Summer by Summer by Heather Burch

★★★★★

A story about Summer and Bray, two college students trying to find their identities, overcoming differences, and realizing they aren’t so different after all.

When Summer took a job as a nanny for a couple vacationing in Belize, she imagined it would be a fresh start before starting college in the fall. And while she adores her charge, Josh, she can't say the same for her employers' oldest son, Bray. He's cocky, inconsiderate, and makes her feel she's a chore he has to put up with. In short, he's everything she dislikes in a guy.

Bray had a plan for the summer: party, hang out with friends, and forget all the responsibilities waiting for him back home. But every time he's forced to be around Summer, her dour, serious mood sets him off. Not to mention she has a habit of picking up on what he already knows is wrong with him.

Then the two find themselves on a dive trip gone wrong, stranded on a remote island. As they focus on survival, their differences melt away, and they find being together may be what both needed all along.

Heather Burch’s young-adult summertime romance, Summer by Summer, is an overall sweet and adventurous read, as Summer and Bray unexpectedly and suddenly find themselves stranded on a deserted Belizean island. These two characters take turns giving their perspective of their tale of survival, and I enjoyed getting to know and understand both of them throughout their desperate wait for rescue, a growing, irresistible mutual attraction and the challenges of a haunting, tragic past. Though certain aspects of the storyline occurred fairly easily and predictably, I still found this novel quite entertaining and cute. I think anyone looking for a light, clean, feel-good YA read will be pleased to pick up Summer by Summer.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Summer by Summer and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

About the Author

Heather Burch, the author of the popular Halflings series, spent the last seven years in Southern Florida but recently returned to her hometown in the Ozark Mountains. Her books have garnered praise from USA Today, Romantic Times, and Booklist magazine. When not working on her latest novel, she can be found hiking in the hills or planning a trip to the beach with her husband, John, who is her hero in every way.