Summer In a Bottle

By Annie Rains

Zebra Books - April 2025

Contemporary Romance


Lyla Dune had returned to her childhood home. She was thrilled to help her parents by staying in the house before it sold while they started their dream vacation now. What she didn't expect were the memories of her last summer before she left for college to be so prevalent.

Or to be on repeat.

She found her old journal, then she dug up the time capsule she'd placed before she'd left. It was funny how some of the exact same things that were written from that long ago summer were happening again.

Like running into her childhood best friend Travis Painter who she hadn't seen since she left. They’d done everything together, and each summer they'd always completed their bucket list. Until that last one. She had left before it'd been complete, and she had cut all ties with Travis. She hadn't wanted to make the same mistakes as others who'd stayed in town and lost their dreams. So she'd not only gone to school, but left Travis in her past. She'd never said goodbye, and never replied to him.

Except now he wasn't still in her past. He was back in town, and just as kind, funny and simply wonderful as he'd always been. The same movie was playing at the theater, another flood happened in the house, and the same feelings that had never gone away were bubbling forth. One deja vu after another was giving Lyla and Travis this second chance to right the wrongs of the past and find a happily ever after together.

Summer In A Bottle was an absolute pleasure to read. I loved the time capsule from their last summer and how the past was reflected in the present. I was a bit annoyed at Lyla for how she’d mistreated Travis, and it is just by chance that she connects with him again. Thankfully, we see her grow and mature into the perfect heroine for him. I also adored the town, the townspeople, and Lyla's opinions. She was an opinion writer and it was always entertaining as she considered different ones. This was so much more than a reconciliation romance, it was also Lyla working through relationships with others. I loved the friendships she formed and how they accepted each other. Look no further for the perfect Summer Read.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

 

FTC Disclaimer: I did receive a copy for review. However, this website only posts "good" reviews. If I cannot post a positive review, I notify whoever has provided me with the book/ARC/ebook.