when i heard this pitched as a Grease retelling with a bisexual love triangle - i was super excited to pick this one up and i was even more excited to receive an ARC! it's definitely more of a loose retelling but it was still fun to read and i loved the summer vibes

as a queer reader, i really liked the bisexual representation in this book and the identity crisis that Lara goes through - questioning if she's bisexual, or if she's straight and jasmine is some sort of exception. it's an experience that i think a lot of queer people can relate to, especially as a young adults going through self discovery, so it was nice to see and i think it was written well.

overall there were a lot of aspects that i thought were really well written but it never really wowed me and didn't push past the "i like this" tier for me. maybe i am just growing out of the genre but definitely pick this up if you're a fan of YA contemporary!

final rating: 3.5 stars

This was such a fun summer romcom! I'm always here for a sapphic Grease retelling, and Dahlia Adler never disappoints! The entire conversation around sexuality and bisexuality was so well-done!

This was entertaining, funny and more surprising than what I was expecting. Again, one of those books that I would've loved to have had when I was a teenager myself as a queer person.

This was a cute and quick romance that I enjoyed listening to for an afternoon. Was it the most unique? No. Was the main character a bit annoying? Yes. But I'm also not the target audience. I think this story is important and reflects the experience of many teens.

This is a fun book about a teen love triangle, but its so much more. Told in alternating timelines, then and now, we see Lara struggle with identity and it reads like real life. So many teenagers struggle to know who they really are. I love the LGBTQ+ representation as that also was real for many teenagers. I want to read more by this author.

Bisexual representation is so important, especially necessary when this was released but I confess I didnt love it. I was growing out of Young Adult at the time and found it quite hard to enjoy.

A beautiful story about finding yourself and learning to accept and love who you are. A story I desperately wish I had as a teen but am so happy teens have this type of novel now.

A solid 4 star read for me, which means I mostly enjoyed the book, but there were some parts I didn’t enjoy. Basically every part in the present with Chase. I loved the flashbacks with Jasmine, and I kind of wish the whole book was just that. I had a hard time caring about the scenes in the present with Chase when I could tell that Jasmine was endgame. Wish that had all been done a little bit differently. But Im always excited for the bi rep!

Super fun YA read. Perfect for a summer read, and I love seeing more bi rep in YA, especially in fun books like these. There's plenty to figure out when your summer fling comes into your regular life.

"Cool for the Summer" by Dahlia Adler is a contemporary YA novel that navigates the complexities of teenage emotions, identity, and relationships. The story revolves around Lara, who seemingly has it all: a dreamy football star boyfriend, a solid group of friends, and a sense of belonging. However, her world takes a turn when a girl from her past, Jasmine, resurfaces, sparking memories of a confusing and romantic summer.

Adler's writing captures the rollercoaster of teenage emotions with authenticity. Lara's internal struggles and the exploration of her sexuality add depth to the narrative, offering readers a glimpse into the challenges of self-discovery during the formative years. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ themes is a positive aspect, contributing to the representation of diverse experiences in young adult literature.

The characters, particularly Lara, are well-developed, and the story unfolds through her perspective, providing insight into her conflicting emotions. The exploration of a bisexual protagonist is a welcome addition to the genre, and Adler handles the theme with sensitivity.

However, despite its strengths, "Cool for the Summer" falls short in terms of pacing. At times, the narrative feels disjointed, and the transitions between past and present could have been smoother. Additionally, the plot's predictability may leave some readers wanting more surprises or twists to keep them engaged.

While the novel tackles important themes and provides a relatable portrayal of teenage angst and self-discovery, it lacks the narrative finesse needed to elevate it to a higher rating. "Cool for the Summer" is a solid addition to the contemporary YA genre, but it may not fully satisfy readers seeking a more nuanced and tightly paced exploration of identity and relationships.

I'd only ever read a short story from Dahlia before and I really enjoyed reading a whole book. Her storytelling is sweet and compelling!

This review is extremely overdue, but I’m so glad I finally had the opportunity to read this book because it was amazing.

Lara is a delightful narrator. Yes, she could have had a conversation with Jasmine when she first saw her at school, but we have to give her some grace on that because she’s a teen and her brain is still developing.

Plus, there’s the fear of rejection—not to mention the Sisyphean victory of FINALLY getting the cute boy to notice her and realizing that she still feels unfulfilled. The angst is palpable!

I loved the way the narrative shifted between the summer and the present day. Getting to experience the slow shift from Lara and Jasmine shifting from strangers to friendship to something more provides the reader with a tender glimpse into first love. Add in that neither girl has any experience with Sapphic relationships, and it’s easy for them both to believe that what transpired over the summer was an anomaly.

On that note, the narrative (both the “past” summer and the present-day school year) unfolds only from Lara’s perspective. This helps keep the reader on the same level as Lara as to Jasmine’s feelings/intentions. Knowing more than Lara would defeat some of the mystery, although realistically, what kind of book would throw away a magical dream girl summer for the protagonist to end up with the hot quarterback?

I would absolutely recommend Cool for the Summer. This book is sure to delight the target demographic looking for queer YA books. I can’t wait to read more of Adler’s books!





I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley

"Cool for the Summer" by Dahlia Adler is a compelling and refreshingly honest contemporary YA novel. The story follows Lara, a high school student navigating the complexities of her identity and feelings for a boy and a girl. Adler's writing is sharp, and she delves into Lara's emotions and experiences with authenticity. The book beautifully captures the struggles of coming to terms with one's sexuality, the challenges of high school, and the importance of self-acceptance. "Cool for the Summer" is a poignant and relatable read that celebrates the journey to self-discovery and the power of being true to oneself.

Cool for the Summer was an unexpectedly relatable and fun read. Filled with teenage angst, discovering one's identity and changes in sexuality, the changing of friendships and relationships, and more, this book is sure to take you on an emotional ride.

"Sometimes it's so fucking exhausting to feel good that it doesn't even feel good when it should."

This was the quote that really sold me on this book.

Slow to start and fall into, Cool for the Summer builds up an expansive storytelling, dual-setting, and dual time period of "then" and "now." I found it difficult to really become hooked by the introductory chapters and had to push myself a bit. However, as the plot began to truly develop and details emerged about our protagonist Larissa's summer with Jasmine, it became a fast and needy reading obsession.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Larissa's development over the course of the story. Through trial and tribulation of friendships, relationships/situation-ships, finding one's wants and expectations in life, and making hard decisions are some of the major turning points in a lot of teenagers' lives. It made her character translate as authentic on-page, and it gave me some thinking about my own years as a teenager and some of the silly mistakes or decisions I also made.

When it came to each of the side characters, I feel they were just as well developed as the protagonist. Each had their own personality and identifiers (in the way that we could tell them apart and still recognize them as two and three-dimensional characters). While I do wish we had a bit more time with a few of the more minor side characters, I was satisfied with their interactions within the story and their involvement in the protagonist's life.

My biggest qualm about the book was the pacing. Unfortunately, this book felt longer than necessary. There were times when I was thinking, "Was this necessary to keep in?" Or, "Can we pick up the pace here?" For a book on the already-shorter end of the page count, the way in which some things were dragged out just did not permeate well with me.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the overall arc of the plot and story. From the beginning, I knew this would be a book in which we saw a sapphic relationship develop more over the m/f pairing. There was never a doubt in which one could be swayed to believe otherwise, and I found that to be really refreshing. Adler made it clear to readers that this would not be the average "love triangle" (and I would argue that there was never a triangle to begin with, just misplaced emotions after years spent believing and pining for one path). Even with this being a contemporary romance, I was incredibly impressed with the underlying message of inner-working on oneself and taking the time to think over one's wants and desires in the present and future, as well as what that could mean when they shift or change.

Overall, Cool for the Summer won me over, and I have officially joined the anticipatory Dahlia Adler fan train. For that, I am giving this title a starred rating. I will be reading further books from this author, and I do encourage others to pick up her work and give it a taste. This could easily make someone's favorite list!

Lara is starting her senior year, and she is ready for it to be amazing. She had a good summer, making new friends and enjoying her time on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But that was then, and this is now, and she’s back in New York City with her old friends and her longtime crush Chase Harding. Football player, popular, handsome Chase Harding. And when Lara shows up to that first day of school, Chase starts flirting with her.

After crushing on him for three years, Lara has Chase flirting with her. It’s everything she dreamed about. Until last summer changed everything.

After planning on spending her summer in the city, hanging out with her friends and hand-selling her favorite books in her favorite bookstore, Lara’s plans changed. Her mother’s boss was spending the summer with his daughter at their home in the Outer Banks. He wanted Lara’s mother to come and work from there, and Lara was invited also. Well, “invited” is the nice way to say it. At only 17, she didn’t have a choice but to take her mother’s boss up on his offer. So she packed a bag and headed to North Carolina.

Immediately, she meets the boss’s daughter, Jasmine, who invites Lara out to a party with her friends. Lara likes everyone right away, although Jasmine is a little distant. But little by little, with time spent in the pool, watching movies, eating, and laughing, they find more common ground. Jasmine is a photographer, and she offers to hire Lara to be her assistant for the summer. Lara agrees, as she lost her part-time bookstore job to come to North Carolina, and because she’s interested in watching Jasmine work. Lara appreciates how Jasmine looks at the world through her camera lens.

But now it’s fall, and Lara is back in New York. She’s going to school. She’s making plans with her old friends and flirting with Chase. She’s wearing some of the clothes that Jasmine had given her, working at the bookstore and giving graphic novel recommendations based on books Jasmine introduced her to, and generally thinking about Jasmine. Which isn’t really a surprise, given Jasmine has showed up at her high school.

Lara tries to wrap her head about why Jasmine had suddenly moved in with her dad instead of going back to Ashville with her mother. Or why Jasmine didn’t let her know she was coming to Lara’s school. Or how to tell her friends that she spent her summer fooling around with a girl. Or how to resolve the fact that she still has feelings for Jasmine while she’s finally making headway with Chase.

But Jasmine ignores Lara, making Lara feel like maybe their time together hadn’t meant as much to Jasmine as it did to Lara. So now that Lara ahs everything she’s wanted for years, does she still want it? Or has she changed that dream of dating Chase her senior year for something else?

Cool for the Summer is a teen romance about choosing between the thing you always thought you wanted and the new dream. It’s about being true to your desires and going after what you really want. It’s about being a teenager and seeing the world open up to you in new and surprising ways. And it’s about falling in love.

When I first started reading Cool for the Summer, I had some trouble connecting with Lara. So I switched to the audio book, and I had a much better time, getting caught up in the two love stories, the summer and then the fall. The more I listened, the more I liked these characters and wanted them to find happiness. Narrator Natalie Naudus brought Lara to life and drew me in to this bright, fun story. And then I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out how it would all come together.

Egalleys for Cool for the Summer were provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley, but I bought the audio book myself through Audible.

A quick, breezy YA with hints of a queer Grease-esque romance? SAY LESS.

While I wasn't completely head-over-heels, COOL FOR THE SUMMER was a super fast read that kept me entertained for the entire journey. I had fun while it lasted, but this book won't be one that makes a lasting impression.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

This book was a fun summer read. I liked the flashback and present tense switching. It seemed to make the story more interesting. I did think there was a lot of similarities to grease. My only complaint is that Chase seemed to be interested in Lara out of nowhere and after her waiting years that didn’t add up.

Title: Cool for the Summer
Author: Dahlia Adler
Release Date: May 11th, 2021
Page Count: 262
Format: Netgalley/Audiobook
Start Date: January 29th, 2023
Finish Date: January 29th, 2023

Rating: 5 Star

Review:

Going to start this off by saying that I couldn't read this book without the song by Demi Lovato popping into my head. In retrospect, I should have played it on loop when I read it. I'd probably drive everybody around me crazy though. I don't wear headphones unless I absolutely have to. Anyway, onto my actual thoughts on the book. Lara finally gets the boy she's been crushing on for so long. She'd be happy about it if it weren't for the fact that her summer fling didn't show up at her school and turn her entire world upside down. This is a sapphic story, but I really love the bisexual representation in it. I haven't read many that have that. Also, isn't this cover so adorable? This will absolutely be a reread for me one day.

I found the main character extremely hard to connect with even from the first few pages, the plot was lacking, and I got bored. I did manage to finish it but by the end I didn’t care about the story at all. This is my second attempt with this author and I accept that her books are not for me.

I really liked this one. I think the character development was really solid. I greatly appreciated the lack of labels, even at the end, as sexuality is very fluid, and I think it's brilliant to stress this amongst YA readers by not using labels.

I also loved how quickly Bi stereotypes were quickly corrected, and the lack of angst amongst the characters during the 3rd act breakup. sometimes, I feel authors pander to teens by writing younger, and Dahlia treated them as equals.