The Summer I Found You

Offering beachy vibes and wish fulfillment, O’Brien’s genial debut follows about-to-be-divorced Dahlia Newberry to Long Island’s North Fork, where she plans to get the house she inherited from her great-aunt Lil in shape to be sold. She receives unexpected help from the gorgeous guy next door, Noah Sterling, the star of the home renovation reality show Hamptons House. Despite their 10-year age gap and status difference, the pair have instant chemistry, with Noah appreciating Dahlia’s girl-next-door appeal compared to the glamour of his showbiz colleagues. As they embark on their fun summer fling, however, Dahlia struggles with whether to tell him about her daughter, whom she had when she was a teenager. Noah makes a dreamy (and insatiable) book boyfriend, and the steamy scenes titillate as he helps Dahlia make up for lost time, but the narrative gets bogged down in a belabored subplot about Dahlia uncovering a generations-old family secret, slowing the pace in the middle. Still, the setting is appealing, and the eventual happy ending is sweet. Readers will have no trouble rooting for Dahlia to make her new relationship work. (Apr.)