The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest | Audiobook Review

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A fake summer fling between a stand-in girlfriend and a handsome business heir becomes way too real in this glittering new romance by USA Today bestselling author Kristina Forest.

Noelle Lewis doesn’t have time for long walks on the beach, brunch with the girls, or summer vacations. She’s too busy saving up to go back to college. After recently getting laid off from her bookseller job, her main gig is now serving as a “stand-in” bridesmaid, which doesn’t pay enough for the upcoming semester’s tuition. But then the perfect, if not unconventional, opportunity arises…

Jeremiah Smith II, grandson of the founder of Smith’s Sweets—a well-known baked goods company—once lived a life of frivolity. Since his grandfather’s death, Jeremiah’s tried to clean up his act, but it’s hard to focus when his family requests that he join them at their summer house in Heart Beach, New Jersey, where his most painful memory lies. To avoid going there, Jeremiah claims he already has plans with his girlfriend, and of course, his family tells him to bring her. The problem? Jeremiah doesn’t have a girlfriend.

After a chance meeting, Noelle and Jeremiah come to an agreement. He’ll hire her to be his stand-in girlfriend for the weekend, and she’ll use that money toward her tuition. She figures it will be quick, easy money, but as it turns out, Jeremiah’s family is lovely, and Jeremiah is even lovelier. Soon, a weekend agreement turns into an entire summer, and Noelle and Jeremiah will have to keep their hearts in check, or else it’s sink or swim for them both.

Kristina Forest is a superb writer. I find that I enjoy her writing in both contemporary romance and the young adult contemporary genre. So, I found I was very much looking forward to reading The Summer Girlfriend hoping it would bring the summer vibes and bring me a new couple to root for.

I loved listening to The Summer Girlfriend. It looks like this will be the first in the Heart Beach series and we will see more from other characters mentioned in the book. This story stars Noelle Lewis – who really is a worker. You see, she has three jobs and is trying to get the money together to pay for her college tuition. She is struggling but will do what it takes to get her MLS. One of her side gigs is working as a stand in bridesmaid.

An opportunity falls into her lap to pose as Jeremiah Smith II’s girlfriend. Jeremiah is the grandson of the founder of Smith Sweets. He’s made some mistakes and is now working through fixing them and earning his family’s respect. Out of desperation he hires Noelle to be his fake girlfriend for the weekend. This then expands through the summer. And well, Noelle really falls for Jeremiah and his family.

The Summer Girlfriend was fabulous. Noelle is someone I really respected and could relate to so easily. I love how she finds comfort in books and wants to share that comfort with others. She’s kind and family oriented. She also has great chemistry with Jeremiah who has some interesting business skills. I liked that they started reading a romance book together and he wasn’t judgmental or annoying about it. The audiobook by the way is narrated to perfect. It has dual narration and is narrated by J.Y. Kora and Lawrence Baldwin. The audiobook is 11 hours and 15 minutes and great for when you need a relaxing read with great characters to cheer on.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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