Actual rating: 3.5

My enjoyment of this book was more four stars but sweet lord, the cliches were alive and well in this book and I struggled really hard not to cringe over them constantly.

This book was cute and heartfelt. Clearly, Serena Kaylor is going to be a bright, shiny YA author to watch. But damn, this debut was a collage of all the best and worst YA tropes right down to the "nerdy girl becomes girly girl with help of theatre friends."

⭐️ rating: 4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 genre: young adult
🔥 steam: this is a kissing book
tropes: found family, self-discovery
🎧 narrator: 9/10

I'm not going to lie to you about this one - it took me a lonnnnnng time to become invested in the storyline. It was difficult to get into Bea's mindset and understand her personality/motivations, and I put the book aside twice before making it to the end.

But I'm glad I did! Having the audiobook & listening to it definitely helped me to feel more invested in the story!

This is a sweet young adult coming-of-age/romance story about finding out who you are and where you fit in. I laughed out loud, I loved Bea's wit & intelligence, but I think I especially loved how quickly Mia and Nolan accepted her - warts and all. I feel like that's a drama & theatre person thing - you find SO MANY different personalities in that field, that they are much more welcoming to the unknown. So Bea's parents could not have picked a better summer camp option.

✨ I loved the Shakespeare competition between Nik & Bea. This was REALLY well done in the audiobook (I also ready the digital copy of this one, and it just wasn't as fun on the page as it was listening to it).
✨ The "third act breakup" so to speak felt a little forced and weird. Like I got it, but also - get over it?
✨ I've got to say, I didn't enjoy Bea's parents at the beginning of the book - but I did by the end. Did they think she was just going to live at home forever? What was going to happen after college? Eventually homeschooled kids have to leave the nest.
✨ Speaking of Mia & Nolan - LOVED. I loved their dynamic with each other and with Bea. They made a great bantery threesome.
✨ AUDIO THOUGHTS: Please listen to this book if you have the chance! The narrator does SUCH an amazing job of A. embodying a group of teenagers & B. Speaking the dialogue of Bea, Mia, & Nik. It was so fun to hear her take on their accents & how those accents showed their personality.

This book is everything my geeky theater geek heart needed!

This book follows Beatrice Quinn as she's forced out of her homeschooled comfort bubble by her parents by making them a deal. She'll fulfil their list of 'adequate teenager things' and attend a theatre camp, and they'll allow her to go to her dream college in the fall. She has 6 weeks to figure out how to accomplish everything on her list. Can she break out of her comfort zone and find the friends she's always wanted and maybe the love of her life?

This book is so freaking good!! It's so sweet and snarky. It's just the right amount of snark and sass, but also an amazing growing arc. I also really liked that even the 'mean girl' got a redemption arc. I hate when girls in YA are pitted against each other in that stereotypical way. Its 2022. But thankfully this book doesn't fall into these overused stereotypes.

I wish I had access to camps like this as a kid. This sounds like such a good time! I just want to live there!

Thank you to Netgalley & Dreamscape Media for the ARC audiobook
Thank you to Serena Kaylor for writing such a sweet book that spoke to my geeky soul
Thank you to Sarah Beth Goer for using your voice for these amazing characters!!

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!

DNF at 57%
I have heard such wonderful reviews on this book and can only attribute my lack of desire to finishing to the narrator, Sarah Beth Goer. I especially did not like her put on voice for Mia. I strongly believe she would be better suited to a book featuring adults rather than a YA.

This was SUCH a cute story!!! I found myself laughing out loud multiple times at the cleverness. This story made me miss my days in high school theater and all of the amazing and supportive people there. I hope there is a sequel soon because I need more Bea!

An adorable YA romance that combines so many of my favorite things: a genius female MC, 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.

Holy crap guys… I enjoyed this SO much. I was literally swooning and smiling so hard at the end. Quick highlights:

🌟 YA contemporary, hate-to-love romance
🌟 Theater (summer) camp setting
🌟 A smarty-pants FMC (Beatrice) who is extremely socially awkward and is forced to step out of her comfort zone in order to attend Oxford early (at age 16!)
🌟 A friend group that any person would want to be a part of
🌟 A swoony (British) MMC (Nick) who falls HARD for our FMC

There is just so much to enjoy about this story. Beatrice’s character arc was just perfection - watching her step out of her comfort zone, make friends, and try new things. I also died for her slow-burn romance with Nick - watching their relationship go from hate-to-love and her not even realizing it… just so so so good.

This may be one of the best coming of age stories I’ve read in some time and cannot believe this is the author’s debut! Cannot recommend it enough!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Serena Kaylor's debut YA RomCom novel, Long Story Short was such a delight to read. A perfect quirky, sweet, light-hearted coming-of-age story that will leave you with warm & fuzzies all over.

Beatrice Quinn is a brilliant 16year old girl, who despite her brilliant mind when it comes to her studies, hasn't had the easiest time socializing with her peers. Emotions are confusing to her; they can't just be placed in a simple equation to be solved. But as she prepares to go off to her dream college, Oxford, she must first prove to her parents that she can interact with her peers & live outside her perfect schedule by attending an acting camp.

Beatrice is such a quirky & sweet character; you couldn't help but root for her as she embarks on this journey. With the help of some really fun side characters, Mia & Nolan, you watch Beatrice grow in a way that didn't change who she was but just brought out new sides of her. I loved the way that her newfound friends excepted her & rather than changing her they simply encouraged her to try new things. If you don't like it - then fine, but you have to give it a fair shot first. They loved Bea for who she was.

Serena also gives us a perfect picture of young love in the story between Bea & Nik that was sweet & perfect for this YA RomCom.

Overall I loved every minute of this story, with the quirky characters, witty banter, and sweet romance. Dreamscape did an excellent job of narrating this story. It was perfect for listening to while going about my daily tasks.

Thank you, Serena Kaylor, Netgalley, & Dreamscape for this copy of Long Story Short

“Long Story Short” had its moments. I really enjoyed the YA type romance but it was really a slog for me to get through it at times. I found her parents intolerable and the fact that they made her go through this process she was uncomfortable with even though they were home schooling her was a really odd choice. Bea was written as possibly being on the spectrum and her parents clearly didn’t do anything to help her if that is the case.

Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor was such a fantastic book. I loved the narrator that was chosen. She spoke really clearly and her characters voices were fantastic. This book was just a really sweet but deep story about a young girl who needs to be pushed out of her bubble. I appreciated the anxiety rep and I really think she wrote it very well and clear. I loved the side characters too. I would love a book about Mia and/or Nolan. I also loved Nick's character as well. Beatrice is defiantly someone I can relate too because I have felt her anxiety. The ending was hilarious and unexpected, and I love a surprise. It defiantly gives me Sarah Dessen vibes, but for this time period. I would easily read this book/listen to it again. The production was well done and really added to the story.

I have to preface, I didn't finish this. Not because I didn't like it but it was definitely more for teens, as opposed to YA. I think teens will definitely enjoy this, just not for my 27 year old self.

Thank you @dreamscapemedia and @netgalley for the chance to listen to it before it goes out to the world! (the chance to listen was in exchange for my honest review)

Long Story Short is a loveable coming of age romance and was everything I wanted and more! As I was listening to the story I found that I genuinely didn’t want it to end! I found myself connecting to Bea in so many ways, although I was not homeschooled & did not graduate early, I am very much a person that does not do well in social settings with a ton of people. I feel like I would have been the exact same, freaking out about going to a summer camp to make friends before being allowed to go to Oxford.

Going to a Shakespeare camp and making friends like Mia and Nolan has me reminiscing on when I did Shakespeare in high school, although I had friends in the class the year we did Romeo & Juliet, my experience with the play was horrible compared to Bea. But hearing Bea blossom in friendships and within the camp made me so happy. Plus a romance with a certain someone, a slow burn & an enemies to lovers is an amazing combo. I really don’t want to spoil the book but honestly I could sit and talk about it for ages.

Overall I loved Long Story Short, I love Bea and her story, the side characters, and the tropes within the book. Sarah Beth Goer was an amazing narrator, and made it such an enjoyable listen! I highly suggest listening to the audiobook when it comes out next week, and/or pick up the book as well!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this copy of Long Story Short!

Okay this was so cute! While I enjoy Shakespeare, I’m no pro. I couldn’t quote anything beside that one line from Romeo & Juliet. BUT the fact that this book has a Shakespeare battle (in my head I was picturing like an Eminem a rap battle 😂) was freakin adorable! I think people who love Shakespeare are gonna love all the references sprinkled throughout!

Beatrice is such a quirky character. I was a little worried at the beginning that the story was gonna go down a path I didn’t like, forcing her to completely change her personality to fit societal norms. While it was never stated (that I can recall), the author wrote Beatrice in a way where she felt on the autism spectrum. I am not autistic so I can not speak to the representation in the book.

I liked how the friends she made didn’t push her too hard into changing her whole personality. Take a risk and buy new clothes? Great! Don’t wear them right away? Also great! Opening her up little by little was probably my favorite part. I love a good found family, & this book had it! Theater kids banding together? I need more!

Overall, I really liked this audiobook! I liked all the characters (minus Shelby) and was even kinda wanting a sequel with Beatrice moving to Oxford. I’d love to see how much she continues to grow as a person there!!

This was so fluffy and gave off the best summer vibes!

I read this so quickly and can't stop thinking about it. The character development of Bea was so great to see and I loved watching the relationship between her and Nik growing as the book went by. Although Bea was my favorite character, I did like the side characters as well.

I loved how Shelby didn't turn out to be the stereotypical mean girl that you see so much in books and movies. Mia, Nolan, and Nik were also great.

Age rating wise, this book is G-rated and very appropriate. There is some kissing between Bea and Nik, but besides that, there are no cuss words or sexual references. I really liked the slow burn.

Overall, I would give this book four stars. It's the perfect book to read on the beach during the summer.

I haven't read a YA novel in so long and this one reminded me how much I love them! An audiobook copy was given to me through NetGalley and I am elated that I got to listen to it. My heart is filled with happiness after reading this book. Beatrice is a girl who grew up homeschooled and finally got accepted to her dream college in England. When her parents are weary about her moving to another country alone, they decide to send her to an acting summer camp where she can get some of the normal teenager experiences that she never got as a homeschooler.

I related to Beatrice so much with struggling to fit in. She has to find a way to mesh with her peers after being isolated for so long. This experience forced her to get out of her comfort zone, try new things, and even led to her meeting some of her best friends. The romance aspect was perfectly sweet. I was left squealing and giddy anytime she interacted with the main love interest. Not to mention, he was British...

I loved this book and will definitely be trying out any other books from this author. After reading, my love for YA has been revived. The narration by Sarah Beth Goer was great and added to the value of the story. I hope to read more books like this in the future.

This is a very cute awkward teenage girl meets the cool handsome boy book. Beatrice is a 17 year old girl who has a photo graphic memory and is a creature of habit. She is very goal driven and really smart and got into Oxford. Her parents are afraid of her not having a normal teenager experience and force her to go to a summer camp or she cannot attend Oxford in the fall. To Beatrice's horror they send her to a theatre summer camp. There she meets Nick, the good looking confident theater actor who at first gets on Beatrice's bad side. It is a lot of teen drama which is expected but it was definitely a cute story and it charmed me by the end of it.

LONG STORY SHORT is an adorable YA contemporary novel about an introverted, ingenious teen who attends a Shakespeare camp to prove to her parents she can have “normal teen experiences” before attending Oxford. I thought this book was the perfect blend of coming-of-age, friendship, and romance.

Though she doesn’t specifically identify as autistic on the page, Bea is a neurodivergent character written by a neurodivergent author. I wish I had read this as a teen because a Bea’s journey was poignant, honest, and all too relatable. I loved that in addition to the romance, this book really focused on Bea coming out of her shell and making friends. If you like Shakespeare references, enemies-to-lovers romances, summer camp settings, plots that center around checklists, and intriguing teen characters, I strongly recommend LONG STORY SHORT.

As for the audiobook, I would give the narrator’s performance a 3/5. I overall enjoyed Bea’s inner-monologue and most of the dialogue, but something about Goer’s accent for an important Black side character rubbed me the wrong way.

Forcing someone to have "typical teen experiences" is a no. This is extra true when they're coded neurodivergent. Hell no. Like sure I can see crappy parents doing that, but her dr? And the whole camp just went along with it. Nope nope nope.

The romance was cute enough, but there was nothing special about it.

This story was fun and easy to recommend to others. I loved the plot and mini lessons through the story. Sometimes we need a little push to broaden our comfort zone. I loved the attitude of Beatrice. She met the challenge with her own little twists.