Genre Fiction
![Jenn McKinlay - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B002RYTK3U.jpg)
Summer Reading
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.
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.
Editorial Reviews
"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
"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
"In turns poignant and amusing, Summer Reading belies its title to tackle serious issues with aplomb, exploring essential definitions of self, friendship, family, and love while maintaining a breezy wit and pleasing pace. McKinlay's writing is sure to charm."
-Shana Abe, New York Times bestselling author of The Second Mrs. Astor
"McKinlay's fresh spin on a favorite trope is as frothy and pleasing as a piña colada, delivering both laughs and poignant tugs on the heartstrings. Perfect summer beach read."
-Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author of The Moonglow Sisters
"Humor wrapped up in late nights are involved in Jenn McKinlay's new book. Trust me, from page one to the end, this one is a keeper."
-Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Bride For A Day
"Everything felt real with the emotions relatable, and yet it was loads of fun, too… Summer Reading is a winner all the way around!"
-Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author of The Honeymoon Cottage
"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."
-Jennifer Probst, New York Times bestselling author of Our Italian Summer
"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
"In turns poignant and amusing, Summer Reading belies its title to tackle serious issues with aplomb, exploring essential definitions of self, friendship, family, and love while maintaining a breezy wit and pleasing pace. McKinlay's writing is sure to charm."
-Shana Abe, New York Times bestselling author of The Second Mrs. Astor
"McKinlay's fresh spin on a favorite trope is as frothy and pleasing as a piña colada, delivering both laughs and poignant tugs on the heartstrings. Perfect summer beach read."
-Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author of The Moonglow Sisters
"Humor wrapped up in late nights are involved in Jenn McKinlay's new book. Trust me, from page one to the end, this one is a keeper."
-Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Bride For A Day
"Everything felt real with the emotions relatable, and yet it was loads of fun, too… Summer Reading is a winner all the way around!"
-Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author of The Honeymoon Cottage
"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."
Readers Top Reviews
BTCSMel
First and foremost, it needs to be mentioned that the sensitivity, thought and research put into this book for readers that have dyslexia was evident. I have absolute respect to Jenn McKinlay for taking the effort to portray this challenge in a believable way. Sam is staying on Martha's Vineyard for the summer. She's watching her younger half-brother while her dad and stepmother are on vacation. She's hoping that she and Tyler can get to know each other a bit better during this time. Then there is the meet cute from the ferry - the hot reader guy whose book she accidentally knocked into the ocean. Ben is working for the library at the summer camp Tyler is attending. Ben is on the island looking for answers about his family and asks Sam to help. The attraction between them is instant, but Sam isn't sure how a relationship could work between them. Ultimately, this is a very sweet, very thoughtful book about family and acceptance. A real feel good book, perfect for a beach read!
Alicia Kozak
I don't read romance so this was a first for me, but I like the author's mystery series. All in all it was pretty good. There's interesting characters. I got invested in Sam and Tyler building a relationship. There's a lot of humor and even a bit of a mystery. I did think that while Sam felt shamed because of her dyslexia, she was also a little too quick to judge others and jump to conclusions. I also wouldn't have minded more explanation for Ben's actions at the end. Since there will be a sequel, will it mention where he went and what he was thinking? And I'm curious to see how Em's life will progress. It's a sweet story and I applaud the focus that went into highlighting dyslexia, promoting a friendly font, etc. Clearly well thought out. There's even recipes at the end to try out. If even I liked it, a true romance fan will really enjoy it.
J.K
It is impossible for McKinlay to write a bad story. Ben is a hot librarian dude who rides a motorcycle!!! I was all over him like a torrid 80s romance novel. I liked Sam’s spunk, tenacity, and honesty. I can’t fathom not being able to read so looking at life from her perspective brought clarity and comprehension. She embarks on a whole new relationship with books and Ben. I loved the relationship that developed between Sam and Tyler. I loved the setting of MV because I’m all about New England islandy stuff. And there is a preview for JM’s next novel in the works but I’ll say no more. I loved it!!
Kentuckybooklover
Have you ever read a book where you loved the characters so much that when you finished you immediately started over? Summer Reading was that book for me. I couldn’t leave Sam and Ben just quite yet. In fact, I’m still not ready to leave them. There was so much in this book. You had a growing sibling relationship, a friendship rekindled, and a new love. This is my trifecta for the perfect hug of a book. I will definitely be obtaining a hard copy for my personal home library. Jenn McKinlay also tackled the current book world argument of whether or not audiobooks are considered reading material. The way she did that was have a neurodivergent character with dyslexia. She shows how audiobooks open up an entire world to Sam. I support audiobooks and love how they help so many find their love of reading. Sometimes a narrator will make the story come alive even more than reading a paper copy. I received a complimentary copy from the author and did not have to leave a review. All opinions expressed above are my own.
Patricia Hampton
I got an arc of Jenn book summer reading. Highly recommend this book. Sam has dyslexia, Ben is the director of the library how could they go together thought Sam? The cutest story ever about a girl overcoming her insecurities about herself and her relationships with others. She learns to trust others and even helps others along the way. A very smart woman.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One
The ferry from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard was standing room only. Shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, the passengers were packed as tight as two coats of paint. I had a rowdy group of college kids at my back, which was fine, as I'd carved out a spot at the rail near the bow of the ship and was taking in big gulps of salty sea air while counting down the seconds of the forty-five-minute ride.
It was the first time I'd returned to the Gale family cottage in Oak Bluffs for an extended stay-I'd only managed quick weekends here and there around my busy work schedule-in ten years, and I was feeling mostly anxious with a flicker of anticipation. Preoccupied with the idea of spending the entire summer on island, I did not hear the commotion at my back until it was almost too late.
"Bruh!" a deep voice yelled.
I turned around to see a gaggle of man-boys in matching T-shirts-it took my neurodivergent brain a moment to decipher the Greek letters on their shirts, identifying them as frat boys-roughhousing.
Is gaggle the right word? I'm sure they'd have preferred something cool like crew, but honestly, with their baggy shorts, sideways ball caps, and sparsely whiskered chins, they looked more like a cackle of hyenas or a parliament of parrots. Either way, one of them was noticeably turning a sickly shade of green, and his cheeks started to swell. When he began to convulse as if a demon was punching its way up from his stomach, his friends scrambled to get away from him.
I realized with horror that he was going to vomit and the only thing between him and the open sea was me, trapped against the railing. In a panic, I looked for a viable exit. Unfortunately, I was penned in by a stalwart woman with headphones on and a hot guy reading a book. I had a split second to decide who would be easier to move. I went with reader guy, simply because I figured he could at least hear me when I yelled, "Move!"
I was wrong. He didn't hear me and he didn't move. In fact, he was so nonresponsive, it was like he was on another planet. As the dude doing the herky-jerky lunged toward me, I gave the man a nudge. He still didn't respond. Desperate, I slapped my hand over the words in his book. He snapped his head in my direction with a peeved expression. Then he looked past me and his eyes went wide. In one motion, he grabbed me and pulled me down and to the side, out of the line of fire.
The puker almost made it to the rail. Almost. I heard the hot splat of vomit on the deck behind me and hoped it didn't land on the backs of my shoes. Mercifully, reader man's quick thinking shielded me from the worst of it. Frat boy was hanging over the railing, and as the vomiting started in earnest, the crowd finally pressed back, way back, and we scuttled out of the blast zone.
My rescuer let go of me and asked, "Are you all right?"
I opened my mouth to answer, when the smell hit me. That distinctive stomach-curling, nose-wrinkling, gag-inducing smell that accompanies undigested food and bile. My mouth pooled with saliva, and I felt my throat convulse. This was an emergency of epic proportions, as I am a sympathy puker. You puke, I puke, we all puke. Truly, if someone hurls near me, it becomes a gastro-geyser of Old Faithful proportions. I spun away from the man in a flurry of arms that slapped his book out of his hands and sent it careening toward the ocean.
He let out a yell and made a grab for it. He missed and leaned over the railing, looking as if he was actually contemplating making a dive for it.
I felt terrible and would have apologized, but I was too busy holding my fist to my mouth while trying not to lose my breakfast. The egg-and-bacon sandwich I'd enjoyed suddenly seemed like the worst decision ever, and it took all of my powers of concentration not to hurl. I tried to breathe through my mouth but the retching sounds frat boy was making were not helping.
"Come on." Reader guy took my arm and helped me move farther away. I turned my head away in case I was sick. I could feel my stomach heaving and then-
"Ouch! You pinched me!" I cried.
My hero, although that seemed like an overstatement given that he had just inflicted pain upon my person, had nipped the skin on the inside of my elbow with enough force to startle me and make me rub my arm.
"Still feel like throwing up?" he asked.
I paused to assess. The episode had passed. I blinked at him. He was taller than me. Lean with broad shoulders, wavy dark brown hair that reached his collar. He had nice features, arching eyebrows, sculpted cheekbones, and a defined jaw covered in a thin layer of scruff. His eyes were a blue-gray much like the ocean surrounding us. Dressed in a navy sweatshirt, ...
The ferry from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard was standing room only. Shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, the passengers were packed as tight as two coats of paint. I had a rowdy group of college kids at my back, which was fine, as I'd carved out a spot at the rail near the bow of the ship and was taking in big gulps of salty sea air while counting down the seconds of the forty-five-minute ride.
It was the first time I'd returned to the Gale family cottage in Oak Bluffs for an extended stay-I'd only managed quick weekends here and there around my busy work schedule-in ten years, and I was feeling mostly anxious with a flicker of anticipation. Preoccupied with the idea of spending the entire summer on island, I did not hear the commotion at my back until it was almost too late.
"Bruh!" a deep voice yelled.
I turned around to see a gaggle of man-boys in matching T-shirts-it took my neurodivergent brain a moment to decipher the Greek letters on their shirts, identifying them as frat boys-roughhousing.
Is gaggle the right word? I'm sure they'd have preferred something cool like crew, but honestly, with their baggy shorts, sideways ball caps, and sparsely whiskered chins, they looked more like a cackle of hyenas or a parliament of parrots. Either way, one of them was noticeably turning a sickly shade of green, and his cheeks started to swell. When he began to convulse as if a demon was punching its way up from his stomach, his friends scrambled to get away from him.
I realized with horror that he was going to vomit and the only thing between him and the open sea was me, trapped against the railing. In a panic, I looked for a viable exit. Unfortunately, I was penned in by a stalwart woman with headphones on and a hot guy reading a book. I had a split second to decide who would be easier to move. I went with reader guy, simply because I figured he could at least hear me when I yelled, "Move!"
I was wrong. He didn't hear me and he didn't move. In fact, he was so nonresponsive, it was like he was on another planet. As the dude doing the herky-jerky lunged toward me, I gave the man a nudge. He still didn't respond. Desperate, I slapped my hand over the words in his book. He snapped his head in my direction with a peeved expression. Then he looked past me and his eyes went wide. In one motion, he grabbed me and pulled me down and to the side, out of the line of fire.
The puker almost made it to the rail. Almost. I heard the hot splat of vomit on the deck behind me and hoped it didn't land on the backs of my shoes. Mercifully, reader man's quick thinking shielded me from the worst of it. Frat boy was hanging over the railing, and as the vomiting started in earnest, the crowd finally pressed back, way back, and we scuttled out of the blast zone.
My rescuer let go of me and asked, "Are you all right?"
I opened my mouth to answer, when the smell hit me. That distinctive stomach-curling, nose-wrinkling, gag-inducing smell that accompanies undigested food and bile. My mouth pooled with saliva, and I felt my throat convulse. This was an emergency of epic proportions, as I am a sympathy puker. You puke, I puke, we all puke. Truly, if someone hurls near me, it becomes a gastro-geyser of Old Faithful proportions. I spun away from the man in a flurry of arms that slapped his book out of his hands and sent it careening toward the ocean.
He let out a yell and made a grab for it. He missed and leaned over the railing, looking as if he was actually contemplating making a dive for it.
I felt terrible and would have apologized, but I was too busy holding my fist to my mouth while trying not to lose my breakfast. The egg-and-bacon sandwich I'd enjoyed suddenly seemed like the worst decision ever, and it took all of my powers of concentration not to hurl. I tried to breathe through my mouth but the retching sounds frat boy was making were not helping.
"Come on." Reader guy took my arm and helped me move farther away. I turned my head away in case I was sick. I could feel my stomach heaving and then-
"Ouch! You pinched me!" I cried.
My hero, although that seemed like an overstatement given that he had just inflicted pain upon my person, had nipped the skin on the inside of my elbow with enough force to startle me and make me rub my arm.
"Still feel like throwing up?" he asked.
I paused to assess. The episode had passed. I blinked at him. He was taller than me. Lean with broad shoulders, wavy dark brown hair that reached his collar. He had nice features, arching eyebrows, sculpted cheekbones, and a defined jaw covered in a thin layer of scruff. His eyes were a blue-gray much like the ocean surrounding us. Dressed in a navy sweatshirt, ...
