In *The Summer Knows*, Sarah Pearsall tells a touching story about second chances and the essence of home in sunny Florida's panhandle. Adrienne Harris, a thirty-one-year-old single mom, is pulled back to her small town when her grandmother calls after a family crisis. Old memories, especially of Quinn Merrit, the boy she left behind, resurface.

Pearsall crafts relatable characters, capturing Adrienne's strength and scars as she navigates small-town gossip. When she meets Christopher Crane, a warm local fishmonger, there's a spark of hope. His offer to revive her grandfather’s fish market symbolizes her journey from broken dreams to something fulfilling.

The story comes alive with vivid details, making readers feel the salty air and hear the seagulls. While it explores familiar themes like small-town drama and rekindled dreams, it feels fresh and heartfelt. Perfect for fans of southern fiction with strong female leads and redemptive arcs, *The Summer Knows* is a lovely summer read that lingers like a warm breeze off the bay.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Summer Knows by Sarah E. Pearsall

🔍 Overview
Sarah E. Pearsall’s debut novel, The Summer Knows, is a luminous coming-of-age story that captures the bittersweet magic of a single transformative season. With prose that shimmers like sunlight on water, Pearsall weaves a tale of love, loss, and self-discovery against the backdrop of a hazy, nostalgic summer.

✨ Key Strengths
🌞 Atmospheric Storytelling – Pearsall’s writing is immersive, evoking the heat, languor, and fleeting beauty of summer with poetic precision.
💫 Emotional Resonance – The protagonist’s journey—torn between youthful idealism and the hard truths of adulthood—feels achingly real and universally relatable.
🌊 Thematic Depth – Beyond its surface charm, the novel explores weighty themes: the passage of time, the fragility of memory, and the cost of growing up.
👥 Nuanced Relationships – From tender friendships to complicated romances, every interaction feels authentic and layered.

⚠️ Considerations
⏳ Pacing – The dreamy, reflective tone may slow the narrative for readers craving tighter plotting.
🌿 Familiar Tropes – While beautifully executed, some beats of the coming-of-age arc feel well-trodden.

⭐ Score Breakdown (0–5 Stars)
✍️ Prose & Style → ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
🌻 Character Development → ★★★★☆ (4/5)
📜 Plot Originality → ★★★☆☆ (3.5/5)
💔 Emotional Impact → ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

Overall: ★★★★☆ (4.25/5)
A sun-drenched reverie where every page smells of salt and secrets.

🎯 Perfect For Readers Who Love
📖 Call Me by Your Name’s sensual melancholy or The Interestings’ ensemble depth
🍉 Slow-burn stories that prioritize mood over momentum
🌅 Nostalgic tales of summers that change everything

🙏 Gratitude
Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah E. Pearsall for the advance review copy. The Summer Knows marks the arrival of a writer with a rare gift for capturing the ephemeral in prose.

(Note: Review based on an uncorrected proof; final publication may vary.)

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.

A great summer read, Adrienne is a young single mother urged to care for her imperious aging grandmother in a gentrified Florida fishing town. The Summer Knows features relatable family drama, complex characters, interesting relationships, and a well drawn setting. Author Sarah Pearsall has woven a truly satisfying beach read.

The Summer Knows by Sarah E. Pearsall is a poignant examination of do-overs and the permanent allure of home. Thirty-one-year-old Adrienne Harris comes back to her Florida hometown because of a family emergency, encountering the small-town rumors and the reminders of a past she attempted to escape, particularly Quinn Merrit. Pearsall builds believable characters, and Adrienne's path is one of subtle strength as she works through past hurts and unexpected hope in the guise of local fishmonger Christopher Crane. His proposal to restore her grandfather's fish market becomes a symbol of her own potential for rebirth. The richly evocative setting and touching story make this a beautiful, cozy read, ideal for those who like tales of rediscovery and the reassuring comfort of familiar surroundings.

Sarah is a new author for me and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This story revolves around the past and the present, and it pulls you in, you find the happiness and the sadness. You will go back and forth very easily and find that you can't wait to see what happens in either part of time . The characters are well written for the most part and tug at your heart. I would suggest this book to my friends to read and have written a review on Goodreads as well with also a four star review. Thank you to NetGalley for having this book available.

Adrinne returns home after her eccentric grandmother nearly burns down her cottage. it is a story of second chances. good story

This was a beautiful read. The moments of humor and lightheartedness balanced with the deeper emotional moments make it an unforgettable read. Truly, it’s a story of growth, redemption, and finding where you belong.

this is the book of that second chances, reacquainting with one’s past!
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, and this is the first book. I’ve read by the author, and it will definitely not be last.

This is a new to me author that I thoroughly loved. She really kept me turning the pages.
Even though I live in Florida I still enjoyed my visit to other places around here.
Wonderful characters that I enjoyed in getting to know and a beautiful story line that made my emotions a rollercoaster ride.
I simply couldn't put this book down. Wow!!
There were a few places that had too much descriptions in the paragraphs. In other words were long winded.
5 stars for a job well done. I highly recommend
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

I read Sarah Pearsall’s “The Summer Knows” as a palate cleanser. Set in Florida, Adrienne Harris is a single mom in her early thirties who got pregnant when she was seventeen. She and her daughter, Kali, head back to Adrienne’s hometown, Harbor Point, after there’s a kitchen fire in her grandmother’s house.

Adrienne intends for the stay to be temporary based on things that happened in Harbor Point when she was a teenager. However, I would think most readers know there’s a chance the stay could become permanent, depending on what happens. Shortly after Adrienne’s arrival back in Harbor Point, she runs into Quinn Merrit who is Kali’s father. He and his brother, Lucas, moved into a house their father built next to Adrienne and her grandparents’ house.

This book got off to a rocky start for me. I didn’t start connecting with any of the characters until the author introduced the beginning of the backstory between Adrienne and the Merrit brothers. I thought the backstory parts of the book were stronger, at times, than the present day depictions.

This book is about relationships, though, and the way they were depicted seemed realistic to me. I especially liked a conversation Adrienne and Quinn had towards the end of the book about what happened the last summer they shared as teenagers.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

The Summer Knows is a beautifully atmospheric novel that lingers long after the final page. Sarah E. Pearsall captures the bittersweet ache of memory, loss, and fleeting moments of connection with lyrical prose and vivid emotional depth. The characters feel real and raw, and the story moves with a quiet intensity that sneaks up on you.