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The Summer We Kissed at Blackbird
It was the best summer of her life, until the night that changed everything…
LC Hart never thought being at Blackbird would make her life so complicated. It had always been the one place that didn’t make her feel anxious—until the summer she turned eighteen.
Blackbird was the Hart Family’s summer home in Michigan. They had vacationed there with the Coleman Family—their best friends—even before LC was born. Being at Blackbird with the Colemans year after year had been fun and easy—aside from dealing with the not-so-nice and always pretentious next-door neighbor, Connor Murphy. But when Connor arrived this summer, he was different.
Hannah Coleman was LC’s best friend. She was sweet and bubbly and always up for a good time. Hannah’s older brother Gavin—with his big smile and heart-melting dimple, was the type of guy to make anyone feel butterflies in their stomach. This summer, though, it was happening more and more any time LC was near him. Was it still just friendship, or was she starting to have feelings for him?
LC’s summer starts out perfectly—especially with all of Gavin’s flirting. But when Connor begins to confide in LC about his past, she feels obligated to keep his secrets to protect him. As the summer goes on, LC becomes caught up in a web of friendship, love, and secrets—but is she the only one keeping secrets?
LC Hart never thought being at Blackbird would make her life so complicated. It had always been the one place that didn’t make her feel anxious—until the summer she turned eighteen.
Blackbird was the Hart Family’s summer home in Michigan. They had vacationed there with the Coleman Family—their best friends—even before LC was born. Being at Blackbird with the Colemans year after year had been fun and easy—aside from dealing with the not-so-nice and always pretentious next-door neighbor, Connor Murphy. But when Connor arrived this summer, he was different.
Hannah Coleman was LC’s best friend. She was sweet and bubbly and always up for a good time. Hannah’s older brother Gavin—with his big smile and heart-melting dimple, was the type of guy to make anyone feel butterflies in their stomach. This summer, though, it was happening more and more any time LC was near him. Was it still just friendship, or was she starting to have feelings for him?
LC’s summer starts out perfectly—especially with all of Gavin’s flirting. But when Connor begins to confide in LC about his past, she feels obligated to keep his secrets to protect him. As the summer goes on, LC becomes caught up in a web of friendship, love, and secrets—but is she the only one keeping secrets?
- GenresSummer
317 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2025
12 people are currently reading
1746 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 18, 2025
Cute and super sweet. I am probably not the right audience for this book but if you're a parent looking for an age appropriate option for a young teen girl, this is a good choice. There are a lot of themes that would definitely resonate with that age group and the MC, Lennon, does a beautiful job navigating complex situations with wisdom beyond her years.
February 28, 2025
This sweet story not only transports you to the sunny, summer shores of Lake Michigan-it instantly takes you right back to 18 again. With characters who feel like friends you’ve had for years and a storyline that literally gives you those young love butterflies, it’s difficult to put down without reading just one more chapter.
The Summer We Kissed At Blackbird may be set at a picturesque family lakehouse, but its characters are faced with more than just summer fun. These teens navigate some pretty heavy subjects including anxiety and alcohol abuse with such well-developed approach, it’s hard to believe this is Lopez’s first novel.
Looking forward to sharing this story with my friends with whom I also share years of memories of summer fun (and some butterflies) up at the lake!
The Summer We Kissed At Blackbird may be set at a picturesque family lakehouse, but its characters are faced with more than just summer fun. These teens navigate some pretty heavy subjects including anxiety and alcohol abuse with such well-developed approach, it’s hard to believe this is Lopez’s first novel.
Looking forward to sharing this story with my friends with whom I also share years of memories of summer fun (and some butterflies) up at the lake!
February 24, 2025
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2025
This book is a heartwarming story of friendship, first love, and family challenges. The characters are well developed and the story flows smoothly. Throughout the plot the author gives glimpses of conflicts within the characters’ daily lives pulling the reader into the story. I found myself wanting to read further as I became invested in the characters. Even though the audience is listed for ages 13-18, don’t be fooled! Anyone who enjoys the ups and downs of relationships and the struggles within will be pleased.
This book is a heartwarming story of friendship, first love, and family challenges. The characters are well developed and the story flows smoothly. Throughout the plot the author gives glimpses of conflicts within the characters’ daily lives pulling the reader into the story. I found myself wanting to read further as I became invested in the characters. Even though the audience is listed for ages 13-18, don’t be fooled! Anyone who enjoys the ups and downs of relationships and the struggles within will be pleased.
March 26, 2025
The Summer We Kissed at Blackbird by Marie Lopez (2025)
317-page Kindle Ebook story pages 5-316
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance (sorta), New Adult
Featuring: Family Dynamics, Vacation Community, Fictional Small-Town Michigan along Lake Michigan near the Indiana Border, 18th Birthday, Summer Vacation, June, Coming of Age, College Bound, Neighbors, Friendships, Anxiety, Depression, Drama, Fourth of July, Friendships
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult content and drinking
Songs for the soundtrack: "Blackbird" by The Beatles, "Happy Birthday" by Stevie Wonder, "Pride And Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan, "Cryin'" by Aerosmith, "Imagine" by John Lennon, "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles, "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus, "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman, "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison, "Intentions" by Justin Bieber and Quavo, “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, “Shut Up And Dance” by Walk the Moon, “Memories” by Maroon 5, “Lover” by Taylor Swift, “Feels Like Summer” by Samuel Jack, “Style” by Taylor Swift
Books and Authors mentioned: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Memorable Quotes: I decided to go with scissors again and my dad had switched to paper. I won the round, which meant I was the one in the first photo of the trip. It felt quite fitting, seeing as this summer at Blackbird would be a big milestone for me—I was turning eighteen.
Gavin playfully put his arm around my shoulder and asked, “You ready for your birthday show?” “You know it!” I called out and then leaned back on my hands to get a better view of the sky. Connor shot Gavin an inquisitive look. “We’ve always teased her because when she was little, she thought the firework show was literally for her birthday,” Gavin told Connor with a smile. Connor laughed and I playfully backhanded Gavin in the stomach.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️½ 🏖🎆💘
My thoughts: 🔖Page 23 of 317 [Chapter] 4 - This is nice but I'm going back to my other book. This story is relaxing, I'm in the mood for drama.
🔖43 [Chapter] 7 - This is a bit too smooth like a 90s Disney Channel Original movie, where's the drama?
🔖68 [Chapter] 11 - It has become a little dull and over the will they won't they and looming triangle.
🔖90 [Chapter] 14 - Tomorrow I'm gonna have to decide to go ahead and give this book all my attention so I can finish it or pause it so I can read something else and come back. It seems to go up and down, and I can't maintain interest.
🔖156 [Chapter] 23 - Not much is going on I'm still waiting for the credits to roll (title of the book), there's no danger of a triangle if you can't seal the deal with the first guy. I'm mainly stopping because I need to get up early, I was on a roll but I feel like not much has changed in the last 10 chapters.
🔖189 [two pages into Chapter] 27 - I'm over it but I do want to finish. MC uses "oh um" too much and I think this kiss is never going to happen and the lack of transparency is creating a terrible triangle.
🔖225 [Chapter] 33 - I considered abandoning ship as this isn't for me, but another book set in Alaska made me miss LC and her "ums," so I'm going to finish. Can I just say, girl what? He's been at college for 2 years and was unaware of your interest until a few weeks ago, are you 18 or 12?
It was okay. This isn't my style of story, so I knew it wasn't going to be higher than a 3 halfway through. It's kinda like YA but doesn't read like YA, I had a hard time labeling the genre and it wasn’t listed on Goodreads by the publisher or anything, it's not exactly a romance although the plot centers around a blossoming romance. There was a lot of repetition, the MC thinks "butterflies" 47 times. I think she made a lot of poor choices even for her age group, but she was inexperienced and naïve for a 17-year-old so I'll give her a pass on that. I didn't like either of the boys, they were gray characters which is realistic but also made it hard for me to see what MC saw. I'm assuming this will be a series.
Recommend to others: I'm not sure. It needed more sunshine for my taste but others loved it.
317-page Kindle Ebook story pages 5-316
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance (sorta), New Adult
Featuring: Family Dynamics, Vacation Community, Fictional Small-Town Michigan along Lake Michigan near the Indiana Border, 18th Birthday, Summer Vacation, June, Coming of Age, College Bound, Neighbors, Friendships, Anxiety, Depression, Drama, Fourth of July, Friendships
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult content and drinking
Songs for the soundtrack: "Blackbird" by The Beatles, "Happy Birthday" by Stevie Wonder, "Pride And Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan, "Cryin'" by Aerosmith, "Imagine" by John Lennon, "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles, "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus, "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman, "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison, "Intentions" by Justin Bieber and Quavo, “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, “Shut Up And Dance” by Walk the Moon, “Memories” by Maroon 5, “Lover” by Taylor Swift, “Feels Like Summer” by Samuel Jack, “Style” by Taylor Swift
Books and Authors mentioned: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Memorable Quotes: I decided to go with scissors again and my dad had switched to paper. I won the round, which meant I was the one in the first photo of the trip. It felt quite fitting, seeing as this summer at Blackbird would be a big milestone for me—I was turning eighteen.
Gavin playfully put his arm around my shoulder and asked, “You ready for your birthday show?” “You know it!” I called out and then leaned back on my hands to get a better view of the sky. Connor shot Gavin an inquisitive look. “We’ve always teased her because when she was little, she thought the firework show was literally for her birthday,” Gavin told Connor with a smile. Connor laughed and I playfully backhanded Gavin in the stomach.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️½ 🏖🎆💘
My thoughts: 🔖Page 23 of 317 [Chapter] 4 - This is nice but I'm going back to my other book. This story is relaxing, I'm in the mood for drama.
🔖43 [Chapter] 7 - This is a bit too smooth like a 90s Disney Channel Original movie, where's the drama?
🔖68 [Chapter] 11 - It has become a little dull and over the will they won't they and looming triangle.
🔖90 [Chapter] 14 - Tomorrow I'm gonna have to decide to go ahead and give this book all my attention so I can finish it or pause it so I can read something else and come back. It seems to go up and down, and I can't maintain interest.
🔖156 [Chapter] 23 - Not much is going on I'm still waiting for the credits to roll (title of the book), there's no danger of a triangle if you can't seal the deal with the first guy. I'm mainly stopping because I need to get up early, I was on a roll but I feel like not much has changed in the last 10 chapters.
🔖189 [two pages into Chapter] 27 - I'm over it but I do want to finish. MC uses "oh um" too much and I think this kiss is never going to happen and the lack of transparency is creating a terrible triangle.
🔖225 [Chapter] 33 - I considered abandoning ship as this isn't for me, but another book set in Alaska made me miss LC and her "ums," so I'm going to finish. Can I just say, girl what? He's been at college for 2 years and was unaware of your interest until a few weeks ago, are you 18 or 12?
It was okay. This isn't my style of story, so I knew it wasn't going to be higher than a 3 halfway through. It's kinda like YA but doesn't read like YA, I had a hard time labeling the genre and it wasn’t listed on Goodreads by the publisher or anything, it's not exactly a romance although the plot centers around a blossoming romance. There was a lot of repetition, the MC thinks "butterflies" 47 times. I think she made a lot of poor choices even for her age group, but she was inexperienced and naïve for a 17-year-old so I'll give her a pass on that. I didn't like either of the boys, they were gray characters which is realistic but also made it hard for me to see what MC saw. I'm assuming this will be a series.
Recommend to others: I'm not sure. It needed more sunshine for my taste but others loved it.
April 2, 2025
If you’re looking for a book that feels like a warm breeze, a secret glance across a campfire, and the kind of summer that changes everything—you need this one in your life.
Marie Lopez totally nailed that nostalgic, coming-of-age vibe with a friend group you’ll want to be part of and moments that feel straight out of a dreamy indie movie. It’s heartfelt, honest, and quietly powerful. Think: deep talks under the stars, complicated friendships, and the kind of emotional glow-up that sneaks up on you.
No spoilers—but prepare to text your bestie and say, “You HAVE to read this.”
Perfect for fans of Jenny Han, Sarah Dessen, or anyone who’s ever had a summer they’ll never forget.
Marie Lopez totally nailed that nostalgic, coming-of-age vibe with a friend group you’ll want to be part of and moments that feel straight out of a dreamy indie movie. It’s heartfelt, honest, and quietly powerful. Think: deep talks under the stars, complicated friendships, and the kind of emotional glow-up that sneaks up on you.
No spoilers—but prepare to text your bestie and say, “You HAVE to read this.”
Perfect for fans of Jenny Han, Sarah Dessen, or anyone who’s ever had a summer they’ll never forget.
October 7, 2025
This is such a cute book! Marie made it so easy for me to follow along with the story and be transported back to when I was that young. Now, please Marie, when is the next book coming out?
Thank you Marie Lopez & GoodReads for this eBook.
Thank you Marie Lopez & GoodReads for this eBook.
April 17, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. The Summer We Kissed at Blackbird pulled me in from the first chapter and didn’t let go until the very end. It has everything I look for in a story—romance, a gorgeous setting, great characters, and just the right amount of drama and emotion.
LC is such a relatable main character. She’s thoughtful, a little unsure of herself, and trying to make sense of everything life throws at her. I really connected with her as she navigated friendships, unexpected feelings, family tension, and all the gray areas in between. Her connection with Gavin was so well written—natural, a little messy, and totally believable. And then there’s Connor, who added just the right amount of mystery and complexity to the mix.
What I really loved was how real everything felt. The emotions, the shifting dynamics, the bittersweet moments—nothing felt forced or overdone. And Blackbird Lake? I could see it. The writing brought it all to life so vividly, it felt like I was right there with the characters.
It’s one of those stories that sticks with you—not just because of the romance or the drama, but because of how honest it is about figuring yourself out when everything around you is changing.
Highly recommend!!
LC is such a relatable main character. She’s thoughtful, a little unsure of herself, and trying to make sense of everything life throws at her. I really connected with her as she navigated friendships, unexpected feelings, family tension, and all the gray areas in between. Her connection with Gavin was so well written—natural, a little messy, and totally believable. And then there’s Connor, who added just the right amount of mystery and complexity to the mix.
What I really loved was how real everything felt. The emotions, the shifting dynamics, the bittersweet moments—nothing felt forced or overdone. And Blackbird Lake? I could see it. The writing brought it all to life so vividly, it felt like I was right there with the characters.
It’s one of those stories that sticks with you—not just because of the romance or the drama, but because of how honest it is about figuring yourself out when everything around you is changing.
Highly recommend!!
April 24, 2025
4.6 rating A wonderful coming of age read about discovering your first love. The setting and descriptions of the summer house drew me in. A wealth of interesting characters which left me wanting to know more about each of them. Characters were likeable and believable. Conversations felt authentic, especially given the serious issues kids that age deal with. I appreciated that the serious topics were covered but not resolved, leaving the reader to explore their own thoughts. An impressive first book from this author. Appropriate for all ages, not just teens. Keep exploring these characters! I want to know more about them.
April 9, 2025
“The summer we kissed at blackbird” is a charming coming-of-age story about Hannah, a young girl who spends the summer with her family at a beach house. The beach house setting is the perfect backdrop for her journey of self-discovery, and the author Marie skillfully captures the complexity of young love. With authentic characters and relatable struggles, this book is a heartfelt and enjoyable read for fans of romance and coming-of-age tales.
Definitely would recommend to my friends :)
-Emily
Definitely would recommend to my friends :)
-Emily
April 7, 2025
The Summer we kissed at Blackbird is a great book for the young & old. This heartwarming story of first love, friendships & family and the ups & downs of it all. The author does a great job with the characters in the book making you want to keep reading another chapter. Definitely recommend this book
May 30, 2025
perfect summer read about young love with a setting that makes you feel like you're on vacation. From the moment I picked this up all I wanted to do was go be on vacation with LC's family on Lake Michigan. Marie's writing is so vivid and paints the setting in way I can see it in my head. She captures the essence of young love beautifully. A perfect summer read!
May 13, 2025
This is such a fun read that really captures all those wild, scary, fun, and manic feelings of young love and life changing summers!
The story and characters are brought to life by the author’s writing and I can’t wait for the sequel! Someone needs to buy the movie rights to this one!!
The story and characters are brought to life by the author’s writing and I can’t wait for the sequel! Someone needs to buy the movie rights to this one!!
October 21, 2025
Overall, the book was simple and nice. The target audience is probably preteens though
This was a light, easy read with a cozy, laid-back vibe. I liked that it didn’t rely on wild drama or coincidences, the plot felt realistic and calm. The group dynamic between the five friends was enjoyable, and I appreciated that the characters had real personalities and lots of dialogue. The writing was simple, which made it very readable.
That said, the simplicity of the story also made it feel like there wasn’t much of a plot. It mostly followed what the kids were doing during the summer, and only the last 50 pages had any real build-up or emotional weight. The dialogue and descriptions were often corny or overly detailed, I found myself skimming parts, especially when it came to long descriptions of rooms or outfits. Some emotional reactions felt exaggerated (LC crying all the time), and the characters sometimes acted younger than 18.
This was a light, easy read with a cozy, laid-back vibe. I liked that it didn’t rely on wild drama or coincidences, the plot felt realistic and calm. The group dynamic between the five friends was enjoyable, and I appreciated that the characters had real personalities and lots of dialogue. The writing was simple, which made it very readable.
That said, the simplicity of the story also made it feel like there wasn’t much of a plot. It mostly followed what the kids were doing during the summer, and only the last 50 pages had any real build-up or emotional weight. The dialogue and descriptions were often corny or overly detailed, I found myself skimming parts, especially when it came to long descriptions of rooms or outfits. Some emotional reactions felt exaggerated (LC crying all the time), and the characters sometimes acted younger than 18.
July 23, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
I can’t believe we’re halfway through summer and I just realized I still hadn’t posted about my recent beach read ☀️
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥 is a touching story of friendship, first love, and family dynamics. Marie Lopez gives us characters you can’t help but love.
If you enjoyed 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘐 𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺, then this one is definitely for you. While it’s geared toward a teen audience, I think that most readers would find this story enjoyable because it takes you back to those summer days when you were young, silly and lovestruck. If you’re looking for a beachy, fun and fast-paced read to dive into before the summer is over, this one is perfect.
Thank you to @marielopezbooks for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review — I truly enjoyed it ♥️
I can’t believe we’re halfway through summer and I just realized I still hadn’t posted about my recent beach read ☀️
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥 is a touching story of friendship, first love, and family dynamics. Marie Lopez gives us characters you can’t help but love.
If you enjoyed 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘐 𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺, then this one is definitely for you. While it’s geared toward a teen audience, I think that most readers would find this story enjoyable because it takes you back to those summer days when you were young, silly and lovestruck. If you’re looking for a beachy, fun and fast-paced read to dive into before the summer is over, this one is perfect.
Thank you to @marielopezbooks for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review — I truly enjoyed it ♥️
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews