I had a mixed reaction to this book. The main character is questioning her sexuality in a way that you don't normally see in YA books. I appreciated the author giving voice to the teen readers who are going through the same thing Lara did. My issue with the book is that it was particularly memorable. I didn't really care about any of the characters and I never really cared for what they were experiencing. I think there are some readers who need to see themselves in the book but other readers may find themselves not caring.

This was such a quick and fun listen. I really appreciated the inclusivity of not only having a bisexual character, but also a nonbinary character as well. I did have a little bit of trouble connecting with Lara, but appreciated certain aspects of her character. I feel like this was one of those young adult reads that is definitely more geared towards actual younger readers and I may be just a bit old for this. Still enjoyed and thought it was a cute storyline!

This was a fun YA romance read, I think that it would be a great light read this summer. I really loved the exploration of the main character Lara’s identity. The plot was engaging, and I continuously wanted to keep reading.

There were some aspects of the story that felt a bit like insta-love. I wasn’t convinced why either of the love interests were that great, and the choice of the football star felt a bit too cliched. I can suspend a lot of disbelief for a fun romance story, but I wanted a bit more depth for the love interests. I also struggled a bit with how awful so many of her friends were. Teenagers can be awful and mean, but none of her friends really redeemed themselves and their behaviour wasn’t really shown to be as terrible as it was.

This was a quick read. There wasn’t particularly much character development, as our reasonings for just about everything remained shallow. I wanted to enjoy this, especially because of the bisexual representation, but there was just something missing. It wasn’t bad, per se, it just wasn’t amazing. I felt indifferent about the entire plotline, and detached from the romance interests. While this is “Grease” inspired, the comparisons to “But I’m a Cheerleader!” feel more on par as a descriptor.

The book gets three stars from me as it was a quick read, and I didn’t hate it. I appreciate the attempt at bisexual representation like this. That’s where the positives end. The audiobook reader was fine, however, the audio player seemingly cut some chapter-ending short.

Full review will be published July 23rd, 2021.

I received an advanced listening of Cool for the Summer through NetGalley so I could share my review with you!

Lara has been in love with the same person for years. She’s got a whole bucket list of things she would like to do with Chase Harding, the gorgeous football star of her dreams. He’d never paid her much attention, though, until the start of senior year. All of the sudden, it feels as though Chase is pursuing her, instead of the other way around. Yet, as much as Lara has wished for something like this to happen, she can’t help but find herself confused with the past. Lara spent the summer away from home, making complicated, romantic memories with a girl named Jasmine. Lara has never felt romantic feelings towards a girl before, so her summer romance comes as a surprise and an awakening. It also forces her to reexamine her feelings towards Chase, which may have shifted. Lara will have to determine who she really wants to be with, the girl from her past or the boy of her dreams.

You can get your copy of Cool for the Summer now from Wednesday Books!

Natalie Naudus is a rising star in the world of audiobook narration, and was the perfect fit for Cool for the Summer! Her style and voices brought the story to life, and allowed me to really connect with Lara and the other characters. The shorter length of the story allowed me to listen to the whole thing while working around the house!

My Recommendation-
If you have been looking for a summery contemporary romance to welcome the warming weather, you need to pick up a copy of Cool for the Summer! This sweet story would be perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, Casey McQuinston, and Sophie Gonzales!

Think Grease but with bi love triangle. Yep - I was hooked too. Especially when I realized it’s based on the Demi song with the same title.

CFtS follows Lara during her senior year and she struggles to choose between her longtime crush, Chase, and her summer romance, Jasmine.

This was a cute story and I loved the various reps presented, but I feel like the characters could have been more developed. This is my first “beach read” of the season and it’s definitely worth the read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. Cool For the Summer is out now!

3/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook-arc!

This was such a fun quick read and I'm very pleased with the audio performance. This is such a good book filled with tons of rep and realistic teenager experiences and attitudes. I sort of feel bad for the main guy as I predicted what would happen in the end. And also cause at the same time the main character hyped him up but at the same time he didn't really have much of a personality. I of course love me a Demi Levato and Nina Bonina Brown vs. Shea Coulée reference and I think I wouldn't mind reading more from this author. Also not the biggest fan of the cheating trope, as I've expressed towards Frankly In Love

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it absolutely did not disappoint!
To start off the audiobook was great! However, the narrator's voice definitely sounded too Mature to be a high schooler but none the less I still thoroughly enjoyed her reading.
The internalized biphobia rep in this book is perfection. This book describes the feeling and thought process exactly and so naturally.
Me and the mc live very different high school lives yet I found the book extremely relatable and comforting because of how phenomenal the bi rep is in the mc. From the internalized biphobia to the way she crushes I found that it was very similar to me and other bi people’s experience with being bisexual.
However, I do have an issue with the coming-out scene. It felt too short and unrealistic. I would’ve loved it if the scene was drawn out a bit more.

I’m not sure how this book would hold up with anyone older than 21 but I can thoroughly say as a 17-year old that I think anyone from the age of 14-21 can relate or remember life In high school and college/university being like the MCs in one way or another.

“What did I want? I wanted him to notice me...for that I had worn uncomfortable shoes and too tight jeans and pounds and makeup...all that, when sometimes it’s as simple as s’mores and coke and leaning over in your Adirondack chair on the beach.”

Lara has been pining away for Chase Harding, her high school’s football star, for years. Then senior year, he actually 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 her. Chase. Notices 𝐡𝐞𝐫. But she is torn. A summer fling with Jasmine looms over her and makes her question everything she thought she wanted.

This was the cutest, summeryest (is that a word...I just made that a word) audiobook. I really enjoyed the narration of this fun story about finding your sexuality and questioning everything you thought you knew to be true. Listening made me want to grab a book and some banana boat sunscreen, head to the beach, and dig my toes in the sand. I felt that the exploration of sexuality amidst teenage angst was dealt with in such a fun, lighthearted, and honest way. Listen to this one while the weather is warm and the sun is shining!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the narrator and voices in this audiobook. It's a cute story in this re-imagined telling of Grease. The friends are nice, but there's a lot less happening (a lot less drama) in the book. It's pretty obvious what's going to happen. I'd still recommend this book to most high students.for casual reading.

I enjoyed this quick read. However, the audio narrator sounded way more mature and sultry than necessary... this is a book about teenagers, not Kim Cattrall ( who is wonderful, but not YA).

The cover of Spells Trouble really got me and I was totally in from the prologue. I kinda felt a bit of Practical Magic with a single mom and twins. I loved the family togetherness, the witchiness and a crazy familiar cat. The twins were well developed and interesting, it was easy to see them as two separate people. The town history and the death of their mother set for great story, I honestly really enjoyed the heartache. The witchy adventure to save the city and the sexual identify part of the book. What I struggled with was the Greek mythology running through the book. It felt so disconnected from the Salem vibes. I love the idea of the gates, but the “monsters” was just off to me. I think I would have given four stars if that was different. I am excited to continue on with the series and see what happens with Hunter.

LGBTQ Grease inspired love story and I’m here for it. After years of lusting, Lara finally snags the attention and interest of her crush, Chase. However as they begin their relationship, Lara is drawn back to the whirlwind summer with Jasmine … and then Jasmine shows up at Lara’s high school. Ooh, it’s juicy, it’s genuine, and it’s a beautifully authentic portrayal of a young woman exploring her sexual identity and speaking her truth to those around her.
I also really enjoyed the narration. They had great emotion and added a lot of depth to each character.

This was so great. A great summer read or listen! I loved that it was named after a Demi Lovato song, that was fun. I liked that it explored bisexuality because teens are literally hormone monsters who want to make out with and touch anyone and everyone AND THAT IS OKAY. But what does it mean when you want to date them? When you can’t stop thinking about the girl you spent the summer fooling around with when the guy you’ve been OBSESSED WITH finally notices you? Does that mean you’re bi? Does that mean things around you are going to change if you say that out loud? It’s a great look at how yes, your identity is constantly in flux during your teens years, but your sexuality falls under that umbrella too. Sexuality is PART of your identity and we need more coming of age stories that include discovering it like this one!

Author: Dahlia Adler
Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Genre: YA
Length: 6 hours, 20 minutes
Publication Date: 5/11/2021

Cool for the Summer is a light, breezy YA coming of age novel about Lara. Lara spent the summer in the Outer Banks in North Carolina and had a summer fling with Jasmine. When she starts her senior year in the fall, her long-time crush Chase asks her on a date. Dating Chase is all she has ever dreamed about but she just can’t forget Jasmine who has also transferred to her school.

What I liked:
•The narrator for this book is fantastic and captures Lara’s voice quite well.
•I loved how this book explored Lara’s sexuality in a very thoughtful way. Lara knows she has feelings for Jasmine but isn’t sure “what” she is. I can relate to this struggle – I felt desperate to understand the feelings I was having and put a label on it, but none felt right yet. Our society puts an emphasis on labels and once you realize you’re not “cishet,” there can be a lot of pressure to pick your new label (this is also why I’ve opted for queer to opt-out of the labels). I haven’t seen a novel explore this aspect of coming out and it really resonated with me.
•I enjoyed the dual timelines between the summer and the fall.
•The representation was great especially showcasing characters that are asexual or aromantic. I’ve never seen a book even mention aromantic. I felt like Lara’s friends are well-developed and feel authentic.
•I appreciated how sex-positive this book was. The acts weren’t overly emphasized like the pinnacle of dating or being a teenager and also did not show shame about engaging in these acts. Rather, they were depicted as acts that allow us to connect intimately.

What I didn’t like:
•I felt like the book needed more plot. I am all about a character-driven plot but this needed a bit more and a bit more conflict.
•Chase was so, so boring and so perfect. I wish he had been a bit more developed beyond being a handsome football player. It felt like an easy choice for me.

This book left me happy with a smile on my face. Overall enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book as a light, breezy summer read especially to folks who enjoy YA.

This was such a cute and heartwarming story.

It has been a while since I’ve related so hard with a main character’s journey in a book. In high school, I was someone who exclusively went out with boys, but I simultaneously kept falling in love with some of my girl friends. Still, I never understood those feelings until later in college, so I profoundly resonated with Larissa’s confusion regarding her bisexuality. The quote that stood out for me was this one;

“Sometimes when you like the gender you’re supposed to like, it’s not so clear what’s happening with the others.”

I heard that and I mentally screamed YES. EXACTLY. This brilliantly sums up my experience with bisexual confusion. Dahlia Adler nailed translating it into words, which only solidified my relating to Larissa’s story.

As for the audiobook format, I really enjoyed Nathalie Naudus’s narration! She created individual voices for each characters that both made it easier to know who was speaking, but also made each character feel more fleshed out and fun. I especially loved hearing the Russian accent in the voice she used for Larissa’s mom. All-in-all, I would recommend this audiobook!

I loved the on-page representation! And the coming-of-age relatability is something I wish I'd had as a reader, at this age! Cool for the Summer has a lot to offer, so far as self-discovery and teenaged queerness goes!

Overall, a quick summery YA romcom with a twist that kept me entertained the whole way through.

This book wasn't really for me. I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't get into it. I felt like I was trudging through the whole thing.
I didn't really like the characters at all. The main character in particular bothered me quite a bit which didn't feel intentional.
This book may be great for other people but I just couldn't get into it.

Overall: Relatable, even if it is Grease-ified.

Pros:
Self-discovery. I love a good self-discovery story and one about learning about yourself is one that I am always a fan of.
Writing style. I mentioned already that I wanted to read this because of Dahlia Adler, but I think it is important to mention that it is because I love the relatability in her writing style.
“Then and now” narration. I liked the choice to show both storylines in the story to give proper attention to the relationships in the story.

Cons:
Grease is what Grease does. Okay, I know this may get me some flack, but I am not a Grease fan. So a story inspired by Grease will take a lot to win me over.

A teenage love triangle--with a twist! Cool For The Summer is a “Grease”-ish inspired story about a NY teen--Larissa. Lara is figuring out so much about herself, who she is and wants to be, what she’s really interested in, what she’s good at, etc. She’s spent the summer exploring a quasi-relationship with her mom’s boss’s daughter, who conveniently transfers to Larissa’s high school the first day of her senior year. The problem--Larissa’s longtime crush--Chase--has finally started reciprocating the feelings she’s had for years.

This is a quick read, a fun story and had some great on-page representation.

I really enjoyed the narrator, Natalie Naudus. I think she definitely embodies Lara’s voice in the story. Her pacing and inflection was done really well. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for an ALC for this title via NetGalley.