Summer in the Spotlight by Liz Johnson

Liz Johnson closes out her Prince Edward Island Shores series with Summer in the Spotlight, a sweet romance featuring the childhood crush trope.

Book Blurb

A hurricane may have destroyed her livelihood on Prince Edward Island, but she’s determined to save her community

Kelsey Ahern has performed at the Victoria Playhouse on Prince Edward Island every summer since she was seven. But when a hurricane destroys the building, it’s not just her memories that are in jeopardy. Her future as a teacher and drama coach are too. She teams up with Levi Ross, the facilities director at the high school, to produce a benefit show to raise money to rebuild the theater. He has a reputation for being able to fix anything, and Kelsey is sure there’s more to the quiet man than meets the eye.

For his part, Levi has admired Kelsey for years, but he can’t seem to find the words to tell her. When a popular weatherman arrives in town to cover the aftermath of the hurricane and takes an interest in Kelsey and her show, Levi realizes that the time has come to speak up–or lose the heart of the woman he longs for.

My Thoughts

Be still my beating heart.

I loved this book so much, and it’s mostly because of Levi Ross. That man piqued my interest in the previous book, The Last Way Home, and I was so excited to read his story. Levi might be the epitome of a beta male, but he’s also the reason I love beta males. He’s sweet, caring, and softhearted. And I rooted for him to get his chance with his childhood crush from the first page.

Kelsey is a good fit for him, I think. I loved watching their relationship deepen, especially as she got to know him better and saw past his reserved demeanor. She really had a way of helping Levi come out of his shell, and it was beautiful to watch.

The storyline about the play and the quest to save the theater don’t slow down the story at all but rather added a nice layer to the romance. Honestly, watching Kelsey and Levi work together was the best part.

Although, the family dynamic added a little something extra. The Ross family make my heart smile. And though Summer in the Spotlight is part of a series, you can read it as a standalone. I jumped into the series from book two and still haven’t read the first book. (An oversight I must rectify immediately.) But I still was able to enjoy it and understand a bit of the family’s history.

Overall, Summer in the Spotlight is a sweet small-town romance contemporary fans won’t want to miss.

(Note: I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley for review. All opinions expressed are my own.)

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