Blue Jean Summer

by Maggie C. Gates

Opposites become unlikely allies when a desperate cowboy needs to marry in order to save his grandfather’s land.

Hayes Wilder needs to find a wife—pronto. After returning to the small town of Honey Hollow before his grandfather’s death, he's shocked to learn that the sprawling Wilder Estate was left to him. All Hayes wants is the one thing money can’t buy—more time with his grandfather. Failing that, he’ll do whatever it takes to save his grandfather’s legacy from falling into the wrong hands. Even if it means marrying in order to satisfy the terms of the will.

Catherine Foster, reigning Miss Virginia and former Honey Hollow native (who had a childhood crush on Hayes), is saddled with mountains of medical debt ever since her mother’s death. Running out of time to figure out her next move, Catherine reconnects with Hayes at his grandfather’s funeral.

Hayes and Catherine impulsively strike a He’ll pay off her debts, but only if they get married. Despite the situation, Hayes and Catherine look forward to getting to know each other as adults—after the wedding. Which is tougher than anticipated when the entire town has eyes on them and his half brother keeps circling the property like a vulture, determined to poke holes in their marriage. Most troubling of all, this pair may have miscalculated how much they have in common—enough for this cowboy to fall in love for real.

Genres: Romance, Small Town Romance, Contemporary Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Summer, Cowboy Romance

448 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 15, 2026

About the author

Maggie Gates writes raw, relatable, romance novels packed full of heat and humor. Maggie calls North Carolina home. In her spare time she enjoys daydreaming about her characters, jamming to country music, and eating all the barbecue and tacos she can find! Her Kindle is always within reach due to a love of small town romances that borders on obsession.

Reviews

[cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I ached for her. I craved her. She was every spring breeze that brought new life. Every summer sun that warmed and sustained. She was the reprieve of fall and the magic of winter.
Catherine Wilder was everything”

I wanted to love this one so much… and I did in parts, but wow this was such a weird reading experience for me because I kept waiting for it to become a different book. 🥲 let me explain...

Going in I was fully prepared for some obsessed, down bad, possessive cowboy man energy. I wanted the “my wife” obsession. I wanted a man who was one inconvenience away from growling at someone in public. And Hayes… he did eventually give me little glimpses of that man, but it took so long to get there that I spent most of the book sitting there like ma’am where is he?! 🤦🏼‍♀️ 🤦🏼‍♀️

But once his internal thoughts finally start spilling out?? suddenly I understood the vision.

“I was jealous of anything that her eyes gazed upon. Jealous of anything that was touched by her fingers. I was jealous of the coffee cup she had been sipping from when I came down to the kitchen this morning. And I was definitely jealous of the bed that held her over the last few nights”

LIKE THERE YOU ARE MANNN
That’s the Hayes I thought I was signing up for.

The problem is… I didn’t feel enough of that buildup before we got there. Cath had the childhood crush, she always knew him, she had that history of wanting and watching from afar, but Hayes realizing she’s suddenly the perfect woman for him and falling hard felt a little too fast for me. I needed more tension. More lingering. More “I absolutely should not want my fake wife like this” panic. Instead it felt like one second we were setting up the arrangement and the next we were 10 steps ahead and i was searching for when it escalated. 👀 And for a marriage of convenience story, I really need that emotional slow burn suffering.

That being said, there were definitely still moments that got me.

“I couldn’t wait to marry Catherine Foster, if only for one more kiss.”

SEE THATS THE STUFF I WANTED
I just wish there had been more of it, sooner.

Also… I have to say it. The blurb gave me cowboy energy so personally I showed up expecting boots, dirt, hands-on ranch(ish) life, rugged man doing rugged cowboy things 🤠
But what I got was… estate owner with horses nearby??? Hayes is giving slacks and button-up office man more than rough cowboy fantasy 😭 and Cath is a beauty pageant girlie, which honestly made the whole vibe feel very different from what I had pictured.

Not bad at all, just not what my brain had preordered. Even the stakes felt oddly soft. There was technically a lot on the line, but the writing made everything feel very easy, very smooth, very low urgency. Nothing felt like it hit as hard as it should have. Honestly by the end I was like… "wait did that much actually happen?" 😭 because it somehow felt like both a full book and also like nothing major happened at all. (it definitely could’ve been shorter 🫣)

BUT —and this is important— I still enjoyed reading it.

Cath’s character arc really worked for me, especially watching her slowly realize she was enough after growing up feeling unwanted. That emotional thread felt genuine and I loved it for her. 😌 And the side characters? Loved them. Absolutely loved them. Honestly I’m more excited for some of their future books than I was for this one by the end.

And because I couldn't end the review without showing a few more delicious lines from Hayes ↓

“She was indescribably beautiful. Nothing compared to her. Not the mountains. Not the skies. Not the valley and every flower in it.”

“I would have given every penny to my name and every blade of grass in the valley just to have her close”

Yes. More of that. Inject it directly into my bloodstream.

There were definitely cute moments here. Sweet moments. The love was soft and genuine and easy to read. It just never fully consumed me.

I wanted obsession. I wanted intensity. I wanted to feel the chemistry in my chest. Instead, this felt more like a soft, simple palate cleanser with a sweet romance and pretty writing. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Decent? Absolutely. Cute? Definitely.
Life-changing? Unfortunately no.

And maybe that’s why I feel so conflicted, because I didn’t dislike it at all. I just kept mourning the version of this book I thought I was about to get. 😔

Still, Maggie Gates’ writing style is one I genuinely enjoy, and even when I’m frustrated, I want to keep reading. So for me, this lands at 3 ⭐️. Cute, easy, sweet, and enjoyable… just missing the depth and emotional chaos I was hoping for.

things to know about the book ↓

💙 childhood crush
💙 marriage of convenience
💙 forced proximity
💙 secret tattoo (LITERALLY SO SWEET)
💙 age gap (she’s 25 / he’s 35)
💙 small town romance

spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
swearing: yes

Thank you NetGalley, Berkeley Publishing Group & Maggie Gates for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

⸻⸻⸻
・❥・⁀➷ pre-read

the way I squealed when i saw this in my inbox 😭🫶🏼
please please be as good as i'm hoping 🤞🏼

[Lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way that all my other books immediately got pushed to the side as soon as this entered my kindle. So first up big thanks to Maggie Gates, Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review. To say I was highly anticipating this is an understatement. I’m a huge Maggie Gates fan and when I heard she was coming out with a new cowboy romance. Immediately my hands went GIMME GIMME. And the publishers were so kind to bless me.

Blue Jean Summer is a fun, sexy marriage of convenience between two former friends. Our two main characters are both dealing with the aftermath of losing a parental figure. Catherine is trying to figure out what to do next with her life while also trying to unbury herself from the mountain of medical debt. Hayes is trying to ensure his family ranch legacy stays with him. They both form a pact to marry each other to solve each other’s problems. Thinking they won’t fall in love. Oh sweet baby child 😉

Y’all I loved this book from beginning to end. Seriously Maggie Gates never misses. The attraction, the yearning and the chemistry between Hayes and Catherine was amazing. They are also one of the most healthy fictional couples I’ve ever read. I love how open they both are with each other and how they didn’t shy away from communicating with one another. They definitely had some bumps along the way. But the didn’t let that break them. Also because they were freaking adults there’s no third act break up. God bless, because I can’t stand when authors randomly throw that trope in.

My only complaint and I say that loosely. I wish our villain in the story got more Karma than what they did. I felt like that whole scenario was wrapped up really fast and I just wanted that butt to suffer more. But I digress. Besides that Blue Jean Summer is an amazing read that I will be recommending all the time. And I can’t wait to own my trophy when it releases this September

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, it was relatively low angst and it was very sweet. Hayes Wilder’s grandfather has just passed away leaving him is vast estate and ranch. At the time his grandfather made his will Hayes had been engaged and his fiancee was granted a parcel of land. In order for Hayes to inherit the conditions has to be just as the will stipulated. Hayes however was no longer engaged, and he’s in need of a wife. He asks Catherine, a family friend, to temporarily marry him and he’ll help get her non profit started and pay off her debts in exchange.

This story was so close to being amazing, there were just a few things that fell short for me. The attraction between Hayes and Catherine was evident, and once they started sleeping together and sharing their feelings I really thought they were going to talk about the future. But each one of them kept thinking about the end date of the marriage. I wish they would have communicated sooner, rather than just live in the moment. I’m glad that neither one assumed the other one wanted out though, that would have been frustrating.

I really liked that Hayes was so supportive of Catherine’s ideas and saw the good she was doing. Catherine’s heart was so big, and I loved that she was the first person Hayes told about being on the spectrum. Hayes’s brother Lewis trying to undermine them was a bit predictable and I was glad when he got what was coming to him. Overall the book was good and I enjoyed it.

No third act breakup

4/5 on the Spicy Scale

M/F

Death/Grief

Contemporary Romance

[Morgan Halladay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading a new Maggie Gates book always feels like coming home. I was so excited when I was approved for this ARC that I dropped everything I was reading. And I was not disappointed but there’s no surprise there. A marriage of convenience is always a fun read but mix that with the found family aspect that Maggie so expertly writes and you have the perfect combination. The little bit of hints of what’s to come in this series has me so excited. I really couldn’t get enough of Hayes and Catherine and their chosen family.

[Katie Medberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received an advance copy from NetGalley.

This book was cute. I had a good time reading it. However there was a few things that bugged me. I felt like some of the scenes were over exaggerated and didn’t need to be over the top, it was like the author was creating drama all in the wrong places. Something that I had a real problem with is that the author wrote the MMC with Asperger’s Syndrome (a type of autism) but the MMC had no characteristics of having Asperger’s. It was like she just threw it in just to put it in.

[allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25* Oh this eats!!!

Tropes:
Marriage of convenience
Secret tattoo
Forced proximity
Only one bed
Age gap
Cowboy/ranch adjacent
Found family

[Meaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review - Huge thanks to Maggie Gates and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to receive a review copy of Blue Jean Summer!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded down - Let me start out by saying that the last thing I expected to do going into this one was to rate it under 5⭐️. I’m still relatively new to the Maggie-verse, but the books of hers that I’ve read so far had convinced me she was an auto-buy author with her strong writing and down bad MMCs. All that to say, this was quite a bit different than what I was expecting and I was pretty disappointed.

First things first, Blue Jean Summer is being billed as the first book in Maggie’s new cowboy romance series, and a cowboy romance it is not. It barely even feels cowboy adjacent? It’s a marriage of convenience between a millionaire/billionaire heir and a former beauty queen that takes place on a sprawling estate where the primary focus seems to be on horse racing and equestrian sports. If the Gold Rush Ranch series by Elsie Silver - where the FMCs are actually working hands-on with horses in a way that features pretty heavily in those stories - isn’t considered a cowboy romance series, Blue Jean Summer is even less eligible to claim this moniker.

This book draggeddd for me. It was much too long at nearly 450 pages - especially when so little happened (or when what DID happen could have been accomplished in much less space without the filler that did nothing to progress the plot).

I really did not feel much chemistry between the MCs at all. It felt more like a sibling energy where the much older brother was protective of his younger sister rather than a ‘take your hands off of MY WIFE’ kind of vibe. The Maggie MMCs I’m used to are down baddd dirty talkers who worship their women in ways that make their spicy scenes hot hot hot, but for me, MMC Hayes just didn’t have this same energy. I could see the attempt being made on Maggie’s part to cultivate this, but it didn’t land in the same way for me as the others, and the lack of chemistry probably had a lot to do with that.

Something else that seemed really out of left field - and that I think would be better left out of the book altogether since it isn’t given the level of focus and exploration it deserves - is the seemingly random reveal of the MMC’s Asperger’s/ASD diagnosis. It’s sort of dropped in as Hayes’s explanation for why he “need[ed] a minute to figure shit out,” and doesn’t come up again after this scene. Overall, it didn’t feel like this diagnosis was written clearly into Hayes’s mannerisms in any way that felt truly representative, so I was just kind of left wondering why it was there at all…

The book had a few funny moments and heartfelt speeches, but all in all, just fell flat for me. And while I’m unsure if this is actually the case or not, it felt like Maggie was trying too hard to meet a brief and check off boxes.

I’m willing to give the series another chance as I suspect I know which side characters will feature in Book 2, and I’m hopeful this will result in more of the “cowboy” element that was lacking in Blue Jean Summer.

Tropes and Microtropes:
Age Gap
Billionaire Romance
Childhood Crush
Found Family
Marriage of Convenience
Small Town

🌶️🌶️.5

[Kell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

BLUE JEAN SUMMER is the first book in Maggie Gates’s newest series set in Honey Hollow. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse at this fun little town and the Wilder Estate where the majority of the book takes place. But, as excited as I am about the location, the characters, a group of friends who work at, live at, and own the Wilder Estate, are what I’m most looking forward to seeing in later books (a ferrier! The leatherworker/clothing designer who is a little wild! The single mom who manages everything for the Wilder family! The estate’s head landscaper who is head over heels for her!)

BLUE JEAN SUMMER itself, however, was full of so many things that romance readers are going to absolutely swoon for. Though I’ve never been crazy about fake relationships, Maggie Gates had these two characters–Catherine Foster, reigning Miss Virginia who is drowning in debt following her mother’s passing and struggling to bring her community initiative to life without the necessary resources, and Hayes Wilder, the newest owner of the Wilder Estate after the death of his grandfather who will only truly inherit the estate once he’s married–absolutely yearning for one another from the very first moment they meet again as adults. And each were so complex and three dimensional that I had no problem believing that they would fall in love with one another, but also that this situation would work out for them or be probable in general. I also loved the quirky animals and nosy townspeople who only added to the story.

There were quite a few conflicts in BLUE JEAN SUMMER, but they felt natural rather than thrown into the mix for the sake of creating plot points. I would love to see these villains pop up again in later books too, even if just so we the readers can see them get their comeuppance!

Overall, this novel was a great introduction into this newest world, something that is increasingly rare, and I can’t wait to meet up with this little found family again.

[Reanna Abare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Berkley for approving me for this ARC through NetGalley! I am so grateful for the opportunity to read and review Blue Jean Summer!

Okay but the gasp I gasped when I got approved for this one 😭 I have had books by Maggie Gates sitting on my TBR for way too long, and after this?? Yeah I need to fix that immediately.

This book completely pulled me in from the start. Catherine and Hayes were just so easy together the kind of couple that makes you believe in it just fits. I absolutely loved that they already had history and that their relationship didn’t feel forced at all. For a marriage of convenience story, I really appreciated that they were all in from the beginning it made their connection feel even more natural and real.

The ranch and small town vibes were everything. This book made me want to pack up my life and go live my own blue jean summer immediately 🤠 And can we talk about Dorothy the cow? I am obsessed. I need one. No further questions.

One of my favorite parts of this story was the representation. Hayes’ character added such a meaningful layer to the book, and I loved how his perspective and focus on work life balance were woven into the story. It felt thoughtful and important without ever feeling heavy handed.

I also really appreciated the more emotional elements, especially the complicated relationship between Catherine and her dad. It added depth to her character and made her journey feel even more real.

And that ending? I was flying through those pages 👀 I need more immediately, Mason and Hallie have my full attention, and honestly I would not be mad about a Levi and Savannah story either!

This book had heart, charm, and characters that felt so easy to love. If you’re into small town romance, marriage of convenience, and couples who just click, you need to pick this one up.

[Sydney Gessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hayes Wilder is not a cowboy and he will be the first one to tell you that. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t look killer in a pair of blue jeans.

Maggie Gates’ has once again graced us with a small town romance that sets the bar so high. Hayes and Catherine are perfection.

After the death of his grandfather Hayes Wilder finds himself in need of a wife and quickly if he hopes to inherit the estate that was left to him. Otherwise it’ll go to his terrible half-brother Lewis. Enter Catherine, grieving the death of her own mother, the two reunite for the first time since childhood at Hayes’ grandfathers funeral. Brought together my circumstances, Catherine agrees to marry Hayes so he can inherit the estate and Hayes will help her catch up on her mothers medical bills. Very quickly the fake marriage starts to feel real for them both and the chemistry was explosive.

As far as trope lists go we had all the good ones, marriage of convenience/fake dating vibes, he falls first for sure, protective mmc and of course the most precious animal sidekick. I honestly could not get enough of these two. I loved Hayes’ character and I always love to see neurodivergence representation in books. Catherine was a sweetheart, she just wanted to work with the community and help people.

In true Maggie Gates’ fashion the side characters caught me right away as well. So I have my fingers and toes crossed that we get to find out more about Hallie.

Blue Jean Summer is equivalent to lying in the perfect temperature of the sun. It’s sunshine and so sweet, but of course with a little darkness to give it life. Thank you so much to the Berkley team for letting me read this early. I cannot recommend it enough to everyone, this will be the perfect summer read.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Gates is becoming an auto buy, automatic read, obsessed with author for me!

Thank you so much to Berkley for the ARC of Blue Jean Summer! This is book 1 in what looks like to be interconnected standalone romances taking place in Honey Hollow! This book follows Hayes.

WHAT TO SAY ABOUT HAYES! He wears his heart on his sleeve, is fiercely loyal and protective, is autistic with some great rep, and has the most tragic life ever but at least he’s rich. When his grandfather dies and the Wilder estate is left to him with a wife condition, his half brother is trying to ruin his inheritance and take it for his own. Enters his childhood crush, the girl who swore in the middle of his grandfathers funeral, and the best friend of the person who runs his families household, CATHERINE FOSTER!

Catherine, Cath, Catie! You are so true to you andI love it. After losing her mom and being in desperate need of some money and a job, the offer to be Hayes wife is too good to be true. Catherine added the humor to this book, the sunshine, the love. I adored her and her big heart. When she picked up Dorothy in the SUV with a pup cup and a banana bread latte I actually died.

This book has everything you want:
- marriage of convenience
- COWBOY
- non profit work
- COWBOY WHO WEARS SUITS TO WORK
- forced proximity
- COWBOY WHO SECRETLY IS IN LOVE WITH HIS FAKE WIFE
- grief rep
- DID I MENTION COWBOY?
- autistic rep

PICK IT UP COME SEPTEMBER!!

[abby :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

unfortunately i couldn't find a reason to care about this book...

in the past, i've read books by maggie gates that were in the same genre, cowboy romances with some slight mystery happening in the background. those were fun, all around a four star, this one, which should've been the same thing, just fell really flat. hayes and catherine are getting married so that he can access the entirety of his grandfathers estate and she can pay off some debt, fake (but very real) marriage with a side of forced proximity should work for me, sadly i just didn't connect with either of the characters.

the first fifty percent was fine, thats why i feel like a three and not a 2.5, but after that we lost all the tension and we started focusing on businesses and drama with a governor and embezzlement, just stuff i did not care about. i really enjoyed cath's friendship with hallie and savannah, you can clearly see whose story is next and what this book was setting up for. i am interested in hallie and mason but at the same time i am over it. more warren is what i need. a mysterious man who lives like a recluse and rescues animals that are being abused, yeah i gotta know more about him!!

if you're looking for another cowboy romance to read this wouldn't be the worst option but the story is just so low in stakes and there's no real relationship conflict which leads to the book being mostly drama free.

*thank you berkley and netgalley for the copy*

[chelseabrookelikesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore Maggie Gates’ writing. At this point if she writes it, I’m reading it. No questions asked.

Blue Jean Summer was such a sweet and heartfelt marriage of convenience story between two former friends who reconnect at exactly the right time in their lives. Hayes has just lost his grandfather and inherited the family ranch, but the will comes with conditions that require him to be married in order to keep the estate. Catherine is trying to figure out what to do with her life while also carrying the weight of medical debt after losing her mom. When the two reconnect, they make a deal to get married and solve each other’s problems.

Naturally… feelings get involved.

I loved the relationship between Hayes and Catherine. The chemistry between them felt natural and easy, and I really appreciated how open they were with each other. Their relationship felt mature and supportive, and you could really feel the care they had for one another as the story progressed.

One of the parts of this story that meant the most to me was Hayes being autistic. As a parent of an autistic child, that representation really touched my heart. Watching Hayes slowly open up to Catherine and trust her with that part of himself was really beautiful. Catherine never treated him like he needed to change or be different. She just accepted him exactly as he was, and you could really see how she became a safe place for him.

I also loved how supportive Hayes was of Catherine and her dreams, especially with the work she wanted to do with her nonprofit. They truly felt like two people who wanted the best for each other.

This book had so much heart. Between the small-town setting, the family legacy surrounding the ranch, and the emotional connection between Hayes and Catherine, I was completely invested from beginning to end.

Maggie Gates never misses, and this book was another reminder of why I love her stories so much.

*Thank you so much Berkley, NetGalley, and Maggie Gates for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!*

[Jessica Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie is at it again with another amazing cowboy series! I absolutely devoured her Griffith Brothers series so I was SO excited to dive into this one.

Hayes has suffered loss, and is stuck on where to go with his life. He has found himself back at the family ranch and suddenly needs a wife to save his family legacy.

Catherine grew up with Hayes and was close to his family. She knows how much the ranch means to Hayes, and agrees to marry Hayes so that another sniveling family member doesn’t get it.

What they didn’t expect was the feelings to erupt. The touches are slow at first… but what happens when sparks start to fly and it leaves them both confused?

Maggie does such an amazing job at being so poetic in her writing. I fly through her books and don’t ever want them to end. The TENSION in his book was wild in the best way…. The way Hayes grovels at her feet? My god. This man.

Also the side characters were GOALS and I cannot wait for book 2!!!

5⭐️3🌶️
Tropes:
-small town cowboy
-fake marriage
-neurodivergent rep
-age gap

[skyeslibrary]

“I think you need a little trouble in your life”

There’s nothing quite like the “I have to get married in order to get X” trope, and I’m here for it! Maggie Gates absolutely NEVER disappoints with her heartfelt heroes and passionate heroines. I’m so excited for this series, and I can’t wait to see where it goes!
—

this and that:
♡ age gap
♡ childhood friends to lovers
♡ classic cars
♡ cowboy(ish) romance
♡ dual pov
♡ found family
♡ horse rides
♡ marriage of convenience
♡ men in wranglers
♡ millionaire hero
♡ mountain setting
♡ oh no, I’m falling in love with my fake husband
♡ open door spice
♡ picnics
♡ that’s my wife 🥵

triggers:
☞ absent parents
☞ abuse of power (not between MCs)
☞ blackmail
☞ death of loved ones

—

thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the gifted review copy!
—

♡ find me on Instagram!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as this hit my Kindle, everything else immediately got pushed aside. I was so excited to get this ARC!!

I love Maggie Gates, but this? This might be one of my favorites yet. I am such a sucker for a good marriage of convenience, and this one was done so right. Both Hayes and Catherine step into it with reasons that actually make sense, which just made everything feel more grounded and real and honestly, that made the story so smooth and hard to out down!

At first glance, they seem picture perfect… but the more you get to know them, the more their layers unfold. The flaws, the struggles, the quiet tension building between them it all just works. And when they finally give in?? Oh my god. SO. GOOD.

I genuinely could not put it down and loved every single second of it. I’m already hoping this isn’t the last we see of this world because I would happily stay here a while longer. 💙

[Katie Hodgie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't my favourite Maggie Gates book. Its well written and well paced, and I enjoyed the characters, it just fell a little flat for me because Maggie Gates normally produces such emotive, well-rounded characters with fascinating backstories. This felt more like it was setting up for a series without there being too much focus on Catherine and Hayes, which was a shame. Lewis as a character, felt really inconsistent and almost like a caricature of a person! There wasn't really much development to understand how Hayes fell in love with Catherine - we see how Catherine has loved him from afar for years and how the current him measures up, but Hayes goes from 0 to 100 just because she's hot, which was a shame.

Overall it's a well written, light-hearted summer read- just not the powerhouse I expected.

[Amelia | All in with A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to a new Maggie Gates small town!

What I loved: our two main characters, they had great chemistry/ were partners. I also appreciated that the final conflict wasn’t centered on their relationship or built around a forced misunderstanding.

The strong family dynamic, small-town setting, and focus on giving back to the community were all highlights for me. There were plenty of adorable “my wife” moments for the marriage-of-convenience fans, and I loved how much the animals were woven into the story.

What could have been better: I always appreciate seeing ASD/autism representation in romance. That said, in a dual-POV novel, I felt there was an opportunity to show more of that experience rather than simply tell the reader about it.

I enjoyed the book, but I think there was room to explore both main characters in greater depth and add more emotional nuance to their journeys!

[Andrea Britton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four solid stars! I really enjoyed this read. Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite genres and this one was enjoyable and entertaining. Watching these two fall for one another was wonderful.

Hayes and Catherine were childhood friends and when Hayes’s grandfather passed away but there are some stipulations in the will. And Catherine seems to be the perfect person. These two have some fun times acting but slowly things start turning realer and realer. A bit of a slow burn in a way. These two don’t have it easy as there are other people making things even harder. But together these two make it all work all while getting their happily ever after.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Berkley publishing for my copy of this book.

[Karleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/ 5 ⭐️ huge thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Maggie Gates for this ARC!

Maggie Gates never disappoints! This is such a cute feel good marriage of convenience romance. Everything about this new town and setting got me interested in this universe right away. This was so fun and a quick read! I’m so excited for the other books in this series.

I was hooked from the beginning with this book and really felt the attraction between the two characters. Like always, Maggie writes such a strong FMC that has her own goals and aspirations. And my sweet Hayes finally letting his guard down 😭 also really enjoyed that there really wasn’t a true third act break up and that they talked through conflict! A major plus in my book!

[Danni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Jean Summer was not exactly what I expected, it was BETTER!
Loved following the story of Hayes and Cath, from their unconventional marriage of convenience; all the way to their HEA. It was a beautiful story, navigating grief, finding your new family and allowing them to care and support you when times are tough.
The side characters were also incredible and I can’t wait to be immersed in this world again when the next book comes out.
The way loved developed between Hayes and Cath was subtle, slow to progress and extremely well done; it made me feel like this story could be a real story for someone out there.
100% a must read for romance readers!

[Chelsea Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was good for what it was! You can tell it’s setting up nicely for a series, and I look forward to reading about the other characters when those books are released. It was very low tension/angst and a few low spicy scenes which I can expect as much. The characters were sweet to each other and seemed compatible, Maggie gates did a good job with the acquaintance to forced proximity lovers trope. Others seemed a little cheesy but the book was light hearted for a palate cleanser quick read!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Catherine and Hayes are so cute together and the banter between all the characters is great. You can tell there are genuine friendships on the page.

Loved this quote “I’ve never known anyone able to weaponize cowboy boots and denim the way you do.”

I’m pretty sure everyone will want to punch Lewis, as Maggie clearly painted him as a complete jackass. His character was another perfectly formed character.

All in all, this is a great vacation read, and I’m so glad I read it.

[Kayla’s Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

* ARC review *

This book.. Maggie Gates does it again. I could not put this book down, and may have avoided some adult responsibilities 😂🫣

The love story of Catherine & Hayes was absolutely beautiful. The journey they go on together *chefs kiss* 😍🩷

Also were introduced to some amazing side characters and I want all of their stories pleeeeease! 😍

If you love a small town, marriage of convenience/fake marriage with a protective full of green flags MMC and a sassy-sweet FMC this is the book for you 😉

[Victor Martinez · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the first romance novel I’ve read, so take this review as you will. The writing was actually way better than I imagined and I liked all of the characters. The plot is intentionally tropey, and I didn’t mind that going into it, but while reading it became a little cliche and I didn’t love the structure of the book. The characters felt like they were repeating the same issues over and over while the resolutions were quick and unimportant. It began to read less like a narrative plot and more like a fanfiction.

[Han Bento · Rating 4 out of 5]

~ NET GALLEY ARC REVIEW ~

3.5 stars (rounded)
this was such a sweet fun summer read! low angst but had plenty of funny and swoon worthy moments. no third act breakup and i loved how the couple just continued to grow stronger with eachother throughout the story. plenty of chemistry and tension between the two characters and i also loved the natural chemistry between the two. a lovely representation of the autism spectrum as well!

[claireesbookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ this might be the best marriage of convenience book I have ever read!! Everything about it was so beautifully written, especially the heartfelt moments. If Maggie writes it, you bet I’m gonna read it. The way these 2 were basically already in love before they got married and once they did get married it just blossomed CHEFS KISS. Also the side characters and the setup for more books in the series….HECK FREAKING YES

thank you Berkeley for the advanced copy!!

[Readingwithdesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

really liked that Hayes was so supportive of Catherine’s ideas and saw the good she was doing. Catherine’s heart was so big, and I loved that she was the first person Hayes told about being on the spectrum. Hayes’s brother Lewis trying to undermine them was a bit predictable and I was glad when he got what was coming to him. Overall the book was good and I enjoyed it.

No third act breakup

4/5 on the Spicy Scale

M/F

Death/Grief

Contemporary Romance

[Emily Arriola · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another absolute GEM from Maggie Gates! I loved everything about Blue Jean Summer! It gave me such a warm feeling and it felt like coming home!

Catherine and Hayes just fit together so well and it was so much fun getting to read their story! I also loved all the side characters and I am so excited to see their stories!

Thank you to Maggie Gates and Berkley for this ARC!

[Kandice · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful wonderful happy way to close out Maggie Gates March (where I read all of her backlog I hadn't had a chance to read yet!!) thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early!

I fell for Hayes and Catherine from the start! I love a fake marriage trope where they're clearly into each other from the beginning; but I also loved the little ways they fell for each other along the way! Glad there was no 3rd act breakup and I honestly never wanna leave my cowboy romance era!! I love it here!

All hail Maggie Gates!