This was a really fun summer read about complex and messy families and relationships. The comparison to "Gilmore Girls" is spot-on with the witty dialogue and close mother-daughter relationship. At first glance this seems to be a breezy summer read but it's actually not. It's a really layered story of love, found family, growing up, and embracing change. I didn't agree with the actions of Graham towards the end, but I can understand why he did what he did.

Feels weird to rate my own book, but Jesse Vilinsky's narration really made it twice the book it already was, so 5 full stars to Jesse specifically!

(Sorry, I gotta fix my NetGalley ratio lol.)

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book!

I enjoyed this one and I highly recommend. I thought the narrators really captured the essence of the characters.

I struggled a little with this book because of how many characters it had, which made it feel hard to feel connected to any of them and didn't give us time to really get to know them all. I had trouble keeping up with who was who, either because they weren't fully realized or because there were simply too many. I did appreciate the coming-of-age narrative, but it was a little flat in parts.

In Samantha Markum's captivating novel, "You Wouldn't Dare," Is a novel that embarks on a summer of self-discovery and personal growth, embracing change and facing her fears. With relatable characters and heartwarming themes, this coming-of-age story will resonate with young adult readers and beyond.

I really tried to like this book, but it just was too kiddish and childish for me. Junie was so whiny that I couldn't finish. I only listened to about 20% and had to stop.

This is a fresh take on the summer teen romance, growing-up theme with a solid dash of musical theater

This was a pretty good listen and the narrator was fantastic. It is not really a rom-com though. The book is more a story of family, friends and growing up. Going into it expecting one thing and getting another was hard for me because I am such a mood reader. It was still a good book, just didn't work for me in the moment.

Never got a chance to read/listen to this book before they took it off of my shelf, so unfortunately i cannot leave a review at this point in time. Too bad because it looked/sounded very interesting.

This book didn't do it for me on audio but I think I would've liked it in physical form. The narrator was fine.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐞
𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐮𝐦
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐒𝐤𝐲 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝟑.𝟐𝟖.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

Thank you @tlcbooktours @orangeskyaudio and @sam.markum for a spot on tour and a gifted audiobook.


🎧 When Juniper Nash Abreheart kissed Graham Isham for the first time, she had no idea it would nearly be the end of their friendship.
More specifically, she had no idea that the terrible, unforgivable thing she did to keep their summer fling a secret wouldn’t just ruin their friendship, but also Graham’s entire life. Now, months since the fallout, Junie and Graham spend most of their time sidestepping conversational landmines on the journey back to normalcy.
Junie is sure the strangeness between her and Graham is her biggest problem—until her mom hires Tallulah, her boyfriend’s surly teenage daughter, to work at their family café, and then announces they’ll all be moving in together at the end of the summer. The only bright spot ahead is Junie’s dad’s upcoming visit, just in time for her community theater production. And then poor turnout soon threatens that.
But when Junie starts to realize the feelings she swore to take care of last summer have lingered, saving her production and managing her hostile relationship with Tallulah might be the least of her problems. Graham isn’t just off limits—their friendship has been mended to barely withstand a breeze, and the gale force of Junie’s feelings could be just what breaks them.
_______

This was an enjoyable story, full of friendship, family, and even theatre! At first, I thought it was going to be a lighter, breezy summer read. But it goes into some realistic situations, exploring family issues and changing relationships that allow for some moving and heartfelt moments. The audiobook is done very well, with great narration.

I loved this book so much! I really didn’t know what it was about when I started reading it, but I quickly was obsessed! The characters are well developed, and I couldn’t help but love them all!

I loved this audio. The narrator is becoming a favorite of mine, she brings another element to the story, and I just get lost in that world. The author did a great job portraying dynamics of a teenager’s life. The characters personalities really shown through, and I loved Junie’s friend group. One of my favorite parts was how this friend group traded favors and the way they sealed the deal. The way they bartered was clever and made me smile. Junie was a likeable MC; she was dealing with so many new changes at once and it was relatable. She could be a tiny selfish at times, but I loved that her friends called her out and helped her see the other side of the story. It had some drama, romance, deep conversations and gave me an overall good feeling. After reading this I am ready for summer.

Thank you @orangeskyaudio @sam.markum and @tlcbooktours for the gifted copy.

I think a major qualifier for being a female lead in a YA romance is you need to be (at least a little) insufferable. And that’s okay. Sometimes.

I found this story to be a little slow and boring. It was a fun summer read, but nothing much happened. Maybe I am the problem and maybe I need to stop reading YA because the characters often tend to act as if every minor inconvenience or embarrassment is the end of the world. That is part of being a teen, I guess, but it can get annoying. The character growth was good, and the overarching theme was well done.

The description certainly got it right— this book is for fans of Sarah Dessen. Teenage Laura probably would’ve given this book 4.5/5 stars. Adult Laura gives it 3.75/5.

Thank you to Wednesday Books, OrangeSky Audio, and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“‘I think love is about finding a way to fit together even after the hard stuff happens,’ I say. ‘I don’t think it’s supposed to always be easy. It’s about choosing someone in spite of the obstacles.’”

When Juniper Nash Abreheart kissed Graham Isham for the first time, she had no idea it would nearly be the end of their friendship. More specifically, she had no idea that the terrible, unforgivable thing she did to keep their summer fling a secret wouldn’t just ruin their friendship, but also Graham’s entire life.

Junie is sure the strangeness between her and Graham is her biggest problem—until her mom hires Tallulah, her boyfriend’s surly teenage daughter, to work at their family café, and then announces they’ll all be moving in together at the end of the summer. The only bright spot ahead is Junie’s dad’s upcoming visit, just in time for her community theater production. But when Junie realizes the feelings she swore to take care of last summer have lingered, saving her production and managing her relationship with Tallulah might be the least of her problems.

This audiobook was so much fun! These teens had me laughing out loud and yearning for those carefree days we spent on the beach in our younger years, before adulting became a thing, with the sun on your face, slathered in sunscreen, chasing boys. The narrator was absolute perfection as Junie! She encompassed teenaged angst and the spirit of that time in life perfectly. I just loved it and found myself smiling just from listening. Now I want to take a trip to Florida! 😎☀️

Thank you so much to @orangeskyaudio @sam.markum and @tlcbooktours for the ALC and the spot on this tour. All opinions are my own.

I like that Juniper is goes through so many different life changes within this story. I found Juniper a little infuriating at times because she was unable to articulate her feelings but then I would remember that she is a teenager and we were all like that. I loved how Juniper stood up for herself with her dad, that part was thoroughly satisfying and I found myself saying "Yes! great job Junie!".

Jesse Vilinsky did a great job narrating this novel and I would definitely look for more audiobooks read by Jesse in the future.

Ok, I was totally not expecting to fall in love with this story, but it pulled at all my heart strings. It is the perfect YA summer read that will have you feeling all the feels. For me, this one was way more than a romcom. In these pages, we find all the coming of age feelings, navigating relationships (friends, parents, romantic etc), and so much more. I found myself transported to this small Florida town and enjoyed every minute.

Here we follow Juniper Nash. Growing up in a small Florida town and raised by her single mother, things are about to take a complete change. Moving in with her mom’s boyfriend and his surly teenage daughter, wasn’t really on Juniper’s radar. Add in drama from last summer that almost tore her close friend group apart, trying to figure out what to do about college, and attempting to save the summer community theater project and you have the recipe for a summer she won’t forget.

This story has heavy elements. It feels real. It doesn’t shy away from problems we all face as teenagers. I was transported back to that time in my life in a way that really took me by surprise. There are layers here that worked so well. If you enjoy temporary YA, I highly recommend this one.

Side note: The audiobook was FANTASTIC! This was my first book narrated by Jesse Vilinsky and I can’t say enough good things about her as a narrator. This story was brought to life in a way that only a good narrator can do.

This book had a really good plot but felt a little all over the place. I did enjoy this book I just don't picture myself picking it back up in the future.

I found juniper a little annoying but I absolutely loved our male mc. I wish there was more romance as I was hanging on every sentence when there was but I really loved the plot and junipers life.

This one was not for me, but I can see how this one could possibly be loved by teens. There were plenty of endearing moments and the side characters and small town were so much fun. Unfortunately, I didn't care for the main character and I couldn't find myself rooting for her. I also felt like this book was just a little too long. I did enjoy the narrator for this one though.

I would possibly recommend this to teens, but it would not be a first choice of recommendations.