Our Secret Summer

by Harper Bliss

They promised themselves it was only for the summer…

Raffo retreats to a lake house in Big Bear, desperate to heal her broken heart. But peace and quiet prove impossible when she discovers Dylan—her best friend’s mother—already staying at the house, hiding from her own mistakes.

Dylan is everything Raffo doesn’t older, off-limits, and utterly captivating.

What starts as a shared summer sanctuary quickly turns into something far more dangerous when their undeniable chemistry ignites. As their bond deepens, passion blossoms into a love neither woman saw coming.

But summer can't last forever. With Dylan's son waiting in Los Angeles, their growing love risks destroying the very relationships they cherish most.

Our Secret Summer is a steamy sapphic age-gap romance about forbidden desire, irresistible connections, and the risk of following your heart when the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Lesbian, Lesbian Fiction, Contemporary, LGBT, Queer

Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2025

About the author

Harper Bliss is a best-selling lesbian romance author. Among her most-loved books are the highly dramatic French Kissing and the often thought-provoking Pink Bean series. She is the co-founder of My LesFic, a weekly newsletter offering discount deals on lesbian fiction.

Harper lived in Hong Kong for 7 years, travelled the world for a bit, and has now settled in Brussels (Belgium) with her wife and photogenic cat, Dolly Purrton.

Together with her wife, she hosts a weekly podcast called Harper Bliss & Her Mrs.

Reviews

[Unpopmary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

[currentlyreadingbynat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Secret Summer is another emotional, character-driven forbidden romance from Harper Bliss that delivers exactly what she’s known for—angst, intimacy, and complex characters navigating life and love. The setup is familiar—two women escaping their own heartbreaks end up unexpectedly sharing a secluded lake house—but Bliss keeps it fresh with lots of emotional depth. The age gap (26 years) is handled thoughtfully, never overshadowing the connection between Raffo and Dylan.

The romance sparks quickly, maybe a little too fast, but their emotional vulnerability makes it believable. What really hooked me was the shift from a steamy connection to full-on Bliss-style angst, with difficult choices, self-doubt, and emotional push-pull as both women try to protect themselves and others. The middle of the book pulled me in the most—I couldn’t stop reading once the hard decisions started piling up. It’s less about the age difference and more about two adults figuring out if love can happen when timing and loyalty pull them in different directions.

With some familiar nods to characters from Bliss’s LA world and her signature intimate scenes, this is definitely one for fans of emotional, slow-burn romances that aren’t afraid to dig into the messy side of falling in love. A satisfying, heartfelt read.

Many thanks to Harper Bliss for providing me a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars for Our Secret Summer (audiobook) by Harper Bliss read by Abby Craden.

A young and upcoming painter has just had her world rocked by a break up and a close friend offers to let her stay at their mother’s summer house. But come to find out the house isn’t empty like the friend thought. The mother is there suffering through her own problems. And slowly the two spark a relationship as they help each other get through their ordeals.

[Guerunche · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

The ebook wasn’t really working for me so I switched to the audiobook version. With Abby Craden’s Magic I enjoyed it more, but the story left me wanting.

While I found the attraction completely believable, the insta-love was a bit harder to swallow. It never seemed to be about much more than lust between them. There needed to be a bit more development than a few conversations.

I also found the son’s/best friend’s immaturity really annoying. While being shocked that your best friend is sleeping with your mother, I get an initial “freaked out” reaction. But it going on and on and refusing to accept it in spite of there being genuine feelings on both sides? Silly.

I’m a big fan of Harper Bliss and especially her collaborations with Abby Craden. I’ll continue to support her work even though this one didn’t work as well for me.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Netgyrl (Laura)]

DNF- started the sample and it is just not working for me. Writing doesn’t seem to be at her usual level.

[Fran Sappharc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start, yes it’s a scenario others have done before, but Bliss manages to keep everything fresh. I’m looking forward to learning more about the mains and seeing them discover each other. The perfect start to a book! I wasn’t quite sure of the age gap, I knew one main was 59 quite quickly and about 19% we find out it is a 26 year gap as the other main is about 33. There certainty, so far is nothing that indicates a gap other than the best friends mum references. It’s just two adults getting on.
Interestingly the first time the mains “get together” it is the younger one that seems body conscious.
Blistering intimate scenes are a hallmark of this writer. I wasn’t swept along but I am sure many will be. However once the mains had to part, for other peoples sake, the other trademark blissism was in full display. Angst, decisions to make others happy, tough love! Oh boy. I could not put the book down. I'm beginning to think I am drawn to a misery memoir rather than a joyful journey!!
A happy ending and a few name checks for other Bliss characters.

[Gaja · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF
It didn’t seem Harper’s writing at all

[Teddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a lot of this to be too abrupt. I understand a connection can be immediate between people, but when they’re 30ish years apart and one is your best friend’s mom…I guess I just expected a bit of a slower burn. I also had a hard time believing someone who’d just gotten out of a 10year relationship and was so devastated she’s still regularly crying about it- would jump into bed again…with her best friend’s mom. And that the mom wouldn’t have better self control where her son was concerned. …So believability was challenging all the way through. But did I keep reading? You know I did. The chemistry was there, and I also loved Murray.

Short summary: fresh off heartbreak, Raffo has lost her painting mojo so her best friend sends her to his mom’s lake house…who’s supposed to be away in Europe but is very much present, and quite a bit naked.

[Chelles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Secret Summer

This story was not only about Raffo and Dylan. It was equally about Connor, and his relationship with each of them. Harper Bliss truly knows how to write complicated, age-gap, forbidden romances. She has you feeling that this could never work out, but in the end...🥰❤️‍🔥

[Tori Huggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why does every age gap romance have to be their best friends mom?? (It might be my bad pickings but I’m not ready to admit that yet)

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another brilliant story by Harper Bliss, I have been a Hugh fan of this author for quite a while now getting through almost all of her books.

In this sapphic story we discover a forbidden love story between a woman and her son’s best friend. Unexpectedly thrown together in the same place for the summer both Dylan and Raffo develop an incredible connection and find themselves falling in love with each other, but once there secret summer romance is over could there love transition into the real world, and just how will Dylan’s son react. I loved this one especially how it ended.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very fast pace, like, immediately starts in chapter one.
It wasn't particularly bad or anything, just, not my thing. Also, I didn't feel the chemistry at all, to be honest.
Overall, it was fine.
Also also, what's up with these names?

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favourite one of hers I've read (for the love of god, please stop saying "mojo"), but it's always a fun read regardless.

[Sara Saab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I was braced for another contemporary romance car crash, this actually wasn’t bad at all. It got in, was pretty utilitarian and real in its setup and project without getting whiny or eyegougingly, endlessly interior. The crises and conflict were even handed. No one was virtue-washed. Raffo and Dylan were well sketched and the age gap wasn’t the subject of (much) teeth-gnashing. The audiobook narration was solid.

[Siddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raffo is an up-and-coming artist in LA, but has just had her heart broken and has lost all painting inspiration. Mia, her girlfriend of ten years has just dumped her, and so Raffo’s best friend and gallery owner Connor has given her the key to his mother’s lake house, two hours from LA. His mother is meant to be away on a retreat in Europe.
Dylan is licking her wounds in her lake house after losing a lot of money on a bad investment. She doesn’t have the courage to tell her son Connor, and so she is in hiding because she can’t now afford her planned European trip.
After Raffo finds Dylan half naked, she wants to find somewhere else to go, but Dylan persuades her to stay. The romance between them is slow burn with lots of introspection by both women, and because of their age difference and because of thoughts of Connor it almost never happens.
This is a lovely book, in typical Harper Bliss style. She writes some of the best slow burn deep stories.

[Atanda Tattrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just wanted a fluffy, hot romance and this was....Simply not it.

It seemed like a set-up for a slow burn romance but they were together after like a WEEK. And her son was completely against it, willing to end a good friendship, then like changed his mind?

I simply could keep it in my pants around my friend's mom, just saying!

The characters showed no growth and a good chunk of this book is just them upset about not being together. Bad

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my! What a great story! I will be re-reading this one as the MCs are just wonderful!!! And SPICY!!!

[Rey Hawke · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Mikaila✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely rational crash out from the son. If my 30 year old best friend started dating my mom, I'd be upset too. lmao

[pears ✧ ☽ ☼ ଳ]

Dnf @ 8%
I hateeee the writing style. It feels so robotic and not engaging at all.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This really ended up being a flop for me. There was hardly any depth or personality. The plot was pretty weak and the friend that freaked out was so obnoxious.

[Lyss Chiampi · Rating 4 out of 5]

my first age gap romance book, of course it was queer. I loved following this one. Not my typical read, but I really did enjoy learning about Dylan and Raffo and their summer at Big Bear.

[Indy · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was a bit boring tbh

gebeurde zoveel maar niks wat je niet aan zou zien komen

[Devon Statham · Rating 4 out of 5]

silly little gay book kicking off the summer reading season

[Micah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 — Harper bliss loves her an age gap relationship and im not even mad about it

[Cari Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

mmmmm back at it like a cr*** a*****
Age-Gap is forever my fave. Best Friends mom? CHEFS KISSSSSSSS

[Scriptmonkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I hear "Raffo" one more time, I may go insane. Over the course of the book, time and space lost meaning. It was like hearing "Jellicle" in Cats. What does it all mean?!? (They don't have an option for an audiobook format for some reason, but that's what I had.)

Is that really the most important thing you can say about this book? Pretty much. The book was fine. "it was ok" to quote the Goodreads 2-star-rating description. However, I gave it three because of bits of honesty by Harper. It's a low-stakes and low-worry book--appropriate enough for a book with "summer" in the title.

Harper references using an editor. Props to that. Many in this genre don't know how to use spellcheck, thesaurus, or even a dictionary. However, I think an editor on their game might have advised, "Maybe don't say the character's name in every sentence?" Also, I assume "Raffo" was shortened from "Rafaela", though I don't recall any indication of this. I think the full name is rather charming. If I had that name and was to shorten it, I'd probably go with "Rafe", but I can see how that could be problematic with poor enunciation or a typo. Raffo, as a first name on the other hand, sounds like the name of a clown--an actual circus clown I mean.

There are indications that Raffo is also a POC (the cover art for one), at the least someone of Mediterranean heritage, but no time is spent to that possible aspect of her identity. Dylan, a white, blonde woman gets more time devoted to her ethnic characteristics.

The first part of the book is set in Big Bear, California. Having been several times, I was disappointed that she captured none of it. It could be any lake house by any lake. For one, Dylan swims in the lake. While you can swim there, dedicated swimming is a rarity. Maybe at the public beaches, but private docks, like Dylan's have a 20-foot swimming area restriction. They gape at the natural beauty but don't indicate anything they actually see. When they left the house/cabin, it was off-page. No reference to strolling the downtown strip. Nothing of the quaint local shops and eateries. Definitely no reference to a super-majority of the population being Trump-loving right-wing troglodytes who would despise Raffo.

As to the story, the book feels short, and the rushed nature of the romance reflects that. I thought I had missed a chapter or two when the characters were suddenly making out and stripping each other. Granted there were indications of attraction, but I would have preferred it simmer for a little bit before exploding.

Raffo, an amazingly talented artist, perhaps the greatest living painter of her time (the standard Harper Bliss protagonist when a creative) has lost her mojo because of a bad breakup with a woman (Mia) who deserves to be reviled because she fell out of love with the amazing Raffo and made a clumsy (okay, rather sleazy) exit by saying it should be an open relationship. There is debate in the book as to whether Mia had decided it was an open relationship prior to suggesting it, but it is never resolved.

Dylan, on the other hand, who is nearly 60--a year away from being 60--almost 60--- (you will hear this--a lot) blew her savings, a half a million on Crypto. My first thought was, "Ha! Idiot!" and to Harper's credit, she acknowledges as much. Dylan realizes she thought she was smarter than she was and made stupid choices. I much prefer that to characters acting as if their choices were great, but circumstances bedeviled them.

The entirety of the conflict of this story, trifling asides to the age-gap notwithstanding, is how will Dylan's son (Raffo's bestie and business partner) react to the news. This isn't the first, and I suspect it will not be the last, "My gay son pitched a fit over my relationship with their best lesbian friend" story. It is always the same. Shock. Outrage. Hypocrisy. A semblance of rationality. Love conquers all--son finagles a way to get the two to meet. It was good to see Connor's romantic partner, Murray, point these things out to him (though some version of this always happens too) and that despite Connor's anger, he didn't forsake his friend or mother in a full-on hissy.

The Age-Gap aspect was not a true stumbling block to romance here. Harper made a nod to reality and devoted a few lines to Dylan's concerns and even a sentence to how Raffo understood that Dylan was considerably older and showing signs of aging--but none of this dimmed the fires of passion for either of them.

Now, Age-Gap is not my favorite. It is in Harper's wheelhouse...heck that is her wheelhouse even when it's not a virtual necessity (such as falling in love with a bestie's mother). Often, the character is older so that the character can be older--not that it's essential to the story. Harper hints at problems ahead, but doesn't dwell on them for the sake of a happy ending. Indeed, that this is a HFN not an HEA, is stated by Dylan.

Maybe that's my issue with Age-Gap romances. The escapism inherent in reading such works is thwarted. The illusion of HEA is shown for the HOC it is (House of Cards). In all statistical likelihood, even if they don't fall out of love, Raffo will be single by the time she is Dylan's age in the book. No love is truly forever but there's an implicit sadness and limitation when the age gap is nearly 28 years. For that matter, while Dylan joked about needing lube and from being too tired to have sex after being at work, that will only get more pronounced over time. This goes back to the implicit sadness--especially in a book with such a significant sexual component.

Dylan is also saddled with, what seems to be almost requisite, soulless job--even more so when compared to Raffo's artistic pursuits. But an advertising executive? Advertising seems like one of the banes of civilization. A profession, in the modern sense, that arose out of the desire to push propaganda, and the focus of which is to convince people to buy something--often something they don't need. Despite that, Dylan is clearly one of the best in the world at--whatever it is she does--and everyone knows it, even if they can't describe what it is she does.

Lastly, while I know many like when connections are made to the Blissverse, this one felt forced (perhaps like the romance, the rushed nature of it contributed to the feeling). Of course, Raffo was at Rainbow House. Sure, Dylan is listening to some lesbian erotica read by Ida Burton (an actress in the Blissverse of Meryl Streep standing except she's won a ludicrous four Oscars and her partner, Faye won three in a row. No. Sorry. no. Those books couldn't afford to pay for a narrator of that standing. Maybe she does it pro bono and I forgot that part in About that Kiss) and of course Raffo's art will be shown at the gallery of Dolores from In the Distance There is Light. Dolores happens to be the best most important art gallery owner in the United States in case you didn't know.

Speaking of advertising, that's what these connections feel like. Advertising by way of "fan service". Of course, Harper wants people to read her other books, but the Blissverse's Secret Lesbian Network is staggering. Everyone knows everyone (or they soon will). It feels like in trying to show the characters are part of a wider world; it somehow makes it a smaller world.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

the pacing of this was really goofy to me. stuff happened so fast that if felt unbelievable and i couldn't get very invested. it became very repetitive and the second half was especiallt tedious. honestly not much actually happened it was mostly the main characters thinking or talking about their feelings and their predicament and it felt like a broken record a lot of the time.