Three months Two changed fates One chance to fall in love Aiden Emerson is an all-star pitcher and the all-around golden boy of Riverton. Or at least he was, before he quit the team the last day of junior year without any explanation. How could he tell people he’s losing his vision at seventeen? Straight-laced Olivia thought she had life all figured out. But when her dream internship falls … figured out. But when her dream internship falls apart, her estranged mother comes back into her life, and her longtime boyfriend ghosts her right before summer break, she starts to think fate has a weird sense of humor.
Each struggling to find a new direction, Aiden and Olivia decide to live summer by chance, letting coin flips, card pulls, and rock, paper, scissors make all the hard decisions. Every fleeting adventure and stolen kiss is as fragile as a coin flip in this heartfelt journey to love and self-discovery from the author of Love Songs & Other Lies.
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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***4 ‘Surprisingly Nice’ Stars***
This was a ‘surprisingly’ sweet, quick and ultimately fun character driven read that totally hooked me from page one and made it very hard for me to put to the side because I really wanted to see how things would end up for Aiden and Olivia, not only with their relationship, but to see who they’d become at the end of the summer.
Aiden and Olivia. It was hard not to like these two. Both are really good kids who fate, fickle biyatch that she is, has decided to toss a couple of curve balls at and now have to figure out new paths to follow which ends up leading them to each other. I thoroughly enjoyed watching as their relationship evolved throughout the story and how it helped them to gain more insight on who they wanted to be as individuals. Their bantering was all kinds of fun and sweet and I just really liked how well they flowed together throughout the story. Of course things aren’t smooth sailing for these two, from outside interference to their own decisions on how to deal with things, but, in the end, I really liked how everything worked out for them.
This is my first read by the author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was sweet, funny and quite low on angst, which was a welcome change of pace. While this is YA, it does lean towards the more mature end of the spectrum, but not so much that they had crossed the line into NA side of the coin too much. The supporting cast of characters were all well written, from the adults to the teenagers, but my favs were Ellis and Emma hands down. So, if you enjoy YA and are looking for something that isn’t super angsty, then this will be the read for you.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
This precious book absolutely warmed my heart and left such a big smile on my face! When Summer Ends by Jessica Pennington was the perfect cozy beach read and I was smitten with writing, the adorable characters, and the beautiful sceneries.
Here’s a little confession – I was approved for Love Song and Other Lies through Netgalley when I first started writing reviews and got a little carried away requesting for all the books I wanted to read. I never expected to get approved for so many and then BAM!! I had way more ARCS than I ever expected and I was overwhelmed. I’m still quite behind, but I’m slowly making progress. Anyway, I mentioning this because I LOVED When Summer Ends and Pennington’s writing is utterly beautiful and so wonderfully touching. I have a new to me author to add to my favorite list and I’m so excited to read whatever else she writes and to FINALLY read her debut novel this summer… which is when I’m planning on tackling my Netgalley TBR.
Okay, so now back to my review. You already know I loved the writing which was also really easy to read and had a lovely effortless flow. I thought the imagery, setting, and all the descriptions of the places were amazingly detailed and very fascinating. I felt like I was going on an adventure and exploring with Aiden and Olivia. From paddling down the river, swimming in the dark, and hiking to Aiden’s favorite places – I enjoyed every moment and had so much fun! The plot was a bit slow at times, but definitely not dull and never uninteresting. It was filled with fun lighthearted drama, adorably funny scenes, and sweet tender moments. I actually thought this would be emotionally heavy, but even though it wasn’t, it still made me cry. I liked and did not like the ending. Something happened that just made me feel like it was too convenient and I was hoping for a different, but still a HEA conclusion. Overall, I did think it wrapped up nicely and I was happy for the characters.
I LOVED Aiden and Olivia as individuals and as a couple. I really enjoyed their friendship and romance. I loved seeing them do new things and take chances. It was really nice to see how their relationship grew into something more. It was perfectly slow burn and the FEELS were totally amazing! They were so wonderful, intriguing, and likable. I loved their chemistry, their bantering, their playful flirtations, their swoony scenes, and all their adorable moments together. I thought they were so cute together and it was positively endearing to watch them not only learn from each other but also challenge each other to be better.
I love books that can make me feel connected to the characters and experience all their emotions. When Summer Ends did not disappoint and filled my heart with so much happy I can’t stop smiling just thinking about it. It was a beautiful story about moving on, taking chances, chasing new dreams, and falling in love. When you think everything seems to be falling apart, just remember that there might be something better — an unexpected new beginning or a wonderful surprise waiting for you. I really loved this book and Jessica Pennington is without a doubt an amazing storyteller that needs to be added on your TBR list!
This was a fun and sweet summer romance story with plenty of swoons that I think many contemporary romance fans will enjoy. It was heartfelt, absolutely charming, and a delightfully affecting read.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author and publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Olivia thinks that she has her life all figured out until her boyfriend ghost’s her, her summer internship falls through, and her guardian gets a new job that means they’ll be moving across country for her senior year. When she gets a job at the local outdoor company she gets to know Aidan, the golden boy pitcher on her high school team who quit suddenly at season’s end. They become unlikely friends who help each other learn to find a new brand of happiness, a happiness that includes each other.
Olivia has definitely hit a rough spot! She has imagined her future as part of her boyfriends family as a kind of replacement for what she’s lacked in her own life. She was abandoned by her mother and that fear of being alone makes her forgive a lot of things in her boyfriend that she might not have forgiven otherwise. When she and Aidan start their friendship they have so much in common. Although Aidan has a great family life, his own life is changing drastically due to his failing vision. He find solace in his art, and she finds solace in her writing. They have that creativity in common, and together they challenge each other, which is a big contrast to the safe relationship Olivia had previously. Their relationship felt real and was one I could easily buy into.
Aidan was a great YA hero. He was slightly tragic with his failing eyesight but was a truly wonderful guy. You really wanted Olivia to get over that old boyfriend and give Aidan a chance to win her over. Jessica Pennington’s style of writing is so comfortable and easy to read. While this story didn’t give me any extreme emotions I did really enjoy reading it and would recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of YA contemporary novels and wants a great book to read for the summer.
I absolutely adored Jessica Pennington’s debut Love Songs & Other Lies and I was so excited about having the chance to read her sophomore novel, When Summer Ends, early! I’ve been having the hardest time writing this review because I honestly loved When Summer Ends so much and don’t know how to put my thoughts into words. Anyway, I’m saying all of that because this review has turned into more of a love letter.
Olivia has everything figured out, but that all changes when her aunt announces that she got a new job in Arizona and that Liv will have to move before her senior year begins. All of a sudden everything else changes—her summer internship falls apart and her long-term boyfriend doesn’t see the point in continuing their relationship since she’s moving away. With no other summer job options, Liv turns to the River Depot where all the tourists hang out…and where the school’s golden boy, Aiden, works. Aiden’s the star pitcher of their high school baseball team. That is until an eye disease messes with his vision causing him to lose the playoff game and then quit the team on the last day of school. With a summer free of baseball, Aiden is excited about working on his art portfolio and at his family’s rental business.
Liv and Aiden’s POVs were fantastic! Both of their voices and struggles felt so realistic. It was so easy to get inside their heads and relate to them. I really liked how they knew of each other since they went to school together but never knew each other before this summer job. It was so fun seeing Olivia try new things with Aiden as he pushed her outside of her comfort zone. Also, I really loved how Aiden was this all-star athlete, but also that he is talented artist too! Yay for multiple interests! Yay for loving both sports and art!
The small-town setting and River Depot added the perfect backdrop to Liv and Aiden’s budding relationship. I loved all of the fun activities they did—the whole book just screams summer with all of the canoeing, exploring, late nights, and bonfires! Like Olivia, I’m not a huge outdoors person (although I was when I was little), but I would hike a sand dune any day if that meant I got to meet a guy like Aiden.
Another big part in the book was watching Liv slowly reconnect with her mother, who has been absent most of her life. The way their relationship progresses felt so natural and I really liked that they found something small (drinking tea in the morning) to bond over and how that helped jumpstart their living together. I’m glad that everything wasn’t 100% okay between them at the end because Olivia’s hurt feelings are valid, but I’m glad they are trying to move forward and mend their relationship.
Overall, you are going to want to add When Summer Ends to your summer reading list this year! Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson better make room for a new YA summer romance queen!
Aiden Emerson is an all-star pitcher and the all-around golden boy of Riverton. Or at least he was, before he quit the team the last day of junior year without any explanation. How could he tell people he’s losing his vision at seventeen?
Straight-laced Olivia thought she had life all figured out. But when her dream internship falls apart, her estranged mother comes back into her life, and her long-time boyfriend ghosts her right before summer break, she’s starting to think fate has a weird sense of humor.
Each struggling to find a new direction, Aiden and Olivia decide to live summer by chance. Every fleeting adventure and stolen kiss is as fragile as a coin flip in this heartfelt journey to love and self-discovery from the author of Love Songs & Other Lies.