Summer State of Mind

Name: Summer State of Mind
Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey

Kristy Woodson Harvey

After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her "simpler" job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina. Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they've saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start. But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. In a novel that proves that "Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads" (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly!—sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong.

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Reviews

3.6 average· 1 review

Novelust user

Sep 11, 2026

5.0

Favorite romance of the year. It’s more like, multi-generational family saga and friendships in a small town, with a romance as a thru line. You can definitely read anytime, it doesn’t have the typical summer book elements that make it feel off to pick up in other seasons. One stylistic thing that I think works so well for the book is the author did a great job making these character feel real and flawed, but also showing us their emotional processing of their actions, with the result that all problematic behavior lands as totally fine and often relatable. Like, did she just do a really shitty thing? Yes but she’s cringing about her behavior even more than we are, so it’s all good and she’ll make her apologies, NBD. Loved it!