i feel like it’s almost not fair for me to review this book right now. i just happened to read this immediately after Every Summer After (which is now one of my favorite books ever) bc i’m broke and this is on KU. they’re definitely very different, but with the same kind of premise (second chance love, alleged unrequited life-long family-friend crushes, then and now chapters, east coast summer house on the water, etc. etc.) it almost had no chance through no fault of its own.

BUT this was a very sweet book. i loved the characters and their connection. the last minute hail mary conflict felt a little trivial to me but the ending was very satisfying. not as good as every summer after but still a 5 star read for me