Strawberry Summer

Melissa Brayden is one of my two favorite authors of lesbian romance novels (Carsen Taite being the other).
One thing I can always count on in Ms. Brayden's books is that I will always adore the two lead characters. Occasionally, however, one of those heroines will do something unforgivable (imho) that leaves me sour of their relationship and semi-wishing that they will each find a woman who will treat them the way they deserve. (Kiss the Girl is the most obvious example.) As much as I enjoyed this book and its characters, I kind of felt that way towards the end of this book.
I would have been sad, but it also would have been okay if they didn't end up together.
Anyway, just my two cents.
I will still pre-order any book by this author.

Enjoyable and sweet. Romantic and sexy. Definitely funny. I fell in love with Courtney, se has an unique unique way of pointing out the Obvious. Gotta love small town settings though I loved The books set in NY, there's something special about 10k population towns. Love always find its way and The author proved It once again. Thank you Ms Brayden.

Sure, I enjoyed the light read, but after a while I got quite exasperated by the cutesy chitchat tone. Also (SPOILER AHEAD!) when a story needs a Tragic Death as the catalyst for the Major Conflict, it kinda shows that the writer ran out of ideas.
So, even though I remain a great fan of Melissa Bradley's romances and will surely read all new ones, in quality of writing this one is only one notch better than the drab First Position.

4.5 stars

Margaret Beringer is a farm kid going to school in the local town. Her world consists of her loving parents and big brother on the farm, and the freedom to run around in safety. This comfortable existence is completely shaken by the arrival of Courtney in her class at school. Courtney is smart, beautiful and outspoken, and altogether more sophisticated than anyone Margaret has ever seen.

Courtney is the daughter of a local merchant who has made it big. Returning to the town of his birth to open a large department store, Courtney’s dad isn’t very popular, and the fact that Courtney and Margaret are inseparable has not gone unnoticed. When Courtney is suddenly moved interstate by her parents, Margaret’s world loses its flavor.

Several years later, Courtney comes back to town as an intern at the Carrington’s department store. Courtney and Margaret cannot help but be pulled back together by the sheer power of their connection. But how will that help when one of them wants to remain in the small town, and the other needs to explore bigger options?

The trope of characters returning to a first love is not new, but Brayden has pushed this further and created a different sort of book to the one I was initially expecting. Her control of character and plot in the romance genre is excellent, and it is always a joy to read her books. This is not an exception.

Margaret and Courtney are revealed to the reader fairly young in their lives, but instead of being written as precocious brats, they have been written as intelligent, kind, young women trying to the world as they see it. Margaret is the main character, and she shines as someone buffeted by life and working out how to make the best of it.

The connection the two main characters have seems palpable in most of the scenes they are in together, and how this develops works with the characters and their stages of life. The romantic scenes were steamy and appropriate, and were in keeping with the plot and characters at each point along the story.

Like most of Brayden’s books, this was a delight to read.

Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

‘Strawberry Summer’ is a story of young love that captured my heart and didn’t let go until the very last page. Maggie and Courtney seem like complete opposites but the attraction between them is sweet and intense, as all first loves are. The emotional connection is so strong that neither of them can ever forget how it makes them feel. I so wanted them to be together and felt tears welling at several points in the book. As they become adults their lives change but the pull is still there. Melissa Brayden has imagined a perfect setting, amongst the strawberry fields and in the heart of small town California. Her writing is so evocative and I felt as if I was among those fields every summer with Maggie and Courtney. This is a beautiful and passionate story of a love that had me from the start.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.

This came highly recommended by a reviewer at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and I love a good small town second chance romance so I decided to give it a try. I. LOVED. IT.

Brayden anchored the story by having the two ex-lovers run into each other after years apart and then diving back into their shared history, starting with the day they met in high school. It has the perfect amount of nostalgia, all while leading up to what went wrong and bringing us back to the present again.

Maggie and Courtney were such interesting characters. I loved seeing what they brought out in each other, how their romance could be as sweet and tender as it was passionate. They were well on their way to happily ever after when life, of course, interfered. I did not expect to have such an emotional reading experience but that plot twist sure made me cry. The fallout made sense, even in all of the heartbreak.

But the thing of it is, despite the logistical issues, despite the heartache of it all, despite the reasons both women have to be wary of each other, they just make sense together. I loved watching them take another chance on their relationship. Even though I had an emotional experience, this story really made me happy. There are so many funny moments and I loved Maggie's wry perspective through it all. It's the kind of book where you close the last page with a smile on your face.

An interesting and romantic story..love how the book is structured,from the page layouts to the narration..the account of both character whether in their past and present,is an excellent exposition of unreciprocated teenage love and angst-: making their emotions and actions feel so raw/real..There were few missteps,regrettable comments and questionable relationships that the author wrote of in this book but i will not dive into any of them,giving details detract rather than add to their storyline...the story also showed feelings,heartwarming,unapologetic,unshakable love,incredible chemistry and a dash of heartache ..the journey was encouraging to both main characters along with their friends and precious family to see where they will end up or go in the near or very far future lives...well written and recommend

ARC provided by NetGalley in return for a fair review.

I was a bit dubious about this one, on one hand, it's Melissa Brayden, and her books rarely disappoint; on the other hand, I'm not usually a fan of reunion books, so I wasn't sure if it could overcome that.

It did. I loved it for the most part. I'm not usually a fan of flashbacks, but here the backstory actually takes up two thirds of the book, and honestly that was the part I enjoyed most, the end seemed a bit rushed, while most of the warm (and some of the more heartbreaking) moments happened during the 'past' section. I loved the way their relationship unfolded, and Maggie's family's reaction to her coming out was both sweet and funny. The secondary characters were fleshed out and interesting (although the Louis storyline just seemed to be left dangling) and I was also happily surprised that most of the supporting characters didn't evolve into the tropes I thought they would, while the 'event' that happens mid way through had me reading with a lump in my throat.

The major downside was that it was written in first person, which meant that Courtney got the short end of the stick. We don't really get a handle on her emotions (or many of her motivations) and most of this isn't revealed until a big conversation happens towards the end (although I'm sure the readers were following her emotional cues a bit better than Maggie did). It also meant that we didn't get to see the flip side of how her life went. How did her mother react to her coming out? What was she doing while she was away from town? It's hinted at, but I would have preferred a more well rounded view. If this had been written in a first person point of view switch, I probably would have given it five stars. I also got a little tired of the 'I'm only here for a few months' thing, it got more than a little repetitive, as did Maggie's insecurity, which seemed baseless.

That said, this is still a charming story, with quite a bit of heart. Anything by Melissa Brayden is worth reading, and this is no exception.

Strawberry Summer is an intimate tale of two lives and of their twining in the span of time going from adolescence to maturity, it is a second chance romance, after a quite long time of separation, and it is also a story about the importance of both roots and wings for the inner life of a person.
The choice of first person narration from the point of view of Maggie has a very interesting effect, I think.
Courtney, the girl Maggie falls for, is initially portrayed as cool, self-confident, all sexy and misteriously charming. But with the growing of their relationship, her frailties and insecurity will emerge. And that’s what made her so dear to me.
On the contrary, in the beginning, Maggie thinks of herself as clumsy and unable to socialize and behaves accordingly, but gradually she starts to see herself through Courtney’s eyes, to see her qualities, her strength, and to grow accordingly in her behaviour, becoming more sure, more open. And with Maggie acquiring consciousness of herself, the reader also comes to know her better and to like her.
A third person narration with switching point of views is entertaining for the reader. Because it is more immediate. Because it’s easier. We see both the characters from different angles and that’s complete, right away. Following a first person narration requires patience, attention and a bit of reading between the lines. But providing a reader doesn’t get impatient, it is more charming in the end, when it is magistrally done as in this book.
Roots and wings, I was saying. To simplify a bit, Maggie has solid family roots, but has to develop her wings, while Courtney is wings oriented and needs the roots her parents did not give her.
The book shows the importance of the balance between the two. And it is subtle because it doesn’t only focus on what’s missing when one of the two aspects is lacking. It shows how both wings and roots have the proverbial two sides of a coin. And the attachment to one, when the other is needed bring forth the dark side of both. We see Maggie failing because she sticks with roots when she should not, and Courtney failing because she follow wrong wings, having no longer faith in roots.
Strawberry Summer is a beautiful and really not banal story. I loved it dearly, even with its complexity.

This book fulfilled a few firsts for me: my first book by this author and my first F/F book. Because of that, I went into it with a fair amount of apprehension. I was a little worried that (despite the fact that I’ve had no problem reading M/M books in the past), I would have trouble connecting with the love story, that I would feel left out of it somehow. To be honest, F/F fiction has never really even been on my radar. Then a friend of mine read Strawberry Summer and said it had my name written all over it, and so I decided it was time to check it out.

You guys. This book was a delight! Not only did I completely connect with the love story, but I felt like I had a love story of my own going on with just about every single person in this book. It’s written in a down-to-earth easygoing manner, despite the fact that it packs a few pretty gigantic emotional punches. On top of that, there’s this sort of charismatic wry humor laced within dialogue and observations and I found it completely irresistible.

I loved Maggie and Courtney’s story. I love how it spanned over several years – and we got to experience their romance at every stage. They were adorable together, their banter playful, their exchanges heartfelt, and everything about them completely endearing to me.

It’s possible that I loved Maggie’s family, and all the other residents of Tanner Peak even more than I loved the love story. It felt like a love story within a love story – a different type of love, obviously. But just as touching and meaningful to me as the feelings between Maggie and Courtney.

Overall, this is basically the whole package. There are some slower times where I felt things dragged a bit – I did some light skimming over those, but ultimately don’t feel like they had a negative impact on my reader experience. And those slower times had nothing on some of the moments that literally took my breath away. I did not come away from this book without bruises (and man, sometimes it huuuuurt), but it was absolutely worth the dings to my heart to get to know and spend time with this amazing cast of characters.

In my review of First Position I said Melissa Brayden had surprised me by dropping a lot of the elements I’d come to expect in her writing and I couldn’t wait to see what she had in store for us next. To say it was worth the wait is a huge understatement because Strawberry Summer feels like a turning point in her writing. I saw some of it in First Position, but the sheer maturity of her writing struck me with this book. There was more depth to the characters, the plotting was tight, and the first person narration just worked for me in a way that it usually doesn’t. I hesitate to say that it doesn’t feel like a Melissa Brayden novel, because I actually think she’s shown us that she’s writing at a whole new level now and I love, love, love it.

“There comes a time when you have to choose between turning the page and closing the book” ( Jameson 2010). This quote basically sums up this reader’s experience with Strawberry Summer…I chose to keep turning those pages until I finished the book. It’s that good…and this is why:
The plot was interesting with some twists and turns along the way as the main characters, Maggie and Courtney, tried to navigate their life, career path, and love for each other. Ms. Brayden also skillfully crafted the growth of the secondary characters…especially Travis and Melanie. It was nice to see how these characters evolved throughout the book. The author’s characters are multidimensional with realistic dialogue that allows the reader to experience an array of emotional depth.

I will state the obvious…this reader highly recommends this book for anyone who wants a detour from the sometimes harsh realities of life and enjoy an escapism into small town America with quirky, lovable, and very memorable characters.

I am always happy when a Melissa Brayden book comes out. She is that good. Of course, I have my favorites (waiting in the wing, how sweet it is, kiss the girl) and her last two books were "just" good for me (but a "good" book by Melissa brayden is already better than most books out there). I didn't have great expectations from this one but it was way better than just good. I loved it and i lost some sleep because I couldn't put it down. It was a rollercaster of emotions. Sometimes in Romance, what keep the protagonist apart seems "made up" for the story. Superficial. But there it felt real. Life happened, not only bad decisions or miscommunication. It really is a beautiful love story.

I have read a couple of Melissa Brayden’s books and this one is just as good as all the others. I couldn’t stop reading it and wanted to know what happens next. I enjoyed how the book went back to when they first met and finally hit present time and showed all the events that happened in between. I would recommend this book to anyone who has read her others.

This is an absolutely fantastic romance! The writing is outstanding, the story is creative and beautiful, and it it is not formulaic at all. It's written in first person, which is not usual for romances but something that I love. Both main characters are complex and likeable, as are the rest of the people in the book. Lovely storytelling, emotionally connected sex scenes, and all around just great.

Two worlds collide when Maggie Berringer meets Courtney Carrington. Maggie, having grown up a farm girl in a small town her whole life, is forever changed when city girl Courtney arrives in town. Unpopular in school and lacking a social calendar, her life goes from shards of grey to full color in the blink of an eye. Courtney is your all around, classic popular girl…with a twist. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, personable, and fun loving, but she has a heart of gold that matches on the inside. She is instantly taken with Maggie and together they journey through life trying to figure themselves out.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a nice, sweet romance that took me back to the days of first love, excitement, and the thrill of life. Their chemistry was great and I got the sense they really loved each other. The book was also realistic in that crappy things sometimes happen, but it’s all about how you move forward through the hard times. I’ve read a lot from the author and she continues to deliver great reads. Definitely, two thumbs up!!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

‘Strawberry Summer’ is a story of young love that captured my heart and didn’t let go until the very last page. Maggie and Courtney seem like complete opposites but the attraction between them is sweet and intense, as all first loves are. The emotional connection is so strong that neither of them can ever forget how it makes them feel. I so wanted them to be together and felt tears welling at several points in the book. As they become adults their lives change but the pull is still there. Melissa Brayden has imagined a perfect setting, amongst the strawberry fields and in the heart of small town California. Her writing is so evocative and I felt as if I was among those fields every summer with Maggie and Courtney. This is a beautiful and passionate story of a love that had me from the start.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.

Strawberry Summer is an intimate tale of two lives and of their twining in the span of time going from adolescence to maturity, it is a second chance romance, after a quite long time of separation, and it is also a story about the importance of both roots and wings for the inner life of a person.
The choice of first person narration from the point of view of Maggie has a very interesting effect, I think.
Courtney, the girl Maggie falls for, is initially portrayed as cool, self-confident, all sexy and misteriously charming. But with the growing of their relationship, her frailties and insecurity will emerge. And that’s what made her so dear to me.
On the contrary, in the beginning, Maggie thinks of herself as clumsy and unable to socialize and behaves accordingly, but gradually she starts to see herself through Courtney’s eyes, to see her qualities, her strength, and to grow accordingly in her behaviour, becoming more sure, more open. And with Maggie acquiring consciousness of herself, the reader also comes to know her better and to like her.
A third person narration with switching point of views is entertaining for the reader. Because it is more immediate. Because it’s easier. We see both the characters from different angles and that’s complete, right away. Following a first person narration requires patience, attention and a bit of reading between the lines. But providing a reader doesn’t get impatient, it is more charming in the end, when it is magistrally done as in this book.
Roots and wings, I was saying. To simplify a bit, Maggie has solid family roots, but has to develop her wings, while Courtney is wings oriented and needs the roots her parents did not give her.
The book shows the importance of the balance between the two. And it is subtle because it doesn’t only focus on what’s missing when one of the two aspects is lacking. It shows how both wings and roots have the proverbial two sides of a coin. And the attachment to one, when the other is needed bring forth the dark side of both. We see Maggie failing because she sticks with roots when she should not, and Courtney failing because she follow wrong wings, having no longer faith in roots.
Strawberry Summer is a beautiful and really not banal story. I loved it dearly, even with its complexity.

I am always happy when a Melissa Brayden book comes out. She is that good. Of course, I have my favorites (waiting in the wing, how sweet it is, kiss the girl) and her last two books were "just" good for me (but a "good" book by Melissa brayden is already better than most books out there). I didn't have great expectations from this one but it was way better than just good. I loved it and i lost some sleep because I couldn't put it down. It was a rollercaster of emotions. Sometimes in Romance, what keep the protagonist apart seems "made up" for the story. Superficial. But there it felt real. Life happened, not only bad decisions or miscommunication. It really is a beautiful love story.

The characters were well fleshed out, including some of the more minor characters making it feel real. Watching the relationships within the town change with time helped reinforce the feel of the small town Maggie lived in. The details described were clearly researched and besides being enjoyable to read, it gave the two main characters even more believability.
On to the love:
It was portrayed with the normal angst we'd expect from teenagers. Relationships take time to develop and grow, and the slow burn made the actualization all the more satisfying. As the two grow, we get to experience all the emotions Courtney and Maggie feel, the good and the bad. You get really connected to them and their lives.

(Possible spoilers? Below)
Two unimportant loose ends: 1. Courtney's mom disappears the second half of the novel. She's just not mentioned. 2. It would be nice to see Courtney's grandmother again at the end of the novel. We hear of a prospective beau and then it's left hanging in the air.
It would be nice to see Courtney's grandmother at the last large scene on the farm.

READ IT! I FULLY RECOMMEND IT!