The Summer of Second Chances

by K.L. Walther

Olivia Lupo feels stuck. All her friends have gone on to their first year of college while she's still at home with her family. There's a good reason though, her beloved grandmother, Annie, has dementia, and Olivia can't bear the thought of being so far from home when Annie needs her the most.

So when her stepmother asks the family to spend three weeks of the summer on Martha's Vineyard, Olivia plans to say no...until she discovers an old box Annie filled with photos and memories from her own time there. Olivia decides to follow in her grandmother's footsteps and spend some time on the island that Annie describes as magical.

When she arrives, she meets Connor, a boy from her past who really wants to be a part of her present... and future. Olivia's never thought about forever with someone until meeting Connor...and it scares her. How can she make plans when all she wants to do is keep close to her grandmother before she's gone forever? As she recreates the memories Annie made a lifetime ago, she has to decide if she's finally willing to give someone her heart, just when she needs it the most.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Summer, Summer Reads, Contemporary, Young Adult Romance, Contemporary Romance

400 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 5, 2026

About the author

K.L. Walther was born and raised in the rolling hills of Bucks County, Pennsylvania surrounded by family, dogs, and books. Her childhood was spent traveling the northeastern seaboard to play ice hockey. She attended a boarding school in New Jersey and went on to earn a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia. She is happiest on the beach with a book, cheering for the New York Rangers, or enjoying a rom-com while digging into a big bowl of popcorn and M&Ms.

Reviews

[K.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m very proud of this one! It’s got all the Vineyard vibes we know and love, and while a standalone novel, TSOSC is also a companion to THREE of my books: The Summer of Broken Rules, Maybe Meant to Be, and A First Time for Everything. You don’t need to read them to fall for this book, but I think knowing the tea on our supporting cast will make this read much more special.

Lastly, please call your grandparents and tell them you love them. 💛

[emma ⚘]

is this about connor from first time for everything???

[madison . ݁₊ ⊹]

8.27.25 ౨ৎ
okay well she really doesn’t sleep clearly

[ella]

how do you write like you’re running out of time

[hannah! (lowkey gone)]

im so so so hyped for this one!!!!

theres also apparently a nick and sage cameo (WITH SPEAKING!!!!!!!!) so im extra excited <33333

[Asabella]

it's official. K.L. Walther doesn't sleep.

[Livvy &#x1d717;&#x1d71a; {semi ia} · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕣𝕖𝕖

୨ৎ 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 <3

‧₊ ̊🍹✩ ₊ ̊🍉⊹♡

⋆."𝐇𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐫𝐢 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐧"˚ 𓇼

⋆｡𖦹 ˚🏖️ 𓇼 ˚💛｡⋆

"𝑀𝓎 𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝑒 𝒶 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝑒𝓇, '𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝐼'𝓂 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒽𝒶𝓃𝑔𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹"

⋆˚꩜｡14+

⚓︎ Romance 5/10 {Kissing, hooking up, mild innuendo}
⚓︎ Cussing 4/10 {F*ck, sh*t, a*s, b*tch, h*ll, d*mn, d*uche used a couple times}
⚓︎ Violence 1/10 {Mentions of people playing assasin hehe}
⚓︎ Tw’s {Loss of a loved one, a loved one has dementia}

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

"𝐼'𝓋𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝒹 𝓈𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓇𝓊𝓂𝑜𝓇𝓈, 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝐼'𝓂 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒶 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒷𝒶𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝒸𝒽"

‧₊ ᵎᵎ 🍉⋅ ˚☀︎ 𝓞𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀

I was blown away by this book 🤭 I picked it up and the SECOND that I saw that her name was Olivia I was hooked. I am SO biased because MY name is Olivia and I really connected with her! This book brought back so many fond memories of TSOBR too! I was so happy with the way that we had SO many characters from other books in this one! I was NEEDING a summer romance to make me feel like it is summer 😫 winter is too long and cold and this book gave me hope for warm days 😇 I loved the romance and I was CONSTANTLY pacing my room and giggling and kicking my feet. It wasn’t even the best romance ever but Connor was just so sweet and swoony! I loved how this was placed on Martha’s Vineyard too! I loved that in TSOBR and I loved getting to go back! It had ALL the summer feels, good characters, and good writing! I literally am so excited to share my thoughts about this one!



𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

"𝐼 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇, 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹𝓃'𝓉 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝑒'

‧₊ ᵎᵎ 🍉⋅ ˚☀︎ 𝓟𝓵𝓸𝓽

This plot was so good! I always love when they are on a mission to recreate a relatives or friends memories or to-do lists! It was so perfect for the setting and even though we have been here before we got to see new spots! I loved how we got to see a lot of the plot happening with her “family” as well! I love how even though this was a romance book we got a lot of the family aspect and they are all so funny so it felt like a sitcom! Nearing the end I was a LITTLE disappointed about how the romance kind of dropped off but ofc “there always has to be miscommunication in a romance book” but it makes me so mad sometime 😫✋ NOBODY EVEN TALK TO ME ABOUT THE CAR THING (iykyk) I literally died and came back to life in the best way. I was shocked on this plot the whole time and I was EVEN MORE hooked when Wit was on page 😏💋

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

"𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒹, "𝒲𝑒'𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓉𝑜𝑔𝑒𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇", 𝓈𝑜 𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝑒 𝓀𝒾𝓈𝓈, 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝓈𝓈𝓊𝑒𝓈"

‧₊ ᵎᵎ 🍉⋅ ˚☀︎ 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼

⚓︎ The love I have for these characters is literally unmatched. I love getting to see all the people from the other books like it fills my freaking soul up. I didn’t read Maybe Meant to Be, or finish A First Time For Everything before this book but watch me go binge them asap. I love these characters so much and they all made me so happy!

𓆝 ⋆.🏖️*:･ 𝓞𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓪

She is me and I am her. I felt SUCH a connection to her. Not only because we share the same name but she was dealing with some of the same things I have dealt with in the past and we have the same personality. 🧐 So… K.L Walther, are you possibly hiding somewhere in my room? Because she could be so sassy once she got comfortable with people and I feel like that side comes out a LOT when I get to know people! The only difference is she got a man… 😫 I’ll pretend I have one… But she was so CUTE and I loved her personality. Sometimes she pissed me off though (I also piss myself off a ton so yk) she easily redeemed herself though so I could look past it tehe.

𓆝 ⋆.🏖️*:･ 𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓸𝓻

I WAS HOOKED FROM THE SECOND HE WALKED IN WITH THOSE KIDS. I was like ok yup he's mine. He was SO sweet and the way he acted around kids made me want to jump off a cliff.



He was so sweet and sensitive but also VERY hot and he let us know what he wanted 🤭 His allergies to the foods WAS SO CUTE AND THE WAY SHE USED IT TO CREATE A MOMENT?! Please let's have a round of applause for K.L Walther 👏👏👏. He was just literally the best and he was Mad's best friend and he was connected to Mer and Wit and Luke and Charlie and it just made me so happy. His heart was just so big and he gave off golden retriever vibes. AND THE WATERMELON SHAMPOO?! That sent me. He was literally the WHOLE package. He loved kids, was so sweet, hot, patient, a gentleman, and FUNNY. I’m so done. If K.L Walther WAS writing about me WHERE IS CONNOR HUH? My standards have been raised so high I think it's taller than all the men stacked on top of one another.

𓆝 ⋆.🏖️*:･ 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼

AHHHHHHHHHH Charlie and Luke?! I’m nominating the best couple like bro. Luke was so funny and Charlie was so sweet and combined it = my death. Wit and Mer were a WELCOME surprise but they seem so different which is to be expected because they are kind of old but it was kind of eye opening. #hitchmetowitry. AND SAGE AND NICK?! I loved them too. Mad’s was kind of in there as well but not a whole time! She was quite the character lmaooo. There were a lot of the Fox family too which was nice to see them again! The relations that pop up between the families are so insane… we know what you are Annie.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

"𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒹, "𝒷𝒶𝒷𝓎, 𝓃𝑜 𝒶𝓉𝓉𝒶𝒸𝒽𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉" 𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝓌𝑒'𝓇𝑒..."

‧₊ ᵎᵎ 🍉⋅ ˚☀︎ 𝓦𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰

OK so here is where I have one MINISCULE issue… she said lowkey in this book and I honestly was SO shocked to see that and it scared me so bad I got second hand embarrassment. That is where the .25% has gone. Please take that out, I beg you. Other than THAT I lovedddd the writing and I liked how it was a little bit more modern! The lowkey was too far though. There were no typos or anything so that was good! If there are ever typos I swear I mark it down a star for each one 💀

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

"𝒦𝓃𝑒𝑒-𝒹𝑒𝑒𝓅 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝓈𝓈𝑒𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓇𝑒 𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝑒 𝑜𝓊𝓉, 𝒾𝓈 𝒾𝓉 𝒸𝒶𝓈𝓊𝒶𝓁 𝓃𝑜𝓌?"

‧₊ ᵎᵎ 🍉⋅ ˚☀︎ 𝓞𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵

After this rollercoaster ride of a book I am going to need some AMAZING book to just stay out of a book slump! It was SO good and I needed this in the winter! I will be buying a copy when it comes out no matter what. I will annotate it and just cuddle it. THANK YOU SO MUCH K.L Walther and NetGalley for letting me read this as an arc. I absolutely needed this before May!

‧₊ ̊🍹✩ ₊ ̊🍉⊹♡

4.75★

💛🏖️ Pre Read:

AHHHHH STOP IM LITERALLY SCREAMING 🤭 I got the arc for this and I CAN NOT wait to read this 😭💕 I need a cutesy little romance after my last book 😫🤞tysm K.L Walther 🥹

[phoebe]

One thing about K.L Walthers books is that the characters are all connecting in some way. in this book we had reaprences from Wit and Meredeith, Connor and Mads. Our FMC Olivia's grandmother has dementia which has been really hard on her because they are extremly close. Olivia lost her mom when she was seven and her dad remaried Erica and they had two kids. Erica and anf Olivia have a very rocky relationship, she dosen't understand why Olivia took a gap year to stay with her grandmother. Erica's family is having a reunion at Martha's Vinyard where she reluctently has to attend, until she finds a book of photographs from the summers her grandmother spent there that she kept secret. By chance she shares a room with Connor the manny for her step cousins. From there he helps her visit all the places in her grandmothers photos. Overall this was a classic K.L Walthers book and it was very enjoyable. The other thing that threw me off was that I felt like the family tree of Ericas family was so confusing beacuse it was so big.

[kass!]

so excited for this<3

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus}]

*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*

I'm sure I'm going to enjoy K.L. Walther's newest books as I did enjoy her other books.

[A. Diella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Release date:May 5th, 2025
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice:fade to black
Age rating:14+

Very cute, very good, very summery, got called out on my attachment issues, definitely recommend.

[jocelyn ੈ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley for access to the eARC!!

This book was adorable! K. L. Walther does an amazing job with crafting amazing settings, relatable characters, and stories that are well thought out. I was happy to finally get Connor's story after reading about him previously in A First Time for Everything, and I loved reading about Olivia's relationship with her grandmother as well! Going back to Martha's Vineyard was also a lot of fun, and the descriptions made me wish it was summertime and I was sightseeing right with Connor and Olivia! The only thing I noticed about the story was the ending fell a little flat for me. It seemed slightly rushed, but I think the context made the ending have a good meaning, and overall the romance had a good happily ever after for our two leads. I can't wait until this comes out in May and to read more KLW books in the future!

[chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this book as an arc thanks to netgalley!
(slight spoilers ahead)
omg where do i start this book had so much depth and so many funny witty moments that i was literally laughing out loud. I loved Olivias character so much and the growth and learning she has in this in truly so amazing, and her relationship with Annie wanted to make me cry at times at how much she cared for her. OMG and connor he is so much like wit but in ways but finds his own so well and i just loved his character. THE CAMEO with Wit and Meredith was so amazing because i loved tsobr!! im so excided for everyone to read this in may!!

[Burden]

Oh my gosh, I can't wait for this boooook

*internally screaming*

[Mikaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a cutie YA but not my favorite by this author! I know this whole series has a BUNCH of characters but I got so turned around in this one. It felt hard to keep everyone sorted out since we had so many families all coming together. I loved hearing about what everyone is up to but it was a lot to process at times.
As far as the main characters went, I really liked Connor (the MMC) but wish Olivia (the FMC) spent more time with him. The romance subplot felt a bit rushed between the two of them. Sometimes they would have really cute moments that made me kick my feet and then others I would be pulled out of it. The main story being Olivia trying to understand her Grandma another way was great and I would have loved for the romance to feel not so rushed and added to that a bit more.
Olivia also strikes me as a very Bella Swan-esque character. Sometimes very hard for me to connect with her in the story and she came off boring (this is coming from a person who fucking loves the Twilight franchise so no disrespect) I also understand that I’m older than the target audience and when I read books like this as a teen I looooved the FMC’s that were like this.
Even with that though, as soon as I finished I looked up the other books I haven’t read yet and added them to my TBR
3.5/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️ a perfect YA with closed door romance. Perfect for a teen!

[Cadence · Rating 4 out of 5]

As if my summer withdrawals could get any worse! ☀️👙🐝
If there is one thing in this world that I will always eat up, it is a K. L. Walther book - especially if it is a summery one. As all my other K. L. Walther reads, I loved this one.
The K. L. Walther universe is - almost - all here, which is so cute (I am missing my favorite characters, Tag and Lilly, though). If you’ve read her other books, then you’re in for a delight with the returning characters and a trip back to Martha’s Vineyard.
The setting is one that is tried and true. Back on the best island to spend summers, the location is so dreamy with its beaches and hydrangeas. I am not ashamed to admit that I have a whole Pinterest board filled with images to imagine the scenes in this book, and I do look at them longingly, often.
Where my other ratings of her books have been undeniable 5 stars, this one fell just a bit flatter. The romance was simply a bit lacking. I love how the author’s books are always so entertaining. The side plots feel like an adventure and are always just plain fun (or sad, but that adds to the story); however, the side plots in this one took over a bit too much for me. I didn’t feel like Connor and Olivia had enough time in the book with all of the events and other relationships taking place within the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC! The Summer of Second Chances comes out May 5th!

[Amber Ward (fablesandflights) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️This story is a YA summer romance that follows 19 year old Olivia as she navigates the challenges with her beloved grandmother’s dementia, internal family dynamics, and an unexpected love during a trip to Martha’s Vineyard. Despite the MCs being 19, they felt much younger to me. The banter and conversations just didn’t seem as mature as I would have expected and the dialogue often felt very clunky, even amongst the other characters. Speaking of other characters…there are sooooo many that I could not keep up. With this being my first KL Walther book- maybe I’m the problem here, but I’m not sure? The romance was not the front runner in this story and kind of felt rushed and at times awkward, with a few sexual innuendos and one fade to black scene (actually while reading I wasn’t sure if something happened or not, I was a little confused.) The story about the grandmother and learning about her past was fun and interesting and I loved the Martha’s Vineyard setting.
Side note: Taylor Swift was mentioned way too much for me 😆

Overall, it’s a cute story and would be perfect for a younger audience with caution.

[Mar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely binged this over the weekend. I couldn’t put it down! K. L. Walter has delivered the ultimate summer read that manages a rare balancing act: it’s heartfelt and deep, yet remains fun and light enough for a day at the beach.

Walter clearly has a gift for atmosphere; she creates absolute magic on Martha’s Vineyard. While the romance is front and center (and rightfully so!), what really caught me off guard was the emotional depth of the subplot. Her portrayal of dementia and Alzheimer’s was incredibly moving and handled with such grace.

It is a truly devastatingly beautiful story featuring gorgeous, relatable characters who are just trying to navigate life one step at a time. If you want a story that will make you swoon and tug at your heartstrings in equal measure, this is it.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire Team & K. L. Walter for proving me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Isabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to be able to read this as an ARC on NetGalley. KL Walter has magic in her books and the ability transport you to Martha's Vineyard in the summer (even when it's pouring rain and December irl) & I love the stand alone books in the interconnected universe.

We got to see a little of Mads, Katie, Austin, Mer, Wit & ofc lots of Connor. About six ish months after A First Time for everything.

This book did feel a little bit rushed/instalove/not completed or fully flushed out at some points. I had a hard time with the pace of Olivia & Connor's story and Annie's story was my favorite part.

[Caitlin Uhlmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eArc*

3.5 ⭐️ My love for The Summer of Broken Rules had me excited for this as it’s a return to Martha’s Vineyard and the characters from that book. I think ultimately, while this has a lot of the charm and descriptive setting Walther is great at, it lacked the pacing and depth needed to really resonate. One of my biggest bug bears from a different book of hers was the constant Taylor Swift lyrics, this one was the constant brand name dropping of Shutterfly.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more. While the characters and storyline were compelling, the execution felt underdeveloped and incomplete. The story felt as if it was cut short and at times felt rushed. I loved The Summer of Broken Rules and those who read Walther’s previous novel will appreciate getting glimpses into what Meredith and Wit’s story looks like in the future.

[Maddie]

Thank you netgalley for an ARC!!! This will make a great beach read. I loveeeed the setting. I feel like the two main characters fell too fast for each other (for me) & I wasn’t fully bought into their chemistry

[Denise Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third book i’ve read by K.L. Walther!! She does not disappoint!! Loved every second of reading this book! It had me smiling and giggling to myself. Also loved the connection with her other 3 books! Small details but loved it.

[Ilyssa Tillotson]

Summer luv on Martha’s Vineyard with the side family character dynamics got me in my feels. Thanks NetGalley!!

[Sora · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the summer where a second chance of meet and cute happens. Somehow Olivia having a reunion with the little boy (now grown up) that used to see briefly at a summer camp at her step-mother family’s summer house.

It was cute for a bit. But it doesn’t hold much grandeur or dramatic plots overall. The plots are of relaxing, enjoying and exploring the summer spots that Olivia’s grandma has been to. It wasn't bad but it just wasn't impactful that I will probably forget about it after a couple of months. It gives the feeling you’re the one living the summer vacation as an outsider. Probably that's how Olivia feels. It was interesting but it wasn’t memorable and that's how the whole book feels like. And not to mention, I think there’s a previous main characters entrance in this book so I feel a bit miss out because I havent read any book from this author yet.

Also maybe because of cultural differences, it keeps getting in my head “this is how summer camp is in America?”. And maybe that's why I couldn't be engrossed with the story much because I keep observing every activity a bit too much.

Although, I like how Olivia’s inner conflict feelings are conveyed. The one sided feelings that nobody cares much about you as a teenager. Obviously, as Olivia is the stranger in the family (but not in an overly dramatic way). And of course how it was resolved in the end in a clean way.

So if you ask me is how far do I recommend this book? Maybe if you like the previous book go for it! If you haven’t read the previous book, there’s a chance you might get overwhelmed with so many characters in the book or feeling the same way as me. I advised not to have high expectation. Just read it when you want to relax and have that summer vibes! And enjoy it!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC Copy!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh, I think I will always relish in the sweet, fluttering feeling in your heart when you finish a KL Walther novel. There’s truly nothing like it, and going back to the Vineyard and seeing so many old characters again felt like greeting old friends (especially Wit, love of my life). A fantastic next novel from everyone’s favorite YA romance author!!

[Kenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley for granting me free access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own*

The Summer of Second Chances by K.L Walther
4/5 Stars - Great!
Read December 2025 - ARC

The Summer of Second Chances is heart-lifting, heart-breaking, beautifully real. Apart from being a bit unoriginal, this book was perfect!

Positive messages: 3/5
You will do anything for those you love. Being selfless is a respected trait, but sometimes you also need a break to do something for yourself and laugh a little. Let people get close to you. Loving someone isn’t a weakness. Don’t let the good things sneak past you—fight for what you want and who you love. Characters forgive and overcome past hurts.

Characters
Positive role models: 4/5
Olivia, the main character, is very relatable and raw. She doesn’t let anyone get too close to her, because she’s been through a lot and had her heart broken in more ways than one. Throughout the novel, readers will root for her happiness and love.
Annie, Olivia’s grandmother, is very close to Olivia and was there for her when she was struggling with the death of her mother. Now, she suffers from dementia. Some days Olivia is a stranger to her, which is hard. But on the good days, she’s the sweetest lady you’ll ever meet and I adored her from the very beginning 🫶
Maisie and Bryce are Olivia’s step-siblings, and they love her. Maisie’s thoughtful and understands when Olivia’s having a bad day and needs some ice cream to cheer her up 😉 Bryce reminds me of my little brother; adventurous, sweet (when he wants to be), likes to prove himself in front of family and friends.
Swede, Olivia’s dog, is the most adorable thing ever. Dogs always make the story better, and it felt unfair to leave him out of the characters list because he is very important!
Connor isn’t a Carmichael, but a close family friend. He’s a lacrosse player and always smiling. I usually fall for the bad-boy type in books and movies, but I really liked Connor. He’s very positive. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not a hater on positivity, but it was over-the-top in some cases 😂He’s also very forward about his emotions. This was just part of his personality, though! He’s definitely a character! He loves his brother, Liam, very much, which was really sweet to see.
Madeline (“Mads”) is Connor’s best friend. She’s sweet, funny, and very protective over him 😂
Chris, Olivia’s father, just wants her to be happy. He’s a sweet character; lovable, strong, and understanding. He lost his wife (Brooke; Olivia’s mother) years prior and is now married to Erica with two more kids.
Erica, Olivia’s step-mother, seems pushy and edgy at points, but it’s clear by the end that she really loves her step-daughter, even when it doesn’t seem like it. I felt for her, though she wasn’t my favorite character overall.
Peggy is Olivia’s step-grandmother (why does that sound so wrong?) and felt fake-nice to me, although by the end I started to warm up to her more and she didn’t seem so bad. Her husband is sweet, too.
Jay, Erica’s brother, isn’t a character that we get a lot of information on, but he is very important to Erica and his sister, Beth, so I felt like he deserved a mention.
Beth, Erica’s older sister, is someone who Olivia finds very intense, and for good reason. She pressed Olivia on where she wanted to go to college when she was a sophomore in high school and told her to find an SAT tutor stat. But other than that…she seemed pretty nice.
Nick and Charlie Carmichael are Jay’s sons and Olivia’s step-cousins. They’re described as “tall and unbelievably good-looking with red hair and matching Ray-Bans.” (Everyone in the family is apparently really good looking, so this wasn’t a surprise). They’re hilarious and although they’re very much side characters, I loved them.
Sage and Luke are the relatives closest to Olivia’s age, so she hung out with them some. They seem sweet and funny (again, we don’t learn very much about them as readers).
Finn and Teddy are young but they bring a load of fun to any family activity. They’re daring and sweet, and reminded me of my little brothers.
Brooke was Annie’s mother. Although she’s not mentioned all too much, she’s very important to Olivia and it’s evident that she loved her daughter with all of her heart.
Christopher was Annie’s fiance when she was younger, and a big part of the plot. He seems like he has a good, solid heart. He has some regrets in his lifetime, and advises Connor to follow his heart and fight for what he loves
**Please note that these (believe it or not) are not all of the characters! This book had a lot of undeveloped characters, and I only mentioned around half of them. Good luck keeping track of all the family relations!**

Drinking, Drugs, and Smoking: 1.5/5
Some drinking, occasionally to the point of drunkenness.

Language: 3.5/5
Uses of ‘f—king,’ ‘f—k,’ ‘s—t,’ ‘damn,’ ‘asshole,’ ‘ass,’ ‘crap,’ ‘hell,’ and mild others.

Violence, Gore, and Scariness: 1.5/5
A character suffers from dementia. The same character falls down the stairs and severely hurts her arm. She stays in the hospital for a bit

Sex, Romance, and Nudity: 3/5
Lots of innocent kissing and flirting. It is mentioned that two characters are going to skinnydip. There is one completely closed-door scene where sex (or some other intimate interaction) is implied.

What You Should Know:
This book was cute. I loved Connor by the end, even if he was a little too rainbows-and-sunshine for me in the beginning ☀️☀️ he’s the definition of a golden retriever boy 😂 I absolutely adored him by the end!
This book was a mix of family chaos (reminds me a my family 🤪), nantucket summers 🌊, kissing under the stars ✨…a cozy, beachy, outdoorsy romance. It wasn’t the most original romance I’ve read, but I still give it a solid 4 stars because I did enjoy it and not every book can be original (we would run out of ideas or they would get wayyyy too wild).
There are some heavier themes. The main character's grandma suffers from dementia and doesn’t remember her half of the time. She has to navigate the disappointment every time she goes in to see her favorite person in the world…and her grandmother doesn’t see her as anything more than a stranger. I felt for Olivia; that would be so incredibly difficult.
Overall, this is a typical romance with cute characters, perfect for any season (it’s obviously meant for summer but I read it in December and it was still really good 🥰
As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this book or any others that I have rated/reviewed, feel free to reach out to me in the comments section below this review or through my profile! 💗
Thanks again to the publisher for an advanced copy! 🙏🙏

Age Range Recommendation: 14+ YA Summer Romance, Fiction
TRIGGER WARNINGS/ADULT CONTENT: DEMENTIA, LOSS OF LOVED ONES, PROFANITY, SEXUAL CONTENT

I AM NOT PERMITTED TO POST QUOTES UNTIL ARCHIVE DATE

[Emily Bonacorda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for access to this eARC!
When K.L Walther and Sourcebooks Fire posted on their Instagram stories that this was being opened to NetGalley I went on and downloaded it immediately!
This was my first ever ARC and I am happy it was!
Summer of Second Chances is about Olivia who goes to Martha Vineyards for her step-mother’s family reunion and meets Connor, a boy that she begins to fall for. Although Olivia is having the perfect time with Connor, she is conflicted about her grandmother that is back home in a nursing home.
The story kept me engaged and I was enjoyed this book a lot. The characters made me laugh and fall in love with them. At times, I felt like I was with Olivia and Connor as they were exploring Martha’s Vineyard together. At times I felt like I was Googling each location and writing them down to go in person one day.
As always, I get excited when K.L Walther brings in characters from her past stories.
I give The Summer of Second Chances a 4/5. This is perfect for readers who enjoy YA contemporary romance, with a strong emotional theme but a fun summer vibe and a grumpy-sunshine trope (where the FMC is the grumpy).
Thank you again to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this eARC and thank you K.L Walther for another amazing romance novel.

[liliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
Thank you to KL Walther and NetGalley for taking me back to Martha’s Vineyard in this sweet romance!

To start off, let’s talk about my favorite thing about this book: CONNOR MCCALLISTER! But specifically, I LOVED reading about Connor’s tree nut (and other) allergies! As someone with a tree nut allergy, I have never read a book about a main character with the same, and I really appreciated this aspect of his character. I vividly remember the horror as a child of realizing that before my first kiss, I would need to ensure that the recipient had not eaten any tree nuts. Seeing this trope played out in a romance novel (after experiencing it in real life), made me giggle and feel seen, along with every instance of Connor bringing up his allergy. I have loved Connor since A First Time For Everything, but for me, the focus on his food allergies was the cherry on top for loving his character! And I am so glad that he finally got his chance to be the knight in shining armor, even though Olivia Lupo does not need saving.

Bringing me to Olivia, I thought that she was a solid, enjoyable main character! She was put into a difficult situation, and the circumstances of the plot sometimes made it difficult to intimately understand Olivia’s past experiences beyond the summer, but her love for her family was strongly conveyed. I understand that her care for her grandmother, Annie, was critical to her character, as well as feeling left out with her stepmother, but I found myself wanting more insight into her formative years and character motivations aside from her grandmother.

Olivia’s family complexity added a lot to the story, and I enjoyed seeing her stepmother, Erica’s, character development. However, I felt like there could’ve been more development with Olivia’s dad, and I wish that they had a moment about the struggles with Annie and Olivia’s sense of belonging. The main focus was on Olivia and Erica’s relationship, which was very important, but as someone who has been in a similar family situation, I know that the entire problem could not be solved just through Erica, and despite how great Olivia described her father as, he played some role in her feelings of being left out and I wish that he had been more involved in fixing it, especially since as a pilot, he was gone a lot. Still, I was happy with how Olivia’s family relationships changed and developed, and this was a strong part of the story!

I also really enjoyed Annie pushing Olivia to enjoy her time at Martha’s Vineyard, I thought that her recreating the photos was a very sweet plot and I honestly wanted it to receive more focus and description within the chapters.

More on Martha’s Vineyard, there were just so many characters!!! The Summer of Second Chances is definitely a culmination of Walther’s other works, featuring cameos from characters across the universe (The Summer of Broken Rules, A First Time For Everything, and Maybe Meant To Be). Seeing more snippets from my favorite characters is very enjoyable, and often a strength of Walther’s writing, but I think the complexity of the connections would be slightly difficult to digest as a first time reader. I do highly recommend reading all of KL Walther’s romances, and TSOSC holds up to the standard, but I wouldn’t recommend reading it first, LOL!

Overall, The Summer of Second Chances has the classic KL Walther feel, and it’s a must-read summer romance!!! The ending was heartwarming, and I hopefully we’ll get to see Connor and Olivia in another book, living out the romance and lives that they both deserve!!!

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, engaging, well written KL Walther book on par with The Summer of Broken Rules (fi.na.lly.)

Beautifully, well crafted characters, setting, and plots. Like the ocean, it kindly draws you in and then sucks you in, keeping you there until you've finished. It's a quintessential KL Walther Contemporary YA book, where the main plot is something real and something sad, there's a lot of internal growth, and a romance happens to blossom as well. It is deep and emotional and mature, in that sense, much like The Summer of Broken Rules was. (Like, I *know* why this wasn't her follow up to Broken Rules, but also, like, why wasn't *this* her follow up???)

The writing is engaging and well crafted, like I said, and it was just one of those books that though easy to put down and cook dinner, also makes you eager to get back to it. But in a quieter kind of way.

Olivia is a little bit of a lost soul. She's a little boring with a little bit of no life, which makes total sense given her devotion to her grandmother, but also made her a bit of an interesting character to read. I would've loved to have seen her have something, anything, other than her grandmother that she enjoyed, was passionate about, etc. She didn't even know what she wanted to major in in college. This could've been a great way for the author to deepen her character by tying that into her love of her grandmother and her fear of her condition and fate. Medical school when she's never talked about it before? Fashion school because Annie was so fashionable? Not having an idea what she wanted to be was totally relatable and understandable! But that just added to her being SO wrapped up in her grandmother, and I would've loved to see a little sparkle of her come back.

The Alzheimers plot was maturely handed--almost too much for a teenager, but given the dead-mom plot, the closeness also made a lot of sense. It's very heavily featured, so it might be a trigger warning for an adult reading or a teen who is close to the topic (or just doesn't want to be quite so sad.)

It is a massive cast. Even at the end, I couldn't keep them all straight. You get to see the crew from The Summer of Broken Rules, years later, living and thriving. It was a really well crafted cameo, even if I had to remind myself who they all were. Apparently, it's also a companion to another one of her books, but I haven't read it. So on the one hand, I didn't suffer from not having read it, but on the other hand, there were A LOT of characters.

I wanted more from the ending. Especially the romance. That's not surprising when this was clearly a Contemporary first and foremost. If this were adult, it'd be Women's Fiction. Those types of stories often conclude the story and don't go further. Romance-first plots usually go a little further. For example, them going to different colleges was presented as being Something To Keep Them Apart, but then the ending is just them starting over (in a very cute, very sweet way, yes, but.) I wanted more there. And I wanted more from the stepmom plot. It was resolved in a small way, but I would've loved more of a big, solid, concrete feeling conclusion there.

And honestly, the amount of disappointment I feel in wanting more from the ending is why this is sitting at 4 stars instead of 5. It's my last impression.

And because I'm not a heartless reader, and this was something I was VERY concerned with: Annie does not die at the end.