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Summer Lies And Blackberry Pies
Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies
Mississippi, 1968. One Summer. One secret. One unforgettable love.
When Shelby Montgomery meets River Martin—a dreamy blues singer from the wrong side of the tracks—she falls fast and hard. Her Mama wouldn’t approve, but Shelby can’t stay away.
With the help of her best friend Liberty, she hides their romance in moonlit getaways, drive-in kisses, and whispered promises by the pond. Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies is a coming-of- age romance about a forbidden love, best friends, and the kind of summer that lives on in memory long after it’s gone.
Mississippi, 1968. One Summer. One secret. One unforgettable love.
When Shelby Montgomery meets River Martin—a dreamy blues singer from the wrong side of the tracks—she falls fast and hard. Her Mama wouldn’t approve, but Shelby can’t stay away.
With the help of her best friend Liberty, she hides their romance in moonlit getaways, drive-in kisses, and whispered promises by the pond. Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies is a coming-of- age romance about a forbidden love, best friends, and the kind of summer that lives on in memory long after it’s gone.
- GenresRomance
251 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2025
1502 people want to read
About the author
Sandy Little
3 books14 followersAbout the Author : Sandy Little is the author of My Little Green Umbrella and Montgomery Rabbit, both recipients of multiple literary honors. Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies is her debut new adult novel. A native Californian, she lives with her husband and three sons and is currently at work on her next book.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 6, 2025
EXCERPT: Shelby froze under River's gaze, feeling drawn to him in a mysterious way she couldn't explain. Was this what people meant by 'love at first sight'? Her mamma often spoke of meeting her daddy this way.
'It was love at first sight when I met your father,' her mama would say.
Shelby's bookcase was full of summer romances that told stories about this, but she'd never experienced it herself . . . until now.
ABOUT 'SUMMER LIES AND BLACKBERRY PIES': is a captivating tale of friendship, family, and forbidden love set in a small Mississippi town in 1968. Seventeen-year-old Shelby Montgomery returns to her summer home in Tupelo and falls hopelessly in love with a blues singer named River Martin. Meanwhile, Shelby’s mother organizes her annual summer party, inviting Andrew, the governor’s son, as a potential suitor for Shelby. However, the only boy on Shelby’s mind is River.
Shelby keeps her feelings for River hidden from her mother, knowing she would never approve—River is 22 and far removed from her mother’s elite social circle. With the help of her best friend, Liberty, Shelby conceals her love affair. Liberty, meanwhile, has no problem entertaining Andrew in Shelby’s absence. As Shelby and River steal away to the far side of town, their passionate romance unfolds in the backseat of his Chevy, only to be abruptly interrupted by the police, shattering their idyllic summer fling.
Things take a darker turn when Terry, a local girl River once dated, accuses him of fathering her child. Soon after, Terry’s lifeless body is discovered in Grover’s Pond, and River finds himself defending his innocence as questions swirl around her death. What few people know is that Terry had been hiding a secret—she was involved in an affair with a married, high-society attorney.
Amid the chaos, Liberty wrestles with how to tell her mother that she is dating a white boy—none other than Andrew, Shelby’s supposed love interest. This summer becomes a season of secrets and lies for both girls. Shelby’s mother, while preoccupied with hosting high-society events, is no angel herself. When she discovers Shelby’s true feelings for River, she is unexpectedly forced to confront her own past. In an act of redemption, she ultimately supports her daughter’s first love.
But just as Shelby and River’s love affair is exposed, devastating news breaks: River has been drafted into the Vietnam War. With the whole town watching, Shelby must find the strength to say goodbye. As she kisses River for the last time, she clings to the fragile hope that someday he will return to her.
MY THOUGHTS: DNF @ 63%/p. 159 But please do understand I am at the other end of the spectrum to the target market for this read. Having said that, I have enjoyed other young adult novels. this one? . . .
I was attracted by the era. This was a time when I was growing up, a time I remember well. The Vietnam war. Martin Luther King being assassinated. An attempt on Robert Kennedy's life. I was a little younger than Shelby Montgomery in 1968, but not by much. And I may have been growing up in New Zealand, on the opposite side of the world to Tupelo, Mississippi, but young women are young women everywhere.
We faced the same issues. We were excited by the prospect of our first love, considered ourselves 'grown up', and found our friends far more important in our lives than our parents. Interracial relationships were happening, but still weren't the norm. So I should have been able to connect with Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies but I just couldn't.
The characters left me cold. Not once did I find myself rooting for Shelby and River. I wanted characters I could believe in; characters that would grow on me and that I could feel for. It didn't happen. I felt more moved by the promotional blurb than I did by the book. And speaking of the blurb - this is yet another case of almost the whole plot being revealed.
I'm sorry, but at 63% I just couldn't face picking this up again.
And the title? - Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies sounds more like a cosy-mystery to me than a romance.
⭐
#SummerLiesAndBlackberryPies #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: SANDY LITTLE Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies is her debut new adult novel. A native Californian, she lives with her husband and three sons and is currently at work on her next book.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Emerald Fountain Inc. (IBPA) via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'It was love at first sight when I met your father,' her mama would say.
Shelby's bookcase was full of summer romances that told stories about this, but she'd never experienced it herself . . . until now.
ABOUT 'SUMMER LIES AND BLACKBERRY PIES': is a captivating tale of friendship, family, and forbidden love set in a small Mississippi town in 1968. Seventeen-year-old Shelby Montgomery returns to her summer home in Tupelo and falls hopelessly in love with a blues singer named River Martin. Meanwhile, Shelby’s mother organizes her annual summer party, inviting Andrew, the governor’s son, as a potential suitor for Shelby. However, the only boy on Shelby’s mind is River.
Shelby keeps her feelings for River hidden from her mother, knowing she would never approve—River is 22 and far removed from her mother’s elite social circle. With the help of her best friend, Liberty, Shelby conceals her love affair. Liberty, meanwhile, has no problem entertaining Andrew in Shelby’s absence. As Shelby and River steal away to the far side of town, their passionate romance unfolds in the backseat of his Chevy, only to be abruptly interrupted by the police, shattering their idyllic summer fling.
Things take a darker turn when Terry, a local girl River once dated, accuses him of fathering her child. Soon after, Terry’s lifeless body is discovered in Grover’s Pond, and River finds himself defending his innocence as questions swirl around her death. What few people know is that Terry had been hiding a secret—she was involved in an affair with a married, high-society attorney.
Amid the chaos, Liberty wrestles with how to tell her mother that she is dating a white boy—none other than Andrew, Shelby’s supposed love interest. This summer becomes a season of secrets and lies for both girls. Shelby’s mother, while preoccupied with hosting high-society events, is no angel herself. When she discovers Shelby’s true feelings for River, she is unexpectedly forced to confront her own past. In an act of redemption, she ultimately supports her daughter’s first love.
But just as Shelby and River’s love affair is exposed, devastating news breaks: River has been drafted into the Vietnam War. With the whole town watching, Shelby must find the strength to say goodbye. As she kisses River for the last time, she clings to the fragile hope that someday he will return to her.
MY THOUGHTS: DNF @ 63%/p. 159 But please do understand I am at the other end of the spectrum to the target market for this read. Having said that, I have enjoyed other young adult novels. this one? . . .
I was attracted by the era. This was a time when I was growing up, a time I remember well. The Vietnam war. Martin Luther King being assassinated. An attempt on Robert Kennedy's life. I was a little younger than Shelby Montgomery in 1968, but not by much. And I may have been growing up in New Zealand, on the opposite side of the world to Tupelo, Mississippi, but young women are young women everywhere.
We faced the same issues. We were excited by the prospect of our first love, considered ourselves 'grown up', and found our friends far more important in our lives than our parents. Interracial relationships were happening, but still weren't the norm. So I should have been able to connect with Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies but I just couldn't.
The characters left me cold. Not once did I find myself rooting for Shelby and River. I wanted characters I could believe in; characters that would grow on me and that I could feel for. It didn't happen. I felt more moved by the promotional blurb than I did by the book. And speaking of the blurb - this is yet another case of almost the whole plot being revealed.
I'm sorry, but at 63% I just couldn't face picking this up again.
And the title? - Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies sounds more like a cosy-mystery to me than a romance.
⭐
#SummerLiesAndBlackberryPies #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: SANDY LITTLE Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies is her debut new adult novel. A native Californian, she lives with her husband and three sons and is currently at work on her next book.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Emerald Fountain Inc. (IBPA) via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
November 10, 2025
Thank you to the publisher Emerald Fountain Inc. for providing this book for review purposes via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I’ve been thinking about reading this book for a while now but I’m pleased I finally made the decision to read it. The moment I started reading this book it reminded me of the Richard Marx song Hazard, about a girl falling in love with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. This was a beautifully written coming of age story about first love, I loved reading the story of Shelby and River falling in love. I loved Shelby’s friendship with Liberty as they were like sisters, they had each other’s backs always. This book was set in 1968 about the time of the Vietnam war, River was a blues singer and not the sort of man Shelby’s mother would approve of but him and Shelby were so perfect for each other. Liberty and Andrew were another couple I was really rooting for, they faced a lot of hurdles and I would love it if their story was made into a book.
The ending of this book moved me to tears and I’m still sobbing as I write this review, this book was so bittersweet and poignant, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this book. I can’t sing the praises of this beautiful book highly enough and to anyone thinking about reading it, pick it up you won’t regret it.
I’ve been thinking about reading this book for a while now but I’m pleased I finally made the decision to read it. The moment I started reading this book it reminded me of the Richard Marx song Hazard, about a girl falling in love with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. This was a beautifully written coming of age story about first love, I loved reading the story of Shelby and River falling in love. I loved Shelby’s friendship with Liberty as they were like sisters, they had each other’s backs always. This book was set in 1968 about the time of the Vietnam war, River was a blues singer and not the sort of man Shelby’s mother would approve of but him and Shelby were so perfect for each other. Liberty and Andrew were another couple I was really rooting for, they faced a lot of hurdles and I would love it if their story was made into a book.
The ending of this book moved me to tears and I’m still sobbing as I write this review, this book was so bittersweet and poignant, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this book. I can’t sing the praises of this beautiful book highly enough and to anyone thinking about reading it, pick it up you won’t regret it.
January 11, 2026
I was disappointed in this one.
For a novel of historical fiction, it fell short. The setting was Tupelo, Mississippi, in the summer of 1968. The same year that Martin Luther King was killed, and Robert Kennedy was shot while campaigning in California. Young men were being sent to Vietnam; many were returning in body bags, which held people riveted to their tv sets every night.
Except for the plot point of a main character leaving for Vietnam towards the end, the war was scarcely mentioned. Neither were the other major history-making events of that year, which young men and women of Shelby’s age would have been discussing endlessly.
Also,for a book set in the Deep South of the ‘60s, the Caucasian and African-American characters friendships and mixing together, even dating, was presented as being acceptable in this novel. The Civil Rights Movement had accomplished a lot, but in the South of 1968, “mixing” of races would have still caused trouble.
There were graphic sex scenes with teens, underage drinking, and foul language. I think the audience should be adult readers, not young adults.
The key lime pie recipe presented at the beginning of the story was the best thing about it.
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*
For a novel of historical fiction, it fell short. The setting was Tupelo, Mississippi, in the summer of 1968. The same year that Martin Luther King was killed, and Robert Kennedy was shot while campaigning in California. Young men were being sent to Vietnam; many were returning in body bags, which held people riveted to their tv sets every night.
Except for the plot point of a main character leaving for Vietnam towards the end, the war was scarcely mentioned. Neither were the other major history-making events of that year, which young men and women of Shelby’s age would have been discussing endlessly.
Also,for a book set in the Deep South of the ‘60s, the Caucasian and African-American characters friendships and mixing together, even dating, was presented as being acceptable in this novel. The Civil Rights Movement had accomplished a lot, but in the South of 1968, “mixing” of races would have still caused trouble.
There were graphic sex scenes with teens, underage drinking, and foul language. I think the audience should be adult readers, not young adults.
The key lime pie recipe presented at the beginning of the story was the best thing about it.
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*
November 21, 2025
I can't say I loved this book as I did find it very slow and overly descriptive throughout but it was a a cute and simple read. I did like the characters and their interactions and relationships, the setting worked well within the story and it is a book that is very easy to read. But I did skim through some of it, especially the over descriptive parts.
A nice read about family, friendship, community, forbidden love. There is some sex but it wasn't throughout the book. It is alright but I didn't love it.
Summer Lies And Blackberry Pies
Sandy Little
A nice read about family, friendship, community, forbidden love. There is some sex but it wasn't throughout the book. It is alright but I didn't love it.
Summer Lies And Blackberry Pies
Sandy Little
November 13, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
I have seen some reviews raving about this but unfortunately I am not part of that camp. The writing and prose was clunky, sentences stumbling over themselves, there was no rhythm and it felt like a middle grade diary. I was hoping for a more new adult story and writing but it just never came.
It promises small town nostalgia and sweet romance but it was just stale. The friendships were hollow and the romance was just straight up off putting. And the stakes? Nonexistent. I had nothing in this, I felt no connection to these characters other than irritation.
There is also the thing with the ages, yes the ages of the characters are never explicitly stars but it is indicated that the FMC is in school whilst the mmc is old enough to be drafted to war. That in itself was enough to give me the ick.
I can see why some people may enough this, if you are wanting low stakes and don’t want to get invested then sure you will enjoy this but there are better new adult romance storylines that hold themselves up on their own, but this book is not one of them.
I have seen some reviews raving about this but unfortunately I am not part of that camp. The writing and prose was clunky, sentences stumbling over themselves, there was no rhythm and it felt like a middle grade diary. I was hoping for a more new adult story and writing but it just never came.
It promises small town nostalgia and sweet romance but it was just stale. The friendships were hollow and the romance was just straight up off putting. And the stakes? Nonexistent. I had nothing in this, I felt no connection to these characters other than irritation.
There is also the thing with the ages, yes the ages of the characters are never explicitly stars but it is indicated that the FMC is in school whilst the mmc is old enough to be drafted to war. That in itself was enough to give me the ick.
I can see why some people may enough this, if you are wanting low stakes and don’t want to get invested then sure you will enjoy this but there are better new adult romance storylines that hold themselves up on their own, but this book is not one of them.
January 13, 2026
I recently finished Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies by Sandy Little and gave it a solid four stars. It’s an undeniably cute story, and I genuinely enjoyed the storyline. Some reviewers mentioned wanting more depth or historical detail, but I actually appreciated it for what it was—a light, charming read that doesn’t try to be anything else. It was sweet, easy to sink into, and exactly the kind of book you pick up when you want something warm and uncomplicated. I really enjoyed it.
January 27, 2026
I inhaled this book in a day.
I liked the friendship between Shelby and Liberty.
I did not like Shelby's father.
Shelby's mom made me laugh a few times.
The relationship between Shelby and River was sweet.
I kept reading for the mystery about Terry,
I breezed on through the book, and the only thing that felt lacking was some bigger issues (the war, and other things) I felt were thrown in as brief mentions. There could have been a bit more depth than the brief mentions.
Overall an enjoyable light read.
“I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Reader copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.”
4*** highliy recommend
I liked the friendship between Shelby and Liberty.
I did not like Shelby's father.
Shelby's mom made me laugh a few times.
The relationship between Shelby and River was sweet.
I kept reading for the mystery about Terry,
I breezed on through the book, and the only thing that felt lacking was some bigger issues (the war, and other things) I felt were thrown in as brief mentions. There could have been a bit more depth than the brief mentions.
Overall an enjoyable light read.
“I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Reader copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.”
4*** highliy recommend
November 18, 2025
This is an ARC from Netgalley.
I really thought I’d enjoy this, but it just wasn’t for me. I could not get engaged in the story. The writing wasn’t bad, it just didn’t connect with me, and I ended up forcing myself through most of it.
Not every book is for every reader, and this one sadly missed the mark for me.
I really thought I’d enjoy this, but it just wasn’t for me. I could not get engaged in the story. The writing wasn’t bad, it just didn’t connect with me, and I ended up forcing myself through most of it.
Not every book is for every reader, and this one sadly missed the mark for me.
November 21, 2025
It is the summer of 1968 when Shelby has a chance encounter with River. His smooth words and singer's voice pull her away from her straight-laced Southern upbringing, while she is able to hide her relationship from her family with the help of her best friend, Liberty. Summer Lies and Blackberry Pies is a stand-alone realistic fiction tale that has a small historical angle. I love this time period and was anticipating loving the book, but the story left me wondering why I spent time reading it. This book should not be rushed onto anyone’s TBR list.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews