Melissa Brayden

Just because you’re through with your past, doesn’t mean it’s through with you. Margaret Beringer didn’t have an easy adolescence. She hated her name, was less than popular in school, and was always cast aside as a "farm kid.” However, with the arrival of Courtney Carrington, Margaret’s youth sparked into color. Courtney was smart, beautiful, and put together--everything Margaret wasn’t. Who would have imagined that they’d fit together so perfectly? But first loves can scar. Margaret hasn’t seen Courtney in years and that’s for the best. But when Courtney loses her father and returns to Tanner Peak to take control of the family store, Margaret comes face-to-face with her past and the woman she’s tried desperately to forget. The fact that Courtney has grown up more beautiful than ever certainly doesn’t help matters.

Strawberry Summer

Renee

Brayden is one of my favorite authors, and Strawberry Summer story proves why. Maggie and Courtney's romantic tale provides a rush of different emotions. There's some humor, angst, sadness, and best of all love and joy. A big part of this story is a flashback. I usually cringe when I want to read a book that has it. However, the pace of the story kept me engrossed. Maggie and Courtney have great chemistry, which made their journey all the more sweet and believable. Just Three Wordsis still number one so far, but this story ranks a close second.

Lucia Correa

4 STARS for the audiobook, narrated by Paige McKinney. (Minus 0.75 stars for narration. See below why. )

I'm not that into YA books although I find I read them more than I thought. This book is partially a YA - if only because the first part of the book, Maggie and Courtney are in High School and College. It's not technically told in flashback as it does follow a straight (so to speak :-) ) timeline.

The book is told in first person - by Margaret aka Maggie. She is a native to the small CA town and her family owns one if not the largest Strawberry farm in the area. Courtney is the heiress to a department store chain who moves to her father's hometown where he has built a new store. We meet them when they are juniors in High School. 

I really enjoyed the book, but I want to think it might have been a 5 star book if not for the narration. Oh she wasn't a horrible narrator overall, it was just her choices for Maggie's speaking voice. Maggie's thoughts are in a pleasant adult voice but talks in a very juvenile, high speaking voice. I thought - oh good they are now in college - maybe now she will deepen Maggie's voice. But no. It's even more annoying to hear an adult with this voice. Especially since she has given Courtney a low sexy voice. Maggie's reactions sometimes sound like a teenager. I couldn't help thinking - why would Courtney find this attractive? However all the other voices she does are well done - which made Maggie's glaringly more annoying. I'll definitely re-read this book, but read it myself next time. 

In spite of the narration - I liked the book and loved Brayden's side characters. All are so well done. LOVED Maggie's parents. And even Travis. I also loved their loving family life. Reminds me of my nephew's family. They have EPIC, very competitive game nights - even now when the kids are in and/or graduated from college! Boyfriends and girlfriends must survive this gauntlet. As the now infamous quote from my niece will attest - standing on her chair yelling when her teammates lost focus... "Pictionary Is NOT just a game people!"

KADY BURNS

I mean it's Melissa Brayden so once I picked it up I didn't put it down. I really enjoyed how it only flashbacked once and progressed from there.

Jude Silberfeld

Perfect, as are most of Melissa Brayden’s novels.

Abi Baker

"I hope you find whatever it is that will make you happy."

What she didn't realize was that I already had, only I was powerless to hold on to it.

 content warnings: secondary character death, alcoholism mentions, domestic abuse mentions

Strawberry Summer follows Margaret 'Maggie' Beringer, a small-town girl whose family own the local strawberry farm, and mysterious and devastatingly gorgeous department store heiress Courtney Carrington. After five years of no contact following their break up, they meet each other again when Courtney returns to town following her father's death. Following the timeline of their relationship, from the moment they met as teenagers, to the moment they meet again and beyond, the reader falls in love with them falling in love, and gets to experience the highs and lows they have together.

Holy moly, this book emotionally destroyed me in the best possible way. There was the perfect blend of passion, love, and angst, and I was completely enraptured from beginning to end. It's hauntingly beautiful, and the connection between them stays with you long after you've read it. 

I really appreciated the flashbacks that we got (most of the book was recounting the previous seven+ years of their relationship) because it totally added to the emotional strength of their story and how much their reunion meant. I think without those flashbacks, and therefore this book solely being about their reconnection as both friends and a couple, it wouldn't have been nearly as good as it actually is.

I felt everything that they felt. I truly believed that Courtney and Maggie were the loves of each other's lives, and the fact that they got a happy ending made my heart swell. 
This is one of those books I wish I could read for the first time over and over again because the genuineness of it absolutely struck me. Everyone in this book was real to me. No one seemed to be two-dimensional, and even the secondary characters had a warmth and depth to them that only a good writer could give them. 
I welled up reading this, that's how much it affected me. 

If I could give this more than five stars then I absolutely would. This is the F/F romance I've been waiting to read. It's crushingly gorgeous. It's heartwarming. It's absolutely everything you could ever hope for.

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Just because you’re through with your past, doesn’t mean it’s through with you. Margaret Beringer didn’t have an easy adolescence. She hated her name, was less than popular in school, and was always cast aside as a “farm kid.” However, with the arrival of Courtney Carrington, Margaret’s youth sparked into color. Courtney was smart, beautiful, and put together—everything Margaret wasn’t. Who would have imagined that they’d fit together so perfectly? But first loves can scar. Margaret hasn’t seen Courtney in years and that’s for the best. But when Courtney loses her father and returns to Tanner Peak to take control of the family store, Margaret comes face-to-face with her past and the woman she’s tried desperately to forget. The fact that Courtney has grown up more beautiful than ever certainly doesn’t help matters.

Strawberry Summer

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