Review for A Summer Like That by Jane Lo

Despite what the cover says, this isn’t what I normally think of as a “second chance” romance. Our two lead characters are not rekindling a romance they once shared. Instead, they both have been let down by other people, their lives suddenly crossing where vacation meets summer.

Sweet, charming, and just the right length, A Summer Like That is refreshingly grounded. I don’t want to call it low stakes. Every parent knows how important stability is to children, especially young ones. Yet, I appreciated how genuine the tension and obstacles to the budding relationship were here. There was no need for a grandiose secondary plot or a sudden disaster to up the ante. This stays centered on what feels like real people and real problems. Two separate lives gravitating toward each other and trying to figure out how to bring the pieces together in a way that means their connection can last for more than just a summer.

The third life in the mix, the young child the female protagonist had from before meeting the male lead, can’t be ignored either. Especially with the way he steals the show. Both precious and precocious, he’s one of the best-written portrayals of a young boy I’ve seen in recent years. Definitely mature for his age, he still does read like a real boy that old.

As someone who has never visited or been to any of the regions depicted in A Summer Like That, I appreciated the imagery and descriptions the author provides. Though fictional, the female lead does such a good job of being a travel guide, I now want to visit some of those places too.

At times, the dialogue seems a bit stunted, though there might be a reason for it, looking back. The two characters natively speak different languages with a third they both know at least enough of to communicate in.

I highly recommend A Summer Like That to readers who enjoy something on the shorter side and sweet almost to the point of saccharine.

A Summer Like That is available to buy on Amazon.