This book was cute and fun and is begging to be a Netflix movie, and honestly if we had a million other bisexual girl YA romcoms it might be a solid 3.5, but I'm rounding up because we need more books like this (and also, you know, 2020).

I truly loved this one -- I thought it was a perfect execution for what it was going for: a queer romance or coming-of-age novel. It took me a while to come back to it, I started it a while back and then kind of faltered from it for some reason. When I came back to it, I was glad I did. This book is cute, I enjoyed the ending as well. A cute queer romance that I think works for all ages.

This YA romance captured really well and honestly a sometimes painful and bewildering phase of confusion and turmoil that a lot of young queer people go through. A lot of queer stories focus on people who already know exactly who they are and what they want, which is also great, but this different take was really refreshing.

I am living for the influx of new YA with bisexual protagonists, and Adler's Cool for the Summer is a perfect addition. Lara's struggle to identify her own sexuality will be important and relatable to many teens, and the supporting cast are a joy. I also appreciated seeing a YA book where a character had a crush on the popular, homecoming king boy and it wasn't dismissed in some sort of "not like other girls" way.

3/5

***Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of Cool for the Summer in exchange for an honest review***

In case you can't tell from the title this is definitely a fun summer/beach read. The focus is on Lara, a pretty, well-liked girl. She is living her "all American" life.. but why can't she stop thinking about her summer with Jasmine?

Negatives: The writing felt kind of juvenile to me, I would consider it to be more of a middle-grade style writing, but there were a few steamier scenes that I would just be ready for. Another problem that I had was that I felt like the characters were not as well-formed as they could be. I personally like characters over plot, but in this case, I just was not close to any of them.

Positive: THE PORTRAYAL OF BISEXUALITY!!!! This book did it right and I was so happy to see her coming to terms with her sexuality.

I would recommend this book, it was super fun.

Lara has spent her first three years of high school crushing on handsome football player, Chase Harding. When she returns from a summer in the Outer Banks for her senior year, it seems like he’s finally crushing back. It’s everything Lara has ever wanted, but she can’t stop thinking about the girl she spent the summer with. She and Jasmine didn’t make any promises to each other, which is made all too clear when Jasmine strolls into Lara’s high school on the first day of school. Lara finally has the guy of her dreams, so why can’t she let go of Jasmine? I received an invitation to read a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at St. Martin’s Press. Trigger warnings: biphobia (countered). Some NSFW content.

It took a while for me to get invested in this, but I ultimately liked the direction it took. It’s a little difficult to like Lara and her friends at first. They’re gorgeous, popular, and kind of shallow, and those just aren’t my people–I’m over in the awkward nerd section, rambling about books (obviously). Lara’s high school dream is to date the most popular guy in school, and like you do you girl, but #dontrelate. However, I think this is partly necessary in order for us to see how far she’s come by the end of the book. Lara and Jasmine’s relationship provides necessary individual growth for both of them, and it’s a satisfying arc even if it starts out rocky. There is so much more to Lara than some silly crush, even more than she realizes.

While I enjoyed the flashbacks of Lara and Jasmine’s summer together more than the present-day scenes of her dating Chase, I’m not sure the back and forth timeline totally works. It slows down the pace of the novel and makes it difficult to stay involved in either story. (Also, I already suffered through a season of Outer Banks because it’s one of my niece’s favorite shows, and I really didn’t need more of it.) The summer timeline is more diverse and has better character development though, at least until the end of the novel. I didn’t really enjoy Lara and Jasmine’s mutual antagonism in the present timeline, and the angst is a little much for me (but I’m not seventeen, so take that with a grain of salt). I like the frank conversations Lara has with her mother, her friends, and Chase about her confusion and her sexuality, and I think they’re well-handled. It’s a fun, summery romp with nice LGBTQ+ rep.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

For a book I requested on a whim, I am so delighted by how much I enjoyed Cool for the Summer. The story follows Lara a high school senior who finally catches the eye of the guy she's been gushing over for years. The only problem is that Jasmine, the girl she spent the summer with, has transferred to her school and Lara can't get her out of her head.

I had to wait to stop squealing long enough to start putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys, rather) because it was just such a deliciously fun and light romance! It was a super easy read and a really excellent palate cleanser, it really put me into the reading zone and renewed my enthusiasm to blast through all of the books I've still got on my tbr!

I loved the dual timelines of Now vs Then, you really get to slowly learn about Lara and Jasmine's summer and how it changed Lara. The timing also kept up very nicely which can often be a problem with shifting timelines.

Overall, the thing that I love the most was that this story really took me back to being a young queer person still figuring things out. I think lots of people experience that situation of thinking "is this just a one-time thing for fun? or could it be something more?" and I think that Dahlia Adler really does an excellent job of capturing what it feels like to be discovering your sexuality. Oh goodness, it has been a long time since I thought about been young and buzzed on a beach burning with the desire to kiss a pretty girl. Cool for the Summer brought back so many warm and fun memories of what it was like to have the opportunity to discover myself.

Cool for the Summer definitely slid right onto my most anticipated releases for 2021.

the writing was juvenile, the characters were bland and the storyline didn't seem original AT ALL. I'm sad because a lot of people really enjoyed this! i just wasn't able to get past the awkward beginning.

so if the book does intrigue you I suggest reading it.

Cool for the Summer is such a fun, quick read! That's not to say it doesn't take itself seriously because it does. It's affirming to lots of identities, the characters have such great chemistry, and its a lovely exploration of sexuality and friendship.

This book was wonderful! I absolutely loved the two main characters - the author did a great job of fleshing out their relationship and making me root for them. I also liked her writing style and the juxtaposition between the summer timeline and present timeline. Dahlia Adler has gained a new reader in me!

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

OMG, this book was everything my little bi heart could have asked for. I have not read any of the author's works but will be remedying that shortly. I loved the two timelines and the journey Lara takes along the way. Watching her grown into herself in the short time we are together is a chef's kiss. I will be buying a physical copy to add to my library so I can read it over and over again like Lara reads her favorite author.

Cool for the Summer is Dahlia Adler's spin on (idk if I can say this bc I haven't seen Adler herself say this I don't think, but oh well) a loose Grease retelling -- "summer fling transfers to my school" and all the chaos that ensues. There are obvious differences to the musical which I couldn't be happier about but mostly it doesn't matter that much, so I'm just going to move on.

I loved this book.

It spoke in no uncertain terms about a lot of the same thoughts I've had in my own journey of self-identity with regards to sexuality and reading them is always so validating. Larissa struggles with the idea that perhaps she's just had a girl crush and sometimes that's just something girls do -- that constant effort (because it takes effort) to convince herself of her own straightness reminded me so achingly of my own high school years.

Larissa herself was just such a fun interesting character -- I loved how at first she seemed like a vapid popular girl just as she seems to everyone else at her school but that as the book goes on we understand her more and more as she shows more of herself to her friends and her peers. I loved how much she loved Demi Lovato and how the song Cool for the Summer isn't just the namesake for this book but an actual plot point.

I've only read two of Adler's books so far but I fully intend to increase that number because both have been such delightful engaging reads! I highly recommend them to any who are interested.

This story was very well-done. Tender and detailed, without getting bogged down in sentiment. And even after it became obvious which way the plot was blowing, it was still an enjoyable ride to get there.

I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honorable review.

Larissa Bogdan has had the best summer of her life, spending every single second of it in the Outer Banks with her new friend, Jasmine. Then, the end of summer comes, and Larissa must return home to Stratford, New York. Only when she gets home, Larissa finds out that Chase Harding, the boy she's been crushing on for six years, is finally interested in her, and her new friend, Jasmine, is coming to school in Stratford. This becomes a problem for Larissa, having to choose between the guy that she liked forever and the girl that has become a newfound interest. Larissa can only choose one, so who will it be: Chase or Jasmine?

After reading and reflecting on Cool for the Summer, I would have to say that it would be a pretty good beach read. It's an easy read, though it does discuss some tough topics. I liked that it was an LGBTQA+ book, dealing with different sexuality, like bisexual, pansexual, aromantic, and asexual. Now, I'm nowhere near proficient in understanding what any of those terms mean, besides for bisexuall, and I did have to look up what they mean. Do I still understand what they mean? No, because my brain just can't grasp the concept, but if that's how you identify as, then great. I'm still going to need an explanation of what it means.

Personally, I didn't enjoy Cool for the Summer as much as I enjoyed Dahlia Adler's Just Visiting. I loved Just Visiting and the fun characters and the interesting plot line. I still think about that book! Cool for the Summer just wasn't hitting it for me. I liked most of the characters, except for Larissa. I found her annoying, spoiled, bratty, and way too whiny for my taste. I just couldn't stand her, which made reading the novel that much harder. I feel like if I had read the novel from Jasmine's perspective, I would've liked it so much more. Other than Larissa, I enjoyed the novel as much as I could without the main character. Cool for the Summer just wasn't hitting it for me, but I genuinely do think a lot of young adults, and maybe even some new adults, will really enjoy this novel.

*I really do appreciate the title and the semblance behind it. Once I understood why it was named what it was, I thought that Dahlia Adler was a genius. I hope more people pick it up easier than I did.*

“A story about self-discovery and identity, Dahlia Adler’s Cool for the Summer misses the opportunity to be a true beacon for the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Cecelia Beckman, Sheaf & Ink

I nearly did not finish this novel.

“What do you call it when someone’s neither a girlfriend nor boyfriend? Non-binary-friend?”

Dahlia Adler, Cool for the Summer
This quote struck a cord and not in a good way.

There were many reasons that this was a difficult book for me to read. But four chapters in I was starting to take notes. The first question I had when I reached Chapter Four was: did the publisher or Adler consider a sensitivity reader for this book? I question Adler’s portrayal of the LGBTQ characters in her book. It made me wonder if a professional expert, who is themselves Queer, had read Cool for the Summer. Did they give Adler feedback on her approach and certain passages that may read as harmful. If not, then why not?

I was trying to rationalize what exactly Adler was trying to say here in context to what was going on in that particular scene of the novel. The main character is at a football game. She’s scanning the crowd and sees her lab partner who is sitting with another classmate. Once I read this line and the character referred to the person sitting next to her lab partner with the list of “girlfriend, boyfriend, non-binary-friend,” Taylor is not given a specific gender. My assumption was that perhaps Taylor is nonbinary?

But it’s the way Adler wrote this line that made me pause and feel taken aback. I recognized it as being hurtful because of the way the main character tries to identify someone as though it were a laundry list ticked off one finger at a time.

My other concern was the writing of the novel itself. Going into reading I thought this novel would be a mashup of authors Becky Albertalli and Sophie Gonzales who both have written heartwarming and keen novels that often focus on LGBTQ representation. But, sadly, the writing felt flat. There was an extensive amount of exposition and very little witty and authentic dialogue interspersed in between. It felt as though I had picked up a teenagers journal, but not in the way some have described Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.

Further, there were so many cringe moments: be it representation or Larissa’s blasé social superiority within the high school scene and hierarchy. Compare Cool for the Summer to Tina Fey’s Mean Girls the latter is hilarious, but surprisingly genuine in depicting the sociology of the high school experience.

Whereas in Cool for the Summer I wanted that refreshingly new aspect of someone who is in the A list group, but is able to break from the mold. That Lara realizes she may not necessarily want to identify with this group of girls and may be better off without them. While at the same time, my hope had been Larisa’s story would be more insightful and empathic when it comes to her identity and sexual orientation.

The one thing that I felt Adler did well was the back and forth between Lara’s present and her past summer. Blended with a “Then” and “Now” it was a nice juxtaposition between what seemed like two separate characters. You began to see the puzzle of Lara’s feelings and her identity shape into something unexpected, but with scarcely any depth or insightful qualities that would warrant the reader to cheer Lara on in her quest of self-discovery.

Without sincere relationships, the novel felt hollow. Filled with overly stereotyped high school drama Cool for the Summer should be given another critical edit by sensitivity readers. Doing so could help provide meaningful feedback and edits to a story that could then be quoted as disarmingly tender.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced review copy of this book!

I am pretty sure I have little cartoon hearts in my eyes after finishing this book. I can't wait until May to hold a finished copy in my hand because I am absolutely SMITTEN with this sexy and fun bi romance!

Larissa has always been in love with football star Chase, but when she spends a summer away from home with her mom, and her mom's boss...and the boss's daughter... Larissa learns a lot more about herself, and her story becomes different than she ever thought it would be.

This book is told from two different timelines: one during Larissa's summer in the Outer Banks with Jasmine, and one during the following year of High School, when she starts dating the boy of her dreams only to realize this summer changed everything in ways she won't be able to go back on.

I have no complaints about this book. Ig was perfect. I love it so much. I love the story, the character, the plot, the writing. I am obsessed and I need more.

This was honestly everything I need in a YA Contemporary!

I am so grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read COOL FOR THE SUMMER in exchange for an honest review!

I can only recommend what is already one of my favorite 2021 releases. COOL FOR THE SUMMER was a sweet romance complicated by high school drama. It was quick to pick up the pace, making it both thoroughly enjoyable and thoroughly exciting. The two narrative timelines only served to enhance the story; the storylines develop in tandem, mirroring how far along Larissa (the MC) was in processing the events of her Hot Girl Summer. With her first-person POV, the writing style was the right fit for a high schooler navigating friend groups, school popularity, and teen introspection. It featured focused LGBTQ+ representation, but also casual representation woven throughout with great background characters. It was a successful lesson taught in normalization!

I really loved how honest the novel was! Some particularly raw moments I appreciated: the subtleties of Lara being less wealthy than her friends; the feeling of anticipated love remaining unfulfilled after you touch someone you’re not as into anymore; the complex jealousy of repressed gay crushes; the friendships we only keep because we’ve known someone forever, even if the relationship isn’t as positive as it used to be.

Don’t think that the plot is as predictable as any ‘ol teen romance book. The twists will surprise you, the representation will impress, and Lara’s experiences will resonate with any queer reader.

Cons: There were times when the narrative was cringey or when I was worried that the side-characters were flat/under-developed. However, both of these aspects improved as the book progressed.

Final note: Jasmine is my new favorite uncommunicative disaster💘

~Cool for the Summer~
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4/5 stars
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2021 is the year for sapphic stories and I’m definitely here for it! I’ve been hearing good things about this one all over bookstagram so I’m excited to dive in! Thank you to Netgalley for approving my request to read this one.
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Pros:
+I love Bi representation!!! She’s questioning and that’s okay!
+Lots of casual diversity and representation! You’ve got to love books that reflect what real life looks like
+Honestly there’s something so sweet and magical about a summer romance story. It just feels like anything is possible and I really appreciate them
+The main character likes to read romance books! Me too haha
+Also two jewish main characters!
+I loved the inclusion of cultural foods and how Larissas mom was foreign (from Russia). As a first generation American it was nice to see.
+Beyond being a romance story it’s a story of self discovery and finding confidence in yourself which is so important! I enjoyed seeing Larissa grow into herself
+The flirting in this is so sensual it’s kind of intense in a good way
+I appreciate the different friend relationships in this! And how each friend has their own interests!!
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Cons:
-I’ve never been the biggest fan of books that jump around in time. I find that it’s always just a little confusing and Id rather it just be in chronological order. I get why its told in two time lines but it doesn’t mean I have to like it
-The classic miscommunication trope is alive and well in this one
-This came a little close to “all Bi people cheat” (is emotional cheating still cheating? if you’re thinking about someone else is that cheating?)but it was mentioned in the story that that’s a stupid stereotype so I’m not too mad about it
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This was super fun! It’d be the perfect quick summer read and I definitely enjoyed it! I think there needs to be more stories about questioning your sexuality and exploring it. I definitely think people will enjoy this one.
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(Will post to good reads closer to the release date)

Wow. This was a great story about a girls enlightenment of her sexuality.I loved the way the author made Lara’s feelings be confused and unclear. She was at times jealous, unsure, and lost. As she continued on her journey she grows, matures and becomes more understanding of the diverse and wonderfully unique person she is or can be. It is not an easy journey but having people around you that love you can make the trip a lot easier.
I loved this book. Real life may not end as well as it did for Lara but let’s strive to make it so.

God, I was not expecting to love this book so much.

I've always struggled with my sexuality - I thought I was straight for years until a certain night led me to realize that I was, indeed, not - so reading this felt like coming home almost. Larissa was insanely relatable as a protagonist, to the point of where I felt so many of her struggles deep within my soul. I kind of adored the fact that she had what I'd say was my dream life for my senior year of high school that, due to corona, didn't work out the way I wanted it to. Minus the fact that I write horror/dark fantasy where she writes romance,

This book surprised me in so many ways - how Larissa never put an actual label on her sexuality and learned to not care about it, how supportive everyone around her was, how it expressed how confusing sexuality truly was. I'm truly amazed by it. I feel like reading something like this, around the time I realized I was into girls, would've helped me so much. Though I'm happy that kids who were my age when I was questioning myself will have this, because I'm sure it'll help them out a whole lot.

I will 100000% be buying a copy of this when it's released next year, I love it that much.