Songs of Summer by Jane L. Rosen
Published by Berkley on May 20, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
Goodreads
A young woman crashes the wedding of the summer on Fire Island in search of her birth mother—and gets a whole lot more than she bargained for—in this warm, heart-stopping getaway from Jane L. Rosen
Maggie Mae Wheeler is content with her life. At 30, she has grand plans for her vintage record shop in the charming Midwestern town where she grew up, and is soon to be engaged to her childhood best friend.
But when she discovers a letter she wrote to herself at thirteen, being content doesn’t feel like enough anymore—Maggie needs answers to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Since losing her parents, the only family she has ever known, Maggie decides that finding her birth mother is the best place to start.
Her search leads her to Fire Island, an idyllic summer getaway where her birth mother is attending a wedding. As Maggie observes her biological family from a distance, she sees that they come with a lot of… drama. Torn between diving deeper into their world or returning to her peaceful life and cozy relationship, her decision gets more complicated when a handsome local offers to take her to the wedding — if she will pose as his date.
Is it the magic of the island, the rush of the music, the fun of jumping into the weekend’s events with her fake beau? Suddenly, playing the part of his girlfriend starts to feel way too real, and the words to every love song seem to be about them.
Maggie May Wheeler had a great life! She had loving parents, a steadfast best friend, and lots of music, but at 30, she finds herself at a crossroads. Maggie feels like part of her is missing, and her birth mother may be the missing piece. The search for her birth mother brings her to Fire Island where she is quickly swept up in its charms and embraced by its residents.
I will always be excited about a new Jane L. Rosen book, but I was ecstatic to have another chance to return to Fire Island. I have been a fan of this community since my first trip there, and it was such a pleasure to catch up with friends, old and new.
As with the previous books, Rosen flips perspectives, moving between the main characters and giving a chapter, here and there, to a supporting character. Maggie's search for her birth mother dominates the story, but there were some great side plots as well. As someone who has read the other two Fire Island books, I was thrilled to learn more about Shep's daughters and see Matty take center stage. I feel like I have watched him grow up!
Maggie was such a great addition to this Fire Island family. She fit right in, most noticeably with Matty. They both shared a love of music which contributed to their fantastic banter and there was such an ease between them. I was glad he was there to guide her through this BIG moment in her life.
As expected, I laughed, I cried, my heart exploded - these are things I expect when reading a Jane L. Rosen book, and she always delivers. There were a plethora of heartwarming and moving moments that had me wiping away my tears, and I could not help but be filled with joy for everyone involved.
Overall: Another memorable trip to Fire Island that left me with a warm heart and huge smile on my face.
The Love Haters by Katherine Center
Published by St. Martin's Press on May 20, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.
Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.
The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can.
Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!
But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.
Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.
After a very public break-up, Katie no longer trusted her instincts when it comes to love. After she is talked into taking an assignment she is not quite qualified for, Katie meets Hutch, the love hater, who may not actually be the person his brother has made me out to be, as Katie quickly discovers.
When I pick up a Katherine Center book, I expect humor, warmth, and quirky characters I can root for. Though The Love Haters is a bit different from Center's last few books, it still had all her signature charm and delivered laughs with lots of warm-fuzzies.
This was definitely a love story, but not just in the traditional sense. Katie and Hutch had chemistry galore, and it was a delight watching the sparks fly between them as they slowly chipped away at each other's armor, but there was also a strong focus on Katie's personal journey.
Her previous romance was kind of high profile and being in the spotlight left her open to a lot of public scrutiny. That coupled with the break up and a hyper-critical step mother battered Katie's self-esteem and body image. She slowly worked her way back to feeling comfortable in her skin, and it was because she had people who appreciated the whole-Katie package. She discovered how strong her body was and began to appreciate it, one part at a time. It was an encouraging process, to see Katie fall in love with herself as she fell in love with Hutch.
I can admit that there was one subplot I could have done without, but you know how romance books have to have some sort of conflict. I could forgive it because of Rue, the Gals, Hutch, and George Bailey were so fabulous. I adored them all, and they injected so much color, joy, and humor into this tale.
Overall, I had a great time in Key West as me and The Gals rooted for the love haters, Katie and Hutch, to make a love connection.
*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
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