The Summer of Lost Things by. Jenn Bennett | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: The Summer of Lost Things

Author: Jenn Bennett

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 5/26/26

Publisher: Avon a

Categories: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Avon a for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sexy new adult romance meets swashbuckling adventure when ex childhood friends Paige and Seb reconnect to finally track down the treasure that has been a legend in their small Michigan beach town for decades. Perfect for fans of The Goonies and Netflix’s Outer Banks who are craving more romance!

Star pupil Paige Malone just finished her first year at Harvard. Dropout Seb Jansen spent that time pumping gas for wealthy yacht owners at a Lake Michigan marina. They haven’t seen each other since high school. A shame, considering that they were once inseparable childhood friends who combed their coastal hometown’s sun-kissed beaches along with a couple of other middle-school pals—hunting the Golden Venus, a legendary local treasure that’s distantly connected to Paige’s family.

A treasure rumored to be worth millions of dollars. If it even exists.

These days, however, the former BFFs have traded adventure for reality. Paige is home for the summer and is spiraling after losing her college financial aid. While across town, Seb fell in with a bad crowd and now regrets his life choices, big time. Both feel colossally stuck. And alone.

But when Paige stumbles upon a hidden secret in her grandmother’s beach cottage, she must get their old treasure-hunting gang back together to finally unravel the mystery that has eluded her family for generations. Who the thrill of the hunt might help Paige and Seb find a path back to their lost friendship…or something more.

The Summer of Lost Things brings the summer heat with its combination of a high stakes treasure hunt and a swoony love story.

Tropes

Childhood friends to lovers Second-chance romance Treasure hunt Family secrets Partners in crime Summer love Small beach town setting Overachiever x bad boy Loveable rogues

Content Warning: grief, violence, mentions of drug trafficking, drug use (weed), vaping, strained parental relationships

+ I haven’t read a Jenn Bennett book in so long and it was so nice to get a chance to read her newest book coming out. I read a lot of her young adult books but this one is new adult, which I appreciated since now I’m an older fan of hers. In this book Paige is back in her hometown, a small beach town with lots of memories, some painful with the lost of her Nana. I love how right away we get to know Paige, her struggles, her grief, and her memories – she’s a very fleshed out character. Her memories and feelings about the town really sets the tone for the story.

+ Set in a small beach town in Michigan, Paige and her best friends, Jazmine, Seb and Benny were known as the WAGS. A group of kids on the hunt for treasure, and it helped that Paige’s ancestor was a man with renowned legend in town. There is talk about gold bars being hidden and so the WAGS go on a final mission to find these gold bars but they aren’t the only ones who want them. A family in town who is known her crime and drug trafficking, also wants to find this treasure so there are moments of tension when the treasure hunt gets dangerous. For the most part though, I thought it was so fun following the WAGS on their treasure hunt adventure, they are a close group, no matter what they’ve been through – I love their friendship! It’s very realistic and I love that they are flawed.

+ There is a childhood friends to romance between Paige and Seb. She’s the one who went to Harvard, overachiever and he’s the bay boy who got in lots of trouble, and now trying to get on the right track. Now back together again, Paige realizes her feelings about him have changed from friendship to lust and maybe something more. I loved Paige and Seb! I love how the interacted, you can feel the deep friendship and I even loved the way they fought because you could tell they were close. They are really partners in crime, and in life. There was one moment though that Paige was frustrating, because she clearly wants him, then put boundaries between them and got mad when he wouldn’t cross the boundary. Also there is a spicy scene and more of it but off the page.

+~ This isn’t a clean adventure treasure hunt story about a group of teens or young kids (though there are memories), these are young adults out of high school and they curse, and smoke weed, drink, they do crazy things and maybe even get into troubling relationships but I felt like all of that was realistic to the characters ages. I like that they are all trying to figure life out.

~ There is one supportive parent group in this story, which is Jazmine’s, thank goodness because Paige and Seb did not luck out with having good parents! Very strained and even messed up relationships. So thank goodness for the Neelys.

Final Thoughts:

This is going to be the perfect summer read if you are looking for action, treasure hunting, tension, childhood friends to lovers romance, trying to figure out life and friendship. I enjoyed this one!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Always Jane by. Jenn Bennett | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chasing Lucky by. Jenn Bennett | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC Review: The Lady Rogue ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review: Serious Moonlight ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Starry Eyes by. Jenn Bennett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alex, Approximately by. Jenn Bennett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Booked For Summer by. Kathryn Freeman | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Booked For Summer

Author: Kathryn Freeman

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 383

Publication Date: 4/30/25

Publisher: One More Chapter

Categories: Romance, Contemporary

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to One More Chapter for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

When book lover Jade Taylor applies to manage the Little Bay Book Shack on Nantucket Island over the summer, the last thing she needs is the distraction of billionaire resort owner, Liam Haven.

But things take an unexpected turn when Liam becomes Jade’s boss – a man who only reads contracts for pleasure…

In a bid to save the bookshop from being absorbed into the Haven resort, Jade is determined to teach Liam that there’s more to life than acquiring real estate. And if she can make him realise happily ever afters do exist, might she be able to save the island’s bookshop in the process?

+ Jade is from England and takes a job running a bookshop for a few months on Nantucket Island. She runs into a grouchy, but very hot guy, Liam, who she later finds out runs the hotel next to the bookshop. The bookshop setting speaks to the book lover in me.

+~ The romance is insta-lust and they do hook-up pretty quick but once Jade finds out he’s her new boss, she puts a stop to things and instead tries to throw her energy into showing Liam why the bookshop shouldn’t be put out of business. They had a lot of issues to work out between them throughout the story, lots of back and forth drama and I wasn’t into it.

~ As far as Jade and Liam are as characters, he’s the grouchy one and she’s sunshine. I wasn’t invested in either of them unfortunately and couldn’t connect. I did like some of the side characters like Jeremy – he was funny!

Final Thoughts:

For me, I couldn’t quite connect to the characters but this is a quick read that would be perfect in the summer time. Also Jade is a book girlie running a book shop so that might appeal to many romance readers. If you are looking for a light-heart romance this is one you might enjoy.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Happy Medium by. Sarah Adler | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Happy Medium

Author: Sarah Adler

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 4/30/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Paranormal

A clever con woman must convince a skeptical, sexy farmer of his property’s resident real-life ghost if she’s to save them all from a fate worse than death, in this delightful new novel from the author of Mrs. Nash’s Ashes .

Fake spirit medium Gretchen Acorn is happy to help when her best ( wealthiest) client hires her to investigate the unexplained phenomena preventing the sale of her bridge partner’s struggling goat farm. Gretchen may be a fraud, but she’d like to think she’s a beneficent one. So if “cleansing” the property will help a nice old man finally retire and put some much-needed cash in her pockets at the same time, who’s she to say no?

Of course, it turns out said bridge partner isn’t the kindly AARP member Gretchen imagined—Charlie Waybill is young, hot as hell, and extremely unconvinced that Gretchen can communicate with the dead. (Which, fair.) Except, to her surprise, Gretchen finds herself face-to-face with the very real, very chatty ghost that’s been wreaking havoc during every open house. And he wants her to help ensure Charlie avoids the same family curse that’s had Everett haunting Gilded Creek since the 1920s.

Now, Gretchen has one month to convince Charlie he can’t sell the property. Unfortunately, hard work and honesty seem to be the way to win over the stubborn farmer—not exactly Gretchen’s strengths. But trust isn’t the only thing growing between them, and the risk of losing Charlie to the spirit realm looms over Gretchen almost as annoyingly as Everett himself. To save the goat farm, its friendly phantom, and the man she’s beginning to love, Gretchen will need to pull off the greatest con of her being fully, genuinely herself.

Content Warning:

A con woman, a goat farmer and a ghost? I thought this would be a quirky read and I was not disappointed! Gretchen is a fake spirit medium, that’s how she makes a living but when one of her clients asks her to do a job for her because a ghost is haunting a house, she has to take it because the money is good. But what happens when she becomes a real spirit medium and can see Everett, the ghost who is haunting Charlie’s house? Well I didn’t expect them to become besties, but they do and it is a lot of fun.

I loved the banter between Everett and Gretchen, the two of them together are so funny. As for Charlie and Gretchen – I can totally see why he didn’t trust her, but he calls her on it and once the trust builds and the walls come down, they tune into one another and things get steamy! But I did find Everett and Gretchen’s relationship more fun than hers with Charlie.

My Final Thoughts:

This was a fun, paranormal, rom-com story. I loved Gretchen’s interactions with Everett and seeing her break down her walls, make friends, get close to people and fall in love. This is the first book I’ve read from this author but definitely look forward to reading more from her!

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Book Links:

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Birding with Benefits by. Sarah T. Dubb | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Birding with Benefits

Author: Sarah T. Dubb

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 6/4/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Birding, Fake Dating

A divorcee embarks on her “year of yes” and crosses paths with a shy but sensitive birdwatcher who changes her life in this charming rom-com that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Ali Hazelwood.

Newly divorced, almost-empty-nester Celeste is finally seeking adventure and putting herself first, cliches be damned. So when a friend asks Celeste to “partner” with his buddy John for an event, Celeste throws herself into the role of his temporary girlfriend. But quiet cinnamon roll John isn’t looking for love, just birds—he needs a partner for Tucson’s biggest bird-watching contest if he’s ever going to launch his own guiding business. By the time they untangle their crossed signals, they’ve become teammates…and thanks to his meddling friends, a fake couple.

Celeste can’t tell a sparrow from a swallow, but John is a great teacher, and the hours they spend hiking in the Arizona wilderness feed Celeste’s hunger for new adventures while giving John a chance to practice his dream job. As the two spend more time together, they end up watching more than just the birds, and their chemistry becomes undeniable. Since they’re both committed to the single life, Celeste suggests a status upgrade: birders with benefits, just until the contest is done. But as the bird count goes up and their time together ticks down, John and Celeste will have to decide if their benefits can last a lifetime, or if this love affair is for the birds.

Content Warning:

Ok I was so curious about this book because it’s about birding but with romance? I wanted to learn about birding and I totally did while reading this book. But the fake dating was a wonderful part of this book also.

Celeste is 42, and a divorcee and her daughter will be going off to college so she’s trying to live a life of “yes”. Being married young made her feel trapped and now she’s trying anything and everything to find her joy again. She gets into a situation where she thought she would be helping a guy and be his fake-girlfriend but instead he needed help in a birding competition – but they decide to do both! Celeste is social, loud, and a go-getter whereas John is quiet, and more of an introvert so these two are polar opposites but it works.

I liked Celeste’s journey of trying new things after her divorce, I found her relatable when it came to feeling stifled in her marriage and trying to find herself. I like that her best friend Maria is a new mom and we get to see two women navigating parenthood and relationships at different phases of their lives. John has an interesting back story and where Celeste feels like everyone thinks she’s “too much”, with John he went through life with people expecting more from him which again, I felt was totally relatable. He’s a very quiet guy, but just because he’s quiet doesn’t mean he wasn’t feeling a lot of things for Celeste.

I thought their birding romance was pretty fun and unexpectedly steamy! I liked that Celeste was in her 40’s, I hardly read books with MC’s in their 40’s. She did at times come off younger but maybe if I was a new divrocee I might act younger too? Who knows! I did wish we had more scenes with her daughter because she’s a big part of her world and a main conflict near the end of the book.

My Final Thoughts:

I got to learn a little bit about birding and the fake dating romance between the two opposites was fun! I was surprised to see how steamy this book was – who knew birding could be so sexy? Overall, I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more books from this author.

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Book Links:

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The Paradise Problem by. Christina Lauren | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Paradise Problem

Author: Christina Lauren

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 5/14/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Marriage of Convenience

Christina Lauren, returns with a delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.

Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.

Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.

Content Warning: family conflict, parent with illness

I thought this was entertaining and cute especially if you like rich people problems! Anna Green is not rich and just the first chapter alone painted who she was and the struggle she was going through in her life. Liam is rich and needs to attend his younger sister’s wedding but his family thinks he has a wife. Anna Green is that wife since they had a marriage of convenience a few years ago just to get some decent student housing on campus. Now they have to put on a show and convince Liam’s family that they are into each other.

Anna and Liam are total opposites. Anna’s a free spirit and Liam is a buttoned up professor. She makes him laugh and Liam is helping her financially which is a win-win. Plus the attraction between them is undeniable. I thought Anna and Liam made a cute couple and they had so many fun interactions and banter.

Speaking of banter though, I thought Anna and Viv (bestie) were fun and Blaire (sister-in-law) is such a character! Liam’s family or I should say dad, was something else. What a narcissistic, awful father. The way he treated people and his family was unbearable. There is a lot of tension between family members and I don’t know that Anna and Liam sold their act of being married but it was entertaining.

My Final Thoughts:

This is a fun summer read that has the perfect tropical setting, rich people drama, marriage of convenience, great chemistry and steamy scenes. I thought the romance was sweet without too much break up drama – since Anna is such a messy, free spirit, I liked how she went with the flow of the chaos and still stood up for herself and principles when it got to be too much. Liam’s dad is really such an awful human being, so I liked how things ended with the family. Overall, this was an entertaining read and perfect as a beach or pool read.