ARC Review: The Summer of Second Chances by K.L. Walther

 

Olivia Lupo feels stuck. All her friends have gone on to their first year of college while she's still at home with her family. There's a good reason though, her beloved grandmother, Annie, has dementia, and Olivia can't bear the thought of being so far from home when Annie needs her the most.

So when her stepmother asks the family to spend three weeks of the summer on Martha's Vineyard, Olivia plans to say no...until she discovers an old box Annie filled with photos and memories from her own time there. Olivia decides to follow in her grandmother's footsteps and spend some time on the island that Annie describes as magical.

When she arrives, she meets Connor, a boy from her past who really wants to be a part of her present... and future. Olivia's never thought about forever with someone until meeting Connor...and it scares her. How can she make plans when all she wants to do is keep close to her grandmother before she's gone forever? As she recreates the memories Annie made a lifetime ago, she has to decide if she's finally willing to give someone her heart, just when she needs it the most.

Title: The Summer of Second Chances

Author: K.L. Walther

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Expected Publication Date: May 5, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is my first book by this author. I had high expectations considering the reviews I've seen for the other books by this author. I was worried I might be lost because there seems to be a connection between the books she's written. But I also saw the books can be read as stand alones, as well. I do think I might have connected more had I actually read the books in order because the author seems to be building a bit f a universe with all her books.

I have to say starting out I was excited to see where this story lead. But at about half way through I still hadn't connected with Olivia, the main character and narrator. Maybe I would have had more connection to her had I read the other books. I noted from other readers that Connor was in other books, and perhaps I would have better connected with him, as well, had I known him more from the other books, I felt like there was no background on him in this book. Almost like the author assumed I would have read them and I would know the character.

I did like the idea of the plot. I have extensive experience with Alzheimer's as a geriatric nurse, and Walther did a fairly good job in this area. 

I didn't love the romance. It was so fast. And there was no chemistry for me to lead up to it. Yes, this is YA, but I've read lots of YA where the characters have great build up. But this one didn't have that build up at all.

There were a lot of characters in this book and it was a little hard to keep track of them. Such a large family dynamic. 

The writing was fairly good. I didn't love the pacing. It was slow for me throughout the entire story and I found myself scanning and trying to push through. I did love the idea of Olivia following in her grandmother's footsteps on Martha's Vineyard but the connection was not as strong as I wish it would have been.

Overall it's a cute YA story but not one I connected with enough to want to read all the others. 

Author:

K.L. Walther was born and raised in the rolling hills of Bucks County, Pennsylvania surrounded by family, dogs, and books. Her childhood was spent traveling the northeastern seaboard to play ice hockey. She attended a boarding school in New Jersey and went on to earn a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia. She is happiest on the beach with a book, cheering for the New York Rangers, or enjoying a rom-com while digging into a big bowl of popcorn and M&Ms.