3.5 ⭐️ A little bit Grease, a little bit ... well, "Cool for the Summer," this is a fresh Gen-Z romance that's also a bit of a page-turner! I especially enjoyed the author's hat tips to romance, graphic novels, and bookstores. Students showed a lot of interest in this one based on the cover and a brief summary, too!

A delightful book full of adventure, action, and thrills. Fun to read, engrossing world building, and very descriptive imagery made it feel like it was cinematic. It's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. Would recommend.

This was a fun, refreshing summertime read (that I totally did not read in the summer but alas, the life of a mood reader!) The story was definitely engaging and I loved the characters! I would definitely read more books by Dahlia Adler.

Although this sounded like a good read, I was unable to get into it. I'm sure there are other readers who will enjoy this title.

Cool for the Summer was such a fun read! Larissa has pined over football player Chase for literal YEARS, and he has finally noticed her. It would be great, except for what happened last summer - with Jasmine. And who happens to show up as a new student at Larissa's high school? That's right. Jasmine! Except Larissa doesn't know how to feel, much less act, around Jasmine anymore.

I loved the depiction of a high school girl trying to figure out what truly makes her happy, and then going for it. YA fiction with football players and cheerleaders can be stereotypical, but even Larissa's friend group was diverse and complicated. Jasmine was also a great, well-developed character.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This was such a fun read. I love the unapologetic bisexuality of our main character and the conflict was so much more than a coming out story, or even a taboo part of having a crush on two people, but on what comes after that. So fun, so relatable.

Gays and Grease? My favorite trope! I also love books that tackle biphobia in the queer community. This book was brilliant!

Lovelovelovelovelovelovelove. Also a book I needed about 15 years ago I’m not even kidding. All these characters were so good and relatable and you really didn’t know who to root for because honestly, everyone was a good option. I just really liked this and wish I had something like this when I was younger.

Really nice book about being attracted to girl for the first time and coming to terms with your orientation, loved the dual time narration and the forth and back. Very summery healing vibes.

When I read this book, I had just visited the Outer Banks myself so it was really cool to know where a lot of the locations were in the flashbacks to the summer. I really like how the romances are set up in this book. I think a lot of times there is pressure on the main characters to give their sexuality a label. But here the author has allowed the main character, Larissa, to explore her relationships with Jasmine and Chase all on her own without that pressure. She just gets to exist and love who she wants. Definitely a fun summer or late summer read! Great LGBTQIA+ rep!

There are too many queer Grease-inspired books, said no one ever. Dahlia Adler's Cool For The Summer is a masterful exploration of the ups and downs of discovering new feelings and new love when you're not even sure what you're looking for. Lara starts senior year with a Jasmine-shaped pit in her stomach after a curious summer with a dark and mysterious girl, but her longtime crush, football star Chase Harding, is trying to keep her occupied. When the girl she was never supposed to see again shows up at her school, things get complicated.

When Lara's long-time crush Chase starts flirting back, Lara is over the moon, until the girl she had a summer fling with, Jasmine, arrives at her school. Lara finally has everything she wants including Chase if she wants, but she can't stop thinking about Jasmine.

This was such a cute and realistic read. I absolutely adored the bi rep! I recommend this if you want a cute, feel-good romance.

Cool for the Summer was a cute, light read with a love triangle as our main character figures out her feelings and her sexual orientation. She discovers that she is bisexual and we see her trying to see what her feelings are for a boy and for a girl, Jasmine. I obviously wanted her to end up with Jasmine as I found their relationship more interesting and cuter, overall.

This book was entertaining and all it made me think about was that I'm reading this in winter, hoping for summer to come back.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

Esse livro é perfeito! Foi isso que eu pensei durante uma boa parte dele e terminei ainda mais apaixonada pela história! Talvez não seja verdade, eu tenho algumas pequenas críticas para fazer, mas ele é tão bom, tão bem escrito e tão divertido, que entrou para os meus favoritos!

Antes de mais nada, acho bom avisar que eu recebi uma cópia adiantada pelo NetGalley, então pode ser que a minha crítica seja a algo que nem acabe passando para o livro final. Acho que os comentários da Lara sobre uma pessoa não-binária (que nem é personagem) podem ter chegado bem perto de serem ofensivos. Acho que vale uma leitura sensível, nem que seja só dessa parte, para ter certeza de que os questionamentos são inofensivos, porque eles nem eram necessários.

Eu falei críticas? Porque acho que essa é a única mesmo. O resto do livro é maravilhoso demais! Amei a relação da Lara com sua mãe e com suas amigas, ainda que a Shannon seja uma péssima pessoa e que eu não acredito que alguém gostaria de ser sua amiga. Amei ver que a Lara teve um crescimento durante a história e adorei as duas linhas temporais.

Aliás, essa conexão entre o ANTES e o AGORA, que é como a narrativa é separada, foi ótima! Foi o que mais me atraiu! A mudança veio sempre na hora certa e o desenvolvimento de cada linha temporal foi muito bem feito! Além disso, a química da Lara com a Jasmine e com o Chase foi perfeita e foi bem difícil escolher para quem torcer!

Tá, isso não é verdade. Eu sabia exatamente para qual ship torcer! Mas a Jasmine foi bem mais interessante do que eu estava esperando e confesso que me apaixonei um pouco pelo Chase! O equilíbrio entre clichê romântico e personagens originais foi perfeito também! Sim, é bem do tipo de história adolescente fofa que você já sabe o que vai acontecer, mas ao mesmo tempo os personagens não são estereótipos e as coisas acontecem naturalmente.

Nem tenho mais o que falar, só que foi uma leitura maravilhosa. Terminei em dois dias e agora estou louca para comprar o livro quando ele lançar mesmo! Super recomendo!

Cool for the Summer was one of my favourite reads of 2021. It's a fun, sweet romcom about self-love, figuring out who you are, and making your dreams come true. I loved how authentic and well-represented all of the teens were, as well as the positivity surrounding both sex and sexuality. It also does an excellent job of portraying bisexuality -- it reinforces that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to identify, while showcasing how confusing it can be to come to terms with your sexuality.

New to me author but definitely won't be last. Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Thanks Netgalley and to the publisher for letting me read this advance copy.

This book was well executed! I enjoyed the characters, the timeline, the storyline and plot. It had just enough details and volleying the reader back and forth and made you feel connected and like you cared where she ended up. Really enjoyed this one!

Cool for the Summer is a story about sefl-discovery we are following Lara as she finally has caught the eye of the guy she has been crushing on for the last three years of high school. But she can't help but think of Jasmine, the girl she had a perfect summer with. Then Jasmine shows up at her school. Now Lara's feels are confusing, she has finally got the guy she wants so why can she stop thinking about the girl from summer?
Lara as a lead character has so much to teach us. That we can change our minds about who we are or who we want. That a person is not lock in place with your sexuality that it will and can change at any stage in life. I loved the bisexual rep in this book, it felt real and not use as a plot point. This book is a more character-driven book, romantic, friends, family, and oneself.
I enjoyed this read as it shows how people can change and grow when meeting people and who we are as people aren't set in stone that we do change. I do have to say that this felt like this book waved in the way that at times it felt younger YA, to jumped to older YA. I know I'm not the target age group but I do review a lot of YA and it felt like to different age groups of YA mashed together. Dahlia Adler writing is a gem! My favorite part of this book was the alternating timelines of the “Then” and “Now” parts. I am someone who loves having flashbacks in books that are character-driven because I like to see how, when, where these feelings start from and how things unfold from there.
This book is summer, it's warm, dramatic, fun, going on a journal with Lara will help lose yourself and take your mind off of everything, and relax. This has powerful bi rep, learning to accept yourself and follow your heart.

I was destined to love this book! It's one of my favourite covers of the year, and a bi-awakening romance inspired by a Demi Lovato song. It's allll the bright, delicious, teenage fizzy feelings of wonder and crush that summer romances are (and the thrill of long-term high-school pining finally coming to be)! It's also way more fashionable and bookish and sweet than I thought it would be. And the Demi Lovato song scene reallllly shines! ♥

Cool for the Summer 10000% easily made my Best of 2021 list!

What is it about? Lara's had eyes for exactly one person throughout high school, and he has suddenly started talking to her this year. Not just talking, but fully flirting! Which is everything she’s always wanted. Except she’s just come back from a romantic, strangely perfect once-in-a-lifetime summer with a girl named Jasmine who she met while away on vacation. Then Jasmine herself suddenly walks through the front doors of Lara’s school! Lara’s finally got the guy she’s always wanted, so why can’t she stop thinking about the girl? (I loved that the story starts right there, at the moment this happens! I immediately pictured it as a TV show scene. It felt iconic! Timeless! The quintessential queer teenage nightmare dressed like a daydream.)

Why is it the best? Cool for the Summer has all the stylish summer vibes and bubbly teenage crush emotions you expect and hope for when looking at the cover. The novel is made of the sun-filled boundless freedom and self-discovery of your favorite high school summer holiday. Adler gives us the not-knowing which person Lara will end up with in the end, and the push-and-pull of not knowing who you want her to end up with in the end! And as a bonus, the two girls are super bookish, sharing recommendations of their favorite reads —Lara even works at a bookstore! (It's also very sexy, and does not shy away from the kind of steam you'd expect between the two teenage girls having a thrilling, magical summer fling and being alone most of the time.) 10/10 could not recommend more!

Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler is a YA queer contemporary romance. We're following our main character, Lara, who has always had a crush on football star, Chase. Now, it's her senior year of high school and Chase has never paid Lara any mind... until now. The only problem is, Lara is conflicted after her summer romance with Jasmine. And, she's even more conflicted once Jasmine walks through the doors of her high school. This kicks off a story that is equal parts angst and fluff, with just the right amount of miscommunication to make it stressful!

Honestly, I loved everything about this story. I was expecting it to be a light, cute read. But, it was so much more than that. It's told in dual timelines, so we get to live Lara's romance with Jasmine over the summer, as well as see them in the current timeline trying to navigate how they want their relationship to be and what their expectations are of one another. I just think this perfectly encapsulates a high school romance where you're both still trying to figure stuff out. I also really liked the flashback chapters where we see Lara and Jasmine get together - there's a lot of character development and emotions that I loved seeing.

This isn't a super complicated or heavy story. It's a perfect light, quick read that will tug at your heartstrings and make you swoon. Would 10/10 recommend!