Summer by Summer

by Heather Burch

When Summer took a job as a nanny for a couple vacationing in Belize, she imagined it would be a fresh start before starting college in the fall. And while she adores her charge, Josh, she can’t say the same for her employers’ oldest son, Bray. He’s cocky, inconsiderate, and makes her feel she’s a chore he has to put up with. In short, he’s everything she dislikes in a guy.

Bray had a plan for the summer: party, hang out with friends, and forget all the responsibilities waiting for him back home. But every time he’s forced to be around Summer, her dour, serious mood sets him off. Not to mention she has a habit of picking up on what he already knows is wrong with him.

Then the two find themselves on a dive trip gone wrong, stranded on a remote island. As they focus on survival, their differences melt away, and they find being together may be what both needed all along.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, New Adult, Audiobook, Beach Reads, Travel

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

Heather Burch is a #1 Amazon bestselling author whose books have been translated around the world.

She writes upmarket women's fiction novels that explore what it means to be a family. Her books have sold over half a million copies worldwide.

Heather also writes edge of your seat paranormal YA novels about swoon-worthy angels. Her Halflings series is a #1 New Release.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

Reviews

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great summer read! Summer by Summer is exactly what I was looking for when searching for a beach-side companion.

When Summer takes a job as a nanny for a ten year old boy, she never expects to collide with the family's older son. Bray has just returned from his first year in college and has decided to join his family on their summer vacation in Belize. Summer and Bray soon find themselves stranded on a remote island after a dive excursion that went wrong after a heavy storm caused their boat to veer off miles from their destination. Together these two must find a way to survive on the island with minimal provisions and constant exposure to danger.

Summer by Summer was one of those ALA grabs I was lucky enough to acquire. It sounded interesting and exactly like something I would definitely enjoy. However, when I came home and looked up the reviews, the mixed reactions had me skeptical at first, but I'm glad I have it a go despite the varying opinions about this book.

Summer and Bray were a lovely pair that struggled through some pretty rough weather to survive. I admired their strength and courage that shined throughout the story.

Overall, it was a very sweet story that did carry a mild religious undertone, but was never overwhelming. I enjoyed this book by Heather Burch and would gladly pick up another read by this author.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 1 out of 5]

{I’m hoping I don’t scare off any new followers with this review...but it goes to show you that even Christian teen books have naughty stuff in them! This one has a lot! :( }

About this book:

“When Summer took a job as a nanny for a couple vacationing in Belize, she imagined it would be a fresh start before starting college in the fall. And while she adores her charge, Josh, she can’t say the same for her employers’ oldest son, Bray. He’s cocky, inconsiderate, and makes her feel she’s a chore he has to put up with. In short, he’s everything she dislikes in a guy.
Bray had a plan for the summer: party, hang out with friends, and forget all the responsibilities waiting for him back home. But every time he’s forced to be around Summer, her dour, serious mood sets him off. Not to mention she has a habit of picking up on what he already knows is wrong with him.
Then the two find themselves on a dive trip gone wrong, stranded on a remote island. As they focus on survival, their differences melt away, and they find being together may be what both needed all along.”


Series: Stand-alone.


Spiritual Content- Mentions of Youth Group & Church going; A couple Scriptures are quoted; Talks about God & trusting Him; ‘H’s are capital when talking about God; Summer trusted God but then something bad happened and is now hesitant; Mentions of Prayers.
*Note: “The road to h*ll really was paved with good intentions.”.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘oh my gosh’, a ‘shut up’, three forms of ‘idiot’, and 24 ‘stupid’s; Bray is a party boy, therefore Mentions of parties drugs, drinking & those who have too much; Mentions of divorce; Blood & A man is murdered (semi-detailed); Killing a crocodile (semi-detailed); Mentions of animal trafficking.


Sexual Content- Noticing & Staring (semi-detailed to very-detailed); Touches, shivers & feelings (semi-detailed to very-detailed); Heat & butterflies in the stomach and hormonal teens (detailed to very-detailed); Lips, staring at lips & wanting to kiss (semi-detailed to detailed); two almost kisses, barely-above-not-detailed kiss, four semi-detailed kisses, and a very-detailed kiss; a guy roughly kisses a woman and mentions of human trafficking; four forms of ‘hot’ when referring to how someone looks; Bray talks about girls & hooking-up; Bray says he’s had a lot of girlfriends, kissed many girls and isn’t a virgin (when sleeping with one girl comes up he says he was just having fun); Summer remembers her purity promise, but that she’d “never go there with Bray”; A talk of Bray’s “needs”, but Bray says that Summer would be worth waiting for; In Bray’s P.O.V. “But being with her 24/7 never really gave me a break from the hormone push. In college, I’d been taught that s*x was a basic need of humanity. Food, water, shelter, s*x. What idiot came up with that?” and then a bit later “s*x isn’t a necessity.”, Bray tries to control his “s*x drive”); Mentions of (other girls’) tight clothes & figures; Summer wears a bikini and Bray’s reaction to it (semi-detailed); *Spoiler* A wedding night, nothing is written about what happens and that they had kept their vows. *End of Spoiler* Love, falling in love, & the emotions (lots, lots, lots!).

-Summer Mathers, age 18-19
-Brady Garrison, {college age}
P.O.V. switches between them in first person
282 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star
Older High School Teens- One Star (and a half)
My personal Rating- One Star
{Spoilers are not marked in this Final Thoughts:}
Oh, good grief. I should have known that this would be full of Sexual Content. First clue, it’s published by Blink. They don’t really have the best (read: clean) books. Second clue, two hormonal teens on an abandoned island. Alone. I really should have saw this coming. The only positive thing about this book I can think of is that they didn’t have s*x on the island. There was some really, really, really intimate parts that could have been the beginning of a s*x scene. (Bray even says it’s more intimate then when he was with (read: slept with) other girls. Such a prince. *snort*) They waited till they were married, good. I’m happy about that. And that’s about all. It so could have been a main stream book with all this Sexual Content. Goodness, I can’t be nice anymore. What were the author and publisher thinking?! (*Note: I just looked up this author. She’s the one who write the “Halflings” trilogy. Ha. Don’t get me started on books interfering with the spiritual world.) This book was a completely waste of my time; I’ll be for sure staying away from this author and even more hesitant with the publisher.


Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Blink) for this review.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the cover, the premise and the alternating POVs, and I wanted to like the story, but this book was trying too hard. The story was rushed, Summer and Bray were flat characters and there were too many subplots to keep track of.

As a Christian who reads a lot, I am all for stories of faith and characters who have conviction, but even I don't enjoy feeling like I'm choking on whatever "message" the author is trying to convey. That's the job of the characters.

Sadly, this was not the book for me.

Side-note: There is no sexual content, naughtiness or cursing in this book much to the chagrin reviewer who stated otherwise.

[BookCupid · Rating 2 out of 5]

"People say a heart can't be broken. But they forget the rest of the organs. How your mind spins trying to undue what was done. How the lungs ache with each new breath."

To break away from her grief, Summer leaves for Belize, where she'll work as a nanny. The job is like a breath of fresh air, until Bray arrives. He's absolutely pretentious and gorgeous. Of course, he hates Summer (she looks like a librarian). Will getting stranded on an island with her change his mind -- and most importantly, will this new adventure help Summer heal from an empty heart?

To be honest, the story had great potential. Summer and Bray established a dislike from one another at the very start. Then as soon as she adds highlights to her hair and starts wearing a bikini, Bray goes gaga and Summer swoons. Sure, it's nice to be admired (wait he doesn't know her) desired by a hunk, but to call it love is a huge mistake. This is nothing more than an infatuation and to rush into conversations about marriage after mere days of knowing each other is a dangerous way to ruin your life. Even Christian dating has months of courting. Marriage is no joke.

But rushing is all the book would do. Summer would rush into tears at almost every chapter, the action felt rushed (from a deserted island - to abandoned houses filled with food - to a criminal island - to a place where families camp...) and then of course, there's the crazy brokenhearted coma.

Too bad, because it was nice to have two different point-of-views that sounded genuine.

[Libby May · Rating 2 out of 5]

The smut level in this book is sky high even though Bray and Summer never "cross the line." So if you like you're smut at a minimum DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. Otherwise, suit yourself.

[colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book ripped my heart out of my chest, threw it on the floor, stomped on it, and beat the living shit out of it.

go read it right now.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, this book.

I try hard not to bring a lot of my personal beliefs into the things I read, especially for this age group. That this happens to be a sort of rebranding of what was previously a Christian imprint certainly stretches my abilities a bit, but even removing the problems I had with the content and attitude, this book is just really kind of bad.

Effectively, Summer is hired as a summer nanny for a family who takes a trip. After going on a boat trip, Summer and Bray end up stranded on a deserted island and have to learn to survive. There's some history for both of them, and since this a romance, well...

The problems with this book are more about how reliant on the romance tropes it is combined with how it was done. It feels contrived, and the swings in mood and attitude of Summer and especially Bray just doesn't feel realistic.

There's a lot of virtue/purity stuff involved, too, and while I'm not going to be judgmental regarding people's beliefs on these issues, the way it was handled here felt unrealistic and somewhat creepy. There are other books, like Purity by Jackson Pearce, that are able to respectfully handle it from a character standpoint without making it feel a little uncomfortable.

Overall, just kind of a (boat) wreck. In a world where we have a lot of solid teen romances that don't condescend and won't squick you out, this can be put aside by everyone except those who require more religious/moral overtones.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest if you asked me to put this book in a category I would never say Christian Romance or anything Christian related. Not to say that this is a wrong thing to say a book is Christian as I am one and have read many books in this category. I just would never think this about this book. This is because usually when I think Christian I am looking for the story to give me a message or to have some mention of faith, God, etc. None of this was found in this book. Again not a bad outcome as I still enjoyed reading this book. In fact, it was a quick read.

I was pleasantly happy that Summer and Bray were charming. In the beginning I was not sure about Bray. I thought he was just going to walk around with a chip on his shoulder the whole story. Then Summer I thought would be just a love interest but would not bring much to the story. I was wrong. Bray was charming but also a sweetheart. Summer was strong. The romance between them was sweet. This book kind of made me think of the Blue Lagoon but for the modern day.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net** 

Summer by Summer is a standalone young adult contemporary. Summer by Summer has so many layers to it, and it will take you by surprise. The cover seems unassuming enough, with a pretty girl on a beach, and the start of the summer is much of the same. Summer takes a summer nanny gig with a rich family vacationing in Belize. But then it shifts. Bray, the families older son, and Summer are stranded on a deserted island. And then when you are reading, it shifts again and again, but I won't give those away. Just know that every time I thought I got a grip on what this book was, it changed. I loved that because the pace and new layers kept me on my toes. Summer by Summer was a very nice story, and way more exciting than I originally anticipated.

It is published by Blink, an imprint of HarperCollins Christian publishing line Zondervan. It is a clean young adult novel, and the main character Summer used to be involved with her church youth group, so up front warning that religion is a theme in this book. It is not overly preachy, but it is a strong vein in the storyline. It comes up in a few different ways. I thought it tied in very nicely with the plot, but I did want to include that in my review because I know that some readers will want to know up front. The religion stemmed from an event that happened in Summer's past, and I loved the way the author kept digging and bringing up this event because each time she wove it into the storyline, I felt like I got to know Summer a little better. And my heart broke for the poor girl. Bray was right, she is super strong.

The romance in Summer by Summer is very predominant and such a sweet romance. I really liked Summer and Bray. I thought they jumped all over the place in their feelings at the start. They were annoyed, they disliked each other and then Bray did a 180 and was all of a sudden very nice, and then they liked each other. That was my only hiccup with the story, but very soon after that rollercoaster Summer and Bray were stranded and from that point forward, I thought their relationship progressed my more naturally. My only other gripe with the story was something that happened in the epilogue. I thought it was all very nice, but it is something that I just don't like seeing in the young adult books that I read. Personal preference of mine, but I can't say what it is without spoilers. (the event/action not the message)

Summer by Summer was a nice read. I enjoyed it, and the part that I liked most of all was that Heather Burch was able to keep me on my toes while reading. Just when I would start to think the plot was dragging a bit, she would change things up drastically and some whole other element that I wasn't expecting would be introduced. I am determined not to ruin the fun of this book with spoilers, so if you have read Summer by Summer please let me know because I would really liked to talk to someone about it! If you are looking for a very sweet, keep you on your toes clean YA- check out Summer by Summer.

 This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

[Angie Fehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

About 3.5 stars for me...

Summer is newly graduated from high school, trying to heal from the death of her first boyfriend, when she decides to take a summer job as a nanny to a family vacationing in Belize. The reader is only given brief glimpses of that backstory here and there, until about halfway through the novel when Summer shares the full story with Bray. Bray is only slightly older than her and the older son of Summer's employers. Bray is immediately dismissive of Summer's conservative looks (as in, for her age she dresses a bit like a granny or an elderly librarian), decides she just needs to go back home but Bray's mom pushes them to play nice. It's only after a makeover via Bray's mom that he starts to show interest and actual kindness to Summer. Suddenly, he's cool with her tagging along on his diving excursions and whatnot. It's on one of these boat trips that they get caught adrift and end up stranded on a deserted island. While waiting for rescue -- which takes weeks, natch -- they grow to really depend on each other, forming a deep bond / attachment for one another.

It was a cute story as a whole, a nice light read with a mostly heartwarming friendship / romance between Summer & Bray. The tension between them was just the right amount to keep me reading to see how things would turn out. I liked that Bray proved himself to be an honestly good guy with strong moral character, even if some of the dialogue between him & Summer was, in parts, tinged in schmaltz. And what luck for their ordeal to happen on an island seemingly teeming with resources!

There were parts that I found to tip a little too far into teenage soap opera for my liking. I also found it a little bothersome that Bray didn't really feel Summer was worth the time of day until after she gets a full makeover, but afterwards she's the most amazing woman inside and out. That made me cringe a little. Oh, and the constant "I'm sorry", "No, I'm sorry" back and forth... after awhile that got grating.

The criminal element to the plot that's introduced about 135 pages in was a surprise... at first it felt as though it might shift the tone of the book but the way Burch writes it in works nicely with the rest of the story. I found it to be believable and added a nice twist of drama and tension to what otherwise would have been a really airy read, I think.

Also, this is just a minor thing, but I really liked the palm frond graphic at the start of each chapter. I thought it was a nice added touch to keep your mind in the whole jungle / island mood! I liked the environment of this book so much, I immediately jumped into another book set in a jungle locale!

FTC Disclaimer: BookLookBloggers.com & Zondervan Books provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts above are entirely my own.

[dearrivarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer is beyond thrilled when she is accepted to be a nanny for Josh Garrison and tag along the annual Garrison family trip Belize. It is going to be the perfect summer vacation before she starts college in the fall however she soon discovers that the vacation may just have one pretty major annoyance in the form of Bray Garrison. He's everything she despises in a person and worst, Mrs. Garrison is constantly pushing for them to spend time together. When Summer and Bray go on a diving trip and end up stranded on an island, they have to work out their differences to find out a way to survive.

I was originally super pumped for this book because it seemed like a really fun read. The beginning of the book just hooks you in and you can't even stop turning pages. However, the more I read, the more exhausted I became. The story is full of really common cliches involving stranded island thrillers, romance, and survival. There are some parts of the story where I was rolling my eyes so hard because there was a line or scene that you could replicate over a couple stranded island movies or books. For me that kind of killed the story because I started anticipating things that I knew were coming based on how present things were going. Also, while being stranded is no fun experience, Summer and Bray were definitely really lucky over the course of things.

The unique aspect of the story definitely came through in the characters. While Bray does identify as your rich frat boy, he shows more depth and a different side to him as the story progresses. He's got some wicked survival skills and definitely someone I want with me if I'm ever in that position. Summer is like a mish mosh of stereotypes. She hates rich people but her reason is actually quite surprising and it makes your sympathize with her more. She's passionate about children (as seen with Josh) and writing. At the same time she's protective of who she lets inside her heart because she's been hurt too many times. The characters overall made the story more alive, but they still embodied a cliched relationship especially with that ending.

For me in particular, I was expecting something more with the story. I can't exactly place what, but going into it knowing that it was Christian Lit kind of had me anticipating being blown away. However, if I overlook that for a minute, this book wasn't that bad. It had the right elements to keep me interested to some extent through the entire story and while some parts were a bit hard to get through because of certain parts, it still delivered a solid story.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer took a job as a nanny for a couple vacationing in Belize, she imagined it would be a fresh start before starting college in the fall. And while she adores her charge, Josh, she can’t say the same for her employers’ oldest son, Bray. He’s cocky, inconsiderate, and makes her feel she’s a chore he has to put up with. In short, he’s everything she dislikes in a guy.

Bray had a plan for the summer: party, hang out with friends, and forget all the responsibilities waiting for him back home. But every time he’s forced to be around Summer, her dour, serious mood sets him off. Not to mention she has a habit of picking up on what he already knows is wrong with him.

Then the two find themselves on a dive trip gone wrong, stranded on a remote island. As they focus on survival, their differences melt away, and they find being together may be what both needed all along.

Last summer for Summer was a tragic nightmare she needed to get over. But how could she when she couldn't forget and heal her broken heart?

This was an amazing book! You could feel every emotion described in the book as if you were right there in each characters shoes. Summer's parents as well as Bray's were caring, understanding, and supportive. When Summer and Bray crashed on the island it was very upbeat in survival. While reading through it I had no idea what would happen next. Everything was a complete surprise so it will keep you guessing all the way through.

Though the island they crashed on was a deserted run down resort (from a hurricane about a year or so ago) so they ended up finding a great amount of canned food, a run down condo, paper, and even tools. That almost seemed to good to be true, and it took away the kind of "survival" I was hoping for in this story.

There were also some parts in the story on how Summer acted that really annoyed me. She was also the reason for a very sad heat breaking part near the end, but I have to say... (spoiler alert)... it had a great ending!

You get to know each character very well since the book was written from both Summer and Bray's point of view and what they are thinking. I really enjoyed this book, with all the unexpected twists and turns, surviving on the island, and finding love and healing in a unexpected place.

[Nadine Keels · Rating 3 out of 5]

"But sometimes I think God doesn't rush in so quickly because maybe there's something we need to take away from the experience."

The cover design suggests a light, "beachy," summery read, and the book blurb doesn't exactly quash that suggestion, so I was surprised to find that most of Summer by Summer is an adventure novel with rather dark subject matter, several of its aspects reminding me of the movie Cast Away. There's also some suspense tied into Summer and Bray's story as, no matter how wrong of a foot they got off on, they have to help each other survive the dangers of the remote island where they've been stranded.

Certain nuggets of the writing pretty early in the novel struck me as brilliant, and it's interesting how the author brings the reader into some of the most precarious of the characters' situations without a lot of pomp or fuss, adding a "suddenness" to their perils that pulled me in. Yes, I gasped aloud a time or two.

On another note, I think it's safe to say that some Christian Fiction fans, despite the novel's message on abstinence, will be bothered by the degree of sexual tension and physical contact described in the book; even with its being a YA novel, I wouldn't recommend it to younger teens, though I'm quite aware that even young adults are sexual beings. My personal qualm with the theme had more to do with the large amount of it, to the point where all the touching and such became too predictable, and I wanted the story to move on. ChristFic readers may also not be too keen on the fact that there isn't a level of shared faith to match the level of romance between the characters.

Still, the novel addresses grief, guilt, trust in God, and restoration with care, and though it wasn't the read I was expecting, I'm glad I read it.
_________________
BookLook Bloggers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good, clean, Christian romance. It got right to the heart of the matter, Summer and Bray being stranded on the island, after just a brief introduction. I liked the overall story and writing, but I did struggle through a bit of it.

I liked Summer's faith and belief in God. I liked her commitment to personal purity and that she wasn't going to break her vow. I liked watching Bray and Summer work through the struggle of survival on the island.

I struggled with Bray as a character. While I liked him and I liked who he became while on the island, I thought that there wasn't much of an actual transition for him. He was a party boy who seemed to change overnight. With all of Summer's issues with "pretty people," it bothered me that she, of course, became one so early in the book and that Bray now all of a sudden had such an interest in protecting her. Would he have loved her had she not become "pretty?" I felt that they had strong feelings for each other from the very beginning that seemed a little unrealistic to me and I got tired of reading their thoughts in their heads about their "romance." I love romance in books, but this was just a bit much for me personally. That being said, these are, of course, my opinions only. Had I read this as a young single woman I probably would have loved all of it! ;)

I really loved the setting of the book and the descriptions of the island. When Summer and Bray were telling us about actual experiences and dangers on the island, I was more invested in the story and in the characters.

Overall, I'm glad I read it and I would probably read more by this author in the future.

I received a NetGalley copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 rating


The premise of this story was pretty interesting. I mean, how often have you played the whole "If you got stranded on a desert island and could only bring 3 things" game? And I'm conflicted. In a way, there was too much drama. So much happened and even though it's fiction, I found myself rolling my eyes and thinking "really??" And the whole ending with the illegal event was kinda strange.

I think somewhere in the summary, it should be mentioned that this is a religious book. There is a lot of mention of God and praying and youth groups and abstinence. Which is all good. But something I don't really seek out in my books and I had no idea it was in this one.

I liked Summer and Bray separately. Summer was sweet and I loved how good she was with Josh. (Although comparing him to the fifth graders at the school where I teach, his actions and comments sounded more like a second grader). And even though Bray was a party boy, there was something good in him. Like the way he wanted to keep his family together. But I didn't like their relationship. I mean, come on. Summer hated him minutes after she met him--such a strong feeling for a guy she didn't even know. And he wasn't fond of her either. But then they get stranded and suddenly, immediately, they're okay with each other? Not likely.

That being said, there was something in the story that kept me hanging on and wanting more. It's definitely not a beach read like the cover might lead you to believe but more of an adventure-type book.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1S6Srld
Review on my blog: http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...

Summer By Summer was a cute, fun, summer read. It did start kind of slow, but the last half was great and I really enjoyed it. It was interesting how the characters had to grow and work through some issues. I also liked the suspense/action part of the story.



The romance was sweet, although some readers might find it a bit much at times. Summer was committed to waiting, so nothing happened in that regard, but there was desire, kissing, and a lot of emotion expressed.



All in all, an enjoyable read! If you are looking for a fun read this summer, you might want to pick up Summer By Summer. I think it would be a great beach read!

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

[3.5 stars]

[Hallie (Hallie Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is also posted on Book by Book.

Heather Burch’s young-adult summertime romance, Summer by Summer, is an overall sweet and adventurous read, as Summer and Bray unexpectedly and suddenly find themselves stranded on a deserted Belizean island. These two characters take turns giving their perspective of their tale of survival, and I enjoyed getting to know and understand both of them throughout their desperate wait for rescue, a growing, irresistible mutual attraction and the challenges of a haunting, tragic past. Though certain aspects of the storyline occurred fairly easily and predictably, I still found this novel quite entertaining and cute. I think anyone looking for a light, clean, feel-good YA read will be pleased to pick up Summer by Summer.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Summer by Summer and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I admit it took a few chapters before I really got into the story, the beginning is a little rough around the edges. But once Summer and Bray were on the island, I settled in and enjoyed. There were still a few moments where transitions weren't as smooth as I'd like, but the sweetness of the romance overpowered those. The cute of the story is the relationship between these two seemingly opposite people. I loved how kind and loving Bray was towards Summer, especially once she explained her past. They have a bit of insta-love in their attraction, but I could overlook it based on their adorableness together. And were they ever adorable! :) This is a sweet and fluffy story, where even the tension-filled moments never feel quite as life and death as they're supposed to be. It's just a fun summertime read!

[JoJo Sutis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic summer read! I loved it so much!
After being a huge fan of Burch’s Halflings Series,  I wasnt sure what to expect with her latest release. I figured I would enjoy it, but wow!

This book had everything I love in a great summer read…romance, danger and a beach!
When I first met Bray….the cockiness oozed off the page. I felt like Summer, a little unsure of this over privileged cool kid, but a small part of me felt she should give him a chance.

I wont spoil this amazing book for you but ill simply say….you MUST read this. If you are looking for that one amazing summer read….let it be Summer By Summer!

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun summer themed adventure novel. I really enjoyed it overall, but the beginning was a bit of an annoyance to me. I loved the cover, which was what first attracted me to it when I saw it in the bookstores. Glad I picked this one up.

[Holly Scudero · Rating 4 out of 5]

The past year has been rather challenging for Summer, and she’s hoping that her new summer job as a nanny for a family vacationing in Belize will be just what she needs to get her mind back on track before college starts. Summer’s charge, Joshie, is wonderful, and she gets along great with her employers. Unfortunately, she can’t say the same for their older son, spoiled party-boy Bray. At the urging of his parents, Bray agrees to take Summer out as part of a tourist dive group, but things go horribly wrong. The two ended up stranded on a seemingly-deserted island, and as they learn to rely on one another for survival, they each discover that there is more to the other than first thought.

Heather Burch’s novel “Summer By Summer” is a new take on a classic survivor story. Despite its lackluster beginning--the animosity between Summer and Bray comes across as forced and without any real motivation--this book develops into a sweet romance without ignoring the overarching survival story. While the book could benefit from a little more time developing the characters and the scenario before the storm, most of the book is very well-written, and readers will find themselves quickly locked in a page-turner.

(Review originally written for San Francisco Book Review.)

[Malaina Applegate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book!! I was hanging on to every word! I love how they are able to talk about adult things in almost a clean and innocent way. The female main character stays true to morals at the same time finding herself, healing and finding God when there’s not much hope of anything being trapped on an island. I loved how every other chapter it switches from his point of to hers perfectly unlike other books where its way more one sided.
It was filled with love, adventure, danger, grief, pain, romance and love of God. This is one of my favorite books ever!!

Don’t get me wrong it does have some partying in the beginning. Somebody that the main character was close to does die in the beginning.
And they are alone on an island together so of course their past comes up and talking Bray says he has lost his virginity but summer refuses to go there with bray and stays true to her purity promise. Yes they talk about sex but I think in a good relationship sex should be brought up and just like summer set boundaries and both be aware of the boundaries.

I definitely say this is a young adult book but their romance is clean, romantic, adventures and you can tell how much they care about each other

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a 4.5. Summer's old boyfriend died in her arms after crashing his car - drunk. A year later. she's landed a dream job of being nanny to a 10-year-old in Belize for the summer - just what she needs to put her life back on track before starting college. When big brother Bray shows up, he seems to be everything she hates in a guy, but when they're stranded on an island after a storm, the two come to know themselves and each other in a much better light. Together they work to survive, falling in love as they each put the welfare of the other first.

Summer rekindles her relationship with God, but it comes about naturally without being preachy, and they honor her promise to remain virtuous until marriage. Refreshing to see restraint. This is an unusual love story, but believable despite their ages and the short time (about 3 weeks) they were stranded together. I downloaded it for some light summer reading and finished it in less than 24 hours despite working a 10 hour day! Well done. I was very pleasantly surprised!

[Ann Barndt · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I liked: Well-written with an interesting premise. I did finish it because I wanted to know what happened next.

What was disappointing:
1. Too much talk about hormones without any real spiritual response except "It's wrong to have sex before marriage."

2. The "lovers reunite" section of the book was unsatisfying. After feeling betrayed by her love interest, the female protagonist retreats to journal her experiences. Then suddenly, months later without explanation she reaches out to the male protagonist and they have their happily ever after. I still cannot figure out why she changed her mind. It was never explained!

[Rosabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a fascinating tale of survival, but the frequent over-the-top cringeworthy teenage romance/melodrama really spoiled it overall. If it had stuck to the plot, kept the romance light, and eliminated the melodrama, I could easily have rated it 4-5 stars. Unfortunately it kept diverting from the main plot to multiple melodramatic subplots with very questionable messages.

Additionally for a Christian novel it had abysmal theology and it wasn't a very clean.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is such I awesome read. It is full of romance and a little action. I read this book in on sitting. I can not begin to say how much I loved it. I will say this book is probably for eleven or older just because of some contact between characters. Over all I love this book and I think you should read it.😀

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Agh. This book was just not for me. I found myself bored and not really interested in the characters. In the end I was just glad I wasn't on any island or reading about being alone with these dull teens.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally enjoy reading stories about characters stranded on a desert island, and this one was fairly entertaining. My only complaints are how stereotyped the gender roles were (male Bray as "protector", Summer as paragon of purity) and how the text was somewhat repetitive.

[Julissa Garces · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5-3/5 stars
This was def a rollercoaster ride! It seemed pretty ridiculous at times and extremely cheesy but overall kinda cute.

I also absolutely hated summer. She was so annoying

I read this for my book club!

[Marmousette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the book and read it fast.
It is a cute love story mixed up with some adventures on an island.
Their relationship was not always realistic to me but they are supportive to each others and getting a lot of positive from each others.