Summer Staycation

Summer Lovin' #5

by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

In Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s sweet summer fling of a short story, a neurodivergent heroine meets a kind out-of-towner who’s just what she needs to shake up her life—and makes her feel like she’s finally on solid ground.

If you ask Beck Penrose, Florida summers aren’t relaxing so much as roller coasters of sensory overload. But her nervous system settles down with Lucas Holiday, a travel blogger who gets her like no one else does. It’s easy to say yes to living like tourists for a weekend. But it’s harder to say goodbye when that weekend comes to an end.

Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s Summer Staycation is part of Summer Lovin’, a sweet and sultry collection of short summer romances that turn up the heat—and the heart. Read or listen to each short story in one easy, breezy sitting.

Genres: Romance, Novella, Short Stories, Summer, Audiobook, Contemporary

58 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2026

About the author

Sarah Grunder Ruiz is a writer, educator, and karaoke enthusiast. Originally from South Florida, she now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband and two children. She holds an MFA in creative writing from North Carolina State University, where she now teaches First-Year Writing.

Reviews

[labibliofille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I LOVED Summer Staycation! I'm obsessed with Beck and Lucas and I truly want a full-length novel about them.

[ᯓ☆ Cherryyy ᯓ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

«𝑺𝒊 𝒂𝒍𝒈𝒐 𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒐, 𝒆𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒆 𝒍𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂».

2,5 ☆ || Lindo, me gustó.

[Amarilis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gustó. Una lectura corta y dulce 💗

[LollyDolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was cute possibly the best in the series 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Lia Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how quirky the FMC was and how the MMC just got it. It was low stakes and everything i wanted from a summer romance.

[casey ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

tropes
🐢 marine biologist fmc
✈️ travel blogger mmc
🤍 autistic rep
🦩 she hates summer
☀️ he loves summer

this was so sweet and i loved both beck and lucas 🥹

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily my favorite of the bunch.

Ended abruptly, but I enjoyed the overall themes a lot.

For the life of me I can't remember the spice, I think one open door?

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun dual POV, Florida summer beach romance between a travel blogger and a local who find themselves enjoying the nearby attractions, including an aquarium, a museum and the sea turtles. There was good disability rep (migraines/sensory sensitivities) and a sweet summer romance that was also good on audio. Definitely another of the standout stories in the collection for me.

[Hare Llow · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★

It was so sweet. A simple love story 🧚🏻‍♀️

[Catalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

[Nicole H · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Didi ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5⭐️

[Abby Kirkness · Rating 5 out of 5]

are you serious

This was actually so sweet!!!it made me feel so much!!! I want more I cannot lie!!! Best novella I’m actually annoyed it’s a novella!!!

[magui · Rating 3 out of 5]

cuteeee

[Michela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg obsessed. By far the best novella in this anthology. Will proceed to read everything by the author.

This was basically about me? I don’t think I’ve ever read about an introverted heroine who adores and embraces her lifestyle and does NOT want large friend groups, does NOT enjoy going out, would rather stay in cause it’s just more fun and interesting, has tons of hobbies at home and is annoyed by every sensorial experience when she is outdoors.

Also, great writing! Lovely overall!

[Bianca Swart · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
All for neurodivergent rep but she annoyed the absolute shit out of me.
He was a gem.

"Because you're worth coming back for. I know we just met and don't know each other well, but I already know that you're someone I want to know. If you feel the same way, I think that's worth coming back for."

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75* I really enjoyed how much the MMC wanted to do whatever the FMC wanted and just seemed so sweet🤭

[Megan O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned more about turtles than I thought for a 50 page romcom novella

[R.R.R · Rating 3 out of 5]

𖤐⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ 3.5 stars ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆𖤐

this novella was actually so cuteeee

[Becca Crockford · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the neurodivergent representation, i want to read more books like this

[Mandy (Bookishlove85) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute

Really cute story about liking someone for who they are. Wish I could read more about Beck and Lucas, their future, and all that

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute pero no me encantó.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six summer romance novellas to get you in the mood for the hottest months of the year!
🏕️ S’more of You: Margot has spent years pranking fellow camp counselor Dean, but this summer she’s ready to admit she has a crush on him. Unfortunately, Dean thinks her confession is just another joke, leaving Margot scrambling to prove she’s serious before summer ends.
🤠 Save a Horse, Keep the Cowboy: Country music star Josie Reid returns to her Texas hometown for her brother’s wedding and comes face-to-face with Weston Jessup, the ex who broke her heart. As old feelings resurface, Wes hopes for a second chance.
💒 One Hot Summer Wedding: At a destination wedding in Costa Rica, Lucy is reunited with Beckett, her childhood crush. When they end up sharing a hotel room, old feelings quickly resurface.
👙 Girls Just Wanna Have Sun: A “yes day” challenge leads Morgan into a series of flirty encounters with Juliette, the woman she kissed eight years ago. As she steps outside her comfort zone, Morgan may just find herself saying yes to love.
✈️ Summer Staycation: Florida summers overwhelm Beck, but she finds comfort in Lucas, a travel blogger who truly understands her. A carefree weekend together feels easy, but saying goodbye afterward is much harder.
🥅 Summer Thaw by RJ When a summer hockey camp puts rivals Hattie Cannon and Colin Jettson in the same hotel, they’re forced to spend time together. As tensions ease, they discover there may be more between them than competition.
☀️
I loved that this collection available on KU with #audiobooks features more diverse characters. Book 4 is a sapphic romance which is the first I’ve seen in one of the Amazon Original Stories and the sensory issues representation in book 5 was done well.

[Crimson_Silence · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thr
ee Stars: A Sweet, Fast-Paced Summer Fling That Leaves You Wanting More

An Enjoyable, Neurodivergent-Forward Romance That Moves a Bit Too Quickly

Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s Summer Staycation—part of Amazon's Summer Lovin' short story collection—is a charming, low-stakes contemporary romance. The story follows Beck Penrose, a summer-hating marine biologist dealing with sensory overload in the intense Florida heat. Her world stabilizes when she connects with Lucas Holiday, a wandering travel blogger who completely understands her neurodivergence.

The character dynamics are the brightest spot of this novella. Beck's neurodivergent representation is handled with immense care, accuracy, and tenderness. Lucas acts as a wonderfully supportive, grounding presence, and their instant chemistry makes for an incredibly cozy, comforting read.

However, the book's 3-star limitation comes entirely from its format. Because it is an Amazon Original short story designed to be read in a single sitting, the narrative arc is highly condensed. The "weekend tourist" romance transitions into deep, life-altering love almost instantly, leaving the relationship development feeling rushed. The conflict resolves a bit too cleanly, and the ending arrives abruptly just as you truly begin to invest in the couple.

Ultimately, it is a delightful, breezy beach read that showcases the author's talent for writing heartfelt characters. It simply suffers from a restrictive word count that prevents a great concept from becoming a truly unforgettable one.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Sarah Grunder Ruiz books and I will read anything that she writes. This is something just perfect to kick your summer off with... or read in the depth of summer. .. or maybe even in winter. Just read it. This little novella or short story (I don't know what length moves something from short story to novella) was just so stinking cute! It clocks in at 1 hour and 20 minutes so if you are a fast audiobook speed kind of listener you can totally knock this out over a work lunch. Don't tell me you can't fit it into your schedule!

Friendly reminder that this is like a mini cone vs. an ice cream truck. It's short and sweet (so sweet!) so if you're expecting crazy amounts of world building or sweeping character arcs then remind yourself that this is less than an 80s-90s action movie in time (which was about 90 minutes for the classics). It is less time than some of you have waited in line for something. It is still super cute and sweet and I still loved getting to know these characters. Do I want more? Yes. But that isn't a negative mark against the book. That's a positive mark for the author. Sarah did such a good job with this little novella that it left me wanting more.

[Katie Morad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Staycation by Sarah Grunder Ruiz was such a sweet, cozy little summer romance that completely captured the feeling of wanting to escape your normal routine for just a little while. The story follows Beck, a neurodivergent heroine overwhelmed by the chaos and sensory overload of Florida summers, who unexpectedly connects with Lucas, a travel blogger who makes her feel understood in a way no one else really has before.

I really loved how tender and comforting this story felt. Even though it’s a short read, Sarah Grunder Ruiz still creates emotional depth and chemistry that feels authentic and heartfelt. Beck and Lucas had such an easy connection, and I especially appreciated the representation of anxiety and sensory overwhelm woven naturally into the romance. Their weekend “staycation” adventure was fun, romantic, and gave the story such a warm summer atmosphere.

This is the perfect quick read if you want something soft, feel-good, and emotionally genuine. It’s short enough to finish in one sitting but still leaves you smiling afterward. Fans of cozy romances, emotional vulnerability, and sweet summer flings will definitely enjoy this one.

[Heather Bowes-Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and honestly exactly the right amount of story for a short read.

It didn’t try to overcomplicate itself or cram too much into a tiny page count, and because of that it worked well for what it was. A quick, light little story with enough charm to keep me entertained for an afternoon.

What stood out most to me though was the character work. Even in such a short format, the author managed to create characters that felt distinct and well-defined, which honestly impressed me more than the plot itself. It made me feel like this is probably an author who really shines in full-length novels where they have more room to fully develop relationships and emotional arcs.

So if anything, this short story did its job because now I actually want to give their longer work a go — and that feels like a win 👍

Also, important question: why on earth is there not a turtle on this cover instead? Massive missed opportunity honestly.

[Raelene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute! It was the first one in this collection that I read, and was a great way to start. I normally prefer my short stories to not be quite this short, which is an opinion I still stand by because the ending felt a bit rushed, but overall this really did work.

The way Beck and Lucas talked to each other and so quickly seemed to understand each other was so good. I loved the instant connection, and the communication between them was refreshing.

Also, the audiobook was a really good way to read this! I liked both of the narrators. This was the first thing I’ve read by this author, and I am intrigued to try more by her.

[Abbey Wales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 stars)

Summer Staycation by Sarah Grunder Ruiz.

This was book five in the Summer Lovin’ Collection and follows a romance that unfolds closer to home, focusing on making the most of summer without running away from real life. ☀️

I liked that this one felt a little different from some of the others in the collection, with more focus on self-discovery, personal growth, and finding happiness where you already are alongside the romance. The characters had a sweet dynamic, and the story had that easy, summery feel that makes these books so quick to get through.

Overall, it was a cute read with lots of summer vibes and a solid 3-star book for me ☀️