The Summer I First Saw You

The Summer Series, Book 5

By: Elizabeth O'Roark

Narrated by: Samantha Brentmoor, Jason Clarke

An angsty, age gap, forbidden romance from bestselling author, Elizabeth O'Roark.

Once upon a time, my buddy’s niece was a toddler in a swim diaper following me around the beach. Now Daisy’s twenty-one, the loveliest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on, and blackmailing me into letting her stay for the summer.

If she’s not bent over on my deck in yoga pants, she’s in a bikini that covers far less. She makes me laugh when I want to stay pissed off and forces me to remember all the things I used to love. If only she wasn’t so damn young and so incredibly off-limits.

The tension between us is getting harder to resist, but giving in would destroy some of my oldest friendships. Worst of all, though?

It might destroy Daisy too.

©2024 Elizabeth O'Roark (P)2024 Elizabeth O'Roark

A cute summer romance

The romance between these two is just so good! They kept me wanting more! A 5 star for sure!

another 5 star book in this series!

i’ve never picked up an elizabeth o’roark book and not been absolutely consumed start to finish, and this was no exception. it had everything i love in a forbidden romance, the push and pull, the tension, the sneaking around, the connnection they never saw coming. it was the perfect final book to this series i love soo so much. i didn’t know if anything could surpass my love for the first book in this series, but this may have done it.

samantha brentmoor was obviously incredible, as always. and dare i say this was some of jason clarke’s best/hottest work ever??? i fear i will never recover.

Perfectly Cast Duet-Style Narration!

I knew who was narrating this book when I read an early arc, and it sounded even better than I imagined! Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke perform this audiobook in duet-style narration, and when I tell you how perfect these two were to voice Daisy and Harrison…I mean it! Samantha went with a lighter, seductive tone to capture Daisy’s youth and sassy personality. Still, she layered her performance with an emotional vulnerability that made you empathize with everything Daisy was going through. Jason used his signature deep growly tone to encompass Harrison’s older age and inner conflict when being tempted by and discovering his true feelings for Daisy. Samantha and Jason were spot on delivering hilarious witty banter, heartfelt moments, and steamy times between these two that will absolutely make you swoon and melt.

The Best Age Gap Romance!!

I LOVED this book. It has all the best ingredients, a Quirky girl, older man, spice, romance😍😍 I loved the narrators as much as the story

Omg I can’t believe it’s over!

Wow just wow! So good! The narrators did an amazing job with this book and Elizabeth just wow! I am only sad that this was the last book!

Wonderful Story & Narration🎧Gripping & Emotional!

Elizabeth O’Roark pens another fantastic story set in her “Summer” series, an age-gap romance like no other and one that hooks you in like no other too. Once I started this book, not only did I not want to put it down, but nothing else around me mattered except what was going to happen next. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with, they were easy to care about and you root for them to get their act together before you know it and by getting their act together means stop denying their feelings for each other. I adored the two lead characters, Daisy, the bubbly twenty-one-year-old college student, and Harrison, the brooding lawyer who is drowning his sorrow and failures away in a bottle. Harrison is Daisy’s uncle’s best friend and eleven years older, and that is enough for her to be off-limits to him, but his reasons are genuine and with her in mind, and why he refuses to give in to his attraction for her. And when she shows up at his place and sees what state he is in, she blackmails him into letting her stay with him and he begrudgingly gives in. And when she shows up at his place and sees what state he is in, she blackmails him into letting her stay with him and he begrudgingly gives in. It was great to watch these two, with her wanting him, and he trying not to want her, going as far as avoiding her by staying at work. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and as admirable as Harrison was, he could only deny himself for so long, but in the end he does what he thinks is the right thing for her, but is it really? And the secrets they are keeping to themselves adds to their own inner turmoil, but all come out in the end. This wonderfully written and plotted story has the perfect balance of drama, angst, heartfelt emotions and a slow burn but so worth the wait romance. Elizabeth O’Roark, thank you for another fabulous story and emotional rollercoaster ride. 

🎧📚🎧 The fabulous Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke deliver an outstanding performance portraying these characters, giving each a voice that is fitting, and I loved how they took each role and made it their own, sounding believable as just as I imagined the characters to sound. Brentmoor was a natural in Daisy’s role, grasping every side of her personality, from her sunny demeanor to her most vulnerable moments. Clarke aces it as Harrison, and he too grasped every aspect of his personality, from his broody grumpiness to caring and protective side. Both were just as amazing performing the roles of the secondary characters, too. These two made a great team, their voices and performances complemented each other and they set the perfect tone for the story. You could hear how much heart they put into their performance as they capture all the characters’ emotions and have you feeling each one. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to and their performance elevates this already amazing story to another level. Thank you for another wonderful listen.

A sizzling summer slow-burn that if ignited beautifully

This is the perfect casting for Harrison and Daisy. This story features an 11 year age gap and is told in duet style. PERFECTION.

I loved Jason as the older, cautious, broody man who has held Daisy’s heart for as long as she can remember. Jason, very subtly, captures a man who has been broken; his marriage ending and his life not being what he had pictured — the lost adventure of his youth. Harrison has lost his compass and is wallowing. Self destructing. I love broody, grumpy Jason, and as Harrison’s relationship and healing evolves alongside Daisy…well, Jason shines as Harrison opens himself up to his future.

So when Daisy ends up crashing with him because of her own tricky situation, Harrison finds himself face to face with a woman and life he had previously lost touch with.

Samantha is EXQUISITE as Daisy, a 21 year old woman who cannot stay at home (for reasons you will find as the book progresses). She captures Daisy’s sunshine, energy, and sexual magnitude with a mature grace that is felt both authentic and ethereal. Samantha has such a chameleon voice— as she voiced some of the older female characters in the story it felt just as real as listening to Daisy’s voice felt.

Jason & Samantha brought tension, heat, and a sense of coming home to both of these characters. This age gap has an 11 year age difference yet the acting choices made the chemistry sizzle.

I’m so sad it’s over

Loved the narrators and the story, but what I loved most is that this was a story about living the life they makes you happy and about learning that who you are is always going to be enough for those who love you.

Angst filled, steamy and emotional!

The way I devoured this book because I could not stop listening once I started. “The Summer I First Saw You” is an angst filled, steamy and emotional age gap forbidden romance that has easily moved up to my favorite of the series.

To say Harrison had a rough year is understatement. His marriage is over after his wife left him for another man and he’s been hiding out in his beach house because he’s not ready to face his friends. Daisy is back home after her mom says she’s leaving her husband but at the last minute, they reconcile. Daisy doesn’t want to stay in the same house and since everyone thinks Harrison is out of town, she invites herself over there until she can figure out her next move. And both are surprised when they see each other in his house. Daisy slyly blackmails Harrison into letting her stay for the summer. But the crush she had on him while growing up has her looking at him in a different way and Harrison is seeing her more than his best friend’s younger niece.

The angst for this book is top notch and had hooked me in from the beginning. Daisy has always felt the pressure from her mom to excel at school and have a career she can fall back on. But Daisy is a simple woman; she wants to surface and find someone she can have a family with. Harrison had been working his adult life and wanted to take the next steps with his then wife to have a family. But her cheating and leaving him was crushing to him. Daisy “breaking in” to his house was exactly what he needed. She was the much needed sunshine to his grumpy. The age gap between the two is eleven years and Harrison struggled with his attraction to Daisy since he had known her since she was a kid. Nothing happened until she returned home at 21. I loved the banter between these two and I found myself laughing out loud more than once at these two. Daisy found all of Harrison’s buttons and knew how to push them in the best ways. These two were destined from the moment she snuck into his house and I just loved them together. These two had so much growth as individuals and as a couple. The ending was so perfect for them.

Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke narrated this audio in duet and I loved them together so much. Samantha’s narration was perfect, she brought Daisy’s fun yet vulnerable side alive perfectly. Jason was amazing as the grumpy yet kind and caring Harrison. Jason brought his all in his narration and I loved listening to him as Harrison.

I will miss these summers

When Daisy comes home to see her mom per her request, she realizes she can't stay with her. The reason she came home was her mom's divorce, but her stepfather is pretty much still in the picture and she can't stand him, with reason. So, she flees, but instead of going home to DC, she goes to Harrison's - her uncle's best friend - hoping to crash there. She assumes he won't be there as he is supposedly in LA with his new girlfriend. Well, he's not. Harrison is pretty much holed up at home, hiding behind a bottle, licking the wounds from a messy divorce and avoiding his friends. Daisy has no problem blackmailing him - let her stay or she'll tell everyone. So, she stays, and Harrison is horrified that little Daisy is not a little girl anymore. She's 21 and all woman. She's the sunshine he always craved in his life. And Daisy has always loved him most of all. Lines will be blurred, feelings will get complicated, truths will come out,  but two soulmates always find a way to each other. 
Narrated in duet by Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke, who are perfectly cast here. Samantha brings the young, sassy, vibrant but vulnerable Daisy to life and Jason is definitely the perfect choice for the broody, grumpy but totally smitten (and tortured by it) Harrison. Amazing audio!
Yes, there is an 11-year age gap and he's known her all her life but there is no discomfort factor here AT ALL. This IS indeed the summer Harrison is first seeing Daisy as the woman she became, and she is the woman of his dreams. 
A wonderful ending for an amazing series!