3.5 Stars
Summer Heat
By Brooke Straiton

I'd first like to thank Netgalley for providing me with the e-ARC. I read this book in two days and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was entertained and grew to like most of the characters.

When I first picked up Summer Heat, I was a little skeptical because I loathed almost every single character. Sienna was by far my favorite character, and when first introduced to her, all I saw was Sandra Bullock's Gracie Hart from Miss Congeniality. While there are a lot of similarities -- Sienna is undercover, has to primp and wear clothes she's not used to, teaches the women self-defense, etc. -- I grew to like her character on her own merits. Was she vapid and annoying? Yes. Did the constant push and pull between her and her two love interests annoy me at times? Also yes. That said, I thought her character was written very well and very realistically for someone on a dating show.

I may watch a lot of trashy reality TV (BRAVO-HOLIC, anyone?), but I've never been a fan of the dating shows. I find it hard to believe that you can find your person in a group of 15-20 people, with no privacy, no time alone, and no chance to really connect with someone when everyone is vying for the attention of their target. That said, I thought the author wrote the show very well, and I enjoyed reading all the different ways she was able to get these characters physical with each other. The added pressure of introducing new contestants who threw wrenches into what was already a volatile situation was fun, and I enjoyed reading about Jameson and Wes's vacation adventure.

As for the mystery part of the story, it was less than I expected, and really became more of a side plot that got a bit lost. I was expecting more from that part of the story, and was slightly disappointed that it was put on the back burner and not really mentioned beyond Sienna reminding herself that she was on assignment.

My favorite part was the end, when even after everything, the contestants found a friendship and still kept in touch and formed relationships outside of the show.

<i>Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early review copy of this book. These opinions are my own.</i>

Actual Rating: 4.5

<b>The Important Highlights</b>
This is the first book in a series of summer themed standalones. It is available on Kindle Unlimited. The author has sign ups posted for book 2, Summer Hustle, on her IG.

<b>My Unhinged and Messy Thoughts</b>
Y’all the way I ATE THIS SHIT UP 🤯 I had a really hard time putting it down because it was like watching those binge worthy reality shows. The author did a fantastic job putting that vibe on paper without it just being a script. Seriously, so good. I loved the concept of the “show” but also the premise of why Sienna was on it. It was a great book!

<b>In Conclusion</b>
If you love trashy reality TV like Love Island or those old Tila Tequila shows, then this is absolutely for you!

This was incredible! Such a rush to read, I kept wanting to know what happened next while not wanting it to end. The first few pages I was afraid it was gonna put women against women or have pick me energy, given the nature of the show, but it was very well done, the girls had bonding moments as well as drama, the men were competing and simping over their women so hard, it was FUN to read.

I felt everything so intense, and my hopes were all over the place. I rooted for a character or couple and then they did something dumb or cruel and I was shook. It was really like watching a reality! Don’t want to spoil anything, but I’m so excited that I’ll have to read it twice before sending the review. Just know that every character was lovable even though they were all HOT MESSES (true on both accounts). We had love, chemistry, heartbreak, frenemies, and a wholesome subplot.

I’ll definitely be awaiting this author’s next book, her writing style is as addictive as Lola’s drinks!

Cute read! Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this! I look forward to reading more by this author!

This fun undercover spin on Love Island is the perfect summer read. Sienna is sent on a mission as a contestant on Summer Heat (Love Island) and must get close to the target’s son, should be easy right? Well a hunky ex-football player with killer chemistry throws a wrench in her plan. The characters are hilarious and endearing and the romance is hot! A fantastic read that I flew through! Absolutely obsessed!

beck wilder is such a funny mmc. he is so sweet when he's with sienna and i loved being able to see a side of him that he didn't show to the world (ironically hahah)!! im not normally a reality tv show girlie, both IRL and in books, but Brooke did this one perfectly. i have seen some people mention that they were timid about the length of the book, BUT i am definitely not that girl. I personally love longer books that allow the readers to get a full scope of the book and Summer Heat did not disappoint in that regard. if you're looking for a steamy, funny, fast paced romance read, then Summer Heat should be at the top of your list!

This book was such a fun read! I don't think I've ever read a book with the plot being about a dating show. All the characters were well developed and I enjoyed them all. I liked how the chapters were broken up into different perspectives. It doesn't hurt that the author and I share the same first name. I hope to read more from this author in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC.

#SummerHeat #NetGalley

I started this book the day that the current season of Love Island USA premiered, and I loved how well the author wrote the book reflective of how the show bounces between different storylines being caught on camera and the confessionals, while also giving us those individual characters' perspectives and emotions. While the blurb initially had me thinking it would be more undercover spy / Miss Congeniality with an underlying romance plot, I would say that the story (and our main character Sienna) become more focused on feelings, and it became easy for me to get distracted from Dominic when Beck entered the picture... so much so that the resolution seemed pretty rushed at the end.

I love Love Island and these types of reality shows, so I naturally really enjoyed this book, and it was made better by getting the internal monologues from Beck and from Sienna. Characters that may just get written off with a villain edit on the show became more relatable when you get a better understanding of their motives and emotional turmoil. And while it may be confusing to have so many involved characters, I loved that the author did dig into their storylines more because Logan was an absolute DELIGHT to read.

Well this was a fun, spicy summer read! This is everything I want in a summertime romance. Summer Heat was just what it promises. It was fast paced, steamy, great chemistry, interesting characters that pop of the page, not shy on the drama to keep you turning the pages with a fun beachy setting. I love when an author’s writing is so natural it makes me forget I am reading. At first I was intimidated by its 615 pages but I flew through this so fast, I devoured it within 48 hours.
Brooke Straiton, you are officially on my radar. Keep these coming!

a good book, nothing like I’ve read before, an interesting plot and I liked the premise of the book. it was funny and entertaining and a good read. such a unique book, I did like it, it was written well. did find that there were quite a lot of characters and it was quite long but still enjoyed it and knew who was who. enjoyed the aspects of the viewer reacts and the control room, that was funny. Beck and Sienna were cute together, they had such a strong attraction (still love Dom)

This was super fun from the get-go. I could tell that I was going to love because it was just so unserious and it really read like a reality show. It's like Love Island and Miss Congeniality had a baby and I was all for it. I love that it was a mix of romance and mystery but I wish it would have had a little bit more mystery in it/investigating. I absolutely LOVE all the characters - I found it hard not to root for them all to find their happily ever afters (yes, even Dane). This was the perfect summer read!

This book was such a fun read!! The concept of Love Island meets Miss Congeniality felt so fresh and just messy enough to be entertaining. The pining was immaculate and Beck has been living rent free in my head fro days now. I absolutely devoured this book, 4.5 stars! It would have been 5 but I wanted a little more with the actual investigation.

this was a good one from the start. must read and really enjoyed this from page one. I am loving this author more and more. Every book does it for me.

When I first got this I didn't realize it was previously a weekly chapter drop on Substack over the past year or so. It read perfectly fine but finding that out it did make more sense with the format.

I'm not a reality tv girly (besides the og Bachelor) but this plot was so much fun. I could actually picture everyone in this villa surrounded by camera's just trying to get by. The opening scenes very much gave Miss Congeniality which immediately hooked me. My only complaint is it wrapped up SO quickly. It was like the author ran out of time to release chapters and had to shove everything into just a couple.

A super fun, entertaining, page turner for summer!

I like the detailed introductions to the characters. Gives a clearer picture in my head of what they look like. Big Brother vibes. You can feel the tension. Beck is charming. Feels really drawn out. Logan definitely gives off Gold Retriever vibes. Lola terrifies him which is kind of endearing. Nina and Lauren are tough shells to crack but seem like they are waiting for someone to care enough to crack them. It was pretty comical everyone thinking they got drugged. Fairly certain it was Lola's fault. I feel bad for Beck being caught in Sienna's undercover web when she has to distance herself post-Heat Suites. I knew the Lola and Bailey drama would come to a head eventually. I guess I didn't expect them to get kicked off the show. I like how Sienna was honest with Dom and he and Logan helped her complete her mission.

📚 Title: Summer Heat
✍️ Author: Brooke Straiton
🗓️ Release Date: May 28, 2025
📘 Format: Ebook (ARC) — provided by BooksGoSocial, NetGalley, and Brooke Straiton in exchange for an honest review.

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🌟 Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

📝 Vibe Summary:
Think Love Island meets undercover suspense — packed with drama, heat, chemistry, and a high-stakes mission disguised as a reality dating show. Summer Heat brings the spice, the scandal, and the slow unraveling of something real beneath the sun-drenched chaos.

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📖 Story Review:

Initial Impressions:
The cover of Summer Heat is subtle, not giving much away — but the blurb? Instant hook. A “hot reality dating show” setting plus an undercover cop storyline? Yes, please. For lovers of binge-worthy tropes and guilty-pleasure drama, this premise was irresistible.

Plot & Characters:
Sienna, an undercover officer embedded in the show to investigate a human trafficking ring, finds herself dangerously close to Dominic Hale — son of the empire’s suspected leader — and even closer to falling for him. The setup is clever, and the balance of tension, romance, and mystery had me turning pages at warp speed.

Sienna was a complex character — tough, smart, and understandably torn. Her decisions sometimes made me want to yell at my Kindle (in the best way), but that emotional pull kept me invested. Dom wasn’t quite the broody billionaire I expected — more approachable, sincere, and surprisingly grounded, which worked beautifully against the heat of the storyline.

And then there’s Beck. Sweet, loyal, patient Beck. The man deserved the world and yet kept getting sidelined. His emotional arc was one of my favorites — and the entire Logan situation? UNEXPECTEDLY ICONIC. Closet drama? Say less.

Spice Level:
This isn’t your “open-door every chapter” kind of smut, but don’t let that fool you — the spice is intentional. It reads exactly like you’re watching a steamy scene unfold on-screen, except you get full access to the characters’ thoughts. It adds a depth and emotional weight often missing in visual media. And yes… Chapter 72 will live rent-free in my head forever. I laughed, I reread it, I almost missed my son’s baseball game over it. No regrets.

Also — someone please explain the that one-night switch?? Still not over it. The mystery lives on. WHO DID IT?!?!

Favorite Quote:

“And then— I move.”
— Chapter 96 Wrecked

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✅ Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely. If you’re a fan of Love Island, Temptation Island, or any “can’t-look-away” dating show chaos — this book is for you. It’s got reality TV drama, layered suspense, complex emotional stakes, and enough steam to fog up your Kindle.

Perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey’s spicy romcoms or Meghan Quinn’s high-drama romances with heart.

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📝 Final Thoughts:
Summer Heat was a wild ride that I devoured in record time. It’s got everything — undercover missions, magnetic attraction, emotional conflict, and scenes that leave you cackling out loud. I’ve already pre-ordered the physical copy for my personal bookshelf — because this book earned it.

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📣 Disclaimers & Tags:
• This ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
• Content Warnings: human trafficking (non-graphic), sexual content, strong language, manipulation, jealousy, minor physical violence.

Dangerously Hot. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat both from intensity and laughter. It's hard to not turn the page in this brilliant performance.

This was a ridiculously fun read. I didn't have high hopes going into this but ended up reading it in one sitting.

It helped that the so-called villain wasn't terrible, in fact Dom was fairly sweet, the women were mostly supportive of each other and funny and the twist of having the undercover cop Sienna coming to terms with finding her inner hottie was also amusing. And the award for the best from left field character/character arc goes to Logan!!

I'm not a fan of the Bachelor series or it's spin off Bachelor in Paradise (which I guess is the sort of show that Summer Heat is spoofing) but have always enjoyed shows about the behind the scenes aspects of tv, like Unreal, so those glimpses into cranky producers, or silent meals were interesting to me. The amount of manipulation of the 'cast' was heartbreaking as we got to know and like them more. (Though I didn't understand why a scene between the crew getting goo-goo eyed over Sienna and Beck only to have it followed by the evening playing clips of everyone from the hidden cameras).

A perfect summer beach read.

This was a fun read that is unlike any other story I have read, It was interesting to watch the characters develop. Might be interesting to pull some excerpts as examples when discussing the topic of psychology, especially media psychology, for college-level courses. There were a couple of typos here and there, but I found the book to be well-written overall. Would love to see where this author goes with future books. Definitely enjoyed reading this and will recommend it to my friends who are into this genre.

i thought this would be a smart and fun read with flirty moments all melded in. and it was all those things but much more besides. it held so much more deeper moments and emotionally clever moments within both the plot and characters. and the interactions also gathered more deep layers so it hooked me in and kept me there all the way through.
i came in thinking it would a Miss congeniality funny but great at what it is read. and again i was surprised how much the plot made itself work on all fronts to make me feel more attached to the characters and what they were going through. but still managed to hold that bright lights feeling.
Sienna is a tough cookie. shes so clever but also so soft in how she holds her heart in this book. she has to get through a reality show of all places. her end goal is to get a job done, and that means getting closer in any way possible to a suspected very dangerous man.
her mission felt all at once on opposite end to each other. she was on this glitzy surface level of sorts show, but for much darker important reasons than...love. wasnt she?
and then we have the character of Beck. who lets all be shy and bashful right now with just how Beck makes us all feel. and how much his character stole the mission, the show, and Sienna's heart? their interactions were on point. there time together had me rooting for every part of this book as long as they could be togerher. and like i said before this only added to how much you are then invested. there is the emotional tension, the result and mission means so much more. but one didnt ever over take the others which was so clever on Brookes part.
this book was charming, sexy and so full of heart which you dont expect going in but oh you appreciate it all the more when its given to you.