Sweetest characters, perfectly developed enemies to lovers theme, smart, sarcastic banters and events take place in Shakespearean summer camp! Of course I’m in!

There are few words to define this book: cute, sweet, genuine, smart and PERFECTLY ADORABLE!

Especially the main character, super intelligent, 16 years old math prodigy Beatrice steals your heart from the beginning. It’s so easy to root for her. For most of her life, she’s homeschooled and now she get accepted to Oxford. But her parents have some hesitations to send their little girl: she had limited interactions with her peers throughout her short life so she has to prove them she can make some friends, involving into social circles by attending an acting program of Shakespeare theater camp.

She takes this as a challenge and she accepts to join the camp to prove her parents she may improve her social skills. Thankfully a bunch of eclectic theater kids who were long attending the camp help her to survive at her new surroundings.

Bea realizes there is more to learn about real people in her own than she learned from her books. And let’s forget Nolan factor: the gorgeous and popular son of the camp founders who gives hard time to her heart and hormones.

Their interactions, banters are extremely sweet, entertaining. I loved how the author developed enemies to lovers troupe between those adorable characters.

This book was so much more than I expected! It’s sincere! It’s fun! It’s from the heart! It deserves my five Shakespearean, admirable young adult stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

“What must it be like to feel so confident in your own skin that wearing another person’s seemed like nothing at all?”

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: None that I can think of.

“Long Story Short” follows Beatrice as she embarks on a Shakespearian summer camp adventure in order to show her parents she’s mature enough to move to another continent in order to attend the university of her dreams. Branching out from a to-do list, she makes friends, breaks rules, and, surprisingly, has some fun in the process.

I found Bea’s inner voice to be very engaging and I absolutely loved the friendships she built as she broke out of her shell. Mia and Nolan were the perfect summer camp friends, and they kind of made me reminisce all the friends I made in summer camps when I was younger. Slow-burn crushes usually aren’t my favorite, but I must say I enjoyed this one very much.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes nerdy YA novels, because oh- does this book get down and nerdy about Shakespeare. But really, you don’t have to know much about Shakespeare to enjoy this book (take it from me, I’ve only really read Twelfth Night and I still thoroughly enjoyed this book). Do not hesitate to pre-order this book, so you’ll get it as soon as it’s published. You will not regret it.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

p.s. Nik is essentially Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, and I was there for it.

I am in love with the characters of Mia and Nolan! Theater kids are a unique breed and these characters are no exception. They seem real and true, and even the bitchy one is believable. Bea has a real Amy Farah Fowler vibe to her and I love her for it. I look forward to this book coming out and will definitely be ordering it for our collection.

An adorable YA romance that combines so many of my favorite things: a genius female MC, a coming of age, plays, many comedic moments, and a sweet leading man! When a girl genius has to go to acting camp to prove to her parents she can make friends and survive going to college at 16, we follow Bea as she finds out new things about herself, makes some amazing friends, and has a bit of an enemies to lovers with the leading guy at camp. An easy, hilarious read that comes out July 26th 2022!

This is one of those books that makes you feel so nostalgic about being 16, summer memories, and going away to camp (before remembering you never actually went to summer camp!). Serena Kaylor's Long Story Short was one of the most wholesome, feel-good books I read all year. It's not easy to make every character in a book likable, but the author pulled it off. From our protagonist Bea with her endearing overthinking brain to Mia and Nolan, who are just the absolute best friends ever to Nik, the love interest, whose journey with Bea was quite the ride. I wasn't a theater kid, but I still had such a fun time reading this one. I imagine actual theater kids and Shakespeare fans will adore it. If you're in need of a good summer read, pick this book up! And psst Netflix, we're gonna need a movie adaptation of this one.

When I saw the words Rom Com that takes place at theatre camp I knew that I had to read this book and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed all aspects of this book. The characters were super developed and I loved getting to know all of them and getting to live in the world of Shakespeare summer camp for a few hours. I also liked how the plot, while definitely had aspects of a stereotypical rom com, also consistently surprised me. Overall a fun and fresh read that I had such a good time reading.

Reading it was such a delight. It was definitely one cute and adorable story. I loved every single second of it. Also, it was quite relatable, as we all have been through the awkward, introverted stage, at least I did. So, reading it made me reminisce my teenage year self; I loved the pace and the world building. All in all, it was a definitely an enjoyable read for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Long Story Short.

Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor is a super cute YA romance about an awkward and introverted teenager who is learning about who she really is and what she is capable of.

Disclaimer: Review will be up closer to pub date on pop-culturalist!

I adored this so freaking much!! Long story short is perfect for Taylor Swift fans.

Long Story Short was such a fun theatre read! I thought that the characters were interesting and realistic - especially as a theatre kid myself, I know people like Mia, Nolan, Nik, and Shelby, which made it easier to connect to them as I could associate them with people I knew. I thought that Beatrice had such a great arc and I loved seeing her come into her own.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and author in exchange for a an honest review. All options are my own.

I have to say that this book took me by total surprise. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I requested it and wasn’t sure if it would be standard YA or a little something extra special but I am delighted to have read it and it is special! It turned out to be one of my fav reads this year. Easily in my top 5!!
I saw Shakespeare and theatre camp in the blip and was sold on that.

I loved the premise and as someone who Often feels shy and unnoticeable I really identified with Beatrice as a character.

The banter was perfection, the friendships sincere and the Romance adorable. I was so glad that her list wasn’t used against her and no one tried to trick her. That hits hard in my soul. This book had the perfect amount of everything I like in YA and I need it to be a series please!! I need more Nolan, Bea, Mia and Nik!!!

This book is a delight! Beatrice has spent most of her life being home schooled. She is unquestionably a math prodigy, but she has never found much success with others her own age. When she is accepted into Oxford, her parents will agree to let her attend only if Beatrice can prove to them she'll be able to make friends and navigate social situations on her own. So Beatrice's parents propose that Beatrice spend the summer at a Shakespearean theater camp in the acting program. If Beatrice can successfully complete a list of teenage milestones her parents create, they will let her go to Oxford.

Despite her misgivings, Beatrice dives into the challenge. She is soon adopted by a group of theater kids who have long attended the camp, and they help Beatrice navigate her new environment and her mission to show her parents she can be a "normal" teenager. Forced to engage in experiences she long dismissed, Beatrice soon finds that some of her assumptions about other teenagers may need re-examining -- and that there may be more to life than what can be found in books.

This was a very strong debut. Beatrice is a singular character, and the supporting cast sparkles in this charming and original story. Highly recommended!

I think this book would be slightly more enjoyable for a bit younger demographic than me, but aside from that it was so good! Long Story Short is about an introverted girl who goes to theatre camp to get out of her comfort zone. I really liked the premise, but then during the first 25% or so of the book didn't know if I'd love it. Everything seemed really over the top, from the cliques at camp, to Bea's extreme introversion, to some of the situations the characters were in, but from there on out I found myself really enjoying this. Bea's arc was really well written and I loved seeing her make friends. The romance was also really well done. I found the romantic pacing to be really good and the MC and LI had some great banter. As this is a book about a 16 year old girl who hasn't had any typical high school experiences, I do think that readers who read primarily YA or are a similar age to the MC will enjoy it more, but still, it was really well written and I'm glad I read it.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book about trying something new. She is homeschooled but got into oxford. Her parents want her to socialize more and make friends. she makes friends at drama camp and finds love with a boy. She does many things off of her list and surprises her parents. Great book.

Plot: I enjoyed reading about Beatrice making friends, falling in love, and learning more about who she is, and what she really wants.

Characters: The characters were all fantastic! And while I liked the romance, and thought it was cute, the friendships were what really made the book for me! Her friendship with Mia and Nolan was so nice, and definitely had found family vibes. I loved it!

The Cover: It's fun, I like it!

Overall: I loved this book so much, and I absolutely can not recommend it enough! I was in a book slump when I picked up Long Story Short, and this book pulled me out of it! I highly recommend reading it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Long Story Short is an adorable YA novel set at an acting camp. It centers around an incredibly intelligent but awkward teenager, Bea. I loved watching Bea transform and flourish with the guidance of her friends. There is a Shakespearean aspect of the book which is absolutely well done. Overall this is an amazing novel!

I really enjoyed Long Story Short. There's nothing like familiar tropes with interesting spins on them. I loved the premise, the main character was the right balance of flawed but looking to grow, and going with her on her journey was really entertaining. The supporting characters and friendships added some whimsy and enjoyment to the overall experience. It was equal parts nerdy but romantic, a pairing that is always timeless to me. I'd recommend this book wholeheartedly for a feel good read.

This heart warming Contemporary YA read put a huge smile on my face. Highly recommended!

Beatrice is a sixteen-year-old genius whose very careful routines help to keep her anxiety at bay. Homeschooling worked out best for her, but now that she wants to attend Oxford University, her parents have concerns about her ability to socialize and be on her own.

I loved this so much. Beatrice is snarky, awkward and goes through amazing character development. The found family was adorable, and I love Mia and Nolan. The romance between Bea and Nik was so perfect, and they were literally so cute.

Long Story Short is a charming YA rom-com with a great cast of characters that makes you want to be a part of their friend group. You definitely have to roll with the premise, and at times Beatrice comes off a bit like a caricature, but overall this is a cute, comforting read. I'll definitely be watching for Serena Kaylor's next book.

A very clever blend of Shakespeare and a teen coming of age. Beatrice, a socially inept teen has to prove to her parents she can cope with going miles and miles away to Oxford for college. At a four week Shakespeare drama camp she begins to loosen her walls with the help of her new friends, Mia and Nolan. Throw in knees weakening Nik and let the play begin.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.