A stand-in girlfriend and a handsome business heir find that their fake summer fling is feeling way too real in this new romance by USA Today bestselling author Kristina Forest.
Noelle Lewis doesn’t have time for long walks on the beach, brunch with the girls, or summer vacations. She’s too busy saving up to go back to college. After recently getting laid off from her bookseller job, her main gig is now serving as a “stand-in” bridesmaid, which doesn’t pay enough for the upcoming semester’s tuition. But then the perfect, if not unconventional, opportunity arises…
Jeremiah Smith II, grandson of the founder of Smith’s Sweets—a well-known baked goods company—once lived a life of frivolity. Since his grandfather’s death, Jeremiah’s tried to clean up his act, but it’s hard to focus when his family requests that he join them at their summer house in Heart Beach, New Jersey, where his most painful memory lies. To avoid going there, Jeremiah claims he already has plans with his girlfriend, and of course, his family tells him to bring her. The problem? Jeremiah doesn’t have a girlfriend.
After a chance meeting, Noelle and Jeremiah come to an agreement. He’ll hire her to be his stand-in girlfriend for the weekend, and she’ll use that money toward her tuition. She figures it will be quick, easy money, but as it turns out, Jeremiah’s family is lovely, and Jeremiah is even lovelier. Soon, a weekend agreement turns into an entire summer, and Noelle and Jeremiah will have to keep their hearts in check, or else it’s sink or swim for them both.
Read: April 9, 2026 (took just a day, that’s how locked in I was!)
Final Rating: 5/5 – I LOVED this book and I want/need everyone to read it
The Summer Girlfriend is a refreshing, heartwarming summer romance that takes the fake dating trope and handles it with refreshing emotional maturity, depth, and chemistry between Noelle and Jeremiah. I LOVED it.
This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. Noelle and Jeremiah have worked their way into my heart and they are here to stay. I am a sucker for fake dating anyway, and I really liked how it was handled by the author. I thought it was so refreshing to see them actually talk things out instead of wallowing in miscommunication (side note: miscommunication is probably my least favorite trope ever). I didn’t find myself irritated with every page turn because they wouldn’t talk to each other, and I thought they had the serious conversations with the grace and tenderness that was needed. Not once was I confused about how they felt towards each other.
Jeremiah! We stan a consent king! No, but seriously, I appreciated how patient he was with Noelle. Kind, considerate, a walking green flag at that. You can tell he put in the work to become a better version of himself and it paid off. Noelle, my girl. A wonderful MC. Her fears about losing herself in a relationship and not making the same mistakes were so real and founded. I felt extremely connected to her and I loved how she knew what she wanted and worked towards it. Very inspiring. And honestly even the other characters didn’t feel like they clogged the story, but each person contributed something special.
And don’t get me started on the angst and the yearning. And the love like whoa. I am usually not an insta love person but idk, something about them did it for me. I fell in love with their story and if you’re looking got a summer romance that starts off as fake dating and blossoms into something more and deeper, with undercurrents of family, self acceptance, and self love, you’ll love this too!
Notes: dual POV (third person), open door, fake dating
p.s. I am waiting for Amara’s book 🙂
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are 100% my own.