In The Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay, Still grieving the loss of her beloved “Pops”, Hannah Spencer and her furry companion Dude arrive in Cape 
Split, North Carolina, to check out the seaside house she inherited a month ago. It might look a bit rundown, but the location alone–on the Outer Banks–holds sentimental value for Hannah. And it’s still just as charming today as it was in her childhood. But things take a strange turn when she realizes she’s not the only person to inherit the beach house. Somehow, Simon O’Malley’s grandfather co-owned the house with Pops. And the two men had a very important stipulation for Hannah and Simon: they have to live in the house for two months this summer before deciding whether they will keep or sell the property. Hannah already has her sights set on keeping the cottage–after spending the last five years on the road, posting social media content from her vintage camper van, this will be her chance to have a stable roof over her head. But convincing handsome-and-stubborn Simon not to sell might be her biggest challenge yet.
“If you decide to sell or one of you buys the other out, you’ll have to sign an affidavit that it’s a mutually agreed-upon outcome.”
“That’s easy,” I said. “We’re not selling.”
At the same time Simon said, “Of course we’re selling.”
Simon still misses Gramps on a daily basis. He was more like a father than a grandfather and always had words of wisdom–whether Simon wanted the advice or not. But he’s not sure what Gramps had up his sleeve when he finds out he’s not the sole owner of the house on the Outer Banks. Hannah and her horse-sized dog are entertaining. And he can understand why she wants to fix up the beach house and keep it. But Simon has his own reasons for selling. Not that he feels comfortable sharing the details with Hannah…yet. After they agree to spend the summer together in Cape Split, he’s pleasantly surprised at how nice it is to have someone in his corner while he navigates his grief and overturns some fairly shocking family secrets. Hannah leads the so-called investigation into the cottage’s romantic past. With each passing day, Simon finds himself falling a little bit more for her. And where he’s not sure they will ever agree on what to do with the property, he hopes they’re not setting themselves up for more heartbreak.
‘Holding this woman in my arms like this was the most peace I’d felt in years.’
There’s nothing like falling into the depths of a Jenn McKinlay novel, no matter the genre. And her summertime rom-com offering this year, THE SUMMER SHARE, was a heartfelt, delightful standalone. The main characters, Hannah and Simon–and Dude, Hannah’s harlequin Great Dane–were so very relatable and absolutely charming. From their awkwardly hilarious meet cute to the many predicaments they encountered, the duo was able to come together as a team to figure out the history of the house and how their families were part of it all. It wasn’t what Simon or Hannah expected. But with the help of the local community (who were all wonderful in their own right!), the details and secrets came out to paint a clear picture of an epic romance that was inspiring, at times bittersweet, and heartwarming.
McKinlay did a great job of layering in emotion after emotion for each scene and really built an interesting backstory about the Spencer and O’Malley families, as well as explored the issues Hannah and Simon were attending to currently in their own lives. There were some conflicts of interest. And the two were both seriously stubborn! But through their shared grief and their ability to see to the heart of people, paying close attention thoughtfully, Simon and Hannah meshed even when they didn’t see eye to eye. The fireworks between them most definitely weren’t just from the few moments they bickered. Nope. They had a connection that was sexy, fun, and playful, and everyone around them picked up on how passionate their attraction ran.
TROPES/VIBES:
🏡 Family secrets
🔥 Off-the-charts attraction
💞 Forced proximity
🌈 LGBTQ+ rep
🐶 Canine comedic relief
🌊 Beachy small-town summer
CW: View Spoiler »
THE SUMMER SHARE is the type of feel-good romance that has as much emotional depth as it does laughs. The perfect novel to liven up your summer TBR, be ready to laugh, shed a few tears, and fall in love with the residents of Cape Split as they give Hannah and Simon a helping hand towards a HEA.
QOTD: Hannah traveled the US visiting National Parks and historical sites. Have you been to any of our national monuments or parks? Any places you’d recommend?
Book Info:
Publication: Published: May 26th, 2026 | Berkley |
When two misfits discover they’ve inherited the same beach house, sparks fly in the most unexpected ways, in this hilarious and heartfelt rom-com from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.
Free-spirited travel influencer Hannah Spencer has spent five years touring the country in her vintage van. An unexpected inheritance from her Pops brings Hannah to Cape Split, North Carolina, where she learns she’s the new owner of a worse-for-wear seaside beach house. Or, rather, fifty percent of one. Turns out Simon O’Malley inherited the other half from his Gramps.
As Simon and Hannah spend the summer tag-teaming repairs on the crumbling cottage, they discover the house was once home to a timeless love story. Soon, they begin to wonder if the house’s romantic past may be a good omen for their future together. But there’s one problem—Simon is set on selling the property at the end of the summer.
Hannah thought one summer at the Split would be enough, except it isn’t like any place she’s ever been, and Simon isn’t like any man she’s ever known—and she’s thinking about putting down some roots. She just needs Simon to see their budding relationship and this newfound community the same way or their first summer share might also be their last.
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