Until Next Summer by Ali Brady – full of heart contemporary about friendship

Until Next Summer is heartwarming, cozy, fun, and and full of heart contemporary about friendship.

Other Books I Read by the Same Author –

The Beach Trap

The Comeback Summer

Synopsis

Two former best friends each find love at an adults-only summer camp in this romantic and nostalgic novel that proves “once a camp person, always a camp person.”

Growing up, Jessie and Hillary lived for summer, when they’d be reunited at Camp Chickawah. The best friends vowed to become counselors together someday, but they drifted apart after Hillary broke her promise and only Jessie stuck to their plan, working her way up to become the camp director. 

When Jessie learns that the camp will be sold, she decides to plan one last hurrah, inviting past campers—including Hillary—to a nostalgic “adult summer camp” before closing for good. Jessie and Hillary rebuild their friendship as they relive the best time of their lives—only now there are adult beverages, skinny dipping, and romantic entanglements. Straitlaced Hillary agrees to a “no strings attached” summer fling with the camp chef, while outgoing Jessie is drawn to a moody, reclusive writer who’s rented a cabin to work on his novel.

The friends soon realize this doesn’t have to be the last summer. They’ll team up and work together, just like the old days. But if they can’t save their beloved camp, will they be able to take the happiness of this summer away with them?

Review

Until Next Summer is heartwarming contemporary that dives into the beauty and complexity of friendship—specifically the bond between Jessie and Hillary.

Jessie and Hillary have been inseparable since they were eight, bonding over summers spent at Chickawah summer camp. They weren’t just friends; they were soulmates in friendship form. Together, they dreamed of running the camp as adults. Hillary, pressured by her father to choose a more “secure” path, broke their promise and chose finance over friendship. Their bond shattered, and they haven’t spoken in ten years.

Fast-forward to the present: Jessie is living the dream. She’s now the director of the camp, having worked her way up from trainee to counselor, assistant director, and eventually, the top job after the passing of original owners, Lola and Nathaniel Valentine. She’s been running things for five years—but now, with the Valentine kids (Jack and Mary) inheriting the estate, they’re planning to sell. The camp has one last summer before it shuts down.

Determined to make it count, Jessie decides to try something different. She invites former adult campers back for eight week sessions. But to do that, she needs staff—and Hillary signs on to run the arts and crafts cabin.

Meanwhile, Hillary’s life has been… bleak. Her father-controlled career and boyfriend (who suggested a break just so he could “have a fling”) leave her questioning everything. The breakup becomes the wake-up call she didn’t know she needed. She misses the joy, the fun, and most of all—Jessie. Determined to reclaim a part of herself and maybe fix what was broken, she returns to camp.

Cue: tension, unresolved emotions, and a second chance at friendship. It was compelling to see how this final summer forces both women to face the past, confront their hurt, and decide whether their friendship is worth rebuilding. Spoiler: it totally is.

Like the authors’ previous books, the writing is engaging and heartfelt. I enjoyed the camp setting added a nostalgic charm—pranks, kayak races, capture the flag, drama, parties, and campfires galore. If you ever went to summer camp or wanted to, this book will hit you right in the feels.

The strongest part, once again, is the relationship between the female leads. I loved getting to know both Jessie and Hillary. That said, I did think Jessie overreacted at times. I understood her fear of abandonment—two divorced parents, neither of whom made her feel like she belonged, so she made camp her everything. But expecting Hillary to feel the same wasn’t fair.

Hillary, on the other hand, lost her mom young and feared losing or disappointing the only family she had left—her father. She did what she thought was right by choosing the safer path. And honestly? She wasn’t wrong. Her finance skills made her independent, refined her strengths, and ultimately became the very thing that helped save the camp.

Once they finally had the conversation they’d avoided for a decade, things clicked into place. They became a team again—stronger, wiser, and more fun and more supportive of each other’s growth.

Jessie learns she doesn’t need to cling to the past or run herself into the ground for the camp to succeed. She can evolve—and have a life beyond it. Her relationship with Luke (former counselor and her old crush) helps her see that. Hillary, meanwhile, rediscovers the version of herself she’d buried—the one who stands up for what she wants, embraces her joy, and stops living for someone else’s approval.

Romance is present but never overpowering. Hillary reconnects with Cooper, the sweet camp cook who was also her first kiss as a kid, while Jessie explores her long-held crush on Luke. Like the authors’ other books, the romance isn’t the star—but it adds warmth and gives the story an extra layer of sweetness.

I loved Hillary’s co-op idea to buy the camp from Jack and Mary. The suspense of whether it would work kept me hooked. And the climax? Absolute game-changer, with a twist that made the ending feel earned and satisfying.

Overall, Until Next Summer is heartwarming, cozy, fun, and and full of heart contemporary about friendship, forgiveness, growth, second chances, and daring to be exactly who you are. It made me laugh, tear up, and root like crazy for Jessie and Hillary. Whether you love summer camp settings or crave stories about deep female friendships, this one delivers.

What to Expect in Until Next Summer –

second-chance friendship story
female bonding and emotional healing
nostalgic summer camp setting
save-the-summer-camp mission
side-serving of romance
character growth and redemption arcs
satisfying and hopeful ending

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Have you read this or any book by these authors?
What’s is you favorite summer read so far this year?

Just in case you missed,,,

• Individualism Over Group Belonging – A quiet reflection
• Digging Dr Jones by Olivia Jackson – fun and adventurous romance
• December 2025 Wrap Up Mood Reading Took Over – good final month of the year

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