One Summer on Mackinac

by Alana Robin

ARIELLA has always known exactly what she wants and how to get it. This summer, she wants nothing more than to save up for college and get a head start on her hospitality degree. When she lands a coveted job on Mackinac Island, a charming carless oasis filled with bikes and horse carriages, her plans seem to be coming together perfectly.

Until she meets George, falls into a situationship, and throws her to-do lists out the window.

For the first time, she is struggling to reach her goals. With unexpected pressure at work, a jam-packed social schedule with quirky roommates, and a new crush-it’s too much. Will she learn how to balance work, independence, and relationships before summer ends?

Genres: Romance, Summer, Summer Reads, Fiction

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 14, 2024

About the author

ALANA ROBIN is a young adult author who believes teen love stories can be everlasting.

As a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, Alana has always had a passion for hospitality. She has spent her professional career focusing on hospitality operations, change management consulting, and commercial real estate. Her goal as a writer is to share her passion for travel and hospitality careers through novels that offer a behind-the-scenes look at working in various roles, from destination hotels to country clubs.

Alana spent the summer of 2013 working in a fudge shop and hotel on Mackinac Island, which inspired her debut novel, ONE SUMMER ON MACKINAC.

Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Alana now lives in New York City with her husband and visits Michigan as often as possible.

Reviews

[Katherine Lemieux · Rating 1 out of 5]

This might be the dumbest book I’ve ever read

[Rosie Kaloustian · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Mackinac girlie I wanted to like this but it was just not good and the ending made me mad.
If I have to read “bet” one more time in a book I’ll implode.

[Estelle covault · Rating 2 out of 5]

well that was boring

[Mandy Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun idea to start every chapter with a tip for the island! I felt the enjoyable island vibes because it was well described.

They went on cute dates, but I didn’t felt much chemistry and tension. Maybe I felt more for them if I got to know the characters deeper. When Eric came into the love story, it made it more interesting. But sadly enough he disappeared fast. I hoped he was more involved into the story.

The story told a lot about her work on the island and sometimes that bored me a bit, cuz I’m not interested in working in hotels or stores. But it was interesting to learn about her struggles!

It was an easy read about working on an adorable island, making new friends, discovering summer love and facing future struggles. It was fun be on Mackinac island for a bit :)

[Maddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

calling yourself a townie after just two weeks on mackinac island is fudgie behavior

[noelle ! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda forgot to write a review so lemme fix that

First off…Uhm… if you mistitle or wtv it’s called a Taylor Swift song (or, uh, MULTIPLE) you deserve a low rating. Sorry not sorry!
Secondly, yall need more drama. Where’s the drama? Still searching.
Thirdly, I was bored. Enough said!

Bye yall (since I’m writing this after finishing a book after this book, I can say that the next book was indeed better than this so start of fall reading wasn’t a total bummer)

[Elena (helenatheman) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okayyy, just so you guys know this e-book was sent to me as an advance reader copy (Literally Thank you so so much Alana🫶🏻)(I don’t read much on my phone so that’s why it took me so long to finish). But, my opinion on it is going to be fully transparent, given the fact that I wasn’t pressured to say anything good or bad about the book. This book was such an exciting read, the adventures Ella went on, the cute dates with George and friend dates were all so fun to read! THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL THOUGH, were the T.S. References I am a sucker for Taylor refs in books🤭. Moreover, I also think that this book describes spending a summer on an island incredibly well(def adding Mackinac island to my bucket list!!). Fun summer read I recommend!

[William C Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mackinac Imprints

An excellent coming of age tale… that captures what it is like to work, play, and find your self as a young adult working on Mackinac island. So many lessons learned and experiences to be had that you will cherish for a lifetime. Even the not so pleasant ones. It’s good to see that while the island changes, the love it instills in those lucky enough to work there throughout the decades remains the same!

[Aslyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for sending me an arc of this book!! I loved this young adult romance book set on Mackinac Island! I’ve wanted to go here for a while and I enjoyed “visiting” through the pages of the book. I love a good travel/destination book and I appreciated the clean romance. Overall a feel-good summer read!

[Molly Mehling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible! I love how I felt like I knew the characters personally. This book does a great job of encapsulating the beauty and magic of Mackinac island! I can’t speak highly enough about it!

[Lindsay LaCross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute book, especially if you’ve been to Mackinac Island. But def a YA book.

[Rachel Minick · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! I worked at the grand hotel on Mackinac island for a summer in college so had to pick this up the second I saw it. Brought back so many memories! Cute story

[Emma Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! This book truly made me feel the magic of Michigan. Felt exactly how it feels to be in New Buffalo. Wish this story had a little bit more of a plot but still so cute

[Raina Mertz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surely my copy is missing a chapter. An epilogue. A SENTENCE. A WHISPER because I refuse to accept that I loved the whole book just for it to end like that

[Lisa Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a super cute read. I have always loved going to Mackinac and made me miss it even more from reading about it. I love how descriptive the book is.

[Lauren Shelepak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been in a bit of reading slump, and I wanted a good beach read to get me back in the swing. One Summer on Mackinac fit the bill perfectly. It was easy to get behind Ella, fall in love with the island, and watch young love unfold. It reminded me a lot of my favorite rom-coms but set in the Midwest. I’d definitely recommend for fans of Jenny Han.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I have but one regret in my life, it is that I didn’t spend my college summers living and working on Mackinac Island. This book gave me a chance to get an inside look and see what that might have been like and it was pretty much like I’d imagined it would be.

A sweet coming of age story about first loves and friendship. Definitely reads like a YA novel which didn’t surprise me considering the topic and made for a light quick beach read.

There were some mild references to adult themes but overall it’s pretty PG. 18+ for a few topics.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

no plot just vibes

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

HEY DID YALL HEAR ITS PRONOUNCED MACKINAW NOT MACKINACK 🙄

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,75⭐️
war ein schnelles sommer buch! möchte jetzt unbedingt nach mackinac reisen (ist eine echte insel in michigan) 🏝️
ariella hat im sommer zwei jobs gearbeitet und daher meinen traum gelebt ich liebe irgendwie so working teenage girls (fragt nicht ich weiß es selber nicht) daher sehr relatable und cool fand ich!🫶🏻
außerdem waren tausende taylor swift references und so im buch was mega cool war💋🤍 namen wie dorothea, inez, emma, james, abigail kamen auch vor da war dann schon klar, dass taylor wichtig ist hehe🫂💖 das buch ist legit ein liebesbrief an tswizzle (werdet ihr anhand der quotes sehen)💋💋
das buch war dennoch nicht mega krass oder so darum 3,5-3,75⭐️


I had always been an introverted extrovert. Shy until I got to know someone and then unable to shut up.
—> that’s me???😓🤫

If I was patient enough, maybe I could prove myself valuable.
Play the long game by not bothering anyone: A people-pleaser's guide to life.
—> again… soo relatable man ✊🏼


"So, what's your favorite thing in the world?"
"Taylor Swift"
"Taylor Swift?"
"Yes." Unlike him, I was fully confident in this statement.
"Why?"
"Pure talent. Glittery dresses. Easter eggs. Insane concert performances that are better than every Broadway show put together." He was silent, which I took as an invitation to continue. "It's the way she breaks the fourth wall. She doesn't act too cool or too famous to know what we, her fans, are doing. She loves and acknowledges us. We have an insane amount of inside jokes, and she references them directly to us at concerts and online. It's the way her life and mine could not be more different, yet I relate to every word of her songs.
Honestly, the relationship I have with her is so pure and exactly how I would want all my friendships to be."
—> ICH LIEBE DAS! probably einer meiner lieblingsquotes jemals🫶🏻🫂 würde es genauso auch beschreiben 🥹❤️‍🔥


It was official. The best way to tell if a guy is going to treat you right is to explain your love of Taylor Swift to him. If he can listen and understand her, he's perceptive enough to be good to you, too. If he can't, it's a red flag.
—> FACTS 🗣️🗣️ aus erfahrung kann ich sagen es stimmt absolut 👍🏻

The memories would be teeming with all the would've, should've, could'ves of an unexplored desire instead of the bittersweet adventures.
—> ein beispiel für die ganzen taylor references hehe 😋

Until this moment, the most serious relationships and heartaches in my life had been with Taylor Swift's exes. I'd felt her losses deeper than any of my own and you could be sure that I was more emotionally damaged listening to a mash-up of Dear John and Would've, Could've, Should've than I was thinking about any of the guys I'd gone out with in high school.
—> ICH LIEBS 🙌🏻🙌🏻

"I'll meet you at midnight. On the break dock," he walked away, not leaving me a chance to respond.
Who did be think be was? This was ridiculous. Taylor Swift was the only one worthy of being met at midnight.
—> agreed. 🤝🏼

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read!! I did not expect to like it so much based off the reviews, but this was a really fun and entertaining read! I do highly recommend. I mainly read this because I AM going to Mackinac this summer 🤭 and I wanted to prepare for my trip because Ella and I have the SAME job working at a fudge shop! I’m pretty sure it’s the same fudge shop, Joann’s, but she changed the name to Rosanne’s. The romance was cute and well written, George was a cute love interest and I liked the slow burn and the drama near the end with the possible cheating scandal. I just wish there was MORE drama because we got little peeks at it, but it didn’t go deep enough to satisfy my life for drama. I’ll also say, I wish the author used more contractions because I don’t love reading, “you will love it” “I will show you” “we are going to the beach” it reads as kind of clunky I think and weird. I just prefer contractions, it reminds me too much of how my dad texts. Anyway, I cannot WAIT to start my job this summer! I’m also promised a summer bonus if I stay the whole summer (mentioned in the book) which of COURSE I’m staying the whole summer! I know it’ll be hard work and long hours, but I’ll be living on an ISLAND! I think I’ll manage. Great read, very entertaining and well written. Do recommend!

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teen girl this book is everything I have dreamed of and more. This is a young adult book and has everything I wanted in a romance book.
It’s a clean book romance wise, which I appreciate.
The Easter eggs to Gilmore girls, The Summer I turned Pretty, and Taylor Swift  in the story go with all of  the vibes of the island and the characters. The friendships that were created through the book will keep you invested and want to know what happens with them after they leave Mackinac Island.
Ariella and George’s relationship grows as the summer goes on, I love when they see each other after their shifts most days. I love how the book takes place on a tiny summery island. It makes me want to go to Mackinac Island myself.

[nolie! · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

thank you to the author alana for sending me an arc of this book!!

i really enjoyed one summer on mackinac! it was extremely relatable and realistic to all the changes and independence you gain during that period of your life. the main character’s inner thoughts and motivations progressed through the story beautifully. i do wish you r got to know all the side characters a bit more, including the love interest.

if you’re a sucker for a taylor swift reference and want a perfect summery read I definitely recommend you pick this up on May 14th!!

[Mika Brannan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the premise of having the book on Mackinac Island. It truly is a beautiful place and I loved viewing it again as a reader.
However this book was hard for to get through the dialogue was so cringe. How many times can she use the word, “bet”?
I also wasn’t a fan of all the drinking the character did. She’s young I get it, but for someone who says she doesn’t really do the party seen, that’s all she ever did and everything was overly repetitive. Work, complain about work, party with friends, day off, repeat.

[Angela Welch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a charming, light read—especially if you approach it with the mindset of an 18-year-old girl. It was chosen by a fellow member of my book club, and honestly, I probably wouldn't have picked it up on my own, despite living in Michigan and having visited Mackinaw numerous times. While the character and story development could have been stronger, the book was still enjoyable in a laid-back, semi-entertaining way. It did feel a bit juvenile at times, but overall, it's not the worst book I've come across.

[annis · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really wanted to like this book - the idea of a summer romance in michigan was so cute to me! but, it was written very poorly and it felt like the author was trying to write slang, but it came across weird. it was definitely a YA read, which i typically appreciate, but this one felt forced and awkward. the premise was cute though so it gets a 3/5. if you have KU, i would maybe recommend it, but if not, do not pay for this book

[Megan Wilhoit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very young adult, but I feel like it would have made more sense if Ella was atleast a freshman or sophomore in college. Also if you are familiar with Mackinac and go to the island often, you might find some areas of the book to be a little inaccurate and could have used more research. Lastly, most of the travel tips weren’t event related to Mackinac, I felt those could have been A LOT more specific to the island.
Overall it was a cute short read.

[Kierstin Carnahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. It was a debut novel about a girl spending a college summer working on Mackinac Island. It’s about her balancing her work, social, and love life for the summer. There was no real conflict or climax. It was just kind of a diary of the summer and then when summer ended, the story ended. No look into the future, no idea what happens between characters, etc. But if you’re a fan of Mackinac Island I’m sure you’ll love it and relate to it.

[chris b · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mackinac island

I loved your book. I live in Michigan, and try to read stories that take place here. I could relate to your book, because my oldest daughter worked on the island for two summers back in the 90's. I was always going to the island to take her things she needed. She worked at a boutique called Tashia's and lived above Horns bar across from the docks. Your story brought back a lot of memories .. Thank you, I really enjoyed it.

[rhiannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give jt like a 3.5 stars.
I did like it.
It started out strong making you feel like you were right there on the island. As someone who spent a few winters on the island as a kid it make me feel like I was right back on the island.
But then a few chapters in it was focused on little tiny details and it got a little boring. But then it picked back up again and kept me reading.
While it was good it didn’t excite me to keep going. I was also not a fan of the ending.