Beatrice (Bea) is 16, homeschooled, and determined to go to Oxford. When she surprises her parents with the news that she was accepted, they agree to consider letting her go if she does something to show them that it won't be too overwhelming for her. They decide that a four week theater camp is the perfect way to prove that she can handle being in a social environment with roommates and a dining hall that doesn't serve mushroom pizza on Fridays or any of the other meals from her daily routine.

I am a theater nut and LOVE Shakespeare, so the fact that this book took place in and around a production of Romeo and Juliet delighted me. Much like the bard himself, the dialogue was witty and snappy, and the writing had a lyrical flow. I enjoyed Bea's interactions with the other campers and the director, and I think her character showed a lot of growth and depth as the story progressed.

The romance felt so normal for a 16 and 18 year old - miscommunication, not being clear about how you feel or what you mean, flirtation that could mean something or just be a provocation to anger... I thought it was so well done.

Bravo to Serena Kaylor for an absolutely lovely book full of utterly delightful characters and love - both romantic and between the centric group of friends. Mia and Nolan's connection with Bea was just as special as the romantic plot and I adored them as characters.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an eARC of Long Story Short. All thoughts are my own.

I struggled to get through this one. I wanted to like it so bad but I couldn’t keep track of the characters and who was talking half the time.

“I could do this. I would do this. I was going to check off every one of those stupid tasks, escape this summer relatively unscathed, and finally get to Oxford.”

Mathematical prodigy Beatrice Quinn has been homeschooled her entire life. Her biggest dream is to go to Oxford University where she can study all day to her heart’s delight. Unfortunately, even though she’s accepted to the prestigious institution, her parents aren’t sure that she’s ready to live so far away by herself—especially since Beatrice doesn’t have a fabulous track record of making friends. Desperate to prove that she’s ready for this new adventure, Beatrice agrees to spend a summer at the Connecticut Shakespearean Summer Academy and complete a list of normal teenage activities that will show her parents she has what it takes to fit in at Oxford. Except things don’t go exactly to plan once Beatrice gets to the camp, and soon she finds herself adopted by a couple of eclectic theatre kids and facing off against the British son of the camp founders who can’t seem to leave her alone. Through a whirlwind of pranks, double dog dares, secret parties, and all kinds of drama, Beatrice has to decide whether she’s going to listen to her heart or her head before the final curtain falls.

Long Story Short was the perfect combination of bookish vibes, theatre shenanigans, and sweet, sweet romance for this book-loving, romantic, theatre girl! Beatrice is a fabulous protagonist, and it was a joy to watch her grow throughout the book. One of my favorite elements though had to be the banter between Bea and Nik. I adored watching the two of them get closer and closer to each other—metaphorically of course (*winky face*)—as the sparks flew. There are also so many great themes included in this story, such as found family, figuring out one’s future, coming of age, and more. Long story short, you won’t want to miss this debut as author Serena Kaylor is one to watch!

Content Warnings: Anxiety, strong language, vomiting, bullying, underage drinking

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

Long Story Short, a new YA romcom by Serena Kaylor, was such a fun read for me! It follows Beatrice Quinn, a 16 year old, academically gifted homeschooled student, as she tries to prove to her parents that she is both socially and emotionally ready to head thousands of miles from home to attend Oxford University where she has been accepted.

Beatrice’s parents know their daughter is brilliant and will succeed academically at Oxford, but they also just want to know that if she goes to Oxford, that she’ll be happy, make friends, and have the full college experience. They know Beatrice better than anyone else, and what they know is that while Beatrice may be a genius when it comes to numbers and statistics, but people, specifically how to make friends, are a mystery to her. To put their own minds at ease, they decide to challenge Beatrice – if she can go away to a theater camp on the other side of the country and complete a list of tasks they consider to be “typical” teenage social activities, then they’ll let her go to Oxford.

I loved Beatrice from the moment we meet her and I have to admit that I was kind of angry on her behalf that she has to jump through these hoops to prove herself, but as a parent myself, I could understand why her parents were so worried about her going that far away. There were some characteristics of Beatrice’s personality that made me think she might possibly be on the autism spectrum, but that was never explicitly stated so I’m not sure. At minimum, she is most definitely an introvert and as a fellow introvert, I very much related to her social struggles and was really hoping for the best for her.

I don’t want to say much about the camp itself, so I’m just going to say that Beatrice’s journey is everything I wanted it to be for her and so much more. She basically gets adopted by Mia and Nolan, two other teens at the camp, and they become just as invested as she is in completing her parents’ checklist and giving her the full typical teenager experience. Beatrice learns about the bonds of friendship, how to read social cues, how to apologize if she accidentally offends or hurts someone, and she even learns a little about love.

Long Story Short is a wonderful coming of age story set against the backdrop of a Shakespearean theater camp. If you’re in the mood for a story about friendship, love, and learning to live your life to the fullest, I highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a super cute book! I enjoyed going through the growth of our main characters and the journey she faces. The characters were incredibly enjoyable and I loved our main two! Although there are one or two things I found slow or could be fixed, for YA, it is pretty solid.

This was a DNF for me. I made it about 20% before giving up. I absolutely loathed the main character. She was so stubborn and annoying. I couldn't handle her and ultimately put it down.

5 stars = Outstanding!

I loved everything - the characters, Bea's growth, the people she meets at camp, her parents. The "weakest" piece was probably the romance, and that was still great. This was a home run for me! (Language)

Lovely YA summer read about moving past your comfort zone and taking what you want!

Beatrice is a bright, intelligent sixteen year old who’s trying to prove to her parents that she’ll be okay at Oxford all by herself. I feel like there’s a lot of character development that happens and helps her turn into a more independent woman who can rely on herself. Seeing as she’s 16 she’s got a bit of naivety from the lack of socializing, but honestly it’s not really her fault.
Cute book!

Beatrice Quinn is a genius, who has spent the entirety of her life studying at home to get into oxford university. Now that she has finally gotten in, her parents aren't sure that she is ready. beatrice might be super intelligent, but she has not been very successful at socializing with people her own age. she is determined that she will finally find people like her at oxford but her parents don't think it is enough. concerned that she will get lost in her own world where they can't intervene, her parents want Beatrice to prove that she can do something outside of her comfort zone and make new friends. Armed with a list of teenage experiences, Beatrice is sent off to a Shakespeare-inspired summer camp. She has a short summer to prove that she can handle herself in a new environment. Beatrice soon learns that having relationships with others may not be as easy as she thinks. Surrounded by a new group of friends, and some enemies she will tackle her list of parties, pranks, and maybe even love.
.
this book was lovely and shared a delightful and insightful look of an awkward teenage girl who is finally deciding to put herself out there. Beatrice was so so endearing and you can't help but fall in love with her and root for her throughout her challenging summer. Although Shakespeare is a huge part of this novel even if you don't know/ like Shakespeare this was so much fun. I love the chemistry between Nik and Bea, it was such a sweet first love story complete with all the cluelessness and awkwardness.
.
thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was very cute. I really enjoyed the Shakespeare elements of the book and the character arcs. It was such a great YA contemporary and I really liked it!

This is a really fun, cute YA romance. It follows Beatrice, who is really smart and loves math and has gotten into her dream school, but her parents are worried because of how much she struggles socially. So what's the best way to help her out? Send her to theater camp! It's not a musical theater camp (to Beatrice's relief), but the theater nerd in me loved the premise. The opening chapter did have me a little skeptical of my feelings though. Mainly because Beatrice's parents seemed a little too judgmental. Beatrice isn't necessarily stated to have autism or anything similar, but there are some characteristics that would make it fit. With that lens, there were times her parents seemed to judge her for not meeting their expectations of what a social life should look like, and times when they seemed to be pushing her harder than I felt was necessary. I'm all for helping people get out of their comfort zones when anxiety gets in the way of social experiences they want, but it's also okay if the level and types of social interaction someone wants is different from "the norm." There were times when it was hard to tell which category Beatrice fell into, but I do think by the end it was clear that she actually did desire the kinds of friendships and experiences that past trauma and anxiety kept her from being able to have.

So, that small rant aside, I really did like this book. As a whole it was fun, humorous, adorable. I loved getting to see Beatrice develop real friendships for the first time and really get to explore the ups and downs of those friendships in a way that was fun and genuine. There is some mean girl drama that's slightly cliche but still fun to read. And of course, there is romance. Enemies to lovers, which is one of my favorite tropes, and it made the process of Beatrice falling in love for the first time more exciting. So, while I was a little hesitant at the very beginning of reading, as a whole I think it was a fun, well-written story with likable characters and a fun, summery, high-school plot that anyone who loves YA romance will enjoy. It kept the book in high ratings for me. And, there's a performance of Romeo and Juliet that's done like it's never been done before ;)

Beatrice Quinn is a handful for her parents to deal with at the age of sixteen. Not because she's going through the normal rebellious stage that other teens her age do. No, it's because she's a mathematical genius who got her high school degree at fourteen and was accepted to Oxford University two years later. Most parents would be ecstatic for their child to get accepted to such a prestigious school at such a young age, but moving out and becoming independent in a foreign country with very little social skills is a bit of a problem. As a homeschooled student, Beatrice focused more on books and intellect. Her personality is very analytical and straightforward, leaving very little room for building close connections with others. She's been completely happy with that-up until now. Now her inability to pick up social cues and form connections with others may prevent her from her dreams in England.

I have a particular weakness for nerdy/socially awkward heroines and Beatrice certainly fit that bill. I think her awkwardness was more than just the lack of social skills. That plays into it, sure, but this is a girl that has probably never felt as if she never fit in anywhere her entire life. Not only was she far ahead of her peers intellectually and academically, she couldn't be more different from both of her parents. As marriage therapists working in Berkley, their world revolves around messy emotions and how to manage them. Beatrice tends to shy away from uncomfortable feelings.

Now that she's free from her high school obligations she just wants to leave the stifling environment of her parents house and find somewhere that she finally fits in. I would imagine it's incredibly lonely and isolating to not have one single person in the world you can relate to. You really feel for Beatrice's intense desire to move on to the next stage in her life where she can grow intellectually and hopefully truly feel at peace. One thing that bothered me a little was that the emphasis was put on her homeschooling being the major cause of her socializing deficiency. This is a stereotype, not a developmental handicap. You are perfectly able to make friends and have normal teen experiences while doing in-home learning.

Getting approval to attend Oxford comes with conditions. She must attend an acting summer camp where she will be forced to engage with other people her age and practice at a variety of skills including making friends. As an introvert, the thought of being forced to act on stage is absolutely terrifying to her, but she's willing to do anything it takes. Once there, Beatrice bumbles nervously through meeting new people and trying to fit in. It's both endearing and awkward to watch her open herself up to new acquaintences and occasionally embarrass herself. She just brushes herself off and keeps trying. The more she persists, the more empowering the challenges become. Because she can see that even if she fails, it's a learning experience. She's learning how to find her own personal fashion sense as she understands who she is a little bit better. It was very sweet how her new friends helped her navigate through her new experiences with so much patience.

Beatrice clashes with the golden boy of camp immediately. She meets Nik at the welcome party and they immediately make a bad impression on each other. She snipes at him and blames nepotism as the reason he gets all of the leading roles. He makes an unflattering comment on her looks. Enemy status achieved. They spend the majority of the book circling around each other with distrust. There isn't a huge amount of noticeable development in their relationship, though it's not for a lack of trying on his part. He does try to understand her a little better but he's always firmly rebuffed by her. She's pretty much completely clueless recognizing his interest in her which did make me a bit impatient. Even when told by her friends, she brushes it off as nonsense and continues to hang on to her misjudgment of him. I do wish that there could have been a bit more tangible romance between the two of them earlier on, but the Shakespeare quote challenge they did was super cute and original.

Beatrice is pushed out of her comfort zone and beyond during the summer. Although she'll probably never be a social butterfly (and that's perfectly okay) she learned that she is capable of much more than she was giving herself credit for. She was no longer trapped by her routines, she adapted to change better, and she realized that people can't be put in neat and tidy boxes. Although she never could have conceived having anything in common with impulsive, creative theater kids, they still bonded. You can celebrate each other's differences rather than allowing them to separate you. They were just as impressed with her intelligence as she was with their creative sides. By the end of the book you see her mature quite a bit, but more importantly, she didn't have a complete personality transplant. She was still that quirky girl inside, just with more confidence and strength.

Overall, I really enjoyed this debut author's first book and would definitely read more from her in the future. Her writing style is in the same vein as Emma Lord, so if you enjoyed Tweet Cute or You Have a Match, this could be the perfect book for you.

This was quite cute! A nice YA romance, taking place at a Shakespeare camp, in which the Beatrice/Benvolio inspired romance, and other depicted relationships, benefit from references to Shakespeare without being direct retellings of anything in particular. The friendships and camp life lessons were all fun to read. I thought that the main character suffered from seeming a little stereotypical as an "awkward genius", but on the other hand a lot of her personal preferences and situational reactions were explicable responses to her life experience.

I actually received a copy of this super cute story a long time ago through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was super excited to read it, I started it, but since I knew the release day was still a few months back, I prioritized some other books, and then this one sneaked up on me.

I was still able to read it this month and it did not disappoint!

This story is so cute you guys really need to check it out.

Long Story Short is honestly the perfect summer read.

It’s cute. It’s got a ton of teenage angst. It has a fun camp. A “mean” girl. A cute guy with an even cuter accent. And to top it all off, it has a Shakespeare play.

What else could you need?

We have Beatrice, a really smart girl who has been homeschooled, but she is now looking to go out into the world and go to her dream university, Oxford University.

She believes she is ready to go out into the world and learn new ways to find solutions to mathematical problems, something she is been dreaming of doing for a long time.

Only problem with that?

Her parents.

They don’t think a 16 year-old who has been homeschooled has the social capacity of not only going to college, but going to college in a different country.

They believe she should stay home and slowly ease into being more social and interacting with more people her age.

She doesn’t agree with them and she knows the only way to convince them she his ready is to agree to their idea/challenge for her. If Beatrice can make it through one summer camp and show them she can make friends and have a “normal” teenage experience, then she will be allowed to move to another country to go to the school of her dreams.

Bea is not super thrilled with the idea of spending time with people her age, specially at a theater camp, but if this is what will take for her to go to Oxford, then she will.

She has a list of things she needs to accomplish to prove to her parents she is okay to be on her own across the pond, and she is determined to cross all the items on her said list, and thankfully once she gets to camp she quickly meets a few fellow teenagers who are willing to help her.

But this wouldn’t be a story if she gets to the camp, checks off all her items and proves she is capable of living on her own.

Just as quickly as she makes friends, she also encounters a “mean girl.” Shelby, is not really a mean girl, she is just a bit jealous of all the attention Beatrice gets and therefore she is a bit mean to her.

It also doesn’t help that the guy Shelby wanted to have a summer fling with, Nik, seems to be really interested in Bae.

Cue in, all the drama!

Beatrice needs to learn to trust herself, but also let others in, not just on the surface, but really let people in her life, to be her friends and to trust that they have her back as her real friends.

It is easier said than done, but if she is going to survive this camp, her feelings, and England, then she is gonna have to actually try to live this experience as a normal teenager without any ulterior motive.

Long Story Short is an easy quick, cute, summer book that should definitely be in your TBR list. You will love these characters and will really appreciate Bae and Nik’s relationship. Those two really give me hope for their future.

I just want them to be together forever!!

I loved this book and could not put it down. The characters were great and I fell in love with all of them, and as someone who would NEVER be able to get on stage at theatre camp (or even go to a theatre camp!) I could relate to Beatrice as well. I did find her character growth a bit unrealistic, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book. I highly recommend!

4 stars ☆ This was such a cute and fun read.

Enemies to lovers, them producing a Romeo and Juliet play in summer/theatre camp and their banter was just amazing. It's such a perfect summer read. I've been more focused/interested in Bea because I've seen her grow, learn and adapt to her teenage life since she's been homeschooled her whole life. I've also felt seen by her panic attacks and being anti-social which is why I've been emotionally attached to her in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the ARC !!

Another book that makes my love for Shakespeare grow.

16-year-old Beatrice is one of the most brilliant homeschooled teenagers I've met in the book world — but she lacks one thing — friends and a boyfriend. But this doesn't matter to her; all she wants is to get into Oxford. On the other hand, her parents are worried that she'll go off to England and not be able to do what teenagers do — have fun. Striking up a deal with Beatrice — she has to go to theatre camp and prove that she can associate with the outside world, along with a to-do list.

She accepts the challenge but soon realizes that interacting with real people doesn't always involve math. Aside from a few friends she connects with, she meets Nik — the popular kid and the one and only Romeo. A few witty banters led these two into a relationship they would cherish.

This was a beautiful YA Rom—Com, which I will definitely recommend you read.

Thank you, Wednesday Books, for gifting me an ARC Copy!

Sweet characters, amazing development. Enemies to lovers. What more can you ask for?! This book was so much more than I anticipated. Love!!

Serena Kaylor’s debut, Long Story Short, is a cute theater camp romp with fun characters, but an unconvincing romance. Despite its flaws, however, it’s the perfect read to end your summer.

Beatrice Quinn has spent most of her life in her bedroom. Literally. After a lifetime of being homeschooled, she hasn’t had much interactions with kids her own age. This is completely by choice. As a statistical math genius, Beatrice prefers the company of her textbooks. When she is accepted into Oxford, however, she decides that she’s ready to spread her wings.

But her parents aren’t so sure. Before they send her halfway across the world, they want to see that she can make friends her own age. With that purpose in mind, they send her to a place that will force her out of her shell—theater camp. Shakespeare theater camp, no less.

Beatrice arrives at camp armed with a thorough knowledge of Shakespeare’s plays (thanks to her photographic memory) but no idea how to act or make friends. Can she hit all the teenage benchmarks in one month? Can she convince her parents that she’s ready for college, or is she doomed to stay in her bedroom for another year?

At camp, Beatrice instantly bonds with her roommate, Mia, and Mia’s best friend Nolan. On the first night, she also has a run-in with Nik, the gorgeous British-Indian son of the camp owners and a shoe-in for the lead role, Romeo. He tells everyone that Bea isn’t pretty enough to play Rosaline, which crushes her. But as the camp goes on, he finds ways to spend more and more time with her. He even challenges her to a Shakespeare-off, asking for a kiss if he wins. What is Beatrice supposed to think?

With Nik’s character, I think that the author aimed for Mr. Darcy vibes—a hero who is mean to the heroine at first, but is secretly in love with her all along. For me, it didn’t work. I found Nik unnecessarily mean, and while he starts to be nicer towards the end, he never does anything to redeem himself, the way Darcy saves Lydia in the end. Overall, I disliked him as a character, which made it hard for me to root for the main couple.

Beatrice is a struggle for me. On the one hand, she’s totally relatable to us introverts. Wearing short shorts makes her want to die. She avoids all conversations with new people. She eats cookies for dinner. It’s painful, but feels realistic. And her journey towards feeling more comfortable in her skin is beautiful to watch. I loved how she grew and made new friendships without changing too much or comprising who she is.

On the other hand, she was almost too perfect? She’s insanely smart, she draws in two best friends immediately, the hot guy quickly falls for her, and she’s good at acting on her first try. While I could buy into some of it, all of it kept her from being as relatable, and it turned me off at times.

Despite some quibbles with the characters, I still enjoyed this book. All of the Shakespeare references were fun, the theater kids were larger than life (in the most amazing ways), and I adore both Mia and Nolan. If you are a book nerd and want to finish your summer strong before school starts, I recommend this book!

Long Story Short is a fun YA read. Bea learns more about who she is and is becoming at a summer theater camp.