LAST KISS OF SUMMER, by Jessica M. Felleman, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, April 28, 2026, Paperback, $12.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
Two teens take a second chance at love in Last Kiss of Summer, a YA romance by Jessica M. Felleman.
Nothing breaks like a heart.
When Sera Watkins and her family arrive at their summer house on Cape Cod, she has one goal in mind: protect her heart from the boy who broke it, her next-door neighbor, Luke Tisdale. The problem is, Luke still has a piece of her heart—literally. When Sera received a new heart as a baby, the healthy valves of her old heart were given to Luke. Forever bonded, Luke and Sera grew up together spending sun-soaked days swimming at their secret beach and painting at art camp.
Then, two summers ago, their friendship almost turned into something more. Key word: almost. Because one fateful night, everything changed. Sera’s health took a turn for the worse. A family secret sent Luke spiraling. And they weren’t there for each other when it mattered the most.
Now Sera is ready for a fresh start, which means no more pining over the boy next door. But Luke has grown up a lot since she last saw him, and the chemistry she felt two summers ago? It’s still there. Sera isn’t sure she’s brave enough to risk it all again, but when she gets some difficult news, she realizes there’s no time to waste. Maybe it’s finally Luke and Sera’s moment, their chance to enjoy the sweet kiss of summer together—before it’s too late. —Synopsis provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
As the sibling of someone who had a kidney-pancreas transplant, I was interested to see how author Jessica M. Felleman would approach the transplant issue, even though Last Kiss of Summer is, at its heart, a romance.
I was pleasantly surprised. Though the situation in the book was different to my lived experience, Felleman accurately captured the turmoil family can go through when a loved one is sick. There are so many mixed emotions — stress and feelings of helplessness along with joy and sadness. You never know if you’re doing enough or too much. And when the transplanted organ starts to fail, a new set of worries set in.
In Last Kiss of Summer, Sera hopes for another transplant, another chance at a future. In the case of my brother, he chose to give someone else a chance at a future and did not pursue a second transplant.
Suffice to say, tears were streaming when I read certain parts of Last Kiss of Summer.
But the book is about more than transplant. It’s about finding “your person,” and making the most of the time you have together. There’s a lot of hope sprinkled throughout. And while the ending was what I was expecting, it wasn’t what I wanted. IYKYK.
Nonetheless, it’s a great choice for a summer romance.
Sensitivity note: While most of Last Kiss of Summer is what some would classify as a “sweet” romance, there is a non-explicit sex scene that feels like a natural progression.
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