The Summer of Us

By: Lily Morton

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

It’s going to be a long hot summer.

John is an exceptionally good lawyer. He’s driven, arrogant, and hides a warm heart beneath a façade of cool politeness. He’s used to people disliking him, but for some reason, when meeting Matt in London, the other man’s open dislike bothers him.

He’s therefore surprised to find himself offering Matt a place to stay in his villa in the South of France while he’s working nearby. He’d actually planned to spend the summer working on his book and plotting to get his ex-wife back. However, his perfect plans take a blow as the long hot summer progresses and the two men get closer, and John starts to nurse an unexpected attraction to his houseguest from hell.

Matt is John’s polar opposite. He’s warm, funny, sociable, and scruffy. He loves people, and they love him back. However, to his consternation, he hates John. His arrogance, public school voice, and the air of superiority that he carries around aggravate Matt unbearably. So the idea of staying in his home with just him for company sounds torturous and not in a good way.

However, as the summer days slip by, he’s forced to realise that maybe he’s not such a good judge of character because underneath that arrogance is a warm, vulnerable man who’s incredibly sexy. The only problem is that while Matt is gay, John is straight, and Matt now wants him more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life.

See what happens when two men who think they have nothing in common apart from a past mutual hatred find out that they might be each other’s future.

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a scorchingly hot romantic comedy. This is a spin-off from the Beggar’s Choice series. It features characters from the series but can be read as a complete standalone.

©2016 Lily Morton (P)2024 Lily Morton

The Summer of Us

I loved this story. It was one of the first Lily Morton books I read. I’m so happy it’s now an audiobook.

John & Matt

John and Matt may start out as "enemies", but their story ends up being more of opposites attract. I enjoyed reading the story but I loved listening to the audiobook with Joel Leslie's great narration.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

Love this Book!

The Summer of Us is a contemporary MM Romance and a spinoff of the Beggar’s Choice series. John is a successful lawyer used to people thinking he’s cold, but he doesn’t like the fact that Matt doesn’t like him. When Matt finds himself committing to renovating a money pit within three months in the south of France, he’s surprised when John offers to let him stay with him at his villa while he’s working. But will these three months bring them even closer than either one of them expected?

I adored this book so much! Matt was such a beautiful character and his anxieties were absolutely relatable. John was such a perfect match for him and I loved the evolution of their relationship. Joel Leslie is an incredible narrator and I loved his interpretation of this story.

Overall this was a five star listen! I loved these characters and their story so much!! This book has some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. This book was a smidge of a slow burn, but once the spice got started, it was fantastic - so overall two flames for spice

If you’re a fan of bi awakening, opposites attract, with wonderful sass and banter, then absolutely pick this one up! Even though this is a spinoff from the Beggar’s Choice series, it can be read as a standalone.

Morton and Leslie deliver another winner...

The Summer of Us is a companion story to Lily Morton's Beggar's Choice series, falling somewhere between the second and third books, Trust Me and Keep Me, respectively. The aforementioned series is currently not available for purchase or to borrow on Kindle Unlimited (since Morton's titles appear to all be part of KU, but I could be wrong!), and unlike the author's other work which are all M/M, these books were M/F romances. Hopefully, Morton will bring them back in due time since I must confess that my curiosity has me itching to get to know the guys who make up Beggar's Choice, a world famous rock band, and how they all find love. That being said and based on my experience, The Summer of Us can be totally listened to and/or read as a standalone without wondering as if you're missing important tidbits.

John Harrington is a brilliant lawyer who comes from a wealthy family and serves as legal representation for Beggar's Choice. As much as he's easily accepted and welcomed to the fold by the members of the band, he doesn't seem to have made a great first impression on Matthew Dalton, aka Bram O'Connell's best friend, close friends with the rest of Beggar's Choice, and Bram's personal assistant (or so John thinks). Maybe it has to do with Matt mistakenly believing that John had slept with Charlie Hudson's girl, but even after that was clarified, Matt still didn't seem to warm up to John. So, Charlie asking John to oversee any legalities with a money pit he wants renovated in France for the love of his life and having Matt take charge over the renovation isn't exactly a good idea. But then John offers up a guest room in his villa, surprising himself and Matt in the process. By the end of the summer, these two men could either end up killing each other or maybe, just maybe, something very much unexpected could happen.

I read the eBook while listening to the audiobook of The Summer of Us, which is something I haven't had the opportunity to do much of recently with life being busier than usual. But this is a Lily Morton-penned romance, and Joel Leslie is back to bring it all to even bigger life, and I couldn't resist the chance to do the whole dual experience again. I loved seeing John and Matt find their footing, first as friends, and then later on, as far more. With John being straight and Matt being gay, I understood why there was the thrum of trepidation going on. Matt didn't want to be an experiment, only for him to develop feelings and then have John jump back in the closet. But John was such a wonderful surprise, and goodness, but how I adored the man and his being all in with everything. I laughed, I smiled, and I swooned while falling in love with these two and their story, but this is Morton and Leslie, so I wasn't all that surprised. Five stars.

Great friends to more

A really great read with an audio narration that matches the story really well and brings Johnny and Matty to life in excrement fashion. A truly well done biawakening with complex and messy characters that grow into each other as they deepen an unexpected friendship into more. Definitely worth a read.

Beyond beautiful!!!

What a beautiful story! Oz is my absolute favorite book by Lily but I think this book just became my number one favorite! Love these two to pieces! I love stories about adult men who know what they want, well, a bit confused from time to time, but so sweet! Joel Leslie is the most wonderful narrator and he gives these two characters so much charm! Thank you both so much!