Summer's Never Over Blog Tour Review

Author: Darby Bozeman

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: June 9, 2026

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed are my own.

In this addictive dual-timeline debut novel, a woman confronts her past at the remote Southern summer camp where the tragic death of her fellow counselor may not have been an accident after all.

Review:

It's been five years since Greer fled her family's highly rated summer camp in Georgia following the tragic death of her friend and co-counselor, Steph, in a fire. At the death of her own mother, the camp matriarch, Greer is forced to return to lay her mother to rest and handle her affairs. Old memories and ghosts of years past haunt her as she gets reacquainted with former camp counselors and attendees. It doesn't take long for the past to cast a long shadow over the camp raising questions and accusations about what really happened the night Steph died. Was it a tragic accident . . . or something more sinister?  It appears Greer will have to either keep the lid on long-buried family secrets or face the truth. 

Summer's Never Over is an addictive, highly atmospheric thriller that's sure to be THE book to read in the summer of 2026, The story unfolds via Greer's point of view in a dual timeline at a remote camp setting with a multitude of suspense and red herrings. A dark, ominous tone drives the story forward through a twisted plot line that includes rumors of a mysterious phantom haunting the woods. While I guessed correctly on a couple of twists, it did not lessen my enjoyment as the tension ramps up chapter by chapter. Author Darby Bozman's outstanding debut novel is one I highly recommended to readers who enjoy books with a camp style mystery and setting and those who enjoy suspense thrillers.

Synopsis: 

Five years ago, Greer left her family’s summer camp in the mountains of Georgia and vowed she’d never return. An idyllic season had turned into a nightmare after a mysterious Phantom began stalking the camp—and ended with Greer’s friend and fellow counselor dead. Losing Steph shattered everything, and Greer’s been fleeing from the grief ever since. 

But then Greer’s mother dies, and Greer finds herself back at Dread’s Cove, surrounded by the people she was closest to that intense summer. Two ex-boyfriends—one a childhood sweetheart, the other the guy she's never gotten over—and old friends. Including Margo, Steph's best friend.

Greer and Margo didn’t leave things on the best of terms. But now, Margo needs her. Margo never believed that Steph’s death in that horrific fire was an accident—and she’s on the trail of an explosive secret Steph took to her grave.

Greer has to make a keep the Cove’s secrets and her own or finally face the truth about that summer.

Meet the Author:

Darby Bozeman is a Portland, Oregon native who moved to Georgia for grad school a decade ago and thinks she can now officially call herself Southern. When she’s not reading or writing, she loves acting in community theater, discussing pop culture, and going out to buy coffee even when she could very much make it at home. She lives in Knoxville with her husband, Bryan, and their cat, Claude. Find her at @darbyboze and darbybozeman.com.