Feels Like Summertime by Tammy Falkner Review

5 Smooches

Synopsis

Jake:

Katie Higgins was the first girl I ever loved. We spent one summer together at Lake Fisher when we were sixteen and then I never saw her again. My life is shit, my job is gone, and my dad had a stroke, so I find myself back at Lake Fisher once again. And so does Katie. Her last name isn’t Higgins anymore, because Katie is married with three kids and one more on the way, but when she shows up at Lake Fisher with her kids, danger trails her all the way there. I could do a lot of things. I could leave and go home. I could stay and deal with it. But what I want most of all is just to take care of Katie. If I concentrate on her, maybe I won’t have to face my own problems. Yeah, that’s it. Fix Katie.

Katie:

I haven’t seen Jake in eighteen years, but the moment I lay eyes on him, I feel safer than I have in a very long time. Memories swamp me every time I look out over the clear, cool water. A first kiss. A first boyfriend. A first love. That old spark is still there. I just can’t act on it, and neither can Jake. Our story started eighteen years ago, and then we both made lives with other people. Jake is willing to tell me about his, but I can’t share mine with him. Ever. We can be friends and spend another summer together, right? Sure, we can.

Review

WOW! I have read a TON of books by Tammy Falkner (and I do mean a TON) and none have made me tear up and touch me much on an emotional lever as Feels Like Summertime. I can honestly say that this is one of my all time favorite second chance romances.

‘And that was the day I knew I was head over heels for Jake.’

Katie and Jake fell in love one summer when they were both sixteen one summer at the lake. But like most teenage romances it sadly fizzled out due to the distance and simply growing up. But now both are in their late thirties and find them both back at the same lake. Only now Jake is harder and dealing with a tough instance at work and Katie is married with three kids and one on the way. Both have secrets but both are so happy just to have the other back in their lives again. But Katie is running and whatever it is she is hiding from is coming for her. Can Jake save her and prove that you can fall in love more than once?

“To me, you feel like summertime. You feel like warm weather and sunny skies. You feel like the occasional storm, but they always pass, and they keep things interesting. You feel like my future.”

I love Tammy’s writing style she brings the humor without diminishing the seriousness of everything that is going on. The emotions feel real and strong and I honestly had no clue where this story was going through out most if it, it was a journey I would happily take again and again. When the story started I honestly felt like Jake was going to be the one tough to love but as soon as he sees Katie you cannot help but fall for him. He immediately knows that his feelings for her never died and embraces her children from the start. He is gentle and patient even when she refuses to open up to him. But he never waivers in his devotion to her even if it just as a friend. Their flirty banter kept the story moving and his dad and her kids provided the perfect amount of lightheartedness and comedic relief. I truly hope that Tammy writes more stories like this one because I completely plan on devouring each one.

~miranda