Give me more. I definitely could read another book set in this universe. I wasn't entirely sure I was going to love this when I first started it, but by the end I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I want more. I loved the characters, the flirting and the banter. My least favorite part was the whole Romeo and Juliet production, but that's because it's my least favorite Shakespeare play. Though one thing i did love, is that we actually get to see the performance outside just this tiny scene. I find that books that feature some kind of performance/recital often get swept over and we see all the building up to the big thing, without getting to experience the big thing. So I'm glad Kaylor included it. Can't wait to see what Kaylor writes next, because I know I'll be picking it up.

10/10 definitely recommend. Had such a fun time reading this. Kaylor nailed her characters, the flirting and banter was top tier. Definitely made me want to go to a theater summer camp - maybe to not perform Romeo and Juliet, but still want to go. Go pick this up if you want a fun, romcom with shakespearean one-liners, terrible first impressions and a girl who just wants to go to Oxford.

I was a little unsure at first. I really don't care for Romeo and Juliet (when there is so much better Shakespeare out there, but overall I really loved this book. It was funny and cute and its just another reminder I definitely missed out on the whole summer camp thing. I had such a good time reading this, and Kaylor character's felt so realistic and honest. The banter and flirting was so great too. Definitely recommend reading this.

I was certain this book would become a new favourite. I mean, as an autistic theatre kid I literally couldn’t be more excited for a book set at a theatre camp with an autistic-coded main character written by a neurodivergent author.

Unfortunately, though, I didn’t just find myself let down by this book, I also felt weirdly offended by it. It’s never explicitly stated that Bea is autistic, but for readers like me it is unmistakable and therefore all the more painful to read about how she has to change herself. To me, her entire character arc and “growth” felt build around getting rid of her autistic traits which is… not a good message.

But even if I could ignore those parts, this book didn’t do it for me. Most of the characters lacked depth and, honestly, the love interest was kind of an asshole.

I just couldn’t enjoy this one despite it being right up my alley.

This theater camp book was an easy read with some funny moments and cute banter. However, I was torn about rating it. While the main character, Bea, grows and learns to be a better version of herself, which I find commendable, I thought some of the helpful friends' actions may have crossed the line between helping her explore her possibilities and pushing her into uncomfortable situations that she didn't need. Lots of people are going to love this cute story, but I could have done without the romance--I didn't really buy it. And I would have loved to have seen more of Bea's math background in the story, but I guess that would have meant going to a different summer camp. Hmmm. So, that's 3.5 conflicted Shakespearean stars.

Oh man this was such a cute enemies to lovers rom-com. Poor Beatrice she just has no idea how normal teenagers act, how to interpret behavior in other people or like context clues. So she has grown up homeschooled by sex therapist parents in Berkley, she is a math genius who hasn’t met a problem she can’t solve with math and just got accepted to Oxford University her dream college at 16. But her parents don’t think she’s ready to be alone in another country without any social skills so they told her if she can go to Shakespeare Summer Academy for 6 wks. and check off a list of normal teenage things they will let her start oxford in the fall. She gets the camp and immediately makes an enemy of Nik the son of the founders of the Camp and they immediately end up on the wrong foot and Nik says a comment that he didn’t think Bea overheard about her appearance which made her dislike him and he is fighting a losing battle of trying to make amends for the first interaction but making it worse since Bea has no clue that he actually likes her since she doesn’t really get social interaction at all so she thinks he is messing with her not that he’s trying to be tell her he likes her. This was so great and Bea overcomes her anxiety about being on stage, makes friends and does normal teenage things. Just really cute and I can’t wait to read her next book.

Thanks to Roaring Book Press and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

Our MC is very heavily coded as being autistic, but I've checked some autistic reviewers and they've said it's never expressly stated. It's hard to tell if she's meant to be autistic or if she's just one of those "weird homeschool kids" but either way, the way her parents handled the whole situation at the beginning just absolutely blew my mind. There's nothing on this earth that would convince me to let my 16 y/o kid go start college in a new fucking COUNTRY whether they were neurodivergent or not. And knowing what we know about Beatrice, why on Earth would she WANT to go away for college? Every interaction she's had with people over the years she talks about how much she's hated it. Why?

And honestly it felt like her parents were just like "She's not going to make it at camp so let's just let her go and fail and then she can come back home." Rather than being a parent and reminding their child that "No." is a complete sentence. As your parent I am responsible for your health, wellbeing, and safety. If I don't believe a situation is safe for you and I tell you no, that's it. End of argument.

Maybe, given the above paragraph, I'm too old for YA contemporary. Either way. This one just didn't work for me.

3.5/5

For the most part I thought this was a cute ya summer read that is easily enjoyable. I loved the diverse characters and the setting the book created. I think there was a good balance between plot and character, but I have one major issue with this story.

I don't think that I would feel as strongly as I do about the underlying message in this book if it weren't for the fact that it's marketed to a ya audience and if I hadn't had a similar experience growing up. The fmc, Bea, is a young girl with coded traits that give the impression she is neurodivergent. I don't know if this was intentional on the authors part, regardless it's important representation that I love to see in books. The narrative of being a neurodivergent person surrounded by people who don't understand you and comment on your lack of "normalcy" is a common occurrence in fiction, but more importantly in real life for a lot of people. With that said, it was discouraging to watch those neurodivergent traits in the fmc essentially disappear under the guise of "fitting in". It would have been better to see Bea and those around her come to terms with those traits and adjust their view of her. This gives neurodivergent readers the impression that they need to "fix" themselves to fit in with those around them which can be harmful.

Outside of the issue I had with this book, I think it was well written and has the potential to be a really great ya read if that issue were to be fixed!

This was cute, but it didn't really impress me overall. There wasn't anything that particularly stood out to me, and it felt too familiar. It felt like something I'd read many times already. Like ever 90s teen comedy where the nerdy girl gets a makeover to win the heart of the mean popular guy. I know there was more going on here than just that, but it wasn't interesting enough to really hold my attention. The fact that it took me almost 3 months to get through this book is another sign that it wasn't for me.

I do think it would appeal to teens, though, so I would recommend it for libraries for sure. It's just a story I've seen done so many times personally that I wasn't excited about it in this iteration.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute summer romance between Bea (a home schooled introvert) and Nik (extrovert theater kid). Bea (who's 16) applies and gets in to Oxford without her parents knowing it. Just one problem is that they feel she lacks people skills and certain experiences to go off to college at her age. They end up sending her to Shakespearean camp for the summer with a list of experiences that she needs to complete before she has their blessing. Once there she over hears Nik (who's family funds the camp) tell his group of friends that Bea isn't pretty. So starts the enemy to lovers trope!! While completing the list her new friends decided to add to it for some more normal teenage experiences. It was fun to watch her come out of her shell and even learn that not all relationships are black and white.

This book was cute, funny, and just a fun read.

Super cute! A light and fun read with really likable, fleshed out teen characters. This book made me wish I had gone to theater camp as a teenager! The narrator for the audiobook did a great job as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!

This book was a really cute, really fast summer read. I really liked the Shakespeare references but especially loved the friendships and the character growth throughout the book.

Beatrice was a great main character. I love a young woman who has drive, intelligence, and goals. Her growth throughout the book was so fantastic to see. With the help of her friends Beatrice really grew into a confident young woman. I could relate to her bookishness and apprehension to do some “normal” teen things while admiring her ability to throw herself into the challenge her parents presented with the theatre camp.

The friendships Beatrice developed throughout the book were wonderful. The secondary characters created a cast diverse in ethnicity, race, and sexual orientation. It’s so great to see that in mainstream media as a normal occurrence. Beatrice’s romantic interest was OK- I didn’t care for him at the beginning but did grow to like him more. I think I liked how the relationship helped Beatrice out of her comfort zone more than I liked the relationship itself. That being said, I did love their banter and how their dynamic changed throughout the book.

The characters were all flawed in their own ways and I love how real each individual felt to me. They were all unique characters who brought something to the table without detracting from the main plot/Beatrice’s arc. It was a great cast of characters overall.

The setting was super fun! Shakespeare theatre camp in the woods- what could be better? This setting helped everything feel a little more separate from the “real world” and made the party (you’ll know what I mean when you read it!) all the more enchanting.

This book is a great modern coming-of-age story for a quick summer read. It’s lighthearted but balanced out with issues of identity, “what ifs” about the future, and growing up. The relationships between the characters were dynamic and felt real. I would be open to reading more from this author in the future!

Sorry, this story wasn't for me! I did love the main character but I found her parents to be too difficult to deal with. I have to review and rate every book I get on Netgalley or they won't let my ratio hit 80%, I'm sorry.

Homeschooler, math genius introvert Beatrice shocks her parents by applying to Oxford–and getting in, at sixteen. Since she has barely interacted with her peers, or left the house much, really, they strike a deal: She must go away to camp for a month and accomplish a list of teenager goals created by her therapist parents: make a friend, accept an invitation you don’t want, do an outdoor activity, hug three people, even pull a prank. Designed for character growth for a child on the spectrum, these are tame but challenging for Bea.

The camp, of course, is a geeky Shakespeare camp for budding thespians, and the shy girl must not only interact, but ACT, thanks to her photographic memory.

This fun, fast-paced, and witty YA read is ultimately tame, with an interesting cast of characters.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #LongStoryShort from #NetGalley

ARC kindly provided by the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book, put simply, is why so many introverts despise extroverts (with a burning passion).

I know that's a really weird way to start off a book review but trust me when I say it encapsulates the entire story in a neat, succinct sentence. See, Long Story Short follows Beatrice, an introverted, awkward teenage girl who gets accepted into her dream university, Oxford. Getting in was one thing but getting her parents to let her go is another. They want Bea to get outside of her comfort zone, believing she'd always stay inside her shell so to combat this, they sign her up to a Theatre Camp on the other side of America where she'd get to act and perform in the season's play: Romeo and Juliet.

What could possibly go wrong?

To prove her parents wrong, Bea agrees and armed with a list her parents made of "normal teenage experiences," she goes into camp where she meets wannabe directors, actors and costume designers. Most strikingly of all, she meets the camp directors' son, Nik. It's hate at first glance as the two bicker and banter about Shakespeare and start Shakespearean quote competitions to find out who knows their Shakespeare the best. As the competition gets more fierce and the play draws closer and closer, Bea starts to realise her conflicting feelings for her enemy and starts to realise that life may be better and more fun when you're not sticking to the book.

From the very beginning when the proposition of the camp plan between Bea and her parents arose, I was silently staring daggers into the page and silently chastising their opinions. So what if your daughter hasn't had a lot of "normal teenage experiences?" she's only 16... she has the rest of teenage hood ahead of her. I didn't really understand the intense push to urgently mark items off the list. Yes it's great you want to encourage her to get out of her comfort zone but trust me, if this book was real life you would've only caused more of a rift between you all rather than solidifying or strengthening a relationship which apparently was the aim. The fact that Bea was so calm about it all is either a testament to her character or a completely unrealistic portrayal of teenage hood.

But the story had to move forward somehow.

This idea of pushing the main character out of her comfort zone was reinforced not only by her parents but also her newfound camp mates. Instantly from the start, they were trying to get her to explore new things and experience the theatre camp lifestyle which is all well and good but there is a very fine line between encouraging and pushing a person into things and there were so many instances where that line was blurred. For example, Bea might've wanted to stay inside her cabin instead of hanging out with people but they'd try to drag her out and make her do things outside her comfort zone.

As I said before, this must be a testament to her character that she remained calm about this and didn't lash out or feel insane amounts of anger here. But that was just about the relationships and interactions she had with family and friends.

Romance wise, I loved the banter. Who wouldn't love a banter war where two Shakespeare nerds battle it out in a guess-the-play-the-Shakespeare-quote-is-from game? The banter is what made this book. I loved the subtle digs and the way they basically confessed their love to each other through old English but they were oblivious to it all because it was all just a game. I love the oblivious chemistry trope and I was cheering them on the whole time. Seriously, I would read a spin off book with their banter in a heart beat. I. Was. That. Happy!

But then the banter died down and we were left with those all-consuming love confessions of "well I actually liked you from the start." I don't know... I felt like we went from cute banter to BOOM love confession with nothing in between. I wanted more subtle pining where Bea comes to terms with her feelings and I wanted more "them" moments where the two would break their walls down and just talk. I wanted more of that. I think it would've made the main romance all that more believable and shippable.

But apart from those aforementioned things, this book was still a solid debut and I'm excited to see the direction Serena Kaylor takes in the future and I'd definitely will read more books from the author soon. There were a few things to polish up on but the foundations were solid for a well-rounded novel. I would still recommend this book to readers but maybe more so in the early-early mid range of YA (maybe 13-16?).

ACTUAL RATING: 3 STARS

This was such a cute l interesting story! I really liked all the main characters, even the “villain” in the end (which I appreciate). The interactions and thought processes were complex in a really interesting way. I liked that this was an enemies to “lovers” story and really enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters, even if things were very dragged out between them. Realistically a month (the time they’re at camp) makes sense for them getting together. It was long enough to spend some time together. I read this book all in one day, it was that enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

I had received a copy of this book for helping the author with the cover reveal. I will add my review when I finish the book here along with the links. 🥰

I really enjoyed this book, though cliche at times. I love Nik and Bea so much. Their banter and the enemies to lovers type trope has my absolute heartttttt. This was overall a good summer read.

I loved this one so much. Long Story Short follows Bea, a brilliant but socially awkward 16 year old, who desperately wants to go to Oxford. After revealing to her parents that she's been admitted to the UK university, her sex therapist hippie parents agree to let her go under one condition -- she spends the summer at theater camp accomplishing a list of tasks that prove she'll be able to navigate the social waters of college.

Bea is such a great main character and you can't help but root for her the entire time as she journeys through summer camp, learning how to make friends, how to flirt, and how to step outside the rigidly defined boundaries she's established for herself. She is clearly neurodivergent although that's never specifically addressed. I appreciated that the point of this novel is not to "cure" her neurodivergence but rather follow Bea on this journey of self-discovery as she realizes that sometimes she enjoys stepping outside the box and being an active participant in her life, as opposed to just walling everyone off -- and not just for the sake of a check list.

The full cast of characters in this book are excellent. Mia and Nolan, Bea's camp best friends, are my favorites but you've got everything -- the love interest, the villain, the comedic relief. There's one conflict that is resolved a little too neatly in the end and sometimes the book does read extremely young but -- hey, it's YA! It's supposed to be young. Overall I highly recommend this one!

What a great coming of age story! I have struggled with YA Fiction lately. But this one didn’t moss the mark. I thought it was a super cute story that is relatable for most teens.

Beatrice has always dreamed about going to Oxford. But her parents don’t quite trust that she is ready to move to another country. Bea is a math wizard but not the greatest at socializing. They want her to make friends and not spend all four years of college in the library. Her parents strike a deal with her. Six weeks at a Shakespeare Camp. Can she convince her parents to let her head to Oxford? Or will she find more than she bargained for.


What I enjoyed:
- Bea’s journey on discovering herself. She is a very relatable and likable character. You really do root for her growth.
- The romance was cute. But I liked how it wasn’t the main focus of the plot line!
- Very well written! This one sucked me in and it was very hard not to put it down.

I loved the ending! I thought it wrapped up the story perfectly. I also look forward to reading more from this author in the future. This book was incredibly written. I think this book is perfect for anyone looking for a coming of age story with a dash of romance. 4 stars out of 5. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!