I'm always excited to read Kathryn Freeman's romance books as they always leave me feeling super happy. The premise for Booked for Summer was fun. Jade is taking over the management of a small bookstore on Nantucket Island for the summer. Little does she know that resort owner, Liam, has plans to demolish the bookstore. As her time on the island passes and she gets to know what is going on, Jade decides to take matters into her own hands to save the bookstore. Oh, did I mention that the two had a one night stand prior to knowing who each other was!? Makes it all the more interesting doesn't it?

This book was a little more racier than the author's books I am used to with more sex however it is not over the top. I am not usually a fan of the insta love trope however in this case, I genuinely felt the character's relationship build as the two got to know each other more. With quirky side characters and found family, this book was a joy to read. Definitely a good one to read while at the beach under an umbrella with a drink in hand!

I was excited by the concept of this but was immediately turned off by the characterization of the main character. There's only so much quirky/clumsy I can take in my books without getting annoyed beyond belief. The insta lust wasn't for me either - I need more yearning in my books.

Booked for Summer will make a cute summer beach read this year. It was easy to read and I loved the main character Jade. I loved the descriptions of Nantucket, so now of course I’m dreaming of going there. I liked the gay couple Jeremy and Leroy. The only problem I had with the book was Liam. He wasn’t likable and I felt he was only physically attracted to Jade. He said several times he felt more than that, but there were so many sexual attractions every time he saw her. Anyway, I enjoyed the book enough!

i loved this book! the setting was perfect, the push and pull between jade and liam. i loved that they were honest in who they were mistakes and all and liam’s story was so sad and ahhh i love that jade sees him the way he deserves to be seen!

Heartwarming Story with a Charming Bookstore Setting

This book is a sweet, feel-good read with a beautifully crafted setting and lovable characters. I really enjoyed the storyline, especially the mix of the cozy books shop atmosphere and the work best friend's wedding subplot. Jade and Liam are both well-developed characters, realistic, relatable, and easy to root for. Liam’s relationship with his grandmother is particularly touching and adds so much warmth to the story, and explains his emotional walls in a lovely way. The character of Adam makes for a great love-to-hate antagonist, creating just the right amount of tension without overpowering the story’s charm or overwhelming the story with Adam content.

While the book didn’t completely consume me in a “can’t put it down” way, I still appreciated the engaging writing, the delightful relationships, and the overall feel-good nature of the story. If you love books set in bookstores, heartfelt friendships, and a touch of romance, this is definitely worth a read! Lastly, in terms of spice, this book is just right. Enough to keep it interesting, but not too much to make it porn.

I would first like to thank Netgalley, Kathryn Freeman, and HarperCollins UK One More Chapter, for this ARC. This story is about Jade who takes a temp 3 month job running a bookstore which happens to be next to a fancy resort owned by Liam. I wanted to love this story but Jade and Liam’s relationship was mostly physical, they got together the first night they met. It felt rushed to me. Throughout the book I never connected with these characters or their relationship, it didn’t feel realistic. I did love the setting and would recommend this book for someone looking for a quick summer read.

Enjoyed this book and read it over two days. Nantucket is somewhere I've been but now want to go! I loved the luxurious setting and the bookshop was so cute,
The tension between Liam and Jade was so good and kept me hooked to find out what was going to happen between them. The ending was amazing and I’m going to read more by this author

In theory I should have loved this book but I just couldn't get along with it. I found some of the writing painful and I didn't particularly like the MMC. Not for me.

A lighthearted summer romance. I’ll say this story took me a lot longer to get into than typical for a Kathryn Freeman story but that might just be me.

Booked for Summer follows Jade as she embarks on a new adventure in Nantucket, trying to make her mark and find something of her own running a small bookstore for the summer. She doesn’t count on meeting Liam and after an instant attraction on both parts she comes to find out he plans to bulldoze her store. Liam on the other hand is infatuated with Jade but is grappling with his own past traumas not feeling worthy or good enough, as he grew up as the poor kid in a wealthy crowd who never was accepted.

The majority of the book is a push and pull of both Jade and Liam struggling with their feelings for one another and insecurity on how the other feels. In theory I was really excited for this story but I think the struggle was a bit too long or that there was a little too much of the coldness from Liam and not enough of his feelings for Jade. The last 20% or so definitely picked up and had some swoonworthy grand gestures.

Overall though a good summer romance read and set in beautiful Nantucket!

Thank you Kathryn, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Booked for Summer by Kathryn Freeman is a delightful, feel-good romance that had me laughing out loud from start to finish. Set on the idyllic Nantucket Island, the story follows Jade Taylor, a passionate book lover who lands a summer job managing the Little Bay Book Shack. Jade’s world is turned upside down when she finds out her new boss is none other than the billionaire resort owner, Liam Haven. The last thing Jade needs is a distraction like Liam, a man who considers contracts more enjoyable than novels.

From the very first interaction between Jade and Liam, I was hooked. Their chemistry is undeniable, yet it’s clear they come from two very different worlds. Jade is charming and down-to-earth, while Liam is all about business and real estate and having something to prove—until he starts to realize there’s more to life than acquisitions. Watching Liam fumble his way through learning about books, romance, and even a little bit of fun was absolutely hilarious. His awkwardness when trying to navigate the world of the bookstore and romance novels had me giggling throughout. It’s a testament to Freeman’s ability to create characters that feel real, even if they start out as total opposites.

Jade’s determination to save the beloved bookshop from being absorbed by Liam’s resort is at the heart of the story. Her witty, strong-willed nature made her a joy to root for. But what really made this book special was the way she slowly works her magic, showing Liam that there’s more to life than business and reminding him of the power of stories, love, and—yes—happy endings. Their journey together is filled with warmth, humor, and plenty of romantic moments, making it an absolute joy to read.

Kathryn Freeman has crafted a story that’s not only a love letter to bookshops but also to the idea of finding love in unexpected places. The setting of Nantucket was the perfect backdrop for this charming rom-com, and I loved how the author brought the island’s beauty to life.

surprisingly, this book started off with some spice that I did not expect. I thought it was just gonna be a small cutesy read without spice but I wasn’t disappointed in the end. The only thing I wish was different would be a longer ending. More of their story when they got back to Nantucket. The lack of an epilogue was a miss but overall not bad.

Thank you NetGalley and one more chapter for this ARC

Thank you, @netgalley and @harpercollins, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a perfect cosy read, especially if you're on holiday (which I am, so brownie points for that).

This is a cute lovers to frenemies to lovers story, I tend to prefer my romances with builed up tension, but this is way more realistic, to be honest.

Jade has her dream job for the summer, manage a little bookshop in a small town; but what she doesn't know, is that the owner just sold out to the millionaire resort boss, Liam, who has every intention to demolished it to extend the resort.

When Liam and Jade meet, they have no idea who each other are, they are both attractive people, and they follow through with said attraction. Is not until after they slept together, that Liam realises that Jade is working in the bookshop he wants to tear down, but he doesn't tell her this info, sleeping with her again before the big reveal is done. Obviously, Jade is hurt. With the help of some islanders who don't agree with all the changes Liam is making, she devises marketing strategies to improve the bookshop sales and prove that it can be an asset to Liam. Liam is very reserved, having being hurt in the past, he keeps everyone at an arms length, but he can't keep Jade away.

Even though this isn't winning any romance awards, I still found the chatacters funny and relatable. I liked the small town, and bookshop, setting (Obviously!). Also enjoyed the found family aspect very endearing.
And we know we all like a broody MMC with a troubled past that can only be "fixed" by our goofy, very hot, blonde with brains FMC 🤣 (no shame, that's exactly the point, stereotypes are stupid).
The sex is also not too explicit, it's on page but I wouldn't consider this smut. So if you're looking for a lighthearted romance, especially for a holiday read, I would definitely recommend this one 👌.

Booked for Summer by Kathryn Freeman is the story of a book lover who takes a quick job to help run a bookstore at the beach only to find out that the store is about to be sold, leaving Jade to try and convince the new owner, Liam, not to demolish the bookstore.

Jade takes a leave of absence from her publishing job for the summer to help manage a book store on Nantucket Island, hoping to shake things up in her life for a couple of months. Jade soon meets Liam, a gorgeous local with an equally gorgeous yacht, and spends a few days (nights) with him. Unfortunately she learns that the bookstore has been sold and her new boss is planning on tearing down the store in order to expand his resort...and that new boss is none other than Liam. Jade is determined to show him the store's worth in town and convince him to leave it alone.

I thought this was going to be a quick and easy summer fluff read, but I struggled with getting into the story, connecting with the characters, and didn't really feel the connection between Jade and Liam. I know it explained that they were both hurt in past relationships and found it hard to trust or open up to one another. I guess this is why it seemed like Liam was super closed off and there wasn't any substance between the two other than a physical relationship.

The last bit of the book was okay and Liam's grand gesture was kind of nice and I also liked that Liam had a good relationship with his grandmother and that he eventually opened up more to Jade.

I think that if you enjoy summer reads, books about books, or books set in beachy locations you'll like Booked for Summer. While this wasn't my favorite romance, it was my first by Kathryn Freeman and I will probably give another one a try in the future.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I really really wanted to love Booked for Summer. I mean the premise is right up my alley. Fun summer read, grumpy boss, Nantucket location, immediate attraction. It’s all right there.

But…. The connection between the two main characters, for me, just wasn’t there. Liam was the poor boy who held grudges, and turned in to the multi millionaire. Jade was the blond who was looking to prove she was more than just the color of her hair. Instant attraction, instant sex, and then the storyline. Liam does show growth throughout the story and does eventually open up.

Booked for the Summer also includes a cast of characters including Jeremy (Liam’s friend and co-worker) and quite frankly I would have loved to have seen more of him. He was witty, funny, and sassy!

Thank you to One More Chapter for this ARC - all opinions are my own.

The premise of this sounded like a great summer read but I just couldn't get into it. I had no connection with anything and the dialogue left a lot to be desired. Liam was just beyond terrible.

The blurb made this book sound like a perfect summer read and I was excited to give it a try. And I was initially enjoying the book but I found it hard to be able to relate with the main characters. Sure, they were brave, fun and interesting but they were also self sh , closed off and irrational, so I just couldn't find the charm in the book. The push and pull between them was too much and some of Jade's actions were really annoying. I felt like only the first and last half of this book was enjoyable. I wanted to like it but this just was not my cup of tea tbh.

I received an ARC from Nrtgalley in exchange of an honest review

A cute, quick, summer rom-com that is light hearted and well written. Can easily be read in one sitting.

**ARC Review: *Booked for Summer* by Kathryn Freeman**

Kathryn Freeman delivers the ultimate bookish summer romance in *Booked for Summer*—a heartwarming, sun-drenched love story set on the idyllic shores of Nantucket Island. With a charming bookstore, a fiercely determined heroine, and an infuriatingly irresistible billionaire, this novel is a swoon-worthy escape for romance readers everywhere.

### **The Story:**
Jade Taylor lives for books. So when she lands the job of managing the **Little Bay Book Shack** for the summer, she’s ready to spend her days surrounded by stories—*not* fighting off a corporate takeover. Enter Liam Haven, a billionaire resort owner who sees the bookshop as just another piece of prime real estate to add to his empire.

Jade is determined to change his mind, one book at a time. But as their witty battles turn into something much more complicated, Jade realizes that beneath Liam’s cool, business-like exterior is a man who just might need a happily ever after of his own.

### **What Makes It Special:**
📚 **Bookish Bliss** – A cozy seaside bookshop, literary references, and a heroine who believes in the magic of stories? Say no more!
🔥 **Enemies-to-Lovers Tension** – Sparks fly as Jade and Liam go toe-to-toe over the fate of the shop—and their growing feelings.
🌊 **Perfect Summer Vibes** – Sunlit beaches, salty breezes, and a small-town setting that feels like a warm hug.
💘 **A Grumpy Billionaire with a Soft Side** – Liam may be all business, but Jade slowly unravels the man beneath the power suits.

**Final Thoughts:**
*Booked for Summer* is a delightful mix of bookish passion, sizzling chemistry, and heartwarming romance. Fans of *Beach Read* by Emily Henry and *The Bookshop on the Corner* by Jenny Colgan will absolutely adore this one.

📖 **Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars)**
A must-read for book lovers, beach readers, and anyone who believes that love—like a great story—is always worth fighting for.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. I just couldn’t connect with the characters and the story in general.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter for this book. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~