Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC via NetGalley.

I can honestly say I enjoyed this book. Becka and KJ's fighting annoyed me at some points because it would seem like they were making progress but then they wouldn't be talking all of a sudden. I got over it though because I read the book in three days meaning it must have been good. The major plot twist in the middle of the book definitely surprised me but not in a bad way. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes fast paced, adventurous books.

Thank you to NetGally and the publisher for this ARC

A book about two cousins who don't get along who are forced to take trips around the country in order to get their grandfather's inheritance. The plot is not really all that believable, but the characters are realistic and I enjoyed tagging along on their trips.

This book reads very quickly and is rather enjoyable. I don't think I will remember it a few months from now, but I was entertained while reading it.

Thank you Net galley for this awesome book. It’s an incredible story of cousin rivalry turning into true friendship and sisterhood. Becka and KJ’s grandfather died and he left a bucket list for the two to complete together ,in order to get their inheritance. And then their adventure starts. Soon the rivalry and hatred starts to turn into friendship and they reach a state where they kind of start understanding each other and build a strong bonding of sisterhood. The story was fun, enjoyable and the characters were amazing. Loved it!

*𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

I enjoyed this book! Casie Bazay did an great job with the writing of this novel. For the most part, I didn't find myself becoming bored of the plot or the characters, and I was always excited to see what came next. It was easily cliché, but I didn't mind reading on because the book is worth it.
I liked Becka’s and KJ’s character development because they both learned from each other and that allowed them to grow. Eli’s letters were so amazing and look forward to reading more from Casie Bazay in the future.

While YA contemporary is not something I actively read, I really enjoyed this book! Having estranged family members is something I think most people can relate to, including myself.

I have to admit that I preferred K.J. to Becka, she was funny and open-minded to the bucket list and being around Becka (I also found it amusing how she is a magnet to elderly women. She had all of the grandmas on these trips hanging out with her!). On the other hand, I also found Becka to be a compelling character with her own struggles and I understood her reservations with being around K.J.

What stuck with me throughout the book was the theme of family, forgiveness, and the idea that we are not our parents so we should not carry the same ideals. In the book, Becka says “And since K.J.’s her daughter, I have no choice but to hate her, too.” And the girls’ grandfather recognizes this, why else would he have them do this bucket list?

It was nice seeing the shift in the middle of the story and the way K.J. and Becka’s dynamic shifts away from the hostility instilled in them by their mothers for years. I loved the part where Becka is just talking with K.J. and she thinks about how her cousin is a person she could see herself being best friends with. I was screaming internally “YES! This is what your grandpa wanted!”

One of the only objections I have to this book is that in the beginning, an LGBTQ slur was used in a way to insult K.J. It is something I felt could be omitted and does not add anything substantial to the plot at all. Other than that, everything about the story was great.

All in all, this was a fun and easy read. If you enjoy stories that focus on friendship and the trials and tribulations of family, check out this book!

This was a really cute book. the characters were really realistic and fun. the story was well thought out. this is perfect if you just need a light fluffy fun book

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Not Our Summer in exchange for an honest review.

Not Our Summer is not expectation defying. It's 2 girls completing a bucket list and travelling from enemies to frenemies. It's cute and campy and a fun quick read. I just wish we got a little more development into either girl's mother considering their the whole reason for the feud in the first place or even more flashback scenes between the girls and the people they've lost in their life. There were a lot of beats here that felt like they were supposed to be emotional, but were so unsupported that they ended up feeling hollow.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I rarely read contemporary YA stories, but I was intrigued by the premise (two cousins who hate each other, trying to finish their grandfather's bucket list in order to earn their inheritance - so original!). I found myself completely hooked from the first page ("grasshopper-green death box" had me literally CACKLING out loud!) and I swallowed this entire thing in one great gulp. FANTASTIC voice, compelling characters, smooth pace - and a really interesting family dynamic. This story has so much *heart* - it's about forgiveness, moving forward, forging new relationships even if they're built on the pieces of broken foundations. It's about mistakes and second chances - but there's a solid core of truth here, too. No one gets an easy pass. This is about friendship, sisterhood, adventure, and choosing how you step into the future. I *loved* it. Highly recommended.

THIS WAS SO CUTE. I decided to binge read it right away after receiving the arc. Becka and KJ's banters were hilarious and relatable to one specific cousin of mine. I loved the way they were portrayed. Sure they had their shortcomings at times but they definitely make up for it. Reading this was such a fun experience literally not much drama was involved which is refreshing. It's all fun and banters. The ending felt a bit rushed to me but it was okay nonetheless. I kind of saw it coming.

A refreshing debut novel. Looking forward to more of Bazay's works in the future.