Sunset Summer

by Stephanie J. Scott

Sometimes being the good girl means everyone loses.

When my parents sentenced me to geriatric exile in a sleepy beach town for the summer with my grandparents, I tried everything to stop it. I’m the good girl. The straight-A student and the newly elected co-captain of my high school track team. Only my sister Grace ruined everything. Grace, a rebel with a party girl reputation, insisted I join her at a party on her graduation night. All to be her designated driver. Too bad I only had a learner’s permit—and crashed her car. Oops.

Now, I’m in deep trouble with my parents and the court. My punishment means I’m trading team runs for scrubbing toilets at my grandparents’ Lake Michigan coastal inn. Any free time is used up working service hours at the local community center to show the court I deserve a driver’s license.

Then I meet Will. He’s cooler than I could ever hope to be with dyed black hair and piercings. He finds me on the beach and we talk through sunset. I need a friend right now and Will is here, listening. Only he’s a bad boy and that spells trouble.

But Will isn’t as he seems. His bad-boy image hides deep hurts I’m only beginning to uncover. Time with Will feels like an escape. I might actually make it through this summer.

The trouble is, I’m falling for Will, and I have secrets of my own. If Will finds out what really happened the night of the party, we’ll lose everything we’ve built.

Sunset Summer is a young adult summer job romance and the second book in the Love on Summer Break series.

content warning: sibling alcohol abuse, death of a family member

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Ebooks, Summer

ebook

Published June 6, 2022

About the author

Stephanie J. Scott writes light-hearted, quirky romance and young adult. She enjoys dance fitness, everything cats, and has a slight obsession with Instagram. A Midwest girl at heart, she resides outside of Chicago with her tech-of-all-trades husband and fuzzy furbabies.

I spend a lot of time on Instagram! @stephaniejaynebooks

More about books & my author newsletter at:
www.stephaniejscott.com

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute! They also kept talking when there was a conflict or misunderstanding, which is rare!!!
3.5/5

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third book by Stephanie Scott and the second in the Love On Summer Break series.
The story follows Holli who is sent to spend the summer with her grand parents after a party gone wrong and Will, a new kid in town who leads the community center service group. There are several sensitive subjects covered in this book such as alcohol abuse, car accident, death of a family member and complex family relationships.

This was an emotional read for me as the topics brought up in the books are not easy ones to face and Stephanie does a great job at being sensitive about them as well as realistic in the portrayals of high school students emotions and reactions. The two main characters go through quite a journey of self discovery and self acceptance. The supporting characters are just as compelling and the picture of small town liked in the summer is really well captured.

I recommend this whole series and I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

[Tina Heitner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this young adult romance was okay. Young summer teenage romance. I liked Holli- we would be friends. I think a lot of people could relate to her. But Will I didn’t really like. Something about him was just off. These teenagers had to deal with a lot of personal and family drama. I received this book from a stuff your kindle event.

[Toni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Und was ist jetzt das Ende?

Die ganze Zeit ging es um die Verhandlung und am Ende kommt nicht mal raus, wie sie jetzt verblieben sind 😫

Das 1. Buch war gut, aber dieses hat sich lesen lassen, wie eine Fanfiction von einer 12-Jährigen.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

lovely little reading

[Elly Valdes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another one at the lake - nothing to write home about

[Anna Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love sweet innocent romance, a high school summer fling. It was uplifting, cute and adorable that made the book a fast read

[Jacquelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little summery read. It’s a “gets-sent-to-live-with-grandparents-as-punishment-and-meets-a-cute-boy” kind of trope. I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy its cheesiness. :)

[Issababy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunset Summer is a fun young adult read.

It all started when Holliday "helped" her sister, Grace, by being her designated driver, even though Holli only had a learner's permit. And neither of them should have been at the party. Because of this Holli is forced to spend her summer, away from her home and her track team, with her grandparents working at their coastal inn. She tries hard at first to get out of it, but as time goes on she realizes that it's not so bad. She makes new friends at her court appointed community service and meets a special guy.

But Holli has a big secret that threatens to ruin it all. She needs to make some tough decisions and grow up a little before she can find true peace. But will she be able to do that? And what effect will it have on her fledgling relationship? Read it to find out... I'm glad that I did.


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dana Kneram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance but drama

I thought this book was just going to be a summer romance book. However there was some drama and even some life lessons. It really makes you think about your own life.

[Bella Junior · Rating 3 out of 5]

A feel good easy read with a classic “sent away for the summer and meets a guy” theme.
It had a semi predictable start but then the middle got me a bit. There were several storylines at ones but the same characters but hey, I’d say if you’re looking for something comfy to read, this might be it!

[Inah (Fueled By Chapters) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading Sunset Summer given how much I enjoyed the first book, All Last Summer, last month! Scott’s writing style really made it easy to connect with the story.

To be honest, I’m a little over the good girl and bad boy dynamic so I was a bit hesitant with this one. But it turned out to be amazing! The book also dealt with more serious topics which I think balanced well with the light fluffy romance. Somehow, it reminded me of Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles, one of the early YA books I’ve read.

Much like Lila in All Last Summer, Holli’s summer didn’t turn out well as she had planned. I think that’s the only thing that truly connects the books. The recurring theme can set expectations for readers and may come across as formulaic, but I’d say this one surprised me as well.

One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the depth of the characters and their growth as the story went by. Both Holli and Will were dealing with issues of their own, but not one second did it have my the dreaded “I will fix you” stuff. They were both patient and were willing to listen to each other. God, I love it when relationships depict open and healthy communication.

As the story unfolds, we learn Will’s backstory. Will was actually more open about himself compared to Holli, which I liked. Although to Holli’s credit, she also tells Will the truth about what happened to the party, her truth.

Conflict ensues, but I’m glad it didn’t drag out and both Holli and Will were mature enough to resolve it. Although, it took a bit more for Holli’s family to face the truth and the consequences. I really love how Holli shaped up to be her own person and stand up for herself. While she took matters into her own hands, it helped that she had support from her Grandparents, Will, and her best friend, Tala.

Obviously, I can’t say much about the topics of alcoholism and drug abuse, but I think that the book was able to give justice to the issues incorporated in the story.

While Sunset Summer dealt with more heavy topics, the book was overall light-hearted and heartwarming. Will and Holli’s chemistry was super adorable and cute! Will was such a softie beneath that bad boy facade and I’m here for it!

Ultimately, this was Holli’s journey of finding herself outside the shadow of her sister and her family. I really had a great time reading this one, and I think my only issue was I didn’t connect to Holli as much as I hoped I would.

I definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a mix of light-hearted and emotional summer read!

**
For more book reviews, visit my blog: Fueled By Chapters

[Cherise Traum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a refreshing young summer romance. A story that not only introduces young love but was very eye opening to many of the challenges that teens face today. How they are end up coping with them and what the effects of peer pressure can mean. Have you ever thought about what it is like being a teenager faced with the choice of drinking underage? The possible peer pressure and what happens when you are in a situation with someone you care about or even love who has been drinking, can you make the difficult decisions in order to keep everyone safe. So we meet a very sweet girl, Holliday (Holli) who lives in the shadow of her older sister. You see, Holli is a good kid who does things right but it is all overshadowed by her sister who parties. Holli loves her sister and because of this love would do anything for her. You see though her sister has a problem, she doesn’t know that she has a drinking problem. Holli is young and idolizes her sister so she doesn’t understand that her sister has a problem either. This all leads to one terrible night, a terrible mistake and now Holli is the one paying the price. Holli was in an accident, driving a car where she didn’t have a license and her sister was drunk and she wrecked the car and her sister was injured. So now as part of the court order punishment Holli is going to stay with her grandparents for the summer, doing community service. Here she will make friends, find love from not only her family but also a young man who is sweet on her and begin to find herself. She will face many complicated situations and decisions that no teenage should have to do, but so much more. I think this was an amazing story that was so eye opening in so many ways. To see how Holli’s story works out and the steps along the way this is a definite read. It will open your eyes to many of the affects families can go through when alcoholism can touch their lives, how kids can cope with it negativity and positivity. Hopefully you will be inspired after reading this book as well.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[LauraAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** No Intentional spoilers here, but some may think there are, so please be aware***
3.5 Stars
This was a pretty fast read for me. This book to me was a cute summer romance with a touch of self discovery and learning the meaning the of family.
Meet Holli - the girl who would do any and everything to protect her family. She is the perfect daughter, student and everything in between. But sometimes that is can be overwhelming. I also had to keep remembering her age... I think you will understand once you start reading.
Something big happens and she is sent away for the summer with her grandparents.
To me at this point when you hear what happens, is when I had the light bulb moment and went, hmm I wonder if this is what happened.
I'm not saying that I am right, but I still had a the aha moment.
Of course whenever a teenager is sent away they are not happy. What makes matters worse in this case - no one really listens to her I don't think, everyone in her family is just mad. But no one actually listens. She learns the hard way that sometimes family can be the most difficult thing in the world and even though we need them to change for the better that isn't always what happens.
Meet our Will - he's something - See I think that a lot of people are going to LOVE him, me... I don't know... I really feel like there is just something about him. I don't know what it is...

I enjoyed how the story moved along quite nicely - we got to meet a lot of fun characters long the way.
What I love about stories is my ability to see the characters in my mind, but I wasn't able to do that here. But that doesn't mean the writing or the story was bad, please understand that.
I wanted to know more...I felt like I need more. I just didn't get more. It wasn't my favorite of the year, but it was still a cute, fun fast read to get you ready for the summer time.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two in The Love On Summer Break Series and it is Holli and Will's story. Holli is the good girl with great grades but one night changed everything so she was Sent to her grandparents who live in Lake Michigan and owns a inn and Holli had to work for them and also the local community centre to show that she can be responsible and deserves to get her driving licence and that is when she meets Will while she was on the beach. Will is the bad boy and trouble with a capital T but the connection they have between them is so strong but what will happen when all the secrets are revealed, will it tear them apart or will it make them stronger only time will tell. I really enjoyed reading this book as it was so well written with great characters and storyline. This is the first book that I have read by Stephanie J Scott but definitely not the last as it was a real page turner and I definitely recommend you read this book and you will not be disappointed.

I Voluntarily Reviewed an Arc Copy of this book.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book I've read written by Stephanie J. Scott; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

This is the second book in the Love on Summer Break Series; Holli has always been a good girl until she goes to a party with her sister and ends up wrecking the car; she only has a learners permit so now she’s in trouble with her parents and the judge sentenced her to community service; as punishment and to serve her community service she is sent to spend the summer with her grandparents working at their inn. She meets Will at the beach; he comes across as a bad boy but after getting to know him she’s not sure if he’s as bad as he comes across.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bookishdays · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this young adult romance because it's adorable and cute, but also addresses some serious subjects like alcoholism and driving under the influence. Holli is the perfect student and daughter, but when a party goes wrong she has to protect her troubled sister and she commits a mistake. Now her summer plans are cancelled, Holli is sent to Deer Cove to work at her grandparent's Inn and was sentenced to serve her community service hours in the local community centre. But then she meets Will, a cool local boy who will change her summer for the better.This is a sweet story about first love set in a beautiful small town with lots of summer sunsets and campfire pits.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Devons book corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, easy read that flows nicely, has likeable characters, and is a good in between book if you're looking for something light and fun. When Holli gets sent to her grandparents' house for the summer due to some things that happened with her and her sister, she is sure that this is going to be the worst "prison" sentence ever. Little does she know that she will actually make friends, one of which is a boy that seems to really like her, and vice versa. Both Holli and Will are working through their own issues, but they both seem to help each other as well. This small-town story will leave you with a smile.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed "Sunset Summer" by Stephanie J. Scott. This is the second book in the series and it was just as good as I was hoping it would be. I love the clean YA romance. The storyline is fun and the characters are well written and engaging. I hope to see this series continue one with more of these entertaining books.
This book is a great addition to your book collection.
Happy Reading...enjoy!

[Michaela | Reading in the Heartland · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was cool finding out this book would be about Holli. She was a very peripheral character in the first book- but a sweet and quiet girl that you really did want to know more about. This book covered a lot of tough issues and I really liked how it wasn’t full of pat and cliche answers and reactions. It was a great YA read.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Beth Livingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sunset Summer" by Stephanie J Scott is a good read. It was a good clean YA romance book. This is the second in the Love on Summer Break series. I'm glad we got a chance to see Holli's story. I really like her chemistry with Will. I did feel like I was missing something but I can't put my finger on it. I'm giving this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Justine · Rating 2 out of 5]

actual rating ⭐️ 2.5 ish?

the ya is strong with this one. a lil too strong for me but it had its moments mixed in with the poor writing.
(did not get why the family was so mad at her though when she said she was the one who drove. that would have been the right choice instead of the drunk sister driving like???)
but anyways yeah. didn’t hate it but also don’t care about it either. moving on now byeee 🫡

[SB · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this was still a great book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did the first book. I really enjoyed Will and Holli, they are great together and help each other grow strong again after dealing with family traumas.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the first person point of view of the story, this is a huge deal breaker for me. I really liked Hollie. I liked her as a character and her voice really pulled me into the story.
I couldn't put this story down. 5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lili · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - enjoyable while it lasted, short, fun and (slightly) more memorable than book 1.
This book was more mature than book 1 yet still firmly in the ya genre. The author's writing developed and became stronger from book 1 to this.
I felt more for the characters, the emotions were conveyed better and I remember the character's names (I mean the bar is low...) and I wanted to pick it up (but mainly to finish it and get off my tbr)

[paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

they had to go through and deal with so much as a teenager, i feel like that’s why they were drawn to each other. they are both so mature. you can’t save everyone, you can try and influence them, but ultimately they have to save themselves. a person’s actions not only affect them, but the others around them.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a good, and enjoyable sweet wholesome romance read. The story has a good story line. The characters are good, and they have good chemistry.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rach H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Holli and Will's story.
It was a story full of emotion and drama that kept me really entertained through out the book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Friends to lovers. Teens at a summer town. Drugs and death in the plot. A little too intense at times, especially considering the age of the characters for me.
Main char is Holli, her sister Grace. The boy is Will, driver of a community center.
Not so bad.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Will & Holli's book. It was an entertaining read. I got a copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my honest review.