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One Summer Night
College professor Johanna Marshall swore she would never fall in love again. She especially did not want to become involved with someone who has a reputation as an extreme womanizer...someone like Kelly Sambino. But on a hot summer night, Jo finds herself unable to resist Kelly. What follows is something Jo would like very much to quickly forget. Embarassed after their night of passion, Jo hopes she will never have to see Kelly again. However, when Fall classes begin, Jo finds herself face to face with the college's new Literature Professor, Kelly Sambino. Will Kelly's charms win Jo over? Will Jo listen to her friends or will she, in a moment of need, follow the stirrings in her heart...
Audiobook
First published January 1, 2000
44 people are currently reading
813 people want to read
About the author
Gerri Hill
56 books1,538 followersGerri began writing lesbian romance as a way to amuse herself while snowed in one winter in the mountains of Colorado, and hasn’t looked back. Her first published work came in 2000 with One Summer Night. Many more romances have followed, with the occasional murder mystery in the mix.
Gerri’s love of nature and of being outdoors usually makes its way into her stories as her characters often find themselves in beautiful natural settings. When she isn’t writing, Gerri and her longtime partner, Diane, can be found at their home in East Texas, where their vegetable garden, orchard, and five acres of woods keep them busy. They share their lives with an ever-changing cast of furry friends.
Her favorite pastimes include camping, hiking, birdwatching (though she insists she doesn’t wear funny hats yet!), photography, and cooking. She collects things nature offers, like an unusual pinecone, colorful rocks, or an abandoned bird feather. Dawn is her favorite time of day, the moment right before sunrise...
"I love the morning... the beginning of a brand new day. Because even things that we know are unattainable flutter within our grasp. In the early morning—at that cusp of a new day—everything is possible."
Gerri’s love of nature and of being outdoors usually makes its way into her stories as her characters often find themselves in beautiful natural settings. When she isn’t writing, Gerri and her longtime partner, Diane, can be found at their home in East Texas, where their vegetable garden, orchard, and five acres of woods keep them busy. They share their lives with an ever-changing cast of furry friends.
Her favorite pastimes include camping, hiking, birdwatching (though she insists she doesn’t wear funny hats yet!), photography, and cooking. She collects things nature offers, like an unusual pinecone, colorful rocks, or an abandoned bird feather. Dawn is her favorite time of day, the moment right before sunrise...
"I love the morning... the beginning of a brand new day. Because even things that we know are unattainable flutter within our grasp. In the early morning—at that cusp of a new day—everything is possible."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
December 10, 2021
Reading this was painful, it may be my least favourite Hill book ever. This features Jo and Kelly, who meet and hook up. Jo figures she won’t see Kelly again, but Kelly is the new professor at the college where Jo also works. Usually I like this trope but not here.
I'll save you reading it. Here's what happens.
I wanted to hit Jo with this book. Her character is so annoyingly judgemental that I couldn’t work out why Kelly kept coming back. This also made Kelly seem like a doormat for putting up with Jo's abuse. I loved Kelly but couldn’t stand Jo and Kelly deserved way better, so the HEA just did not work for me. Can’t recommend this one. Save your time and money.
I'll save you reading it. Here's what happens.
I wanted to hit Jo with this book. Her character is so annoyingly judgemental that I couldn’t work out why Kelly kept coming back. This also made Kelly seem like a doormat for putting up with Jo's abuse. I loved Kelly but couldn’t stand Jo and Kelly deserved way better, so the HEA just did not work for me. Can’t recommend this one. Save your time and money.
October 7, 2018
I hated Joe and I loved Kelly :) 4.5 rounded up to 5 just for Kelly !
March 1, 2020
This was Gerri Hill's first published novel from the year 2000 (I have it on my bookshelves) and I didn't remember why I never read it again. Now I do. Johanna Marshall is easily one of the most frustrating lesbian characters ever written. She's awful. I was wondering if there were beta readers back then or why Gerri's editor didn't tell her she needed to give Johanna more redeeming qualities for readers to be able to care about her. The other MC, Kelly Sambino, was wonderful and deserved a hell of a lot better than Jo. At least for the first 99 percent of the book! Kelly was a saint, Jo was a disaster after being hurt by one lover and swearing off love ever again. Fine, fine. That's been done before. But the CONSTANT push-pull, jealousy, selfishness and denial of her feelings was just too much. That can happen - for a while. But throughout the ENTIRE BOOK?? No. I really thought it was unhealthy for Kelly to keep going back for more. When Jo would say things like, "I've been awful to you." I would yell, "YES YOU HAVE!" And I did that at least three or four different times. Honestly, if Abby hadn't done the narration, I likely wouldn't have finished it. Interesting little aside - at one point it sounded like Abby had a cold. It wasn't THAT apparent, but you could hear it. Made me smile. Anyway - Gerri is in my top 5 of all-time favorite writers (she's truly one of the greats) so if you're curious to see how much she has improved over the years, this would be the only reason to listen to this one. It was rough. Abby's narration bumped it up to three stars.
September 2, 2021
At some point I advised the one main to move on. The other main didn’t deserve her. 🤷🏻♀️ otherwise well written as usual for author.
April 2, 2020
I’m happy to see that Gerri Hill is having all her back catalogue released in audiobook format and she has chosen Abby Craden as the narrator for most of them. ‘One Summer night’ is a romance written in 2004. Having recently read ‘Gillette Park’, I definitely prefer Ms. Hill’s mysteries to romances like this one.
After having her heart broken thanks to a cheating girlfriend, college professor Johanna Marshall has sworn off any serious relationships. But during the summer, after meeting gorgeous and irresistible Kelly Sambino, she indulges in a one night stand. Hoping to never see her back again, she soon finds out that Kelly is the college new literature professor. Jo is adamant to ignore her pull towards Kelly but their attraction is hard to resist. Will Kelly be able to convince Jo to give their relationship a chance?
It’s difficult to enjoy fully a character-driven book such as ‘One Summer Night’ when one of the leads is hard to like. This is the case of Johanna who has reasons to be guarded but whose extreme cautiousness starts to feel repetitive by the middle of the book. It’s hard to like her, to empathise with her and to not see her as a whinger. On the other hand, Kelly is exactly the opposite, open about her feelings and willing to give them a chance. At more or less the same time the reader starts to get tired of Jo’s hesitancy, we cannot help asking what Kelly sees in her. Not very conducive to romance.
What saved this book for me is that as usual, Ms. Hill builds fantastic chemistry between the leads, especially in their intimacy. However, the push and pull was, in my opinion, a bit overdone. Another saving grace was that the audiobook is read by Abby Craden. I never tire of saying that a narrator can make or break a book. I have yet to see a story that hasn’t been improved by Ms. Craden’s talent as a voice artist. However, she cannot do miracles and her rendition of Jo didn’t boost my opinion of the character. The story is quite emotional and as usual, Ms. Craden did a great performing job. Overall, a good lesbian no-strings romance audiobook. 4 stars.
This isn’t in my list of favourite books by Gerri Hill but as the audiobook is free with a Scribd subscription, it’s worth a try. Duration: 6 hours.
After having her heart broken thanks to a cheating girlfriend, college professor Johanna Marshall has sworn off any serious relationships. But during the summer, after meeting gorgeous and irresistible Kelly Sambino, she indulges in a one night stand. Hoping to never see her back again, she soon finds out that Kelly is the college new literature professor. Jo is adamant to ignore her pull towards Kelly but their attraction is hard to resist. Will Kelly be able to convince Jo to give their relationship a chance?
It’s difficult to enjoy fully a character-driven book such as ‘One Summer Night’ when one of the leads is hard to like. This is the case of Johanna who has reasons to be guarded but whose extreme cautiousness starts to feel repetitive by the middle of the book. It’s hard to like her, to empathise with her and to not see her as a whinger. On the other hand, Kelly is exactly the opposite, open about her feelings and willing to give them a chance. At more or less the same time the reader starts to get tired of Jo’s hesitancy, we cannot help asking what Kelly sees in her. Not very conducive to romance.
What saved this book for me is that as usual, Ms. Hill builds fantastic chemistry between the leads, especially in their intimacy. However, the push and pull was, in my opinion, a bit overdone. Another saving grace was that the audiobook is read by Abby Craden. I never tire of saying that a narrator can make or break a book. I have yet to see a story that hasn’t been improved by Ms. Craden’s talent as a voice artist. However, she cannot do miracles and her rendition of Jo didn’t boost my opinion of the character. The story is quite emotional and as usual, Ms. Craden did a great performing job. Overall, a good lesbian no-strings romance audiobook. 4 stars.
This isn’t in my list of favourite books by Gerri Hill but as the audiobook is free with a Scribd subscription, it’s worth a try. Duration: 6 hours.
September 29, 2021
Johanna Marshall frustrates the hell out of me, and if I were Kelly Sambino, I’d probably give up and move on. How many rejection or non-committal can you muster before you throw in the towel? Kelly’s resilience is simply admirable, given that she could take the crab that Jo kept throwing at her. Though I might add the sexy scenes between Jo and Kelly are just that.. so sensual and sexy.
Ratings: 3.5
Ratings: 3.5
March 8, 2024
This was an older Gerri Hill book. I found Johanna to be overly emotional and hung up on a past girlfriend snd she could not get over their break up. Kelly was an awesome character and the perfect woman for Jo but she could not let go of the past. Lots of hot sex scenes throughout the book. I wish we could have seen Kelly’s point of view and what she found in Jo.
March 6, 2024
This is Gerri Hill's first book, I think? Anyway, Hill is an author I'm hit-or-miss with. This one was kind of in the middle for me. I felt the actual romance here was lacking a bit--Johanna and Kelly are instantly attracted to each other, which leads to a one-night stand, something Johanna has never done before--and I don't really have a problem with that, per se, but Hill doesn't do a good job of showing us why Kelly is so attached to Johanna. The novel is from Johanna's perspective, so we see what Kelly is doing to really show Johanna she's into her--more than their sexual connection, but it's less clear what Kelly sees in Johanna. And that's not to say I didn't like Johanna (I think she's unnecessarily villified in the reviews I've read), but because Johanna is the one putting up a wall in their relationship, it would have been nice to see what Kelly really loves about her.
I debated between 2 and 3 stars. I'll round up just because this is a debut novel.
I debated between 2 and 3 stars. I'll round up just because this is a debut novel.
March 5, 2024
Diving into One Summer Night by Gerri Hill was a journey marked by contrasts. On one side, we have Johanna Marshall, a character that challenges your patience and empathy to its limits. Her cycle of jealousy, denial, and selfishness tests not just the patience of Kelly Sambino, the other lead, but also that of the reader. Kelly, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air with her openness and willingness to embrace love, making you wonder what she sees in Johanna and why she endures the emotional turmoil. 😬
The push-pull dynamic between Johanna and Kelly, intended to add tension, felt overextended, turning what could have been a compelling exploration of healing and love into a test of endurance. This repetitive dance of emotions, while realistic to some degree, stretched the believability and enjoyment thin over the course of the narrative.
However, Gerri Hill’s talent for creating chemistry between her characters shines through, especially in moments of intimacy, reminding us of her storytelling prowess. Additionally, the audiobook’s saving grace is Abby Craden’s narration. Her skill in bringing characters to life added layers to the story that the text alone might not have conveyed as effectively. Even though Craden's voice couldn't entirely redeem Johanna's character for me, it enhanced the overall experience.
The push-pull dynamic between Johanna and Kelly, intended to add tension, felt overextended, turning what could have been a compelling exploration of healing and love into a test of endurance. This repetitive dance of emotions, while realistic to some degree, stretched the believability and enjoyment thin over the course of the narrative.
However, Gerri Hill’s talent for creating chemistry between her characters shines through, especially in moments of intimacy, reminding us of her storytelling prowess. Additionally, the audiobook’s saving grace is Abby Craden’s narration. Her skill in bringing characters to life added layers to the story that the text alone might not have conveyed as effectively. Even though Craden's voice couldn't entirely redeem Johanna's character for me, it enhanced the overall experience.
February 23, 2022
Ok. So this book won’t be liked by some. It’s difficult not to give it all away right here so I’ll just say a couple of things.
1. If you are wanting to hear a sexy read by Gerri Hill narrated by Abby Craden this is the book for you!! It’s a quick listen but I can assure you there is a LOT of sex scenes and they aren’t quick.
2. If you’re looking for emotions and the perfect happily every after love story…this probably won’t strike your fancy.
I gave it four stars only because I felt their was some real missed opportunities to make this good book an excellent book.
All in all….it’s Hill & Craden and they are the best.
1. If you are wanting to hear a sexy read by Gerri Hill narrated by Abby Craden this is the book for you!! It’s a quick listen but I can assure you there is a LOT of sex scenes and they aren’t quick.
2. If you’re looking for emotions and the perfect happily every after love story…this probably won’t strike your fancy.
I gave it four stars only because I felt their was some real missed opportunities to make this good book an excellent book.
All in all….it’s Hill & Craden and they are the best.
September 24, 2020
2.5 stars. This is an older book, but recently re-released as an audiobook, which I listened to. I’m a fan of Hill’s books, but this one unfortunately didn’t work for me. The writing was good as was the narration, which is why I rounded the score up, but my enjoyment of the book was pretty low. This was due to one of the main characters, Jo, I just couldn’t connect with her. When Jo and Kelly meet, Jo is under the impression that Kelly is a player and doesn’t take things seriously. They have a one-night stand, there is chemistry, but Jo doesn’t want to get hurt and pushes Kelly away. Ok, this situation is normal in romances, but it turns out that Jo is also not interested in commitment or anything serious, so I was frustrated as to what it was that she wanted. This constant push-pull and indecisiveness drove me crazy and honestly, I was rooting for Kelly to just dump Jo’s ass, because Kelly is an absolute saint and deserved better in my opinion. This line of thought is not a good sign when reading a romance….. Clearly, a lot of people did enjoy this book far more than me, so perhaps it is just me, but I would recommend to read another book by Hill, she has plenty of excellent books.
February 7, 2021
Continuing my reading of Gerri Hill's earlier works. This one from 2000. Jo hasn't been with anyone since being cheated on and left three years ago. Jo meets Kelly while out with friend's and has a hot and magical evening thinking they won't meet again. Fast forward a couple of months and Kelly is the new professor at Jo's college and her office is only two doors away. Kelly is wonderful and playful. Jo is frustrating in her stubbornness to almost an annoying point. Fairly low angst read with plenty of steam.
April 30, 2025
Lovely story that has main characters surrounded by friends who make a lovely community. She is such a good writer. Clears the palate.
April 27, 2025
✔Sapphic Book Bingo Challenge 2025 🌈✨: Main Board - Characters are Co-Workers
2 stars. Jo deserved nothing. She was such an unlikable, miserable, selfish, judgmental, asshole. Kelly, my baby, I’m so sorry that you got stuck with her. You deserve better and you were the only bright part of this book. Least favorite Gerri Hill book by far. It wasn’t romantic, it was just depressing and unsatisfying.
On the flip side, I need me a woman that’s going to be down bad for me no matter what I say or do like Kelly is about Jo’s undeserving ass 😭
2 stars. Jo deserved nothing. She was such an unlikable, miserable, selfish, judgmental, asshole. Kelly, my baby, I’m so sorry that you got stuck with her. You deserve better and you were the only bright part of this book. Least favorite Gerri Hill book by far. It wasn’t romantic, it was just depressing and unsatisfying.
On the flip side, I need me a woman that’s going to be down bad for me no matter what I say or do like Kelly is about Jo
August 17, 2014
I upped to 4 stars because of Kelly because her saintly patience and all she did had me rooting for her. It sucked how Jo treated her.
I wanted to smack some sense into Jo the whole time. She lounged in the denial stage for too long then does the big revelation in an impersonal manner (yeah, she was excited I get it) ... arr.. like Kelly said, Jo sure knew how to choose her moments. bleh.. I would have loved it if there was more stuff about Kelly and her family.. I don't know.. maybe it's just me.
I wanted to smack some sense into Jo the whole time. She lounged in the denial stage for too long then does the big revelation in an impersonal manner (yeah, she was excited I get it) ... arr.. like Kelly said, Jo sure knew how to choose her moments. bleh.. I would have loved it if there was more stuff about Kelly and her family.. I don't know.. maybe it's just me.
May 30, 2014
Kelly has the patience of a saint
June 21, 2013
Cheesy romance which I dig. The whole story was simple and decent, nothing overly done. I got a little problem with Jo 'tango dancing' with love committment issue. The character made me felt like i was watching a soap drama that dont intend to end. Call me pessimistic, I dont think Kelly exist in this world, her 'patience of a saint' attitude was far fetched. Even in the synopsis/blurb, potray as a player, her actions dont match. The most I would go on to label her, merely a very sociable modern lesbian.
January 21, 2017
I thought I'd read pretty much every Gerri Hill book, but happened to stumble on this one. I generally enjoy her writing, so I didn't even give it a second thought before giving it a chance.
It is very apparent that this is one of Hill's earlier works. The standard of writing is nowhere near what I'm used to from her. It's awkward, and there's almost no plot, just random hurdles to romance that don't actually seem like hurdles. It surprised me to read something that felt so cliched because that's never how I would have described Hill's writing.
It is very apparent that this is one of Hill's earlier works. The standard of writing is nowhere near what I'm used to from her. It's awkward, and there's almost no plot, just random hurdles to romance that don't actually seem like hurdles. It surprised me to read something that felt so cliched because that's never how I would have described Hill's writing.
October 2, 2008
I've persevered with Gerri Hill but I think I have to give up now. The detective stories aren't bad but the romances leave me cold. This is a case in point: the central character is irritating and her behaviour incomprehensible.
And I've never known a group of lesbians to drink so much and to think nothing of then driving home!
And I've never known a group of lesbians to drink so much and to think nothing of then driving home!
Read
July 21, 2018Still thinking about what to rate this one, but I did enjoy it.
September 11, 2025
tears 😭
September 14, 2012
I loved this book. It was the one that hooked me to Gerri Hill and I've been reading everything she has written since. I fell in love with her characters Jo and Kelly. I felt like I had been right there in their lives watching the love unfold.
February 12, 2015
Jo and Kelly...miscommunication, awkward situation, persistence, college campus, romance. My kind of story. Told from first person made it personal and allowed the reader to connect. Although you wanted to thump Jo on the head at times to make her snap out of her haze. Fun read.
July 22, 2024
Honestly this is the first Gerri Hill book I haven't liked. Jo was a raging b*tch all the way through and Kelly should have just moved on along to someone else. Especially considering she was so 'hot'.
There was no real connection between the two. No reason for Kelly to even like Jo, let alone fall in love with her. Likewise, given what Jo thought of Kelly, it was just lust, nothing more.
Saved only by the impeccable narration of Abby Craden, this one was a struggle. Gerri Hill has written far better stories
There was no real connection between the two. No reason for Kelly to even like Jo, let alone fall in love with her. Likewise, given what Jo thought of Kelly, it was just lust, nothing more.
Saved only by the impeccable narration of Abby Craden, this one was a struggle. Gerri Hill has written far better stories
March 28, 2025
I tandem read this with audio. I enjoyed it and do think it was made better by the audiobook. Not sure if I’d have enjoyed it as much without that.
This book is written in third person with 1 POV. Audiobook is narrated by Abby Craden. Workplace romance. College professors. One night to forever. Healing. 6x spicy scenes.
This book is written in third person with 1 POV. Audiobook is narrated by Abby Craden. Workplace romance. College professors. One night to forever. Healing. 6x spicy scenes.
March 18, 2025
3.5⭐️the main character was insufferable and the back and forth of it all was stupid, infuriating, annoying, and toxic. unfortunately i ate it up.
May 28, 2025
3.5 stars
June 3, 2020
The main character irritated me. Jo didn't deserve Kelly. She kept using Kelly for sex whenever she was bored or lonely or needed comfort while barely giving a moment's thought to Kelly's feelings. And she was aware of what she was doing. She berates herself for her behaviour, and then keeps on doing it. Then when she tells Kelly that she doesn't want a committed relationship, and Kelly tries to move on, Jo gets jealous and angry with Kelly for daring to hang out with other women. Getting upset with someone for not emotionally committing to you when you've refused to do the same for them just makes you a fucking asshole. I don't understand what Kelly saw in Jo. Kelly should have just given up on Jo and found someone less whiny, selfish, and indecisive to date.
Commitment-phobic characters are getting to be one of my least favourite romance tropes. After a certain point I just want someone to make a decision and be done with it. It's all the worse when they are awful at communicating with each other. There are only so many times you can keep using the same stupid plot points before it gets really annoying.
I know contemporary romances aren't lauded for having brilliant plots, but it is perfectly possible to make a character's everyday life interesting and emotionally compelling. This book doesn't do that. All the secondary characters are flat and forgettable. What you're left with is lots of softball, eating and drinking, and sex; and not much else. Sex scenes take up the majority of the book (this very well might have been marketed as erotica and I just didn't notice) and I wouldn't have minded much if they hadn't been so corny and repetitive. The author is very fond of using the word "wetness" in place of the word "vulva" and the phrases "I want you so much" and "I want you in me."
The only reason I'm not rating this a 1 star is because I liked Kelly.
Commitment-phobic characters are getting to be one of my least favourite romance tropes. After a certain point I just want someone to make a decision and be done with it. It's all the worse when they are awful at communicating with each other. There are only so many times you can keep using the same stupid plot points before it gets really annoying.
I know contemporary romances aren't lauded for having brilliant plots, but it is perfectly possible to make a character's everyday life interesting and emotionally compelling. This book doesn't do that. All the secondary characters are flat and forgettable. What you're left with is lots of softball, eating and drinking, and sex; and not much else. Sex scenes take up the majority of the book (this very well might have been marketed as erotica and I just didn't notice) and I wouldn't have minded much if they hadn't been so corny and repetitive. The author is very fond of using the word "wetness" in place of the word "vulva" and the phrases "I want you so much" and "I want you in me."
The only reason I'm not rating this a 1 star is because I liked Kelly.
January 21, 2013
The mountain of good reviews of "Hunter's Way" by Gerri Hill was accurate. I devoured that puppy like a triple layered Devil's Food Cake. I moved on to "Behind the Pine Curtain." Not as amazing as "Hunter's Way" (there aren't many novels in this genre as great as "Hunter's Way"), but I'd consider it as the ice cream on top of the exquisite word sundae Gerri Hill usually manages to deliver. Usually.
Unfortunately, "One Summer Night," much like the protagonist, reminded me too much of cookies that had been burned. To a blackened crisp. Unlike Hill's other strong-willed and likable protagonists, it was very hard for me to tolerate Jo. Her insecurities and trust issues overshadowed all her good traits by creating an infallible "victim complex" that persists to the last few pages of the novel.
Unfortunately, "One Summer Night," much like the protagonist, reminded me too much of cookies that had been burned. To a blackened crisp. Unlike Hill's other strong-willed and likable protagonists, it was very hard for me to tolerate Jo. Her insecurities and trust issues overshadowed all her good traits by creating an infallible "victim complex" that persists to the last few pages of the novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2022
I'll start by saying that I listened to the audible version of this book, which was narrated by Abby Craden - so bonus points there.
I liked One Summer Night. It did get quite emotionally frustrating in parts, but I found it quite refreshingly realistic. It's not always easy to act on the urge to kiss someone, or ask them to stay.
Johanna and Kelly had some amazing chemistry which results in some pretty steamy love scenes. Actually, I do remember thinking there was a lot of sex in this book, but once again, Abby Craden, so I'm not complaining.
Yes it's a bit angsty, and you may want to tell Johanna to get over it but Gerri Hill has written a beautiful love story that is worth checking out.
I liked One Summer Night. It did get quite emotionally frustrating in parts, but I found it quite refreshingly realistic. It's not always easy to act on the urge to kiss someone, or ask them to stay.
Johanna and Kelly had some amazing chemistry which results in some pretty steamy love scenes. Actually, I do remember thinking there was a lot of sex in this book, but once again, Abby Craden, so I'm not complaining.
Yes it's a bit angsty, and you may want to tell Johanna to get over it but Gerri Hill has written a beautiful love story that is worth checking out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews