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The Summer of Second Chances
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules comes another incredible summer romance about holding onto memories, making new ones, learning to let go, and unexpectedly falling in love.
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.
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.
Audible Audio
First published May 5, 2026
About the author
K.L. Walther
8 books6,691 followersK.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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 608 reviews
November 17, 2025
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. 💛
Lastly, please call your grandparents and tell them you love them. 💛
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ With all her friends off to college, Olivia is still at home, feeling stuck and in the way. But she wouldn’t dream of leaving her grandmother, Annie, who has dementia, for so long and not being able to be there for her. So when Olivia’s stepmother wants the family to spend three weeks on Martha’s Vineyard, Olivia doesn’t want to go and leave Annie. But Olivia finds out that her grandmother actually spent some time on the island and has photos and memories of it, so she decides to go and recreate Annie’s photos with her own. The summer should be short and sweet…until she meets happy-go-lucky Connor, which makes Olivia realize that she’s never wanted to have a forever someone until now, even though it’s the worst time possible to fall in love, no matter how much her heart says otherwise.
𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ: Leave Before You Love Me by Marshmello, Jonas Brothers
0:31 ───ㅇ───── 2:35
⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ TL;DR: I was hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, and in the end, only got disappointment.
⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ If you loved this book, I don’t recommend reading this review. I am going to be as kind as I can be while being honest, but my frustration is through the roof with this one. 😅
Anyways, let’s get into it, shall we?
First of all…
Secondly, I am so bummed out that I didn’t like this as much as I wanted to. I really liked The Summer of Broken Rules, and when I read that the family in that book was going to make appearances in this one, I was so stoked. But even though this is a standalone novel, it most definitely felt like it’s part of some sort of Martha’s Vineyard series because other characters from other novels were also present, and I felt like I was a new character in season five of a show. I had a hard time keeping track of who was part of what family and their lore that I didn’t know about because there were just soooo many people mentioned and popping into scenes. Like, I’m sorry, y’all seem great, but I’m here for Olivia and Connor. Who are you and why are you important to their story? Can’t we just stick to one family, please? 😭
My other complaint (because, let’s face it–I’m just complaining at this point), is the romance. Sure, there were cute moments, but I think Olivia and the writing ruined it. There was no development when it came to their feelings. Connor has liked Olivia ever since they were kids, but they’ve never interacted with each other until now, so he doesn’t know who she really is or what she’s like. And on Olivia’s end, she couldn’t get over how good-looking Connor was while telling herself this wasn’t going to work out, yet a part of her wanted it to because it was just a summer fling. Like, how is that cute or romantic? I was just waiting for the inevitable when they go their separate ways because there are seriously no grounds for them to stay together. But I will admit the last chapter was sweet; I just wish the rest of their time on Martha’s Vineyard was just as cute.
Okay, let’s talk about Olivia. I am going to try to be nice because she was going through a lot, and I felt so bad for her, but she really did irritate me.
I could not understand why she didn’t want to be with Connor. I mean, she didn’t have to be, and I’m totally for that because you do you, queen. Don’t be with someone you don’t want to be with. But she did, yet she kept saying that she couldn’t be with him because she didn’t open her heart to others. Why though? Why are you so closed off when I literally see no reason as to why you would feel or think that way? Even when the reason is revealed at the end, I couldn’t sympathize or even care, which sounds horrible, but it’s true. Olivia knew she didn’t want a serious relationship, and she knew Connor was someone who went all in when it involved his heart. So why are you trying to have a summer fling with him when 1) you know you’re going to fall for him and 2) you know you are going to end up hurting him. And the games she played with this guy made me shake my head because what??? You kiss him, you try to explain that you don’t want anything more, and then the next day you try to pick things up where they left off? I’m pretty sure Connor was as confused as I was because this girl does not know what she wants, nor does she take into consideration other people’s feelings. I’m trying to understand you, Olivia, but you’re making it really hard when you come off as selfish and bitchy. If I were Connor’s friend, I would have told him not to waste his time or play her games. You can find someone so much better who will want to protect your heart, and she can find someone who will do the same for her when she’s ready. I could say that it’s because she’s 19 and has a lot of growing up and maturing to do, and I completely agree with that. It’s a known fact that Olivia doesn’t know what she wants from life, and that’s okay. She shouldn’t have everything figured out yet because she’s young. I get that. But as I said before, she shouldn’t mess with Connor like that. It was so uncalled for, and I was so done with her.
Next is the writing. There was a lot of telling, even though there was a fair amount of showing. For example, the reader sees how great Connor is with kids (he’s a manny) in several chapters, yet Olivia makes a wild observation that "he’s great with kids.” Yeah. No shit, Sherlock. I deduced that long before you did, apparently. There’s no need to explain when I see that just fine.
Also, the conversations felt a little stilted and awkward, like it was everyone’s first time talking to other human beings. I know what this sounds like because I don’t know how to talk to people, lol. I did, however, really like the descriptions of Martha’s Vineyard. You can tell how much the author loves this place, and I don’t blame her. It’s definitely a location I want to visit someday.
Another thing that I thought was odd was how Olivia’s dad was okay with her staying in a room with a boy they didn’t know, yet wanted her to sleep somewhere else when they became a thing, and it seemed like it was a bit too late to change sleeping arrangements. And it’s so sad because Olivia would wonder if she wanted her dad to freak out about something when, instead, he was all cool with it and told her to just be careful. Like, sir, you need to be more attentive to your daughter, spend more time with her, and fix this issue because no child should have to feel that way.
*heavy sigh* Well, that’s all, I guess. The only things I can safely say that I did like were Annie, Connor, the side characters, and the little adventure Olivia went on to retrace her grandmother’s footsteps. But other than that, this was so disappointing. But at least the cover was cute.
𖦹 Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. 𖦹
❗Content Warnings❗
Mentions the death of a parent and loved ones, an incident with a food allergy, and a loved one with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: Closed-door/Fade-to-black. (🌶🌶/5)
𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ: Leave Before You Love Me by Marshmello, Jonas Brothers
0:31 ───ㅇ───── 2:35
⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ TL;DR: I was hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, and in the end, only got disappointment.
⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ If you loved this book, I don’t recommend reading this review. I am going to be as kind as I can be while being honest, but my frustration is through the roof with this one. 😅
Anyways, let’s get into it, shall we?
First of all…
Secondly, I am so bummed out that I didn’t like this as much as I wanted to. I really liked The Summer of Broken Rules, and when I read that the family in that book was going to make appearances in this one, I was so stoked. But even though this is a standalone novel, it most definitely felt like it’s part of some sort of Martha’s Vineyard series because other characters from other novels were also present, and I felt like I was a new character in season five of a show. I had a hard time keeping track of who was part of what family and their lore that I didn’t know about because there were just soooo many people mentioned and popping into scenes. Like, I’m sorry, y’all seem great, but I’m here for Olivia and Connor. Who are you and why are you important to their story? Can’t we just stick to one family, please? 😭
My other complaint (because, let’s face it–I’m just complaining at this point), is the romance. Sure, there were cute moments, but I think Olivia and the writing ruined it. There was no development when it came to their feelings. Connor has liked Olivia ever since they were kids, but they’ve never interacted with each other until now, so he doesn’t know who she really is or what she’s like. And on Olivia’s end, she couldn’t get over how good-looking Connor was while telling herself this wasn’t going to work out, yet a part of her wanted it to because it was just a summer fling. Like, how is that cute or romantic? I was just waiting for the inevitable when they go their separate ways because there are seriously no grounds for them to stay together. But I will admit the last chapter was sweet; I just wish the rest of their time on Martha’s Vineyard was just as cute.
Okay, let’s talk about Olivia. I am going to try to be nice because she was going through a lot, and I felt so bad for her, but she really did irritate me.
I could not understand why she didn’t want to be with Connor. I mean, she didn’t have to be, and I’m totally for that because you do you, queen. Don’t be with someone you don’t want to be with. But she did, yet she kept saying that she couldn’t be with him because she didn’t open her heart to others. Why though? Why are you so closed off when I literally see no reason as to why you would feel or think that way? Even when the reason is revealed at the end, I couldn’t sympathize or even care, which sounds horrible, but it’s true. Olivia knew she didn’t want a serious relationship, and she knew Connor was someone who went all in when it involved his heart. So why are you trying to have a summer fling with him when 1) you know you’re going to fall for him and 2) you know you are going to end up hurting him. And the games she played with this guy made me shake my head because what??? You kiss him, you try to explain that you don’t want anything more, and then the next day you try to pick things up where they left off? I’m pretty sure Connor was as confused as I was because this girl does not know what she wants, nor does she take into consideration other people’s feelings. I’m trying to understand you, Olivia, but you’re making it really hard when you come off as selfish and bitchy. If I were Connor’s friend, I would have told him not to waste his time or play her games. You can find someone so much better who will want to protect your heart, and she can find someone who will do the same for her when she’s ready. I could say that it’s because she’s 19 and has a lot of growing up and maturing to do, and I completely agree with that. It’s a known fact that Olivia doesn’t know what she wants from life, and that’s okay. She shouldn’t have everything figured out yet because she’s young. I get that. But as I said before, she shouldn’t mess with Connor like that. It was so uncalled for, and I was so done with her.
Next is the writing. There was a lot of telling, even though there was a fair amount of showing. For example, the reader sees how great Connor is with kids (he’s a manny) in several chapters, yet Olivia makes a wild observation that "he’s great with kids.” Yeah. No shit, Sherlock. I deduced that long before you did, apparently. There’s no need to explain when I see that just fine.
Also, the conversations felt a little stilted and awkward, like it was everyone’s first time talking to other human beings. I know what this sounds like because I don’t know how to talk to people, lol. I did, however, really like the descriptions of Martha’s Vineyard. You can tell how much the author loves this place, and I don’t blame her. It’s definitely a location I want to visit someday.
Another thing that I thought was odd was how Olivia’s dad was okay with her staying in a room with a boy they didn’t know, yet wanted her to sleep somewhere else when they became a thing, and it seemed like it was a bit too late to change sleeping arrangements. And it’s so sad because Olivia would wonder if she wanted her dad to freak out about something when, instead, he was all cool with it and told her to just be careful. Like, sir, you need to be more attentive to your daughter, spend more time with her, and fix this issue because no child should have to feel that way.
*heavy sigh* Well, that’s all, I guess. The only things I can safely say that I did like were Annie, Connor, the side characters, and the little adventure Olivia went on to retrace her grandmother’s footsteps. But other than that, this was so disappointing. But at least the cover was cute.
𖦹 Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. 𖦹
❗Content Warnings❗
Mentions the death of a parent and loved ones, an incident with a food allergy, and a loved one with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: Closed-door/Fade-to-black. (🌶🌶/5)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2026
|🩵| post~read |🌊|
this was fun! not the best book ive read for sure but it wasnt terrible at all, rtc
|🌊| pre~read |🩵|
kinda excited to read this! I'm about 50 pages in and it's not amazinggg so far but its not bad at all
this was fun! not the best book ive read for sure but it wasnt terrible at all, rtc
|🌊| pre~read |🩵|
kinda excited to read this! I'm about 50 pages in and it's not amazinggg so far but its not bad at all
Want to Read
October 29, 2025how do you write like you’re running out of time
Want to Read
November 12, 2025is this about connor from first time for everything???
Want to Read
August 28, 20258.27.25 ౨ৎ
okay well she really doesn’t sleep clearly
okay well she really doesn’t sleep clearly
May 19, 2026
*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*
3.5
K.L. Walther truly writes some of the coziest YA contemporary books ever and The Summer of Second Chances was no exception . This book was full of heart, summer nostalgia, lovable characters, and emotional moments that hit just right. I genuinely have fun with every single one of her books, and this one made me smile so much while also tugging at my heartstrings.
I'm sure I'm going to enjoy K.L. Walther's newest books as I did enjoy her other books.
3.5
K.L. Walther truly writes some of the coziest YA contemporary books ever and The Summer of Second Chances was no exception . This book was full of heart, summer nostalgia, lovable characters, and emotional moments that hit just right. I genuinely have fun with every single one of her books, and this one made me smile so much while also tugging at my heartstrings.
I'm sure I'm going to enjoy K.L. Walther's newest books as I did enjoy her other books.
May 9, 2026
Rating: 3.25⭐️
This book started off strong, but it fizzled out the more I read.
The protagonist Olivia was very admirable. Her patience, maturity and kindness shined at the start. After reading only three chapters, I could tell she had such a big heart. I mean every moment between Olivia and her grandmother Annie nearly brought me to tears. Dementia is such a hard disease because it impacts not just the individual but everyone they love. Olivia was so young and the amount of responsibility she had to take on was hard to read about. It wasn’t just regarding her grandmother either but also her family. She constantly felt like an outsider in her own house after her father remarried her stepmother Erica and Olivia got two younger siblings. However, once they get to Martha’s Vineyard, I felt like Olivia became much more judgy and rude. Some of the things she thought and did just rubbed me the wrong way.
I liked the MMC Connor, but the romance was underdeveloped and seemed to solely be based off of looks. He was very charming and kind though. As for the supporting characters, there were way too many people that were introduced at the beginning that I got confused. The family tree was big and I needed more reminders of how everyone was related to each other. I also think that plot of Olivia trying to relive the adventures her grandma had on Martha’s Vineyard was rather weak. The author didn’t really expand on that and it felt more like an afterthought.
Overall, there were some really good moments at the beginning of the story, but the author wasn’t able to maintain
This book started off strong, but it fizzled out the more I read.
The protagonist Olivia was very admirable. Her patience, maturity and kindness shined at the start. After reading only three chapters, I could tell she had such a big heart. I mean every moment between Olivia and her grandmother Annie nearly brought me to tears. Dementia is such a hard disease because it impacts not just the individual but everyone they love. Olivia was so young and the amount of responsibility she had to take on was hard to read about. It wasn’t just regarding her grandmother either but also her family. She constantly felt like an outsider in her own house after her father remarried her stepmother Erica and Olivia got two younger siblings. However, once they get to Martha’s Vineyard, I felt like Olivia became much more judgy and rude. Some of the things she thought and did just rubbed me the wrong way.
I liked the MMC Connor, but the romance was underdeveloped and seemed to solely be based off of looks. He was very charming and kind though. As for the supporting characters, there were way too many people that were introduced at the beginning that I got confused. The family tree was big and I needed more reminders of how everyone was related to each other. I also think that plot of Olivia trying to relive the adventures her grandma had on Martha’s Vineyard was rather weak. The author didn’t really expand on that and it felt more like an afterthought.
Overall, there were some really good moments at the beginning of the story, but the author wasn’t able to maintain
Want to Read
May 7, 2026°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ — preread:
adore this author so im excited to read this as we get closer to summer!!
thank you netgalley and sourcefire books for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Release date: May 5, 2026!
adore this author so im excited to read this as we get closer to summer!!
thank you netgalley and sourcefire books for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Release date: May 5, 2026!
May 6, 2026
WE ARE SO BACK. this was perfect. amazing. the vibes were immaculate. every cameo/returning character made me so happy and was perfectly done.
like i thought wabir? was pretty good, but this is next-level klw. this is tsobr/mmtb level klw. we are back to the good old days (not saying that the latest books were bad, just saying this is a tier above).
i cant believe how far our mmbt crew has come lol. c&l and n&s are married and/or VERY CLOSE to getting married, and i love that we got a glimpse into their futures. also - kitsey got married to cal? and they had a kid? omg. i wonder how charlie feels??????????
and then, as much as i love mer and wit, the winner of the tsobr cameos was most definitely luli. what a diva! i loved how the carmichaels and the foxes are neighbours across the lake! how cute! (also wink and honey NEED to show up in every single book from now on pleaseandthankyou)
i feel like im just going in order of klw's books in cameos omg. the only two books missing was wham! and wwy, but maybe ill find veiled references to them in later reads?
i loved the return of connor, he was such a good sidekick in aftfe and loved how his and mads' friendship was potrayed. ALSO OMG KATIE AND AUSTIN AT THE FARM LETS GO I LOVE THEM. my fav matchmakers for lifeeeeee!
one of my highlights is a reference to "glassblowing in brooklyn", like omg, audrey barbour is that you???? we love.
cameos/crossovers aside, this book was straight summery goodness. it took me back to tsobr and even though i swear id never go to america, id really love to visit the vineyard one day. these books make it seem so beautiful! klw also succeeds so well in settings. i could imagine every house clearly, and have a strong mental picture of both farms, which is always a good sign!
as someone with a family member that is suffering from dementia, this book made me feel seen and captured that bittersweet feeling of "it might just be better if they were fully gone, instead of losing them more and more" annie was so sweet and i adore her and liv's beautiful relationship.
the romance was also cute, nothing amazing, but im sure on later rereads, ill love it even more. the childhood friends to lovers was done so well!
pre-read
im so so so hyped for this one!!!!
theres also apparently a nick and sage cameo (WITH SPEAKING!!!!!!!!) so im extra excited <33333
like i thought wabir? was pretty good, but this is next-level klw. this is tsobr/mmtb level klw. we are back to the good old days (not saying that the latest books were bad, just saying this is a tier above).
i cant believe how far our mmbt crew has come lol. c&l and n&s are married and/or VERY CLOSE to getting married, and i love that we got a glimpse into their futures. also - kitsey got married to cal? and they had a kid? omg. i wonder how charlie feels??????????
and then, as much as i love mer and wit, the winner of the tsobr cameos was most definitely luli. what a diva! i loved how the carmichaels and the foxes are neighbours across the lake! how cute! (also wink and honey NEED to show up in every single book from now on pleaseandthankyou)
i loved the return of connor, he was such a good sidekick in aftfe and loved how his and mads' friendship was potrayed. ALSO OMG KATIE AND AUSTIN AT THE FARM LETS GO I LOVE THEM. my fav matchmakers for lifeeeeee!
one of my highlights is a reference to "glassblowing in brooklyn", like omg, audrey barbour is that you???? we love.
cameos/crossovers aside, this book was straight summery goodness. it took me back to tsobr and even though i swear id never go to america, id really love to visit the vineyard one day. these books make it seem so beautiful! klw also succeeds so well in settings. i could imagine every house clearly, and have a strong mental picture of both farms, which is always a good sign!
as someone with a family member that is suffering from dementia, this book made me feel seen and captured that bittersweet feeling of "it might just be better if they were fully gone, instead of losing them more and more" annie was so sweet and i adore her and liv's beautiful relationship.
the romance was also cute, nothing amazing, but im sure on later rereads, ill love it even more. the childhood friends to lovers was done so well!
pre-read
im so so so hyped for this one!!!!
theres also apparently a nick and sage cameo (WITH SPEAKING!!!!!!!!) so im extra excited <33333
Want to Read
November 3, 2025it's official. K.L. Walther doesn't sleep.
May 16, 2026
Now Playing: Cruel Summer- Taylor Swift
I'm so glad I decided to read this despite not liking The Summer of Broken Rules! Olivia was THE BEST fmc! I'm pretty sure she's basically me with better style and a bigger sense of adventure. A reader who works at a bookstore, has the most random shorts feed, doesn't care for sports except when the Olympics roll around, and visits her grandma in the nursing home? Am I being stalked? (I don't work in a bookstore, but I wish I did...) Anyways, let's just say she's an amazing fmc, and I related a lot to her.
Unfortunately, one of the most relatable parts was the fact that Olivia's grandmother, Annie, has dementia. My grandfathers both passed away with dementia, and my grandmothers are currently going through it, so I understand Olivia and her fears all too well. I thought K.L. Walther did a really good job representing what dementia was actually like. Annie reminded me a lot of my own grandmother in the nursing home.
Now, let's talk about our mmc, Connor. Gentlemen, take notes! He was such a sweetheart from the very beginning. I was literally screaming at my book for him and Olivia to get together. I have no notes on him; he was perfect.
The only few issues I had with the book are the backstory and the ending. The backstory of Olivia and Connor felt kind of forced, like it was inserted last minute instead of something that the entire book is named after. It honestly could have been taken out of the story entirely and been fine. I also understand why the ending happened, but I never really bought into the reason why Olivia wouldn't let herself like Connor, so it just kind of vaguely annoyed me. Not enough to knock off a star, though!
I highly recommend reading this! You don't have to read The Summer of Broken Rules first to understand the story, but if you don't, you'll miss out on some fun little Easter eggs.
Content Warnings: Dementia, death of a parent, cursing, kissing and one implied spice scene that was fade-to-black with absolutely no details, drinking, stepmother issues, nursing homes and the sadness that comes with them, lost love, parents not understanding you
I'm so glad I decided to read this despite not liking The Summer of Broken Rules! Olivia was THE BEST fmc! I'm pretty sure she's basically me with better style and a bigger sense of adventure. A reader who works at a bookstore, has the most random shorts feed, doesn't care for sports except when the Olympics roll around, and visits her grandma in the nursing home? Am I being stalked? (I don't work in a bookstore, but I wish I did...) Anyways, let's just say she's an amazing fmc, and I related a lot to her.
Unfortunately, one of the most relatable parts was the fact that Olivia's grandmother, Annie, has dementia. My grandfathers both passed away with dementia, and my grandmothers are currently going through it, so I understand Olivia and her fears all too well. I thought K.L. Walther did a really good job representing what dementia was actually like. Annie reminded me a lot of my own grandmother in the nursing home.
Now, let's talk about our mmc, Connor. Gentlemen, take notes! He was such a sweetheart from the very beginning. I was literally screaming at my book for him and Olivia to get together. I have no notes on him; he was perfect.
The only few issues I had with the book are the backstory and the ending. The backstory of Olivia and Connor felt kind of forced, like it was inserted last minute instead of something that the entire book is named after. It honestly could have been taken out of the story entirely and been fine. I also understand why the ending happened, but I never really bought into the reason why Olivia wouldn't let herself like Connor, so it just kind of vaguely annoyed me. Not enough to knock off a star, though!
I highly recommend reading this! You don't have to read The Summer of Broken Rules first to understand the story, but if you don't, you'll miss out on some fun little Easter eggs.
Content Warnings: Dementia, death of a parent, cursing, kissing and one implied spice scene that was fade-to-black with absolutely no details, drinking, stepmother issues, nursing homes and the sadness that comes with them, lost love, parents not understanding you
March 22, 2026
3.5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This author continues to write some of the best young adult romances without dumbing down the characters too much. The story here has a fun summer romance that would make for a perfect beach read. There were a few corny lines and I do think this was one of the authors weaker books but it was still super fun to read. Totally recommend this as a beach read this upcoming summer.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This author continues to write some of the best young adult romances without dumbing down the characters too much. The story here has a fun summer romance that would make for a perfect beach read. There were a few corny lines and I do think this was one of the authors weaker books but it was still super fun to read. Totally recommend this as a beach read this upcoming summer.
April 21, 2026
this was like sunshine in book form! i read a lot of it on the beach too which helped!
i looooved the setting so much. i’ve been to martha’s vineyard in july and it really is magical. this captured that magic so well. the romance was sooo cutie and conner is the BEST! i love a man who communicates and is upfront & honest. he’s a king! i actually wish the romance was a bigger part of it. her relationship with her grandma took the forefront.
i had a ton of fun while reading & recommend to anyone looking for a cute beach read this summer!
there were a couple things i didn’t love about it & one of them was that there were a tonnn of characters and i couldn’t keep everyone straight!
🔥NO SPICE🔥
🤐LANGUAGE🤐 occasional use of the F word
i looooved the setting so much. i’ve been to martha’s vineyard in july and it really is magical. this captured that magic so well. the romance was sooo cutie and conner is the BEST! i love a man who communicates and is upfront & honest. he’s a king! i actually wish the romance was a bigger part of it. her relationship with her grandma took the forefront.
i had a ton of fun while reading & recommend to anyone looking for a cute beach read this summer!
there were a couple things i didn’t love about it & one of them was that there were a tonnn of characters and i couldn’t keep everyone straight!
🔥NO SPICE🔥
🤐LANGUAGE🤐 occasional use of the F word
Review of advance copy
3.75 stars! ★★★☆☆
(Arc~review~Spoiler~free)
Thank you so much again for Netgally in giving me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review 🌞🎀🤍🤍
This isn’t my first K.L. Walther book but I’ve missed her writing so much!! One thing I always enjoy about her writing is how she can make you feel like you’re in the book, in this case Martha’s Vineyard 🤭
I’m obsessed with the setting and on top of that the romance between Connor & Olivia! 😮💨🥰
The moments between them were so adorable and he’s so charismatic which had me swoooninggg.
One of the scenes I enjoyed was definitely this one!
⏬
𝘔𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥.
"𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦," 𝘐 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘥,
"𝘠𝘦𝘴," 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥,
𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺.
"𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦."
🥹🥹😭
The ending for me felt a little rushed but overall would still recommend! And definitely not my last book I’ll be reading from hers 🫶😻
⭐️Rating: 3.75/5
📚Age Rating: 15+
🔥Spice: 0/5 (no spice🐞)
💌Favorite Quotes:
~𝘏𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱, 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴.
~ 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘢 𝘓𝘢 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥'𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦, 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.
~ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦...𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦.
𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘳.
(Arc~review~Spoiler~free)
Thank you so much again for Netgally in giving me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review 🌞🎀🤍🤍
This isn’t my first K.L. Walther book but I’ve missed her writing so much!! One thing I always enjoy about her writing is how she can make you feel like you’re in the book, in this case Martha’s Vineyard 🤭
I’m obsessed with the setting and on top of that the romance between Connor & Olivia! 😮💨🥰
The moments between them were so adorable and he’s so charismatic which had me swoooninggg.
One of the scenes I enjoyed was definitely this one!
⏬
𝘔𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥.
"𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦," 𝘐 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘥,
"𝘠𝘦𝘴," 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥,
𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺.
"𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦."
🥹🥹😭
The ending for me felt a little rushed but overall would still recommend! And definitely not my last book I’ll be reading from hers 🫶😻
⭐️Rating: 3.75/5
📚Age Rating: 15+
🔥Spice: 0/5 (no spice🐞)
💌Favorite Quotes:
~𝘏𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱, 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴.
~ 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘢 𝘓𝘢 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥'𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦, 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.
~ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦...𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦.
𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘳.
May 9, 2026
3.5 stars (rounded up because admittedly I'm not the targeted age audience and I'd probably rate it higher if I was).
As with a lot of YA novels, the relationship between Olivia and Connor felt a bit rushed and surface level, but then again isn't that generally how a lot of teenage relationships are anyway? I just feel a bit cheated that its sold to us as something deeper. I have to say Connor is a sweetheart, I love it when a MMC is straight up and direct with how he feels and what he's thinking, major points with me. It was Olivia that had the inner turmoil and commitment issues probably spured on by her beloved Grandmother Annie's dementia battle. I can totally relate, losing grandparents is brutal but when you also lost a mother young and your grandmother became your mother in a sense, I cant even imagine.
The storyline with Annie seemed well researched and authentic. I did like that there was an extra layer of storyline and connection to Martha's Vineyard through Annie's photos but again I felt this could have been explored deeper and richer.
One of the major difficulties for me was keeping all the different characters straight. There were so so many! Not just in the Carmichael family itself but then there were other characters introduced to us that were from the author's previous books. For those of us who have not yet read the previous books it got extra confusing. Luckily my daughter actually has the SOBR which contains the Fox family tree and it helped but only a little).
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire who provided me with a copy of the book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
As with a lot of YA novels, the relationship between Olivia and Connor felt a bit rushed and surface level, but then again isn't that generally how a lot of teenage relationships are anyway? I just feel a bit cheated that its sold to us as something deeper. I have to say Connor is a sweetheart, I love it when a MMC is straight up and direct with how he feels and what he's thinking, major points with me. It was Olivia that had the inner turmoil and commitment issues probably spured on by her beloved Grandmother Annie's dementia battle. I can totally relate, losing grandparents is brutal but when you also lost a mother young and your grandmother became your mother in a sense, I cant even imagine.
The storyline with Annie seemed well researched and authentic. I did like that there was an extra layer of storyline and connection to Martha's Vineyard through Annie's photos but again I felt this could have been explored deeper and richer.
One of the major difficulties for me was keeping all the different characters straight. There were so so many! Not just in the Carmichael family itself but then there were other characters introduced to us that were from the author's previous books. For those of us who have not yet read the previous books it got extra confusing. Luckily my daughter actually has the SOBR which contains the Fox family tree and it helped but only a little).
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire who provided me with a copy of the book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
March 8, 2026
Overall, this book fell a little flat for me!
It was enjoyable enough to read, I loved the setting of Martha’s Vineyard and had me longing for summer! The characters were good for the most part, very classically written and not complex which is totally excepted for a YA novel. I loved the relationship between Olivia and her grandmother Annie.
But there were so. many. characters. I couldn’t keep track of the family alone! And then adding in the characters from previous books, I couldn’t keep them straight. I think if I had re-read The Summer of Broken Rules before hand it would have helped but I also don’t think they should be a pre-requisite for a standalone.
And even though Olivia was 18 (I think?) I didn’t like the swearing throughout the book, it just felt forced and unnecessary! Honestly, she didn’t really act her age so that really put me off I think.
I know that YA readers will love this and I’m so glad for them!! Just definitely not for me. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
It was enjoyable enough to read, I loved the setting of Martha’s Vineyard and had me longing for summer! The characters were good for the most part, very classically written and not complex which is totally excepted for a YA novel. I loved the relationship between Olivia and her grandmother Annie.
But there were so. many. characters. I couldn’t keep track of the family alone! And then adding in the characters from previous books, I couldn’t keep them straight. I think if I had re-read The Summer of Broken Rules before hand it would have helped but I also don’t think they should be a pre-requisite for a standalone.
And even though Olivia was 18 (I think?) I didn’t like the swearing throughout the book, it just felt forced and unnecessary! Honestly, she didn’t really act her age so that really put me off I think.
I know that YA readers will love this and I’m so glad for them!! Just definitely not for me. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
May 11, 2026
2.5 stars
this book was so underwhelming and I'm so sad I didn't like it.
it honestly felt like the summer of broken rules but nowhere as good and I wanted to love it so badly.
my issues:
erika- her character could've had a lot more to it but not really. the issues with her were never properly sorted out. also, she reminded so much of katie and I felt like nobody ever held either of them accountable. and Erika making those comments about Olivia were super shady and rude and the fact that Erika got mad at Olivia when she finally confronted her- it wasn't fair. Olivia finally just defended her ground and it really annoyed me how erika handled it.
Connor and Olivia's relationship:
it just felt forced and rushed. Connor felt like 99% of it. it was giving best friends and that's all I'm gonna say.
Olivia:
I didn't appreciate how she acted towards Connor at moments- especially at the end. she could've been nicer about it
the ending:
it wasn't tied up that well imo and for a book that was almost 400 pages long- the ending was rushed with many loose strings
Annie's summer list:
it was a huge goal but I feel like it was just barely brought up. I wish it was more weaved into the story!
overall this story had so much potential- it just didn't meet it. I loved the Meredith and wit cameos though! the cameos throughout the book were probably my favorite part!
this book was so underwhelming and I'm so sad I didn't like it.
it honestly felt like the summer of broken rules but nowhere as good and I wanted to love it so badly.
my issues:
erika- her character could've had a lot more to it but not really. the issues with her were never properly sorted out. also, she reminded so much of katie and I felt like nobody ever held either of them accountable. and Erika making those comments about Olivia were super shady and rude and the fact that Erika got mad at Olivia when she finally confronted her- it wasn't fair. Olivia finally just defended her ground and it really annoyed me how erika handled it.
Connor and Olivia's relationship:
it just felt forced and rushed. Connor felt like 99% of it. it was giving best friends and that's all I'm gonna say.
Olivia:
I didn't appreciate how she acted towards Connor at moments- especially at the end. she could've been nicer about it
the ending:
it wasn't tied up that well imo and for a book that was almost 400 pages long- the ending was rushed with many loose strings
Annie's summer list:
it was a huge goal but I feel like it was just barely brought up. I wish it was more weaved into the story!
overall this story had so much potential- it just didn't meet it. I loved the Meredith and wit cameos though! the cameos throughout the book were probably my favorite part!
Read
December 13, 2025One 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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5⭐️
I loved this!
Towards the end, I enjoyed it a teeny bit less than the first 50%, but I think it was just because I was too busy and distracted on vacation to binge it like I wanted!
I loved the cameos of all the characters from K.L. Walther's other books!!
Conner is such a sweetie. I was so angry with Olivia for treating him the way she did, (and her step mom) BUT I understand completely how awful dealing with her grandma's dementia was since I had to go through that a few years ago❤️🩹
The perfect vibes for my Florida vacation! (reading vlog from the trip coming soon to my YouTube channel: @liliankay09)
I want to go to Martha's Vineyard so much because of K.L. Wather's books😭
Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC🥰
I loved this!
Towards the end, I enjoyed it a teeny bit less than the first 50%, but I think it was just because I was too busy and distracted on vacation to binge it like I wanted!
I loved the cameos of all the characters from K.L. Walther's other books!!
Conner is such a sweetie. I was so angry with Olivia for treating him the way she did, (and her step mom) BUT I understand completely how awful dealing with her grandma's dementia was since I had to go through that a few years ago❤️🩹
The perfect vibes for my Florida vacation! (reading vlog from the trip coming soon to my YouTube channel: @liliankay09)
I want to go to Martha's Vineyard so much because of K.L. Wather's books😭
Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC🥰
May 18, 2026
An adorable summer romance set on Martha’s Vineyard! With quintessential Martha’s Vineyard experiences and landmarks, island spirit envelops this book! It really made me want to drop everything and get on the ferry, while also dealing with heavy topics like loss, forgiveness, and how to stop being afraid to throw yourself headfirst into a relationship. ( technically 4.5 rounded down)
💖💙☀️🌊⛱️💋💋
💖💙☀️🌊⛱️💋💋
May 13, 2026
This was a very sweet and tender coming of age story. Set in the idyllic summer setting of Martha's Vineyard, Olivia is struggling with her grandmother's dementia decline and her inevitable loss, and all-around feeling of unsure what her next steps in life are. When her family takes a three week vacation to the coast, she sets herself on a journey of reliving her beloved grandmother's summer memories from years ago, while simultaneously falling for someone from her past.
I love that this book was more than just a romance. It explored all different types of relationships; Olivia with her grandmother, stepmother, father, family and yes, Connor. She really had to filter through a lot of inner fear and mindsets to truly see her relationships for what they were in order to set herself on a path for a happy future.
I will say there were a lot of characters, so keeping track was difficult at times. A family tree to keep things straight would have been helpful!
There were many scenes that were sweet, humorous, romantic, heartbreaking, and nostalgic. There are many lessons to learn and take away from the story, and I think anyone could easily relate to what the characters experienced throughout the book and will appeal to a broad audience.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced reader copy!
Tags:
Summer romance
Second chance
Family dynamics
Coming of age
Young adult
Closed door spice
First person
Single POV
I love that this book was more than just a romance. It explored all different types of relationships; Olivia with her grandmother, stepmother, father, family and yes, Connor. She really had to filter through a lot of inner fear and mindsets to truly see her relationships for what they were in order to set herself on a path for a happy future.
I will say there were a lot of characters, so keeping track was difficult at times. A family tree to keep things straight would have been helpful!
There were many scenes that were sweet, humorous, romantic, heartbreaking, and nostalgic. There are many lessons to learn and take away from the story, and I think anyone could easily relate to what the characters experienced throughout the book and will appeal to a broad audience.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced reader copy!
Tags:
Summer romance
Second chance
Family dynamics
Coming of age
Young adult
Closed door spice
First person
Single POV
May 5, 2026
This was a mixed read for me.
The premise is really nice and I did enjoy the overall vibe. The Martha’s Vineyard setting was beautiful and I liked the idea of Olivia retracing her grandmother’s steps through old photos and memories. Even though the dementia aspect is quite heavy, it didn’t bother me as much because it was tied into that journey.
That said… Olivia...
I understand she’s going through a lot, but she felt frustrating more often than not. Her decisions, especially when it came to Connor, were hard to understand at times and because of it, I often felt like the story dragged a few pages here and there.
And speaking of Connor, he was actually really sweet. Which made it even more frustrating to see how things were going on between them.
I had a hard time connecting with their romance. It felt a bit underdeveloped (reasons mentioned up) so it was hard to really root for them. I don't often feel this way, but sometimes I felt like Connor could've done better.
I also wasn’t a huge fan of the dynamic with Olivia’s dad. I get that she’s 19, but being completely okay with her sharing a room with someone he barely knows? Yeah… mnope.
Plot-wise, it felt quite linear and a bit predictable. Not necessarily bad, just not very surprising.
Overall, not a bad read at all, and I can see why people would enjoy it, especially for the setting and emotional elements. I think this might be a situation of "it's me, not you", but it just didn’t fully work for me.
⭐ 3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC.
https://turnthepagewithana.blogspot.c...
The premise is really nice and I did enjoy the overall vibe. The Martha’s Vineyard setting was beautiful and I liked the idea of Olivia retracing her grandmother’s steps through old photos and memories. Even though the dementia aspect is quite heavy, it didn’t bother me as much because it was tied into that journey.
That said… Olivia...
I understand she’s going through a lot, but she felt frustrating more often than not. Her decisions, especially when it came to Connor, were hard to understand at times and because of it, I often felt like the story dragged a few pages here and there.
And speaking of Connor, he was actually really sweet. Which made it even more frustrating to see how things were going on between them.
I had a hard time connecting with their romance. It felt a bit underdeveloped (reasons mentioned up) so it was hard to really root for them. I don't often feel this way, but sometimes I felt like Connor could've done better.
I also wasn’t a huge fan of the dynamic with Olivia’s dad. I get that she’s 19, but being completely okay with her sharing a room with someone he barely knows? Yeah… mnope.
Plot-wise, it felt quite linear and a bit predictable. Not necessarily bad, just not very surprising.
Overall, not a bad read at all, and I can see why people would enjoy it, especially for the setting and emotional elements. I think this might be a situation of "it's me, not you", but it just didn’t fully work for me.
⭐ 3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC.
https://turnthepagewithana.blogspot.c...
April 27, 2026
This was a cute & fun summer YA romance read! I love the Martha’s Vineyard setting and how cute and magical it all seems!
I absolutely loved the relation between Olivia and her Grandma. She has practically put her life on hold to be with her & when the idea of taking a summer away comes up, she struggles with the idea of being away. Olivia deciding to follow in her grandmas footsteps to spend the summer in the vineyards was such a sweet & fun idea.
This book had a lot of characters and sometimes felt confusing, but I really loved Olivia and Connor! He’s back from her past and determined to be part of her present. He was so sweet and just a lovable MMC
This is definitely a cute, feel good, summery vibe book that is perfect for a vacation read! It’s was fun, easy, and just overall a sweet story!
Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire for the early copy!
I absolutely loved the relation between Olivia and her Grandma. She has practically put her life on hold to be with her & when the idea of taking a summer away comes up, she struggles with the idea of being away. Olivia deciding to follow in her grandmas footsteps to spend the summer in the vineyards was such a sweet & fun idea.
This book had a lot of characters and sometimes felt confusing, but I really loved Olivia and Connor! He’s back from her past and determined to be part of her present. He was so sweet and just a lovable MMC
This is definitely a cute, feel good, summery vibe book that is perfect for a vacation read! It’s was fun, easy, and just overall a sweet story!
Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire for the early copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book had me longing for summertime and a seaside escape. I enjoyed Conner and Olivia's story. I especially loved watching Conner support Olivia as she set out to recreate photographs from her grandmother’s time on the island.
There's some heavy and emotional parts throughout the story. The portrayal of loving someone with dementia was tender and painfully real.
My only small hang-ups in my opinion were there were a lot of pop culture references, and an ending that left me wishing for just a bit more closure.
That said, I’ll gladly read anything K. L. Walther writes. Her stories always leave me feeling nostalgic, emotional, and ready for summertime.
Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc.
There's some heavy and emotional parts throughout the story. The portrayal of loving someone with dementia was tender and painfully real.
My only small hang-ups in my opinion were there were a lot of pop culture references, and an ending that left me wishing for just a bit more closure.
That said, I’ll gladly read anything K. L. Walther writes. Her stories always leave me feeling nostalgic, emotional, and ready for summertime.
Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc.
May 22, 2026
I loved seeing how Olivia’s relationships developed throughout this story!
First, her close relationship with her grandma made me emo, in a good way. It was so beautiful to see such a dedicated granddaughter.
Then, her relationship with Erica changed in a good & productive way as well! I loved their eventual reconciliation.
Her relationship with Connor was so wholesome & healing it was heartwarming.
12/10 beach read
First, her close relationship with her grandma made me emo, in a good way. It was so beautiful to see such a dedicated granddaughter.
Then, her relationship with Erica changed in a good & productive way as well! I loved their eventual reconciliation.
Her relationship with Connor was so wholesome & healing it was heartwarming.
12/10 beach read
May 22, 2026
4.75⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Holy cow… I was not expecting to love this book so so so much! (Ofc i expected it to be good and the cover is ADORABLE but like yk) I loved this book so so so much I wish I could’ve read it faster but I was out of town for 2 ish days and had no time to read but i truly love these characters and really really connected with them and the story. I loved everything about this book!🤍
(Connor is mine wdym bc this man is perfection likeeee…. So so sweet! 🥲🤍)
Holy cow… I was not expecting to love this book so so so much! (Ofc i expected it to be good and the cover is ADORABLE but like yk) I loved this book so so so much I wish I could’ve read it faster but I was out of town for 2 ish days and had no time to read but i truly love these characters and really really connected with them and the story. I loved everything about this book!🤍
(Connor is mine wdym bc this man is perfection likeeee…. So so sweet! 🥲🤍)
June 2, 2026
All I can say is this book healed a part of my inner child.
Left me crying tears of joy.
Left me crying tears of joy.
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