It's been a long time since I've read a cute YA contemporary.. This one was super sweet! It was a quick weekend read full of lots of fluff and I definitely recommend it to anyone who needs a pick me up story. <3

This is a nice, gentle summer story of coming out of your shell and first love. This would be the perfect teen beach read, with an ice cream and a cool drink. It's very easy to read, and could be done in one sitting very easily.

The book is a good reminder to sometimes say yes when your inclination would be to say no. Rachel learns quite quickly that there is a balance that needs to be found, but that there are benefits to pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. She had some wonderful people around her, Miles being my favourite. The two together were really cute.

There was nothing massively groundbreaking, but it was just a lovely little story. It gave me strong Jenny Han vibes, and I think fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before would really enjoy it!

This is a fun read. It isn't something that wowed me, but I did enjoy it. The description compared it to Morgan Matson and I can definitely see that. Another reason why I chose this book is because of the cover. I think that cover is so fun. I feel like it could have been a little bit more developed, but it was still a good read. If you are looking for a light, summery, teen-beach read I'd say definitely pick up this book.

I give this book 3.5 it kept pulling me back and I'm not a YA reader. She's a straight A student valedictorian who followed all the rules. It's summer before college and she decides to say yes to things she may otherwise never have done. It end up effecting her relationships. I enjoyed it was a good read.

*****************I received an ARC for my honest opinion for Netgalley."""""""""""""""

Rachel is the kind of girl you don't really notice. She's had her head buried in the books her entire scholastic career, has one really good friend and one pain-in-the-neck sort-of friend, works at the family restaurant, and basically stays home on the weekends.

But she realizes on graduation day that maybe, her strategy failed. In a Marie Kondo cleaning frenzy, she locates a book that belongs to her grandmother, a self-help guide to leading a more fulfilling life by saying yes to things. Since Nonna's got underlines and notes throughout the book, Rachel takes a chance and declares that she will use this final summer before college to be her "Summer of Yes."

So she does - which takes her to a party (when her long-time crush invites her), to Canada, to re-uniting with a former friend, and to trying to balance two boys she likes but is not sure which one she really wants. Until boy #2 catches her kissing boy #1, and the summer of yes risks becoming a summer of regret.

Lindsey Roth Culli's debut is a fun, fresh look at a coming-of-age story. Rachel's character is interesting and cool in her awkwardness. I loved the relationships within Rachel's family as well as the friendships she has and the ones she develops along the way.

Say Yes to Say Yes Summer.

I was interested in this book because I feel in some ways the main character Rachel was many of us in high school. You work so hard to make sure you can get into a good college, a rule follower, and when it is all over all you can think about, is everything you might have missed. I love the family dynamic and friendship dynamics in this book. This is the cutest little summer romcom. The love triangle I wasn’t expecting but it was fine. Love triangles always just make me feel bad because someone gets left out. I love how It shows everything is not always what it seems. A great read to give you that summer feeling, a perfect read for the beach, or for social distancing during the summer.

The publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group generously provided me with a copy of the book upon request on NetGalley. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

I loved this romance book and saying yes to things. I loved that she took chances and even messed up but she put herself out there and said yes to things to do before college. I loved that she did find romance and just made sure to try something new. Great story.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Say Yes Summer was a fun, adorable, fast-paced YA contemporary.

The story follows Rachel Walls, a graduating senior and valedictorian, as she decides to make a change this summer. She's going to say "yes" to everything, to step out of her comfort zone. Surprisingly, she opens herself up to parties, stronger friendships, and even some new relationships and experiences she never thought possible,

This book was so fluffy, in the best way possible. It's a very quick read, features likable characters, a good family dynamic, and growth in a realistic way. It brought me back to my teenage years, and I loved it.

Also, can we appreciate how cute the cover is? I'm in love!

Say Yes Summer was a cute summer read. As valedictorian of her graduating class, Rachel is determined to enjoy her summer by saying Yes to new experiences. Breaking out of her shell, she is mending lost friendships, going to parties and even started hanging out with her high school crush.
I loved Rachel’s humor and her honest reactions to her embarrassing moments. She made me laugh plenty of times. With the mention of ice cream gondola, I found myself googling an image of it to better picture it. Her relationship with Miles was intriguing and kept me wanting more. I was hoping the story would go a little more in depth with him because I really like their history and development. Although I felt the ending to be a little rushed, Say Yes Summer is a fun great, lighthearted read. Available on May 12, 2020

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a perfectly entertaining (and enjoyable) summer romcom. It sorta reminded me of Booksmart in the beginning - overachiever regretting missing out on the high school experience and decides to broaden horizons the summer before college, so if you're looking for something to remind you of a great movie, look no further. Rachel has a very eventful summer after taking a self-help book to heart and starts to get outside of her comfort zone (and juggle 2 guys affections). There was a lot of really cute moments and I was happy to see her reconnect with an old friend who had drifted apart. Say Yes Summer is a sweet summer read that is just a lot of fun.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

As I was reading this book, I wished I could scoop into one of Rach’s gondolas... or have the dilemma of two cute boys to date for a summer! Rachel has always found herself as the school’s dorky brainiac in the sidelines... but after finding a self-help book, decides to spend the summer before college saying yes to things she would normally never consider.

When faced with choices that start to mess with peoples’ feelings— and family’s expectations of her— will Rachel maybe have to start saying “no”? This is the perfect summer book for teens to delve into. Fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen will like this book. #netgalley

Say Yes Summer Review:

Rating: 4 stars

So I’ve been reading a lot of books about summer it seems, and none of them have surprised me more than Say Yes Summer by Lindsey Roth Culli. I was browsing books on Netgalley recently, and the description of this book caught my eye, and I was lucky enough to get approved for an e-arc. So thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Things I Liked:
- I really loved the main character, Rachel. I thought she would have been a little stuck up, or at the very least naive, but she was super fun to read about! Her character was innocent, but she was still very confident and outgoing. Her voice felt like an authentic teenager, and I was rooting for her the entire book! I also loved the idea of Rachel branching out the summer before college, and learning more about herself. It was endearing to watch her grow over the course of the book.
- I loved all the relationships in this book!
- The familial relationships were so fun! Rachel works in her families pizza shop with all her family, including her awesome Nona. And her mom was reasonably concerned for her at the appropriate times.
- Rachels reconnection with her friend from middle school was also amazing to read about! Their banter felt so natural and I loved how open they were with one another
- I also liked the endearing scene with Bethany! It really steered away from the typical mean girl trope, which I wholeheartedly appreciated.
- I also love both the boys in this book! (Yes there is a love triangle, but it was handled really well! I am very picky with love triangles, but this one worked) Miles and Clayton were both so unique, and they both were super sweet! Miles was the dorky but brooding hacker boy next door, and Clayton was the super popular star soccer player who was very passionate about the environment!

I only wish that the book was a little longer, as the ending felt bit rushed. The prevailing relationship could have used the extra development towards the end.

I liked how the main character in this book grew as a person over the course of this book. Teens often view themselves in ways that aren’t realistic and think they need to be one way or another. This book teaches a great lesson without being didactic.

Say Yes Summer by Lindsay Roth Culli: A Review
Final Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rachel Walls is a good girl. As a matter of fact, she’s the best girl. Every waking minute of the last four years has been painstakingly planned with one thing in mind - her future. She never participated in any activity that wouldn’t serve her in reaching her goals.

But now, she’s a high school graduate. With that future she so carefully constructed stretching out in front of her, she’s starting to wonder if maybe she’s spent the last four years missing out on things someone her age should have experienced by now.

So when a cute boy invites her to a party, she lies to get out of saying yes. Until she comes home and discovers a book that’s all about doing just that - saying yes. This discovery launches her on a journey to experience new things, a Summer of Yes.

But saying yes isn’t free, and her choices this summer could cost her far more than she ever imagined they would.

This book inspired me, even as an adult. It taught me that while there is balance to saying yes and no to the things we think will or won’t serve us, it is never too late to start saying yes to more in an effort to open ourselves up to new and exciting life experiences.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book. It was cute, fun, and light-hearted that will definitely be the perfect beach read this summer!

This adorable romantic-comedy romp is a heartwarming reminder that books hold the power to change us. When Rachel finds a self-help book titled "The Season of Yes" on her bookshelf, she decides to shed the "no" ways that kept her from so many experiences in high school and instead spend the summer saying yes. This book seemed to remsemble the ideas put forth in "Yes Man" starring Jim Carrey, and fans of the movie who are looking for something similar and sweet are sure to enjoy this easy-breezy summer counterpart.

A book that would be sure to make a fun and cute Netflix/Hallmark movie, I enjoyed how easy this story was to read and appreciated how relateable and real our main character was, especially with her awkward streak. This story has a great theme that reminds us that our actions have consequences and lead us to where we are. Although, I do feel like Rachel's family over-reacted at times to some of the decisions Rachel made during her summer of yes since she didn't do anything that was particularily dangerous or incredibibly ill-advised. As an introvert, I actually feel some of the things she did were very brave since it is incredibly challenging to go outside one's comfort zone like she did in the book. However, I have a hard time believing Rachel would make the decision (spoiler!) to date two guys at once since I feel like someone of her intelligence would know that it would not be a smart decision. I personally am not a fan of the whole love triangle vibe, but I still feel like the love triangle could have been presented in a better way to readers than in the two-timing way it was. Overall, this book is a solid 3.5 star review and I think any middle school to adult reader looking for a fluffy distraction from our everyday would enjoy this story.

This is just a fine YA romance. It is not as exciting as other romances out there in the genre. It is not as character-driven as Sarah Dessen's stories, and it is not as exciting of a plot as John Green writes. I know of some tweens and teens who would ultimately enjoy the low stress, easy nature of the book, but there are just so many better options out there.

I cannot remember much about the characters just mere days after I finished it. Again, it is just fine.

This is the perfect book to read while the entire world is staying home.
It's a light read with a little bit of depth. The characters are likable and engaging. The plot is steady.
I recommend it for readers who want to escape for a few hours of fun.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I truly enjoyed meeting Rachel (& her family), Miles, Clayton, and Carrie. This novel is well- written and was hard to put-down. I stayed up way too late finishing reading it!
This was a really cute and fun summer read.

I'm gonna be honest, I picked up this book because Kasie West endorsed it on the cover. However, I soon fell in love with the book on it's own merit. I enjoyed escaping with Rachel during her transformation.

I was given this book by the publisher in return for my true opinion and review of it.

I loved this book.

Rachel graduates high school and realizes that she has missed out on a lot of experiences. With the help of her grandmother's book, A Season Of Yes, she decides to say yes to every opportunity for her final summer before college.

The concept is super fun, to just say yes and wham! You're immediately taken off on an adventure that you never would have done on your own. Rachel is thrown into different scenarios, some uncomfortable that she knows she'll never do again, and some amazing that she realized she should have done sooner. I myself am normally a No person, always too afraid to go try new things. This book was very inspiring to be open to more.

My favorite part of the book is that by saying yes, Rachel and an old friend reconnect and realize how much they missed each other. They just pick up where they left off, and remember how much they liked being friends. I love reading that.

I even actually liked the love triangle. I normally roll my eyes at these, but this time, I saw it coming and saw no other way for it to go down. Rachel doesn't wither for long though, since she's strong and smart and knows exactly what to do to get herself out of the situation. And she does.

In the end, I loved this happy book, and it got bonus points for taking place in Michigan, my home state. I wish the book was longer so it didn't have to end!