Hot Mess Summer

Who buys a cottage in a New England fishing village on a whim? A stressed-out, twice-divorced romance writer and single mother looking for a fresh start, that’s who. Despite what my besties say about my three-year dry spell, I’m not looking for a man. Or drama. Or sex. I’ve got enough on my plate with writer’s block and a daughter who refuses to grow up. Community. That’s what I need. Unfortunately, it seems the universe has other ideas. Either Chatemup, Massachusetts, has a serious shortage of single women, or I’ve become a hot mess magnet for the male species.

At least I’ve found one funny, good-hearted friend: fish peddler Declan Miller, my brainstorming adventure buddy who stirs my creative juices. I’m his Writer Girl. He’s my Dimple Dude. Just scruffy, granite-chested, deep-voiced, ex-military brawn who happens to be—oh, Nicole, what are you doing to yourself?—stoking a long-neglected fire without even trying.

A self-confessed hot mess, divorced single dad Declan is too old for relationship games. Not interested. Same here. So why do I keep thinking about him? Preferably naked. Because I’m a hot mess, too? At least he’s inspiring me to write. If only real life were like one of my novels. At least then I’d have a better idea of how this was going to end.

• Hot Mess Summer by Melissa Foster
• Series: Romantic Comedy Series Collection, book #1
• Published by: Brilliance Audio on October 17, 2023
• Genre: Romance, romantic comedy
• Listening length: 9 hours 25 minutes
• Dates listened: 6.26.25 – 7.3.25 (8 days)
• Format: Audiobook
• Narrators: Ava Erikson, Aaron Shedlock
• Add on Goodreads
• Purchase on Amazon
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• 🌶🌶🌶🌶

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Now I get why this is a summer must-read! Woah boy!! I happened to come across an advertisement for the hottest summer reads, and this one was on it. The premise sounded cute, so I snagged it from Kindle Unlimited, and lucky me, it had the audiobook version available. I love that they’re doing that with some of the books now! Some of the popular books take soooo long to get from the library, and I only get 15 hours a month of listening on Spotify. I don’t know…I know that there’s Audible. But the subscription price just seems way too high for only getting 1 book/month. Yes, you get to keep it, but why would I want to? If I loved a book enough that I’d repeat my read of it, I’m probably going to purchase a collector’s edition or something. Not an audiobook. So, anyways, yeah, I am so incredibly thankful that there are books available on KU that have the audiobook option with them. Thank you Amazon!!

This book had me hooked! I immediately loved Nicole (the FMC) and her little group of friends. They had me cracking up so hard with some of their banter and attitudes. The scene in the grocery store when they first get to Chatemup and go shopping had me laughing so hard. I very quickly wanted to BE Nicole. She’s a successful writer, recently (ish) divorced, and definitely not looking for romance. She doesn’t want the drama, and I feel you, girl! Me either!! Feeling a little lost and floundering, she decides to purchase a cottage in Chatemup, Massachusetts, and spend the summer there. Hoping to find herself and a community, she drags her two best friends to spend a week with her as she gets settled in.

Raising kids is like driving a car with no brakes. It’s a crazy mix of fun and being scared shitless as you careen around unexpected corners, and you can’t stop or put parenting on hold. You’re pretty much holding on for dear life, for the rest of your life.

She’s immediately welcomed into the close-knit community, and I loved that for her! When I was younger, I hated living in a small town, where everyone knew everyone’s business. Probably because I was a teenager and up to no good, and hated that my parents would find out about it before I even got home lol. But I think as we get older, we have an appreciation for this kind of lifestyle in a way that we couldn’t as young adults. It was heartwarming to see Nicole and her best friends welcomed in so warmly by the citizens of Chatemup, and it literally had me itching to quit my job, buy a cottage of my own, and move up there. If only it weren’t a fictional town. *sighs*

The meet-cute between Declan (MMC) and Nicole was also hilarious and super adorable. What I loved the most about the two characters was that they were incredibly relatable. Declan is a “white knight” who takes care of everyone but himself, so he has absolutely no time for drama or a love life, and that’s just fine by him. Nicole became a workaholic to support her family and avoid her failing marriage. Now that she’s free from the marriage, her daughter is off to college, and she has some time for herself, she yearns to find herself and figure out what life is going to look like for her. What better way to do that than to throw caution to the wind and have an adventure! I can honestly say that there was not a single character in this book that I didn’t like. Well…that’s not entirely true, but I promise, the ones you won’t like are not major characters in the book. They mostly serve as tension plots for some of the hiccups that Declan and Nic have to go through to make their relationship stronger.

Spoilers: There is quite a bit of open-door vanilla spice in this novel! Even though there is some nice juicy spice, the book still has substance, and it isn’t every other page banging. It actually has some conflicts between multiple characters that need to be resolved, with each MC struggling with their personal lives and the people that are in it. There is also no cheating, a HEA, and a bit of a “touch her and pay the consequences” vibe as well. I will forever remember the Girl Scout Cookie heist scene from this book! Hands down, one of the funniest scenes I have read in a book. I don’t know that I will ever meet an MMC that I will fall in love with as much as I did Declan. I want my own Declan!!! 😭