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Long Past Summer
It's hard to move on from a broken heart--and harder to move on from a broken friendship.
Mikaela Marchand is living the polished life she always planned for: a successful New York lawyer, with a promotion in her sights and a devoted boyfriend by her side. She’s come a long way from the meek teen she was growing up in small town Georgia, but the memory of her adolescence isn’t far—in fact, it’s splashed across a massive billboard in Times Square. An old photograph of Mikaela and her former best friend, Julie, has landed on the cover of a high-profile fashion magazine advertised all over the city. And when Julie files a lawsuit, Mikaela is caught in the middle as defense lawyer for the magazine.
Not only will she have to face Julie for the first time in years, Mikaela’s forced to work closely with the photographer in question: the former love of her life--and Julie’s ex-husband--Cameron Murphy. Mikaela needs to win the case to get her promotion--and as a junior partner, she has no margin for error. But unresolved feelings still exist between Cam and Mikaela, and jealousy always made Julie play dirty…
With flashbacks to summers of first loves and fragile friendships, Long Past Summer looks at the delicate and powerful thread that binds and breaks friends and flames.
Mikaela Marchand is living the polished life she always planned for: a successful New York lawyer, with a promotion in her sights and a devoted boyfriend by her side. She’s come a long way from the meek teen she was growing up in small town Georgia, but the memory of her adolescence isn’t far—in fact, it’s splashed across a massive billboard in Times Square. An old photograph of Mikaela and her former best friend, Julie, has landed on the cover of a high-profile fashion magazine advertised all over the city. And when Julie files a lawsuit, Mikaela is caught in the middle as defense lawyer for the magazine.
Not only will she have to face Julie for the first time in years, Mikaela’s forced to work closely with the photographer in question: the former love of her life--and Julie’s ex-husband--Cameron Murphy. Mikaela needs to win the case to get her promotion--and as a junior partner, she has no margin for error. But unresolved feelings still exist between Cam and Mikaela, and jealousy always made Julie play dirty…
With flashbacks to summers of first loves and fragile friendships, Long Past Summer looks at the delicate and powerful thread that binds and breaks friends and flames.
448 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2022
82 people are currently reading
5663 people want to read
About the author
Noué Kirwan
3 books132 followersI'm a Bronx native, raised bicoastal. I'm a UMass Minuteman, who currently lives in Harlem, New York. And when I'm not consuming copious amounts of media: binging TV shows, devouring movies, hoarding comic books and inhaling romance novels, I'm writing, dreaming up all sorts of interesting lives and passionate loves.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
September 11, 2022
“That as much as we’ve both changed in these years apart, we still fit the way we once did.”
I immediately smelled the drama from this book when I read the description: a second chance romance with a man who is being sued by his ex wife who is also your former best friend and you happen to be one of the lawyers on the case. I was immediately like “Say less!” The problem is that maybe I got too much drama.
I have questions that need to be answered, and I need them to be answered before I can comfortably defend or denounce some of the actions most of these characters took. I don’t really like ending a book with questions. Most of the questions stem from the past timelines in the book, and I felt that there were noticeable gaps that weren’t well explained by the future parts.
Now assuming I understood precisely what happened, here are my two cents. Mikaela did nothing wrong!! She was so smart for choosing herself at such a young age, and I hated that some people made her feel so guilty for doing that. She was always meant for great things and she focused on that. Yes, maybe she could have worked on getting more of a balance in life, which we see her struggle more with as she’s older, but I didn’t think she was an evil person for making her goals her priority. I did fault her for still expecting things to be the same after constantly being away for a long time. If this was precisely what Kirwan was expecting me to feel, then great, but I can't really tell.
Whether you agree with me with that or not, if we really think about it, they were young at the time. Wasn't everyone’s younger years full of drama? Alright! So let's just let it go because we’re now older and mature and we can communicate like adults. Right? NOPE! Not these characters. I really get that there are some things in the past that really affect us for a long time, but it was getting so repetitive. It almost felt like the book could have aimed to be shorter and much more meaningful, because the truth is the overall idea for this book was amazing. But it’s always the execution guys! I still enjoyed Cameron and Mikaela’s tension throughout the book. Who am I kidding? I was obsessed!!! And oh boy did it get steamy… Mikaela and Julie's "friendship" was also a very interesting part of the book. It made me think about a lot of things.
Mikaela’s career was a really good part of the book as it illustrates the struggles of black women who are constantly overlooked and who always have their work taken for granted. What made me love her was how she was so concerned about other women who were to take similar paths. Because yes she does focus on her job so much, but she knows she is not doing it for just herself. I’m glad that we got to explore where some of her insecurities stem from by the end.
Overall, I still felt like this one had some unpredictability to it. I genuinely did not know how everything was gonna go, which is usually important to me.
I immediately smelled the drama from this book when I read the description: a second chance romance with a man who is being sued by his ex wife who is also your former best friend and you happen to be one of the lawyers on the case. I was immediately like “Say less!” The problem is that maybe I got too much drama.
I have questions that need to be answered, and I need them to be answered before I can comfortably defend or denounce some of the actions most of these characters took. I don’t really like ending a book with questions. Most of the questions stem from the past timelines in the book, and I felt that there were noticeable gaps that weren’t well explained by the future parts.
Now assuming I understood precisely what happened, here are my two cents. Mikaela did nothing wrong!! She was so smart for choosing herself at such a young age, and I hated that some people made her feel so guilty for doing that. She was always meant for great things and she focused on that. Yes, maybe she could have worked on getting more of a balance in life, which we see her struggle more with as she’s older, but I didn’t think she was an evil person for making her goals her priority. I did fault her for still expecting things to be the same after constantly being away for a long time. If this was precisely what Kirwan was expecting me to feel, then great, but I can't really tell.
Whether you agree with me with that or not, if we really think about it, they were young at the time. Wasn't everyone’s younger years full of drama? Alright! So let's just let it go because we’re now older and mature and we can communicate like adults. Right? NOPE! Not these characters. I really get that there are some things in the past that really affect us for a long time, but it was getting so repetitive. It almost felt like the book could have aimed to be shorter and much more meaningful, because the truth is the overall idea for this book was amazing. But it’s always the execution guys! I still enjoyed Cameron and Mikaela’s tension throughout the book. Who am I kidding? I was obsessed!!! And oh boy did it get steamy… Mikaela and Julie's "friendship" was also a very interesting part of the book. It made me think about a lot of things.
Mikaela’s career was a really good part of the book as it illustrates the struggles of black women who are constantly overlooked and who always have their work taken for granted. What made me love her was how she was so concerned about other women who were to take similar paths. Because yes she does focus on her job so much, but she knows she is not doing it for just herself. I’m glad that we got to explore where some of her insecurities stem from by the end.
Overall, I still felt like this one had some unpredictability to it. I genuinely did not know how everything was gonna go, which is usually important to me.
August 15, 2022
the setup…
Mikaela Marchand has always had a plan for her life and set her sights for New York following graduation. But that summer after her high school graduation in hometown Harmon, Georgia certainly impacted that journey when she met college student Cameron (Cam) Murphy who was home for the break and working at the Sheriff’s Office. That’s where they met following a foolish high school prank Mikaela and best friend Julie performed in front of the entire school. What first appeared to be a moment in passing between the three of them turned out to be more defining than they’d ever imagined.
the heart of the story…
Mikaela has always been the levelheaded one in her friendship with Julie so that high school prank wasn’t so much her idea as it was her following behind Julie, the true dynamic of their friendship. That was a constant imbalance in their relationship so when the spark was between Cam and Mikaela instead of him and Julie who couldn’t imagine any boy not being interested in her, that became a secret wedge in that friendship though Mikaela kept the relationship secret. Move forward twenty years and she’s indeed in New York working at a prestigious law firm, highly successful and on the precipice of becoming a partner but her relationship with Cam and Julie fractured. The story transitions between past and present to slowly reveal what happened that summer and beyond to the present when Cam reappears in Mikaela’s professional life. I liked how the story was woven as I became more intrigued about the past as allusions about what happened in the past constantly teased in the present. I struggled with Mikaela and her lack of commitment to Cam, even though I often identified with her behavior. He, alternatively, was always steadfast in his love for her and I wondered why he stuck around.
the narration…
I liked the narrator but believed she missed the mark completely on Cam and his southern accent. It was less than authentic and bugged me every time he had a voice. Her pacing was fine but unfortunately because he figured a lot in the story, that defined my experience with the performance.
the bottom line…
First, I highly recommend you put some distance between the time you read the blurb and when you begin the book. It just reveals too much about where these people end up and I liked that it was slowly played out over the course of the book. Just don’t read it again. Even though I struggled with Mikaela and her behavior towards Cam and Julie, I found her realistic and identified with her conflicts. Her relationship with Julie was dysfunctional but they’d been friends since childhood and waking up to the reality doesn’t happen overnight. I also found Mikaela’s professional environment to be highly interesting and a true depiction of what happens in real life. But the love between Cam and Mikaela was the constant in the story that threads throughout and you can’t help rooting for them to find their way. It all provided for a highly engaging reading experience despite my issues with the narration. It’s a strong beginning for a debut author. 3.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Harlequin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Mikaela Marchand has always had a plan for her life and set her sights for New York following graduation. But that summer after her high school graduation in hometown Harmon, Georgia certainly impacted that journey when she met college student Cameron (Cam) Murphy who was home for the break and working at the Sheriff’s Office. That’s where they met following a foolish high school prank Mikaela and best friend Julie performed in front of the entire school. What first appeared to be a moment in passing between the three of them turned out to be more defining than they’d ever imagined.
the heart of the story…
Mikaela has always been the levelheaded one in her friendship with Julie so that high school prank wasn’t so much her idea as it was her following behind Julie, the true dynamic of their friendship. That was a constant imbalance in their relationship so when the spark was between Cam and Mikaela instead of him and Julie who couldn’t imagine any boy not being interested in her, that became a secret wedge in that friendship though Mikaela kept the relationship secret. Move forward twenty years and she’s indeed in New York working at a prestigious law firm, highly successful and on the precipice of becoming a partner but her relationship with Cam and Julie fractured. The story transitions between past and present to slowly reveal what happened that summer and beyond to the present when Cam reappears in Mikaela’s professional life. I liked how the story was woven as I became more intrigued about the past as allusions about what happened in the past constantly teased in the present. I struggled with Mikaela and her lack of commitment to Cam, even though I often identified with her behavior. He, alternatively, was always steadfast in his love for her and I wondered why he stuck around.
the narration…
I liked the narrator but believed she missed the mark completely on Cam and his southern accent. It was less than authentic and bugged me every time he had a voice. Her pacing was fine but unfortunately because he figured a lot in the story, that defined my experience with the performance.
the bottom line…
First, I highly recommend you put some distance between the time you read the blurb and when you begin the book. It just reveals too much about where these people end up and I liked that it was slowly played out over the course of the book. Just don’t read it again. Even though I struggled with Mikaela and her behavior towards Cam and Julie, I found her realistic and identified with her conflicts. Her relationship with Julie was dysfunctional but they’d been friends since childhood and waking up to the reality doesn’t happen overnight. I also found Mikaela’s professional environment to be highly interesting and a true depiction of what happens in real life. But the love between Cam and Mikaela was the constant in the story that threads throughout and you can’t help rooting for them to find their way. It all provided for a highly engaging reading experience despite my issues with the narration. It’s a strong beginning for a debut author. 3.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Harlequin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
August 5, 2022
Whooo boy, I have so much to say about this book but also this book emotionally exhausted me so I’m going to just list the CWs because this book is 95% plot, 125% CWs, and 75% messy characters. No, I’m not a mathematician why do you ask?
But before we list the CWs, let me briefly introduce the 3 MCs (no this is not a threesome or a triad romance). The book goes back and forth between current day and 20 years ago.
Mikaela - the FMC, a successful Black lawyer, ambitious and aiming for a partnership at her very fancy law firm;
Cameron - the MMC, a white fashion photographer; Mikaela’s first love;
Julie - a white woman, Mikaela’s high school best friend, Cameron’s ex wife; mother of his two children;
When they all first meet, Mikaela and Julie have just graduated high school and are 18 (or almost 18) and Cameron is already in college and is 21;
CWs
1. Parental death (Cameron’s father is dead when the story starts, his mom dies of cancer in the book; Julie’s father also dies);
2. Difficult parental relationships;
3. Arrest (Mikaela and Julie get arrested for pulling a senior prank, which is when Mikaela meets Cameron, who is the Sheriff’s nephew and works at the Sheriff’s dept, taking mugshots);
4. Mikaela gets pregnant with Cameron’s baby in her first year of college and loses the baby; she doesn’t tell Cameron about it until decades later;
5. Cameron feels abandoned by Mikaela who urges him to be there for Julie when her father dies; he sleeps with Julie and she gets pregnant and they end up getting married;
6. The book is very vague about the status of Cameron and Mikaela’s relationship when this occurs but to me, it feels very much like cheating;
7. Later, it is revealed, the baby, a girl, isn’t Cameron’s baby at all;
8. This comes to light when their second child, a son, is diagnosed with leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant and the sister is the obvious choice;
9. All 3 people come back to each other’s orbit when a picture Cameron took of Mikaela and Julie years ago, resurfaces on a famous fashion magazine and Julie sues the magazine and Cameron for publishing her picture without her permission;
10. Julie and Cameron continually make Mikaela feel like shit for making the choices she did which was basically to leave their tiny hometown in GA and go to New York and follow her dreams and ambitions;
11. Julie blames Mikaela for hiding her feelings but also, there’s a ton of jealousy there; it’s a severely unhealthy dynamic;
12. Cameron wanted a family and was in love with Mikaela and wanted her to stay; he makes her feel like crap basically for wanting to pursue her own dreams instead of making a life with him which is bullshit in my opinion that he was making her feel like crap;
13. Mikaela in current day starts off with a boyfriend, a Black doctor who wants to commit to her and repeatedly asks her to move in; they break up when it’s apparent that there is no passion in their relationship and she clearly has more chemistry with Cameron; I was rooting for Doctor dude the entire time;
14. There is also workplace misogyny and racism and micro aggressions;
15. There is also a scene where Cameron can’t understand the pressure Mikaela is under so Mikaela has to do the emotional labor of explaining to him, a white cishet man, that as a Black woman in her law firm, she has to work 10 times as hard for a quarter of the credit; she has to be flawless, perfect, make NO mistakes, and still prove that she’s worthy of being made partner when a white male in her position can make endless mistakes and still end up making partner without a second thought; Cameron’s response to this is initially to joke and then just blow it off and then respond with “that’s not fair”. NO SHIT SHERLOCK;
Ultimately, I just wanted to yeet Cameron and Julie into the sun and wanted Mikaela to understand that she was being gaslit by both of these people; I couldn’t support the relationship, the pairing, or the HEA; the only reason I’m giving it 2 stars instead of 1 is because I did like the writing style and it kept me engaged despite the fact that I was so enraged for the bulk of the book;
ARC provided by Netgalley, opinions are all mine;
But before we list the CWs, let me briefly introduce the 3 MCs (no this is not a threesome or a triad romance). The book goes back and forth between current day and 20 years ago.
Mikaela - the FMC, a successful Black lawyer, ambitious and aiming for a partnership at her very fancy law firm;
Cameron - the MMC, a white fashion photographer; Mikaela’s first love;
Julie - a white woman, Mikaela’s high school best friend, Cameron’s ex wife; mother of his two children;
When they all first meet, Mikaela and Julie have just graduated high school and are 18 (or almost 18) and Cameron is already in college and is 21;
CWs
1. Parental death (Cameron’s father is dead when the story starts, his mom dies of cancer in the book; Julie’s father also dies);
2. Difficult parental relationships;
3. Arrest (Mikaela and Julie get arrested for pulling a senior prank, which is when Mikaela meets Cameron, who is the Sheriff’s nephew and works at the Sheriff’s dept, taking mugshots);
4. Mikaela gets pregnant with Cameron’s baby in her first year of college and loses the baby; she doesn’t tell Cameron about it until decades later;
5. Cameron feels abandoned by Mikaela who urges him to be there for Julie when her father dies; he sleeps with Julie and she gets pregnant and they end up getting married;
6. The book is very vague about the status of Cameron and Mikaela’s relationship when this occurs but to me, it feels very much like cheating;
7. Later, it is revealed, the baby, a girl, isn’t Cameron’s baby at all;
8. This comes to light when their second child, a son, is diagnosed with leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant and the sister is the obvious choice;
9. All 3 people come back to each other’s orbit when a picture Cameron took of Mikaela and Julie years ago, resurfaces on a famous fashion magazine and Julie sues the magazine and Cameron for publishing her picture without her permission;
10. Julie and Cameron continually make Mikaela feel like shit for making the choices she did which was basically to leave their tiny hometown in GA and go to New York and follow her dreams and ambitions;
11. Julie blames Mikaela for hiding her feelings but also, there’s a ton of jealousy there; it’s a severely unhealthy dynamic;
12. Cameron wanted a family and was in love with Mikaela and wanted her to stay; he makes her feel like crap basically for wanting to pursue her own dreams instead of making a life with him which is bullshit in my opinion that he was making her feel like crap;
13. Mikaela in current day starts off with a boyfriend, a Black doctor who wants to commit to her and repeatedly asks her to move in; they break up when it’s apparent that there is no passion in their relationship and she clearly has more chemistry with Cameron; I was rooting for Doctor dude the entire time;
14. There is also workplace misogyny and racism and micro aggressions;
15. There is also a scene where Cameron can’t understand the pressure Mikaela is under so Mikaela has to do the emotional labor of explaining to him, a white cishet man, that as a Black woman in her law firm, she has to work 10 times as hard for a quarter of the credit; she has to be flawless, perfect, make NO mistakes, and still prove that she’s worthy of being made partner when a white male in her position can make endless mistakes and still end up making partner without a second thought; Cameron’s response to this is initially to joke and then just blow it off and then respond with “that’s not fair”. NO SHIT SHERLOCK;
Ultimately, I just wanted to yeet Cameron and Julie into the sun and wanted Mikaela to understand that she was being gaslit by both of these people; I couldn’t support the relationship, the pairing, or the HEA; the only reason I’m giving it 2 stars instead of 1 is because I did like the writing style and it kept me engaged despite the fact that I was so enraged for the bulk of the book;
ARC provided by Netgalley, opinions are all mine;
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2022
I haven’t seen many reviews for this book, but was fascinated by the synopsis! After reading, I’m shocked this was a debut! This book was emotional, clever and a great love story!
Synopsis: The summer before heading off to NYU for college, Mikayla meets Cameron, a charming but older southern boy who has a passion for photography, and their connection is instant. Twenty years later, the two come face to face again after their lives went separate directions. Alternating between past and present timelines, we get glimpses into their budding teenage romance, what tore them apart and their second chance.
Thoughts: While the beginning started off slow, I really grew to love Kirwan’s writing style! The dialogue was vibrant, the small details added depth to the plot and I loved how even though this was told from a single POV, I walked away feeling connected to all the characters. What stuck out to me most was how Kirwan spoke about challenges for woman of color without it making it a central role in the love story. In regards to the romance, I’m a big fan of fate, second chances and when characters recognize who they are now is not the same as who they were then, and there is no way you can read this book without routing for Mikayla and Cam. I also loved that in this story, we had an interracial romance, which I feel we don’t see a lot!
Read this if you:
▪️Want a story with BIPOC rep
▪️Love a second chance romance
▪️Ever thought “It was always you”
▪️Like messy but realistic love triangles
▪️Attend art galleries
▪️Appreciate stories with badass female professionals
▪️Are a feminist
▪️Ever struggled finding a work life balance
Thank you HTP for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Pub date August
2nd
Synopsis: The summer before heading off to NYU for college, Mikayla meets Cameron, a charming but older southern boy who has a passion for photography, and their connection is instant. Twenty years later, the two come face to face again after their lives went separate directions. Alternating between past and present timelines, we get glimpses into their budding teenage romance, what tore them apart and their second chance.
Thoughts: While the beginning started off slow, I really grew to love Kirwan’s writing style! The dialogue was vibrant, the small details added depth to the plot and I loved how even though this was told from a single POV, I walked away feeling connected to all the characters. What stuck out to me most was how Kirwan spoke about challenges for woman of color without it making it a central role in the love story. In regards to the romance, I’m a big fan of fate, second chances and when characters recognize who they are now is not the same as who they were then, and there is no way you can read this book without routing for Mikayla and Cam. I also loved that in this story, we had an interracial romance, which I feel we don’t see a lot!
Read this if you:
▪️Want a story with BIPOC rep
▪️Love a second chance romance
▪️Ever thought “It was always you”
▪️Like messy but realistic love triangles
▪️Attend art galleries
▪️Appreciate stories with badass female professionals
▪️Are a feminist
▪️Ever struggled finding a work life balance
Thank you HTP for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Pub date August
2nd
July 18, 2022
Long Past Summer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 8/02/22
Author: Noue Kirwan
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing
Pages: 448
Goodreads Rating: 4.37
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and HQN and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: An old photograph of Mikaela and her former best friend, Julie, has landed on the cover of a high-profile fashion magazine advertised all over the city. And when Julie files a lawsuit, Mikaela is caught in the middle as defense lawyer for the magazine. Not only will she have to face Julie for the first time in years, Mikaela’s forced to work closely with the photographer in question: the former love of her life--and Julie’s ex-husband--Cameron Murphy. Mikaela needs to win the case to get her promotion--and as a junior partner, she has no margin for error. But unresolved feelings still exist between Cam and Mikaela, and jealousy always made Julie play dirty… With flashbacks to summers of first loves and fragile friendships, Long Past Summer looks at the delicate and powerful thread that binds and breaks friends and flames.
My Thoughts: The story is narrated from the single POV of Mikaela. The story starts as a slow burner to build up the characters and their backstories, which I can appreciate. I love how Kirwan did a few things in this book, the romance was an interracial relationship, which you do not see too much of and how women of color face big challenges in the world, without making these things the whole story. The characters are well developed, there was an instant connection between the MCs, and their chemistry was amazing. The author’s writing style built the plot with complexity and layers of depth, character relationships were grown, and flowed very well. I really enjoyed this first read from this author and will be reading more.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 8/02/22
Author: Noue Kirwan
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing
Pages: 448
Goodreads Rating: 4.37
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and HQN and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: An old photograph of Mikaela and her former best friend, Julie, has landed on the cover of a high-profile fashion magazine advertised all over the city. And when Julie files a lawsuit, Mikaela is caught in the middle as defense lawyer for the magazine. Not only will she have to face Julie for the first time in years, Mikaela’s forced to work closely with the photographer in question: the former love of her life--and Julie’s ex-husband--Cameron Murphy. Mikaela needs to win the case to get her promotion--and as a junior partner, she has no margin for error. But unresolved feelings still exist between Cam and Mikaela, and jealousy always made Julie play dirty… With flashbacks to summers of first loves and fragile friendships, Long Past Summer looks at the delicate and powerful thread that binds and breaks friends and flames.
My Thoughts: The story is narrated from the single POV of Mikaela. The story starts as a slow burner to build up the characters and their backstories, which I can appreciate. I love how Kirwan did a few things in this book, the romance was an interracial relationship, which you do not see too much of and how women of color face big challenges in the world, without making these things the whole story. The characters are well developed, there was an instant connection between the MCs, and their chemistry was amazing. The author’s writing style built the plot with complexity and layers of depth, character relationships were grown, and flowed very well. I really enjoyed this first read from this author and will be reading more.
March 28, 2022
Fun, sexy, and at times heartbreaking, this book took me through the emotional ringer. Mikayla and Cam are an extremely rootable couple with realistic conflict that kept me turning the pages. Awesome debuted and I"m excited to see what Noue Kirwan writes next.
May 27, 2022
Warning – this book is full of competency porn and I ate it up!
The heroine Mikaela is a junior partner attorney in a law firm and killing it. Juxtaposing that with her quiet, small town roots shows us just how driven she is.
The opening of this book captured me: the heroine’s breakout moment at age 18, and the first chance meet-cute. But insert an overly-needy, overly-self-centered best friend, and Mikaela’s drive to get out of that small town, and that first chance is lost.
Kirwan teases us with how Kaela’s first love, Cameron, came to be married to said best friend for chapters, and made this a page-turner. A lawsuit between Julie and Cameron creates forced proximity—for all three of them, but particularly for Kaela and Cam.
Another favorite thing about this book—he had a special name for her where everyone else called her Mike. He was so sure that they belonged together (fated mates) all the way through, and so patient with her, and her work, for so long. My personal opinion – others’ may vary – is that he’s a bit of a cinnamon roll hero.
I love a professional heroine. Because we all know women have to do five times the work to advance in time with their male counterparts. Kirwan does a fantastic job of balancing – she touches on how much harder it is for women of color, without it being a focal point of a universal love story. In fact, Kirwan is one of the best handlers of interracial romance that I’ve read in quite a while. It’s a part of her thinking, and once or twice a part of the conversation, as it should be. Meanwhile, throughout the book, as a professional white woman who found love in her 30’s, I totally related to Kaela.
Overall, this was damned impressive for a debut author, and I look forward to seeing more from her!
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and impartial review.
The heroine Mikaela is a junior partner attorney in a law firm and killing it. Juxtaposing that with her quiet, small town roots shows us just how driven she is.
The opening of this book captured me: the heroine’s breakout moment at age 18, and the first chance meet-cute. But insert an overly-needy, overly-self-centered best friend, and Mikaela’s drive to get out of that small town, and that first chance is lost.
Kirwan teases us with how Kaela’s first love, Cameron, came to be married to said best friend for chapters, and made this a page-turner. A lawsuit between Julie and Cameron creates forced proximity—for all three of them, but particularly for Kaela and Cam.
Another favorite thing about this book—he had a special name for her where everyone else called her Mike. He was so sure that they belonged together (fated mates) all the way through, and so patient with her, and her work, for so long. My personal opinion – others’ may vary – is that he’s a bit of a cinnamon roll hero.
I love a professional heroine. Because we all know women have to do five times the work to advance in time with their male counterparts. Kirwan does a fantastic job of balancing – she touches on how much harder it is for women of color, without it being a focal point of a universal love story. In fact, Kirwan is one of the best handlers of interracial romance that I’ve read in quite a while. It’s a part of her thinking, and once or twice a part of the conversation, as it should be. Meanwhile, throughout the book, as a professional white woman who found love in her 30’s, I totally related to Kaela.
Overall, this was damned impressive for a debut author, and I look forward to seeing more from her!
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and impartial review.
August 7, 2022
Makayla, a successul NY attorney is living the life she carefully curated for herself. A successful career, great relationship, an entertaining social life. All is going well until her first love, Cameron, and all the insecurities she left in her small Georgia town, comes charging back into her life derailing everything she thought she needed in her life. Cameron and Makayla's attraction becomes complicated by legal battles that jeopardizes both their lives and the people they love.
Long Past Summer is told in a dual timeline and follows Makayla, Cameron and Cameron's ex-wife Julie(also Makayla's childhood best friend) from their carefree high school well into adulthood. Their story is much more than the romance that upends all their lives, past and present but it shows the complexities of life. Frienships, relationships, careers are challenging and complicated and requires us to step back and reevaluate what matters most to us. We see both Makayla and Cameron do this throughout various aspects of their lives.
I say that this book is much more than the romance but let me not downplay this instant connection between these two, emotionally, intellectually and sexually. When Makayla's insecurities kicks in, Cameron challenges her and its sexy as hell because who doesnt love a man who can clearly communicate his wants and needs.
Fans of The Black Girl Magic series will appreciate this story.
Long Past Summer is told in a dual timeline and follows Makayla, Cameron and Cameron's ex-wife Julie(also Makayla's childhood best friend) from their carefree high school well into adulthood. Their story is much more than the romance that upends all their lives, past and present but it shows the complexities of life. Frienships, relationships, careers are challenging and complicated and requires us to step back and reevaluate what matters most to us. We see both Makayla and Cameron do this throughout various aspects of their lives.
I say that this book is much more than the romance but let me not downplay this instant connection between these two, emotionally, intellectually and sexually. When Makayla's insecurities kicks in, Cameron challenges her and its sexy as hell because who doesnt love a man who can clearly communicate his wants and needs.
Fans of The Black Girl Magic series will appreciate this story.
August 8, 2022
3.5 rounded up.
This was a moving story about first love, best friends, regrets and second chances perfect for fans of Every Summer After by Carley Fortune (aka, THE book of the summer). I loved that this book features Mikaela, a strong Black woman chasing after her dreams of making junior partner in her NYC law firm who has to reconsider what she truly wants when forced to work with her ex and contemplate a second chance at their love. Told in flashbacks to the summer they fell in love and the present day, this was a tad longer than I thought it needed to be but still good on audio narrated by Nicola Lambo. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
This was a moving story about first love, best friends, regrets and second chances perfect for fans of Every Summer After by Carley Fortune (aka, THE book of the summer). I loved that this book features Mikaela, a strong Black woman chasing after her dreams of making junior partner in her NYC law firm who has to reconsider what she truly wants when forced to work with her ex and contemplate a second chance at their love. Told in flashbacks to the summer they fell in love and the present day, this was a tad longer than I thought it needed to be but still good on audio narrated by Nicola Lambo. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 2, 2022
Mikaela Marchand finds herself dealing with a difficult lawsuit that involves her former best friend and this brings about many upsetting memories. To complicate matters, as the defense lawyer for a magazine that Julie is suing, Mikaela find herself working side-by-side with a photographer, someone that was previously the love of her life. But that’s not the complication. The complication is that he is Julie’s ex-husband, Cameron Murphy.
Despite a painful history, with 20 years having passed, it is more than clear that Cam and Mikaela still have feelings for one another. However, jealousy has entered into the picture, so chances of that first love turning into a true second chance romance seems very unlikely.
In this first person POV readers get to understand Mikaela on several layers. This no doubt plays to our author’s personal experiences in life. In fact, it is these layers that develop a strong story, especially with the other characters that play a role. As the story unfolds, one thing is made clear. The powerful chemistry between Cam and Mikaela is undeniable.
With even pacing and crisp dialogue, this character driven story was truly compelling. Then when you factor in that it is a debut, that makes it all that more impressive. Also, the fact that we have a BIPOC character, one that imbues strength, and a powerful love story, are all factors that work well together to make this a fabulous read. I definitely look forward to whatever else Noué Kirwan has in store in the future.
Many thanks to HQN and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/3UlDMyFrDUM
Despite a painful history, with 20 years having passed, it is more than clear that Cam and Mikaela still have feelings for one another. However, jealousy has entered into the picture, so chances of that first love turning into a true second chance romance seems very unlikely.
In this first person POV readers get to understand Mikaela on several layers. This no doubt plays to our author’s personal experiences in life. In fact, it is these layers that develop a strong story, especially with the other characters that play a role. As the story unfolds, one thing is made clear. The powerful chemistry between Cam and Mikaela is undeniable.
With even pacing and crisp dialogue, this character driven story was truly compelling. Then when you factor in that it is a debut, that makes it all that more impressive. Also, the fact that we have a BIPOC character, one that imbues strength, and a powerful love story, are all factors that work well together to make this a fabulous read. I definitely look forward to whatever else Noué Kirwan has in store in the future.
Many thanks to HQN and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/3UlDMyFrDUM
August 10, 2022
POV: You've lost both of your parents and you're reading the mess of choices that Cam/Julie/Kaela have made while trying to navigate their grief through various losses.
This just didn't work for me. I want to say that it is extremely possible that due to my own losses, and my own personal dealings with grief; the lens of which I view this book from is different from many other readers.
Long Past Summer is well-written, engaging, and I think the author is going to have no problems finding their footing being loved in the romance community.
Kaela is a people pleaser to an extreme degree, and instead of learning to place healthy boundaries which is 100% her job to do, she hurts everyone around her when she eventually bubbles over. She also makes assumptions and reacts quickly to the impulse feelings that come up with those assumptions. This includes things that involve children which again, it's her job to heal the wound regarding those kids, not act out in a childish way herself.
Cam is a cheater who uses the grief of his loss and Kaela's mistakes as a way to justify his cheating. He's also borderline emotionally abusive and tries to rush Kaela into a relationship rather than understanding anything involving her career ambitions because he "doesn't want to lose her again".
Personally, I didn't like any of the characters, and I thought they were all toxic in their own way. To villainize Julie and give Cam such a free pass just makes use of the "blame other women instead of the guy" concept, and I hate that.
I would have much rather seen Kaela have a burst of self-growth and march off into the sunset on her own to finally heal from Julie/Cam, but instead there's a romantic HEA. This just didn't work for me, but I understand why many people will love it.
This just didn't work for me. I want to say that it is extremely possible that due to my own losses, and my own personal dealings with grief; the lens of which I view this book from is different from many other readers.
Long Past Summer is well-written, engaging, and I think the author is going to have no problems finding their footing being loved in the romance community.
Kaela is a people pleaser to an extreme degree, and instead of learning to place healthy boundaries which is 100% her job to do, she hurts everyone around her when she eventually bubbles over. She also makes assumptions and reacts quickly to the impulse feelings that come up with those assumptions. This includes things that involve children which again, it's her job to heal the wound regarding those kids, not act out in a childish way herself.
Cam is a cheater who uses the grief of his loss and Kaela's mistakes as a way to justify his cheating. He's also borderline emotionally abusive and tries to rush Kaela into a relationship rather than understanding anything involving her career ambitions because he "doesn't want to lose her again".
Personally, I didn't like any of the characters, and I thought they were all toxic in their own way. To villainize Julie and give Cam such a free pass just makes use of the "blame other women instead of the guy" concept, and I hate that.
I would have much rather seen Kaela have a burst of self-growth and march off into the sunset on her own to finally heal from Julie/Cam, but instead there's a romantic HEA. This just didn't work for me, but I understand why many people will love it.
August 2, 2022
Long Past Summer by Noue Kirwan
5 stars
Pub date: August 2nd
Mikaela is a force to be reckoned with as the successful lawyer who’s worked hard to move on from the shy girl from Georgia that she used to be. As she’s on the cusp of achieving everything she’s ever wanted, her firm assigns her a case that could blow up her perfect life. Her ex, Cameron, is being sued by his ex-wife and Mikaela’s former best friend, Julie. With all their old feelings and old hurts resurfacing, Mikaela has to face Cameron and Julie and the past they all share.
I feel like I say this a lot…but this book is SO GOOD! How is this a debut novel? I seriously got all the Colleen Hoover vibes with this one. The characters are so relatable and their conflicts so realistic that I kept turning those pages, rooting for Mikaela and Cameron to get the HEA that they so desperately deserved. The story is told solely from Mikaela’s POV and it moves between the present and the past seamlessly, showing us how Mikaela and Cam fell in love and how he ended up married to her best friend, instead of her.
Some of the heavier topics our characters are dealing with include grief over the death of a parent, biracial relationships, miscarriage, toxic friendships and the challenges women of color face in the workplace.
The plot is complex and full of depth, building upon the character’s backstory to explain the chemistry and tension between the MCs. This is a slow burn and it took me a while to warm up to Mikaela, but once we understand a little more of what happened in the past it becomes easier to relate to her. And Cameron is a sweet, cinnamon roll hero who would do anything to get Mikaela back.
This story has just the right amount of angst, humor and heart and I already can’t wait to read more from this author. Read if you like BIPOC rep, second chance romance, “it’s always been you”, interracial couple rep and the idea of fate. Thank you so much to Edelweiss and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced copy to read and review.
5 stars
Pub date: August 2nd
Mikaela is a force to be reckoned with as the successful lawyer who’s worked hard to move on from the shy girl from Georgia that she used to be. As she’s on the cusp of achieving everything she’s ever wanted, her firm assigns her a case that could blow up her perfect life. Her ex, Cameron, is being sued by his ex-wife and Mikaela’s former best friend, Julie. With all their old feelings and old hurts resurfacing, Mikaela has to face Cameron and Julie and the past they all share.
I feel like I say this a lot…but this book is SO GOOD! How is this a debut novel? I seriously got all the Colleen Hoover vibes with this one. The characters are so relatable and their conflicts so realistic that I kept turning those pages, rooting for Mikaela and Cameron to get the HEA that they so desperately deserved. The story is told solely from Mikaela’s POV and it moves between the present and the past seamlessly, showing us how Mikaela and Cam fell in love and how he ended up married to her best friend, instead of her.
Some of the heavier topics our characters are dealing with include grief over the death of a parent, biracial relationships, miscarriage, toxic friendships and the challenges women of color face in the workplace.
The plot is complex and full of depth, building upon the character’s backstory to explain the chemistry and tension between the MCs. This is a slow burn and it took me a while to warm up to Mikaela, but once we understand a little more of what happened in the past it becomes easier to relate to her. And Cameron is a sweet, cinnamon roll hero who would do anything to get Mikaela back.
This story has just the right amount of angst, humor and heart and I already can’t wait to read more from this author. Read if you like BIPOC rep, second chance romance, “it’s always been you”, interracial couple rep and the idea of fate. Thank you so much to Edelweiss and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced copy to read and review.
August 2, 2022
I received an ARC of Long Past Summer and this second chance romance was such a great read! Nouè Kieran wrote character with so much depth and heart that I felt every word in my bones. Mikaela is strong professional heroine. A badass attorney. And Cam is her cinnamon roll photographer hero.
He was supposed to be hers but ended up with someone else.
Now years later he’s back in her world.
THE ANGST!
THE CHEMISTRY!!!
Definitely treat yourself to this book! It’s the perfect summer read!
He was supposed to be hers but ended up with someone else.
Now years later he’s back in her world.
THE ANGST!
THE CHEMISTRY!!!
Definitely treat yourself to this book! It’s the perfect summer read!
August 23, 2022
I loved everything about this book! Noué is such a great writer and she brought these characters to life. I really enjoyed the flashback chapters with Mikaela and Cameron. They added so much depth and layers to them individually and to their relationship. The romance here was both swoon worthy and hot; but it was even better that these characters were older. As an ahem… older… reader, I appreciated that so much.
This is my favorite read of 2022 and I’ll recommend it to everyone!
This is my favorite read of 2022 and I’ll recommend it to everyone!
February 22, 2023
Gossip Girl level of drama and idk if I loved it or hated it, but I feel exhausted after reading about these peoples lives.
February 20, 2023
I wanted to like this book so much. The cover is beautiful and I always love a romance with a black main character.
Firstly Julie and Cam are the worst for many of the same reasons. Malkila allows both these two demons to destroy her peace and life then to end it all she ends up with Cam and will now have to deal with Julie regularly.
Gaslighting, Cam has a gold star in this - he regularly turns an argument into Maklaia's fault instead of focusing on his own.
- He cheated and said it was her fault for leaving and pushing her friend at him. In reality, she went back to school so she can make something of herself AND she thought since they both lost someone they could be friends and help each other NOT give them the green light to sleep together and have a baby.
Both Cam and Julie blame Makila for the fact that their marriage was bad and that they are awful although they cheated and put themselves in this situation.
Cam breaks up with Makilka because she puts her career first even after hearing her struggles with her career being a black person - his only moment of understanding is " that's not fair" umm yea it's not fair out there for black people - duh - then a few chapters later he breaks up with her for working too much... Make it make sense...
Then Marilia is with a good man who is a doctor and Cam crashes into her life and legit tries his best to break them up. Like he has no right he legit had two kids and married her best friend. I just cannot.
I mean Malika has her commitment issues I just wish she figured it out and ended up with the doctor.
I don't like Cam, not liking Julie is a given, but Cam was the worst of them all
I had a hard time reading Cam & Julie do their best to destroy this girl's life and then blame her for everything. I mean where do they get the nerve
I am not even going to get into Malika's relationship with her mom - I think that was the only area with development where people changed for the better.
Although I didn't love the content the writing was good. . The back and forth between times. The characters developments was there just not my cup of tea
Firstly Julie and Cam are the worst for many of the same reasons. Malkila allows both these two demons to destroy her peace and life then to end it all she ends up with Cam and will now have to deal with Julie regularly.
Gaslighting, Cam has a gold star in this - he regularly turns an argument into Maklaia's fault instead of focusing on his own.
- He cheated and said it was her fault for leaving and pushing her friend at him. In reality, she went back to school so she can make something of herself AND she thought since they both lost someone they could be friends and help each other NOT give them the green light to sleep together and have a baby.
Both Cam and Julie blame Makila for the fact that their marriage was bad and that they are awful although they cheated and put themselves in this situation.
Cam breaks up with Makilka because she puts her career first even after hearing her struggles with her career being a black person - his only moment of understanding is " that's not fair" umm yea it's not fair out there for black people - duh - then a few chapters later he breaks up with her for working too much... Make it make sense...
Then Marilia is with a good man who is a doctor and Cam crashes into her life and legit tries his best to break them up. Like he has no right he legit had two kids and married her best friend. I just cannot.
I mean Malika has her commitment issues I just wish she figured it out and ended up with the doctor.
I don't like Cam, not liking Julie is a given, but Cam was the worst of them all
I had a hard time reading Cam & Julie do their best to destroy this girl's life and then blame her for everything. I mean where do they get the nerve
I am not even going to get into Malika's relationship with her mom - I think that was the only area with development where people changed for the better.
Although I didn't love the content the writing was good. . The back and forth between times. The characters developments was there just not my cup of tea
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2022
Mikaela met Cameron when he was working at the police station after she and her best friend Julie had been arrested for their senior prank, flashing during halftime at the regional final football game. Mikaela had always felt that Julie outshone her, but that summer Cameron only had eyes for her. Mikaela had big long term plans for college and a career, but Julie set her sights on Cam for the long term. When Mikaela and Cam reconnect 20 years later she is representing him as a lawyer, against Julie who is now his ex wife and the plaintiff.
Chapters alternate between now and then, give glimpses of a romance building and collapsing as characters reconnect in the now. I really enjoyed this book, it was 100% for me. It had just the right amount of humor, sweetness, and angst. Told entirely from the perspective of Mikaela, I appreciated the way that other characters still showed their motivations and their growth. I liked a second chance romance where kids were involved, and considered in how the parent's treated each other.
As a librarian I'll be ordering copies of this book for our whole system, and promoting it as a great new contemporary romance. I received a digital advance copy of this book from Net Galley and the pubisher for the purpose of this review. All opinions stated here are my genuine opinions, and not representative of my library system.
Chapters alternate between now and then, give glimpses of a romance building and collapsing as characters reconnect in the now. I really enjoyed this book, it was 100% for me. It had just the right amount of humor, sweetness, and angst. Told entirely from the perspective of Mikaela, I appreciated the way that other characters still showed their motivations and their growth. I liked a second chance romance where kids were involved, and considered in how the parent's treated each other.
As a librarian I'll be ordering copies of this book for our whole system, and promoting it as a great new contemporary romance. I received a digital advance copy of this book from Net Galley and the pubisher for the purpose of this review. All opinions stated here are my genuine opinions, and not representative of my library system.
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February 12, 2023
The fact that this is an interracial romance, but the love interest (who is white) keeps screaming at and gaslighting the MC (who is Black) did not sit well with me. Her best friend is also white, and manipulates and uses her throughout the entire book. I’m sorry? These white folks were acting out left, right and center. How are Black women supposed to enjoy this 😭 and I know my good sis didn’t leave a BLACK SEXY DOCTOR to be treated this way in these streets. I get what the author was trying to accomplish (MC needed to find her voice and stop being a people pleaser) but at what cost to my reading enjoyment????? Even in the final pages, this white man was still screaming and gaslighting! I ain’t like that!
August 2, 2022
second chance romance with allllll the heart
I recieved an ARC of Long Past Summer and I can not recommend this book enough!!
Mikaela and Cam have my whole heart.
The writing is gorgeous. The chemistry off the charts. And the TENSION!!!
So so good.
I recieved an ARC of Long Past Summer and I can not recommend this book enough!!
Mikaela and Cam have my whole heart.
The writing is gorgeous. The chemistry off the charts. And the TENSION!!!
So so good.
September 9, 2022
Loved this book. I enjoyed the characters. The way they grew. There were moments I felt like I could see the room they were talking in. And I am a sucker for love stories. If you do too, I recommend this book.
August 6, 2022
Mikaela Marchand (Mike) is working as a high powered attorney in New York, planning on making partner in the next little while. The shy, follower from small town Georgia has moved on, until her image with that of her ex-BFF end up on the massive billboard in Times Square. The picture is on the cover of a high-profile magazine and Julie, the ex-friend, is suing the magazine and the photographer for using her image without permission. The thing is, Mikaela is counsel for the magazine, so is involved in the case. The other thing is that the photographer is Julie's ex-husband and Mikaela's ex-boyfriend, Cameron Murphy. Now you know, this is going to be complicated.
I had mixed feelings towards this book. The book is told in both the present and the past through flashbacks. I don't usually mind this style, but the flashbacks were so angsty, that I just wanted to skim through them. The present storyline is what I was interested in. Noué Kirwan does a great job showing us what women of colour deal with in the professional world, and how men can still get away with behaviour that would cause them to lose their job. The main competition for the partner position is a white man, who has made several errors of judgement, but is still being considered. When Mike is removed from the case due to conflict of interest, he is the one who replaces her, which causes her to see red. This book has young love, second chance romance, jealousy, vindictiveness, friendship, family, as well as finding what is important in life and fairness in the business world and the glass ceiling. As I said there were parts of this story that I really enjoyed and others that were just okay, but I recommend you pick this one up if the synopsis interests you to see for yourself. The audiobook was narrated by Nicola Lambo. She does a great job with the female voices, but this is a time where a male narrated was needed. The male voices were not good at all, and there were times, I had to rewind because I didn't realize who was speaking. Unfortunately due to that issue, I ended up reading most of this one.
I had mixed feelings towards this book. The book is told in both the present and the past through flashbacks. I don't usually mind this style, but the flashbacks were so angsty, that I just wanted to skim through them. The present storyline is what I was interested in. Noué Kirwan does a great job showing us what women of colour deal with in the professional world, and how men can still get away with behaviour that would cause them to lose their job. The main competition for the partner position is a white man, who has made several errors of judgement, but is still being considered. When Mike is removed from the case due to conflict of interest, he is the one who replaces her, which causes her to see red. This book has young love, second chance romance, jealousy, vindictiveness, friendship, family, as well as finding what is important in life and fairness in the business world and the glass ceiling. As I said there were parts of this story that I really enjoyed and others that were just okay, but I recommend you pick this one up if the synopsis interests you to see for yourself. The audiobook was narrated by Nicola Lambo. She does a great job with the female voices, but this is a time where a male narrated was needed. The male voices were not good at all, and there were times, I had to rewind because I didn't realize who was speaking. Unfortunately due to that issue, I ended up reading most of this one.
August 4, 2022
Updated: I made myself finish, and it is probably the least satisfying book I’ve read in a while.
I just can’t finish this. I am not a huge fan of YA these days (or flashbacks), and half this book is YA/new adult (in flashback). The deliberate obfuscation was pretty constant. I struggled to keep up with tone, having to reread a few times to understand the main character’s emotional state and perspective. Is she mad? Secretly pleased, hence the sudden outburst of chuckles despite the internal cringing and dread? Is she into the doctor boyfriend or no? I didn’t understand the sudden distancing from him aside from convenient plot machinations. Cam swings from irritating and smug to sullen and spiteful. The obsession with her friend is weird. The background drama is super weird. The sister seems like an asshole, and the mom dynamic was too much on top of everything else. Pick a few threads! Not every single relationship someone has needs to be complicated.
I don’t care enough about the characters to skim read this, so I read spoilers on the reviews to decide if I wanted to continue. I’m going with nah for now, though I will try this author again. I like her voice overall and there was some compelling writing in the present day parts. I think her next book could be better.
I lied. I skim read and it just got harder and harder to like anyone. It was a bit boring, and nearly everyone was kind of a jerk.
I just can’t finish this. I am not a huge fan of YA these days (or flashbacks), and half this book is YA/new adult (in flashback). The deliberate obfuscation was pretty constant. I struggled to keep up with tone, having to reread a few times to understand the main character’s emotional state and perspective. Is she mad? Secretly pleased, hence the sudden outburst of chuckles despite the internal cringing and dread? Is she into the doctor boyfriend or no? I didn’t understand the sudden distancing from him aside from convenient plot machinations. Cam swings from irritating and smug to sullen and spiteful. The obsession with her friend is weird. The background drama is super weird. The sister seems like an asshole, and the mom dynamic was too much on top of everything else. Pick a few threads! Not every single relationship someone has needs to be complicated.
I don’t care enough about the characters to skim read this, so I read spoilers on the reviews to decide if I wanted to continue. I’m going with nah for now, though I will try this author again. I like her voice overall and there was some compelling writing in the present day parts. I think her next book could be better.
I lied. I skim read and it just got harder and harder to like anyone. It was a bit boring, and nearly everyone was kind of a jerk.
May 28, 2022
Thoroughly riveting and emotional story with characters that pop off the page thanks to lots of fun details and a vibrant agility with dialogue. Mikaela's carefully curated life gets very messy very fast, and we get to watch her sort through her past and present as she sorts through a deeply complex love triangle.
Mikaela followed her ambition to the city; her best friend and ex bonded over the loss of her. But no one really got what they needed in that aftermath so the universe offered them a second chance via a high stakes law suit, and I loved how the author examined how we all much reckon with our youthful impulses, decisions at any point in life, grievances, anger, feelings of abandonment, unmet expectations, and desires again and again. All of the characters are great. Julie is charismatic and it's easy to see how she could talk you into fun--or the opposite. Mikaela's commitment, drive and intelligence adds depth to the narrative and to her inner thoughts, and Cam is worthy of the women surrounding him. At turns emotional, spicy, wry and knowing, LONG PAST SUMMER is a perfect contemporary romance with a lot to say about friendship and relationships, how people change, and how we deserve chances to reconsider what we once thought was the only way.
Mikaela followed her ambition to the city; her best friend and ex bonded over the loss of her. But no one really got what they needed in that aftermath so the universe offered them a second chance via a high stakes law suit, and I loved how the author examined how we all much reckon with our youthful impulses, decisions at any point in life, grievances, anger, feelings of abandonment, unmet expectations, and desires again and again. All of the characters are great. Julie is charismatic and it's easy to see how she could talk you into fun--or the opposite. Mikaela's commitment, drive and intelligence adds depth to the narrative and to her inner thoughts, and Cam is worthy of the women surrounding him. At turns emotional, spicy, wry and knowing, LONG PAST SUMMER is a perfect contemporary romance with a lot to say about friendship and relationships, how people change, and how we deserve chances to reconsider what we once thought was the only way.
July 21, 2022
(2.5/5) I really tried to finish this book, I really did. But I DNFed at 60%. I thought the author's writing style was engaging and easy to read, which is why it has as many stars as it does, but I couldn't get past the boundary issues and that happened in the book. I felt like the author really didn't explain or develop WHY Mikaela was friends with Julie or why she stayed with Cameron. I kept wanting to jump into the pages and offer her a copy of Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself and tell Mikaela to MOVE ON.
June 26, 2025
nothing really to talk about
July 16, 2022
"People make plans and God laughs."
This quote summarizes this story entirely while providing a lesson for its readers. What you think you're going to do only humorizes the lone entity that knows better.
If Mikaela had realized this mantra beforehand, her choices might have saved her time and anguish. But, what would life be if we, and Mikaela, walked around with bubble tape attached to our hearts?
Although miscommunication, an acknowledged romance trope, permeates this tale, love, coming of age, and the ongoing life aspect of "what if" lies beneath welcoming their drama and wonder by its final sentence.
While I believe this story could use an edit of at least fifty pages to cut some repetitive notions, and Julie should have received a little more comeuppance for her behavior, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Mikaela's a smart go-getter in the law field, but when love surrounds her, she doesn't often listen to its call, even when loved ones tell her to pay attention. No one's perfect, right? Cameron's adorable and a bit codependent (I'm willing to suspend disbelief and go with the flow). Alongside them, the supporting cast of characters rounds out a good romance wrapped in a late-stage coming of age for adults that still "don't get it" (whatever "it" is).
4/5
*Thanks to Goodreads, I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy*
This quote summarizes this story entirely while providing a lesson for its readers. What you think you're going to do only humorizes the lone entity that knows better.
If Mikaela had realized this mantra beforehand, her choices might have saved her time and anguish. But, what would life be if we, and Mikaela, walked around with bubble tape attached to our hearts?
Although miscommunication, an acknowledged romance trope, permeates this tale, love, coming of age, and the ongoing life aspect of "what if" lies beneath welcoming their drama and wonder by its final sentence.
While I believe this story could use an edit of at least fifty pages to cut some repetitive notions, and Julie should have received a little more comeuppance for her behavior, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Mikaela's a smart go-getter in the law field, but when love surrounds her, she doesn't often listen to its call, even when loved ones tell her to pay attention. No one's perfect, right? Cameron's adorable and a bit codependent (I'm willing to suspend disbelief and go with the flow). Alongside them, the supporting cast of characters rounds out a good romance wrapped in a late-stage coming of age for adults that still "don't get it" (whatever "it" is).
4/5
*Thanks to Goodreads, I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy*
August 2, 2022
Mikaela Marchand is living her best life, a successful New York Lawyer on partner track and a dreamy doctor boyfriend. Growing up in small town Georgia, she was overshadowed by her outgoing friend Julie, who is now suing her client for using a picture of the two of them on the cover of a high-profile magazine cover advertised all over the city. The tricky part is that the photo was taken by Mikaela's first love, and Julie's now ex-husband, Cameron. Unresolved feelings and jealousy are not a good mix.
I LOVED this book, one of my favourites of the year so far. In fact my favourite romance so far, for sure. I loved reading about a powerful black woman who is making strides in her career. The author did a great job of sharing the challenges that are uniquely faced by BIPOC women, especially in male dominated industries. The romance was SO good you could feel it. I loved the way the timeline went back and forth between Mikaela's high school years and present day, it really kept me interested as we slowly filled in the blanks, and it was hard to put the book down.
I recommend this book to those who love second chance romance and/or reading about strong female characters.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Thank you to HQN Books for the ARC!
I LOVED this book, one of my favourites of the year so far. In fact my favourite romance so far, for sure. I loved reading about a powerful black woman who is making strides in her career. The author did a great job of sharing the challenges that are uniquely faced by BIPOC women, especially in male dominated industries. The romance was SO good you could feel it. I loved the way the timeline went back and forth between Mikaela's high school years and present day, it really kept me interested as we slowly filled in the blanks, and it was hard to put the book down.
I recommend this book to those who love second chance romance and/or reading about strong female characters.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Thank you to HQN Books for the ARC!
August 24, 2023
I've been reading this book for 19 days... I should have DNF'd but I pushed through and what a waste that was.
The synopsis drew me in but this was a frustrating read that left me unsatisfied.
Mikaela, Cameron, and Juliette were competing to see who could be more selfish. Ughh, all of the characters sucked. There was no personal development at all. How have over twenty years past and 3 adults are still acting like children???
Whyyy didn’t anyone slap Julie?? She deserved it ten times over.
Mikaela was an insufferable MC. Cameron and Juliette played in her face the entire book and she never once stood up for herself. I just could not get into this at all.
The way Julie (White) treated Mike (Black) like a flunky annoyed me. Even from he beginning when they were teens, Julie treated Mike like her tagalong black friend. Julie was a terrible friend from jump and acted as though she deserved Cam (White) and Mike never stood a chance.
The racial tone in this did not sit well with me. There was a brief mention of the fact that life was different for Mikaela as a black woman but the mention is so insignificant, and never brought up again.
Julie and Cam were terrible. And Mike was terrible by association.
The synopsis drew me in but this was a frustrating read that left me unsatisfied.
Mikaela, Cameron, and Juliette were competing to see who could be more selfish. Ughh, all of the characters sucked. There was no personal development at all. How have over twenty years past and 3 adults are still acting like children???
Whyyy didn’t anyone slap Julie?? She deserved it ten times over.
Mikaela was an insufferable MC. Cameron and Juliette played in her face the entire book and she never once stood up for herself. I just could not get into this at all.
The way Julie (White) treated Mike (Black) like a flunky annoyed me. Even from he beginning when they were teens, Julie treated Mike like her tagalong black friend. Julie was a terrible friend from jump and acted as though she deserved Cam (White) and Mike never stood a chance.
The racial tone in this did not sit well with me. There was a brief mention of the fact that life was different for Mikaela as a black woman but the mention is so insignificant, and never brought up again.
Julie and Cam were terrible. And Mike was terrible by association.
July 25, 2022
⚜️My Summary
Thank you @harlequinbooks and @netgalley for sending me this amazing read! My first read by Noué Kirwan but this will not be my last. The beautiful, resilient, and timeless love story of Cameron & Mikaela. This book started out slow but took off towards the middle which made it hard to put down. I highly recommendthis book! It's been a while since I've read a good novel that was more than just a rom come. The story in the book was well written. A must read!
⚜️Likes/Dislikes
📚The character development.
📚Dislikes- Juliette
⚜️Can everyone read this book?
📚Absolutely! A must read.
⚜️Would I recommend?
📚A must read!!! I highly recommend!
Just Read Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you @harlequinbooks and @netgalley for sending me this amazing read! My first read by Noué Kirwan but this will not be my last. The beautiful, resilient, and timeless love story of Cameron & Mikaela. This book started out slow but took off towards the middle which made it hard to put down. I highly recommendthis book! It's been a while since I've read a good novel that was more than just a rom come. The story in the book was well written. A must read!
⚜️Likes/Dislikes
📚The character development.
📚Dislikes- Juliette
⚜️Can everyone read this book?
📚Absolutely! A must read.
⚜️Would I recommend?
📚A must read!!! I highly recommend!
Just Read Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 15, 2022
The flow of the writing is excellent. Mikayla is so relatable. Her relationship with Julie & Cameron is something that was very relatable as a woman of color. It's safe to say that I felt seen in this book and has helped spawn conversation around dating as a woman of color. I'm truly shocked that this is a debut book. Every character is incredibly fleshed out and dynamic. The journey that my emotions took while reading this book is a wild one. Perhaps this is corny to say but I hope this book becomes a movie one day.
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