Guest Review: Summer of Love by Sophie Pembroke - 5 Wine Glasses

Title: Summer of Love
Author: Sophie Pembroke
Format: Paperback, 156 pages
Published: October 2nd 2013 by Lyrical Press
ISBN: 1616505311
Links: Goodreads
Source: Publisher
Reviewer: Shannon
Rating: 5/5

It's only a summer fling...

Boutique jewelry designer Lily Thomas knows hating the boring ring her fiance gave her isn't a good enough reason to end a seven-year relationship. Especially when settling down with Edward is the only thing she's ever done right in the eyes of her mother--and her hometown. Besides, everyone else seems to be getting married: Lily's best friend Cora, her cousin, her friends from work. So why not Lily?

But when Alex Harper, Lily's high school crush, moves back to Felinfach, he shows her exactly why. She can't pretend to be someone she's not just to keep her fiance happy. It's a terrible way to start a marriage, and a terrible way to live. Lily calls off her engagement, but she still needs a date to all the weddings crowding her summer calendar.

Conveniently, Alex has a few weddings to attend as well. They agree to be wedding buddies, and soon the whole town is talking about them. If everyone's going to talk anyway, why shouldn't Lily and Alex make the most of it? As long as they both know it's only a summer fling...

CONTENT WARNING: May induce desire for pretty jewelry... A Lyrical Press Contemporary Romance

Thoughts:
Lily Thomas has been in a relationship with Edward for seven years when one day she realizes that the two of them want different things. It is just too bad that she found this out after he has asked her to marry him and everyone in their small town is waiting for them to tie the knot. The worst part of all is how she is going to tell her mum and her best friend.

Just when she is starting to realize that everything is going all wrong in her relationship with Edward her old crush, Alex comes back to town. Alex is looking to settle down and get married and suddenly he is seeing his old friend Lily in a different light. After being with Edward for seven years, Lily has sworn off marriage. For seven years she let Edward mold her into a person she doesn't recognize and she doesn't ever want to lose herself in a relationship again.

The two renew their childhood acquaintance, and with Lily’s newly single status, and a multitude of weddings to attend in the upcoming months, decide to be ‘wedding buddies”, serving as each other’s platonic dates.

Sparks are flying from the first moment the two lock eyes, and both are caught in the attraction but while Alex is willing to take the chance of a relationship, Lily wants their connection to stay as nothing more than a fling, from which they will part as friends.

From that point forward, the two are nearly inseparable: to the dismay of some and the delight of others. As fast as Lily runs, Alex is faster and ever the romantic, even as he finds himself holding back his instincts to rush to Lily’s side at every moment. While we aren't privy to a wedding between the two at the end, the story is clever, fun and will leave you with a smile: thinking the ending is just perfect from the initial introduction to the characters.

I really liked this book.  It was really interesting to see how Lily could be with someone for so long and realize at the last minute that they wanted two different things in life.  I think even when you have been with someone for so long, you fall in a rut with them and just go with the flow.  It was nice to see Alex come in the picture and watch the sparks fly.