A successful lawyer gets sucked back into the what-ifs of her long-lost first love in debut novelist Noué Kirwan's Long Past Summer, a steamy romance full of heart. Mikaela Marchand is a highly successful lawyer, poised to finally make partner at her prestigious New York law firm after being passed over year after year for less impressive white male colleagues. When her annual shot at promotion hinges on successfully litigating a lawsuit for a client, she's determined to give it everything she's got--until she discovers the client is Cameron Murphy, her first love, being sued by his ex-wife, Julie, her ex-best friend.
Long Past Summer moves backward and forward in time between Mikaela and Cameron's early days together in 2002 and the palpable tension--sexual and otherwise--between the two in present day. The romance between them is heightened by the sense of destiny their backstories lend to the current moment. The two seem meant to be together in some way, yet just as fated to be dogged by Julie in the present as they once were in the past.
Though some of the intricacies of their past can feel slow at times, the level of detail Kirwan weaves throughout the novel ultimately proves necessary to the 2022 timeline, which drives forward to a conclusion grounded in self-discovery and vulnerability. A story of lost love and forgotten friendships, Long Past Summer is a smart, sexy romance that pushes the boundaries of the genre and will appeal to readers of all stripes. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer