The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest

Your next favorite beach read has arrived.

The Summer Girlfriend is the perfect beach read and the cover alone deserves a moment of appreciation.

Fake relationship is one of my favorite tropes and Kristina Forest does it beautifully here. What makes this one work is that Noelle and Jeremiah feel meant to be together from the very start. The arrangement has an end date, which keeps the angst light, but the emotion is fully present. Jeremiah is carrying real grief over the loss of his grandfather and a deep sense of not belonging in his own family. Noelle is navigating her own challenges with school and work. Watching them show up for each other while pretending not to fall was quietly wonderful.

The family dynamic is one of my favorite things about this book. Watching everyone come together by the end added real warmth to what could have been a purely light and breezy read. This is a heartwarming story about love, family, and friendship that left me with a permanent-grin.

Heart Beach is a place I am very happy to return to. I have a guess for book two and I cannot wait to find out if I am right.

If this sounds like your kind of read, you can pre-order a copy HERE or request it from your local library.