summer with the sullivans

by Sienna Waters

One fake girlfriend. One uptight sister. One wild summer.
Sasha Fox has been fired from seventeen waitressing jobs and has zero life plan. So when her gay best friend Ambrose Sullivan begs her to be his fake girlfriend for the summer, she figures why not? A free holiday in a literal mansion sounds way better than another stint on her couch.
Victoria Sullivan just got fired from her banking job, but her family thinks she's still crushing it in the City. So when she arrives at the family estate for the summer, she's armed with her laptop, a stack of job applications, and no intention of telling anyone the truth.
But nothing about a summer with the Sullivans is easy.
There's Ambrose's secret affair with the gardener. His brother Archie's parade of unsuitable girlfriends. His teenage sister Sophie and whatever she’s hiding in her bedroom. And of course, a grandmother who could judge for Britain.
Then a watery mishap leaves Sasha sharing a room with the uptight, gorgeous, and completely off-limits Victoria, and suddenly, things are about to get devastatingly real.
Summer with the Sullivans is an opposites-attract sapphic romcom featuring fake dating, found family, burning gazebos (and bridges), and a guaranteed happy ending. From bestselling sapphic author Sienna Waters, writer of For My Finale, The Farmer Has a Wife, and The Wedding That Almost Wasn’t.

Genres: Lesbian, Femme Femme, Romance, Contemporary, Forced Proximity, LGBT

326 pages, ebook

Published March 5, 2026

Reviews

[Lyn Denison · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! A laugh a page! You have to read Sienna Waters’ latest. It’s hilarious. It’s family. It’s romantic. The Sullivans are a wonderfully eccentric family of, well, wonderfully eccentric people. Our MCs are as different as they can possibly be but are just so meant for each other. And the HEA? It’s priceless.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer with the Sullivans is another British romcom by Sienna Waters. The Sullivans are an affluent disaster of a family. Enter Sasha, the youngest son's best friend, who pretends to be his girlfriend in a futile attempt to hide the fact that he is gay from his grandmother. When Sasha meets his icy, workaholic sister, who has her own secrets, sparks fly. Should they? Surely, they shouldn't. Will they? Won't they? What if they do? By the end of the holiday, the whole family will have to come clean about all the things they were afraid to say. Hilarity ensued, and I enjoyed several laugh-out-loud moments.
I appreciated the absurdity, the tender moments, spicy times, and the ridiculous family dynamics. Summer with the Sullivans is a silly, lighthearted novel with bits of wisdom sprinkled throughout. This is a quick, easy read that is good for a few laughs—a relaxing, happily-ever-after tale.
I will always recommend Sienna Waters for satisfying feel-good stories.
#oppositesattract #richpoor #femmefemme #bestfriendssister #holiday #vacation #fakedatingbrother #gayrep #birep #British #romcom #gardening #unemployed #bankingfinance #Cornwall #England #UK #gaybestfriend #icequeen #workaholic #countryside #summer #dysfunctionalfamily #HEA #epilogue
I received a review copy from Booksprout. This is my honest opinion.

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

An other funny read from Sienna Waters. Sometimes hilarious, funny, misunderstandings, lots of secrets in the family:) An easy read full of lanughter. Quirky Characters. Last but not least an overwelming Mansion in the English countryside.

[Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Booksprout and author Sienna Waters for this ARC opportunity. I am happily leaving my honest review.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read the latest creation by Sienna Waters because I have grown to absolutely love her stories! I have come to expect a wildly entertaining, dangerously hilarious and swoony worthy sapphic romance every time I pick up a new book by Sienna Waters and that is exactly what I got. Summer With The Sullivans was exactly what I needed in my life right now! A fun to read, lighthearted, sweet sapphic love story that made my cheeks hurt from laughter! Waters does romcom so well without sacrificing the tender sapphic love story I am looking for. Honestly though, life has been a bit intense and dreary and I was most grateful to laugh along with crazy antics and hijinks of the Sulllivan clan!

This was a great fake dating becomes a delicious opposites attract sapphic love story with a sort of “melting ice queen” kicker. Sasha is a loveable young woman with a string of bad luck when it comes to keeping a job. She is sweet and doesn't really take life seriously, happy to just take life as it comes. True to her jovial and lighthearted form she agrees to an outlandish agreement. Finding herself unemployed yet again she agrees to be her bestie’s fake girlfriend for the summer. Her bff Ambrose comes from a family of wealth and well…instabilty. That is not to say that his family are bad people but just to show that money isn't everything. We learn that every member of the Sullivan family is hiding something and the craziness is a joy to read. Anyway, Ambrose isn't exactly fooling anyone but hey, Sasha is along for the ride and a summer vacation in a mansion sounds pretty good. Enter serious, uptight and smoking hot Victoria Sullivan! Okay so Sasha really can't have a thing with her bestie’s crazy hot but super uptight sister…can she? AAAAHHH I loved this fun storyline so much! Every member of the Sullivan family is flawed and hiding something which makes for a wonderfully entertaining read.

Though I definitely enjoyed the crazy cast of characters and all of the shenanigans that ensue, the main love story is the highlight of the story for me. Sasha must share a room with Victoria and I could see the tension filled chemistry immediately. They really couldn't be more different. Sasha is carefree, easy going and really doesn't take life too seriously. Victoria however is pretty tightly wound and highly career focused. I guess you could blame some of that on the pressures of growing up in a very wealthy family. Watching the two of them connect is so sweet. I saw the spark between them immediately and it was a joy to watch it blossom into so much more. The “will they wont they" aspect adds a bit of angst which heightened the story for me. It’s not overly angsty though and I was simply delighted when Victoria and Sasha crossed that line! It was so awesome to read as Victoria could barely pay attention to the dinner conversation as she fantasized about pushing Sasha against a wall! Ha! I loved this book! Sasha and Victoria are great together and they just compliment each other so well. Sasha adds levity and joy to Victoria's life and Victoria adds a bit of structure to Sasha. Sienna Waters adds sharp banter, lingering glances and emotional vulnerability for the two. It builds and builds and they are forced to be real with each other and are rewarded with a very sweet and swoon worthy love. Sasha’s gusto and spontaneity rubbing against Victoria's composure and rigidity created such emotional depth and a genuine love story that I couldn't put down. I loved these girls together!

I really enjoyed the entire “feel” of the book. Sienna Waters created a banter rich comedy with a delicious slow-ish burn romance that made me laugh out loud. Water’s writing is so refreshing and enjoyable. Her unique voice is full of tender emotion, witty banter and laugh out loud comedy.

The central love story is gold but the supporting cast of nutty characters adds such delightful humor and warmth to the entire book. The Sullivan family antics add a bit of scandal and mystery to round out a sweet and endearing sapphic love story. This book has it all! Sienna Waters delivers a lighthearted, witty, hilarious and emotionally satisfying book. If you enjoy sapphic romance with a lot of heart, happy moments, funny times and a bit of scandal and intrigue to boot, you will love this! I say stop reading this review and start reading Summer with the Sullivans right now!

[Eric John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer with the Sullivans

Train-based Romantic Chaos

I love starting a new Sienna Waters novel. Sweet anticipation! How soon before the first laugh? Will it be a polite chuckle? Probably not. A disbelieving snort? Possibly. Or a full-throated guffaw that startles innocent bystanders (again)? Yes, that.

Summer with the Sullivans is the fourth Sienna Waters novel I have reviewed. There is a different feel to this novel, especially at the start. Don’t despair. There are still some good belly-laughs and ridiculous situations (like Archie’s interchangeable and disposable dates), but Summer with the Sullivans has a more serious tone than the previous Sienna Waters novels that I have read.

Unlike For My Finale, when I laughed so hard right out of the gate that I startled the birds and squirrels in our yard, Summer with the Sullivans holds its best humor in reserve, a treasure trove unlocked and liberally shared towards the end of the story. I had almost resigned myself to a more sparing use of humor, but was pleasantly surprised—so have faith and keep reading!

The dire state of our world today has cast a pall over so many aspects of our lives, sucking joy and happiness from everyone in a way that can not help but be reflected in the literature we read, especially when dealing with the marginalized and vulnerable (LGBTQ+, minorities, the poor). Brave authors, like Sienna Waters (and so many others), strike back by holding out hope, making declarations, and telling the stories we need.

Summer with the Sullivans has three interconnected messages. The first, and most important, is that a person does not need to be perfect to be loved.
“Fine,” [Victoria] said quietly. “But Ambrose…you know you don’t actually have to be perfect to be loved, right?” (page 38)

The second point is that telling the truth is important. (Not always safe, I get that, but important nevertheless.) If you don’t share YOUR truth, people can’t accept you for who YOU truly are.
“The truth can hurt, Sasha. But it’s always, always better than the alternative. Lies rot things from the inside out, even well-intentioned ones.” (page 224)

The author’s final point is that long-term happiness requires hard work and proper choices. The fact that an on-going state of happiness (which always seems so effortless in novels and movies) requires work—real effort—and sometimes difficult choices and sacrifice seems counterintuitive, but is absolutely true. (Trust me. I have been married to the same person for twenty five years.) Luck and happenstance can lead to happiness in the short term—a golden opportunity if you seize it and hold on, but sustained happiness requires sustained effort and sound choices (and sometimes some serious guts).
“She'd spent her entire life being careful. Being controlled. Making the sensible choice, the safe choice, the choice that looked good on paper and made her family proud. And where had it gotten her? Sitting alone in her Chelsea flat with a box of personal belongings and the growing certainty that she'd let the best thing in her life walk away because she'd been too scared to admit she wanted it.” (page 233)

Summer with the Sullivans is different than the previous Sienna Waters novels that I have read and enjoyed, but change and growth are good. And this novel is so much more than just good. (Here’s a stick in the eye to every tyrant and hater!) Please enjoy this book. I did.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sasha Fox' gay bestie Ambrose needs a fake girlfriend to trick his judgemental granny, so she volunteers. Besides, she's out of work and two weeks at their manor would make a great vacation.

Victoria Sullivan is used to being successful, which is why it's a shock to have her entire department at the bank cut and getting fired. And she can't bring herself to admit she's unemployed to the family, so she decides to go to the family event and fake it....

First night there, Sasha goes to the loo, gets lost and ends up in Victoria's room. (Possibly sent there deliberately by the youngest sister's wrong directions.) Both women find the other hot, but know it's a bad idea.

Victoria and Ambrose do not get along, as he views her as basically perfect and him the disappointment. She wants to tell him her situation, but decides not to.

Ambrose also finds himself befuddled by Lukas the gardener, and another staffer, Cathy, finds the whole thing hilarious. She's also charmingly blunt, and in love with the eldest son, Archie, who's clueless.

Then a burst pipe leads to Sasha having to sleep with Victoria.... both literally and romantically. But Victoria seems determined to return to her workaholic life.

No spoilers, but the bits with Sophie are adorable.

Victoria realizes work's not everything, and Sasha decides to speak up for herself.

The wrap up is pretty hilarious.

4 out of 5 stars

[Stephanie Mohr]

Summer with the Sullivans by Sienna Waters is the kind of feel‑good romance that wraps you up like sunshine and doesn’t let go. From the moment I stepped into the Sullivan family’s world, I was hooked by the warmth, humor, and effortless sense of belonging that runs through the story. The summer setting is vivid and cozy, and Waters does a wonderful job making you feel like you’re right there—sharing meals, laughter, and those quiet, meaningful moments that make a romance truly resonate.

The romance itself is a slow, satisfying burn filled with genuine connection and emotional depth. The characters feel real and relatable, with just enough vulnerability to make you root hard for their happiness. I especially loved the found-family dynamic and how the Sullivan clan adds heart, charm, and a lot of personality to the story without ever overshadowing the central love story.

Overall, this book is warm, romantic, and deeply comforting—perfect for readers who love heartfelt sapphic romance with strong family bonds and a summery, small‑town vibe. If you’re looking for a story that will leave you smiling and a little sad to say goodbye, Summer with the Sullivans is an easy recommendation.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely book about Sasha & Victoria and The Sullivan family. Sasha has been fired from a waitressing job, again. She cannot hold down a job. Her gay best friend Ambrose suggests that she accompanying him to his family’s holiday home for the summer; posing as his girlfriend! A free holiday sounds great to Sasha so she agrees. Ambrose is trying to impress his family by bringing a girlfriend home.
Ambrose sister Victoria is also going home for the summer. She too has recently been let go from her banking job, but she hasn’t told anyone yet and pretends to be busy on her laptop, whilst in reality she is frantically applying for jobs.
When Sasha and Victoria meet there is instant attraction, but nothing can come of it, because Sasha is supposedly with Ambrose and Victoria is going back to the city. The situation becomes even more complicated when Ambrose falls for the gardener!!
As you would expect, a really well written book from Ms Walters, funny and interesting main as well as secondary characters. Would highly recommend.

[This · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me smile and forget the rain.
It is exactly the kind of story to lift your spirits. There is a bit of fake dating, a bit of forced proximity, a lot of posh family, gardening, flowers, getting into the wrong bed, and don't forget falling for your best friend's sister. It's a proper sapphic rom-com.
There's proper knowledge shown about flowers and gardening - after all the family have a team of gardeners! There's even knowledge about investment banking. And I promise it is much more interesting than that sounds! There's also a great deal of humour - not least when Sasha and Victoria are both travelling to surprise the other!
What it does show is that difference is a good thing in relationships - life would be extremely boring if everyone was the same and liked the same things. There is no need to agree with everything your partner likes - and it's perfectly ok for the family to marry their gardening staff.

[Siddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After losing another job, Sasha agrees to accompany her best friend and housemate Ambrose to his family’s summer holiday at their sprawling ancestral estate in Cornwall, UK. Ambrose isn’t out to his overbearing grandmother, and asks Sasha to go as his fake girlfriend.
Victoria is Ambrose’s older sister, the golden child of the four Sullivan siblings, with her important international banking job in London. However, just before leaving for Cornwall, Victoria, along with her whole department, is made redundant.
I liked this story, written in a very English way, with huge attention to detail regarding the country house and its gardens. The Sullivans are a very ‘proper’ family, but also showing their human side a lot of the time. I liked their willingness to take in outsiders, and to treat their staff with respect. There is a great amount of humour here, with some comedic moments, like a miscommunication farce. This is like a comic story from the 1920s, but brought up to date.

[Sandi D · Rating 5 out of 5]

summer secrets..

Really.. I don’t know how Sienna writes such wonderfully entertaining characters, scenes that make you laugh out loud. I’ve read all of her books and enjoyed them all.

Summer at the Sullivans what an entertaining family each one had their own personality and of course a secret. Victoria had just been made redundant and reluctant to tell her family she lost her job. Ambrose brought a fake girlfriend to the family’s summer holiday because he couldn’t tell his grandmother he was gay. Archie was looking for the perfect wife and each candidate was worse than the previous. Not to mention Cathy was mad for him and apparently he shared that opinion but was afraid his family wouldn’t approve because she was the gardener. Sophie well she was raising 8 kittens in her room in secret. Enter Sasha Ambrose’s fake girlfriend who falls for Victoria. The story surrounding this family was hysterical. I’d say this is a must read.

[Karen Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sasha Fox has lost another job and with none on the horizon she agrees to be the fake girlfriend of her best friend Ambrose for two weeks at his family's required summer get together. Victoria Sullivan is Ambrose's older sister whose job was deemed redundant and instead of the promotion she lost her job. As the perfect sibling she is driven to keep it a secret while finding another job at the get together. This is an entertaining story with many amusing instances as thd four siblings try to keep all the secrets from the family. There is an underlying heat between Victoria and Sasha and slowly you see Victoria's demeanor soften with Sasha. In the end the secrets come out and everyone gets their HEA. I enjoyed very much and recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Looby Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasha helps her best friend Ambrose by going to the family home in Cornwall as his fake girlfriend. All the family know Ambrose is gay except the matriarch of the family, his grandma, so both are able to pursue other romantic interests whilst enjoying the sea air.
Victoria is as stiff and formal as a posh ironing board when she arrives in Cornwall. Both her and Sasha find out a lot about themselves as the story progresses. They make really cute couple. The rest of the household are hilarious as are Archie’s ‘companions’ that change more frequently than his socks.
The humour and flow of the book kept me thoroughly invested and I loved the hilarious epilogue especially.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stephieloohoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 Stars rounding to 3

I keep giving Sienna Waters' novels a chance and they always start out strong and promising, but that's it.

This book was very poorly edited: having paragraphs consecutively repeat themselves almost word for word in multiple times, in multiple chapters. It's really disappointing and boring. Waters even confuses the two MCs at the end of the book: I can't say specifics bc of spoilers but one MC makes a decision and when it's reminisced about later, Waters says the other character did it. So, I don't think this was edited at all compared the the two I just recently read.

Again, this started promising. There was clever writing and funny situations with characters who seemed to have a hopeful chance at getting good character development.

[Doug Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer with the Sullivans begins with Sasha’s agreement to accompany Ambrose to his parents’ estate as his fake girlfriend. Things get very interesting, not to mention complicated, once they arrive. Their dating artifice is doomed from the start as Ambrose’s entire family knows him better than he thought. The story arc soon heads in multiple directions as the non-couple is surrounded by a terrific cast of characters, including Ambrose’s sister Victoria and Lukas the gardener. Between three budding romances and sister Sophie’s eight hidden kittens there are several threads for the reader to follow. This is an amusing story with a memorable proposal and multiple happy endings.

[Mx Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the secondary cast because they are just as involved in the romance and secrets as the primary characters. Everyone takes part in the various schemes and no one really thinks they are hoodwinking anyone - except for the Grandmother who all of this subterfuge is for. Lots of fun in Cornwall and in the gardens, just don’t go into a shed without knocking first. 🤭😆

“Thank you, Author Sienna Waters, for providing this book for review consideration via Booksprout. All opinions are my own.”

[Robin Kenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooo, a story set in Englands countryside, with plenty of family intrigue!

Sienna Waters can fashion laughter with circumstances that are quite unique. I laughed many times out loud. The main characters are swiftly developed and circumstances begin to drag the reader from one tight space to another with rapid and dire repercussions. Heading to the “summer” house in the country the family gathers and the suspense grows. It is a great read, with enough humor to balance the angst.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sullivans all have their secrets and they all unravel as we go through the story. There is a large cast of loveable characters and it’s a fairly light read to get to know them all. There’s a tiny bit of angst but you know there will be the HEA, which comes in the proper epilogue.
This wasn’t my favourite SW book - I think maybe a touch repetitive in places - and let’s face it, it’s a high bar. It’s still a total recommend for a fun read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sapphic romantic comedy delivers pure, chaotic summer fun. From a hilarious fake relationship to sharp wit, and a surprisingly tender romance that builds to a truly satisfying happy ending. It’s the perfect feel-good escape. I have come to expect no less from Sienna Waters.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Lyric Vickers · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. This book has a LOT of repeating dialogue, so much so I didn’t know if back in the beginning or what! But, other than that I immensely enjoyed the characters including the MCs, and a side characters. Quite honestly this book was predictable so not much to add on that front! Anyway, decent book.

[Kathryn Sweeny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sullivan's are terrific

This novel is full of wonderful characters. You will fall in love with the Sullivans, just like Sasha did. It is a tale of chaos and romance. And a lot of laughter as we follow the story of two weeks in the country for Sasha and her best friend Ambrose Sullivan.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, a reader can be assured that they're "safe" with Sienna. One thing I do enjoy about her writing is how she creates simmering tension between characters and I thoroughly believed the push and pull between Victoria and Sasha. A great read: some fun family drama in the expanded cast of characters and an overtone of wry, delightful humour.

[Lorraine Rusnack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life isn’t always perfect

Everyone one in this romcom thinks they're hiding something from their family. It is a lot of fun to follow their antics. Sasha and Victoria are great together, but their lack of communication makes for a train ride grand gesture that is sweet and funny. Sasha is able to get Victoria to let go and see there is more to life than being perfect. I loved all of the characters in the story.

[Lisa Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

Loved this book! Can’t tell you how many times I was laughing while reading it. Awesome story that had everything I love in a book. Can’t wait to read another book from this author. Get her books and leave your reviews.

[Maz Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, chaotic summer romp! Sienna Waters delivers fake dating, family drama, and slow‑burn chemistry in a way that feels fresh and addictive. Sasha and Victoria are total opposites, but their dynamic is irresistible—funny, awkward, and unexpectedly sweet. Add in Ambrose’s secrets, the parade of unsuitable girlfriends, and the gorgeous estate setting, and you’ve got a story that’s impossible to put down. Light, witty, and full of heart.

[Ness Reeve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, especially Victoria's hilariously eccentric family. It's a really fun, sexy, light hearted romp with soooo much yearning. Definitely work all read.

[Cat5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and touching and romantic. Well worth your time to read. Immediately put on re-read list.

[Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read with so many tropes a kind of Downton abbey, upstairs downstairs meets the Clampits with everyone pussyfooting around the 83 year old granny (Mick Jagger is 82)

[Misha · Rating 4 out of 5]

(rounded up from 3.75)

This was a fun time. The family are wacky and wholesome, and the central plot is very low stakes. A solid, fun, and easy read.