Scan barcode
crisbel's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Sexual assault
anniereads0714's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Death of parent, Cursing, Terminal illness, Suicide, Misogyny, Death, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Violence, Sexual violence, Cancer, Bullying, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Homophobia, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Rape, and Mental illness
mairead_parade's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Not for me. I want conflict and stakes but don’t understand the appeal of reading romance where everyone is unhappy for 97% of the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
elspethm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I'd like to say this is the best book I read this year but I also read Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld. Though, I'm going to say this one is a 5+
Also, I cannot stand books that make me cry.
However, this book was amazing. Juliet is a teenager who was abused at home and is 'adopted" by Danny, the preacher's son in town, who brings her home to live while she finishes high school. He treats her kind of like a sister and his mother, who is used to waiting on her husband and son, treats her like a daughter - another person there to help out. She feels inordinately grateful for everything they've given to her event though they treat her like an indentured servant.
One summer Danny brings home a friend from college, Luke, and he and Juliet fall in love instantly. But she's still "dating" Danny, living with his family, and he insists they "wait for marriage". And everyone in town says how wonderful his family is for taking her in.
Luke has had a similar life to Juliet, having been kicked out at 16 to her 15, and is motivated to become a professional surfer. He also encourages Juliet to live her own life even as she feels like she owes Danny and his family everything.
The book is told in the past, and the present, first when they know each other and she's dating Danny, and then when they're a bit older and Danny has died. We don't really know much about Danny's death and why Juliet and Luke were apart for 7 years, but they come together for a charity event in Danny's name.
It was agony through the entire book as they're clearly in love with each other, but Juliet always feels too guilty to do anything with her life that isn't dictated by the Allen family.
They have an HEA but you're on pins and needles the entire time. Not sure if my heart could handle another Elizabeth O'Roark book but there is a sequel about another person in the group and I may just read it even though I don't remember what his story was from this book.
Also, I cannot stand books that make me cry.
However, this book was amazing. Juliet is a teenager who was abused at home and is 'adopted" by Danny, the preacher's son in town, who brings her home to live while she finishes high school. He treats her kind of like a sister and his mother, who is used to waiting on her husband and son, treats her like a daughter - another person there to help out. She feels inordinately grateful for everything they've given to her event though they treat her like an indentured servant.
One summer Danny brings home a friend from college, Luke, and he and Juliet fall in love instantly. But she's still "dating" Danny, living with his family, and he insists they "wait for marriage". And everyone in town says how wonderful his family is for taking her in.
Luke has had a similar life to Juliet, having been kicked out at 16 to her 15, and is motivated to become a professional surfer. He also encourages Juliet to live her own life even as she feels like she owes Danny and his family everything.
The book is told in the past, and the present, first when they know each other and she's dating Danny, and then when they're a bit older and Danny has died. We don't really know much about Danny's death and why Juliet and Luke were apart for 7 years, but they come together for a charity event in Danny's name.
It was agony through the entire book as they're clearly in love with each other, but Juliet always feels too guilty to do anything with her life that isn't dictated by the Allen family.
They have an HEA but you're on pins and needles the entire time. Not sure if my heart could handle another Elizabeth O'Roark book but there is a sequel about another person in the group and I may just read it even though I don't remember what his story was from this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
trigger warnings: female main character was molested by unrelated family member in the past, main point of book is death of a main character, possible suicide, suicide attempt, abandoned main characters, Religious fervor and shaming.anovelglimpse's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Summer We Fell was filled with so many things I dislike in romance novels, and yet I LOVED this book. I know that is probably a weird statement to start with, but it's true. It also shows just how good a writer Elizabeth O'Roark is.
Flashbacks are normally the death of a romance novel for me. Not the case here. This book alternates between the past and the present. It worked with this story because neither timeframe was less interesting than the other. Normally I don't care about the past in books where flashbacks are used. I want more time with the couple in the future. This time I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened in the past to create the dynamic between Juliet and Luke in the present. I also think it helped that both were told from Juliet's POV.
Juliet was a character who was struggling. She had so much she should have been grateful for, but those things also hindered her. Due to circumstances (that may be triggering to some), she found a family with Danny and his parents. Juliet was trying to make what his family wanted for her enough, but Luke arriving home from college with Danny for the summer changed her perspective. She was conflicted about everything, and I felt bad for her. She made some choices that I hated.
Luke's support and encouragement of Juliet warmed my heart. She needed someone in her corner, and he knew how to be that person. He also made choices I hated, but I had a lot of respect for him otherwise. I wish I could say more about Luke, but we really only see him through Juliet's eyes. This is one of the rare times I won't say I wish I had his POV. I mean, I probably wouldn't have disliked having it, but the impact of the story from Juliet's lone POV hit hard.
As for the romance... There was A LOT going on here. O'Roark somehow managed to combine second chance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and forbidden love all into one romance. Each of those tropes on their own lean towards angst and drama. Imagine all the emotions with them combined. There's a lot of tension involved. I tend to shy away from high levels of angst in my romance reads, but O'Roark's stories and characters make me want to continue no matter how tense things get. Especially since I loved the possibilities for Juliet and Luke. They saw in each other things everyone else looked past, and I truly felt their emotional connection and chemistry.
The side characters in this book had a ton of impact on the story. There were friends, church members, and adversaries who either lifted Juliet up or brought her down. There were evil family members who brought pain. Most importantly there was Danny, Donna, and the pastor who "saved" Juliet from a bad situation.
The Summer We Fell was such a complex romance. There are so many other things I want to say, but they would end up spoiling the book for you. I guess I'll just say it wasn't a comfortable read, but it was an addictive one. Be sure to check the trigger warnings before you read because there are several.
You can find this review and others like it at A Novel Glimpse .
Flashbacks are normally the death of a romance novel for me. Not the case here. This book alternates between the past and the present. It worked with this story because neither timeframe was less interesting than the other. Normally I don't care about the past in books where flashbacks are used. I want more time with the couple in the future. This time I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened in the past to create the dynamic between Juliet and Luke in the present. I also think it helped that both were told from Juliet's POV.
Juliet was a character who was struggling. She had so much she should have been grateful for, but those things also hindered her. Due to circumstances (that may be triggering to some), she found a family with Danny and his parents. Juliet was trying to make what his family wanted for her enough, but Luke arriving home from college with Danny for the summer changed her perspective. She was conflicted about everything, and I felt bad for her. She made some choices that I hated.
Luke's support and encouragement of Juliet warmed my heart. She needed someone in her corner, and he knew how to be that person. He also made choices I hated, but I had a lot of respect for him otherwise. I wish I could say more about Luke, but we really only see him through Juliet's eyes. This is one of the rare times I won't say I wish I had his POV. I mean, I probably wouldn't have disliked having it, but the impact of the story from Juliet's lone POV hit hard.
As for the romance... There was A LOT going on here. O'Roark somehow managed to combine second chance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and forbidden love all into one romance. Each of those tropes on their own lean towards angst and drama. Imagine all the emotions with them combined. There's a lot of tension involved. I tend to shy away from high levels of angst in my romance reads, but O'Roark's stories and characters make me want to continue no matter how tense things get. Especially since I loved the possibilities for Juliet and Luke. They saw in each other things everyone else looked past, and I truly felt their emotional connection and chemistry.
The side characters in this book had a ton of impact on the story. There were friends, church members, and adversaries who either lifted Juliet up or brought her down. There were evil family members who brought pain. Most importantly there was Danny, Donna, and the pastor who "saved" Juliet from a bad situation.
The Summer We Fell was such a complex romance. There are so many other things I want to say, but they would end up spoiling the book for you. I guess I'll just say it wasn't a comfortable read, but it was an addictive one. Be sure to check the trigger warnings before you read because there are several.
You can find this review and others like it at A Novel Glimpse .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Sexual assault, Death, Rape, Physical abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
morriganlefaye's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book made me feel so sad and hopeless almost until the end.
The story unfolds from two different points in time and I just wanted to know, what the hell happened back then and I just wanted to hug Juliet and tell her that everything's gonna be all right.
The HEA felt very earned, even though I'd have loved, if there was mention of some therapy at any point, because these two need it
The story unfolds from two different points in time and I just wanted to know, what the hell happened back then and I just wanted to hug Juliet and tell her that everything's gonna be all right.
The HEA felt very earned, even though I'd have loved, if there was mention of some therapy at any point, because these two need it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
More...