Have a Great Summer - a delightful second chance at romance beach read.

Lina Mariano is living in her hometown on the Jersey Shore. She had hoped to move to Manhattan but after losing her job in NYC, she was hired as a lifestyle reporter for a local website, Shore Life, mainly focusing on area weddings. What was meant to be a short-term job has now lasted six years. Lina's career has stalled and her love life is non-existent. With summer here again, fortunately, her best friend Maren has come back to visit. However, also back in town from California is Sebastian Nikolaou, the boy who broke her heart many years ago. He's as attractive as ever and he's getting married! To make matters worse, Lina is assigned to cover the wedding for her column. And when his fiancée has to fly back home, Lina needs to spend time interviewing Sebastian for her article. Can she move past all the hurt she still feels? And has she truly ever gotten over Sebastian?

Have a Great Summer is a delightful debut novel by author Frances Cocchi. The story alternates between the present and fifteen years ago, when Lina spent summers working at Sebastian's family restaurant. Filled with nostalgia, yearning, and heartache, this second chance at romance tale makes for a perfect beach read.

Many thanks to Kensington for the advance of this sweet book. 

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Contemporary Fiction | Romance.

Publication Date: May 26, 2026.

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