The last person Connie Reyes ever expects to spend time with is her ex, Jonathan Pierce. Years ago they shared an unforgettable summer that ended in regret when she returned to college, and he decided to pursue his dreams. Since then, Connie has become a successful lawyer, working her way up to what she hopes is a long-deserved promotion to partner. She's worked hard to get where she is, vowing to never end up like her mother, who raised Connie by herself after her dad ran out on them both.

Coming back to Sea Kiss to be his brother's best man is a welcome distraction for Jonathan, whose success as a tech millionaire has not gone unnoticed by the entire town. But when he sees Connie, who just so happens to be his brother's fiancee's best friend, the memories of why he doesn't want to be tied down to the place coming flooding back... along with feelings for Connie he's kept hidden for longer than he'd care to admit.

Supporting the wedding of his brother and her best friend, Jonathan and Connie agree to play nice. But playing nice leads to something more, something neither of them is sure they want to take too seriously. So for what may be the first time in her life, Connie throws caution to the wind to see where things go with Jonathan. And Jonathan realizes he's ready to settle down with the one woman he's never been able to forget. But are either of them really ready for an end-all, be-all relationship?

This is the perfect book to kickstart beach reading season! WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER by Caridad Pineiro is a cute, quick, and steamy summer read! I do recommend reading the first book in the At the Shore series, ONE SUMMER NIGHT, as the events of this book actually run concurrently to book one. If anything, I think these books could be read back to back for a fuller reading experience, and readers will be immersed in the Jersey Shore. It is a wonderful backdrop to this series, and through Pineiro's vivid descriptions, life at the shore is shown with love and appreciation. There are some surprising turns of events throughout the book, that were a little unexpected, but in the end, worked well for both Connie and Jonathan. Their second chance romance is a sweet one, and readers will want to see them make the most of falling in love again. I did feel like there was a lot of rehashing of book one, based on the concurrent timeline, as well as a lot of set up for what could be the next book in the series. It will be interesting to see if the next book follows a similar parallel timeline, or if it will be on its own. Nonetheless, this was a very enjoyable, very hot, and very satisfying contemporary romance.

Book Summary

She knows the kind of man he is;
The kind who breaks hearts.
But a hot summer at the Jersey Shore
Might be just what they need to light up their lives...

As the only daughter of a single mom, Connie Reyes swore she would never put herself or her child in a similar position. But when she runs into oh so tempting Jonathan Pierce at a wedding, she knows she must stay away. She'll fall for him--hard. And he's not the type to stick around.

Ever since he left town after their teenaged summer fling, Jonathan hasn't been able to forget about Connie. He can't wait for the wedding--to show her the man he's become. And when the night finally comes, their mutual desire will lead to unexpected consequences neither of them were prepared for...