The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster

Summer flings with no strings mean nobody gets hurt.
At least, that was the plan…

After putting the brakes on her dead-end relationship, local veterinarian Ivey Anders is ready to soak up this summer on her own terms. The way she sees it, no dating means no disappointment. Why complicate life with anything long-term? But when she meets Corbin Meyer—and his troubled young son, Justin—Ivey’s no-strings strategy threatens to unravel before she can put it into practice.

Trust doesn’t come easy for Ivey’s best friend, Hope Mage, a veterinary-clinic assistant who’s affected by an incident that’s colored every relationship she’s had. Though Hope’s happy for Ivey, she can’t quite open her own heart to the possibility of love. Not just yet… Maybe not ever. Soon, however, she’s faced with a dilemma—Corbin’s older brother, Lang. He’s charming, he’s kind… and he may just be the reason Hope needs to finally tear down her walls.

And as the sweet summer months unspool, the two friends discover love won’t give up on them so easily.

 

 

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Apple Books  ~  B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Hardcover (US)  ~  Paperback (US)
Harlequin

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆
This is an odd little story. The cover screams Florida Spring Break. The blurb shouts sexy summer romance. The story itself? A slow-burn family values romance with too many characters and subplots.

A single novel with two separate romance storylines told from four perspectives was always going to be complicated. At times, there’s way too much going on. We’re told more than we’re shown, and the result is characters whose stories feel distant – as if they are relayed by third hand gossip. I like Ivey. She’s a committed veterinarian with a big heart. Unfortunately, despite being the leading lady, I’m not sure we ever learn much more about her as a person. We see Ivey as a vet, a friend, a girlfriend, and a stepmom, but we don’t see much of Ivey as herself. She’s admirable and likeable, but I found it difficult to invest in her because she seems quite superficially sketched. Similarly, Corbin is far too good to be true. These two are mostly perfect and slightly irritating with their perfections. Hope and Lang are a little more human and relatable, but they remain secondary characters and Hope’s problems resolve far too easily.

I’ll admit that I’m never a huge fan of kids in romance. Here, all the adults put Corbin’s son, Justin, at the center of their lives. He’s a sweet kid, but he’s not the reason I wanted to read a summer romance. Way too much heat and sexual tension is lost at the expense of the adults all attempting to care for Justin. The result is a book that is both tediously slow and weirdly practical. Neither of the couples really dates. Ivey and Corbin tiptoe around Justin. Hope and Lang dance around Ivey and Corbin tiptoeing around Justin. Romance is supposed to be an escape, but this book is full of complicated realistic plans to facilitate dating that feel like more hard work than an actual relationship.

This book feels strangely dated and has a whiff of smug MAGA family values that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. This definitely isn’t the saucy summer romance promised by the cover. It didn’t work for me, but it might work for a more conservative reader.

 

 

LORI FOSTER is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with books from a variety of publishers, including Berkley/Jove, Kensington, St. Martin's, Harlequin and Silhouette. Lori has been a recipient of the prestigious RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Fantasy, and for Contemporary Romance

Connect with Lori

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Summer of No Attachments (The Summer Friends #2) by Lori Foster to read and review.