I am faithfully continuing my quest of reading every book that is even tangentially related to Much Ado About Nothing.

I saw a character named Beatrice going to Shakespeare camp and I immediately hit that want to read button.

Overall, it was a relatively fun story. We get to see Beatrice learn to make friends and have fun, there’s lots of Shakespeare references thrown in there, and I will admit that some of the romance scenes were quite good. The romantic tension was definitely up there. Unfortunately, I think much of the story was too simple, and the pacing was off.

Let’s talk pacing first. For one, the exposition just took way too long. Long enough that I was surprised when I went back to check that it was actually only three chapters. Nonetheless, I am a firm believer that the plot in a book like this needs to get rolling fast, and the scenes of Beatrice arguing with her parents and expressing her discomfort about going to camp didn’t really do much for me as the reader. After all, she is going to camp eventually, it’s much better for her to express displeasure and discomfort about it after she’s already there in order to get that message across. Then, even though it appeared that the romance was supposed to be a big part of the book, it didn’t really become prominent until the second half, which just made it a bit awkward. For the entire first half I was thinking, “wait, I thought this was supposed to have romance.”

But I think my biggest issue was the fact that it was so simple. Everything was stereotyped and overdramatic; I never felt any emotional nuance. The main character felt like an “awkward smart girl who doesn’t know how to interact with anyone” stereotype rather than a plausible person. Beatrice’s whole thing is that she loves statistics and wants to go to Oxford, but I feel like I never actually understood her deeper feelings behind these things. Beatrice never shows any true passion for statistics on page, it’s more like she wants to study it because that’s what the smart, uptight girl stereotype decrees. She mentions wanting to get away from California. Is it because it’s too casual and not academic enough for her? Is it to get away from her parents? Is it to get away from the struggles she’s had in the past? I don’t know.

While the plot might be unrealistic, I am willing to suspend my disbelief for the purposes of the story, especially since it is Shakespeare-adjacent, and Shakespeare comedies tend to be incredibly unrealistic and over-the-top. However, I still need the characters to feel like people who could exist rather than just stereotypes in a 2000s teen movie. I would still recommend the book if it sounds interesting to you, just don’t expect too much from it.

As my P.S. complaint, why oh why when you have a Shakespeare book and a main character named Beatrice would you write a character named Ben who isn’t her love interest? Like, literally just give him any other name. I thought it was an incredibly weird choice.

“Long story short, it was a bad time. Long story short, I survived.” This Taylor Swift song is Beatrice Quinn song. Thank you to Net Gallery, Wednesday Books, and St Martins Press for the advance e-copy of Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor! After finishing this INCREDIBLE coming of age book I am making it my mission to preorder so I have my own copy in hand. Enemies to lovers story with great friendships, and fun teen camp moments. Perfect book for theater fans and any Shakespeare lover. I enjoyed Beatrice and her new friends so much and the friendship experiences they shared it was fun reading about. I LOVED Nik! This book was such a good coming of age with YA romance. Long Story Short gave me all the feels, nice fast paced book that is easy to get into and love. As someone who is awkward like Beatrice, I understood her anxiety and just loved everything about this character. Can’t wait to see what Serena writes next, they definitely have a supporter in me!

Long Story Short, Serena Kaylor. St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books, publishing date set for July 26, 2022

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance e-copy!

This book was exactly what I needed this week: a fun, cutesy young adult romance that gives me butterflies. Long Story Short stars Beatrice (“Bea”) Quinn, a socially awkward, homeschooled genius who dreams of Oxford. When she gets her acceptance letter and reveals it to her parents during dinner, they’re hesitant to let her go across the world alone for the first time ever.

In order to convince them to let her go, Bea agrees to an experiment: attend a Shakespearean summer camp and complete a series of tasks to ensure she has a true teenager experience.

Bea, as a character, was very cynical and very stubborn, but she begins to break out of her shell without changing herself completely. She did change for the better, but she also didn’t lose any of her spunk, which is something I loved.

I also loved the relationship she had between the other characters, even the ones who started out as enemies. Mia and Nolan are some of the best book friends you could ask for, and I love how open Mia was with her queerness. Seeing that representation added to my love for this book.

The tension between Nik and Bea was some of the best fluff romance I’ve read in a while. Literally up until the last moment, the tension was still there until it all came together in a nice (and amazingly shocking) way. Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and Kaylor does it in a charming and academic way.

Reading this reminds me of the endearing awkwardness of teenage-dom I endured seemingly forever ago, but it also made me reflect on how I, myself, have changed after exposing myself to new opportunities. This book is a great model of positive change.

It’s a quick but fun read, fit for anyone who is looking for a cute read with friendship, new experiences, and a coming-of-age theme.

Thank you again to NetGalley and St Martin’s for the e-ARC!

Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor: 5 out of 5 stars

I read this in one sitting. I blew through the story so faced, I kinda wish I had a little more. I want more Beatrice, Nik, and Nolan, especially of Beatrice and Nik once they were together. I would have loved to see them as a couple more, but nonetheless, this cute romance was exactly what the doctor ordered. It was light, cute, and easy to read. I think my favorite part was the "bet". I love me a good challenge between heroine and love interest.

Did this book have some faults? Sure. Will I recommend it? Of course!

I will definitely be reaching for more of this author's books in the future. I can't wait to see what she puts out next.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an ebook for an honestly review!

Like I said in my update, I’m pleasantly surprised by this book. The characters were much more fleshed out and deep than I usually get from a fun YA rom-com. And the plot was just lots of fun. There were some mildly predictable moments, but mostly I just enjoyed the Shakespeare and theatre stuff. It was just delightful. 💜💜📚

Okay wowwww!! This book was so cute!! I loved most of it so much!

My only things were that some parts were predictable, the language in parts just felt unnecessary given that majority of the book was clean, and this like never happens in real life 😂 Having been the homeschooled girl who is intelligent (albeit not exactly SUPER awkward) at camp, I know this just does not happen. Majority of people are not drawn to you. Although this is fiction, so I acknowledge that.

That being said, I wish this wasn’t fiction! It was sooo cute and fun to read! The storyline was interesting and engaging. I felt like it had a perfect mixture of dialogue and descriptions throughout.

Beatrice (Bea, Mouse): I really liked her! I appreciated how the author portrayed her, smart, and yes awkward, but not like she was incapable of socializing. She had to go through the learning curve, but she wasn’t stuck in being nonsocial. (I do find it weird how her parents viewed her and her social skills, by making her go to a camp to “become a teenager” though). I really liked her character development throughout the story. I felt like we didn’t get enough of her thoughts on Nik, but I did love her and Nik with the little we did get.

Mia: I LOVED Mia! She reminds me of someone I know who is like a bubbly life of the party person, but she is also capable of being a stable, great friend. That being said, I felt like her immediate acceptance of Beatrice was sweet, but unrealistic.

Nik: please… PLEASE… I already have enough book boyfriends!! But MAN!! Nik is perfect. I loved him. His Shakespeare love quotes…. I would pass away if someone did that to me. Especially if I thought that person hated me.

Nolan: Fun, funny, and all-around great friend.

Overall, it was a light, fun, great read that I would definitely recommend!! I will definitely be reading future works from this author!


⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
3.5/5 stars!

This was a cute highschool romance with the classic awkward girl - popular guy / enemies to lovers trope. Bea was likeable and I found myself rooting for her. Bea's parents were a frustrating pain and I couldn't understand how they had so little faith in their own daughter. Regardless, I enjoyed watching Bea come into her own. Nik was a bit of an underwhelming love interest. There was nothing about him that stood out and the chemistry didn't jump off the page. However, the enemies to lovers banter was fun.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC.
Expected Publication Date: July 26, 2022.

Thank you, Wednesday Books, for allowing me to read Long Story Short early!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kaylor's debut. I adore books (and other media) set in summer camps. The premise of Long Story Short was fairly captivating and the book successfully won me over!

My heart is literally smiling. Long Story Short it is a great YA novel that is unputdownable. I loved the setting because it gave it a summery vibe that I appreciate. I adored Beatrice and Nik, both were well-developed, rounded character, and I love the two of them together. The friendships were great too, I especially loved the satisfying ending.
What a hit debut by Serena Kaylor!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Long Story Short is about sixteen year old prodigy Beatrice who, after being homeschooled for years, attends a Shakespeare overnight camp to prove to her parents that she is socially mature enough to go off on her own to study at Oxford. She makes her first real friends (lovely Mia and Nolan) and encounters a love interest that develops over the course of the story.

I found the book to be delightful! Such an adorable YA book with an important message about staying true to yourself.

Y’all I binged this book....unlike didn't stop, won't stop!
What a beautiful debut! Serena Kaylor Killed this book and I absolutely can't wait to read more of her work.
LONG STORY SHORT is a wonderful YA romance story.
A first love, enemies-to-lovers, romcom that completely and utterly took off with my heart and made it burst.
This book is about self-discovery, love and friendship.
This really was an impressive debut, with great writing, character development, and a gripping story!
Beatrice I adored her and I loved her!
Gosh! These side characters were the best.
This book was so special. It was beautifully written, full of touching moments, amazing friendships, wonderful humor. Absolutely adored it!

Wednesday Books,
Thank you for this eARC!
I will post review close to pub date!

This book has perfect timing. In a time when our kids have gone years without typical social interactions, staying six feet apart from their friends, not having the typical experiences that develop social skills, and staring at black screens on a computer instead of think-pair-sharing with their classmates, it’s a perfect time for a book about a seventeen year old who needs to learn how to make friends.

tws: on-page panic attack, anxiety / social anxiety, underage drinking

I went into this book with little expectations for it, I'll be honest. I had no clue what to expect. And maybe that was a good thing in this case. I was pleasantly surprised by the story, the characters, and even the main romance. This was a cute, light coming of age, summery story.

There were some moments I cringed at (like Bea's alter ego being named "Athena Ruth Bader Ginsburg"), but overall, it was a cute, quick read with a well-rounded cast of characters. I also think for a book named after a Taylor Swift song, there was a surprising lack of Taylor Swift. I think Mia would've been a Taylor Swift stan.

I loved Mia and would die if it meant I was able to protect her. And I loved Beatrice. I loved her with all her little quirks - that were really just traits of autism - and I loved how relatable she felt to me. From living in her own head and expecting people to know what she was thinking, to not knowing how to define friendship or tell if someone is your friend, to talking in extremes with her black and white thinking, to being called a robot and asking if she can feel anything at all, to researching everything beforehand, I felt like Bea was me as a child. I felt so seen by her, and I really think she deserves the whole world.

I'd recommend this to any autistic person looking to find their place in this world, who feels as though everyone except you was given a "manual" for life.

I'll definitely keep Serena Kaylor's name on my mind to check out her future work.

Thank you to Netgalley, Serena Kaylor, and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was such a pleasure reading Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor. The novel's characters and relationships were so well-rounded that they made for a wonderful story. As far as the romance genre goes, I think this works so well in the YA genre.

I really enjoyed Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor. This was a fun take on the enemies to lovers trope while blended with a coming of age story that was uplifting and quite fun. The main character, Beatrice, is a likeable character who carries her social anxiety on her sleeve and it's great to see her grow with exposing herself to situations she would otherwise have avoided. Her friends and love interest are all pretty well fleshed out and overall it was a really enjoyable novel.. I would highly recommend this as a light heartwarming read!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sometimes I love reading seasonally appropriate stories (think Winter Solstice in December), but sometimes I love to escape the drudgery of a particular season (*cough* winter *cough*) with a story set in the opposite. Serena Kaylor's debut fits solidly in the latter category.

Long Story Short is a delightful YA Rom Com (think Emma Lord's novels with a little less complex conflict) with a Shakespeare theatre camp during a steamy Connecticut summer as its backdrop.

Beatrice is socially awkward, uber smart and headed to Oxford in the fall if she can hold up on her own with other teenagers at said theatre camp. The supporting roles in this story are filled with a cast of (maybe abnormally?) charming and lovelable adolescents you just want to root for.

Long Story Short publishes mid-July, and truly would be such a fun beach/pool read.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the gifted ebook.

Read for:
• Summer camp setting
• Hate to love (Darcy/Lizzie vibes)
• All things Shakespeare
• Fantastic side characters
• (Self proclaimed) socially awkward STEM heroine

I absolutely loved this wonderful contemporary YA story! It was exactly what I needed when I felt myself sliding into a slump. It made me laugh out loud and just remember all the feelings of being an awkward teen (bonus, I was also a drama nerd). The side characters in this book were so strong and I found myself thinking about the wonderful friends I made through theatre in high school- friends that always made me feel like I could be exactly who I am and they would always except and encourage that.

I hope you will add this to your TBR, because it is such a delight! Easily a new favorite contemporary YA for me. Fans of Emma Lord will likely love this.

Beatrice Quinn isn’t your typical teenager, she’s brilliant and sticks to her routine while focusing only on getting accepted to Oxford. When her parents make a deal for Beatrice to attend theater camp for the summer to prove she can handle the big move, it may just end up being the one problem that gets in the way of her plan.

This book contains all of the heartache, awkwardness, and nostalgic aspects of growing up. Set with a diverse cast of characters and our lovable and awkward heroine, it’s the perfect mix for remembering your own journey of self-discovery and growing up. Focusing on the uncomfortable portions and how sometimes you get hurt but when it’s good, it’s so good. A beautiful coming of age tale that I would recommend for anyone to read

Flew through this in a day! As a deeply introverted person who didn't have many typical teenage experiences under her belt going into college, I identified with Bea a lot. I liked seeing her come out of her shell and develop really strong friendships for the first time in her life. I like that Bea was kind of stubborn and stuck in her ways because we get to see her grow in a lot of different ways, By the end of the book, she really is a different person who has undergone a lot of character growth. I enjoyed most the final chapters in which the main character and love interest finally get on the same page! Nik was kind of annoying (to me at least) throughout most of the book, but I felt that he finally was able to express how he felt about Bea in a way that couldn't be misinterpreted in those last chapters. And they really do make a cute couple.

Oh my goodness I SPED through this book. I couldn’t put it down at all because it was just so much fun! I really felt like I was watching a fun summer rom com, complete with summer Shakespeare camp and absolutely swoon worthy lines!

First of all, I think it was really interesting to read about a character who is not labeled as having Autism Spectrum disorder, despite being coded neurodivergent. The author recently tweeted that that was on purpose and I think it was really well done, especially with the themes of needing to fit in with “normal” teenagers and how there’s not actually such a thing as normal.

Beatrice was such a force of a character. She has the wit and charm as well as the smart and sarcasm that I really enjoy reading. She was a really fun POV! I loved the sort of Taming of the Shrew mixed with Pride and Prejudice vibes the book gave off without being an obvious retelling!

The banter between the two love interests was so much fun to read! I especially loved the Shakespeare-off where she was giving quotes that sort of represented hate while he was just charming and it had me SQUEALING.

I especially loved the friendships and how supportive they were of her without forcing her into some box of “normalcy”. The characters were a delight to have and I wish we’d gotten more of them!

Honestly, this was just a vibe to read and I really enjoyed the ride!