Summer Fridays by Suzanne Rindell

 

Summary (from the publisher): You've Got Mail for a new generation, set in the days of AOL and instant messenger banter, about a freshly engaged editorial assistant who winds up spending her "summer Fridays" with the person she least expects

Summer 1999: Twentysomething Sawyer is striving to make it in New York. Between her assistant job in publishing, her secret dreams of becoming a writer, and her upcoming wedding to her college boyfriend, her is plate full. Only one problem: She is facing an incredibly lonely summer as her fiancé has been spending longer and longer hours at work . . . with an all-too-close female colleague, Kendra.

When Kendra’s boyfriend, Nick, invites Sawyer to meet up and compare notes about their suspicions, the meeting goes awry. She finds Nick cocky and cynical, and he finds her stuck in her own head. But then Nick seeks out Sawyer online to apologize, and a friendship develops.

Soon, Sawyer’s lonely summer takes an unexpected turn. She and Nick begin an unofficial ritual—exploring New York City together every summer Friday. From hot dogs on the Staten Island Ferry and Sea Breezes in a muggy East Village bar to swimming at Coney Island, Sawyer feels seen by Nick in a way that surprises her. He pushes her to be braver. To ask for what she wants. Meanwhile, Sawyer draws Nick out of his hard shell, revealing a surprisingly vulnerable side. They both begin living for their Friday afternoons together.

But what happens when the summer is over?

Review: I went into this book blind and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was set in New York City in the summer of 1999. I instantly was curious about Sawyer, who is a young aspiring writer and editor who is planning her wedding to her college sweetheart, Charles. A lonely summer stretches ahead of Sawyer, as her fiancé spends longer and longer days at work and a seemingly too close relationship with his female colleague, Kendra. When Kendra's boyfriend Nick invites her to meet to compare notes, the two begin a new ritual of hanging out together on every summer Friday. Nick increasingly helps Sawyer think about what she truly wants. And Sawyer helps bring Nick out of his tough shell to reveal a much more tender side. 

This book made me so nostalgic for the 1990s before cell phones and the frantic pace of an online life. I love how emailing and AIM messaging play a central role in this story and the communication between Sawyer and Nick. This book is also quintessentially New York, and I loved traipsing around the city with Sawyer and Nick everywhere from the Staten Island Ferry to the tenement museum to swimming at Coney Island. Between the AOL emails and the NYC setting, and the emphasis on writing and reading in the plot, this book fully deserves the You've Got Mail comparisons. 

I also really loved the way I could not predict where this story was going to go. It surprised me at several turns. I fully felt the turmoil Sawyer felt as she is pulled between her commitments and the status quo versus what her heart is encouraging her to pursue. I felt immersed in Sawyer's indecision and uncertainty about her future and the different directions in which she is being pulled. 

Truly the writing in this was wonderful and the character development was so well done. This story functions feels like Sawyer's coming of age story as she builds momentum to seek what she wants not only in relationships but professionally. I liked seeing her slowly grow in her confidence and also her ability to reject what doesn't work for her as the story continues. 

However, the reason I couldn't give this five full stars is the massive role infidelity plays in this book - and I understand how this will be a dealbreaker for some readers. I give Nick and Sawyer a full pass for how they were communicating and hanging out originally. Their partners were guilty first and I do believe their desire to talk was innocent in the beginning. But I was increasingly frustrated with Sawyer in particular for stringing Nick along and for continuing things that she knew needed to end. This was a complicated situation but at the same time, Sawyer's relationship was strained at best, and it seemed so obvious for so long what she should do. Nick, however, was a standup guy who said what he wanted and acted on it and I loved that about him. 

This was well done on audio. This book was single third person POV with a few cracked door scenes but nothing super explicit. 

4.5 stars rounded down for Goodreads. 

Stars: 4.5