk, his actions of wanting to be with Juliet and how they just fall into sleeping together didn't line up fully as there wasn't much build-up—he felt a bit distant to me, both as his older self and who he was in the past as they never seem to have a conversation, there is just distant pining.
But that lack of emotion is made up of all the emotions or emptiness that Juliet feels. So yes, I know some things could be better, and I know not everyone will love this. I, however, did because it was just what my heart needed to hear.
▶ Dual Timeline
▶ Boyfriends Best Friend
▶ Forbidden Love
▶ Second Chance Romance
▶ Celebrity Romance (Surfer and Singer)
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Found Family
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Firstly, I couldn't write a review half as good as my twinsie which was the reason for me adding this book to my TBR...Do yourself a favour and go read her review here.
I knew from the first chapter that I was a goner and would fall for this book, and fall hard. Never mind the fact that the narration and performance by Samantha Brentmoor and Teddy Hamilton were superb; the entire story just melted my heart in a way that is very difficult to explain.
Juliet... was an utterly broken, poor sweet darling who is so incredibly hard and belittling to herself. She never allowed herself to be truly happy, punishing herself for being "bad." It was agonizing to read how Danny, Donna, and the Pastor seemed to walk over her so easily, and she would remain meek with a smile on her face. This perception caused her to take forever to realize that Luke’s disdain was not a commentary on her worth but on their actions.
I used to think I didn’t have any triggers; I mean, I read some of the darkest and most depraved books out there, with seriously blurred lines of what is acceptable. In many cases, those books often enter into realms of "this is messed up."
BUT, this is the book I battled to complete and then didn't want to finish because then it would be over, and I wouldn't be able to experience it for the first time again. I struggled with this story as I found myself in a constant state of sobbing my heart out. There are so many aspects of Juliet’s story mirrored in my past, and it was not something I was expecting to be faced with. Her self-deprecating, self-degrading, and defeated internal dialogue that I know I can’t judge her for because it sounds exactly like mine at times.
Juliet’s story meant so much to me, and while I might not be special or the only one who feels this way, there is a small aspect of her story we share. Yes, there were slight differences between them, and they might not have happened the same, but the underlying theme and underlying feeling we both felt were the same—the guilt and blame for situations that are not her fault but still carry the burden and blame as if it were. There is just something about a book that can validate and articulate all your insecurities in a way you have never been able to fully articulate yourself.
I love Luke. While he is very much a man of few words, when he does choose to speak, he does so with reason. He spent his life wanting the one thing he couldn't have, but that didn't stop him from fighting for it and standing up for Juliet when no one else would.
Overall, I do see some problems in this that not everyone would appreciate; there are heavy elements of actual and emotional cheating. We don't see much of Luke in the present, and when he does talk, his actions of wanting to be with Juliet and how they just fall into sleeping together didn't line up fully as there wasn't much build-up—he felt a bit distant to me, both as his older self and who he was in the past as they never seem to have a conversation, there is just distant pining.
But that lack of emotion is made up of all the emotions or emptiness that Juliet feels. So yes, I know some things could be better, and I know not everyone will love this. I, however, did because it was just what my heart needed to hear.
▶ Dual Timeline
▶ Boyfriends Best Friend
▶ Forbidden Love
▶ Second Chance Romance
▶ Celebrity Romance (Surfer and Singer)
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Found Family
April 7, 2023
This will be a fave of 2023 - it had the romance, the steam the angst, but more than anything it examined some really important ideas: love out of obligation, being caged or chasing your dreams, finding someone who sees you when no one else does.
It was angsty goodness from cover to cover, and the audio was PERFECTION!
It was angsty goodness from cover to cover, and the audio was PERFECTION!
April 11, 2024
Solid 4⭐ read and I do think the audiobook made the experience better!
I enjoyed this but wow I was not expecting this book at all. I went in completely blind and thought it was a lovey-dovey romcom. No - it is not that.
The love triangle between Juliet, Danny, and Luke was so angsty I was on the edge of my seat like "when is shit about to go down?" Also - Danny drove me insane. Like rip my hair out insane.
At times, it was hard to see Luke and Juliet's connection & the dual pov got sorta confusing. There was also A LOT going on so I found it all over the place at times BUT I did enjoy it and I think it's a great audiobook!!
Ps - I loved Danny's mom 🥹🥹
Chapter 23 and 28 OMG 🥹
"I haven't loved many things in this world, but I loved you from the minute I saw you, and whether it's today or seventy years from now, I'll love you with my dying breath."
"You're the bird." 😭😭😭
- hate to love
- love triangle
- forced proximity
- forbidden
- sports
- small town
TW - cheating, death of a loved one
🌶️.5
I enjoyed this but wow I was not expecting this book at all. I went in completely blind and thought it was a lovey-dovey romcom. No - it is not that.
The love triangle between Juliet, Danny, and Luke was so angsty I was on the edge of my seat like "when is shit about to go down?" Also - Danny drove me insane. Like rip my hair out insane.
At times, it was hard to see Luke and Juliet's connection & the dual pov got sorta confusing. There was also A LOT going on so I found it all over the place at times BUT I did enjoy it and I think it's a great audiobook!!
Ps - I loved Danny's mom 🥹🥹
Chapter 23 and 28 OMG 🥹
"I haven't loved many things in this world, but I loved you from the minute I saw you, and whether it's today or seventy years from now, I'll love you with my dying breath."
"You're the bird." 😭😭😭
- hate to love
- love triangle
- forced proximity
- forbidden
- sports
- small town
TW - cheating, death of a loved one
🌶️.5
March 1, 2023
I’ve just decided to drop these reviews I’ve been holding off on today, because it’s March and what’s the point of waiting on screaming about some of the best books you’ll read this year?
Full disclosure: Beta review so obviously I’m a little biased.
I am so fucking honored to have had the opportunity to beta read for the first time ever. And even more honored that it was this book. Which is honestly already so close to perfect I couldn’t believe it’s a beta copy. It’s just that good. Am I failing at my assignment coz I just wanted to say no notes brilliant sensational phenomenal and that’s it? Am I biased? Perhaps all of this. Well I think I’m right regardless. If I thought EO writes a good romcom? Damn does she hit it out of the park with an emotional story, angsty and fraught with yearning.
I like to be kicked in the boobs and slapped around by books just so I can feel something which is a very healthy way to deal with your pesky emotions trust me. And boy did this book do that with its disgustingly brutal angst and pain. When I say disgusting, I mean absolutely nasty and may I have some more please and thanks? It’s a love triangle but not in the traditional sense, in that you know right away where this is going in terms of endgame. But there is absolutely cheating in there, so you’ve been warned. Even though I think the cheating was okay and valid and called for in some ways. I said what I said. I support my fictional babies and their bad choices always. Either way I’ll refer our endgame as Mr X so as not to spoil anything.
My heart continuously broke for Juliet because she goes through a lot no one should have to. All the weight of the world on her shoulders even though secretly she doesn’t want it. Which spoiler alert, most of us are selfish enough not to want it and that’s okay. Don’t get me wrong, she has many flaws, certain survival techniques she’s developed through her horrifying childhood which don’t always end well for her or others, but at her core she’s just a broken little girl looking to belong somewhere, to be seen and loved for all her jagged parts. The magnitude of the pining between Juliet and boy X right from the moment they meet until the very end is just constant and breathtaking and hurts so good I was physically shaking at times. Having entire conversations with a single glance, protecting each other even when they won’t do it for themselves, being so completely in love that they’d become the villain of their own story if need be. She just finds X under the most inopportune of circumstances. He doesn’t just love her flaws and all, he sees her and encourages her to own every part of herself. I wanted to cry for her and them at so many points but stupid public airport I had to physically hold my tears at bay. Even their steamy scenes are just this side of explicit, emphasizing that sense of forbiddenness. And Mr Y was just a holier than thou little piece of poop.
Why I ended my thoughts this abruptly I don’t know. But since this was what I wrote immediately after I finished Imma keep it 😂
***
Beta read. My first ever 🥹 and I’m so fucking obsessed with this book. I’ll post a more comprehensive review closer to publication.
You do not want to miss this one. Trust.
Full disclosure: Beta review so obviously I’m a little biased.
I am so fucking honored to have had the opportunity to beta read for the first time ever. And even more honored that it was this book. Which is honestly already so close to perfect I couldn’t believe it’s a beta copy. It’s just that good. Am I failing at my assignment coz I just wanted to say no notes brilliant sensational phenomenal and that’s it? Am I biased? Perhaps all of this. Well I think I’m right regardless. If I thought EO writes a good romcom? Damn does she hit it out of the park with an emotional story, angsty and fraught with yearning.
I like to be kicked in the boobs and slapped around by books just so I can feel something which is a very healthy way to deal with your pesky emotions trust me. And boy did this book do that with its disgustingly brutal angst and pain. When I say disgusting, I mean absolutely nasty and may I have some more please and thanks? It’s a love triangle but not in the traditional sense, in that you know right away where this is going in terms of endgame. But there is absolutely cheating in there, so you’ve been warned. Even though I think the cheating was okay and valid and called for in some ways. I said what I said. I support my fictional babies and their bad choices always. Either way I’ll refer our endgame as Mr X so as not to spoil anything.
My heart continuously broke for Juliet because she goes through a lot no one should have to. All the weight of the world on her shoulders even though secretly she doesn’t want it. Which spoiler alert, most of us are selfish enough not to want it and that’s okay. Don’t get me wrong, she has many flaws, certain survival techniques she’s developed through her horrifying childhood which don’t always end well for her or others, but at her core she’s just a broken little girl looking to belong somewhere, to be seen and loved for all her jagged parts. The magnitude of the pining between Juliet and boy X right from the moment they meet until the very end is just constant and breathtaking and hurts so good I was physically shaking at times. Having entire conversations with a single glance, protecting each other even when they won’t do it for themselves, being so completely in love that they’d become the villain of their own story if need be. She just finds X under the most inopportune of circumstances. He doesn’t just love her flaws and all, he sees her and encourages her to own every part of herself. I wanted to cry for her and them at so many points but stupid public airport I had to physically hold my tears at bay. Even their steamy scenes are just this side of explicit, emphasizing that sense of forbiddenness. And Mr Y was just a holier than thou little piece of poop.
Why I ended my thoughts this abruptly I don’t know. But since this was what I wrote immediately after I finished Imma keep it 😂
***
Beta read. My first ever 🥹 and I’m so fucking obsessed with this book. I’ll post a more comprehensive review closer to publication.
You do not want to miss this one. Trust.
April 22, 2023
🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Mannnnn... this book was angst galore!!
But let me tell you that I was there, licking every single tear of distress and eating every single lying word out of their mouths!
Am I addicted to Elizabeth O'Roark's books now? According to my Goodreads, I guess I am!
This book was amazing, and not in a sweet smooth way... Not even close!
It was raw, intense, painful, heartbreaking and soooooo overwhelming, that I ditched a dinner with friends so I could finished!
Yep... I'm that girl that do a last minute cancel for a book!
This book have things that a few people can get uncomfortable with, like cheating (not between the main character), a love triangle, mentions of SA, and lots of bad decisions made for the greater good, that made me stick with wanting to punch Juliet in the gut and scream GIRLLLLL... STICK UP FOR YOURSELF!
Not Juliet had it reaaaally bad in life since a really young age, and when Danny and his family suddenly supported and "cared" for her, she felt like she was eternally in debt with them.
I felt sooooo bad for her and a Luke along the book, cause it felt like there wasn't never a good time for them to finally surrender to their epic love!
And I guess I'll board on the train of reviewers that are complaining about a short HEA, cause we spent a long time waiting for that, so we could've at least enjoyed it a little longer too.
Despite the rushed ending, it was perfect and what they really needed after 10 years of pinning for each other!
🎧 About the Audiobook Narration 🎧
Narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Samantha Brentmoore and it was perfection!
I wish the book was made in dual POV, cause it would be great to have Luke's chapters and thoughts, but the duet narration gave me that sense of having him there too, cause duhhhh... It was Teddy!
Mannnnn... this book was angst galore!!
But let me tell you that I was there, licking every single tear of distress and eating every single lying word out of their mouths!
Am I addicted to Elizabeth O'Roark's books now? According to my Goodreads, I guess I am!
This book was amazing, and not in a sweet smooth way... Not even close!
It was raw, intense, painful, heartbreaking and soooooo overwhelming, that I ditched a dinner with friends so I could finished!
Yep... I'm that girl that do a last minute cancel for a book!
This book have things that a few people can get uncomfortable with, like cheating (not between the main character), a love triangle, mentions of SA, and lots of bad decisions made for the greater good, that made me stick with wanting to punch Juliet in the gut and scream GIRLLLLL... STICK UP FOR YOURSELF!
Not Juliet had it reaaaally bad in life since a really young age, and when Danny and his family suddenly supported and "cared" for her, she felt like she was eternally in debt with them.
I felt sooooo bad for her and a Luke along the book, cause it felt like there wasn't never a good time for them to finally surrender to their epic love!
And I guess I'll board on the train of reviewers that are complaining about a short HEA, cause we spent a long time waiting for that, so we could've at least enjoyed it a little longer too.
Despite the rushed ending, it was perfect and what they really needed after 10 years of pinning for each other!
🎧 About the Audiobook Narration 🎧
Narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Samantha Brentmoore and it was perfection!
I wish the book was made in dual POV, cause it would be great to have Luke's chapters and thoughts, but the duet narration gave me that sense of having him there too, cause duhhhh... It was Teddy!
April 9, 2023
I wanted to like this book, but wasn't giving. I don't care about cheating. That was fine, like go for it, it's constant then and now. The most interesting scenes are in the past. I wish the whole book was "then" they were even cute there. Present scenes made it seem like they haven't changed at all. It's been years. Also, that old woman was annoying.
January 6, 2024
3/5 ⭐️ Im not the biggest fan of dual timelines but I did enjoy this book somewhat. Luke was so dreamy and protective, even when Juliet thought he hated her. He always stood up for her even when her own boyfriend wouldn’t 🥺. He is the main thing I loved about this book.
I did have some issues with this though and my biggest complaint is in regards to the present chapters. All Juliet and Luke ever did was have sex… They barely talked 😐. I was just expecting more than a physical connection between them. I think the relationship development could have been better for sure. And I feel like this is the type of book where the hero’s pov was needed. But other than that, this was still pretty okay. It kept me interested but the romance definitely lacked emotion. It didn’t even really feel like a romance book.
I will say, I definitely did not see that twist coming at all towards the end 😳.
And the cameo of Drew & Josh from The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was EVERYTHING. I miss them 🥹❤️
⚠️ This book has mention of sexual abuse and there is also cheating. But it’s not the kind of cheating where the hero cheats on the heroine. My baby Luke would NEVER!! 😌 he was so gone for Juliet from the beginning. I love him so much! 🥰
I did have some issues with this though and my biggest complaint is in regards to the present chapters. All Juliet and Luke ever did was have sex… They barely talked 😐. I was just expecting more than a physical connection between them. I think the relationship development could have been better for sure. And I feel like this is the type of book where the hero’s pov was needed. But other than that, this was still pretty okay. It kept me interested but the romance definitely lacked emotion. It didn’t even really feel like a romance book.
I will say, I definitely did not see that twist coming at all towards the end 😳.
And the cameo of Drew & Josh from The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was EVERYTHING. I miss them 🥹❤️
⚠️ This book has mention of sexual abuse and there is also cheating. But it’s not the kind of cheating where the hero cheats on the heroine. My baby Luke would NEVER!! 😌 he was so gone for Juliet from the beginning. I love him so much! 🥰
April 10, 2023
I did not like one person in this book. Not one. Dreadful and depressing and I really don’t care what happens to any of them.
April 20, 2023
“Juliet, I’ll wait for you forever. But if you leave it up to other people, that’s exactly how long it will take.”
I would recommend this book to romance readers who enjoy pain and suffering. KIDDING. If you loved all the angst that came with shows like Dawson’s Creek, then you will love The Summer We Fell. This story was honestly not fully what I was expecting. I knew there would be a bit of a triangle, but I did not expect so much to go on in Juliet, Luke, and Danny’s lives outside of just the romantic aspect. There are some heavy themes weaved into this story, and many of them had me emotional.
I read this one by following the e-book and the audiobook at the same time. Why you may wonder? Because I was highlighting so much of this book that taking notes in audible became impossible, but the audio narration was so engaging that I couldn’t step away from that either. I loved how the book is told in the heroine’s POV, past and present, but the dialogue was done by a different voice actor for the hero/heroine and side character parts. It just added another layer to the story and helped me really feel the story more because it didn’t sound like someone talking to themselves the entire book.
This is a story about surviving your circumstances, forbidden longing, feeling a sense of obligation and duty because of gratitude, and just a romantic angst fest. Adored and recommend the audio, but also just the story in general. Such a good angsty read.
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRTY9qKy/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR3vugKk/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR3KqoyN/
*ARC of the audible copy read with the kindle edition
CW(***these could contain warnings that may be considered spoilers): older child abandonment, discussions of rape, questionable consent, cheating, cancer (side character), death, homophobic discussion from a side character, ***there is a side character who is afraid to be outed, who then makes some “villainous” choices to protect themselves
I would recommend this book to romance readers who enjoy pain and suffering. KIDDING. If you loved all the angst that came with shows like Dawson’s Creek, then you will love The Summer We Fell. This story was honestly not fully what I was expecting. I knew there would be a bit of a triangle, but I did not expect so much to go on in Juliet, Luke, and Danny’s lives outside of just the romantic aspect. There are some heavy themes weaved into this story, and many of them had me emotional.
I read this one by following the e-book and the audiobook at the same time. Why you may wonder? Because I was highlighting so much of this book that taking notes in audible became impossible, but the audio narration was so engaging that I couldn’t step away from that either. I loved how the book is told in the heroine’s POV, past and present, but the dialogue was done by a different voice actor for the hero/heroine and side character parts. It just added another layer to the story and helped me really feel the story more because it didn’t sound like someone talking to themselves the entire book.
This is a story about surviving your circumstances, forbidden longing, feeling a sense of obligation and duty because of gratitude, and just a romantic angst fest. Adored and recommend the audio, but also just the story in general. Such a good angsty read.
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRTY9qKy/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR3vugKk/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR3KqoyN/
*ARC of the audible copy read with the kindle edition
CW(***these could contain warnings that may be considered spoilers): older child abandonment, discussions of rape, questionable consent, cheating, cancer (side character), death, homophobic discussion from a side character, ***there is a side character who is afraid to be outed, who then makes some “villainous” choices to protect themselves
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