Last Summer

Jul 09, 2012 Rebecca Rogers marked it as books-i-wrote · (Review from the author)

Shelves: contemporary, indie, romance, new-adult

The first chapter is up on my blog.

Also, I feel like I should add a disclaimer/warning for this novel.

description

Since there is strong language, drug use, and sexual situations, readers beware . This is not Young Adult. This book fits into the genre of New Adult, which basically means it has mature content for younger readers (17+), and doesn't quite fit the mold of YA or Adult genres. You've been warned. ;)

I also wanted to mention here that the act of giving up a drug addiction takes time and great effort...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-contemp-or-new-adult, blog-tour, for-review, from-publishers, signed

I'm a big fan of Rebecca A. Rogers work so when I found out she was trying her hand at a mature contemporary romance story, I was sold straight away. I love this genre so I was excited to see where Rebecca took her story, and let's just say she doesn't disappoint.

I won't re-cap the blurb because it says all you really need to know but I will say Logan's and Chloe's story is a difficult one. It touches on subjects such as drug abuse and a near-rape scene. Not only that, it's full of betrayal, he...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Ari J Bookzilla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this. It should have been longer.

Rebecca A. Rogers has a great way with words. The chemistry between Chloe and Logan is obvious and their dialogue flows naturally. Not once was I bored or skimmed over.

Chloe is a great character. She doesn't play games with Logan, I think he needed her attitude to snap out of his pathetic non-existence. I felt for her dealing with her family situation. She's not exactly a child, but something like that always takes its toll on a person, no matter the age....more

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Sep 06, 2012 Floe (Fernie_J) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bad-boy, book-boyfriend, will-be-read-again, high-school-romance, new-adult

I WAS SO SLEEPY 'CAUSE I CAN'T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN AND I POSTED THIS REVIEW ON ANOTHER BOOK. SEE WHAT THIS BOOK HAS DONE TO ME?

Here's my review....

It's too good to be true.

Logan Andrews determined to leave the past behind and claim his family back. In order for him to come back to his family he had to change and the only person that can help him is Chloe. Chloe Sullivan is going through a rough time with her family. Her parents are having a divorce and she knows it'll be her last summer in the La...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Georgia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, beautiful-cover, cannot-wait-to-read, contemp, obligation-to-read, ya-or-na, ya-or-na-romance

Last Summer was not what I expected. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, just not what I was expecting. The last couple of books I have read are all about drugs! Gosh. I didn’t actually realise this book was about drugs. Obviously, I didn’t read the blurb properly or something. This book was pretty good. *This book comes with a warning of strong language, drug use, sex and a near-rape scene*

Chloe doesn’t want to be in Sandy Shores. Her parents are going through a divorce and Sandy Shores has so man...more Last Summer was not what I expected. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, just not what I was expecting. The last couple of books I have read are all about drugs! Gosh. I didn’t actually realise this book was about drugs. Obviously, I didn’t read the blurb properly or something. This book was pretty good. *This book comes with a warning of strong language, drug use, sex and a near-rape scene*

Chloe doesn’t want to be in Sandy Shores. Her parents are going through a divorce and Sandy Shores has so many memories. When Chloe is revisiting one of the memories, she meets Logan, and that’s when her really summer begins.

Logan is a homeless drug addict. His parents kicked him out because he was a bad role model to his younger brother and he wasn’t going to go to rehab to kick his habit. He now lives in a rundown shack and is hiding from some pretty awful drug dealers. So, is it possible, when he meets Chloe, that he will take the opportunity and the challenge to finally kick his habit and maybe get a girl?

Last Summer was a pretty intense book. Like, the ending for instance was insane. It was good, though. Chloe was an alright main character. She’s the typical YA girl; parents divorcing, kinda good looking, not really popular, just spending one last summer at the beach with her screwed up family, ‘til she meets a boy. She wasn’t bad or annoying or anything, just kind of boring; nothing special. Roger was mostly the same, except a little less boring. He was a dickhead at first with a drug and trust problem. But, I guess he wasn’t so bad. He got better towards the end of the book. He was finally getting help and opening up, which improved his character. Together, Roger and Chloe were actually pretty good. Kind of a screwed up relationship, but meh, it worked. Like always, though, I wish that it was clearer whether they were boyfriend and girlfriend or what. It happens all the time in summer books!!

The mother and father were nuts. The father worse than the mother, though. He was just a wanker. I felt a bit sorry for the mother; she was dealing with a dickhead, cheating, lying husband.

The themes in this book were quite mature. I probably shouldn’t have read this book because, well, I’m not 17. But meh, I liked the book. I’m not a prude or anything, so the sex didn’t bother me, but still, probably shouldn’t have read it. Oh well.

Last Summer was a quick read! I intended it to last me during English, then science the next day, but I read it in just a few hours. It was $3 well spent. Thanks mum.

I liked how the book ended. It was perfect, and summed up nicely. I look forward to reading more of this authors books.(less)

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Aug 23, 2012 Sana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, sarc-2012, 2012-ya-contemporary-challenge

There are certain books that take from you as much as they give you. They drain you emotionally, drawing out your mentally weakened form and transforming your thoughts into fire, igniting a passion in you like no other. The passion to live life to its fullest. These are the books that make me think and think hard about what life has to offer to us. The possibilities are endless. Last Summer is such a book.

Last Summer began with a glum feel to it, a resentment boiling inside Chloe for the way her...more There are certain books that take from you as much as they give you. They drain you emotionally, drawing out your mentally weakened form and transforming your thoughts into fire, igniting a passion in you like no other. The passion to live life to its fullest. These are the books that make me think and think hard about what life has to offer to us. The possibilities are endless. Last Summer is such a book.

Last Summer began with a glum feel to it, a resentment boiling inside Chloe for the way her life is turning out to be with no control over the outcome. So Chloe does what she can, she pretends but she knows she cannot hold out for long. With parents who can go without saying two words to each other for a week, who could?

Short of hanging out at their summer home in Sandy Shores, Chloe figures wandering around the lake and the forest will be good enough. Then she finds Logan in the abandoned cottage and it's like she's been introduced to a new challenge. Now Chloe has someone to look forward to during the persistently dull summer and to do something more than just daydream about the childhood summer days spent carelessly with Jessica, a long lost friend. And finally, to say goodbye to isolation.

However, for Logan, what started as an undeniably euphoric moments might be the very moments which will make him regret ever taking up the habit in the first place. Withdrawal seems like the only plausible solution but of course he isn't strong enough to do it himself. So when help willingly arrives in the form of Chloe, Logan is hesitant and suspicious. He sees Chloe as a poignant reminder of all things home and a craving stirs in him. But Chloe is strong and she believes that she can help Logan out of his addiction.

Spending time together makes them realize that it could easily turn into something more. And it does, by developing into something deep. With both their souls bared to each other, what will they do? Will they last or will it be their first and last summer together? The book is told in alternating point of views and I really liked reading what was going on in their minds.

Last Summer wrecked me emotionally, tickled my toes with its sexiness, saddened me with its reality and kept me on my toes about its ending. It turned out to be a book about surviving the worst and relishing the best. Last Summer has a plot unlike any other book I have ever read. One of the must reads for 2012. I appreciate what Rebecca A. Rogers has done with the issue of drug use and she definitely have a very fluid way with words.(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, book-boyfriends, contemporary, books-with-a-message, favorites, finished-copy-for-review, for-review, own, realistic-fiction, really-liked, review, signed, will-never-forget, romance

*A copy was provided by Rebecca A. Rogers for review purposes*

I can safely say that I have never read a book like this before. What with the main characters’ issues and the story line and the setting, it’s in a class of its own.

From page one, I couldn’t put down this book. It was exciting, fast-paced, and interesting, and the writing was bordering on really good. It’s kind of an inspirational story, what with Chloe helping Taylor deal with his addiction. I loved how the point-of-view kept switch...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Jenna Christy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-my-ebookshelf-already

Review also found in: Coffee, Books and Me

A bit emotional but equally nice and has a deeply rooted story. I was honestly surprised that this was a New Adult book. All the while I thought it was YA,lol, then a certain scene suddenly looms in and I was oh so surprised by it, Plus, the drug and abuse content made the novel heavier and more mature, thus this is not for the younger audiences. I have had this copy for many months already, and for some twist of fate (this is the only other book I haven...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Devon Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-horse-indie-books, writer-s-block-author, completed-arcs, indie-authors, reviewed-on-blog

Chloe Sullivan knew she was in for a craptastic summer. Her parents dragged her to their summer home for what she knew would be their last summer ever as a happy family. Cause seriously, Chloe ain't' blind; she knows divorce is on the way, no matter how hard her parents try to put up a friendly front. Depressing herself over lost friends and the betrayal of her father with some young bimbo, Chloe is tired of everything falling apart. So it's no wonder she gets it in her head to help a homeless t...more

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Dec 11, 2012 WovenMyst rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rebecca Rogers gets real in her first New Adult novel, Last Summer. The plot is deep and the characters undeniably amazing; readers will enjoy every passing moment of reading!

Last Summer is a mature young adult read that touches on drug addiction and its inevitable effects on the abuser and surrounding family and friends. Logan is homeless and almost unwilling to change the path he’s on. Fortunately, Chloe is stubborn and willing to put every bone into pulling Logan through his dark phase and ge...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Ashley - Book Labyrinth rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: new-adult, my-books, ebook

I feel like there are some authors whose books have fantastic concepts, and even pretty good characters, but their writing is poor: their sentences are choppy and their dialogue is unbelievable. With 'Last Summer' I feel like it was actually the opposite. The writing flowed well enough, and I was able to keep reading until the end despite my overall dislike of the book. My problem with 'Last Summer', I think, was the lack of emotion and a plausible plot.

Chloe and Logan both narrate this story fr...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Abby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Definitely a warning to anyone underage... This book is not for you, wait a couple years then definitely read it because it is fantastic!!

Now that is taken care of, this book went way beyond what I expected. It floored me that much. Chloe is so real. My parents divorced when I was 12, and then my mom divorced her second husband when I was 19. He was physically and emotionally abusive, cruel, a drug addict and an alcoholic. I really connected with Chloe which I guess is what made this story so re...more

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Aug 14, 2012 L rated it 1 of 5 stars

Oh brother! I don't think I was reading the same book as everyone else.
I don't even know where to start. The cover is really beautiful and the first few chapters were promising and then it all went down hill from there.
Chloe and her parents go to the same lake house every year for the summer, but this summer Chloe can see her parents deteriorating relationship and can tell this will be the last. Her mom is depressed and drinking knowing of her husband's infidelity and Chloe just needs to get ou...more Oh brother! I don't think I was reading the same book as everyone else.
I don't even know where to start. The cover is really beautiful and the first few chapters were promising and then it all went down hill from there.
Chloe and her parents go to the same lake house every year for the summer, but this summer Chloe can see her parents deteriorating relationship and can tell this will be the last. Her mom is depressed and drinking knowing of her husband's infidelity and Chloe just needs to get out. She bumps into a homeless guy, Logan, in an abandoned cottage and decides to help him out. She knows that he's an addict of some kind and she vows to help him break the habit. At first he's an absolute ass but she won't take no for an answer.
Told in alternating POV's from Logan and Chloe's perspective I was really hoping to like this one but it was so unrealistic I had to force myself through it.
First off what young girl lets a homeless heroine addict sleep in her room?!? I mean really????
Second of all it does not take one week to drop your addiction! I can't even continue with that point because it makes me a little angry.
And the story of her friend Jessica- there was absolutely no significance to this at all.
Then things magically happen to save them, (view spoiler)
I can keep going with the problems with this book but I just wasted my time reading this and do not want to waste any more of it reviewing it.
I give this one star and wouldn't recommend it, unless you're looking for cheesy and unrealistic.(less)

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Aug 13, 2012 Ellen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tours

Wow. This book was so good. It deals with real life issues in an up front and honest way. Chole Sullivan has graduated from high school and is going to spend her last summer with her parents at her father's lake house. Before, this had been a place of fond memories and fun, but now, it is anything but that. Even though they haven't told her, Chloe knows her parents are on the verge of divorce and can't stand to be around each other. Chloe prepares herself for a long and unpleasant summer. When C...more Wow. This book was so good. It deals with real life issues in an up front and honest way. Chole Sullivan has graduated from high school and is going to spend her last summer with her parents at her father's lake house. Before, this had been a place of fond memories and fun, but now, it is anything but that. Even though they haven't told her, Chloe knows her parents are on the verge of divorce and can't stand to be around each other. Chloe prepares herself for a long and unpleasant summer. When Chole stumbles upon an old cottage that she and her friend used to play in when they were younger, she happens upon Logan Andrews. She immediately thinks that he is pretty hot, pretty rude mind you, but pretty hot. He asks her to leave and isn't very pleasant about it. Chloe walks out, but doesn't really leave. As she watches through the window, she watches Logan shooting up. It is then that she makes up her mind that she is going to help him, no matter what the cost, and the cost ends up being very high.

When I began reading this book, I literally could not put it down. I immediately fell in love with Logan, and wanted to see him helped. He is quite the hottie to. I really admired Rebecca. She has a lot of her own issues to deal with, but she sees something special in Logan, and she wants to see him set free from the hold drugs has on him. They go through a lot together, and Chloe doesn't enable Logan, but she doesn't abandon him either. She is able to look at him and see the real person, and not the person drugs have turned him into. Without judging him, they embark on a journey to freedom, one step at a time, and in the process Logan ends up helping Rebecca with her issues also. Logan's past threatens to catch up with him, and there are situations which are very intense and dangerous. Things also escalate to violence in Rebecca's family situation.

This book is filled with real life drama. The story line is really incredible. There is plenty of hot steamy romance, and the characters also deal with tragedy, heartache, and pain as they face the issues of drug use and domestic violence. The relationship between Rebecca and Logan is intense, and let me say in advance I loved the ending, and I truly love a book that ends well. They deal with some hard issues and face some tragic consequences, but they also are able to find the good in life and in each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. It is one of those books that stick with you and I am so glad I read it. Of note, this is a new adult book and contains some intense scenes not appropriate for younger readers. (less)

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Mar 17, 2013 Victoria rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was a disappointment after all the good reviews I read. I was expecting it to be really good but it just didn't get there for me. I thought the characters were somewhat boring and didn't have much depth or mystery to them. I thought the drug abuse and recovery was not handled very well or realistically. Logan was shooting up heroin and had been homeless for 6 months when Chloe found him in an abandoned shack and she found him attractive and thought she could help him after one encounte...more This book was a disappointment after all the good reviews I read. I was expecting it to be really good but it just didn't get there for me. I thought the characters were somewhat boring and didn't have much depth or mystery to them. I thought the drug abuse and recovery was not handled very well or realistically. Logan was shooting up heroin and had been homeless for 6 months when Chloe found him in an abandoned shack and she found him attractive and thought she could help him after one encounter. First of all a homeless heroin addict would not be attractive.... stinky, filthy, skinny with track marks on their body, a bad complexion ( which heroin causes) and unkempt comes to mind but not attractive, hot or good looking. The time frame for his withdrawal was ridiculous, in chapter one she sees him shooting up throught he window in the shack and yet when he decides to give her his stasha nd get clean it only takes about 5 pages for him to get over it. He gets sick to his stomach, yells at her, hallucinates for about a minute and feels yucky for a day and then he is pretty much back to normal... Heroin is the most addictive drug you can take, the hardest to get off of and has some of the worst withdrawal symptoms of any of them. I am guessing the Author hasn't done much research into what getting off of Heroin is like because that part for me was totally unbelievable. Logan's family kicks him out and his Father is a police officer. Logan tells Chloe that his home life was horrible and that he always felt like a faliure and his Father put so much pressure on him, etc., etc. but after six months of being gone, he shows up at home unexpectedly and his Mother offers them cookies and lemonade, and when he asks for 5000.00 to pay off his drug dealer his Father goes to the bank and immediately gives it to him with barely no questions asked and lets him borrow the car to go after Chloe when she leaves. This makes no sense to me at all. No parent would just hand over their car and 5000.00 to their drug addict child who has been on the streets for the last 6 months because the strange girl they just met a couple weeks ago says they helped him get clean, basically overnight.

I could keep going about all of the things that make no sense in this book, from the sex scene, which is ridiculous for reasons I won't list here because it is definitely not a sex scene I would let my teenager read about, but I will say that Chloe's behavior is not realistic of what a girls first time would be like and her reaction is not really a normal reaction for a girl who in the first few chapters says she never even really kissed a boy much before this... let me just say, uh..no, she probably would not have done what was described- at all!, to the parents and how they acted, even the drug dealer stuff was ludicrous- who meets the drug dealer, who killed your friend and who you owe a lot of money to, in a secluded place with no witnesses around to give him his money, after he already almost beat you to death, and you know that he travels with a group and this is just you and a young innocent girl?... seriously? I just didn't get all the great reviews for this book. The writing was good and the pace was alright, but it could have used some common sense and researching facts in order to make the story more believable and the characters to have more depth. I am giving it 2 stars, one for the fact that it was cheap and I wasn't outmuch money, and one because it gave me something to read while I waited in the car rider line at my children's school.(less)

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Dec 01, 2012 ♥ Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-na, 5-splendid-stars

Last Summer was like a romanticized mix of Intervention and The Basketball Diaries. I expected a darker telling of the effects of drug abuse, but the "coming-down" or withdrawal period was heavily downplayed. Also, the book doesn't delve deep into one particular aspect, like drug abuse, domestic abuse, divorce, or love. However, all of those factors are blended together, weaving a compelling and heartwarming tale, of second chances and redemption, through Chloe and Logan’s journey together.

Both...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was excited about reading this book after reading the book blurb.Although I must admit I am naive when it comes to the drug world, Rebecca did a great job at portraying the drug world. As I have already said I am naive when it comes to drugs so I was dubious about how quick a drug addict can recover but Rebecca addresses this issue in her own review and I think she did a great job of showing Logan' struggles.

What I loved about this book was how the story was told from Chloe and Logan' point of...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was really excited for this book because it covers the topic of drug addiction which is a topic very close to my heart. In the end, I felt this book tried to be a little too dramatic and it took away from what could have been a great book.

Last Summer started out good and I had hopes that this was going to become another fantastic bad boy/good girl book to add to my shelf but then a series of strange events left me a little frustrated and the book quickly lost some credibility with me. When I a...more I was really excited for this book because it covers the topic of drug addiction which is a topic very close to my heart. In the end, I felt this book tried to be a little too dramatic and it took away from what could have been a great book.

Last Summer started out good and I had hopes that this was going to become another fantastic bad boy/good girl book to add to my shelf but then a series of strange events left me a little frustrated and the book quickly lost some credibility with me. When I am reading a book that is supposed to be based on dramatic events and it becomes unbelievable, I have a hard time feeling the emotions that I am supposed to be feeling while reading. For that reason, I did not connect with this book:(

Chloe is off on her normal summer vacation to the beach house with her parents who are not getting along at the moment. In that moment I empathized with her and thought I was really going to like this. She stumbles upon Logan in an abandoned shack and soon realizes that he is a drug addict who is homeless and she decides she is going to save him. Again, for a little bit, this story line worked for me because I understood her need for something to do this summer since her parents were both off in their own worlds and she needed something to take her mind off things.

Logan, being a drug addict, isn’t all that interested in Chloe’s help at first. He needs the drugs to take away his pain. He eventually agrees to let her help him during the remainder of her summer vacation and while not all portions of the book worked for me, I understood why he was addicted to drugs and why he wanted help and agreed to get that from Chloe. Drug addicts are not nice when they are addicted and they are certainly not nice when they are trying to give up their addictions. This portion of the book did work for me for the most part, however, it did seem to come a little too easy.

Now, you may be asking what did not work for me? Well, there was a story line with Chloe’s father that added too much noise for me. I don’t want to ruin it but let’s just say it felt forced and uncharacteristic; it was not needed in this book. There were also some scenes such as the hospital scene where Chloe closed the curtain to presumably do some rather inappropriate things with Logan that I did not think were fitting for the age of the characters. Overall, there were several little things that took my focus away from what could have been a good book and placed them where they didn’t need to be placed.

Overall, this book was okay but could have been so much better.

(less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads

This is one of those books that I immediately ran out and bought because of a stellar online blog review. It seemed intriguing to me, the idea of a young man struggling with drug addiction and a young woman helping him through the fight. What I found was a good book that was a super quick read. It did a great job of introducing the world of drug addiction in a real way, showing the difficulties that those in the middle of this fight face. It affects not only the drug addict but also their famili...more This is one of those books that I immediately ran out and bought because of a stellar online blog review. It seemed intriguing to me, the idea of a young man struggling with drug addiction and a young woman helping him through the fight. What I found was a good book that was a super quick read. It did a great job of introducing the world of drug addiction in a real way, showing the difficulties that those in the middle of this fight face. It affects not only the drug addict but also their families and friends, many who are unable to stick around and deal with the emotional ups and downs of addiction and attempts for recovery.

The specifics:

Last Summer is told through the alternating viewpoints of Chloe and Logan. Chloe is at her family's lakeside summer vacation home, not enjoying her vacation at all. Her parents are in the last stages of their marriage, waiting until they return home to begin divorce proceedings. Why they decide that it would be a good idea to continue with their annual summer lakeside vacation is beyond me. They don't speak to each other, creating tons of tension, and even though they are supposedly doing this for Chloe, they are only making her life miserable. In order to escape this atmosphere Chloe heads on a run, heading to an abondoned house that she used to explore with her best friend on these summer trips. When she gets there she finds Logan, a young man with a serious heroine addiction. Logan has been kicked out of his family home, so now he is squatting in this run down house as a squatter. Chloe decides that she needs to help Logan to overcome his addiction, and a friendship is born. But it is full of all sorts of crazy as Logan fights the withdrawal effects as well as avoiding a local dealer who is out to get him for unpaid loans. Life is not easy for Logan, and Chloe joins along for the ride as she attempts to save him.

My thoughts:

Overall this was a nice enough book. I enjoyed it the entire time I was reading. The story was interesting and full of action and struggles that I needed to see to their conclusion. I liked Chloe and Logan as characters. Chloe is a good blend of strength enough to fight for Logan and vulnerability as she deals with her own family demons. Logan is a good boy who made some poor choices that led him to this path. I think that that was a good thing to read. Drug users are not usually complete losers that decided to be bad guys/gals one day and head into the life of a user. Often they are average people who started out making a poor choice and now are caught in a cycle of addiction that is too powerful to escape. So I appreciated that angle of the story. Logan's family is an average middle class family. He was a football player who started using to fight pain, and it went downhill from there.

However, there were a few things that knocked this one down a few points for me. First of all, although I think that there was realism in the way that Logan's struggle and triumph with his addiction were written, I do think that he seemed to overcome things a bit too quickly. I'm not saying that this was written as if the struggle was easy at all. I just think that an actual person in this situation probably would face problems with quitting the drugs that would be a lot more difficult ... more of a two steps forward, one step back kind of process. Although Logan had his moments as he withdrew, it just felt as if it needed to be written as even more of a struggle for him, and for Chloe, and for his family. But don't get me wrong ... I am glad that things worked out wonderfully for him.

This is just a small thing, and I know that this is one of those "new adult" books, but I thought that Logan seemed waaaaaay too skilled in the bedroom for his age. Unless he was super experienced (and that didn't seem to be the case) it seems highly unlikely that he would have performed just as written, knowing exactly how to rock her socks off. Hurray for Chloe, I guess. But it did throw me a bit out of the story as I thought about this.

And then there was the story line about Chloe's family. I found this to be extraneous in some ways. I would have preferred the story to focus more on Logan and his drug addiction, not adding the extra drama of Chloe's family. I didn't mind the issue of her mom and dad ignoring each other entirely during the meeting, her father leaving to hang out with his friends/girlfriend while her mom stayed at home crying on the couch and drinking herself into oblivion. It was when Chloe's father ended up turning into a monster at the end where I felt like the story went a bit over the top. I know that this does happen in real life, but in this book it took away from the main plot of the novel. It would have been just as good, and maybe even better, if her parents had just ended up being inattentive and insensitive as they dealt with their marital issues without having to make one of them into a complete jerk. But that's just my opinion. Others may not have any issues with this.

Overall I would recommend this one. It is a good book to show the struggles that drug abuse creates for people, and just as importantly, the importance of strong support people for those who are struggling to overcome the addiction. A perfect book when you'd like a quick read for an afternoon, but also a book that leaves you thinking at the end. Three stars!(less)

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Aug 08, 2012 Kelsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was probably the quickest book I've ever read. It took me just over four hours, which is extremley quick for me. But I must say I enjoyed those four hours quickly taking in everything that went on.

This book is based around drugs. Which I'm not used to reading much of. But when I do read books that use this topic I always like to see how its played out. You have the main character Chloe who happens to be going back to her lake house for the summer with her parents who cannot stand each othe...more This was probably the quickest book I've ever read. It took me just over four hours, which is extremley quick for me. But I must say I enjoyed those four hours quickly taking in everything that went on.

This book is based around drugs. Which I'm not used to reading much of. But when I do read books that use this topic I always like to see how its played out. You have the main character Chloe who happens to be going back to her lake house for the summer with her parents who cannot stand each other. She feels the summers going to be terrible and tends to distance herself from her family and goes for a walk where she finds a cottage she used to hide out at when she was a little girl. Which is where Logan comes into the story. Straight away Chloe knows somethings off about Logan and when she sees him taking drugs she knows she has to do something about it.

The romance was quickly developed, so much that I wanted more to happen between them. I felt it was a little rushed and that they could of took a bit more time getting to know each other. I wanted more emotions between the two. But saying that - the characters were developed so well that I felt I didnt mind it all happeneing quick because the passion these two characters had was amazing. Of course because these feelings to Logan were new.

I liked what Rebecca was trying to get at her authors. There was a message to this story. And it was showing you how drugs can actually affect people. It can affect people who arent even taking it and how serious the issue really is. Logans addiction in this story was actually very mild to what some cases are actually like, so to get a feel to what it would be like if you knew someone who was doing drugs it brings you to reality that this story felt very real.
Overall I did enjoy this book. I liked the ending even though some of it seemed a little quickly developed but I guess choosing other options for this book to end could of given it a different view. The epilogue was cute and deffinetly gives you that summer feel to the book. Thankyou Rebecca for sending me the book and allowing me to read/review a deep meaning story.

I rate this one 3.5 stars.(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Candace (Lovey Dovey Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: wovenmyst-reviews, favorites

Rebecca Rogers gets real in her first New Adult novel, Last Summer. The plot is deep and the characters undeniably amazing; readers will enjoy every passing moment of reading!

My complete review can be found on WovenMyst.com - YA Magazine!

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Mar 16, 2013 Megan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-and-na, read-in-2012

Crap crappity craptastic crap fest. Seriously the most unrealistic piece of $#1+ I have ever read. I think this book is insulting to the intelligence of basically the entire human species. Seriously! I'm surprised so many people gave it such a high rating. It's books like these that make young girls believe they can save the wandering drug addict on the street because he'd be kinda cute with his hair cut! When In reality he will probably eat your food, steal money if he can and possibly assault...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Emma (BelleBooks) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally Published at: http://www.bellebooksx.blogspot.com

First of all I want to say a massive thank you to Rebecca for sending me a copy of this book to review. It seems to be the book that has lifted me out of my summer reading slump, yay!

Last Summer is by no means a typical YA romance. It is fresh, edgy, raw and I loved it!
Chloe is spending summer with her parents at their summer house, she knows this will probably be the last summer they spend together as a family and she is determined to...more Originally Published at: http://www.bellebooksx.blogspot.com

First of all I want to say a massive thank you to Rebecca for sending me a copy of this book to review. It seems to be the book that has lifted me out of my summer reading slump, yay!

Last Summer is by no means a typical YA romance. It is fresh, edgy, raw and I loved it!
Chloe is spending summer with her parents at their summer house, she knows this will probably be the last summer they spend together as a family and she is determined to make the most of it and enjoy herself.
Although things don't really go to plan, her father ends up walking out on the family and her mother starts to camp out in front of the tv, almost oblivious to the world around her.
When Chloe meets Logan, a homeless boy living in an old, abandoned cottage, she makes it her summer mission to help him, even if he doesn't want any help, she doesn't expect to fall for him along the way and get mixed up in his crazy world.

I really loved this book, it is a quick read. It only took me a couple of hours to finish, but the detail and description that is packed in there is awesome!
This is a more mature YA book, with drug use, sex scenes and a near-rape scene. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under the age of 16/17.

The book does touch on some hard subjects, but Rebecca writes about them to get the issues out in the open and talked about, which is something I really like about this book.

The book switches between Chloe and Logan's points of view, which I really liked. Especially at the beginning before they really get to know each other. I felt like I got to know them both as individuals as well as a couple.
I loved Chloe and Logan's relationship, especially all the ups and downs. They are really so sweet together and I think they complement each other well, and bring out the better qualities in each other.

I really was hooked on this book from page one, there is something about the characters and all the raw emotion thats built up in the book that just gets under your skin.
Overall I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more of Rebecca's books in the future!(less)

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Aug 21, 2012 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: new-adult, indie-author-love

Let me begin by saying that Last Summer is not your average summer read. And it’s not YA either, so don’t expect any fluffiness. There’s a small warning attached here – Last Summer deals heavily with issues such a drugs and using, contains strong language and sexual situations including explicit sex and a near rape scene. For mature audiences only, rated 17+.
Last Summer is a raw and emotional read about a girl trying to come to terms with her parents’ divorce and her place in life, and a boy co...more Let me begin by saying that Last Summer is not your average summer read. And it’s not YA either, so don’t expect any fluffiness. There’s a small warning attached here – Last Summer deals heavily with issues such a drugs and using, contains strong language and sexual situations including explicit sex and a near rape scene. For mature audiences only, rated 17+.
Last Summer is a raw and emotional read about a girl trying to come to terms with her parents’ divorce and her place in life, and a boy coming clean with an addiction problem. It’s about how two people from two separate worlds come together to help heal wounds and broken hearts. And really, it was a powerful read.
Told from both the perspective of Logan and Chloe, here is a novel where dual perspectives work. I’m not a fan of it, but Rebecca has managed to weave the plot between the two so brilliantly that if it were told from one or the other, the overall effect would be completely lost.
Chloe and Logan are going through some tough crap. It’s shocking to think that this is the life some kids have to actually deal with, and it’s heartbreaking really. But that’s what really stood out for me the most. No matter what crap is thrown their way, the pair tries their hardest to pull through. And the road is never easy, but their sheer determination is what captured me here.
I had real sympathy for the characters. With everything that was going on in Chloe’s life – her father’s cheating, her mother’s alcoholism, Chloe could have turned out to be either a really bratty, annoying girl or a complete wuss. But Rebecca effortlessly made her a warrior, and through the entire novel I felt myself internally cheering her on, pom poms and all. As for Logan, most of the time I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would be okay. I think out of all of it, I loved Logan the most. There was that irrational fear there of his family not accepting him anymore after one argument gets him tossed out of the house. His pride interferes with making amends, but thanks to Chloe he’s able to come clean and push that pride away. And of course coming off drugs is not an easy thing to do.
If you are looking for a poignant, soul wrenchingly beautiful read this year, then make sure you check out Last Summer. Trust me when I say that you won’t be disappointed. A wonderfully crafted novel that isn’t overdone, Last Summer is definitely one of my favourite contemporaries this year.
(less)

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Sep 06, 2012 Ginger (GReads!) added it

Review originally posted at GReads: http://www.greadsbooks.com/2012/08/la...

INTENSE is the word that came to mind once I finished this novel by Rebecca Rogers. From the first encounter that Chloe and Logan have, to the hot-steamy love scene; there is tons of intensity. I am always a fan of "summer books" and that is what grabbed my attention first when I came across this novel. Factor in two characters, living opposite lives, yet colliding in an unexpected way and you've created a delicious stor...more Review originally posted at GReads: http://www.greadsbooks.com/2012/08/la...

INTENSE is the word that came to mind once I finished this novel by Rebecca Rogers. From the first encounter that Chloe and Logan have, to the hot-steamy love scene; there is tons of intensity. I am always a fan of "summer books" and that is what grabbed my attention first when I came across this novel. Factor in two characters, living opposite lives, yet colliding in an unexpected way and you've created a delicious story to consume in one hot afternoon.

The story takes no time placing you right in the middle of the drama. Immediately we are introduced to Chloe and all the hang-ups her summer has to offer. She's forced to spend it with her parents who are on the verge of splitting up. Between her mother's alcohol/pill induced state of mind on the couch, and her father's absent appearance, it's a lot for Chloe to take in. Lucas presents himself with not much reprieve either. He's run away from home due to his own drug addiction, trying to forget the perfect life he screwed up and left behind, but knowing he can't continue down this path much longer. Chloe sees Lucas as a resolve. If she can't fix the situation within her own family, then maybe she can help Lucas by regaining control of his own life.

The relationship between these two characters happened immediately. I was hoping for a larger build up, because let's be honest.. the tension is almost always better than the actual result. Once things finally did arrive though, oh my goodness -- it was definitely hot! There are a lot of factors that come into play in this novel, so much that I sometimes had difficulty wrapping my brain around it all. Just when I became comfortable with one aspect of the story, Rogers threw something else at us. Some may see this as too much for one story, but I think it just added to the intensity. If you're a fan of intense, high-drama in your mature young adult novels, then I recommend this one.

Please be aware that this story is written for an older, mature audience. I would not recommend it to younger teens.(less)

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Sep 02, 2012 Krissy P (Kris) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Powerful, Compelling and Emotional - Great Story, September 2, 2012

Wow, I really enjoyed this book. This is the love story of Chloe and Logan and it's not all sunshine and roses, but it is beautiful, powerful, compelling and emotional. I was so enthralled by the story that I read it only a few hours. I just could not put it down.

Chloe Sullivan returns to her family's lake house for what will be her last summer. Her parents are on the verge of a divorce and her relationship and home with them se...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, review

Last Summer was an amazingly written story that most can connect to in more ways than one. The passion and drama draws you in and once your hooked there's no putting this book down. I feel as if Last Summer really spoke to me, I really love it when I get a hold of a book that's soo good that certain parts stick in your head and you have to read them over and over again. Rebecca Rogers captured her characters and made them feel real, my heart really went out to the main characters involved. Last...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Marilyn Almodóvar rated it 4 of 5 stars

*A copy of this book was provided by Rebecca A Rogers for me to review it*

Summary:
All Chloe Sullivan wants to do is get through the summer. Her life has been in disarray for more than six months, and she knows the only reason her parents made one final trip to Sandy Shores is because of her. They are, after all, two seconds away from filing for divorce. When Chloe stumbles upon a boy in one of her childhood hangouts, she’s in for more than just a relaxing summer vacation.

Logan Andrews is exhaus...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Laura Hartley rated it 4 of 5 stars

So they say never judge a book by it's cover, but if I'm perfectly honest the only reason I signed up for this book tour is because I was won over by the cover and the fact that this was deemed to be only suitable for '17+' (that kinda makes me sound like I'm into really kinky s*** but I'm not I swear!). This novel really surprised me and I'd even go so far as to say that this is one of the best YA books I've read in a while. The story is really shocking and thought-provoking and yet at the same...more So they say never judge a book by it's cover, but if I'm perfectly honest the only reason I signed up for this book tour is because I was won over by the cover and the fact that this was deemed to be only suitable for '17+' (that kinda makes me sound like I'm into really kinky s*** but I'm not I swear!). This novel really surprised me and I'd even go so far as to say that this is one of the best YA books I've read in a while. The story is really shocking and thought-provoking and yet at the same time there's a real romance going on between the two main characters which makes for a brilliant combination.

This book is such an easy read and I zipped through it all in one sitting. The story is compelling and addictive and I just had to keep reading to find out more. Whilst the cover may lead you to believe that this is your typical, sappy, teen romance novel - it's not. In fact, it addresses some pretty serious issues such as divorce, domestic violence, drug use and gang violence to name a few. This isn't the sort of romance that turns you into a crazy fan-girl because it's far too serious for that; however, it still gave me intense butterflies in my stomach whilst reading it. There are quite a lot of twists and turns towards the end which made this book an even more exciting read and the action builds up over the course of the novel with an explosive finish.

I thought that some parts of the novel weren't as well developed as they could've been, but this didn't bother me too much. Some might question the fast paced relationship between Logan and Chloe, but both characters were in pretty desperate situations at at the beginning so it's not that unrealistic to be honest. As both the main characters are very isolated during that summer, there aren't that many other characters so the story is really focussed on Chloe and Logan. Both characters are quite mature and you really admire their courage as they face things that most normal teenagers wouldn't be able to cope with. I loved the character development from beginning to end as it made me feel like the story had actually progressed unlike many other teen romances I've read. I didn't exactly feel 'connected' to the characters as, of course, I have absolutely no idea what it would be like to go through the things that they have and yet I still felt really drawn into the novel and captivated by Logan and Chloe.

This book was not at all was I was expecting. I had read the blurb beforehand so I knew that this wasn't your average young adult romance but i still wasn't prepared for such an deep and interesting read. I would highly recommend this to all fans of contemporary romance though, as it says in the summary, I would keep this away from younger teenagers because some scenes really aren't appropriate for them.

Many thanks to the author for providing me with a signed review copy! ^^(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Trini rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book deals with real life complicated issues and that is one thing I can never get enough of. Edgy, dramatic, and passionate are three words I would use to describe this book.

In Last Summer you get to see a powerful story through the eyes of Chloe Sullivan and Logan Andrews. Chloe is young woman who is spending her last summer at her fathers lake house with her parent who are essentially at the end of their relationship. On one of her runs she finds Logan in an abandoned cottage that she u...more

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