LAST KISS OF SUMMER

A tender second-chance romance blooms between two organ transplant recipients.

Sera Watkins is returning to her family’s vacation home on Cape Cod after two years away. Born with a congenital heart defect, she received a transplant as an infant, but recent health problems required her to be close to her Boston-area doctor. As a baby, Luke Tisdale received the healthy valves from Sera’s heart. They became best friends with a shared love of art and science fiction—and a couple of years ago, they had a tumultuous summer involving “confusing days” that “almost went somewhere.” But Luke was coping with his parents’ messy divorce, and Sera’s diagnosis of stage-three hypertrophic cardiomyopathy led to a miscommunication that caused a rift. Now Sera’s returning to teach at the art camp she once attended, soak up every last morsel of fun, and reunite with best friend Maddy. Luke, who lives on Cape Cod, has become a successful baseball player. The story is primarily told from Sera’s point of view, with some chapters from Luke’s perspective, and it includes frequent flashbacks to their almost-romance two years earlier. Debut author Felleman powerfully renders the pair’s emotions and intimate, high-octane moments. Sera’s family members are realistically well-drawn characters, constantly hovering over her with fierce devotion. Readers won’t forget the explosive conclusion. The author’s note describes Felleman’s in-depth medical research and the liberties she took for the sake of good storytelling. Major characters are cued white.

An intensely emotional summer love story.