Summer Reading

By: Jenn McKinlay

Narrated by: Kelsey Navarro Foster

Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

When a woman who’d rather do anything than read meets a swoon-worthy bookworm, sparks fly, making for one hot-summer fling in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay's new rom-com.

For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha’s Vineyard at her family’s tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she’s tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there’s no place Sam, who has dyslexia, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library’s interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.

Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he’s never known. He’s taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn't interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can’t stop thinking about her.

An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she’s always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.

* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF that contains recipes from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Jenn McKinlay (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"With the light touch of a whisk-you-away rom com, Summer Reading explores some of the most important relationships in our lives. The characters are fresh and beautifully drawn, and the chemistry is magic. It’s the perfect summer vacation." —Annabel Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off Script

"Summer Reading is a pure delight! Has all the elements of a perfect story: small island setting, a feisty yet vulnerable heroine, and a nerdy hero who stole my heart." —Jennifer Probst, New York Times bestselling author of Our Italian Summer

“Add to this McKinlay’s flair for capturing just how family and friends can make us feel both vulnerable and strong, conveyed in breezy writing buoyed by quippy banter and sizzling sexual chemistry, and you have a book that is pure reading bliss in any season.” —Booklist (starred review)

Well crafted characters

Having read many of Jenn Mckinlay’s books, I’ve come to expect strong main characters. She does a great job of portraying warm but realistic family relationships. Her teal life as a “boy mom” is on full display in this novel. The teen brother of the main character is a delight and spot on.

Not the best

I listen to a lot of Jennifer McKinley books and I usually LOVE them, and listen to them multiple times. I picked this book because the main character is neurodivergent, and so am I. I have ADHD so I thought the concept was neat. That being said, this book was not the best. It started sooooo slow and the narrator took a while to really get into reading the story. The Narrator just really didn’t keep my attention. It did pickup and get better the last 2 hours, but it was a struggle to even get to that point. 3/5 stars, wouldn’t listen again.

Elementary at best

Very basic writing. I felt like I was reading a 6th grade essay. As a mom of dyslexic kiddos, who struggles from dyslexia as well, I was excited for this book, but if I hear neurodivergent one more time, I’m going to scream.

Less victim mentality, more reality please.

Made me cringe

The term “neurodivergent” was so overused I wanted to pull my hair out. I’m a mom of a child with dyslexia and thought this had potential to be great…it fell short. The reader’s voice also didn’t work for me- Even speeding it up didn’t help. Overall I liked the story, it was just a little hard for me to move past those things.

Perfect summer story

Loved this book. It made my 2 hour a day commute just fly by. Samantha and Bens story was great but I really think I loved the sibling bond Between her and her brother even more! I wasn’t a fan of the narrator and really hope the next book has a different one and I hope the next Book is about Emily!

25 yr. Old Summer

Easy read about a summer of unexpected happenings. Fun to read and takes you to an easy summer.

Great for dyslexic readers and reading

Great for dyslexic readers and reading. I love that you did so much research about dyslexia.

Meh

The story was fine, but I’ve never seen characters who need therapy more in my life. Being neurodivergent isn’t an identity, and neurodivergent people aren’t victims, and being neurodivergent isn’t the only thing they think about. The extent to which the author allowed Sam’s dyslexia and ADD to be the only real driving forces or key personality traits for her character felt totally artificial and forced, and felt like a total charicature of what it’s actually like to be a neurodivergent person. I can tell the author tried here but she overshot and by the end of the book I just felt annoyed by most of the characters.