Caffeinated Reviewer | The Summer I Found You by Jennifer O’Brien
6th May
Sophia Rose is here with a review of The Summer I Found You by Jennifer O’Brien. A recently divorced woman returns to her family’s North Shore home to restore it and uncovers family secrets and maybe a second chance in this summer beach story.
The Summer I Found You
by Jennifer O’Brien
Genres: Women’s Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm *affiliate
Rating: 
A recently divorced single mom returns to her family’s fixer-upper beach house and finds romance amidst the heartbreak—and truths buried under generations of lies—in this summertime romance perfect for fans of The Beach House and Nora Goes Off Script.
When Dahlia Newberry escapes her terrible marriage and returns to Long Island’s North Fork to put her family’s beach house on the market, she discovers the property has fallen into disrepair, and she has no idea how she’ll get it from fixer to fabulous in a month’s time.
Things start to look up when she discovers her neighbor is Noah, a handsome reality TV star known for his Hamptons-set home renovation series. Noah turns out to be quite handy and pitches in to help Dahlia with the renovations and, as chemistry sparks between them, her self-discovery too.
Meanwhile, Dahlia discovers a letter from her Aunt Lil, whose dying wish was for Dahlia to find a key that unlocks a mystery spanning three generations. Soon Dahlia is unearthing mysterious clues buried in the garden which threaten to upend everything she believes about her world.
The truth is supposed to set you free, but excavated secrets have a way of shattering an already fragile life—unless Dahlia can find a way to bloom into the woman she was always meant to be.
This debut novel by an accomplished home design influencer is perfect for fans of HGTV shows and steamy summer romances.
Sophia Rose’s Review
When a thirty-something woman needs to start over after a difficult marriage breaks up, she has an old family home on the north shore to restore and only a month to do it. A talented HGTV-style celebrity gives her a hand even as she uncovers family secrets and a new chance at love in a summer beach romance from debut author, Jennifer O’Brien.
Dahlia must heal after a devasting marriage situation so she gets away to Long Island and her aunt’s home that she inherited. She plans to fix it up and only has a month. Not realizing what bad shape it was in, she is ready to flail until Noah, a TV personality from next door steps up. Noah has the no-how as a home builder and he turns out to be a wonderful guy. In fact, they both notice one another and the time working on the house is a sweet time of relationship-building as much as home repairing.
But, Dahlia comes across a family mystery including garden clues left by her aunt. The secrets revealed change everything, but Noah is right there with her.
The Summer I Found You was an easy-going, gentle low-angst story. There are emotional vibes that could have dug deep resulting from her past and recovery, but instead these are noted and moved on from. The pair of lovers came together rather quickly in some ways, but with all that was going on including the mystery, I went with it. I loved the home improvement element and all the work they were doing. The mystery, now, that was secondary, but yet pivotal to giving this book some great momentum and spikes of emotional excitement.
All in all, this was relaxing and cozy and I enjoyed seeing Dahlia and Noah together and working the house and the mystery. If readers want something easy-flowing and tender for their summer book bag, drop in The Summer I Found You.
About Jennifer O’Brien
Jennifer O’Brien is the author of the debut novel The Summer I Found You. After her dream of buying a fixer-upper fell through, she decided to write about one instead. As a designer and content creator, she offers a unique lens through her ability to capture the life of home and the layers of love that live there. For over a decade, she’s been the author behind the popular design blog City Farmhouse, a Better Homes & Gardens Stylemaker, and a guest on the Rachael Ray Show. She’s also a member of WFWA and LIRW. Currently, she’s working on her second novel and planning her third. She lives on Long Island with her husband, two boys, and fur baby.
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About Sophia Rose
Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat.
