That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey (Review by Shay Tibbs)

5 stars

As someone who had read and loved Bridget’s prior books, the level of excitement I had for this sapphic summer romance from her was unreal. The nostalgia of summer camp, mixed with the growth that comes with getting older as a person acknowledges those changes even when they’re not where you thought you’d end up in life and embrace it fully.

To start, I LOVED the characters. Garland and her sister, ending up at an adult sleepaway camp after a chance meeting with the owners while she’s their Uber driver was like all the best chance meetings, wild and unusual, the beginning of a great story.

The nostalgic feels were everything, bracelets full of promise, and teams of color fighting for the glory at camp all brought back so many happy thoughts, that as an adult I feel like we could all use more of. I may not have been there at this camp, but my heart went out to all the moments that reminded me of childhood. I resonated most with the idea that finding what made you happy in your youth can serve you well as an adult, I think we need to take more time to remember the joy in life between the struggles of adulthood and Morrissey perfectly nailed that balance in her writing.

“Camp always ends,” she said. This was my chance to give her the advice I’d been given myself all morning. “C’mon. Let’s not think about the ending before we’ve even begun.”

The sapphic representation was swoon-worthy, I loved that Garland was at first pushed towards Mason, and thanks to a sign from years ago she gives it an attempt after her failed relationship, putting herself out there in a way she hadn’t been ready to do before thanks to a horrible ex. Discovering that it’s his sister, Stevie, her camp roommate that has caught her eye, figuring out later in life that she may be queer. To me, this was something I’m sure I need to read more of. I loved that Garland was free to find herself later in life and that this story has such strong sibling relationships and a focus on found family. Is there anything better than a whirlwind vacation romance, with feelings that hit you immediately and turn into forever?

I can’t begin to shout about this book enough, I hope all of you will read THAT SUMMER FEELING, and pick up Bridget’s backlist while you’re at it. Her books always leave me with all the warm fuzzy feelings, and get better with each release! It’s safe to say this will be one of my favorite summer reads of 2023, and one of the best I’ve read so far this year.