The Summer of Lost Letters

Golden Doors #1

by Hannah Reynolds, Fabienne Pfeiffer (Translator)

Alles beginnt mit einer Kiste alter Liebesbriefe, deren Geheimnis die 17-jährige Abby zu entschlüsseln versucht. Kurzentschlossen reist sie nach Nantucket, von wo die Briefe damals an ihre Großmutter abgeschickt wurden. Hier trifft sie auf Noah, den charmanten Enkel des Briefeschreibers – in den sie sich Hals über Kopf verliebt. Doch je näher sich die beiden kommen, desto deutlicher wird, dass die Geschichte ihrer Großeltern sie stärker beeinflusst, als sie jemals gedacht hätten ...

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Summer, Summer Reads, Mystery

400 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2021

About the author

Hi everyone! I'm Hannah Reynolds, the author of A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DATING A DEMON, a cozy romantasy out Spring 2026. I'm also the author of the GOLDEN DOORS series, three contemporary romances filled with family secrets and history set on the New England island of Nantucket.

Reviews

[Hailey (Hailey in Bookland)]

Overall, I did like this one! But there were some things I wanted more of from it. I think the setting of Nantucket was well depicted and I definitely felt transported there. I enjoyed the relationship between Abby and Noah, and the mystery as they tried to figure out more about Abby's late grandmother and her relationship with Noah's grandfather. But I couldn't help but wish there was more in the way of reasoning as to why Abby had such a deep fascination with looking into the letters more. Besides the obvious, I wish that her relationship with her grandmother, even though her grandmother has passed, had been further explained. It felt like a catalyst for the story but not much more and I think that would've added more impact and emotion to the story. That being said, there was a lot of history I learned from this book and about Judaism and Jewish culture and I think those things were done really well. A good read overall, I just think some things held it back from being great.

[Arundhati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will start with what I liked about this book. It had a great start. After her grandmother's demise, Abby finds a bunch of love letters in her grandmother's possession. After some searching she finds out that these letters were sent by a guy named Edward post WWII, now residing in Nantucket. Abby decides to get a summer job in Nantucket and dig into her family history. There she makes few friends, goes to a lot of party and falls in love with Edwards grandson, Noah. I found their romance very cute. Their banter was adorable and their to and fro flirting was great. Yeah they start off at a wrong foot but they slowly build up a great friendship. Even though both were a bit stubborn and hotheaded, they worked pretty well. This is where all good things for this book ends for me.

Now coming to what I didn't like. THE PLOT. While reading I just kept on wondering WHY? Yes but WHY? Why tough? It didn't make sense Abby's total obsession on finding her grandma's root. Never did the book show how her relationship was with her grandma. So I couldn't personally invest myself in her insistence on knowing her grandmother's past, when she herself never ever mentioned anything to Abby while alive. It seemed absurd about being adamant on digging up the past, when it could clearly effect another family. She had no regards whatsoever for the consequences of her actions. Similarly I didn't get Noah's protectiveness over his family's image. Never understood why Abby's research should bother him sooo much. Why not just clear the air instead of being all secretive about it. It seemed more like a case of much ado about nothing.When I cannot understand the motivation behind my characters action, how I am supposed to like their story? There are so many things which didn't make sense. The end resolution?? Everyone's actions regarding the whole love letter situation did not make sense. Perhaps I felt like it was made a big deal of practically nothing.

The premise lured me in with a promise of lost love letters of past and a present romance. I wanted to be swept away with those love letters but we don't even get much of it. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I wanted to be blown away and I was not. Overall it is a light and breezy read. I felt the book tried so hard to be different and ended up doing totally opposite. I wished it was more deeper and meaningful. I guess my expectations are mostly the reason of my disappointment here.

[aarya · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Allison Parr’s contemporary sports romances, I was intrigued by her YA debut under a different pseudonym. Verdict: I enjoyed it! Recommended for fans of Jenn Bennett, and I think the blurb markets the book accurately.

This is a weird comp, but I had Taylor Swift folklore/evermore vibes bouncing around my head ("the last great american dynasty" for New England coastal mansions and "marjorie" for grieving a dead grandmother). The albums are a mix of happy and nostalgic and depressing, so I guess it fits (or maybe my brain just connects folklore to everything I consume). In my defense, the main plot is about sorting through the grandmother's lies and finding out what REALLY happened fifty years ago. Folklore! See, I'm onto something here. 😅

There's a cute YA romantic element with a sort-of-but-not-really-enemy, but that isn't what gave me the feels. Abby is grieving the death of her grandmother. She's not actively sad, but her journey to discover familial Jewish roots in pre-WWII Europe brings back betrayal (why did her grandma hide such a big secret about her early years in the states??) and closure (can they find their lost European hometown?). Not a perfect read for me, but the themes of bloodlines and grief are excellent.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Colleen Scidmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this story. It started out promising but after the first interest piquing couple of chapters it just didn’t quite follow through for me.

Abby a soon to be a high school senior, is at home the summer before. She’s bored and not in the best head space because her boyfriend recently broke up with her and her both of her best friends are not around and doing their own thing for the summer.

One afternoon she receives a box of her late O’Ma’s (Grandma) things. When Abby opens the box she finds a stack of love letters among her items. To her dismay they are not from her Grandfather, instead the senders address is from Nantucket and the letters are signed E.

Abby needing a distraction and wanting to find out more about her Grandmother’s past decides she’s going to use this as a thesis for College. She knows her O’ma fled from Germany as a child, all alone to the US in order to escape the Holocaust. But that is really all she and her mother both know about her past. Abby packs her bags and heads to Nantucket for the summer deciding she’s going to find out more.

She discovers the elusive E is Edward Barbanel, a very wealthy and respected resident of the community. Before Abby has a chance to question her O’ma’s previous suitor she has a run in with his grandson Noah. Abby is in awe because Noah Barbanel is gorgeous. But she quickly snaps out of it when she learns he’s also just as infuriating as he is handsome as he throws up as many roadblocks as he can to stop Abby from talking to his Grandfather. All in the name of protecting family dynamics.

Abby won’t back down and decides even if she uncovers uncomfortable truths she came to Nantucket to get answers. But as the summer stretches her attraction to Noah deepens and she trusts he will find a way to help her without causing drama for his family. Until one evening an event causes everything to come to a head and everything is thrown out of control and Abby’s not so sure Noah is the person she thought he was.

I’ll start out with the biggest issues for me.

After reading the books synopsis I was expecting this mysterious past meets present type romance, but nope, that’s not quite how things turned out. And the letters, which are in the title are more of a forethought. They are barely delved into which left the story kind of lacking.

Also there was so much secretiveness from everybody. Starting from O’ma herself. It just wasn’t explained very well and unwarranted IMO. Edward’s closed mouthed almost curt like attitude really pissed me off most of all.

There were definitely parts I did enjoy like Abby’s tenacity, even though she didn’t exactly consider other’s feelings at times. But I love seeing a strong, teen female lead that took charge and was unapologetic.

There is a part of this book when Abby is not badgering the Barbanel’s that is really fun. It gives great beach vibes as Abby hangs with her friends that she met on Nantucket. Going to beach parties and just being young and carefree. Oh how I miss those days!

Also Abby’s extensive vocabulary was quite interesting, she was definitely not the average teen. I think she knows bigger words than me..lol.

For me this book was just middle of the lane but I do think a younger audience will appreciate it more and find this to be a cute, coming of age beach read.

There is more item that I almost forgot to mention. Abby got a job for the summer in a book store. 💕That would be my summer dream job, working at a beautiful bookstore on a beachey island surrounded by all the books my happy heart could desire!

Thank You Penguin Teen for the Advanced eArc in exchange for my honest review.

[⋆˚࿔ avery˚✩٠࣪ · Rating 4 out of 5]

˚⋆✩٠࣪ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 ˚⋆✩

˚⋆ 4.5 stars ˚
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I have no complaints with this book!

This was a fun, interesting, and cute romance! I regret keeping this on my TBR for almost a year
✋😭

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[Rhonda 🌒🌕🌘 🐈‍⬛ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 🌟
3/5 ❤️‍🩹
4/5 ❤️
0.5/5 🌶️
0/5 🔎
0/5 😰


⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS:⛔️⚠️

Mention of holocaust survivors
Theft
Wronged love
Lie by omission

*Sorry if I missed any*

🗯️💬BOOK BLURB:💬🗯️

Seventeen-year-old Abby Schoenberg isn't exactly looking forward to the summer before her senior year. She's just broken up with her first boyfriend and her friends are all off in different, exciting directions for the next three months. Abby needs a plan—an adventure of her own. Enter: the letters.

They show up one rainy day along with the rest of Abby's recently deceased grandmother's possessions. And these aren't any old letters; they're love letters. Love letters from a mystery man named Edward. Love letters from a mansion on Nantucket. Abby doesn't know much about her grandmother's past. She knows she was born in Germany and moved to the US when she was five, fleeing the Holocaust. But the details are either hazy or nonexistent, and these letters depict a life that is a bit different than the quiet one Abby knows about.

So Abby heads to Nantucket for the summer to learn more about her grandmother and the secrets she kept. But when she meets Edward's handsome grandson, who wants to stop her from investigating, things get complicated. As Abby and Noah grow closer, the mysteries in their families deepen, and they discover that they both have to accept the burdens of their pasts if they want the kinds of futures they've always imagined.

🤔🧐🤯MY THOUGHTS:🤯🧐🤔

Not only was this book beautifully written but the messages it gives us are equally poignant. This brilliant coming of age novel about young love also teaches us about antisemitism, holocaust survivors and how they dealt or didn’t deal with survivor remorse. As well as doing things we don’t necessarily agree with but do anyway because it’s a selfless act and a way to make reparations. A sense of duty to family and even a little bit of women empowerment for a young girl to overcome her shyness and speak up for herself and what she wants in a relationship, her life, and feels is right.

I’m anxious to start book 2! 😁
Hannah Reynolds is also a new author for me

RATING KEY:

🌟 Stars - based on the overall plot and theme or idea of the book
❤️‍🩹 Emotions - based on how emotional I got while reading
🥰 Romance - based on how well I got invested in the love story aspect
🌶️ Spice - based on how the sex scenes were portrayed and written as well as the number of sex scenes
🔎 Mystery - based on how well it kept me guessing who, how and why
😰 Scary - based on how scared or anxious the book made me while reading

[Hannah Reynolds]

******UPDATE MAY 8: If you preorder a copy, you can get free swag and a deleted scene! Details here: https://www.hannahreynolds.net/preorder ******
_____________________

Hi everyone! I thought I'd use this space to tell you a little more about THE SUMMER OF LOST LETTERS:

- Part of the reason I wrote this book is because I've always been OBSESSED with my grandmother's past, especially as a teen. She and her younger sister, both French Jews, were hidden in a Catholic boarding school during the war; at 17, in 1946, she came to the States to live with distant relatives. TSoLL isn't based on my grandmother's experience, but it DOES have a 17-year-old heroine determined to figure out her own grandma's secrets, no matter what.

- Abby, the heroine, is super nosy, and Noah, her romantic interest, is very closed off and proud. Is this because I'M nosy and I read too much Pride and Prejudice growing up? Who's to say! (Me. Yes). All I ever want to read/write about are couples who clash immediately, and have to figure out if the sparks between them are, say, hot and sexy sparks, or if they're the kind that will BURN EVERYTHING TO THE GROUND.

- Abby works in a bookstore at 17, because, same. Did I include some of my bookseller stories in here? MAYBE. Is that because I was the queen of recommending books to people? YES.

- The parents in this book are only based on my parents when they are kind, loving and supportive. When they're driving Abby nuts, they're definitely not based on my parents. Seriously. This comment is unrelated to the fact that my parents read everything I write online.

- THE SUMMER OF LOST LETTERS is set on Nantucket, an island off Cape Code (off Boston). Growing up, I spent every summer visiting the Cape, and writing this book brought me back to those endless beaches, the salt air and sea breeze, and eating endless amounts of ice cream. (Weirdly, I didn't fall madly in love at Abby's age during these vacations, but hey, you take what you can get).

- THE SUMMER OF LOST LETTERS comes out June 15, 2021, coincidentally five days after my birthday (is this a guilt trip so you buy it? yes!! who am I too be subtle!) which means you can read it RIGHT as summer starts. You can add it right now on Goodreads, pre-order it through your fav bookstore, and sign up for my newsletter (https://www.hannahreynolds.net/newsle...) to get more news!

[Julia Guilardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A PERFECT SUMMER BOOK! This. Is. A perfect summer book! It has:

- A delightful beachy setting that made me want to book the next ferry from Boston to Hyannis
- A CAPITAL L Love Story™️ between two smart, funny, charming, imperfect characters who I would have wanted to be friends with in high school
- A MYSTERIOUS FAMILY HEIRLOOM
- A sense of nostalgia that made me reminisce on being 17 and having a carefree summer vacation and also thinking every single thing that happened to me was the most dramatic thing to ever happen to anyone (except Abby’s teen life was much more dramatic than mine ever was)
- Dialogue that made me laugh out loud!
- A mother-daughter bond that reminded me of my own bond with my mother and made me tear up!
- STRONG AND EMPOWERING FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS

Anyway, I loved it! Wholeheartedly recommend — would give it 10 stars if I could!

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

I hadn’t heard of The Summer of Lost Letters or Hannah Reynolds until I saw  aarya’s Goodreads review  for the author’s second YA book. She only had to say that the writing was reminiscent of Jenn Bennett and I was rushing to the library to see if they had a copy of The Summer of Lost Letters. 

2022 really seems like my year re-discovering my love for YA because a whole bunch of my favorites this year have been in the YA age group. This book, in particular, had everything I look for in a book: an epistolary element, a super swoony budding romance, friendship, and a great mother-daughter bond. 

The Summer of Lost Letters  opens up with 17-year old Abby discovering a series of love letters sent to her late grandmother by a mysterious person named Edward. Abby’s tight-lipped grandmother, her O’ma, has never mentioned this Edward nor did she ever mention her connection to Nantucket. In an effort to discover more about her mysterious history, she heads to Nantucket for the summer. In Nantucket, she finds more than she bargains for.

I really feel like The Summer of Lost Letters epitomizes everything I love in a good summer-y romance read and that begins with an excellent cast. Abby was a lovely character, who hides behind this somewhat shy but sarcastic facade. She’s subtly grieving her grandmother and her search in Nantucket is unbeknownst to her the way to keep her connection to grandma alive. She’s also a history nerd, so this is the perfect way to put her interests to good use. 

Though the primary purpose of the trip is to figure out Edward’s connection to her grandma, it ends up having a significant impact on her personal life. She learns to let go a little bit and to also open up to new friendships and a new crush. As much as I adored the historical detective work in this book, it was the more fun moments when she was able to fully embrace life that were my favorite. Of course, Abby is a teenager, and there are moments you, as an adult, want to shake her teenage shoulders. This happened to me when she begins to get almost obsessive about an heirloom belonging to her grandma. I had to remind myself though this was not only a teenager, but one who was also grieving.

Abby’s O’ma might not be a physical presence in this book, but she remained larger than life. She’s pivotal to the book. I loved how the author gave us insights into the resilient person she was through passages of her letters. O’ma fled Nazi Germany when she was only 4 years old, so the content is heavy and devastating at times. Additionally, there’s that thread of her unfulfilled love and her lack of HEA which makes the story even more heart-wrenching. 

There are moments of hope, however, particularly when Abby learns from her grandmother’s life story. Even more so, I loved how it helped strengthen Abby’s already strong relationship with her own mother. Healthy mother-daughter bonds in YA are always welcome in my books. Abby and her mother have an open relationship rooted in communication and love. It made me miss my own mom and you bet, I immediately gave her a call as soon as I was done with this book.

The Summer of Lost Letters wouldn’t be the perfect Nick summer book without a swoon-worthy romance. Friends, the book delivers. Ah! There’s just something about young love that gets me. Abby and Noah initially clash because he is Edward’s grandson. He fears that Abby’s questions will wreak havoc in his already complicated family and hurt his own grandmother. So, there’s some antagonism there at first, but he eventually agrees to help her out if she promises to take things slow. 

As the two team-up, an attraction between them simmers. It’s a slow-burn romance but one that gave me a ton of great feels. Noah is a complicated boy and he’s not very open with his feelings, so when he does little things here and there showing how much he cares in moments of softness towards Abby, a girl could only melt and sigh in happiness. He’s just so devoted to her and it’s incredibly sweet to watch. Their initial antagonism also meant that there was a whole lot of banter as well as will-they-won’t-they spirit to their relationship. I liked every minute of it, including the inevitable breakup before the HEA.

aarya’s comp of Hannah Reynolds to Jenn Bennett and Sarah Dessen is pretty accurate, in my opinion. If you haven’t read the book yet, I think The Summer of Lost Letters belongs on your summer TBR. Hannah Reynolds is now an auto-reader for me. I can’t wait to check out her next book and her backlist adult romance!

Content notes: reference to WWII, refugees, Nazi Germany, death of grandparent, grief, toxic family dynamics

Relationship disclosure: None

 

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delight!!!! A TRUE DELIGHT AND HERE IS WHY:
-summer vibes up the wazoo that make me miss being 17 which is really a feat, honestly
-so carefree, so fun, such great friendships and family and community and wonderfully realistic teen protagonist in dear Abigail
-I love the DRAMA! Necklaces, letters, grandparents, oh my!
-kissing!!! Romance!!! Teens figuring life out!!
-makes you want to go to Nantucket or at least the beach, stat
-makes me want to try harder to marry rich :)
-absolutely gorgeous writing and dialogue and all of it!
-the ending is cute and sweet and I was almost screaming Bc I needed the romance to be resolved!!!!!!!!!

so basically THIS BOOK ROCKS!!!

[SuperWendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, I loved this book! It has it all - romance, mystery, family drama, multi-layered characters and dynamite world-building. I fell in love with Noah and Abby and got sucked into O'ma's past, those love letters (!) and the mystery of the missing necklace. Also a dynamite ending that made me weepy with both sad and happy tears. Excellent. Really wonderful. I wanted to wallow in this world that Reynolds created.

[Marjie Lam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pure delight! Filled with wit and banter and a sweet love story that also managed to be relatable (teenage me would 100% have been best friends with Abby). Plus as a bonus she snuck in some great books recs. It’ll make you wish you were at the beach!

[book bruin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Summer of Lost Letters was an intriguing young adult novel with romantic and historical elements. I loved the Jewish rep in the novel and also learning about the Kindertransport program. I was really intrigued by the mystery surrounding the love letters, but I felt the pacing of the story itself was very slow and made the book feel overly long. The final reveal about Abby's grandmother and the letters felt a bit anticlimactic after so much build up, but I think it drove home the greater message of family really well. This is very much a story about family loyalty, love, and duty - for better or for worse. It's a story of mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and grandparents and grandchildren. As much as I liked the romance between Noah and Abby, the drama at the end felt contrived and the resolution too convenient. Overall, this was an entertaining novel, but I didn't love it as much as I hoped.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

[steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good YA book. I liked that both the hero and heroine were Jewish and practicing. You don't often see religion in YA portrayed positively like it was here. Also the parents were good parents who paid attention and cared about their kids which again, is sometimes hard to find in YA books. So those two things definitely made me bump this up a star.

I really liked Abby and Noah, their romance felt believable and completely teenage-y. The plot line of her grandmother was super interesting even though the ending wrapped things up a bit too perfectly for me. But then again, it's not real life so I gave it a pass. All in all, fantastic novel and extremely well written/engaging. I'd read future books by this author.

[BookNightOwl · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful summer read. When Abby's grandma passes away she finds love letters that were written to her grandma that were not from her grandpa. So Abby decides to take a trip where the letters took place. It's a summer she will never forget. This book is for fans of Morgan Matson or Kasie West. A-

[Danni · Rating 5 out of 5]

five stars, definitely recommend, this book was so WONDERFUL

Let me list the all the reasons I loved it:
- so much witty banter
- takes place on Nantucket, perfect for reading at the beach (lots of ice cream and ocean and summer fun)
- a really perfect mother / daughter relationship that felt very familiar????
- the main character works at a BOOKSTORE and there's lots of talk about BOOKS which I always love
- GREAT SNARK
- a very swoony, adorable romance with so much delicious tension
- and also some very fun kissing!
- the main character's home town is South Hadley which is where I went to college and lived for 4 years so that's fun!
- AND THEN YOU PROBABLY THOUGHT I WAS DONE BUT there's also a really fascinating plot about a grandmother's letters and family secrets and World War II history and WOW I didn't want to stop reading
- also a missing necklace
- and a PERFECT ENDING I loved it so much so so so satisfying and good

[Bobby's Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE SUMMER OF LOST LETTERS is a CHARMING and ROMANTIC summer novel that had pure emotions inside! Filled with historical elements of World War II and the Holocaust, this book is perfect for historical fiction and mystery readers! The story follows Abby as she explores her grandmother’s history after receiving letters in the mail about a lost necklace. She then stays the whole summer at Nantucket to find her answers, until she meets Noah and together, he helps Abby solving her grandmother’s lost necklace. But what’s more important to Abby? A necklace or a relationship with Noah? A beautiful novel that everyone must read in the summer!

[noelle ! · Rating 5 out of 5]

♥️✨THIS WAS SOOOO CUTE ✨♥️
I loved all the characters (except for Edward Barbanel 😒) and the setting was super cute. (Nantucket) I loved how it was a mystery/romance, considering how she fell in love with a Barbanel while searching for her grandmas past, as she has no clue whatsoever about what happened, and can’t ask her grandma (gee, I wonder why…)

[Annie Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this one! Highly recommend for fans of YA romance, YA coming of age, and those who love a complex family history & family secrets. Perfect summer read!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the author's adult books very much, and was very excited to pick up their YA debut. I really loved the characters and connections between them, as well as the history that's woven into this. The twist at the end was maybe a bit much and the passing it back and forth between people did make me roll my eyes a bit but I'm so glad to have read this and can't wait to see what the author does next.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars with a round up to 4!

So this was really a fun and enjoyable read. There were some silly parts, and sometimes it was a bit over the top, but really--- it added to the enjoyment of the story. In particular, I completely enjoyed the family drama and history of both sides of the family. The setting on Nantucket was just a sea breeze of fresh air as well.

Seventeen-year-old Abby Schoenberg is a cute Jewish girl who loved her grandmother and wants to know more about her life before her mother was born. She finds "the letters" in her Grandmother's possession and begins reading them to reveal a woman that she never knew. I guess that nobody wants to think of their parents or grand having a love life before they were born, but these letters leave little to the imagination, except who Edward really is. The letters came from a mansion on Nantucket and Abby sets off to solve the mystery.

But Abby ends up in her own love affair with Edward's grandson as the mystery begins to ravel. This was a good read, better than average but not quite 4 stars. I did end up rounding the stars up, but there is that little tiny lag. One thing I did love was the Jewish aspect of the book, it was just so warmly delivered that it added that extra to the review.

3.7 stars

Happy Reading!!

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this, what a perfect summer book!

I was super confused as to why this book had two authors, until I realised they're the same person, only a different pen name. Given that I liked Allison Parr's new adult books, it's no surprise that the writing style worked for me here as well.

I liked the romance quite a bit, but I was mostly here for the grandmother WWII storyline and the descriptions of Nantucket. The creation of the setting was most excellently done and I'm ready for my own summer vacation now.

Can't wait to read the other book this coming holiday season sometime.

[nitya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for MLIS elective

Very sweet and intriguing read! I am weak for secret love letters and class difference subplots 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

For the record this is a YA contemporary. There are references to World War Two and the Holocaust though.

Content warning: Harry Potter references (this was written in 2019 but I am noting anyway), anti-Semitism (as a theme), classism, death of a loved one

[Jennifer ➰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SUMMER OF LOST LETTERS follows 17 year old Abby Schoenberg. After her O’ma’s passing, Abby finds love letters written to her O’ma from a mystery man named Edward from Nantucket. Abby doesn’t know anything about her O’ma’s past other than the fact that she traveled from Germany to the US at only 5 years old, fleeing the Holocaust. Hoping that Edward could tell her about her O’ma’s story, Abby sets her plan in motion: she’s going to spend the summer in Nantucket. There, she meets Edwards grandson, whose determined to stop her from imploding his family.
-
I was expecting to like this story, and I’m happy to say I ended up loving it. This was such an enjoyable read. Though my heart was heavy with grief for Abby’s O’ma and her O’ma’s parents, it was wonderful to see Abby discovering their history. In the beginning I thought the story may be too rushed (things were falling into place too easily), but eventually I think the pacing settled into a more comfortable rhythm. I enjoyed the romance, the friendships, the setting, and the unraveling of the mystery. Also, I’m now desperately wishing I had a summer job at a bookshop in a beach town. This is a great summer read!
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4.5/5 stars, THE SUMMER OF LOST LETTERS by Hannah Reynolds is available June 15, 2021!
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Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for sending me an eARC to review.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

This book had me locked in, between the history and the Nantucket setting it was absolutely perfect. I love abby so very much, everything about her is perfect, I loved her confidence which I rarely see in characters in YA books, I loved how she knew her worth and knew that she was beautiful, it was endearing and refreshing. Noah was adorable, everything about him was wonderful and the dialogue was perfect between them. The history was great although i’d love if we got more backstory as to WHY abby was so focussed on figuring this out, perhaps if we got flashbacks to her with her grandma, or an indication of how close they were. There was a lot of telling and a lack of showing which I think would’ve helped with the development of the story. But overall I loved it, it was adorable and fun and it just made me want to swim and sail and discover small bookstores and talk to new people.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 glowing stars!!!!!
I loved this a lot. A cute summer book with old love letters and family history. How could any sane person not adore that? Also, I read this book in 2 days! After not reading for 2 weeks! I'll beat the school business slump! Anyway, that was a little off topic😆😉

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this dreamy summer romance set among the rambling roses and sprawling mansions of Nantucket. Old love letters, family secrets, Jewish identity. So, so good!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Young Adult/Contemporary. There was plenty to like about this one. I loved the genealogy story line. That always reels me in because I like to listen to the family history stories of others, even when it's fictional.

I liked the female MC, Abby. I liked her sass and her mission. I loved her relationship with her mother.

I also liked the dialogue. It felt completely believable and it kept the story tethered to the reality the author was painting.

Now there were more than a few predictable elements in this. Not my favorite. But by the time the reveal came, I didn't care so much because I already liked the characters and the story. So 4 stars.

[Madison Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was so good omg. 10/10 an unexpected read bc mike randomly picked it out for me bc he thought it looked interesting and it was amazing. anyone who knows me knows i love romance novels and history and this was a perfect combination of the 2. some parts of this book i just felt so connected with it made my chest hurt. the descriptive writing was so beautiful i felt like i was on nantucket with abigail and i’ve never been there. the romance was so sweet everything was just perfect.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book a little bit spicy at times but really good.❤️‍🔥 I like all the stuff that they find out about her grandmother. Sometimes it can be a little boring but most of the time it's not.
Noah's the stereotypical hot guy, but in a good way? Abby is a little dramatic at times but that's ok. Anyway it's the type of book where you can't put the book down. So I would probably give it 4.2.