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, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Ebooks

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

[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

[ella (locked in)]

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

[Asabella]

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

[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!

[Burden]

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

*internally screaming*

[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

[Ilyssa Tillotson]

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

[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

[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!!!

[Collyn Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

read if you like:
📍 Martha’s Vineyard
👩‍❤️‍👨 summer romances
🌊 family reunions

summary:
If you love a New England summer, this book is like a refreshing glass of rose. It follows Olivia Lupo, a teenager who feels left behind as she takes some time off when her friends leave for college. She stays back to care for her best friend, her grandmother Annie, who is living with dementia. When her stepmothers family organizes a three week family reunion at their compound in Marthas Vineyard, Olivia hesitates, until she finds a box of Annie’s old pictures from her own summers on the Vineyard. Determined to bring those memories back for her grandma and walk in her footsteps, she decides to join the rest of the family on the island. While she’s there, she finds herself rooming with Connor, a boy from her past with connections to her family. When he agrees to help her trace her grandmother’s memories, she finds herself falling hard. How can she look to her future while Annie is such an important part of her past?

This gives Kennedy family vibes in the best way. The author does an incredible job of painting a vivid picture of the island, and you almost can feel yourself riding on the boat with the wind in your hair. The conflict is light, but the story goes deep, and we get to know Oliva, Connor and their families so well it feels like we’re there. It handles difficult feelings like aging, memory loss, and modern families, while balancing with the lightness of the salt air, barbecues and ice cream trips. Olivia and Connor’s dynamic feels genuine and real, and reminds us all of our high school boyfriends/girlfriends and the magic of summer. If you’re a fan of character-driven romances and strong summer settings, this book will make you feel everything!

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley for the advanced copy, and bring this book to the beach when it releases on May 5!

[emely :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐’s.

“Oh, yes,” she agreed. “I’ve only known him a couple of days, but I think he’s living his best life.” She smiled. “It’s hard not to on the Vineyard.”

AND QUITE LITERALLY?? I wish I could get a free trip to Martha’s Vineyard ugh. I’ve never yearned to go to a place I’d literally never heard of, and yet it’s a real place. Take me home please.

So obviously, K.L. Walther does wonders. While TSOBR is my book of the summer, this honestly might have to overtake it. This book is literally “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, and everything else you could want. It has just the right amount of nostalgia, summer, and heart, and it’s amazing. If you haven’t read any of her books, you should, like yesterday. This can also be read perfectly as a standalone. Even though there are a million characters you have to get used to, you’ll love every single one.

Olivia is torn between spending time with the sweetest grandmother ever, by the way, and going to the island her grandmother loved generations ago, where she also happens to meet a boy from her childhood. Connor is cute, flirty, and not shy about his feelings for her, but it never feels like cringy insta love. Their dynamic definitely feels like a situationship, and I was like… okay fair. Cute and flirty blonde? I get it, but not really, because I don’t have a Connor LOL. And the found family? Highkey made me ache for the relationships I never had but in the best way.

The pacing is steady, which I actually love. You don’t meet the ML immediately, and they don’t start kissing right away, but the tension is absolutely there. I love that it takes its time with the romance and lets you get to know the other characters too. It just makes you want to keep reading and stay immersed forever.

I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a heartfelt, summery romance. It’s my mojo, and it could be yours too.

Lastly, thank you NetGalley and SourceBooks Fire for providing this ARC. :)

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

How crazy is this?! 🤭 K. L. Walther is an immediate buy author for me. I’ve read almost every book by her and her summer stories are simply my favorites. So getting an ARC of The Summer of Second Chances honestly felt unreal. The emotions I felt when downloading this ARC 🥹. I simply can’t express how happy, stunned, and excited I was. I dropped everything to read it as soon as possible!

This book delivered exactly the kind of summer atmosphere I expect from K. L. Walther. The vibes were perfect (100% summer energy, give me my summer back now!!). Reading this on the beach or by a pool would have been the perfect setting and being back in Martha’s Vineyard felt like coming home. Seeing some familiar characters again was such a fun touch. 🥰 I won’t spoil anything, but readers who have read multiple K. L. Walther books will definitely notice!

Connor and Olivia were cute and their connection and chemistry worked well, but this is also where the book left me wanting more. I would have loved more additional one-on-one moments between them, as their relationship felt slightly underdeveloped compared to how invested I wanted to be. This is also why this book lands at a solid 4 stars for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of the relationships that really stood out in the story was Olivia’s bond with her grandmother, Annie. Their connection was beautifully written. The way Olivia shows up for her while grieving her in a sense, even though she’s still there was emotional and handled with so much care. The portrayal of dementia was especially moving ( i can’t imagine!) Olivia recreating her grandma’s photos and going on this trip was such a journey and I seriously loved reading about it. You can really feel for the characters. 🫂

Overall, The Summer of Second Chances is a beautiful, adventurous summer read and fans of K. L. Walther will absolutely want to pick this one up!!

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia is floundering a bit. Well, at least she is according to her stepmother. At 19, she deferred her first year in college at Northwestern in order to work part time at a bookstore and to spins lots of time with her grandmother, Annie, who is deteriorating with dementia. Annie is Olivia’s favorite person in the world, and while sometimes she greets her as her believed granddaughter, sometimes she honks Olivia is an aide at the assisted living facility. Sometimes she says things that don’t make sense, but Olivia is doing her best at loving Annie the best way she can.

After she finds some photos of Annie on Martha’s Vineyard that raise a lot of questions, Olivia is determined to find out what her grandmother was like before her dad was born. She doesn’t count on reconnecting with Connor, who she went to camp with, nor does she count on getting sidetracked by love.

I am grateful for the chance to early read this book- I loved KL Walter’s While We’re Young and find her YA work to be very effervescent and positively uplifting. I loved this book’s first 20% as we got to know Olivia and Annie, and the portrayal of caring for a loved one in dementia was very touching.

For me; the story somewhat slowed when she got to the island. Connor seemed fine and the chemistry was sweet. I was anxious to return to Annie’s storyline and the ending was just as magical.

I definitely recommend this clean YA romance for the grandma and mostly the vibes.

Thanks to NetGalley and sourcebooks fire for the ARC. Book to be published May 5, 2026.

[Haley Sparks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The simple fact of the matter is that I’ve outgrown this author. So it seems almost unnecessarily cruel that I actually went out of my way to read this early via NetGalley, already knowing that it probably wouldn’t work for me. For that reason, I’ll try and keep this review minimal.

But yeah, it mostly didn’t work for me. Olivia’s dedication to her grandmother was sweet, but also felt borderline unhealthy if I’m being honest. Connor felt so perfect it made me uncomfortable, like he was an AI robot boyfriend or something. I skimmed a lot and could not keep track of the other family members in the house. This author got popular from certain characters and now she throws them in every book and I don’t blame her but also, there can be too much of a good thing. Seems like she did finally get that memo in regards to the Taylor Swift aspect though…

For an actual teenager, I think this is a solid pick. I mean you can’t beat a sweet beach read set on Martha’s Vineyard and it’s totally the kind of thing I would’ve eaten up in my youth, but it’s time to face the music and admit I’m not as young as I once was and probably should stop trying to read like I am.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

[Kira Jatoft · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to NetGalley & SourceFireBooks for the ARC!*

K. L. Walther has done it again! Readers are brought back to the magic of Martha's Vineyard this time through the eyes of a new character, Olivia Lupo. The best part? We're seeing our beloved boy, Connor McAllister from A First Time for Everything. The Multiverse that K. L. Walther has created is nothing short of incredible! We get to visit and hear from past characters and it always adds to the depth of the story while giving a peek at where our characters are now. Walther always knows how to take complex issues and make them feel poignant and human. Her books are always exceptional within the young adult category because she takes the main character and walks readers through the main character's emotions and experiences—allowing readers to feel them as well! It was a blast being back at the vineyard and I SWOOOOONED over Connor—10/10. The connection to the grandmother, Annie, was devastating and beautiful. Again, Walther knows how to tug on heart strings yet move the story along. My only critique is the ending felt a tad abrupt, but I still immensely enjoyed the overarching story! I will always recommend a K. L. Walther book for romance, deep story-telling, and nostalgia!

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following Olivia Lupo, a teenager who feels she has been left behind all her friends due to taking a gap year between college and ostracised by her widowed father’s new family, she must learn to balance her dedication to her dementia ridden grandmother while also finding peace with her family situation and falling in love with her summer boy.

Yet another stunningly written book by K L Walther, she uses perfect imagery that seems to suck you into the story and makes you feel like you are on the beach at Martha’s Vineyard. She discusses the transience of life and handling difficult feelings of loss, integration into a new family and dementia while also balancing her newfound feeling of freedom and exploring the place her grandmother once spent three summers at with her summer lover.

Olivia and Connor’s dynamic feels genuine and real, making this such an easy read. I love Connor’s ability to fall and feel deeply with no care in the world for other’s thoughts. He seems to know exactly what Olivia needs it and when, especially with how he seems to have been pining for her for years. They genuinely were perfect and I personally loved their dynamics. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing me with an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Alex (tessa’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe Meant To Be ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Summer of Broken Rules ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What Happens After Midnight ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
While We're Young ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A First Time For Everything ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We’re A Bad Idea, Right? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Summer of Second Chances ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was probably one of the sweetest K.L. Walther books I’ve ever read (and that’s saying a lot since all her books are super cute!) but that doesn’t mean it didn’t manage to handle more hard hitting topics. Olivia has been struggling to find a balance between taking care of her grandmother who is struggling with Alzheimer’s and the rest of her life. When she joins her dad, younger siblings, and stepmom to visit her stepmom’s eccentric family for a reunion in the middle of summer, she meets Conner, who is babysitting for two of Olivia’s younger cousins.
The chemistry between Olivia and Conner was not only adorable but helped really ground this story, since much of Olivia’s apprehension about getting into a relationship with Conner is related to her struggles with her family.
I was also struck yet again by Walther’s ability to write an extremely detailed setting. Multiple times, I felt like I was also vacationing in Martha’s Vineyard with Olivia, Conner, and all of the returning characters from Walther’s other books.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Net Galley for an arc of this book, it’s definitely one I’ll be recommending!

[Genna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always liked Walther’s YA books. She’s perfected the push and pull between her main characters down to a T. There’s just the right amount of beginner awkwardness during the getting-to-know-you phase, and she ends things by injecting enough tension to keep you invested, not frustrated, just curious, even though you know it’s always heading toward a happily ever after.

Maybe it’s that comforting pattern, but I know I’ll enjoy her books no matter where she places her characters. And you’d think that after reading three of her YAs I’d start to get tired of them, but no. Her writing makes you want to live in that world and feel like you’re part of the MCs’ story.

In this book, the MC is very much an outsider, attending a family celebration where she doesn’t quite fit in. At the same time, she’s standing at a crossroads, stay behind to be there for her declining grandmother, or move on to college and the future she’s been planning.

Ps. Love all the cameos 🥹🥳

Thanks to the arc from netgalley.

[Fedythereader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so deeply to the author and the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for sharing an ARC of this book with me on NetGalley !!!

I love love love this author !!! I’ve read every book in this series and this one is no exception with respect to the others !!! This book was all sweetness, caring, loving and accepting. This book was fun, happy, gentle and also a bit sad. This book is for every grandchild who has felt their loved ones slipped away from them and feeling completely worthless in their trying to save the memories they have left. This book made me laugh a lot. Giggle modestly. And cry a little. And I’m so glad it did. It’s the perfect summer read and it’s absolutely for everyone. As every book from this author is. They are kindness in its purest form. And they are life. Like we live every day. Olivia’s story was no different than mine. Than anyone else’s. And I loved that for it. Plus, it’s the perfect book to get you out of a slump!!!