The Matchbreaker Summer

by Annie Rains

A pitch-perfect summer camp rom-com about two teens with nothing in common who come together to help break up a romance and unexpectedly start one of their own

Sixteen-year-old Paisley Manning has been attending Camp Seabrook since she was a little girl, when her parents ran it together. For the last few years, since her father’s death, she’s been the one helping her mom run the camp behind the scenes. This year, however, will be Camp Seabrook’s last hurrah because Paisley’s mom has met a guy online and they’re getting married.

Enter Hayden Bennett, who is working alongside Paisley. Paisley and Hayden are like oil and water. She follows the rules, and he seems to live to break them all. But when Hayden catches wind of Paisley's predicament, he has an idea. If a matchmaker in some computer algorithm caused the issue, a couple of real-life matchbreakers can fix it.

As they work to break up the happy couple, Paisley discovers that maybe Hayden's not so bad after all. Has she met her own perfect match in her fellow matchbreaker?

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Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Summer, Summer Reads, Contemporary, Young Adult Romance, Enemies To Lovers

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2022

About the author

Annie Rains is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America's largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn't writing, she's spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.

If you enjoyed the Hero's Welcome series, don't miss the short wedding story for Kat and Micah (Welcome to Forever). Get it here for FREE: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/aTSl1

For other books and happenings, sign up for my newsletter on my website: www.annierains.com

Reviews

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute, fun, feel good summer romp! In the beginning I thought The Matchbreaker Summer was going to stay the MG route, but it delightfully developed more of a YA vibe as it progressed. While I do wish there had been a little more plot progression inserted, the romance was adorable and the camp vibes are nostalgic. If you enjoy slow burning, character driven, cutesy romance novels, this one's for you!

*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.

[ari · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear Paisley, act your age not your shoe size.

[nat!! · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was pretty cute!

i will say that it was definitely on the younger side of the ya genre and i most likely would have enjoyed it more if i was 12 or 13 instead of 18... but it still wasnt bad. there were a few moments where it just felt super immature and unrelatable, and i feel like paisley and haydens relationship had a lot of immature moments where they weren't even really fighting for any reason, they were just young and didn't know any better. as much as i like reading na romance books, i sometimes like ya more because the characters are usually a bit closer to my age so its more relatable, but this one just wasn't doing that for me.

i did really like the summer camp setting though! it made me so nostalgic of the camp i used to go to when i was younger and i felt like i was a little kid again!

i also was a little mad at the ending and i wish she would have found a way not to move to wyoming but in the context of the book it does make sense i guess.

[aly · Rating 1 out of 5]

When you pick up a book because it has a cute cover and think it will be equally cute but ends up being a double thumbs down <

I love a summer romance, but this was not romance. This was that weird period we all experienced in middle school when you had your first ‘real’ boyfriend and everyone encouraged your to hug for the first time and it was just AWKWARD. Yeah. That’s what this book made me feel like.

Partially my bad because I don’t read any synopsis or reviews before I dive into a book. And if I did, I would have known this is targeted for a YOUNG audience, like ideally 7-13 with how cheesy it is. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good YA, but this just didn’t have the UNNF.

[tellacnders · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS SOUNSDS LIKE THE PERFECT SUMMER BOOK HOLY COWw?w?ww?w?we?ewe!!!??? ITS A CRIME I DIDNT HEAR OF THIS EARLIER BRB......

edit: sucha fun and light read awe summer camp romcom books are the best

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

For Paisley Manning, her summers have been spent at Camp Seabrook ever since she was a small child. Losing her father was hard for her, but the camp kept her going, even through her mother's new relationship with Dave. But learning that her mam plans on uprooting the family and moving them to Wyoming, selling the Camp in the meantime, Paisley needs a way to stop it. And when bad boy Hayden Bennett finds himself dumped at camp to make up for his graffiti, he and Paisley work together to show her mam that Dave isn't right for the family, and that she can't give up on Camp Seabrooke. Paisley went into the camp expecting it to be her last hurrah, but finding love was definitely not in the cards.

When I heard about this book, I knew it was one I needed to get my hands on, and I was more than right. The Matchbreaker Summer is the perfect read for someone who wants to escape to a summer camp, be completely engrossed in the story, and read about first love and family. Paisley has waited all this time for the summer she is 16, and can finally be a camp counsellor, rather than a camper. But's it's marred by the shock of her mam announcement, and the changes which have already began at her beloved Camp Seabrooke. Having to keep the truth from her friends, and deal with the unexpected arrival of Hayden, Paisley's almost at her wits ends, but after abruptly blurting out her problems to Hayden, they work together to try and make this camp the best they can. I liked how Paisley and Hayden were together, even though they tried to deny their true feelings for so long. Nora, Paisley's friend, sometimes got on my nerves, but nothing too major. All in all, a really nice YA debut from this author, though one probably in the lower age range.

[jo ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨🏕️
was it cheesy? practically a whole block.
was the romance cutesy? yup.
was it the best book ever? no, but it was a light, cute, fun summer read with all the camp & summer vibes you can imagine.

[graceee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

SO CUTE!! I loved the vibes!!
Did I want more depth/slow burn to Hayden and Paisley’s relationship? Much more. It was less enmities to lovers, more “slightly annoyed you are a real life subway surfers” to “whatever” to lovers. 😂
But I still really enjoyed this!!!!! Like ADORABLE and will definitely be reading it again for the vibes next summer!

cws: maybe one bad word, but i can’t even recall it. and some light kissing. i think that’s it!

[Avery Perreault · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute little teen romcom, I would have eaten this up at 13!!!!! the camp nostalgia also hit HARD

[jess h. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this was a cute little summer romance. Very clean and lighthearted, it kept me turning the pages. This was a blind date with a book and I’d say it went pretty well. 🌲🐤💐

[Gianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️
This book was such a cute read, especially for summer! I loved the summer camp vibes and the romance was cute but it felt REALLY rushed… Like Paisley got a crush on Hayden (out of nowhere I may add) on the 2nd day and then 3 days later they get together.😑 I kinda wish it was a dual pov so we can see when he started liking Paisley and his thoughts and more about his life. And Paisley….oh my gosh!! She was so insufferable and self centered! Making it seem like nothing was her fault,it was always Dave’s fault and being super blind, like girl come on, you can’t see that your mom was struggling with the camp and the bills, like really girl??? 🤦🏼‍♀️but I loved Dave tho, I would audibly cringe when Paisley would say and do something mean to him.😭 Anyway this was a good book to read to help me reach my 50 book goal..😄 I totally recommend this if you need a clean, short, summer book!!☺️💗

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Alivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good summer romance!!!!! Loved every bit of it!!

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced and enjoyable book with a humorous trip down memory lane. Paisley’s family has owned Camp Starling for as long as she has lived, but now that her dad had died, her mom wants to sell the camp, sell the only home she has ever lived in and move to Wyoming with her new beau Dave. With the help of bold Hayden, the boy thrust into camp because of his bad choices, Paisley sets out to break up her mom and Dave and save her way of life. The voice of the characters seemed to be spot-on for me, told by teens and for teens. This is the author’s first foray into the YA genre and she did an exceptional job of adapting to the viewpoint of teens with all of their emotional turmoil and fear of the unknown. The characters were well portrayed and some were more relatable than others. I liked Paisley, her quiet moods and her endless knowledge about birds that she had gleaned from her beloved father. Her best friend Nora was selfish and boisterous, not someone whom I would think Paisley would be attracted to, but Paisley either made excuses for Nora or complained about her. Hayden was the “Macauley Caulkin” of the group, with ideas that exploded from his head and actions that he did without always thinking. There was a lot of wit and charm in this book, so I think that it will appeal to both teens and adults. The setting was perfection and the activities at camp brought back fond memories for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend that anyone looking for a light read with teen first love, friendship issues and the challenges of facing change will devour it quickly and talk about it for days.
Disclaimer
I purchased a copy of this book from Quail Run Books and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Solara! · Rating 2 out of 5]

wow that was bad. i still don’t understand why paisley was so selfish?! like i get that she doesnt like change and she didnt wanna move but her throwing temper tantrums every five seconds cuz of it was total bs. shes 16 but acts like a 5 year old and the things she said to hayden were just… and she kept going on abt how “all the guys never look at her” okay. didnt ask and dave was only trying to be nice and she was so mean to him that i felt bad for him and the last half wasnt even abt hayden and paisley it was paisley tryna fix her moms relationship cuz guess what? she was part of the reason it was ruined. i thought this would be a good book but for a ya novel it wasnt

[ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is so underrated I WANT TO CRY!!! a book about CAMP ROMANCE?? yes yes yes. ya summer romances are too cute and you know i am right😏 hayden got me GIGGLING. and i haven’t in a lot time giggled at a book

[évilyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6/5!⭐

[rebecca ✧.* · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do we learn from this? Sometimes it’s not that smart to buy a book solely based on it‘s cute cover… This was a light and quick ya romance that delivered some enjoyable moments but ultimately failed to leave a lasting impression. The summer camp setting is its strongest feature, creating a warm and nostalgic atmosphere. However, the story suffers from a number of issues that hold it back.

The characters feel overly childish, more like 13-year-olds than 16-year-olds, making the dialogue and their decisions less believable for a ya audience. The romance, while labeled as enemies-to-lovers, progresses far too quickly to build any real chemistry. Spoiler: By page 140, the characters are officially dating, leaving little room for the tension or development that makes this trope engaging.

Additionally, the pacing of the story is rushed, with conflicts being resolved unrealistically quickly,
often within the same page, giving the narrative a shallow and unrealistic feel. While the ending manages to be somewhat emotional, the overall journey lacks the depth and complexity that would make the story memorable.

[Kara Naghoster · Rating 3 out of 5]

3✰

This was cute!

If you're a fan of Lynn Painter's "Betting On You" than you'll probably like this. The main plot of the fmc and the mmc trying to scare away the fmc's mom's boyfriend is always entertaining (thought I always feel bad for the poor boyfriend)

This book had a fun summer vibe and was pretty short. The romance felt pretty rushed, but the book was also only 250 pages, so that was pretty unavoidable. A quick, fun read to read by the pool!

[ile · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book even though it wasn’t something amazing and the plot wasn’t that good but it’s a cute summer read. It’s also the type of book you can finish very fast so I guess I recommend it🫶

[Madison · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 cute read but nothing special :/

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a nice ode to summer camps, change, and all the rollercoaster feelings that come with first loves.

I am a sucker for any book that takes place at a summer camp which is why I knew I had to read this book before I really even knew what it was about. Then, once I did read the description, I knew I wanted to read it because who doesn't want to read a book about a girl who wants to break up her mom and her mom's boyfriend.

Paisley, our main character, is completely dedicated to Camp Starling and equally as dedicated to making sure her mom doesn't ruin everything by staying with her boyfriend, Dave. I loved that Paisley had an interest that was different than the typical YA main character. She was really into birds and very knowledgeable about them. She was also the quiet friend of the friend group. I do wish we could have seen more development in her character as the book progressed, but alas, we really only saw a couple of small changes. And it was mostly in how she viewed her future rather than her actual change and progression of self.

Hayden, however, was a really sweet character. He kinda gets thrown into the whole camp thing last minute and is really adorable about it all. He was supposed to be this bad boy love interest, but we really don't see that. He makes one mistake at the beginning and then is just this perfect human for the rest of the book. I felt like we were losing some of his dimension and personality as the book progressed, but I still like him. Sweet, sweet Hayden.

Nora, the best friend, was... not my favorite. On top of that, our main character is so wishy-washy about her. She complains one minute about how Nora is always putting her down and then gushes over her the next for being the best friend she could ever ask for. Like, I understand friendships aren't perfect, but this one felt like it had issues that were brought up and then just brushed off. They were never really resolved. I didn't love that.

This book actually did have a fun plot, however, it did so much telling instead of showing. I didn't really realize how much that would affect my opinion until reading this book. I didn't want Paisley telling me about kayaking on the lake. I wanted Rains to show me. I wanted to smell the murky water and feel the warm sun. It just wasn't there for me and that's what really dropped my rating in the end.

Overall, despite my negative thoughts, I enjoyed this book. It's relatable for adults and teens alike as it speaks of first love and the ever-dreaded change that must come in our lives. Not my favorite summer camp book, but a nice one nevertheless. 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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[Ursula · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars !!! Let me start off by gushing over THAT cover whhhhatttt!!!!!!! This book had massive middle grade turns YA vibes, some childish fun, immature girls, growing pains, and crushes. I really enjoyed the summer setting and the camp details.

But the plot itself was kind of split all over the book, so it was dominantly character focused with little plot. I have a love hate relationship with Paisley, because she was giving off major pick me vibes. It's okay though, she's a sweetheart overall so,, anyway, her and Hayden's summer fun was exciting, starting off with their friendship forming through the plan and finally them crushing on each other.

Their romance felt more friendship-y to me, not necessarily because they were 16, but more because they had little chemistry. Also whenever the author put in them flirting, it had a playful and nice vibe. Ahhha also don't be misled by this, it isn't not an enemies to lovers YA, more like Paisley being annoyed at Hayden. Also when they finally kissed, the plot of the book just focused more on Paisley and her mom. It just got boring after the climax hit so …. 

I know this technically counts as a YA book, but it felt more belonging to the 12-13 year old YA's

[Anniek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine and objectively enjoyable, but for me, it didn't have that spark to make it stand out. I love reading summer books in summer, and a summer camp story is always fun, but I didn't FEEL the atmosphere of it.

This read more like middlegrade than YA for the most part, and I wish the author would have committed to that, because it could have been a really cute middlegrade story. Or possibly a lower YA with like a 14 year old MC, which we don't have nearly enough of!

The romance was okay to me though, I did think the Rory and Jess vibes of it all were cute. However, the way the MC's toxic best friend interfered with that ruined the fun a little.

[Emily Youngs · Rating 1 out of 5]

I actually hated this book, so predictable and the main character is so unlikable and annoying.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This summer was bittersweet for Paisley. It was her first and last summer as a camp counselor, and ultimately, a goodbye to a place that played an important role in her life. Saddened by the thought of no more summers at camp, she hatched a plan to sabotage her mother’s romance, but was Paisley willing risk her mother’s happiness for her own?

I always enjoy summer camp books. I never got to attend sleep away camp, but I adored my camp counselor experience as an adult. Rains did a great job capturing the magic of camp. The friendship and fun was on full display along with some of the expected shenanigans.

I cannot say I condoned Paisley’s plan, BUT I did understand how painful losing the camp was for her. Camp Seabrook held a special place in her heart. She grew up there, and it served as a connection to her father following his passing. Was the matchbreaker plan a good idea? Of course no, however, I can say Paisley learned a lot from it. She came to accept that maybe change wasn’t so bad, and I do feel that she atoned for her sins.

Aside from outdoor fun and camp antics, there was an adorable romance thrown in there too. I think Hayden was supposed to be this lone-wolf type bad boy, but he was a gem. His backstory was a bit heartbreaking, and I think being at camp was an important step in his personal growth.

Overall: The camp vibes, the cute romance, and the characters’ growth made this a great read for me. I found it hard not to root for everyone involved – Hayden, Paisley, her mom, and mom’s boyfriend. I wanted them all to have their cake and eat it too, and Rains gave me an ending for them all that put a smile on my face.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Ashlee (bookswithnopictures) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Paisley's happy place is within the campgrounds her parents have owned and ran for as long as she can remember. With the passing of her father, it has become her connection to him in a way that makes it difficult to say goodbye with any amount of grace. With her mother's declaration that they will be moving out of state and selling all, Paisley is bound and determined to change her mind. Joining forces with the school's bad boy seems like the surest way to put a stop to it all.
My only hesitance for absolutely loving this book is the lack of any of the unexpected. I find it hard to believe that a mother would ignore the feelings of her child, who we're led to believe is her entire focus up to the beginning of this novel. The immature antics, attempts at perfection, and acting out were completely realistic and something I can relate to based on my own childhood.
Otherwise, I love so much that I can hand this book to a young reader starting out in this genre. With an advanced reader at home, I need sweet books within the young adults I can pass on to her without some of the mature content others contain that she is not quite ready for at her age.
Thank you to Underlined and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

[Helena Rodrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este livro é TÃO fofo 🥹 um young adult perfeito, ótimo para quem quer começar a ler, e com imensas vibes boas de verão. Quem prefere o rio à praia, ou a terra à areia, é capaz de gostar muito deste livro.
Tem um romance fofinho, misturado com aquelas questões que começam a surgir em plena adolescência. Drama qb, próprio da idade. Mas também traz a maturidade e a resolução realista que muitas vezes queremos.
Gostei mesmo muito e aconselho a toda a gente!

[Helen Boyette · Rating 4 out of 5]

it took me over a month to read 40 pages, and i read the remains 220-ish in a few hours. i would say it’s slow to get into, or at least it was for me. simone is my favorite character. i can picture her so good in my mind. this book is a short and sweet summer camp romance novel, and it’s just about the cleanest book of its kind that i’ve read. not incredible, but still worth your time

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so cute and easy to read! Three stars because it is ya but is kind of immaturely written and because the kids were kind of bratty and I felt like the main characters were 12 and not 16. It was still fun to read though!