Beachy Keen

Falling for Summer

by Kasey Stockton

He has it all, except the one thing money can't buy: her heart.

When Cat Keene finds a medical bill with the horrendous words final notice stamped across the front, she learns two things: first, her uncle/the man who raised her is keeping things from her for the first time in her life. Second, they need money—and fast—or they’ll lose the only thing she has left of her parents: the bed & breakfast she runs with him.

Noah Belacourt is a billionaire with a newly acquired anxiety diagnosis and a one-way ticket to Sunset Harbor for the summer, courtesy of his company's board of directors. Being on the island he grew up on for a forced sabbatical has a major perk when he runs into the girl he's harbored a crush on since they were teens. She's still the same old Cat, except now she's in some major financial trouble. Noah wants to help her, but Cat is stubborn. She holds onto past biases about his family and takes some convincing.

When Cat agrees to work as Noah’s personal assistant for the summer, she doesn’t realize she’s signing up for a lot more than debt relief. Some of her preconceived notions about the Belacourt family begin to feel wrong. Noah proves that not all first impressions are reliable, forcing Cat to face the past—and to hope that things will end up just peachy keen after all.

Because the alternative is losing everything that matters to her, and she is not about to let that happen.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Clean Romance, Summer, Rom Com, Fiction

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 19, 2024

Reviews

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆This book was so refreshing. It's a perfect summer romance in my opinion. Pretty light, nothing too serious. Great island vibes set in Florida. I swear, you can almost smell the sunscreen on the pages.

╰┈➤ We follow our FMC Cat who helps her uncle run a bed and breakfast on the small island. She's happy for the most part, going about her daily life - but when she finds an extremely expensive unpaid bill from when her uncle was sick and it could mean potentially losing their home, Cat knows she has to do something to help.

╰┈➤ Noah, our MMC is a billionaire - yes, a billionaire- I really thought I was done with these lol but anyway, he grew up on the island as well but for the majority of the year he lives in NYC. For the time being he's staying at his parent's house on mandatory leave from his job after a panic attack puts the company at risk.

Growing up, the two weren't really in each others lives intimately but they each had crushes on the other in the past. When a random meet cute occurs it sparks life back into the feelings they once had for each other.

𓇼 𖦹*• ༄ 𖤓 This was one of the cutest summer romances I've read in a while- I didn't think too much about it and just dove it. Right away you're thrown into small island living, the palm trees, the ocean, just pure summer vibes.

The two main characters were a delight! I honestly can't complain about either one of them- the FMC was freaking great! How often do I ever say that? LOL. The chemistry between them was adorable and heart melting. 𓇼 𖦹*• ༄ 𖤓

╰┈➤ This is a clean romance so no spice but it was super fun and totally swoon worthy.

╰┈➤ Definitely recommend if you're looking for something quick and fun to read out in the summer sun.

This book has nothing to do with Grease but I couldn't get the song out of my head lol. ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆
𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Oh, hello... 🤭☀️🍨🏄‍♀️

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐
Genre ~ romantic comedy
Series ~ Falling for Summer #2
Others in the series ~ Falling for Summer series
Setting ~ Sunset Harbor, an island off the coast of Florida
Publication date ~ July 6, 2024
Est Page Count ~ 354 (34 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 2 minutes
Narrators ~ Rylee Kuberra, John Rogers
POV ~ dual 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ small town, island life, billionaire, secret crush, workplace romance, forced proximity, slow burn, no steamage

Cat & Noah have a cute adult meet-cute when he saves her and her scarf from the ocean. An ocean that she’s afraid of getting in due to a heartbreaking reason.

I absolutely loved Cat and her uncle Otto’s relationship. He raised her after her parents died when she was young. She learns he has some hefty medical bills, in addition to possibly losing the BNB they own, so she takes a job as Noah’s personal assistant to secretly pay them off. This just shows what a mostly lovely character she is. She’s not thrilled about it since she hasn’t been a fan of the Bellacourt’s for years due to Noah’s sister's actions in high school. Not quite sure why she’s still hung up on something that happened ages ago, though, so that did bump her loveliness down a notch for me.

Noah was really sweet. I am beyond thrilled we had his POV to show his true feelings of his secret crush he's had on Cat for so long. He wanted to use his money to help Cat out, but understood that she wouldn’t just take a handout from him, so he employed her instead. He, also, has some anxiety issues that are dealt with positively.

Overall, cute and fun. The title is perfect since Keen is Cat's last name.

Series notes:
The timeline is the same for each book meaning the characters from other books in the series are in the background, but haven’t necessarily had their story told yet. I like this way of doing things since it doesn’t make it absolutely necessary to read them in order, but it’ll be better if you do.

Narration notes:
Duet!! Whoop whoop! Both of their voices were pleasing to my ears.

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[Micah (micahs.bookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’M OBSESSED!!! Beachy Keen was summer romance bliss! I loved every single second of this book and was here for all the island billionaire vibes.

Noah was incredible and I loved how he understood Cat and what she needed and his mega crush on her was so stinkin cute! That’s some serious book boyfriend material right there!

I got a kick out of all of Cat’s nicknames for Noah. And I love that Noah is the only one to use Cat’s full name. The two of them were fire together and I was here for every one of their interactions.

There were so many amazing scenes, where the chemistry was sizzling off the page. The whole photo shoot and sand castle building were my favorite. I couldn’t stop smiling. And did someone say BLACKBERRIES?! Swoon!

Kasey’s writing has a cozy, calm feeling about it. Even though I know it’s not effortless, it feels that way because the plot and the romance just flows so naturally and it makes it all so enjoyable! Be ready to binge this one because you are not going to want to put it down!

I really appreciate that Kasey Stockton stays within a content level that I am comfortable and happy with while also absolutely adoring and swooning over it.

I highly recommend visiting Sunset Harbor with the Falling for Summer series of seven interconnected stand-alones by seven of my favorite authors.

🔥: Kissing

🎧AUDIO: I reread with the audio and it was AMAZING! The duet narration with the male narrator reading every MMC quote and the female narrator doing all the women’s voices was such a lovely experience. I loved how immersive and natural it felt.

[CatsBnB · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC 🩷!!!!!

[Tasha (the_clean_read_book_club) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for your next summer read escape? This is it!

'She thinks I'm doing her the favor, paying her a ridiculous amount for handling my dry cleaning and coordinating the lawn guy's appointments. She doesn't realize I'm the one who wins here. I get to hang out with Cat Keene all summer long.'

Well, well well...Noah Belacourt has a crush and has had one on one Catalina Kenne for quite some time and this book is just the beginning of a beautiful summer romance!!!

Opposites attract, self-made billionaire, forced proximity, boss/employee situation, long-time crush, lots of attraction and sooooo many opportunities for love to thrive...this is reader heaven.

This was another binge read. No regrets, and I can't wait to start it up and reread it all over again. Kasey Stockton romances are always top notch and I get giddy just thinking about them.

Noah and Cat's romance is sure to be a top romance of the year. It's swoony, it's romantic and prepare yourself for the puddle you will become while watching these two experience one of the best summers of their life.

Kasey, you outdid yourself with this one.

I loved every second of it.

Get it.
Read it.
Love it.
Repeat.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Content: Loss of loved ones, anxiety representation, dysfunctional family, bullying, found family, tight group of friends/community, romance-kisses only.

[Alysha (For The Love of Christian Fiction) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billionaire romances are my guilty pleasure! Add workplace romance with unrequited love and they’ve known each other since they were kids.
That has all the makings of a book Alysha will like immensely!

While I struggled a bit with Cat’s original dislike of Noah because of his sister’s actions 10+ years before, I have never been bullied so I’m not 100% what kind of toll that takes on someone. But I’m human, so I can understand unresolved feelings & wishing for a sign of remorse. I do appreciated her being able to separate Noah from his family name, and get to know him as a person and by HIS actions.
I enjoy how Cat & his sister’s history was handled and it felt mature!

Cat was a ball of sunshine, and she faced so many horrible things in life but she never let that change her nature! I ADORED her relationship with Otto, and the people of Sunset Harbor!

Noah was just a little ooey gooey softie! He had the biggest heart, and just wanted to be perfect for everyone all the time. And he found it wasn’t possible…we will break.

I found it soo refreshing to have the main male character dealing with anxiety — and getting help! Seeing a doctor. Talking about taking medication if that was the right choice.

This book just made me happy! It was summery, and full of chemistry and love and healing. I don’t know what else to say but that…and that’s perfect because it’s true!

5/5 stars

*I received this book from the author**All opinions are my own*

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

AUDIO REVIEW: It’s not a secret that I’m in love with the Falling for Summer series and Rylee Kuberra and John Rogers did a fantastic job of bringing this one to life in a dual narration.

Noah and Cat come from vastly different worlds–one with money and one without–but their common thread is a childhood on the island of Sunset Harbor. The meet cute is one to remember.

I love how Stockton develops such great characters and there is definitely more than meets the eye with them. Struggles are a part of life and while the hardships are represented, they are delivered in a way that doesn’t feel heavy–the light, romcom vibes are sweet and strong, striking the perfect balance.

I loved reliving this beachy story and falling all over again.

*****************************

“I can’t let myself think about how it feels with my legs all tangled in his. He is the enemy. His legs do not feel great. Fine, I’m lying. He feels fantastic.”

Pull out your LaCroix and settle in for another fantastic romcom! This series is shaping up to be everything single thing I could want in a summer romance…and more. This book is all about Cat and Noah, a member of her mortal enemy family, and it was all kinds of cute. I loved the first meet cute just as much as I loved the second one. And the fact that he falls first? Divine perfection.

I also loved the mental health rep and how it made the characters very relatable on so many levels. But it was the interactions that hooked me. Noah had to move oh, so carefully to keep skittish Cat from bolting and bam! those hesitant and desperate contacts gradually shifted in the swooniest banter ever. Noah is what dreams are made of and Cat is a friend waiting to be made, and every moment and circumstance of this book lit up my life.

I’m caught in the riptide of the Falling for Summer series and I have no desire to escape any time soon.

Content: mild romance; talk of parents deaths/divorce/cancer; talk of past bullying; talk of anxiety and depression

*I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

[Alicia (aliciasalwaysreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: romcom
Content: makeouts, death of parents to drowning (in the past)

I was so thrilled to be back in Sunset Harbor, and to get to hang out with Cat and Noah this time around!!! Noah has recently achieved billionaire status. Although few people know, he has also recently achieved a mandatory break from work after experiencing a mental breakdown, which is why is he is back in Sunset Harbor. After a couple of hilarious run-ins with Cat, Noah's longtime crush, he ends up hiring her as his island PA for the summer. This is mostly done in an effort to help Cat pay off her uncle's medical debts. As they work together, Cat begins to realize that Noah is not the rich playboy she made him out to be. She discovers he is kind, humble, and incredibly hardworking, and that sometimes the views we have of other people can be all wrong.

I loved that Noah saw Cat and knew how to best help her. He allowed her to work to earn the money to pay off her family's debts, rather than Noah just paying them off because he could. As for Cat, I loved how she was a calming influence for Noah and that just her presence helped to soothe his anxious soul. The anxiety representation in this book was fantastic. I love to see male mental health care represented! *MEDICATION AND THERAPY FOR EVER*

Two of my very favorite parts were the photo shoot & the blackberry picking!

Quotes I Loved:
😳 "Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry about the water. You startled me, and—" "Don't worry about it." She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. "Let me help you clean that up. I raise an eyebrow and glance down. "You want to help me with my wet shirt? Or did you mean you want to dry my chest?" Her cheeks go pink. "No. I mean, yeah... that's not what I meant."

😏 "If they really wanted a good shot, I could have taken my shirt off. Done a few push-ups.” She gawks. "You're that into yourself, Belacourt?" "No." I can't contain my grin. "I figured you are, since you like to watch me in the mornings."…. "I don't watch you. I pay attention so I know when to make your smoothie. Distinct difference." "Whatever you want to call it." I flash her a grin, noting the way her cheeks blush a furious pink.

😂 I totally misjudged him. He's not really a buttmunch at all. Maybe his new nickname will be Bleeding Heart Belacourt. Brawny Belacourt. Broad-shouldered Babe Belacourt. Makes Me Want to Brush My Lips All Over His Belacourt. I'm getting away from myself.

💀 I'm thinking about leaning toward her when we finished picking berries and how she let me. I'm thinking about her finger brushing my lip when she fed me a berry and it kills me. I'm dead. I just want Cat.

🎤 "I know," she says. "I'm okay with that. I'm Swifting this." There's a beat of silence before Noah says, "Like Taylor? She's not a verb." Bree looks at me. "Yes, she definitely is.”

👓 "I like the glasses," I tell her. "I know." My face cringes. "You mean I already said something earlier?" "I believe your exact words were something about a sexy librarian."

*I received a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are my own. No positive review was required.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this sweet & swoony story! Beachy Keen is book two in the multi-author Falling for Summer series and can completely stand on its own or be enjoyed as part of the series. I listened to the audio book and it was wonderfully narrated in duet narration. Duet narration is where the female narrator reads every female line in the book and the male narrator reads every male line. I thought the narrators were perfect for the characters and I so enjoyed listening to this story.

I really liked both of these main characters. It was heartwarming to see the way Noah viewed Cat, even from the very beginning of the book. You find out that he liked her even in high school and always wished he could date her. He didn’t understand why she disliked him so much both back then and when they reconnected when the story began.

I loved the way Cat began to see that she had some very wrong impressions about the type of man Noah was. It was so fun to see these two begin to bond as friends and the struggle that Noah had with his feelings for Cat while she was his employee. I loved this story from start to finish and thought it was a great balance of Cat and Noah dealing with the reality of his celebrity and billionaire status, while also falling for each other as the people that they truly were.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

You can read this review on my blog:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"No. Apparently, you've been into me since middle school. Caused a lot of problems with that crush, Belacourt."

Beachy Keen was all kinds of cute, with lots of emotions in between. In this, you will meet Cat and Noah. A long, long time ago, they had crushes on one another. In a perfect world, they would've known about this, gotten together at a young age and been happy for the rest of their lives. In the real world, lots of drama happened, and she now despises his family. Or, at least, she did despise his family.

Thrown into close proximity, she becomes his personal assistant for the summer. He knows about the money troubles her family is in and is willing to help. She's willing to work for him because she needs to extra cash to pay for her uncle's medical bills. Together? I quite liked them. Especially when we finally find out what happened when they were younger.

It's safe to say that petty drama happened. I'm glad that Cat and Noah found their way to each other because they were a pretty cute couple. They both saw each other on a deeper level and helped calm each other down when needed. I also enjoyed the chaotic Belacourt family drama.

In the end, I'm glad that everything is out in the open and everyone can move forward in their lives. I'll have to check out the other books in this Falling for Summer series just to see all the corny drama and romances blossom.

[Yasemin˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

This was really a cute summer read 😩 His obsession from the beginning made the book more sweeter 💗

[Melissa’s Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Audiobook update: I listened to the audiobook version & loved it! It’s a duet narration & I enjoyed both narrators. Duet narration is no much fun & brings the story to a whole new level. The narrators did a fantastic job bringing all the characters to life & I thoroughly loved listening.

All the stars for this funny, endearing billionaire romance! I loved returning to Sunset Harbor for Cat’s & Noah’s story. Their romance had so many things I loved, a darling billionaire cinnamon roll hero, a funny mistaken remeet cute, long time secret crush, boss/employee forbidden romance, sizzling attraction, & a sweet closed door romance that I’ll love reading again and again!

Catalina Keene’s struggling to make ends meet at her & her uncle’s B&B. When she finds an exorbitant hospital bill her uncle’s kept hidden from her, she worries they’ll lose their beloved home & business. Just when circumstances seem impossible, she receives a job offer from the last person she expects, the uber rich billionaire Noah Belacourt. Cat has nothing but contempt for the Belacourts after Olive Belacourt bullied her in jr. high, but as she gets to know Noah, she finds a kind, thoughtful person who makes her question all her preconceived notions.

Even billionaires have challenges. Noah Belacourt’s returned to his family’s resort on Sunset Harbor Island after suffering a mental breakdown in front of his company’s investors. Hoping to get some much needed relaxation and a handle on his anxiety, he doesn’t expect to rescue the woman he’s had a secret crush on for years. Cat’s his kryptonite and when he discovers her financial difficulties, he finds a way to help her without damaging her pride by offering her a PA position. Suddenly all his dreams are coming true. Though a nerd at heart, this handsome hottie definitely gets under Cat’s skin. With her calming presence, he also finds the strength to overcome his family’s drama.

I loved Cat and Noah! There were definitely some Pride and Prejudice vibes on Cat’s part. She has some understandable anger towards the Belacourts and her prejudice runs deep. I loved all her cute billionaire nicknames for Noah like Bruce Wayne, Darcy, Elon, etc. Noah’s such a sweetheart! I enjoyed the way he was so aware of Cat and her needs. I also loved how his mental health struggles were portrayed in such a realistic, thoughtful way. The forbidden aspect to their boss/employee relationship was so fun in how they both struggled to not cross any lines.

There were so many things I loved:

La Croix water (I’m with Noah on this one!)
Photo shoot
Peanut the dog
First kiss
Blackberry picking
Nursing back to health
LOTR marathon
Nods to The Notebook
Private beach
Secret lair

This is definitely a mustread, perfect summer romcom! Can I just say how amazing this Falling For Summer series is. Each book has been an instant favorite and I can’t wait for more. I received an advanced complimentary from the author. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐈 𝐚𝐦. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭.”

These narrators were spot-on and they really brought this book to life! I loved how they spoke their own voices in each other’s POVs rather than a guy trying to sound like a woman and vice versa.

Cat and Noah were absolute perfection! Their first run-in, or maybe I should say “swim-in”, was hilarious. Add to that the “accidental falling into his arms” trope, and it was impeccable! I’m not normally a fan of the “billionaire romance” trope, but I adored this one! I also appreciated the anxiety awareness shown in this book.

Noah Belacourt has been pining after Cat Keene since they were school age, but has never acted on his feelings. Settling to simply watch from afar as Cat acquired other boyfriends, Noah is certain she’s probably well married by now and has tried to put her from his mind. But after their beach encounter, his feelings have shown up in full force again. It felt as though it was fate when an opportunity came up which required them to spend a lot more time together while benefiting both of them.

Catalina Keene, or Cat as we know her, has despised the Belacourt’s ever since Olive Belacourt snubbed her back in school and made her life miserable. Her heart holds not an ounce of fondness for the family, although she does clean their house for them, and makes a killing off of it. So when she runs into Noah on the beach, there are no warm, fuzzy feelings popping up. Her only goal was to get away from him as fast as possible. But then in a drastic turn of events, Cat finds herself in need of his monetary assistance and he is ever so happy to oblige. Time and time again, they are forced into each other’s company and slowly, but surely, Cat’s heart begins to thaw towards a certain Belacourt.

Favorites:
🧼 Rich guy nicknames
🧼 Cat being startled by Noah in his house
🧼 Ogling his pecs
🧼 Noah’s nerdiness
🧼 Peanut
🧼 Beach photo shoot
🧼 Kiss in the surf
🧼 Blackberry picking
🧼 Cat’s La Croix
🧼 Taking care of sick Noah
🧼 “Sexy librarian”
🧼 Noah’s secret room aka nerd treasure trove
🧼 LOTR marathon
🧼 “𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚗.”

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a light happy book to lift my mood and this one absolutely hit the spot. I loved this little island setting and can’t wait for more books in this series.

Noah and Cat are opposites attack and their love story was a binge read for me that I completely adored. Noah comes from wealth and is a self made billionaire. Cat is struggling to help her uncle stay on top of medical bills. Cat has a rough history with Noah’s wealthy family, but ultimately takes a job working for Noah.

I loved watching them get to know each other! Their chemistry was very palatable and I loved that it grew as the book went on. Forced proximity is always a favorite for me because they see more of the authentic person. Is “if you really knew me, you’d like me” a trope? Maybes it’s just a theme, but I’ve always loved it and loved how it was written into this novel.

[hailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

stupid slow burn

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS WAS CUTE.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

Ooooh boy do I love an anxiety rep cinnamon roll of a man. And Noah was all that and more. I loved seeing the anxiety in this book and it was well handled and well written. Gosh I feel that so deeply.

And the romance is cute! I liked the multiple opportunities for forced proximity moments and had a good with Noah being a billionaire. I think the setting is fantastic and I really love all of the summer vibes this series is bringing. There’s some wonderful growth moments for both characters and I loved the strong connection they formed together. And I always love a cute epilogue.

There’s a few small plot things that didn’t click for me but I am in no way upset I read this. I love a good sweet romance and this delivered.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Content Warnings: childhood bullying recounted, loss of parents (recounted), depictions of anxiety (including anxiety attacks)

[Liz Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book healed a piece of my heart. Seeing how pure and kind Noah’s intentions were towards Cat gave me some hope for love again 🥲🫶🏻 I don’t know what else to say except that this book was timely and left me in tears.

I absolutely loved the authors writing style. I would highly recommend!

[Shauni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beachy Keen is the second book in the Falling For Summer series and I adored it! It has a lighthearted summery vibe, with humor and charm.

Cat has always thought of Noah Belacourt as a stuck-up rich boy. Little does she know, Noah has nursed a crush on her since middle school.
When Cat finds herself in financial trouble and Noah offers her a job to help out, she starts to see someone generous and kind. As they get close, Cat realizes that maybe she was wrong about Noah all along. Reading this book warmed my heart and made me long for the beach.

[Hannah Leutzinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!
I really liked these characters. Cat has been through a lot but is comfortable with who she is. And she is so good for Noah who needs that in his life. And he truly understood her and her needs. They were such a great match!

[Brianna Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is such a great summer read! I honestly love how smitten he was with her and how they both wanted to settle down with a family- so wholesome! His struggles with anxiety felt relatable, as did her struggles with grief and childhood bullying.

🌀Synopsis
Cat needs money quickly. Her life is going great until she finds a medical bill that is overdue, by a lot! Her uncle, the one who raised her, battled cancer and beat it. It came at a cost, apparently, and now their business is at risk. Not able to face the reality of leaving their island, Cat takes a job she needs but doesn’t want working for Noah- the rich and famous.
Noah has been exiled to the island to recover from some crippling anxiety. He’s had a crush on Cat since he was a kid and is desperate to help her out. He hires her as an assistant but immediately finds himself attracted to her again. He’s keeping his secrets though, not wanting to let her in on his drama or his family’s.
When Cat and her uncle come together to discuss the hills she realizes she can quit working for Noah and she does. Noah doesn’t let her go and uses the opening as the perfect opportunity to date her since she is no longer his employee.

[whatslyndsayreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! I really loved this book! This is part of a whole series with other authors where the books are all set in the same town and each book focusing on a different set of characters. And this one was such a delight! I loved both Cat and Noah and love finding clean romances to read! 💗💗

[Bethany Jorgensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super cute and clean chick flick with a very swoon worthy yet realistic male love interest. Also, as a psych, I appreciate that their relationship is healthy and not writhe with toxicity and communication issues. Just a cute romance that you can get swept up in. Definitely 5 stars!

[Megan Crofton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe it took me so long to read a book by Kasey Stockton. I love her writing!! She has a great way with words!!

This love story between Cat and Noah was so much fun! What a meet cute! I loved that Cat was a strong, determined FMC and that Noah was sweet and kind. The forced proximity was so cute and Noah was so cute when he would get nervous around Cat. As the story progressed, I loved seeing their ease with one another. And I love how Stockton added in the extra layer with Noah's family and their relationship with each other but also with Cat. There was so much to Noah and Cat's relationship and I really enjoyed all the layers that made up their depth and how they all unfolded with the story.

So many great scenes that I don't want to spoil here but I loved the commercial shoot, the rug scene, and the blueberry picking!! This one was so great!!

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect dream summer romance! 😍

Cat is a lovely leading lady. Her personality is so sweet, sunshiny, and spunky. I love reading rom-coms where the FMC dreams to be a wife & mother. Cat wants to be a stay-at-home mum & homemaker and isn’t ashamed of it. Life hasn’t turned out that way for her yet, so instead she’s working as hard as she can to help her uncle (& his medical bills) with their B&B and leaning into helping in her community. She’s a true joy!

Noah struggles with the stresses of a high-profile life. With Cat, he finds a way to breathe and be himself without having to hide away under the guise of perfection. He’s a nerdy billionaire sweetheart and perfectly adorable. (MMC with the same name as my younger brother is always a little weird, but it’s fine, haha.)

Together, they’re the cutest. The fact that they’ve had secret crushes on each other for so long but never said anything is also hilariously adorable.

One thing I’ll note is that there’s a lot of noticing. Usually it makes me roll my eyes when things get too muscly, but here, though it happened, it didn’t feel over the top annoying, but more natural. They noticed each other, occasionally ogled and felt embarrassed because they knew better, but the primary focus was falling in love with someone’s character not their appearance. And I love them. 🥰


p.s. and yes, I had to reread my favourite rom-com of the summer AGAIN because I couldn’t say no to the INCREDIBLE audiobook! Seriously, I’m a picky audiobook girl but this was 10/10 🥰

[Leslie Books and Socks Rock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book! Right from the beginning, I was drawn in by the fun meet cute. Although Cat and Noah know each other from their childhood, it’s been years since they last saw each other because Cat avoids the Belacourt family as much as she can.
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Forced proximity, workplace romance, trip, family drama, sickness, a touch fake dating and friends to lovers. So many of my favorite tropes! Plus I love Kasey’s books and this series is set up fantastically with interconnected stories and characters. It makes it fun to read familiar characters or places and where they’re all at on the 4th or the storm.
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The audiobook is so immersive with the dual narration and even having them do their own voice in the other chapter POV. Like if it’s Noah’s POV chapter and he’s talking to Cat, the narrator for Cat will actually speak. That’s not usually done in audiobooks and you’re stuck with a man trying to speak like a woman for that part or a woman speaking like a man.
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The audiobook released this week. Thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the alc. These are my own thoughts and opinions. I can’t wait to read/listen to the rest of the series. 🎉

[Laramee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable summer Romcom! Definitely made me want to go live the Island life!

I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own.

[Sarah Beth G. (a.neverending.tbr) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had its moments but this wasn’t a hit for me. I do think it is impressive that these authors are working other authors’ characters into books so that they stay connected in the series but also can standalone. I just didn’t feel the connection between Noah and Cat for most of the book and it didn’t make sense to me why they couldn’t have a relationship. There was the opportunity for tension at the halfway point but then it just deflated.

Content Notes: Kisses

[Angie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way the authors did this series. Not only do the MC's make appearances in each other's books, but they have overlapping events too. You can tell they really worked together to make this series cohesive. 😊
As for this book, it was really sweet! And many lol moments which is what you obviously want in a rom-com!. On to the next one!

[Madison Allshouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars! Such a sweet read!

I’m HERE for the cinnamon roll MMC that is Noah🥹 it’s so sweet to read about the guy adoring his girl from day one😭 I love when the MMC has a truly good heart💗

and I love Cat and her fiery spirit🔥 these characters were so easy to root for! Definitely loved the carefree, beachy romantic vibe of this🧡🏖️

[Briana Petrarca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok I liked this one a lot better than the first! It honestly was a 5-star read for me right up until the climax of the love proclamation moment… it felt very anticlimactic. And then the way they fought their feelings again after that was a little annoying. But their reunion was adorable, and loved the epilogue! Solid 4 stars for me