This was a frothy summer read following contestants in a reality dating show. Oliver and Declan were the main characters, there to find the woman of their dreams but falling in love with each other. I wish the focus was more on these characters because the chemistry was so well written, but instead there were too many characters and not enough interaction.

For someone who is a fan of Love Island I'm sure this book would be a hit. Unfortunately this wasn't the case for me. It was a slow build up and I just couldn't get into the writing style of the book. I had to DNF the book at 30% as it was not drawing my attention. I wasn't interested in the love story that was building and really wished that I was.

Okay, das war etwas genau nach meinem Geschmack. SUMMER OF LOVE vom Autorenkollektiv Lily Easton. Tolles Setting bei einer Reality-Show a la LOVE ISLAND und sehr gut finde ich, für Fans von THE CHARME OFFENSIVE.

Zum einen lernen wir Declan kennen, einen Boxer in der Gesundheitskrise, der auch nicht gewillt ist, seine Homosexualität Preis zu geben. Also lässt er sich überzeugen, an einer Dating Show teil zu nehmen. Ist bestimmt gut für sein Image, also macht er das. Und ist charmant und telegen aber tatsächlich etwas oberflächlich. Denn er möchte vor dem Publikum klar nicht zuviel Preis geben.

Dumm nur, dass auch Oliver, der Balletttänzer, an der Show teilnimmt, von dem Declan sofort recht angetan ist. Aber erstmal herrscht vor den Kameras Krieg zwischen den beiden, da Declan Oliver seine Damen im Spiel weggenommen hat. Auf Anraten der Produktionsassistentin Paige (die auch zwei POV-Kapitel neben den Jungs hat), vertragen sie sich aber öffentlich und es entsteht für das Publikum schon eine Bromance, die von den Zuschauern sehr gut aufgenommen wird. Running Gag ab einem gewissen Punkt ist auch, dass das beste Paar in der Show eigentlich Oliver und Declan wären. Nur will Oliver ja wirklich eine Frau finden, da seine langjährige Freundin ihn erst vor kurzem verlassen hat. Da Declan das weiß, und auch um sein eigenes Image besorgt ist, wird da romantisch nichts unternommen, was aber nicht heißt, dass da keine Funken sprühen. Bis es dann nach einem neuerlichen Zerwürfnis der beiden, in einem ungefilmten Moment doch zum Kuss kommt und beide nun wissen, wie sie zueinander stehen. Was natürlich die Öffentlichkeit nicht sehen soll, aber gerade Declan zermürbt das ganze immer mehr und seine anfängliche offene Art wird immer ruhiger. Der Kuss war zwar ungefilmt, aber Paige bekommt ein Audio davon in die Finger und erpresst Oliver schon, dass sich die beiden doch outen sollten, weil gibt bestimmt gute Quote und die Zuschauer shippen sie ja teilweise eh schon. Das geht Oliver aber zu weit und er verlässt das Set, ohne mit Declan darüber zu reden. Aber da ist noch nicht Schluß 😊
Wer also Realitysendungen mag und auch nicht blind dafür ist, dass da vieles hinter den Kulissen getrickst wird, der ist hier gut aufgehoben.
#ripleyliest #summeroflove #lillyeaston #realitytv #queer #outing

This is a fun book set on a reality show. It has good anxiety representation. The chemistry between the characters was really sweet.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving a digital ARC.

Summer of Love hit the right spot of queer representation with a mix of reality tv trope. Streaming services give us an adaptation of this work.

I just got off the Love Island TV show train, and jumped right into this book - and it was exactly what I needed! I loved how the build up was, and how you also get a kind of behind the scenes look of how a show like this is made. Loved the way the producers meddled, and also the contestants. Such a great summer read and just what I needed when I was still craving the Love Island world.

I loved oliver and Declan's love story. It made me feel the same way I did reading red, white and royal blue, but I like this one better because instead of being set in like a royal situation it was set up on a reality show and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book, it made me go and read love island just to have a better understanding of that aspect and I loved it. I would highly recommend readers who love mm romance read this book. I gave this book 4.5 stars

Summer of Love is exactly the kind of deliciously tangled, heart-fluttering romance I crave. Set against the wild backdrop of a reality-dating show, it perfectly balances the campy spectacle of manufactured drama with those quiet, stolen moments where real feelings sneak in and steal the spotlight. Declan and Oliver’s journey had me hooked from the first witty exchange to the slow burn of longing and secret smiles — it’s that intoxicating mix of “Are they or aren’t they?” and “I’m definitely hoping they are.” The way the story plays with performative “bromance” while peeling back layers of identity and vulnerability hits all the right notes. It’s tender without being saccharine, and sharp without losing the warmth that makes queer love stories so needed. If you want a romance that sparkles with tension, drenches you in secondhand blushes, and somehow feels both like a guilty pleasure and a beautifully honest exploration of what it means to find yourself and someone else amid the chaos — this is your book. Plus, the supporting cast and villa drama add just enough spice to keep every page turning. A perfect summer read to wear your heart on your sleeve, preferably while sipping something cold and fabulous.

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t know what to expect going into this book because I had never watched an episode of Love Island prior to starting this but I picked up on the vibe of the show really quickly.

I loved Declan & Oliver I just wish that there was a little more lead up to their relationship. It felt like they got feelings & then were acting on those feelings very fast.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

This was pretty fun! In general, I hate reality TV, but The Charm Offensive kind of made me change my view on books about reality shows, so here I am :D

Summer of Love was an easy, summer-y read. This is the perfect book to take on vacation with you and just chill with it by the sea or a pool. It just has this positive vibe with a splash of drama and more serious topics.

The first half felt a bit boring to me as the main focus was on the reality show. The second half, after Oliver and Declan discovered their feelings for each other, was pretty cool and I was shocked when the last chapters came as the pages just flew by.

I did miss deeper backstories from both MCs. I felt like they were scratched only on the surfice, but could have been developed more. The story would have been much stronger if we knew more about what pains both men.

Overall, the book was light, enterntaining and I loved the ending very much.

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!

This was a really lighthearted read and I really found myself loving Oliver and Declan, both of their POVs being equally exciting and entertaining for me, unlike my usual favor of one or the other in multi-POV books. I really wish we got to see more of the yearning and build-up between the two, however. Even though we got their POVs, it really lacked that pining and such that I was looking forward to. However, reading it when Love Island USA just started airing was so perfect, it really added to the experience of reading the book, haha. I struggled to get into it due to the lack of true connection between Oliver and Declan, or, rather, the lack of on-page connection, as they definitely had something spark between them, but we just didn't see it as much as I wish we could've. But the ending really tied everything together nicely, without feeling rushed, and made this book memorable for me. I loved the ending and how everything turned out a lot. This was a very easy and fun read.

This was enjoyable. I love when people write reality tv set novels, but I kind of which we had more time with our lead couple.

Declan and Oliver’s romance was sweet, but it developed a bit too quickly to feel fully believable. A slower build with more tension would’ve helped. Despite the reality dating show setup, the story didn’t focus much on the show itself. The writing was easy to read, but some emotional moments felt underdeveloped, and secondary characters were a bit flat. Still, it’s an entertaining, fast-paced read with a fun premise—great if you enjoy light queer romances in reality TV settings.

Thank you for the ARC of this book.

Think Love Island…but two of the men get it on!


We follow Declan, a famous boxer who has been on and off “dating” his best girl friend for years, and has decided to give “love” a real shot in the villa. Then there’s Oliver, who’s still in love with his ex-girlfriend and has entered the villa with every intention of winning and using the prize money to follow her to NYC.

Sprinkle in one of them being in the closet and the other having a bi awakening, and you get Summer of Love.

I loved the concept of this book and it had so much potential and could have been so good but, I think it just fell a bit flat. I didn’t buy into the relationship; it felt like it came out of nowhere, and the chemistry and tension weren’t really built up at all. I found myself not really caring by the end, as it became quite predictable.

Overall, it was a fun read, and I imagine BookTok will eat it up but it just wasn’t for me

This was a fun read. I am not really a huge fan of reality TV and I don't watch any reality dating shows so I was unsure how I would feel about Summer of Love. Overall I would say that I enjoyed it. The characters were likable and the relationships were sweet (though very unrealistic for reality television). My only real complaint is that I felt Oliver and Declan romantic relationship progressed too quickly. It felt like they had barely become friends and then all of a sudden they were into each other. I wish the author had spent a little more time building the tension between them before getting them together.
*3.5 rounded up

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Here’s what I loved about this book; Declan and Oliver falling in love, the setting of being on a dating reality show, the friends they made. When the story between the two of them picked up, it was really good. But there wasn’t anything else interesting about the story. The beginning and ending was a lot of time jumps that I didn’t feel were necessary, I would have liked to have more of the reality show aspect. There was barely any games or dates and we didn’t get to see most of the dates. So I struggled with seeing a future for any of the characters. I also hated the miscommunication in this. I understand they were on camera but it maybe twice is enough.

Sweet and heartwarming. There’s not a lot of character exhibition but they are fun. The promise of the drama of a reality show is delivered. The writing is simple. Sometimes it gets hard to keep track of the characters. It would’ve been much better with a bit of stronger character development, feelings and stakes.
Thank you for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for the ARC in exchange for a review!

If you love watching reality TV you will really like this book! This had all of the drama you could ever need, while also showing how production manipulates what happens during these shows. I wish the side characters had a bit more depth, as I think they had a lot more potential. I also would have also liked a little less focus on what was going on in the show, and more development between the relationships between the characters. The book was really like watching a reality TV show, where you don't really see much depth behind the people participating. I did appreciate the last part of the book post show finale, but I wish it had a bit more!! I wanted to watch the relationship between Declan and Oliver grow, as they didn't have much time to do that during the show in front of all the cameras. Overall, a light and fun debut book!

“Too Hot To Handle” but make it a book that explores the “what if…?” almost everyone has thought about at least once while watching the reality: What would happen if two contestants fell for each other when they’re not one of the straight couples the show’s aiming for?

I’ve always found the idea interesting, so it was really entertaining reading about how nuanced said situation can be, and the complications it can entail.

I enjoyed it overall, it was a light read. That being said, I didn’t like everything about it: Every female character was treated as a prop for either of the main characters (or their “mates”). They weren’t just their own characters, and, as accustomed as I am to reading female centered books, I heavily disliked that. But hey, that’s just my perception!

[Thanks to NetGalley, Canelo, and the authors for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!]