Review: If Only for The Summer by Alexandra Warren
If Only for the Summer by Alexandra Warren on July 30, 3017
Pages: 252
Format: eBook
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School may be out, but class is still in session…
After a hectic school year with her classroom of first graders, Nova Grant is desperate for a break. So when her best friend invites her to spend the summer down in Miami, taking the vacation is a no-brainer. The only thing is, her best friend’s husband had the same idea, inviting his friend Guy Thompson to stay in the condo Nova was already guaranteed.
Set up or accidental… Fate or coincidental… the attraction between the two is undeniable from day one. But with their days under the sun numbered and plenty of lessons to learn between them, Guy and Nova still find themselves teetering the line of lust and love, even if it’s only for the summer…
As summer is winding down, a nice book to say goodbye to the season is Alexandra Warren’s If Only for The Summer.
This is my first book by Warren though I’ve known about her for a little while as co-host of the Girl, Have You Read podcast.
Coincidence or set up? I vote for setup. In If Only for the Summer, we meet Nova Grant and Guy Thompson. Their best friends Lamar and Kaylin separately invited them to spend their summer in their Miami condo, unbeknownst to them of course. Nova first meets Guy and his adorable son Jaxson during a layover. When they find out that they’ll be roommates for the Summer, casual flirting turns into something more as these three weave their way into each other’s heart.
What I liked: while the chemistry between Guy and Nova was instantaneous, it didn’t feel rushed. I also appreciated the fact that these two just seemed like nice ordinary people, and I don’t mean ordinary in a bad way. I read my fair share of romance novels and a lot of times there’s an insanely wealthy hero who jets sets across the world etc. and while I definitely appreciate that, I liked that this book provided a change of pace. Yes, Guy and Nova’s friends had funds and that’s how they basically got a free summer vacation but Guy and Nova were teachers. They seemed super relatable and I liked that.
Let’s also give kudos to the lovable Jaxson and the representation of a great co-parenting relationship.
What I didn’t like: Nova’s long distance ‘ain’t shxt’ boyfriend, David, played a key role up until the point where we saw him in person. When he showed up, I expected more conflict. They had a shouting match in the club and that was it. He left the club and we never heard or saw anything from him again. Guy also irritated me a bit in the beginning because I felt that he took a little advantage of the fact that Jaxson took to Nova so quickly. I know that Nova didn’t mind taking care of Jaxson but there were times I felt that Guy shouldn’t have been so quick to acquiesce to Jaxson. Then again, I’m not a parent so take this with a grain of salt.
Summer love isn’t quite what we’re told it’s supposed to be in If Only for the Summer. It was a fun, flirty read and while it was my first read by Warren, it won’t be my last.
Natalya is the author of All The Things I Never Said, a soul-stirring collection of short stories, prose and love letters for the soulful wanderers, the brokenhearted and the hopeless romantics.
You can follow her rantings and occasional sparks of brilliance on Twitter @NatalyaMuncuff.
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