Garland used to believe in magic and the power of optimism until her husband surprised her with divorce papers on Valentine’s Day. Convinced that love is fake, Garland decides to take a breather and goes to spend a week at her new friends’ reopened sleepaway camp. She takes her sister with her to enjoy the kind of summer getaway the two never had as kids. Ready to let go of her past once and for all, Garland doesn’t expect to run into a man of her past—and to fall for his sister in the process.
Summer camp, but make it adult and sapphic? Count me in! Whilst I’ve never been to a summer camp, That Summer Feeling definitely creates a beautiful sense of nostalgia for those summer days where you were wild and free and didn’t have a care in the world. You can definitely see many people reading this in the summertime or as a little pick-me-up during the colder months of the year.
This book is a fun, quick read. I really enjoyed that we got to see so many camp activities like colour war or eating at the mess hall to seeing how fast friendships can be made at such a setting. There is also a tad of magical realism incorporated into the story as Garland is led to certain things thanks to a vision. We also get a focus on overcoming your fears and insecurities and what it means to be aware of your own self-growth.
One thing that didn’t quite work for me with this story was the pacing. It somehow felt like the slowest of slow burns yet also had insta love and only took place over the span of a few days, not to mention that Garland was still grieving her marriage and then—like a switch had flipped—that suddenly wasn’t an issue anymore, which did make me question the romance arc. Nevertheless, I did enjoy Garland and Stevie as separate characters and think that this book will surely appeal to anyone who’s ever been to summer camp or has always dreamed of attending one.
If you’re looking for a lighthearted, sapphic romance with an adult summer camp setting and a touch of the found family trope, then That Summer Feeling will make you long for summer!
That Summer Feeling is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 30th.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Turns out you’re never too old for a summer camp romance. Or a change of heart. When a divorced woman attends a sleepaway camp for adults only, she reconnects with a man from her past–only to catch feelings for his sister instead.
Garland Moore used to believe in magic, the power of optimism, and signs from the universe. Then her husband surprised her with divorce papers over Valentine’s Day dinner. Now Garland isn’t sure what to believe anymore, except that she’s clearly never meant to love again. When new friends invite her to spend a week at their reopened sleepaway camp, she and her sister decide it’s an opportunity to enjoy the kind of summer getaway they never had as kids. If Garland still believed in signs, this would sure seem like one. Summer camp is a chance to let go of her past and start fresh.
Nestled into the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, Camp Carl Cove provides the exact escape Garland always dreamed of, until she runs into Mason–the man she had a premonition about after one brief meeting years ago. No matter how she tries to run, the universe appears determined to bring love back into Garland’s life. She even ends up rooming with Mason’s sister Stevie, a vibrant former park ranger who is as charming as she is competitive. The more time Garland spends with Stevie, the more the signs confuse her. The stars are aligning in a way Garland never could have predicted.
Amid camp tournaments and moonlit dances, Garland continues to be pulled toward the beautiful blonde outdoorswoman who makes her laugh and swoon. Summer camp doesn’t last forever, but if Garland can learn to trust her heart, the love she finds there just might.
