Problematic Summer Romance Quiz

Test your understanding of Ali Hazelwood’s Problematic Summer Romance with this 20-question quiz. The questions cover plot sequence, character motivation, themes and symbols, and higher‑level synthesis. Each question is either multiple‑choice or short‑answer. After you finish, check the answer key for explanations.

Plot and Sequence Questions (8)

1. What event forces Rue and Eli to get married at sunrise instead of the planned ceremony?

A) The villa’s freezer breaks and all the food spoils.
B) Mount Etna erupts, grounding flights and ruining the wedding dress delivery.
C) Conor confesses his love to Maya during dinner.
D) Maya loses Tiny the dog and everyone must search for him.

2. When Maya first arrives at the villa in Sicily, what does Conor do?

A) He hugs her and welcomes her warmly.
B) He asks if she is high because of her nervous chatter.
C) He introduces her to Avery and walks away.
D) He tells her he missed her.

3. During the search for Tiny, what leads Maya and Conor to a sea cave?

A) A local fisherman points them to the cave.
B) Tiny intentionally guides them to Isola Bella and then into the cave.
C) They follow a map left by Eli.
D) A storm pushes them toward the cave.

4. What happens immediately after Maya and Conor’s intimate encounter in the sea cave?

A) Conor proposes to Maya.
B) Maya feels a sharp burning pain in her calf from a jellyfish sting.
C) Avery appears and confronts them.
D) The volcano erupts more violently.

5. At what moment does Conor confess his love for Maya for the first time in a meaningful way?

A) During their first kiss in Edinburgh.
B) After the sunrise wedding, in the park, after removing his sunglasses.
C) When he rescues Avery from the water.
D) While they are searching for Tiny on Isola Bella.

6. What happens to the betting pool about the wedding curse?

A) Everyone loses because the wedding is canceled.
B) The bettors pay out, celebrating with a gelato-and‑cake feast.
C) Conor secretly buys out the pool.
D) Maya wins the pool and uses the money to buy a plane ticket.

7. How does the separation between Maya and Conor in Chapter 42 finally resolve?

A) Conor flies to Austin and proposes on Maya’s doorstep.
B) Maya texts Conor about the pattern of him leaving after sex; he stays away sixteen days, then moves her into his house.
C) Eli forces them to talk at dinner.
D) Maya asks Avery to convince Conor to call her.

8. What keepsake does Conor reveal he kept from their Edinburgh time?

A) A photograph of Maya at the castle.
B) Maya’s scrunchie, which he kept for three years.
C) The Post‑it notes Maya wrote.
D) A ticket stub from the Edinburgh bus.

Character Motivation Questions (5)

9. Why does Maya blurt out that Conor is “hers” to Nyota?

A) She wants to intimidate Nyota.
B) She admits her long‑term crush and that she has been hiding it by pretending it’s a joke.
C) She is drunk and doesn’t know what she’s saying.
D) She is trying to protect Conor from Nyota’s advances.

10. Why does Conor refuse to let Maya reciprocate oral sex in the sea cave?

A) He is physically exhausted from the swim.
B) He is constantly thinking about the age gap and power imbalance.
C) He hears Eli calling them.
D) He is not attracted to her in that moment.

11. Why does Maya volunteer to fly later with Tiny the dog?

A) She wants to avoid pre‑wedding stress and delay facing Conor.
B) She is afraid of flying.
C) Tiny refuses to fly without her.
D) She wants to spend more time with Avery.

12. Why does Conor suggest decreasing communication with Maya ten months before the wedding?

A) He is moving to a different country.
B) He says the age gap is problematic and their friendship limits her experiences, though he is really self‑sacrificing.
C) He is dating someone else and feels guilty.
D) Maya’s brother Eli asked him to stop.

13. Why does Maya decide to move into Conor’s house in Chapter 42?

A) She has nowhere else to live in Austin.
B) Conor admits he needs to be in the same country and invites her; she moves in.
C) Eli kicks her out of his house.
D) She wants to be closer to the university.

Theme and Symbol Questions (4)

14. What does the island Isola Bella most strongly symbolize in the story?

A) Order and civilization.
B) The wild, uncontainable connection between Maya and Conor.
C) The dangers of the ocean.
D) Eliot’s controlling nature.

15. What does the repeated motif of stargazing represent?

A) The characters’ academic interests.
B) Emotional intimacy and shared vulnerability.
C) Maya’s loneliness.
D) The passing of time.

16. What do the “three C’s” (cringe, contagious, quick) refer to?

A) A recipe for granita.
B) Jade’s suggestion to fake an illness to skip the wedding.
C) The stages of a volcanic eruption.
D) Conor’s rules for a summer fling.

17. What does Mount Etna’s eruption symbolize in the novel?

A) The characters’ internal passion and chaos.
B) The destruction of the villa.
C) The end of Maya’s career indecision.
D) Avery’s jealousy.

Synthesis Questions (3)

18. How does the relationship between Maya and Conor challenge the typical “age‑gap” narrative? (Short answer: mention at least one key way.)

19. Compare Maya’s relationship with Conor to her relationship with her brother Eli. (Short answer: include one similarity or difference.)

20. What is the significance of Conor proposing while naked and with a vintage ring? (Short answer: explain what this conveys about his character.)

Answer Key

1. B – Mount Etna erupts, grounding flights and causing the wedding dress to arrive wrong (tampon‑like). The boutique cannot replace it.
2. B – Conor asks if she is high due to her nervous chatter, dismissing her as childish.
3. B – Tiny intentionally leads them to Isola Bella and then to the sea cave.
4. B – Maya feels a sharp burning pain from a jellyfish sting.
5. B – After the sunrise ceremony, Conor removes his sunglasses, kisses Maya, and confesses his love, saying it will never pass.
6. B – The betting pools pay out and everyone celebrates with gelato and cake.
7. B – Maya texts Conor about the pattern; he stays away sixteen days, then they reunite and she moves into his house.
8. B – Conor kept Maya’s scrunchie from Edinburgh for three years, revealing his hidden attachment.
9. B – Maya admits her secret crush to Nyota, explaining she has hidden it by pretending it’s a joke.
10. B – Conor refuses because he is constantly aware of the fifteen‑year age gap and power imbalance.
11. A – Maya volunteers to fly later with Tiny to delay facing Conor and avoid pre‑wedding stress.
12. B – Conor says the age gap limits Maya’s experiences, but he is really self‑sacrificing because he loves her.
13. B – Conor admits he needs to be in the same country, and Maya moves into his house.
14. B – Isola Bella is described as a pleasure garden that cannot be contained, symbolizing Maya and Conor’s wild connection.
15. B – Stargazing scenes (e.g., in Edinburgh and Sicily) represent emotional intimacy and vulnerability.
16. B – Jade suggests Maya use the three C’s to fake an illness to skip the wedding, reflecting Maya’s avoidance.
17. A – Mount Etna’s eruption represents uncontrollable passion, chaos, and disruption in relationships.
18. The relationship challenges the age‑gap narrative because Conor’s self‑denial is the main obstacle, not Maya’s immaturity. Maya repeatedly asserts her agency and consent, and Conor eventually admits he fell for her when she was twenty, but struggles with self‑worth.
19. Both relationships involve deep care and protectiveness. Maya feels obligation to Eli but also genuine love; Eli shifts from worrying about Conor hurting Maya to worrying about Conor getting hurt, showing his protective inversion.
20. The naked proposal symbolizes vulnerability and the removal of barriers. The vintage ring, which he bought in Montreal, shows that Conor had been planning a future with Maya for a long time, offering commitment without pretense.

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