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One Summer: A sparkling escapist rom-com for 2024, perfect for fans of enemies to lovers romance

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The perfect, escapist summer romance that readers of Emily Henry and Josie Silver will ADORE

***

Two people. Two pasts. One summer to fall in love.


Caleb is a former professional surfer trying to build his life after a career-ending accident.

Lindy has moved to Loor island to start a new life, combing the shores for sea glass to weave into jewelry.

When the two meet, sparks fly – but not the good kind. Then they discover they're neighbours, and they're stuck with each other for one, long summer.

As they slowly learn to trust each other, and find themselves sharing their stories that brought them to Loor, their dislike begins to unravel into friendship, then maybe something more.

But will the weight of their pasts ruin their chance of a future?

***

Perfect for fans
Enemies to lovers
Stories about starting over
Beachy settings

***

Readers LOVE Taylor

'Beautifully written with good characters and dialogue...The driving force behind this though is the story, it moves effortlessly and is so engaging.' - NetGalley reviewer, 5*

'Loved this - easy reading and couldn't put it down! The perfect holiday read!' - Amazon reviewer, 5*

'It was very cute, summery, fun and highly entertaining. The characters were so adorable and the storyline interesting enough to have me hooked through and through. Loved it.' - NetGalley reviewer, 5*

'I found a new author to obsess over. Taylor Cole is everything I never knew I needed in my life and Holiday Read slipped right into my number one spot of most favored books of this year.' - NetGalley reviewer, 5*

'It did not disappoint, I read it in one sitting as the characters and story pulled me in. In love with this book.' - NetGalley reviewer, 5*


355 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 4, 2024

8 people are currently reading
125 people want to read

About the author

Taylor Cole

41 books7 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
Profile Image for Phoebe.
227 reviews34 followers
June 26, 2024
DNF. Okay so very sad but this was't really my cup of tea..

I read up until 42% and it just wasn't doing anything for me😖 It felt a bit bland and boring, not much happening at all.. the story flowed a bit weird and the chapters were sometimes cut mid conversation? I get that you want to make use of short chapters since everyone enjoys that but this was a bit absurd. 😅

I also still don't know who the main love interest is as there are two dudes introduced, only read the blurb when I requested this so I forgot the name of the mmc. The fmc annoyed me and her thinking just wasn't to my liking. Very pessimistic and very WEIRD? Like girl wtf are you thinking whilst in a conversation with your boss? Why are you stalking your ex? Just felt so weird to me😕 There were some fun characters introduced though but sadly this wasn't enough for me to push through.

I still do want to thank the publisher and netgalley for this ARC. 💕 And just because I didn't enjoy it, doesn't mean you wouldn't so if you like the blurb and don't mind a slow burn I'd say try it out!!
Profile Image for kaitlyns_library.
1,056 reviews43 followers
June 29, 2024
I need to learn my lesson and not give authors another chance because like 90% of the time I’m disappointed.
The writing style was cringe, the dialogue was not it and it felt like the author knew nothing about social media.
I need to stop being fooled by pretty covers.
Profile Image for Síle.
664 reviews4 followers
June 23, 2024
Thank you to Taylor Cole and NetGalley for giving me early access to this book.

I seriously don't get why everyone has been so negative about this book. Cause this was NICE! An easy read, healthy amount of drama but ever so slightly chaotic. Like for real, it's all over the place. And I had a good laugh every so often.

Lindy lives and works in London. She has a job in publishing but isn’t all that great at it. In fact her boss Scotty has been acting quite rude towards her because she is (in his own words) the problem in this situation. Luckily for Lindy, her great colleague Henry supports her no matter the circumstances.
There's also Max. Who happens to be Lindy’s boyfriend. He’s a mudlarker and digs around in the banks of the Thames. He shows his finds on his YouTube channel. But he also has a job in finance. Unfortunately, Max has been quite the liar. He has been “dating” another woman behind Lindy’s back. The oh so famous Gothic Girl Greta (fellow mudlarker).

Lindy has been going through some rough times. Her job is crap, her (ex-)boyfriend isn’t great. Life is just utter garbage to her.
She moves to the island of Loor in a pinch to take a petsitting job. Taking Max his old cat (Nemo) with her (he had to get rid of the cat cause Greta is deathly allergic to the cat). Where she meets a surfer named Joshua (she and Joshua become peers in the long run). And she meets Caleb. Who makes her regret her decision in the first place cause he's a prick.

Her first encounter with her new home is quite certainly interesting. But I'm not gonna spoil it cause it'll ruin the surprise. But there's Ted. Who sounds like the greatest dog in the universe.

Lindy meets Betty on her first morning. Betty is rather chipper and knows everything and everyone. Caleb happens to be Betty's grandson. And also happens to be Lindy's neighbour.

Lindy actually starts falling for Caleb. After she and him got high on some weed cookies Betty had made, she started to see things in him she couldn't imagine. But her heart is also aching for Joshua… which makes everything just a little complicated.

But it's the ending of this book that will make you question all of your believes about this book. Everything you thought that would happen… well, you were wrong! Greatest plot twist in the history of plot twists!
Profile Image for Tilly.
374 reviews
October 24, 2024
2.5⭐️
This book felt like it never really got momentum going. The set up was quite clunky, the delayed reveal of what pets she was sitting felt quite laboured. Then I wanted the relationship between the main characters to get going but somehow it felt a bit flat.
Profile Image for laura.
293 reviews48 followers
June 19, 2024
2 ⭐️

Oof what do I begin with? Sadly, I’ve been so close to DNF too many times…

This book follows Lindy and Caleb who meet on Loor Island and initially clash. As neighbours, they gradually move from distrust to friendship to love, while sharing their pasts over one summer.

Firstly, this book has too many references to Covid… (please, authors don’t do that 😖) Secondly, why does the author finish chapters between conversations?— made it hard to follow the story. This novel is also marketed as an enemies-to-lovers but they have a total of 3 meetings in the first half of the book and not really as enemies lol. And the FMC keeps stalking her ex online the whole book when, suddenly at the 90% mark of the book, she realises she’s in love with the MMC and she’s head over heels over him… make it make sense. There’s barely no romance in this book and the ending was too rushed. Such a cute cover for a story this dull, sorry.

Read if you like:
🏝️ small town in an island.
🏝️ slow burn.
🏝️ they’re neighbours.

Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. One Summer by Taylor Cole will be coming out on July 4th.
Profile Image for Alwaysreading.
143 reviews
June 16, 2024
One Summer by Taylor Cole ☀️🏖️📚

☀️ slow burn
🏖️ small island
☀️ neighbours
🏖️ she escapes the city to house/pet sit on a small island

This is an easy summer read, based on a small island. Lindy escapes London city life after being dumped by her cheating boyfriend. She takes up the opportunity to pet sit on a small island to escape. She meets her grumpy next door neighbour, Caleb, and she starts to realise that she’s beginning to be attracted to him. You learn more about him as the story develops and the reasons why he is that way.

I loved Caleb’s Nan, Betty. She was a great, fun character that added a lot of humour to the story. Ted the dog was adorable and there was a scene that almost made me cry 😢.

There is not much romance and the ending was a little rushed! Overall, I did enjoy this and it’s a nice little summer read.


Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 0/5

#headofzeus #headofzeusbooks #book #booklover #booktok #bookstagram #summer #summerbooks #bookreview #arcreader #netgalley #bookrecommendations
29 reviews
May 30, 2025
This isn’t going to win any awards but I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for books.complainer.
75 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for ARC of this book.

More like 2.5 stars.

One Summer is an interesting variation on the theme of small-town (small-island?) romance, the quarter-life crisis and the search for one's place in the world. It will especially appeal to animal and nature lovers. And while I had a good time, not everything about this book appealed to me.

The first thing that caught my eye was the monstrous number of 96 chapters. Sanderson's The Way of Kings has less, and is over 1,000 pages long. But okey, let's give it a chance.

"This is a thing I do: proving people wrong, especially when they're so sure of themselves, and smug about being right."

The main character is quite an interesting individual, a bit positively twisted, a bit detached and well... annoying to the max.

Back to those chapters... Why do we jump to the next chapter in a string of sentences that continue each other? It is a continuation of the same thought, the same paragraph, there is no need to start another chapter.

The beginning is too stretched out. It provides us with too much useless information that has no bearing on the plot and character development. Digging in the mud of the Thames is of little interest to the narrator, so all the more so when presented in this way, it will not interest the reader.

"And most of all, I resent the little girl who sincerely believed that books were at the root of all happiness. Who thought she could dream her way to a better life."

This, on the other hand, is a very interesting subject and it would be appropriate to focus on it. When passion becomes work, is it still passion?

After a tired start on the Thames, the action moves to the island, and it was only here that the plot really interested me. Our dizzy heroine obviously does everything she can wrong, but she pushes the plot forward. From this point on it starts to get quite entertaining and enjoyable. Admittedly, we are halfway through the book, and the promised romance on the horizon is lacking, but this is made up for by the multitude of strange islanders. The next part of the book alternates between the heroine's absurdly funny interactions with the islanders and Loor's descriptions of beauty. The characters are really well written, the dialogues entertain or make you think. But where is the romance? At 3/4 of the book I had to go back to the description to see who was the main love interest here, because it was hard to tell.

I had a really good time, but this book should have been stripped of 30% of the text at the beginning in favor of a more elaborate ending. At this point I don't know what it was entirely about, several plotlines were started that seemed equal and overshadowed the romance. Is it a book about finding oneself? Or maybe about discovering a quiet life away from the city? Or maybe still a gentle ecological manifesto? I personally enjoyed most the plot of the small local community and the interactions of the islanders. The stories of their lives were interestingly woven into Lindy's story. The atmosphere is like that of a small-town romance, but without too much sugar, showing the sometimes bitter life of tourist destinations.

The ending rushed and underdeveloped. I failed to believe in the romance presented here. This element clearly needs polishing. This book is closer to a novel of manners with a minor romance subplot than anything else. Still it was an enjoyable time spent, the story has a great holiday atmosphere and raises some important issues.
Profile Image for Bookshortie.
863 reviews60 followers
July 13, 2024
Lindy is in a job that she doesn’t like and she’s just been dumped by her boyfriend Max. She needs to escape and a pet sitting job on Loor Island sounds like the perfect plan. When Lindy moves to Loor Island and meets Caleb things take an unexpected turn.

I really enjoyed the storyline because it was such an easy read with very short chapters. The storyline was what I would describe as the perfect summer read filled with romance, humour and including the grumpy sunshine and enemies to lovers trope. The first meeting between Lindy and Caleb was certainly a memorable one because they don't get off to the best start at all. It then transpires that Lindy and Caleb are neighbours so they see more of each other than they like. They certainly clash from their first meeting and that continues throughout the story but then it turns into banter. I loved the sound of Loor Island because it sounded like somewhere I’d like to run away to.

Although Lindy and Caleb are very different one thing that they have in common is that they're trying to escape from their past and events that have hurt them. In Lindy's case that is the fact that Max left her for someone else. I did feel really sad for Lindy especially when she discovers that Max is interested in someone else because she kind of stumbles across it by accident. The thing about Lindy is that she can’t seem to let go of Max despite the fact that she resents him for what he has done. She continues to watch his YouTube channel which reminds her of Max rather than having a clean break and cutting ties completely. This means that it does take her a while to get over what has happened and means that she’s not ready to emotionally move on. For Caleb it's clear that he wants to be left alone and is still grieving because of something that happened in his past that ended his surfing career. Both Lindy and Caleb want to be alone but they find each other instead, with a little help from Caleb’s grandmother Betty who plays matchmaker when the two don’t realise it.

This book also includes a love triangle which is a trope I love. Initially when Lindy gets to Loor she has no plans in relation to romance at all but then she meets Joshua and she starts to see him in a romantic light. But the more she gets to know Joshua she realises that he might not be the right person for her and then Caleb catches her attention. What I loved about Lindy and Caleb’s connection is the fact that they bicker but are honest with each other. The more time they spend together they start to see each other in a different light and realise it’s time to move forward in their lives.
Profile Image for Ella • _elliereads.
154 reviews11 followers
June 9, 2024
Sadly this was a DNF for me. I got to read the ARC through NetGalley but unfortunately I did not like it at all.

I do want to explain why because my reasoning might not be what others think.

First off: the main character is depressing/very negative. The first 20-25% (don’t remember exactly) is mostly inner dialogue about her life being boring, sad, how she’s bored in her job but can’t do anything else (just look for a different job then no?), her boyfriend is cheating on her (not a spoiler as the blurb is literally saying who she’ll be dating) and she didn’t see it coming so her life is sad blabla.. okay I get that but whew so negative.. To me this felt like a good start to the story, some back story, reasoning for moving etc.. but it didn’t have to take up a quarter of the book? At this point I wanted to give up already but I thought, let’s read on and give it another chance.

Next: she then moves to an island to go pet sitting. There, she meets the male love interest, however, she also meets a grumpy guy who she interacts with more. I hadn’t read the blurb again when the ARC was approved so I thought the grumpy guy was the main love interest!! Mind you, we’re at 46% right now… The book is supposed to be enemies to lovers/neighbors. It’s not until 46% (?!?!) that we figure out the first guy is her neighbor and thus the main love interest ??? So it’s not until then that they become enemies, because before this point, when they interacted it was friendly???

At this point I gave up because I had already forced myself to get to the 25% point and then again to this point and I just decided that this book was not for me. I don’t know if it’s just bad timing or if this is a certain writing style, so maybe this book IS your thing. Just not for me.

I still want to thank NetGalley and the author and I do hope you have a better reading experience then I did.
Profile Image for Julie.
2,656 reviews42 followers
November 2, 2024
Taylor Cole’s One Summer is an irresistible romantic read that hits all the right spots.

Former professional surfer Caleb is desperate for a fresh start after a career-ending accident put paid to all of his aspirations for the future. As he tries to figure out what he’s going to be doing next with his life when everything he’s spent a lifetime working for has been blown to smithereens by fate, the last thing on Caleb’s mind is romance. However, that might soon change when he crosses paths with Lindy who has just moved to Loor Island…

Lindy is also looking for a new beginning and hopes that Loor will be the answer to all of her problems. When she meets Caleb, sparks immediately begin to fly – but for all the wrong reasons. Worse, when she discovers that the two of them are neighbours, it looks like they are stuck with each other for the entire summer. However, they quickly realise that they might have more in common than they initially thought…

As they begin to get closer, they start trusting each other and a tentative friendship quickly develops into something much deeper than either one of them was expecting. But are they ready to take a chance on love? Or will their fears and insecurities end up costing them everything?

Taylor Cole’s One Summer is such a treat for romance fans. Perfect for reading on a sun lounger by the beach, this escapist, emotional and enjoyable romantic tale is a wonderful story that will make readers laugh and cry and fall in love with Caleb and Lindy and the magical Loor Island.

Readers looking for a slice of sun-kissed romantic escapism, look no further than Taylor Cole’s One Summer.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Fedythereader.
1,030 reviews30 followers
June 17, 2024
Thank you to the author and the publisher, Head of Zeus, for sharing an ARC of this book with me on NetGalley!

“If you're not expecting a kiss, it means the chemistry, the body language, is all off. You have to long for that kiss, yearn for it with every fibre of your being, stop to lean against a wall in a dark alleyway and hope the other person will seize the moment and go in for a deep snog with the stars all twinkling above you.”

Funny lighthearted and sweet romcom perfect for the beginning of the summer season. I felt swept away in the chaotic world of a woman left behind by her boyfriend and with a desperate need of a new beginning. Her life is as chaotic as her personality but she is such a sunshine even when she doesn’t know it. I guess the grumpy sunshine trope in this one felt a bit blurred. Especially since it is a neighbour romance starting when you least expect it and with two people with oh, so different personalities. But I had plenty of fun reading about them. Classic romcom without too much of a slow burn, simply a blossoming feeling that seems not real but then it is, and a classic third act break-up. Absolutely nothing to complain about. And I would also like to add that some side characters made me giggle and laugh multiple times so … it’s great !

“I won't cry. I can't afford to break down. Life is just a series of challenges and I have to rise to this one.”

'Before I met you, I was drowning,' he says.
'You gave me a lifejacket. Let me be yours.'
Profile Image for Michelle.
235 reviews12 followers
September 23, 2024
Lindy finds out her mudlarker boyfriend is cheating on her with a fellow mudlarker so she quits her job and returns home to Cornwall to take a job as a petsitter on the island of Loor. Her first introduction to the locals is a grumpy guy on the beach who tells her off for collecting seashells before she meets a local surfer with a thick NZ accent.

Lindy realises the grumpy guy from the beach is her neighbour for the next six months. The two spend a lot of time together even though they don't seem to like each other. She also runs into the surfer several times in an effort to crowbar a love triangle into the story but it doesn't work with the story, it just feels forced.

There is no depth to the characters and no real growth or character development for any of them. The surfer is a completely pointless addition who adds nothing to the story. Lindy was pathetic and annoying while Caleb was mean and a bit of a dick.

The scene where Lindy and Caleb get together comes out of nowhere and has them having sex on the floor of a seaside penny arcade before playing the games naked, while describing the floor as sticky. Not at all a sexy or romantic scene. But they end up back at Caleb’s only for his wife to knock on the door the next morning but instead of waiting for an explanation, Lindy packs up and leaves the island!

Thanks to NetGalley and Aria for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Profile Image for Pheobe Harper.
93 reviews2 followers
June 20, 2024
After a breakup Lindy decides that the London life isn't for her anymore and takes up a summer job pet sitting on the Island of Loor. She takes on this opportunity of free time to find back her love for reading and start creating items for a new Jewellery business.
Everything is going great until she meets her new neighbour Caleb, a former Professional surfer who's trying to build back his life after a career ending injury. When they first meet sparks fly, but not the good kind. As they start to spend more time together thanks to Ted the dog and Caleb's Nan Betty they start speaking to each other.

- Enemies to lovers
- Single POV
- Beach Scenery
- Starting over


This book is a perfect summer read for beside the pool or in your garden where you don't have to fully concentrate on the book. This is the first book I've read from this author and I enjoyed it. I typically read something which has a bit more drama and depth to it so I found myself waiting for the book to 'start' and more to happen but it's just not that kind of book. I did feel at times this book felt like it was on auto-pilot as it didn't have much going on.
I loved the humour that Betty brought to the story and how Ted was made into a big character in the book.

I was kindly gifted this book in return for an honest review via Netgalley
Profile Image for Kirsty (BookBlogger).
2,054 reviews63 followers
July 9, 2024
One Summer by Taylor Cole

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Two people. Two pasts. One summer to fall in love. Caleb is a former professional surfer trying to build his life after a career-ending accident. Lindy has moved to Loor island to start a new life, combing the shores for sea glass to weave into jewelry. When the two meet, sparks fly – but not the good kind. Then they discover they're neighbours, and they're stuck with each other for one, long summer. As they slowly learn to trust each other, and find themselves sharing their stories that brought them to Loor, their dislike begins to unravel into friendship, then maybe something more. But will the weight of their pasts ruin their chance of a future?

My Opinion

This was a nice and easy book to read.

Lindy has been having rough time - she isn't happy at work and her boyfriend has been keeping secrets. Taking a job house-sitting to escape London, Lindy is definitely out of her comfort zone. Loor island certainly has some characters but it was very easy to feel at home. I read this book in one day as it was a pleasant escape from reality. This book is going to make for a great holiday read.

Rating 4/5
Profile Image for Katherine Chaytor.
624 reviews75 followers
July 4, 2024
Look at you, happy as Larry,’ she says. ‘The island is already working its magic on you.’

Oh the wonderful island of Loor, how I loved you and the residents!

Taylor Cole is another new to me author, which is always a delight! One Summer takes us on a journey of real discovery for adorable Lindy. After a breakup from her long term boyfriend , a job that wasn’t going anywhere, Lindy applies to be a house sitter on the island of Loor (off Cornwall) for a range of animals - and oh what a range of animals 🐍. There she meets the Loor locals, including Caleb, the next door neighbour. Sparks don’t really set off that well, so it’s quite the slow burn of just hanging out with each other. Caleb has a past too, so he is quite a tough nut and quirky character.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It definitely felt like more women’s fiction than romance. It was charming, witty and quite an adventure. The island residents were an absolute hoot, particularly Betty, who is Caleb’s grandmother. This book was pure escapism with some cute animals too, oh Ted 🐶

Thank you #netgalley and Head of Zeus for the advanced review copy
Profile Image for Pam Robertson.
1,447 reviews8 followers
July 9, 2024
There is plenty of humour in this story of starting over and finding love. Set on the remote island of Loor, the inhabitants add a liveliness to the writing. The quirky individuals seem to know what is going on on the island almost as soon as it happens. The island setting is stunning and so much of the story takes place on the beach. It is obvious from the first pages that Lindy is dissatisfied with her life and looking for a new direction. In moving to the island, she takes a leap of faith.

Lindy finds herself petsitting back in her native Cornwall but is also nursing a broken heart. The grumpy next door neighbour has a back story which she find hard to ferret out. An enemies to lovers story, it is Lindy's reactions to life on the island and to her charges which are most amusing. You also find yourself hoping that she can sort her thoughts out and see certain characters in their true light.

In short: amusing enemies to lovers tale.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book
Profile Image for Sara Oxton.
3,804 reviews18 followers
May 11, 2024
This is a five-star read that the locals would enjoy. This was my first story by the author and I hope not the last, there were parts that dragged a little and it did go on a little at times, but overall I really enjoyed the story. There were a couple of moments that lost me, like the dressed up rat called Maurice that doesn’t really play much of a part, unless I missed something, as he did pop up in parts that could have been shorter. There were some lovely characters in the story, and some that you naturally wanted to hate, much like a certain mudlarker. Lindy did annoy me at times, she needed a shake at times, but then on the flip side she was adorable, and you really liked her. Calab and his story surprised me, it wasn’t what I expected, but did work into the island story, his Nana Betty was great in my eyes, she made the story better. If you like your story short and to the point then avoid this, however if you like your story meandering and sweet then this will be for you.
Profile Image for Kirsty & Erin Muir.
1,396 reviews76 followers
October 5, 2024
This is my first read from Taylor and I believe her second novel. The story follows main character Lindy who moves to the island of Loor to house sit for the summer. There she meets Caleb, unbeknownst to her at their first unfortunate meeting, her grumpy neighbour!

I had a few wee issues with this one. The pacing is a little bit off with a big chunk of story focusing on the start of the summer as opposed to evenly pacing the story throughout. The characters get to know each other as neighbours initially then become friends however the connection didn’t feel too deep or developed between them to spark a romance.

I liked the island location with the remote and community feel both at the same time. I also loved the cover which initially drew me to the book. Also, warning! If you’re scared of snakes there are a lot of snakes in this book so just be aware of that!

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title.
Profile Image for Becka.
405 reviews5 followers
June 16, 2024
I didn't love this for a number of reasons.

The first one being that the chapter placement was so weird. It reminded me of children's books or TV episode where something happens so then there is a chapter break or an ad break. I'm used to reading books where a new chapter generally means a change of POV, setting or a time jump and I found the layout of this book quite jarring. It felt like there should have been time jumps where there were none and then other times there were time jumps where it didn't feel like it was needed.

I skim read the majority of the last half of this book because the chapter placement and layout of the book was so weird to me. I didn't love the story line and mostly just skimmed to find out what happened and how.

Others may enjoy this style and story but it just wasn't for me.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Samantha Coe.
126 reviews5 followers
June 27, 2024
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5 ⭐️

I read this book in record time, mainly because I was stuck in an airplane for 5 hours so obviously, reading happened.

This book is extremely fast paced because of its conversational tone and short chapters , its like you are trapped inside the FMCs mind and have to bare witness to her every waking thought, which sounds annoying but is actually extremely funny and wildly relatable.

This book is by no means serious, in-fact I found it really silly and light hearted, it was easy to read and didn’t take much brain power, which is sometimes exactly what I need. Its very character focused, one character specifically and the plot is very much sub to the character, which is not a criticism, it worked for this book.

I felt the last few chapters were a bit rushed, it was clear the two MCs were going to fall in love eventually, but I felt the transition was a bit abrupt.

That being said, I enjoyed the ease of this book, it made me laugh and made my plane journey fly by.

A quick, unserious summer read ☀️
Profile Image for Tyler Marshall.
930 reviews52 followers
July 11, 2024
Buckle up for this amazing summer read!

This friends to lovers romance gave me everything I could of asked for, first lets talk about the handful of *chefs kiss* tropes that Cole included in this read from enemies to friends to lovers, forced proximity and last but not least some found family. I liked Lindy as an fmc, she's relatable and even though her life is down in the dumps at the start of the novel she preservers and knows she has to move on.

This is an easy and light summer read packed with drama and romance, I read this while tanning and I felt like i was right there on Loor island right alongside these amazing characters. Taylor includes some amazing character growth and development with not only just Lindy but also Caleb, these two were written for each other and you could feel the chemistry between these two even when they disliked each other at the start.
Profile Image for Rachael.
491 reviews2 followers
July 9, 2024
This was a perfect escapism read and transported me to the island of Loor, which sounds so peaceful and charming.
Lindy was a good character who was on a path of self discovery and you could see the character development for her along the way. The path she took was a brave one, in more ways than one, as I don't think I could have dealt with the animals she did!
The relationships within the book were good and fitting to the story and I particularly liked Betty. She was such a unique character who definitely made me laugh a few times.
The ending of the book was good and one which I was happy about for both Lindy & Caleb. One Summer provides a journey of self discovery, whilst being the perfect summer read.
Profile Image for The Unrepentant Bookaholic.
241 reviews3 followers
July 4, 2024
This was actually a rather enjoyable read!

Set on an obscure Cornish island, with a whole host of oddball characters, "One Summer" tells Lindy's story as she navigates her way through her new life house and pet sitting. A charismatic surfer, a grumpy and belligerent stranger, and a the rest of the island's inhabitants leads to a quirky and compelling plot.

Being the super=romantic that I am, I found it just a little too slow burn, with the majority of action happening in the last 20% of the book. My only change would be to extend the latter section of the book and balance the action out more. However, a really lovely read and it would definitely make a rather fantastic TV special!
Profile Image for Sarah.
1,108 reviews47 followers
July 10, 2024
If you’re looking for a lovely, closed door romance to escape into this summer look no further! I This was light and easy to read and had a wonderful setting. I finished it in a day and a half. There are some moments to chuckle at, and I most enjoyed watching Lindy come into her own – it’s not a spoiler to say her life is a bit of a hot mess at the start of the book! Wonderful side characters are sprinkled throughout the small island that I’d love to have as my neighbors. And we can’t ignore that readers will meet Ted, an absolutely delightful dog in the history of dogs. I could easily imagine him and wanted to pet him! A fun slow-burn romance for summer!

Profile Image for Tegan.
26 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2024
Three and a half stars. I enjoyed the first part of the book - I liked how we got backstory and fleshed out the female main character. However, I was confused because I still didn’t know who the male love interest was going to be at 60%. Then I found the romance to be very rushed at the 90% mark - I would have loved it to fit with the rest of the book and be more fleshed out/believable. I also found the endings of the chapters quite abrupt, especially mid dialogue.

All up though, I enjoyed the story. A nice summery read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Profile Image for Paige.
172 reviews3 followers
July 20, 2024
This was a very sweet, cute story, following Caleb and Lindy and their romance story in Cornwall✨

I loved the fact this book has small chapters, it just made me want to read on more, and it was a very quick easy read! 😊

This story follows an enemies to lovers trope, however I felt that the story sort of dragged on a bit and could’ve probably been shorter, as it didn’t start getting into it properly until quite far in, in my opinion anyway! But it was a good book, I never felt bored, I guess I was just waiting for something big to happen😅

I do recommend this book if you want a nice quick easy read! With the occasional 1 page chapters 😝
Profile Image for Sofia.
170 reviews13 followers
October 9, 2024
This was a nice page-turner enemies to lovers story. Naturally I loved how it was set on a beautiful small island, and the fact that animals were involved (not your regular pet sitting job, but still pretty cool). Lindy is a young woman looking for her place in life, struggling to get over a successful ex. Caleb is a shy mysterious guy who struggles letting himself loose.
I enjoyed the short chapters and how the story unfolded. And I also liked the presence of other side characters, especially Betty, the noisy cool grandma who was a strong funny character that helped these two souls connecting.
Overall it was a funny lighthearted and sweet romcom, a cute last summer read.
Profile Image for Laura.
750 reviews45 followers
July 9, 2024
One Summer by Taylor Cole is a heartwarming and emotional story of two people with complicated pasts finding love and healing in each other. The characters of Caleb and Lindy are well-developed and their chemistry is palpable. The setting of Loor island adds to the charm of the story. The slow burn of their relationship is beautifully portrayed and kept me engaged till the end. Overall, a touching and uplifting read about second chances and new beginnings. This is a nice one to cuddle up with under a blanket with treats and cat cuddles!
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