3.5 🌟
Spice: just kissing
Format: audio

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited for this one, unfortunately for me ot didn't deliver. The sole focus being more on the reality show and so many contestants instead of Oliver and Declan made me downright bored. It took away from any character development for them and made the chemistry non existent. I feel I'm being generous with my rating, but the audio was enjoyable to not DNF.

I really enjoyed Summer of Love! The Love Island-inspired setup was such a fun and fresh idea—I haven’t read anything like it before, and it totally hooked me from the start. Declan and Oliver’s relationship was so sweet, and I loved watching the chemistry build between them.

That said, I do wish their connection had been explored more while they were still on the show.

Overall, this was a sweet, easy summer read with a unique premise and a charming romance. I’d definitely recommend it to fans of reality TV and LGBTQ+ love stories!

Declan was only looking for some free marketing when he signed up for a reality dating show. He was going to be going with his best friend because people thought they were dating and they thought it could be fun. They are wrong though, because Declan is gay.

But, since only his best friend knows, Declan is going to spend the summer dating women and trying not to think about how much he wants to kiss his cute bro instead.

I have to start saying that I don’t like reality shows, so I wasn’t the audience for this. I requested the ARC because I had enjoyed another book with a similar premise and this was marketed for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue (still trying to figure out WHY, they didn’t have anything in common other than being a new adult and the lack of spice).

Summer of Love was different from what I was expecting. First, the reality show stole the focus from the romance during the majority of the book. I thought the reality dating show was only going to be a plot device to make it fun and set the meet cute, and that it would fade to the background as we progressed.

It wasn’t like that.

We had more conversations with other people than between the main couple, which it’s not necessarily bad, but you need to enjoy reality shows to appreciate the story. We even had a few POVs of a woman who worked on the reality show, which shifted the focus from the romance even more. The secondary characters were easy to like though, even if a few of them felt a bit flat, but I think in some cases (Niall and Stella, for example) it was done on purpose to add a bit of humor.

The second thing I was dreading after seeing the ratings was the writing style. This was a debut, so I went with the bar set very low and was surprised about how easy it was to read. However, even though the writing wasn’t bad, I had problems with the execution of some secondary plotlines, sometimes it felt the pacing wasn’t completely right and, specially, we needed to see more of what the characters were thinking. For example, at some point they kiss and they don’t really think about it. It was so weird I actually went to check if I had imagined the entire scene. Was a kiss really that insignificant to the main characters that they didn’t think about?

I wanted to see the characters’ fears, their dreams and goals. I feel the majority of their thoughts were about the reality show and not their feelings towards the person they were supposedly falling in love with. Still, it was a book that was easy to read and the characters were easy to care about. Though it was frustrating at first, I ended up appreciating the dialogues with the secondary characters.

Overall, I wasn’t the audience for this but I read it fast and it was pretty entertaining. I’d recommend it if you love reality shows and, at some point, you shipped two men who were dating women and wanted them to be together instead.


I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would recommend this book to reality show lovers who enjoy fast pace books which are easy to binge. The concept of the story is enjoyable and the writing is really good.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: June 5, 2025

“For anyone who needs a queer story with a happy ending” — a welcome dedication page in 2025!

Hard to keep track of all the characters because I wasn’t really invested in any of them until after the halfway mark. Maybe if you watch all of the reality dating shows, this will reel you in from the start but it was slow going for me.

This follows Oliver (recently dumped by his gf of forever) and Declan (closeted gay boxer who is healing from an injury) who find themselves on a hetero reality dating show with a ton of other couples chosen by the producers. I felt like the focus on other cast members cheated us from what we could’ve had with Oliver and Declan. I really enjoyed these two and their story but feel like we only got half a book about them in the end!

a good ole fashioned rom-com reality show with an mm twist(?) -- sign me up.
there's a lot of expected turns in this funny summer popcorn book, and a few interesting swerves as well. there's also a couple of unpolled threads (red herrings even?). Mixed with how much I actually liked the two main characters Dec and Oliver, and altogether it makes for a rather enjoyable ride. definitely one I'd recommend to others..

This multi PoV love drama is great for lovers of dating reality shows. Paige is vying for a leg up and a promotion, Declan and Oliver who are contestants have their own motives for why they want to win at this game show of love. While the drama is plentiful, I didn’t find it to be typified by romantic swoony plot arcs. I found it difficult to connect to the couple and even though the premise is described upfront it still three me off how heavily the book leans into the reality show element of the plot. For a majority do the time it’s the interactions stemming form the show that are the star and that left me honestly dissatisfied

However of you love these kinds of shows this one literally reads like a behind the scenes of one so it might be for you.

Summer of Love is fun and fast paced, and definitely one of those books you can binge read by the pool! Oliver and Declan are adorable, and their chemistry is palpable! However, I wish things hadn't felt so rushed between them.

Figuring out your sexuality is hard enough on your own, but figuring it out on national TV is a NIGHTMARE! Oliver and Declan have recently joined the cast of Britain’s hit heteronormative romance spectacle Summer of Love. Declan is a closeted professional boxer whose career is on the line and only signed up as a favor for his best friend. Oliver is a ballet dancer recovering from a disastrous break-up. When both boys should be playing the game to find, or at least pretend to find love with one of the ladies on the show, but instead are forced to confront their feelings for each other drama ensues. Fans of reality TV shows like Bachelor in Paradise and Love Island will enjoy the comfortable formula of Declan and Oliver’s tryst, but those seeking a little more substance and spice will be disappointed as everything remains appropriately brief and chaste for TV. That said, Easton provides a breezy beach read perfect for a romance fans next summer getaway.

Summer of Love is a Love Island-inspired novel about two men competing on a reality dating show who end up falling for each other instead of the women.

The Characters:
Declan: a boxer, who is there for fame and to make the world stop thinking he's dating his best friend Georgia, without also having to come out as gay.
Oliver: a ballet dancer, who agreed to the show on drunken whim. He wants to win the money so he can move to New York and win back his ex-girlfriend Sophie.

Declan and Oliver start as rivals, before morphing into a bromance, then a romance. It is very easy to love Oliver, who is kind and earnest, but I also became very fond of Declan. At the beginning, he's a dick with all his scheming, and he's also very inauthentic. However, I think through his POV you understand why he's being like that (even if you don't approve) and you also see how gone is from Oliver from the very start. The build up and slow burn of their relationship was delicious.

You don't need to be a fan of reality dating shows to enjoy this story. I haven’t really seen much reality dating tv, except a season of Temptation Island because my friend was on it. However, I have read several books with this general plot line. Summer of Love still felt very fresh and unique to me.

Additionally, there is a whole cast of characters that you get to follow as they seek love and/or fame (the fellow contestants), revenge (Georgia's ex-boyfriend), or high ratings (the show's host and producers). Altogether, what you get is a fun book with good vibes, great for reading by the pool.

4.5⭐️ but I’m rounding up because I was really feeling it.

This was such a fun, summer read!! As someone who watched and devoured seasons of Love Island, this book was very reminscent and scratched a similar itch! It was fun to think about the things happening behind the scenes that us as the viewer weren't privy to, but as a reader we could be! It was especially fun watching their relationship blossom from enemies to bromance to lovers. I especially loved the couple of chapters that took place after the show, and the epilogue was so adorable!!

I absolutely adored this book. It’s one of my most enjoyable reads of the year so far, and I’ve read A LOT. It has very similar shades to one of my all time favorites, The Charm Offensive, as well as various reality tv shows, particularly Love Island, Too Hot to Handle, and Perfect Match.

Oliver and Declan were great together, but I wish we got to see more of them actually together. They’re both hiding who they are, as that’s the concept of the reality show they’re on, and they keep getting involved in “relationships” with various other women on the show, mostly just to keep themselves popular in the eyes of the general public and to stay on the show as long as possible. Loved that there was a dual POV, but Declan was the clear main character, as even though Oliver got just as many chapters, Declan was the one who was fully developed. There was a lot of attention given to the others on the show with them as well, which I liked, but it could have been dialed back a bit to focus more on Oliver and Declan themselves and how they find themselves falling for each other.

Overall, it was a very solid debut for this duo, and I really look forward to see what they come out with next- whatever it is, I’ll definitely be reading it!

This was a great summer read! I liked that it was dual pov between Declan and Oliver and I also really liked them both as characters. I also thought the setting of a love island type show was a fun one and was definitely one of the better done books I’ve read with this format!

I really enjoyed the concept of this story. The plot was fun, fast-paced, and easy to get into, making it a perfect light summer read. I especially liked the characters: Oliver, in particular, stood out to me (I loved that he was a ballet dancer!), and both he and Declan had good chemistry.

That said, the romance did feel a bit rushed. It had an “insta-love” vibe that made it hard to fully believe in their emotional connection. I understand the constraints of the setting, with cameras and microphones constantly around them, but that’s why I think the story would’ve benefited from an extended section after the show, to give their relationship more space to grow.

Overall, though, it was a charming, enjoyable read, and I had a great time with it.

3.5/5

Summer of Love is one of those books made for a sunny afternoon — cute, sweet, and set against a fun, chaotic reality-TV backdrop. Boxer Declan and ballet dancer Oliver are total opposites, and their bromance-turned-romance has that slow burn → sudden sparks vibe that’s easy to root for.

It’s a great pick if you’re after a light beach read, but if you're hoping for deeper character work or a bi awakening as powerful as Red, White & Royal Blue, this might fall a bit short. The pacing is off — slow to start, then too rushed once the romance begins — and the emotional depth never fully lands.

Still, if you’re in the mood for a cute, summery rom-com with a reality show twist, this is a solid pick.

A perfect summer reading. It’s a cute story, a slow burn with no spicy and a gentle touch. It’s funny and fresh. It’s set on a reality show and the mcs are both “hetero”. Apparently. It’s really funny.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This book is a fun, sunny-time, easy read. It's simple to breeze through. But if you're craving a rich, immersive romance or more complex character arcs, it might not quite hit the mark. It's like it had all the ingredients for a cheesy, delightful escape but played it too safe, ending up as a missed chance rather than a standout love story.

Lily Easton’s “Summer of Love” is a fresh, but a safe addition to the LGBTQ+ romance shelf.

The story centers on Declan King, a boxer turned reality show contestant who’s supposed to be searching for “the one”… as long as she’s a girl. But Declan’s hiding the truth—he’s already falling for someone, and it’s not who the showrunners had in mind. Enter Oliver Wright, a ballet dancer with his own agenda: win the prize money and win back his ex-girlfriend. Their fake friendship turns into something much more real after one unexpected kiss that changes everything.

The setup is fun and full of potential, though the first few chapters are crowded with characters—producers, co-stars, and various side players all competing for page time. It can be a bit much to track early on, but once the story finds its rhythm (and it takes some time), the charm between Declan and Oliver shines through.

While comparisons to “Red, White & Royal Blue,” “Something to Talk About,” and “The Charm Offensive” might set the expectation for steamier content, this one keeps it firmly PG. Aside from a few kisses and suggestive moments, it’s a slow-burn romance that stays sweet but very safe. As I was reading it, I thought it was YA, but it seems to be described as “adult” on GoodReads. These comparisons are a mismatch for readers expecting more given the story and spice. Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC!

A fun concept, enjoyed the main characters but a bit too many characters overall - the author seemed to forget about them in parts where the story didn’t properly flow. The dual POV was good until the end when they added back in the producer, then back traced time with each POV. Overall enjoyed the read, and think it’s a good debut novel! Would definitely read future works from this author.

MM Romance
Reality Show
2.5 Stars ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for the arc but I am super conflicted on this one! I think to really enjoy this book you need to be a fan of relationship dating shows like Love Island, Are You The One? or Love is Blind because Summer of Love is a UK dating reality show that D list celebrities, athletes, and influencers go on to find true love or just manufacture drama to boost their popularity. I am not a huge fan of shows like this because I usually find the contestants too catty and dramatic and unless I am super drawn to a couple, I usually tune out at some point. Sadly, that’s also how I felt reading this book because it took me almost 50% to connect to it or any of the characters, even the main couple this book was about and had this not been an arc, I would have DNF’d it around this time because by that point I had fallen asleep 3 times already.

So this is a straight reality dating show and we get 3 POVs; Paige the producer, Oliver a ballet dancer who was just dumped and Declan a boxer who is trying to kill some time while his wrist heals. The show starts each contestant out with a partner of the producer’s choosing and then with the various twists and challenges they switch partners etc. Declan and Oliver want to win this thing and develop a bromance of sorts that endears them to viewers and keeps them on the show longer along with their significant others. As they grow closer as friends, they also start to have inconvenient feelings for each other but they are not the main focus of this book which is part of the reason why it took me so long to connect to it. There are also 5-6 other couples that we get to know over the course of this story and we see their journeys as well and I just didn’t care about these other people. I wanted to spend more time with Declan and Oliver and because that doesn’t happen for quite some time, it made their characters feel very one dimensional and for a reality dating show, it wasn’t giving me the kind of romance I wanted. I was hoping for some forbidden encounters and while there were a few stolen kisses here and there, it just never captured my full interest and by the time I finally felt some kind of connection, there is some drama that changed the vibe of the book completely. I can’t say more on that because spoilers but I was hoping for something swoon-worthy to happen to make up for the drama but instead the resolution was pretty lackluster and once again the rest of characters interrupted the only love story I was interested in.

That said this is a debut and with some tweaks I feel like this author duo could be successful. I think people who love reality tv will like this book as long as they go into it knowing they won’t get a lot of one on one time with Oliver and Declan. I just needed more and it affected my overall feelings toward this book. That said, the last 10% did make me smiley even if it didn’t hit the swoon factor I was ultimately looking for. This is one of those books where 3 stars feels way too generous especially for the amount of times I fell asleep during the first 50% but 2 stars feels too low because there were some redeeming things about it however because I can’t rate it 2.5, I’m going to 2 star it because in the end the romance itself felt half baked and that affected my attention span and was ultimately the reason I have an overall mehhh feeling about this book.