One Last Summer

by Jo Noelle

Jenna Brennan doesn’t believe in love. She doesn’t believe in marriage, and she’s learned to only count on herself. At her Uncle Walter’s insistence, and a little emotional blackmail, she returns to Misty Harbor Cottages to help him for one last summer in a place that's really the only home she’s ever known.


Cole Zamora has worked at Misty Harbor for more than half of his twenty-three years, and imagined someday owning the place. He met Jenna when they were ten-years-old, and his young heart fell hard for her, relishing every summer she came back. That is, until two years ago, when she broke his heart and never returned.


Uncle Walter proposes a challenge between the two, with the winner becoming the new owner of Misty Harbor. Now, there’s a real chance Cole could lose his heart and his home. Jenna isn’t sure which worries her more—a summer of rivalry or romance?


One Last Summer is a 100-page novella in the clean wholesome romance category.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Clean Romance, Contemporary Romance

ebook

First published February 4, 2017

About the author

This mother/daughter writing team writes “Sweet, Swoony Ever-Afters.”

Sweet Historical Western under the name Gemma Stuart

Sweet Victorian & Regency Time Travel under the pen name Jo Noelle, who a USA TODAY bestselling author

Sweet Contemporary under the name Evee Tuttle.

They write stories about the places they’ve lived, the places they’ve visited around the world, and the places still on their bucket lists.

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Reviews

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update 4/28/2022: Free today

One Last Summer (2017, Little Box Press) by Jo Noelle, is a contemporary romance novella set near Seattle, Washington. This story takes the reader to a vacation spot with cottages for rent. I recently picked this up for free, knowing that it would be a clean read, and I really liked the idea that “Jo Noelle” is actually a mother/daughter writing team.

Rating: 4 stars

The heroine: Jenna Brennan, 23, is going to Misty Harbor Cottages for the summer following her college graduation. Ever since she was ten, Jenna has stayed with her Uncle Walter during the summer months, helping him with his business. This year, he has requested that she come for one last summer. Enroute to fulfil her commitment, Jenna’s flight to Seattle is unpleasant because she is seated next to a drunk lecher. After they disembark, he follows her through the airport, pestering her for a date.

The hero: Cole Zamora, 23, has worked at the cottages ever since he was a youngster, and hopes to own the place someday. He’s known Jenna since they were both ten years old, and they’ve always been close. While he looks for her at the airport, she’s attempting to get away from the lecher… and races into Cole’s arms. He rather likes this greeting.

Christian elements: I believe there are no references to God anywhere. There are two instances of the word crap, which in my book is swearing.

Is it clean/chaste? Yes. Kisses only, but it’s a bit steamy. Some of the language used to describe body parts - see below - aren’t my cup of tea.

“Except in a hot twenty-three-year-old body.”

“I have to get a grip here, stop being shallow, stop checking out his butt.” (Even though I didn’t like the latter half of this quote, I appreciated the acknowledgement of shallowness, the like of which I don’t remember ever seeing in a book.)

What I liked:

*I was not expecting the beginning of the story to play out the way it did. It got my attention and held it until the end.

*Cole is a great hero.

*The fun, lighthearted relationship between Jenna and Cole is a lot of fun. I don’t personally find the trope of extreme competitiveness with one another to be realistic, but it does make for an interesting story. (I could be wrong and just don’t know any people like that.)

*I like how Cole is uber-patient with Jenna’s reticence about dating. Jenna’s description of Cole: “He takes care of those he loves. He lets go of the past - he’s forgiving.”

In the author’s notes at the end, Jo Noelle makes a request of the readers: “If you find an error… please let us know.” In this age of Kindle books being easily updated, I am very much in favor of readers letting authors know of mistakes. And of the authors being open to fixing their books as needed. (Please don’t take this to mean that I don’t think authors should make sure their book is as edited as possible in the first place!)

What I didn’t like:

*The “introduction” at the beginning of my Kindle edition is actually a book blurb rather than the prologue I expected. I never read the book descriptions right before reading my books, so I was disappointed about that.

*The story is written in the first person, present tense. I did become accustomed to it, but every once in awhile, it stood out again.

*I did find a very small number of places needing editing, but I’m going to take Jo Noelle’s word that she/they’re likely to fix errors sent in by the readers. So this is possibly a non-issue. Update: the author confirmed that she will edit the problem spots and upload the changes. Love it!

***********

The bottom line: This is a super-cute contemporary romance featuring an extremely compatible couple. I recommend this book to fans of clean contemporary romance, and plan to read another Noelle book in the future. I intend to try All by My Selfie , which I think is a very cute title.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed it as much the second time. This was originally in Sweet & Sassy Anthology: Sand and Kisses as Life's a Beach. It was one of the two I liked the best in the anthology. The hero and heroine were very likeable and the love these childhood friends had was believable and beautiful.

Language: Clean. No profanity.

Sensuality Content: Clean. Kisses only.

Source: My personal purchased library (bought twice *LOL*).

[Tressa (Wishful Endings) · Rating 3 out of 5]

ONE LAST SUMMER is a sweet and short story with a small-town feel and family dynamic. If you're looking for a light romance that you can read in one sitting, you may enjoy this one.

I have come to expect quite a bit from this author (or co-authors) and I wanted more from this one. It felt rather jumpy with some rough transitions and characters who were kind of all over the place emotionally. Hot and then cold and settled and then not. Having said that, I still enjoyed this one. It was a quick read that was sweet from beginning to end.

In the end, was it what I wished for? Enjoyable, but needed more development.

Content: Clean
Source: I received notification to grab a free copy from Amazon for review through ebooksforreview.com, which did not require a review nor affect it in any way.

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading this novella, I had to pause, because I knew I had read it before. I looked up the book and couldn't find a review anywhere, that's when I found out that this was part of a cute anthology that I had read before.

There were a few details that I had forgotten reading this the second time around. The characters are fun, they are best friends who make everything into a competition. They have a blast together. Jenna and Cole are a great match. It reminded me of the days when my husband and I used to just have fun and enjoy every moment.

This is a super cute and clean book. There is kissing.

Source: I downloaded a free copy for my kindle.

[Cordelianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

One last summer was a quick and fun read. The relationship in this book felt natural, because they grew up together and had many memories together. I enjoyed the dynamics between them. Both characters made each other better. The competition part was fun as well. Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a cute romance book!
* I received a free ebook in exchange for an honest review*

[Amy Koster]

Every summer Jenna Brennan visits her Uncle Walter’s Misty Harbor Cottages to work. Every summer Cole Zamora is there waiting for her to return. Until two summers ago. Jenna does not believe in love or marriage. Walter insists she make one more visit to the cottages and Jenna is faced to be with Cole. Will Jenna be able to decide her true feelings? Will Cole be able to convince her it is oaky to love?
I absolutely loved this charming novella. Jenna has such a fun personality and is determined to block love from her life. I loved he zest for life and competition. Cole is so sweet. You cannot help but love him. He has so much love to give and wants to feel he has a family to belong to. I loved their competitions with each other and enjoyed their humor.
If you want a short summer fun read (or any season) this is the book for you. A sweet little romance packed with fun.
*Please note I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid relationship built on a firm foundation of deep, true friendship, eventually grows into love. Cole and Jenna grew up together, spending every summer working for "Uncle" Walter. They both came from very dysfunctional families and have never known what a real family, two people who truly love each other in a lasting way, is like. But once they figure out that their past doesn't have to determine their future happiness - will they find each other?
I really enjoy Jo Noelle's work. These ladies are gifted authors and always a pleasure to read.

[Nadine · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was OK but not more than that, it didn’t touch my heart

I had high hopes for this book, and it was nice and sweet, but also a bit tame. The fact that Jenna and Cole kissed right in the beginning took the tension out somehow. I mean, they were there already. So then it became a bit boring to be honest. My mind kept wandering off to other things. They started with a kiss, then why not continue, it didn’t make sense to me. Because if it feels right, why not give in to it? OK, Jenna gets nervous with the thought of lasting love, mainly because her mum gave the wrong example by only being after men’s money. She’s scared and I do get that. You can see the inner debate I had with this book. All in all it felt a bit flat.

The POV alternates between both main characters, which is nice, because you see both sides of the story. With Cole I think there is not enough background, his character doesn’t seem developed enough. But I did like him. Jenna is not super likeable. Too evasive or something. Or maybe just too flat.

What is mainly lacking is compassion or understanding for each other. They don’t seem to listen to each other, but only say what they wanna say to make their point. They don’t COMMUNICATE with each other. They are so focussed on themselves! And always competing. They only want to get their own point across, they only want to win. Now, I like a little competition. I really liked the game element, the fact that they had to compete each other in order to win ownership of Misty Harbor Cottages. But they are competing in every little detail of their lives, literally everything is a competition. They even compete in who had the most miserable childhood. Even being sick turns into a competition. Not everything has to be a battle. It is simply too too much. And just at the point where you think it’s too much, then there is a part where Jenna finally actually connects, where she finally reacts to what Cole says and it’s a relief.

But I still don’t FEEL it. Outside looking in. There is a HEA and it is really nice. But this story doesn’t touch my heart. That’s why I cannot give it more than an OK.

[Tara Durham · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I should state that I received this book in exchange for an honest book review on ebooksforreview.com.
Jenna has spent every summer with her Uncle Walter at Misty Harbor Cottages. With Uncle Walter, she feels accepted and loved-Misty Harbor is the only place that has ever felt like home to her. Having a rough home life, she looks forward to these summer breaks all year. Now she’s no longer a child and sadly hasn’t been to see her uncle in two years. Someone there simply got too close to her-emotions means it’s time to go! If there’s one thing that can make Jenna run and hide-that would be love. She doesn’t trust it and doesn’t honestly believe it exists. She simply has only herself to rely on and that’s just how it has to be.
Cole has spent most of his life working at Mist Harbor Cottages. Pretty much abandoned by his family, Walter had taken him in as a son when he was younger. He’s looked forward to every summer because summer meant Jenna was coming back. Although the two have gotten really close over the years, two years ago Cole made the biggest mistake. After professing his love to Jenna-she took off and has never returned.
Uncle Walter decides to handle this situation his own way and has invited them both to the cottages for a competition. He’s decided to retire and move away to be with his daughter. The competition rules are set and the prize is a dream come true for both Jenna and Cole-to finally own Misty Harbor Cottages (the only home they’ve ever known).
Who will win? Who will be devastated at the loss? Where will the loser of the competition go after it’s all over? Can Jenna and Cole finally work out what happened two years ago?
This is a very clean romance, with wonderful humor-very touching.

[books are love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received in exchange for a honest review.

This was a sweet clean romance. I loved Cole and how he was in the moment but also didn’t push Jenna to see his feelings or express hers because he knew her and her past.

The story is told in the POV of both Cole and Jenna but it is Cole’s I love the most. I think because he was more honest with his feelings and even though he had a terrible past he didn’t have it touch his here and now and future. He accepted it and moved on. Watching him interact with Uncle Walter and Jenna also warmed my heart. He was a great guy. Even though he and jenna were in a competition for the cabin business of Uncle Walt’s he was always willing to help Jenna. When she got sick he helped her at the expense of the winning of that portion of the competition. He was also kind and hardworking. 

Jenna was great but afraid. She runs from her feelings and when faced with them she doesn’t know what to do. Cole was the feeling that she runs the most from and this summer is no exception. At times she hurts cole but he still chugs on and works on getting her to see him for who he is and also as the one who loves her and wants to be with her. He goes about showing her that there is nothing to be afraid of. That she can let go and trust him. That he isn’t going to leave no matter what. It takes her awhile to realize this and seeing this through her eyes is intriguing. Watching her fall in love with Cole and finally realize it was sweet and fun.

Uncle Walter was awesome. I love how he saw before either Cole or Jenna how they felt and did things to have them come around. It was a fun and amazing book. the banter was sweet and the attraction was felt in each interaction between Jenna and Cole. They had their relationship based on friendship and respect and that made a huge difference. A wonderfully entertaining and sweet romance about the summer Cole has to finally get Jenna to see him as more and not run from her feelings but accept him into his life and become more than friends. The summer where they grow and learn about themselves and each other. The find out how strong and resilient they are and how much they love one another.  

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a much shorter story than I anticipated and was a very quick read. Just it was more of a novella, it made sense that the story had to be rushed at some points but at others I was a bit confused why they had to happen at all. The story is about best friends who spent summers together working at a small cabin resort in Washington. They realize their feelings for each other and Cole has shared his feelings with Jenna but she is too afraid that she’ll end up like her mother. Who happens to be on her seventh marriage? Something wild like that. There was a bit of humor here as well as clean romance. I thought it was fun that there were some “sayings” that Jenna kept thinking about when the moment was right of different things that her mother would always say. They were pretty interesting and funny too.
I felt that this novel was one of the cheesiest that I’ve ever read. I couldn’t really take it seriously and had a hard time connecting with the characters because I simply couldn’t believe what was happening. The story was pretty predictable and easy to get through but I felt that there wasn’t enough conflict within Jenna. She admitted her feelings for Cole right from the start and there wasn’t much depth of plot.
I give this about 2.5 stars, but I’ll round it up a bit. It was a sweet story but there were definitely some things that bugged me about it more often than I would like.
https://thehuntforpaperbacks.wordpres...

[Pattisue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenna Brennan and Cole Zamora have a 13-year friendship that began when they were children. She heads back to Misty Harbor one last time to help her Uncle Walter and to close the chapter of Cole in her heart. While Jenna knows that her heart longs for Cole’s love, her head battles the negative images and words planted there by her disillusioned mother. “When do I reclaim my own past instead of using Mom’s to define my future.” Jenna as erected high “defensive walls” around her heart. “I don’t want to hurt him with my inability to have a relationship.” They both suffer the common pains of family loss and heartbreak. As the stakes are raised, the action and the romance intensifies. Cole has waited patiently to win Jenna’s heart. “I have one summer to see if our broken pieces fit together or fall apart.” Matchmaking Walter is a gruffly, delightful supporting character. This novella contains fun scenes of romance and friendly competition between the two rivals. This story can be read in one evening, quick and clean with lots of action. “The good ones are worth all the work it takes to win them over.”
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are uniquely my own.

[Anna del C. Dye · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this work, I found a sweet contemporary romance, well-crafted and performed. I enjoyed the tale and the telling of this cute story of two people who had loved each other for a very long time and knew it not.
Col and Jenna have seen each other every year since they were ten at her uncle Walter's beach cabins. They have a crush on each other, but neither has said anything to the other. Then finally Col tells her, at the end of one summer, that he loves her and wants their life to be together, Jenna wonders if she is just another summer conquest and stays away the following year. They don't see each other for two years. When she comes back to work for her uncle, he announces that he will retire and sell the cabins to one of them.
This clean book will give you entertainment and charming characters to enjoy for a long time. I found myself being part of the story and the happenings throughout the tale. It is great reading material for your lazy summer afternoon or a day by the warm fireplace. Either way you are bound to be grateful to have picked up this book.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It's a quick to read romance that I read in one afternoon. It's the perfect escape for when you just need a quick escape.

I liked Jenna's character. I thought she was a fun one to "see" the plot through. I really liked her resilliance, especially during trying times, like during the opening airplane scene. I really liked the way her attitude toward life and marriage changed during the course of this story. She went from refusing to think that she would ever get married and had already run away from Cole once to being willing to consider that she could be happy forever with Cole.

I liked Cole too. I liked that he was willing to work, and work hard, to get Jenna to love him. He knew she had run away from him and knew it wouldn't be easy. But he did it anyway. These two were so funny together, I loved the way they competed over every little thing throughout the whole story.

This is really a fun story,

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Through messy childhoods and parental abandonment, will Jenna and Cole ever be truly happy in their romantic lives?

By creating a contest to see who will buy Misty Harbor Cottages when Walter retires, Jenna and Cole fight for their future, both separately and together.

This friends-to-lovers cozy romance was both sweet combined with stressful and melancholic undertones. Jenna and Cole both come from broken homes, only to want the best for their future and future partners. This story dragged a little with all the memories of their respective parents, how warped their viewpoints were of relationships in general, and how these thoughts were transferred down to their children. This HEA was cozy with negligible spice.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenna Brennan has run away from love. Her mother married a string of men, never staying with one for very long and berating them after each failed marriage. Cole Zamara has loved Jenna since the first summer they met. She came to Misty Harbor Cottages to spend the summer with her Uncle Walter. Coles’ mother was working as a maid, cleaning cabins. When Cole’s mother runs off and leaves him, Uncle Walter becomes his legal guardian until he turned eighteen. Two years ago, Cole declared his love for Jenna and last summer, she took an internship in Colorado rather than face him. This summer, Uncle Walter begged Jenna to come help him for One Last Summer. Uncle Walter great Jenna and declares that he will retire at the end of this summer and sets up three contests. The winner of the contests gets the Cottages. This is a clean, fun, contemporary romance.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute and quick read! A story of second chance and letting go of family baggage to be with the one person who will always be there for you!

I loved Cole and Jenna and Walter! Jenna is a sweet person but reluctant to believe in forever since her mom tends to marry often and tells her it isn't forever. Cole knows this about her and tenderly helps her know that he isn't going anywhere and that he loves her! Uncle Walter is doing his best to get the two to stay together and not let Jenna run away!

If you like quick reads, seasonal jobs, beaches, dogs and puppies, renovations, suprises, hospitals, finding that forever kind of love, contests, then this might be for you!

[Jessica]

I really enjoyed this book. I think this might have been a book that I downloaded thanks to an email I received from BookBub or eBook Cafe with free ebooks that day. This was a pretty quick read. The main characters, Cole and Jenna are best friends and have known each other since they were 10 years old. I really liked the relationship between them because it didn't feel pushed, they had known each other for so long they were comfortable with each other. I really liked their competitiveness with each other also. And Uncle Walter... Oh I really liked him. He knew what they each wanted and helped them get it!

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Misty Harbors Cottages is where Jenna heads to each summer to work. Her first summer there she meets Cole and they become best friends. They are excited to see each other each year. They both had tough childhoods and needed each other to lean on. It was a cute, clean story and their friendship was very natural. They like to compete with each other and have fun. It was a quick read about friendship that is on its way to becoming a romantic relationship.

[Cici · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of two young people who alc a treasure trove of memories together. But, these are in their childhood. Now they are grown. And things are not so straightforward. She is left with even more abandonment and rejection. Not sure if the prospect of her summer safety net will work now as an adult. He has already stuck it out, and been left behind. He, too, has been abandoned and rejected. But, he is willing to put it all on the line for her. And so it goes....

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Last Summer is a short novel, but you’ll fall in love with Cole. He’s sweet and unbelievably patient with Jenna, who is a bit annoying. The author paints a lovely scene of Misty Harbor and I’ m ready to spend a couple of nights there myself. Uncle Walter is a funny scheming guy that brings life into the story about winning the love of a lifetime.

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Last Summer is written by Jo Noelle, who are a mother and daughter who write together. Their books are fun to read. This was a short quick read. It has a little more depth because the characters knew each other as children. Competing against each other to see who can decorate a cabin the best, was a fun idea. This would make a great beach read.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute, fast-paced story about two old friends who are reunited. Her uncle is retiring and they must compete to win the resort that he owns. Along the way they realize that they've been holding back for years and they feel more than just friendship.
This book was free but I was sent to review it. This does not affect my review in any way.

[Rubina · Rating 4 out of 5]

a quick, enjoyable and fun read with a cute romance and strong, lovely characters and a thrilling and captivating plot. I loved it and can't wait to read more from the author. The book was a one sit read for me. The prose was flowing and engaging with a gripping story line

[Mary Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, wholesome love story. Once I started reading I could not put it down. This is a story of two people who overcome their childhoods and biological families become people of upstanding character and make a great future for themselves, together.

[Donna Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a cute story

This was a great story of coming from extreme dysfunction and learning to grow up and move beyond that, becoming your own person. This was a really, sweet, fun romance.

[Teya Teya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those sappy cheesey loved someone since high school or summer time and end up together. I LOVED every moment of it.

[Betty Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

Loved reading this book. Cole and Jenna's story was so good. I didn't stop once I started. Had to see what happened to them and their contest.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice clean romance that takes you away to a fun place. Just so enjoyable and written by a wonderful author. Received an ARC and chose to review.

[Ruth Jessen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute!

A great vacation cottage story. Characters with realistic emotional issues. Enough dream to keep the story from being sappy sweet.