ARC Review: Boardwalk Summer by Kimberly Fisk

Title: Boardwalk Summer
Author: Kimberly Fisk
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley Books; June 27, 2017
Genre: Contemporary; Romance
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

In the town of Tranquility Bay, summer is the season of second chances... 

Single mother Hope Thompson has built a happy life for herself and her twins in beautiful Tranquility Bay, Washington. She doesn t dwell on her painful past especially not on the man who broke her heart all those years ago. But when Hope s beloved son needs help, she takes a desperate chance and reaches out to her children s father. Nick Fortune lives life in the spotlight as a champion race car driver. He s shocked to hear from Hope and even more surprised to learn that he s a father. He immediately heads to the Pacific Northwest to confront the past and the woman he once loved. There, on the quiet lakeshore, Nick and Hope must work together to save their son even if it means facing their complicated past for a second chance as a family...

My Thoughts:

Who was looking for a contemporary romance packed full of raw emotions, characters you could root for, and a story about second chances? Well, apparently, me. And I mean that in a good way, because I enjoyed Boardwalk Summer. I basically jumped into this book after another eARC I had to read ended up being incredibly disappointing. For a second, I thought I was going to end up in a reading slump, but once I started Boardwalk Summer, I couldn’t put the book down. This is the kind of story that I could go on and on about, but I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot and ruin the experience for someone else. So, I really had to work on this review, and cut out some things that got too close to spoilers.

The main theme of this story was second chances amidst a medical crisis. Emotions ran high, and things that happened in the past were talked about at length. Boardwalk Summer really illustrated how the past could haunt a person, as shown through the experiences of the characters. I don’t know about anyone else, but I really enjoy second chance stories. So, from the start, I was interested in seeing what Kimberly Fisk would do with the trope in Boardwalk Summer. The initial introduction of the main character, Hope Thompson, was great. I was immediately drawn into the story and wanted everything to work out for Hope and her kids. I don’t read enough contemporary anyway, but I hardly see race car drivers as love interests. So, Nick Fortune and his side of the story came across as particularly entertaining. Some of my favorite parts of the book happened to be the interactions between Hope and Nick.

Boardwalk Summer was a quick read that dealt with some heavy subjects, combined with a romance I could totally get behind. Those things put together is what made this book so readable. Boardwalk Summer is the first book I’ve read by Kimberly Fisk and it certainly won’t be the last.

Rating 4.5/5

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by First to Read (Publisher) for this review, thank you!