This book gives all the immaculate vibes of Sarah Dessen and Kasie West and we are absolutely here for it.

Waverly is spending the summer in Florida with her aunt, quite a ways away from her home in Alaska. Is Waverly prepared? No. She doesn’t know how to swim, babbles when nervous and doesn’t have very many friends.

Now cue the cute boy next door who takes on teaching Waverly how to swim. Starting with learning to float first.

This book is filled with amazing friendships, an adorable romance and an even better message to anyone out there who is looking for their place in this world. This is not a book anybody is going to want to miss.

If you’re looking for a summer time feel-good novel, look no further.

Float was a tender coming of age romance that can be devoured in one weekend! I loved the found family that Waverly found in her new friends, and can we talk about how sweet Blake was? Anyone who knows me knows I love the boy-next-door trope, and Float is definitely the book for anyone also needing their charming neighbor boy fix. Also, this book definitely surpassed the quality of a lot of wattpad-turned-published books out there, which was an added bonus.

This was SO CUTE. Everything about it! I love the cover and all the summer vibes. Highly recommend this one.

This book was rough for me. I really had an issue with the LI. He was so selfish and not affectionate at all. The instalove for him makes absolutely no sense because he’s a downright selfish jerk.
The MC’s whole thing was just “self deprecating” and that was it. I understand having bad self-esteem, but she does things that will literally kill her just so she won’t look weird. That’s insane. It was hard to be in her head with all the put-downs and how she constantly says sorry for existing. And then her LI doesn’t correct her and usually does, in fact, act like she should be sorry. It was very discomfiting and not healthy.
I like the background describing how she ended up the way she was with her parents and their divorce and such. But I still think she should have some sort of personality. I would have liked more of a description of the setting since it was a cute beach town.
I think it’s a big deal to compare a book to Sarah Dessen, and this one just didn’t live up to that at all. I get that in YA the relationships and friendships are so important, but that was literally all this was about. And those weren’t even very deep at all. I needed more. The MC learned that she likes having friends and that her home life sucked, and that’s it. And she didn’t even actually learn how to swim, so I’m not sure why she was out surfing!
I think the pacing and flow were good, and I obviously kept reading. I really thought the LI would get redemption or have reasons for being a selfish jerk. That’s what i was convinced would have to happen for him to be slightly desirable, so I was sticking it out. But nah, he was just legit a selfish jerk who shouldn’t be in a relationship period. Unless he gets lots of therapy.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

This was the perfect end of summer read….I was intrigued by the cover and title and really enjoyed the character development. While it had the “summer read” feel, I also appreciate the depth and reality of dealing with divorce and also finding acceptance and friendship.

*Netgalley and wattpad books provided me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review* Overall a good story; great for someone looking for a cute quick read, and has relatable main characters/ side characters.

I was given a digital copy of this book for an honest review. I really liked this book. I thought it was a cute, fun, and easy read that I simply couldn’t put down. It actually reminded me of, to all the boys I’ve loved before. Even though they are very different and the only thing in common was the high school romance! I really enjoyed the character growth from the main character and some of the side characters! I rated it a 4/5 and wouldn’t defiantly recommend it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are entirely my own. I absolutely love books like this. They are fun, quick, cute, and easy to read. There were great side characters in this book that I felt had lots of character development. I hate when books forget about side characters and smaller plots in the story. This book did a fantastic job of tying up all loose ends and side plots found in the story. The only issue with the book I had was that I couldn't really see the chemistry between the two main characters and felt like it could have been a teeny bit better. Still, it was a very fun read and I enjoyed it!

A book I couldnt put down and stayed up way too late reading. High school hormones are tough and it was so fun to get an inside look!

I enjoyed this fun young adult romance very much but it was a bit too long for me. After doing some research, the author came from Wattpad so this made a bit more sense to me. Some parts of the novel felt a bit too childish (even for the genre) and there was quite a bit of drag. Overall, a fun read, just go in with low expectations.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book was such a throwback for me, wow! I first read this when it was still being written on Wattpad (around 2013-2014 I believe) and I really loved it! I can definitely say that re-reading this book in its entirety made me so happy!

To start with the things I enjoyed: I thought that there was a nice build-up to the romance! The author kept some of my favorite scenes that have stuck with me all these years. (Post-concussion scrabble is one of my favorite scenes ever written honestly!) I love a good slow-burn & this book really delivers just that.

However, I will say that this book fell flat in a number of ways. The story felt a bit rushed and there were times when I couldn’t remember if the author told us something or if we were just supposed to assume. Like when did she actually learn to swim? We never see that…

Overall, I give this a solid 3/5 stars because these characters still hold a place in my heart. I believe my reading style has also changed as I’ve grown, so I can’t be too hard on this book. I also feel proud of Kate Marchant for getting published! She’s living her dreams and that’s fantastic!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book before release!

The book was so cute! My expectations for Float were not the highest, but I was definitely blown away. This one delivered on the grumpy boy and bubbly new girl trope. Blake and Waverly are a high school couple that no one can seem to understand why they got together and work together, but they stay together.

Overall, it was a pretty good story. It was a solid three star read for me. The end of the book was even better than the beginning; contained more action and humor. The book had parts throughout that made me smile or give a slight, silent laugh, but the very end of chapter 21 and all of 22 had me laughing hysterically. This is a book that personally, I think teens and actual young adults would enjoy more than older adults who enjoy reading YA.

I adored the twins’ relationship with each other. It was fun and showed a very loving bond but they also teased and picked on each other like crazy, in a good way. The romance between Waverly and Blake ended up being sweet, but I disliked how it started out. I am not a fan of the “he’s a jerk to me but I really like him anyway” plot. Like him after he stops being mean to you! It was predictable, but a cute story and a fast read. It would be a fun beach book.

Thank you to Net Galley and Wattpad Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #Float

Overall a very cute read, that I definitely recommend if you're looking for something quick and summery to read! Waverly is a relatable main character for anybody with social anxiety or just anybody who has ever felt like they've had trouble fitting in. I loved the friendships she formed throughout her time in Holden, especially with the twins! Overall, this book was sweet enough to (almost) make me want to move back to Florida even though I'm positive I hated it there and did not have the same experience as Waverly. I especially loved all of the side characters (Lena and Jesse are my faves) and Waverly's growth/learning to be more comfortable with herself.
There were some continuity/timeline errors that bothered me a little, but I'm hoping they'll be fixed before the book is published.
I'm going to list some here so there might be some spoilers- be warned!!
Pages 72-76 at least two days pass "Sunday mornings" "the next morning," but Blake mentions seeing Alissa at the beach "yesterday"
When they're at the hospital and Blake is telling the story about his mom he starts it with "when I was about twelve or thirteen" and I don't know, maybe he's just trying to seem nonchalant about it, but it seems like an important enough event that he'd remember the exact date and how old he was (p. 243).
That timeline is just a little confusing- because Waverly's aunt had stated that this had happened "years ago" before she had even moved to town, but Blake is currently 17, meaning this happened 4-5 years before the events of this book. And he also has a sister that was born when he was 15- the speed at which George moved on definitely could be a part of the reason Blake is so hostile towards Chloe, but I definitely think it's worth a sentence or two explaining the timeline because I was confused.
also does Blake lifeguard at the pool or the beach? Both? We know he definitely works at the pool, because he has the key and he tells Waverly this, but then he's also at the beach when Waverly is there and says he can't talk because he's working

This was such an adorable book! While I didn't come into it with the highest of expectations, Float definitely blew me away. I love the grumpy boy and bubbly new girl trope, and this definitely delivered. Blake and Waverly are that high school couple that everyone would be confused as hell as to how they got together and why they work, but they just do.

This book was everything. It's been a long time since I've read something that I couldn't put down. Float was addicting, what a great debut novel by Kate Merchant. Definitely the beginning of a great author to be addicted to.

This book follows Waverley, a girl from Alaska ready for a change in her life as she goes to spend the summer with her aunt and away from her parents and boring life that consists of friends that really aren't friends at all. Dieing her summer in Holden FL she learns to be herself and let go.

Waverly dings herself in this small town and finds that she does matter and she can be herself. With new friends and a very adorable new neighbor she lives life and even if she gets herself in some crazy situations it was a journey I was happy to experience. This was a must read and very much recommended for all.

This had all the right feels from beginning to end you felt connected with the main characters and the new people in her life. I loved everything about this book and can't wait to jump in another hornet with this author.

The perfect YA Summer Book. I think it will resinate with fans of Dessen, West, and Matson for sure. All around a great theme with two teens trying to understand their parent's ways of parenting. The social awkwardness, fun adventures, and great friendships that come with being a teen. I'm totally not sitting here reminising on my teen years... wishing I had someone with a nice body to teach me how to swim... Nope, definitely not.

This YA Contemporary read will appeal to many, with its family-centered themes and moody teenagers trying to make the best of situations created by their parents. I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

I remember reading Float when the author was still uploading this story chapter by chapter, week by week and I enjoyed it so much. So when I saw that it was actually being published and also being turned into a film starring Robbie Amell, I was even more excited. Say what you will about Wattpad books but it's given a platform to so many writers and is certainly a non traditional publishing experience which is pretty cool. Okay so on to the review!

I feel like this new published version of Float is definitely a lot better in terms of quality and the overall storyline. I feel like a lot of the details have been fine tuned to make for a more coherent story and because I read the original so long ago - there were some key things I felt like I was discovering all over again. I especially liked the found family element in the book and reading how Waverley, Alissa, Blake, Jesse and Lena become so close and find their place in the world with each other was so wholesome. I also appreciated the exploration of having neglectful or emotionally abusive parents and how the characters navigate this and get through it all together and find common ground. The romance was sweet if predictable but still cute.

Float is an easy read, and it won't take long to get through so makes for a great holiday read or a book to pick up over the course of an evening when you're craving some sea, sun and summer antics.

I’m so excited that this book is going to be turned into a movie!! I adored the premise and the characters. Everything about this book just screams NOSTALGIA.