I know we are not supposed to judge a book by it's cover but I judged 'Some Girls Do' by it's cover and I am so glad I did because it turned out to be a delightful read! It was not the fluffy summer romance that 'Hot Dog Girl' was. It had a lot more depth and dealt with some really important issues LGBTQ kids face while at it's core being a very sweet romance that'll have you drowning in feels.

Morgan is my sweet track star lesbian who just wants to run fast and make the world a better place for queer people like her. She has a great support system comprise of her family and new queer friends.

Ruby, my best girl and grumpy bi disaster child is stuck with a abusive and homophobic mother who is obsessed with dressing her up like a doll and dragging her to every beauty pageant she can find. I really felt for Ruby, the only parental figure she had was Billy, her mother's ex. Their relationship with was one of my favourite things in the book. Her coming out to him actually made me cry. Ruby is a total mess and I wholeheartedly love and support her. There is a scene where she gets drunk and unintentionally starts narrating her inner monologue out loud, then she shows up at her crush's door announcing how she absolutely does not want to kiss her. Her character development was marvellous. Finally learning to be unafraid of who she is and standing up for herself was phenomenal to see. But I do wish the scene between the mother/daughter was more intense and a bit longer.

The romance was beautifully done. Swoon-worthy slowburn with just the right amount of angst. I loved everything about it. Not exactly a complaint but I would've loved to see Ruby properly coming out to her friends rather than being told about it and whatever happened to Allie and Lydia? One last scene of the MCs as a couple with their friends would've been great.

Overall the book delivered – a well written YA queer contemporary with likable characters and the cutest romance. I hope Jennifer Dugan keeps writing sapphic books because I, for one, will be reading.

Firstly, I am absolutely, 100% in love with this cover. It's stunning! The colors are gorgeous, especially those sunset shades of pink and orange. There's something so sweet and touching about it. I definitely need to get a physical copy of this book when it releases to display on my bookshelves!

​Now let's get talking about the book's actual content. I'm going to admit, at first, I wasn't a huge fan of either protagonist. Morgan was a bit annoying and overbearing, and Ruby seemed so unfriendly and rude. But as I read more about them, I began to realize how complex their characters were and appreciated their faults. Ruby struggled to express her true self; the life she wants for herself doesn't line up with her mother's beauty pageant dreams for her. I felt bad for her being in such a tough position, but I also desperately wanted to reach through the pages and give her a pep talk about following her dreams and doing what makes her happy, even if it doesn't align with her mother's wishes. Morgan, on the other hand, had no problem expressing herself, but I could tell that she had a hard time seeing things from other people's perspectives. She's open and proud about her sexuality and is determined to change the world for the better, but she had trouble understand how some people aren't ready to come out quite yet. This led to some important conversations and realizations about respecting one's wishes and preferences and not pushing someone to do something they're uncomfortable with. It was interesting to see Morgan come to terms with that.

Okay, so I know that for a veeeeeery long time, I've condemned enemies-to-lovers romances as being "unrealistic" or simply unenjoyable, but I'm beginning to think that may have been a mistaken youthful opinion, because this year I've read many fantastically-written enemies-to-lovers romances. Or maybe 2021 is just the year for five-star enemies-to-lovers. Who knows. But the enemies-to-lovers romance in this book was really well done! It didn't feel forced or cringey at all; in fact, it had the perfect level of uncomfortable awkwardness that's necessary for a realistic enemies-to-lovers romance. I did feel like the romance went from a chill 35 mph for most of the book to an oddly fast full-speed-ahead! 90 mph in the last chapter. I wish it had been drawn out a bit more at the end, but otherwise I found it well-written, realistic, and enjoyable!

Overall, I found this book quite enjoyable. Aside from a few moments where I either wanted to scream at the characters or throw the book across the room (which I didn't do only because I was worried about damaging my precious Kindle), I appreciated the characters and romance, along with the important messages this book presented. I recommend this to anyone looking for another cute, touching read from Jennifer Dugan! I gave this book Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

I can always depend on Jennifer Dugan for a YA novel that has heart and strong relationships with fun lighthearted notes mixed in. This is queer representation at its finest, exploring the nuances of what it means to be out of the closet, or being proud but not quite out. Definitely recommend this one!

4.5 stars

Content Warnings at end of review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for an arc of this book!

Ruby is a beauty pageant star, but she really just wants to work on cars. Morgan is determined to help other queer kids after a struggle with her old school over her sexuality. When Morgan transfers to Ruby's school, their paths collide and they will have to decide what they want and what is most important in their lives--being together, or being loud.

I was instantly hooked by this fast moving rom-com! I loved that Ruby and Morgan were foils of each other, and how they instantly attracted like magnets. I was really interested in the struggle that Ruby had with her mother and whether or not she wanted to be out, and the struggles that Morgan was facing with her old school, her new track team, and trying to make a difference in the face of bigotry.

I did think some of the side characters could have been fleshed out a little more, as they all seemed pretty periphery and one-dimensional, but the main characters were awesome and I loved the writing and the plot! This is my favorite of Dugan's books so far!

Pub Date: May 18, 2021

Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcoholism and Physical abuse, Outting
Minor: Car accident and Transphobia

I loved Jennifers first book and this one was just as enjoyable. Although not as light and fluffy as Hot Dog Girl (her last book) It had a lot more depth and dealt with some really important issues LGBTQ kids face. Overall this was a well written YA queer contemporary with likable characters and just the cutest romance!!

eARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
All opinions are my own

First off, I was nervous going into this book because I have been struggling to find a good ya contemporary wlw romance that I enjoyed lately, and I knew very little going into this book. I am a sucker for a sports romance, especially when there is a female athlete involved, and as a track runner myself, I was hooked simply by the description and rushed to request this arc.

I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!

The story follows Morgan, a lesbian track star who is out and proud, but she is dealing with the consequences of her openness in becoming a D1 athlete. Ruby is a closeted bisexual with a tough home life who is fighting between her love of cars and her life as a beauty queen.

First off, a lot of contemporary romances have me sympathizing with one character significantly more than the other, but I found myself equally invested in both of their stories. Each of the MCs is well developed and has an amazing character arc that I enjoyed. Both Ruby and Morgan are flawed but relatable, and Dugan does a great job at emphasizes the value of compromise and the fact that situations are often much more complicated than they seem. The relationship, though not without its struggles, is one that I became way to emotionally invested in. I also am a huge fan of the side characters, which I felt were amazingly well developed for such a short contemporary novel.

The story's pacing felt pretty much perfect. I never wanted to put the book down, but it didn't feel rushed in the slightest, and I was very sad to see I was at the end of the story.

I want to see more books like this one come out soon, and I am so excited for the books pub day: May 18th, 2021

Content Warnings: Forced outing (talked about), domestic abuse (physical, emotional, verbal)

**Some Girls Do**

♥︎♥︎♥︎♡︎♡︎/♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎

𝕀𝕟 𝕒 𝕟𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕝:
A track star and a beauty queen start to fall in love- but only one of them is willing to step out of the closet.

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
Morgan, a star track athlete, was forced to move from her old school after she came out in the strict Catholic environment. Her new school offers her a potentially more welcoming environment, and... Ruby, who has a penchant for cars and a life full of pageant practice. Total opposites- but you know what they say about those. Can the girls stick together throughout the ups and downs of figuring themselves out, or will it all come crashing to a screeching halt?

Morgan is out and proud. She’s always fighting for other people’s rights, and encouraging them to come out and be loud with it.
The only thing is that she is a bit too insistent. She can’t seem to understand that not everyone lives in a safe environment where they can be as bold with their sexuality as she is, and it almost seems as though she is constantly looking down on closeted kids. This was a big issue with me, and I was not a fan of the way that Morgan would almost force people to come out.
Ruby on the other hand, is closeted. She’s still trying to understand herself and what her emotions mean. It understandably takes her a while, especially with the internalized homophobia she has due to her home life. She’s bold but quiet, preferring to do her own thing and move at her own pace. She was easier to appreciate and enjoy the different ways that she would make self-realizations.

The story was great! An enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract kinda story that you can easily fall for. Though the beginning of the book almost reads like a Wattpad novel, it quickly improved and I found myself binging it all through the night.
It was a fun and quick read, with a few issues that slowly got better as the book progressed! Some of the quotes really stood out, and made me appreciate the book more with just a few words!

In all, I think this is a great book if you’re wanting a fast queer romance with angst!!

(A big thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC in return for an honest review!

Trigger warning for drinking, abuse, homophobia, outing (?)
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SOME GIRLS DO follows two POVs. We have Ruby, who’s a pageant queen who’d rather be in the garage working on her car, and the new girl in town, Morgan, who’s a track star that was forced out of her old high school due to their homophobia. They meet on the wrong foot, when Ruby nearly hits Morgan with her car. From then on, the girls try to ignore their attraction to one another, their animosity slowly turning into unmistakable attraction.
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Just from the first few pages, I knew I was going to love this. Dugans writing is great, her characters are realistic. Ruby and Morgan’s journey isn’t picture perfect. Morgan is out of the closet, she is loud and proud about her sexuality. She has family and friends who love and support her. Ruby, however, does not. She’s not 100% sure about what her label should be, and her mother is openly homophobic. They clash as they try and figure out how they can make a happy relationship work if they’re not on the same level. There’s hurt and angst along the way, but I was happy with the conclusion. I was getting worried over how Morgan was reacting to Ruby not being ready to come out, but again, I suppose this is realistic. They’re high school kids with enormous pressure on their shoulders. I appreciated their growth.
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4.5 stars! SOME GIRLS DO by Jennifer Dugan is available May 18, 2021!
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Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review!

I loved Jennifer Dugan’s previous two books, so I was so excited for her next release! I think she portrays messy teen relationships so well, which is also important because we need to see more of these with LGBTQ+ protagonists. Some Girls Do follows a lesbian track star and a closeted pageant-queen mechanic as they navigate their feelings for each other.

After coming out at her religious private school and being expelled, Morgan is ready for a fresh start at her new school at the end of her senior year. Her fresh start gets off to a bad one, however, when Ruby nearly runs her over. The two dislike each other, especially when Ruby almost runs her over a second time, but they gradually get to know each other.

Morgan and Ruby are going through such opposite experiences, so it was interesting to follow both characters. Coming out at her school led to a huge scandal, but Morgan doesn’t want to hide her sexuality anymore. At her new school, she joins the Pride Club and befriends other out LGBTQ+ teenagers, as well as some other track girls. I liked reading about her opening up to her friends, particularly Aaron, who is empathetic to her (and Ruby’s) experiences. I also liked reading about Morgan’s relationship with her parents and her older brother, who are super supportive!

Meanwhile, though, Ruby has liked a girl before, but her mom is homophobic and emotionally abusive, so she’s been trying to hide her feelings for Morgan. She participates in pageants only because her mother, who had her as a teenager, wants her to follow in her footsteps; Ruby also feels guilty because she ruined her mom’s dreams. However, she hates them and would much rather be spending time with her mom’s ex-husband at his body shop, fixing up cars. It was also nice reading about how supportive her best friend, Everly, and her friend-with-benefits, Tyler, try to be, even if Ruby refuses their help most of the time.

As I said, they have opposite experiences, but it really boils down to Morgan having so much support in her life and Ruby having virtually none. What I didn’t love, though, was Morgan’s privilege because of this. She spends much of the book with an “everyone should be out!” mindset that really rankled when she refused to consider how other people are not comfortable being out or are scared because they’re not sure of how those close to them would react.

I know this was supposed to be in a “we should create a safe environment for people to come out” sort of way, and other characters do challenge Morgan’s attitude and remind her of how lucky she is to have such a supportive family, but she never really grew from this attitude. I understand it didn’t help how powerless she felt with the fallout of leaving and subsequently suing her old school, but every time she would make some remark or not understand why someone was uncomfortable, I would get so annoyed. And that happened often! I appreciate the message, but she’s just not understanding or empathetic, and I did not vibe with that.

Although I didn’t much like Morgan’s mindset, I do like how Jennifer Dugan always has a wide cast of LGBTQ+ characters in her books! Morgan is a lesbian, and Ruby comes to terms that she’s bisexual. One of Morgan’s track friends is pansexual, and she also hangs out with other kids in Pride Club. Aaron, who I mentioned earlier, is gay and trans, and they volunteer together at an LGBTQ+ youth group.

While Some Girls Do wasn’t really for me, I think many will enjoy this book! The characters were nice, and we always need more sapphic protagonists in young adult. If you want to read a f/f contemporary that tackles homophobia and being out, you should give Some Girls Do a try!

Before I read the synopsis, I fell in love with this cover. It's absolutely stunning and fits this book so well. Now on to the review, this book was delightful. And I loved it so much.

Right from the start, I knew this book was going to be a great one. Morgan and Ruby are two wonderful characters. Getting to know both characters and watching their journey was amazing. Ruby's character I loved just a tiny bit more, as there were times that Morgan frustrated me. But that's what this book is about, growth and discovering one's self. As time goes on, both girls grow into their own and overall they are the better for it.

The only issue I had with this book was how quickly the relationships (with basically everyone) progressed rather quickly. The friendships and relationships just felt rushed. We are introduced to side characters and suddenly their stories don't matter anymore. Just kinda frustrated me not to see things wrapped up for certain characters.

This book does deal with heavy themes and I appreciate a book that will not sugarcoat life. This book highlighted so many topics and I cannot wait to see what else the author writes. I will most definitely be checking out their backlist work.

★★★☆☆ 3/5

this was cute! it had a well developed plot and characters and i enjoyed reading it but unfortunately it just didn’t stand out to me. i was a little concerned with how this book was going to handle ruby’s “coming out” especially because of morgan’s behaviour towards her. i think it’s very important for young queer kids who are unable to come out to be able to see themselves in books just like the kids who are out.

(arc provided by netgallery and Penguin Teen. all thoughts and opinions are my own)

Enemies to lovers? Yes, please!

Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan is a story of two girls falling in love, facing the trials of coming of age, and figuring out their places in the world, despite awful circumstances. Morgan is struggling to find her place after her previous school had an issue with her being queer, and she desperately wanted to find her place in the world, and change how LGBTQ+ were treated locally and throughout the world. Ruby is a rundown pageant queen who is attending Morgans’ new school, from the very beginning she was again Morgan. The varying emotions, changing of the two coming together despite all of the circumstances, falling in love, and learning to accept themselves for who they are. This story was so inspiring and included the ability to have an accurate representation of the women in this community who oftentimes don’t get all the attention and representation they deserve. While I do believe the story had its happy ending, I found myself wishing I could spend more time with Morgan and Ruby, saying goodbye was hard but I know the story was ready to end. Jennifer Dugan not only created a wonderful story and characters but was able to write a story that was fun to read and led to wanting more. Throughout the story, it felt realistic, and it was a book you could escape the world in and feel safe in someone else’s problems knowing that in the end, it would be okay.

I finished this book weeks ago, and I still think about it daily, and how wonderful the story was.

I highly recommend you order this book at your local book store, out on May 18th, 2021!

I loved this book! It was great to see the different POVs from two people in very different places in their own acceptance of who they are. Fun read and had me hooked from the very beginning. This is the kind of book I wish was available to me when I was in high school!

this was... dissapointing. i found it to be very cringe and just not enjoyable. i love queer books and i was so looking forward to the rep kn this and i was just dissatisfied. it was hard to tell whose pov it was, and i just didnt like it. dnf at 56.8%
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This book is amazing. There is no other way to put it. From the first chapter i was immediately hooked. This book kept me guessing and reading the whole time. The issues that is addressed were also super relatable. Anyone can learn a lot from this book, no matter what age. Overall great book and i rated it 4.5⭐️. Thank You PenguinTeen for sending me an ARC!

I was really happy to read this book because of the LGBTQ+ representation. I liked that each main character had a different hobby that they were pursuing. It was interesting to read about Morgan's experience of having to transfer schools because of the discrimination she faced at her old school. However, this book started out so slow and was really hard to get through. I also felt that it was weird how Ruby hitting Morgan with her car was so brushed over.