Review: ‘The Summer We Fell’ by Elizabeth O’Roark
The Summer We Fell
by Elizabeth O'RoarkSeries: The Summer #1
Published by Self-Published on April 6, 2023
SubGenres: New Adult Romance
Format: AudioBook, Paperback
Pages: 318
Narrator: Samantha Brentmoor, Teddy Hamilton
Length: 9 Hours And 11 Minutes
Source: Purchased
Audience: 18+/Adult
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He was my boyfriend’s best friend—and the bane of my existence. I wanted to hate Luke Taylor. I did hate him. I just never hated him enough.
Now, a decade later, tragedy has brought us back to the place where it all happened—my best times, and my worst.
Our lives have changed, but that pull between us is just as strong as ever.
Only this time, it’s more dangerous too.
The Summer We Fell is the first book in Elizabeth O’Roark’s The Summer series and the very first book I’ve read from this author. I’ve been meaning to read Elizabeth O’Roark’s books for a while, especially after seeing how much my IG friends loved them. Finally, thanks to the Romanceopoly Challenge, I found the perfect opportunity to dive in, and this book fulfilled the Summer Reading Prompt for the Reading Challenge.
When I first heard about this book, I was a tad hesitant due to the tropes listed for it. One, in particular, was the Boyfriend’s Best Friend trope, which could hint at a forbidden storyline and possible cheating between the characters. However, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give it a chance, and I’m thrilled that I did. This was a heartwrenching story between two people who were actually meant to be together, and seven years ago, tragedy struck that tore them apart. Now, seven years later, they are back thanks to the foster mother who needs their help, and they are forced together. Hopefully, this time, things will work out between them.
I enjoyed the present and past time jumps that were told solely in Juliet’s POV and what happened between her and Luke. It explained so much about what happened between her and Luke and why Juliet was hesitant to come home after so long being away. Luke was her boyfriend’s best friend, and she always thought he hated her back then, but really, Luke was the only one who stood up for her when she was with her boyfriend, Danny, and his family, who took her in when her own family didn’t want her.
Juliet had a hard life back then, and she was thankful for Danny’s family, but it was apparent she didn’t fit in with them. I felt for her character, but there were times I found her annoying. It was the whole story of why she stuck with Danny and his family instead of finding her own happiness. She was being pushed into something she didn’t want, but instead of fighting back, she just went with it.
I loved Luke, even if he was described as a player, but here was a guy who stood up for Juliet at every turn, while her boyfriend didn’t. I was rooting for him and Juliet to be together. Yes, Juliet was with Danny in the past, and once you read the book, you’ll understand why she was always meant to be with Luke instead of Danny. I couldn’t stand Danny the whole time Juliet was with him. Luke is the reason I kept reading; otherwise there were times I was going to throw the book down.
This book does put you through an emotional rollercoaster, and Elizabeth definitely had me frustrated at times, but overall, this was a good book, and I give it 3.5 stars. I would have given it more, but I wasn’t a fan of Juliet most of the book. She made some decisions that just didn’t make sense at times, even in the present timeframes. Luke was the reason I enjoyed the book, and I’ll never forget his character.
I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest of this series, and I’m glad I finally made time to read my first Elizabeth O’Roark book.
Audiobook Recommendation: If you enjoy listening to your books, then I highly recommend getting the audiobook of The Summer We Fell. The narrators, Samantha Brentmoor and Teddy Hamilton did a fantastic job bringing the characters and story to life. Samantha did most of the narration since it was told in Juliet’s POV, and Teddy narrated all the dialogue for the male characters (primary and secondary).
Trope(s)/Element(s):
🌊Second Chance Romance
🌊Boyfriend’s Best Friend Romance
🌊Forbidden Romance
🌊Small Town Romance
🌊Forced Proximity
🌊Sports/Surfing Romance
🌊Angst
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About Elizabeth O'Roark
Elizabeth O’Roark lives in Washington, DC with her 3 children. After many years spent writing scintillating brochures about amniocentesis and heart surgery, she is thrilled to have found a job that allows her to just make s*** up.
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