REVIEW: One Last Summer by Kate Spencer

One Last Summer by Kate Spencer: Life as Clara Miller knows it, really isn’t going the way she had envisioned; firstly her dream job has turned out to be less then dreamy, she hasn’t been able to take a vacation in more than a few years and to top everything off she is as single as a Pringle. Deciding that it is high time that she does something about her dreadful situation, Clara decides to take a much needed break and where better than Pine Lake Camp, the picturesque sleep away camp she used to spend her childhood summer at. However what was supposed to be a restful and recharging break for Clara and her close friends doesn’t get off to the best start when they learn that the owners plan on retiring and selling of the property. Soon Clara finds herself spending the night reminiscing with non other than her old nemesis Mack, who is still as annoying as ever only now he is also annoyingly handsome! It could have been the raring fire or Macks charming smile but soon something begins to spark between the two of them leading to one steamy night together, which only leads to another and another… leaving Clara to wonder is just maybe Mack has been the missing piece in her life all this time…

When I read the synopsis for this book I was instantly intrigued, I loved the idea of having a camp style romance with a touch of enemies to lovers thrown in for good measure, and while for the most part this was a really nice read, I personally just couldn’t help but feel that something was missing from this book. I will say that I did enjoy all the reminiscing and revisiting a childlike wonder that this book provided in taking our characters back to their favourite childhood summer camp.

Clara was an interesting character, I have to say that it took me a while to warm up to her. I understand that she is nearing burnout but gosh that did not mean she should be so short with the people close to her. I couldn’t help but find her to be a bit out of touch with what is really going on. Granted her character did do a lot of growing as the book progressed, and she did have some rather forgiving and understanding friends, I still couldn’t quite warm up to her the way I would have liked. While Mack was a bit easier to warm up to. I liked the fact that he was clearly smitten with Clara but his insecurities held he back for way to long. I wish he had been a bit more bold and open about how he felt and this would have drastically reduced the miscommunications he had with Clara.

One of the things that I did enjoy about this book was getting to see the easy and carefreeness that came with being back in a camp setting. I just loved the competitiveness between Mack and Clara, this only added to building their relationship. While the steam in this book was pretty low, I did like the banter and playfulness that wrapped up Clara and Mack. The supporting characters were also really great. I loved the fact that they were not afraid to give Clara some hard truths when she needs a bit of a shake up, but also were there for all the giggles and shenanigans.

All in all One Last Summer might not have been the book I had hoped it would have been, but I did still enjoy reading it. If you are looking for a nice, easy going read that hold some real life truths then I would recommend reading this book.

Book Info:

Publication: June 11, 2024 | Forever |

From the cohost of the award-winning Forever35 podcast comes a dreamy, laugh-out-loud summer romance that asks: What do you do when the life you’ve planned isn’t what you’ve dreamed?

Clara Millen’s life is spiraling out of control: her dream job is a nightmare, she’s resoundingly single, and it’s been years since she’s taken some time off. Thankfully, the last problem she can fix—this year she’ll join her friends on their annual summer vacation to their beloved childhood sleepover camp for a much-needed escape.

But when Clara arrives at Pine Lake Camp, she faces yet another unwelcome change: the owners are retiring and selling the property. The news turns her plans for revelry into a night of reminiscing . . . and prompts a surprise heart-to-heart between Clara and Mack, her old camp nemesis and constant competitor, who’s still just as annoying (and annoyingly handsome).

Soon the campfires aren’t all that’s throwing off sparks. And when one wildly passionate night turns into two (then too many to count!), Clara begins to wonder if she and Mack could have a future together. But when Clara’s boss finally offers her everything she’s worked so hard for, Clara will need to decide if the life she’s always wanted is the life that makes her feel truly alive