I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

It took a few chapters for me to get into this book, but overall I really enjoyed it. It was a great book!

3.75 ⭐
I really enjoyed the dual timeline—it helped me understand the story more deeply.
This is a perfect summer read; it makes you feel like you're at the beach, no matter where you are!

I really enjoyed the characters and the setting of the fishing town. I highly recommend it!

Parts of this book really held my attention, but for some reason I struggled to stay interested at times. I read this over the course of a week and think if I had been able to read the whole thing closer together it would have been better. Was kind of hard to pick up and read little bits here and there. Overall, solid story and really good writing!

DNF at 20%

Unfortunately The Summer Knows was not for me, I found the writing style very choppy and clunky which made the story really hard to get in to and meant I didn’t connect to or care about the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very interesting summer read!

If you’re a fan of Stacy Willingham or Taylor Jenkins Reid I think you will appreciate the complexity of the storylines, multiple time lines, and the mystery of the town and its inhabitants.

This was labeled as a romance but I’d say it reads more like a psychological thriller- trying to figure out who did what and why.

I overall enjoyed the plot but felt like the emotions of the characters were very flat. I think I would have enjoyed this more if it was told in a true 1st person POV.

Thank you Köehler Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Florida setting originally drew me to this book by a new-to-me author. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and found the ending chapters to be especially poignant. Adrienne had fled small-town life in Harbor Point when she became pregnant at the age of 17 and has now returned to care for Gran who had pretty much raised her. She comes to realize that her focus had always been on the bad memories, but perhaps there were also good ones and Harbor Point is truly home. Thanks to NetGalley, Koeller Books and the author for an advance copy to read and review.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This was an okay read for me. Way too many love triangles and deep family/relationship issues. I was happy with the ending but just getting there was frustrating.

Adrienne and her daughter move back to her Grans house to assist her after a fire. Adrienne is not prepared for the memories and reliving the tragedy of her friend Luke or her love interests from back in the day. Her daughter Kali finally meets her father but doesn’t understand why her mother kept him from her and Christopher leans into Adrienne and new feelings begin.

The Summer on Knows by Sarah E. Pearsall is a story of secrets, loss, family, friendship, and love.
Adrienne Harris is a chef and single mom of a teenager. She must confront her past and secrets after getting a call from an old friend and losing her job.
Kali is Adrienne's daughter, who is seeking her identity, father,and a relationship with her mom while navigating the insecurities and uncertainties of the teenage years.
This is a well written book that interweaves Adrienne's past with the current day. You will be taken back to a small town and discover how secrets and pain can shape our choices and lives. It will leave you exploring the town, marshes, and waters in Harbour Point, Florida finding friendship on the beaches, reconnecting with family, and finding your place or purpose in life. I enjoyed reading The Summer Knows. Sarah E. Pearsall writes a delightful and heart touching debut novel. I will be looking forward to reading her future books.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Adrienne returns to the small town she swore never coming back when she received a call from an old friend telling her her grandmother needed help..
she will confront the past and truths in order to have so peace within herself
Love the way it was written, it gives Dawson’s creek vibes with teenage love..
Enigmatic, suspenseful and emotional, a bittersweet love story to read this summer

Thanks to the Author, Köehler Publisher and NetGalley for this arc

At the sudden loss of her job and discovering her grandmother can no longer care for herself, Adrienne and her teenage daughter return to her hometown that she ran away from 14 years ago. She finally confronts the ghosts of her past and works through her grief and loss from her teenage years, while learning to be loved by the people around her. I enjoyed the dual timeline of present-day and flashback of the main characters teen years and the setting of a seaside town with a fish market and restaurant. The food sounded so delicious that I was starving every time I sat down to read. The setting and the love triangle explored during the flashbacks, definitely gave Dawson's Creek vibes, which I adored.

While I liked the romance in the flashbacks, I felt the present-day romance was not well fleshed out. While it was expressed that the characters spent time together, we didn't get to see the details of their interactions, unless it was physical. I wanted to see more of their relationship in present day.

This is perfect for someone looking for an emotional, heartfelt summer read that dives into difficult circumstances and overcoming grief.
Thank you Köehler Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The imagery is beautiful and descriptive.

It was a bit of a shock to the system for me to read about a “Gran” who was mentally, emotionally, and financially abusive. My Gran was a lovely, incredibly kind human being, so I’d always resonated the name with love, so it was definitely an eye opener for me that (even though this is fictional) not all those who call a women in their life the same as I do may be as lucky.

I adored Adrienne, Quinn, & Lucas’ story. A beautiful tale of first loves, friendship, nature, healing ancestral trauma, grief, and the tragedies that can occur when you meddle with other people’s lives.

Despite the traumas and heartaches that occur in this book, from the food to the landscape to the friends, it’s deliciously hygge/cozy. And a testament that lovely moments can help ease the sting of the difficult ones.

The Summer Knows by Sarah E. Pearsall is an emotional, heartfelt read that truly gives you all the feels. It’s the kind of story that makes for a perfect beach companion—bittersweet, immersive, and ultimately hopeful.

At its core, this book is about rejection, grief, and the long, complicated path to finding your way back home—even when that journey is painful. Pearsall doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, including loss and parental abuse. These themes are woven deeply into the narrative, so I’d advise readers to approach with care if these are sensitive areas for you.

What I appreciated most was the dual timeline structure that explores the characters’ pasts. It gave real depth to their choices and relationships, and helped me understand their pain, flaws, and resilience. The emotional layers made it easy to empathize with them—you really feel like you’re walking beside them through it all.

My only gripe? The ending. Specifically, who Adrienne ends up with. While I understand the choice—this person is undeniably strong and supportive—they didn’t have as prominent a role throughout the story, so it caught me off guard. I was really rooting for that second-chance romance, and the final pairing didn’t feel as fully developed. That said, it’s a testament to Pearsall’s writing that I cared enough to feel conflicted about it.

If you're looking for a story that will move you, challenge you a bit emotionally, but still offer moments of grace and healing, The Summer Knows is worth the read.

I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from Köehler Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me forever to get into. The story felt choppy and did not flow well. Because of this it was hard to relate and empathize with the characters. I think this writing style is not for me. There were many background details that felt unnecessary and it could have used more description when explaining the friendships, especially with Christopher.

Thank you NetGalley and Koehler books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It was a decent enough summer read but it didn’t excite me and the ending felt very anti climactic - it had much more promise than it delivered.
Good but not great.

A perfect summer read! The prose makes you feel that ocean breeze in your hair and on your skin.

The emotions were all over the place; things felt so real, and you just felt all of it —the reality of adulthood, the teenage dreams, and the whole bittersweet setup.

I was truly surprised to learn that it's Sarah E Pearsall's first book, because the writing is mesmerizing; and a little warning - it's relatively slow-paced, though I found it perfect for the whole melancholic mood.

Just in time for summer beach reads. Adrienne got pregnant as a teenager and was banished by her grandmother, now with her teenage daughter she’s come back as the same grandmother needs her help. I tried, but couldn’t warm up to this story or to the characters . Obviously others have highly rated it, so I hesitate to comment further.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy.

Adrienne received a phone call that her grandmother almost burned her house down. She hadn't been back since she left at 17, she is a single mother, and she left because of her grandmother. There was no one else, so she and her daughter went to see her grandmother. Her journey becomes quite the adventure, she faces the things that happened when she was young, and must figure out what she is going to do.
I found myself rooting for her, her daughter and her grandmother would be able to find a way to talk about all that happened, and might be able to heal the hurt that has been left with them for so long. I enjoyed this book, because Sarah E. Pearsall, writing brought me along, with all that they went through, and the feelings just came through her words. This is her debut novel and I look forward to reading the books she writes going forward.
I received an ARC from Köehler Books through NetGalley.

The Summer Knows" by Sarah E. Pearsall is a heartwarming story about second chances and finding your way home. Adrienne Harris, a single mom in her thirties, returns to her small hometown in Florida's panhandle after her grandmother's kitchen catches fire. As she has to face old memories and make new ones with her daughter Kali, she discovers Harbor Point isn’t such a bad place after all. The newfound romance of Christopher and Adrienne reminds the readers that anything is possible. A great summer beach read.

The Summer Knows was a bit lukewarm, in my opinion. It was a cute story about a girl who returns to her hometown after several years away and is confronted with people from her past. Being home brings back memories of summers in her youth and the boys she was friends with. It was pretty straightforward, small town romance. My issue is that it just really wasn't terribly memorable. None of the characters really stuck out and there was nothing terribly exciting that happened. Once I finished the book, it immediately started fading for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Summer Knows" by Sarah E. Pearsall is a heartwarming story about second chances and finding your way home. Adrienne Harris, a single mom in her thirties, returns to her small hometown in Florida's panhandle after her grandmother's kitchen catches fire. As she navigates old memories and reconnects with past loves, Adrienne gets a chance to rediscover herself and forge a new future.