Review of Summer State of Mind

My Review of Summer State of Mind looks at this new Summer Romance Book for 2026 with Virgin River vibes!

Review of Summer State of Mind

I’ve enjoyed Kristy Harvey Woodson’s books in the past, so decided to try Summer State of Mind, a small town romance.

Devoted NICU nurse Daisy is emotionally spent after losing a tiny patient, and impulsively decides to leave her job in Charlotte and take a new job in Cape Carolina, a small coastal town. There she befriends a high school baseball coach and falls for both him and his family.

As an adoptee who was then abandoned by her father’s girlfriend, Daisy desperately wants a family. And when an abandoned baby is brought to the hospital, she schemes to be able to adopt her.

All these events will dig up other secrets, because secrets can’t stay hidden in a small town.

Summer State of Mind had:

• A “lust at first sight” relationship that gets complicated
• Lots of small town gossip, frenemies, and drama
• Characters who can be messy and psychologically complicated
• Closed door romance
• AND I learned that this book has crossover characters from Under the Southern Sky, the Thaysden family (Mason, Parker, and Aunt Tilly). You don’t have to have read that book to understand and appreciate this one, but just so you know…
• Publication date: May 5 2026 by Gallery Books. Thanks so much to them for the advance review copy.

this book is Perfect For:

• Fans of small town romance books like Virgin River
• Readers who like books where the focus is on the couple and their fellow small town residents
• Readers who are okay with books where characters are messy, make mistakes, and grow from them.

My Master Post on New Summer Romance Books for 2026 has all the top summer romance books you need to know about (including Summer State of Mind) so be sure to check it out!

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I also have two summer quizzes for you to take, my Find Your Perfect Summer Trope Quiz and my Choose Your Summer Romance Adventure Quiz. Take them both and get book recommendations based on your answers!

If you loved this story, check out my list of Small Town Romance Novels like Virgin River!