Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a great YA romance novel, even if you do not like Shakespeare!

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5

Bea (Beatrice) is an awkward genius with problems with social skills and "normal" teenage interactions. The author does not diagnose her on the spectrum even though it would be believable. Bea's parents have a line about not wanting to box their daughter in with a diagnosis. I do appreciate this a little because it gives breathing room away from those diagnoses without robbing them of representation. Many people will have similarities with Bee's adhesion to social situations even if they are not on the spectrum.

As in most teenage romances, communication is the main villain between the two characters. It causes some confusion. But during their verbal sparing, there are many Shakespeare quotes which caused me auto laugh out loud and smile.

Bea comes out of her shell in a realistic way and her friends are very supportive. Nik is not perfect and realizes his mistakes. The supporting cast is great!

Overall, this is a great, light, happy, and PG rated summer read! I really loved reading this book and I am very glad I picked it up.

4.5⭐️

Reading a book about summer camp when I’m still mourning saying goodbye to an especially great year of working for a summer program that means so much to me felt like a perfectly wonderful punch in the gut (just go with me here).

To be honest, I wasn’t sure about this one to start with, mostly because I didn’t like Beatrice much in the book’s first chapters. I didn’t like that she was so set in her routines and averse to new experiences while claiming to want a huge change of scenery (moving to England to attend Oxford). I rooted for her parents who wanted to challenge her by making her attend a summer camp that would force her out of her comfort zone and onto the stage (literally—it’s a Shakespeare drama camp).

I expected typical YA hijinks, which can sometimes be too much for me, but I found the story to be charming from this point forward. I liked the supporting cast of characters (wasn’t a huge fan of the audiobook narrator’s performance of their voices, though) and how this became a story of celebrating trying new things, finding new friends, and becoming more confident in yourself.

Did my own recent summer camp experience mean I cried at the end when Beatrice said goodbye to her new friends? Absolutely.

Quick Summary: Awkwardness, angst, friendship, & feelings meet Shakespeare head on...in the best possible way!

My Review: Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor is my new favorite YA. It was totally brilliant, and I absolutely loved it!

About the Characters:

Bea
From the moment Beatrice Quinn stepped on the scene, she commanded attention. She was awkward and quirky, but she had a charm about her that made her oh so endearing. I loved the fact that she was unapologetically intelligent. She had drive, and she was committed to achieving her goals. Although she had limited experience with social engagements (not because of being homeschooled but more so because she had been so heavily focused on her own pursuits), so what.

Nick
This British hottie was a walking cupcake with all of the yummy frosting Bea secretly desired. Despite his having made a whopper of a mistake where Beatrice was concerned when they initially met, he certainly made up for his earlier misguided error as they worked together. Nick was persistent and laser focused on getting the girl, even if he had to recite every Shakespearean line that he knew. He loved the challenge that was Bea. (Game on!)

Nolan and Mia
These two aces were the perfect support characters. They were colorful unicorns, in their own way. I adored how fiercely loyal they were to Bea. It was refreshing to see their acceptance of her. They took her at face value. They were protective over their friend. Their zeal and enthusiasm over Bea's list was outrageous. They went down her list with so much gusto. It was a hoot!

The Antagonist
She served her purpose. I dare say that I was not expecting that ending. (I see what you did there, Ms. Kaylor. It worked.)

The Best Parts
1) When Bea's parents gave her a crazy ultimatum that could have made or cancelled her dreams, my heart felt for her. I loved how she took steps to fight for what she wanted. Even in the face of that which was perceived as strange and foreign to her, she didn't back down.

2) Bea's "firsts" were the adventures I didn't know I needed. (Kaylor wrote each one with just the right amount of intensity and humor.)

3) The finale (and everything that came after) made everything beautiful and perfect.

My Final Say: Long Story Short is worth its weight in gold. 🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: YES
Audience: YA
Re-read: YES
Keeper: YES
Favorites Shelf: YES

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided access to an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and have not been influenced by the aforementioned in any way.

* A Goodreads post has been submitted.

I couldn’t get into this one. It felt immature and not scripted well.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review

I've received this audiobook from NetGalley to review.

Plot: We follow Beatrice as she tells her family she’s been accepted to go to Oxford and when she tells them, they don’t believe she’s ready for it so to see if she really is ready for college, they send her to Shakespeare camp in Connecticut and she has a check list of things she needs to achieve before the camp ends

Review

The writing is very weird and kinda gives me wattpad, twilight vibes.

Beatrice and her mom remind me of me and my mom which kinda seems scary considering we're both off to college in the fall far away from home.

As a theatre kid myself, i think the way she’s being forced to go to theatre camp as a punishment is very upsetting. And how most people are being seen as the “rich and popular girls who hate the nerdy girl” is so cliche and annoying.

I’m not sure if the author wrote the fmc in mind to be autistic or on the spectrum but she’s definitely seeming like it from just listening to it and how she’s described. I think this makes the plot so much worse since Beatrice’s parents want to send her away to be make her extroverted or “normal”.

The beginning,although interesting was way worse than the rest of the book.

I understand that the author was trying to do an enemies to lovers moment but i think for a cute ya moment going from “i think she’s literally ugly” to “i didn’t know you could hear me 🥺🥺🥺” is ridiculous like i get why bea didn’t want to admit she liked him after that

THE PLOT TWISTS ARE SO PREDICTABLE

I loved this story! I forgot how much I loved Romeo and Juliet. I have read so many different variations of it so the fact that this story revolves around it, was amazing! Beatrice was me. Before I started really trying to be more out going, I had no idea how to make friends. I really loved this story and the narration was great! At first, I did not like how the narrator was voicing her character but after a few chapters, it all made sense. Overall, I loved the audiobook and the story itself.

I finished the audiobook of Long Story Short yesterday and I loved it!! It’s a book that I’ve been anxiously awaiting since I heard about it because I loved the description and I couldn’t wait to see how it actually was and it did not disappoint 💖
*
Bea was a wonderful main character that made me feel seen in a lot of ways with her being neurodivergent, set in her routines, and finding comfort in being alone! I loved getting to see the journey she took throughout the book and how she opened up and was really able to have teen experiences that she’s never let herself have!
*
My other favorite aspect of the book were the relationships! I absolutely adored Mia & Nolan and the way that they fully accepted Bea immediately was so refreshing! They were also able to see her and help her get what she really wanted by helping her get out of her comfort zone and it was just really wonderful getting to see their friendship and how much they really care about her 🥰 While Nik & Bea’s relationship started out rocky (for good reason), their journey was both beautiful and tumultuous and I loved every second of it! Their banter was *chefs kiss* and their soft moments were somehow even better! 🥺 I think my only complaint is that I wanted to see more of them together 🤷🏻‍♀️
*
Overall, this is a fantastic YA debut by Serena Kaylor and I’m looking forward to seeing what she releases in the future! Highly recommend for anyone that loves camp, theatre (Shakespeare specifically), coming of age stories, and books with strong character arcs! 💕

This is a great summer read. It's lighthearted and adorable, with just the proper amount of maturation and coming-of-age themes. It's difficult not to appreciate this with Shakespearean drama, first crushes and new experiences also the sweetest characters, perfectly developed enemies to lovers.

I loved Beatrice, she is an insecure homeschool girl who enjoys things...in a specific way. She's been injured and bullied, so she's removed herself from the social scene. To go to her ideal school, she must spend four weeks at summer camp doing everything that makes her nervous.

The work is organized with great refinement as a whole. Every significant turning point is previewed sufficiently to keep the audience interested, but it is never done so overtly that any Big Reveal feels scripted, ruining the surprise. This author's writing abilities are outstanding. There is enough description of the place and people to bring Bea's surroundings and fellow campers to life without ever overburdening the story.

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

Y'all need to STOP with the books/movies/shows focusing on a group of people forcing an introvert to be an extrovert. Implying that being an introvert is wrong/lame and that being an extrovert is the only approved way to live. Especially when it's media targeted to teens. This is such harmful rhetoric. Not to mention the whole shy nerdy girl who gets glammed up by "friends" and then all of a sudden lands the hot popular guy that all the girls want. Please. We had that movie, it's called She's All That and it's from the 90's - this book even makes a reference to it. Maybe it's time we had media about how a group of introverts force an extrovert to become more like them so that the extrovert could be accepted by society.

Now back to LONG STORY SHORT specifically... based on the synopsis, I was looking forward to an enemies-to-lovers set at a CT summer camp where campers are performing Shakespeare. And some of those parts are the best parts of this novel. LOVED the idea of a Shakespeare quote battle. I'm even ok with the sheltered, structured, homeschool teen being put into a situation where they need to learn how to relax and enjoy being a kid. Everyone grows from stepping outside of their comfort zones to try new things (as long as they consent to the experiences).

Unfortunately this didn't quite deliver. As someone who WAS the nerdy teen who wasn't the greatest with social interactions, this novel would have driven the message home that I had to change who I was in order to be accepted by my peers. And that's not ok. While never stated on the page, Beatrice can easily be read as neurodivergent (and while I'll leave this for actual members of that community to fully explore since it's not my place to speak on it), it feels like this is either an oversight by Kaylor and the editors where they don't see these cues, or it's a slippery slope insinuating that who Beatrice is needs to change in order for her to be accepted by "regular" society (Kaylor even has people making fun of Beatrice's particular eating habits) rather than neurotypical people being kind and accepting someone who might not think like them. Not to mention that all of this is driven by her freaking PARENTS that force her to go to this camp with a list of challenges she needs to complete otherwise they won't let her go off to college?? Then we've got the typical tropes of make the nerdy girl show more skin/wear less clothing and get her drunk so she'll have more fun. Both aren't the greatest of messages. We've got a mean girl who is mean for no real reason, your standard cliche sassy best friend, and flamboyant gay friend too (I think all of these characters deserved more).

Were there some parts that I enjoyed? Yes. There is a really great story in here, but overall, I don't think the plot and the messaging is a good one. I can't get behind any book where the message is that you have to totally change who you are in order to have a happy life, especially when it's a book marketed for teens.

Sarah Beth Goer does a good job with the audiobook narration.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

Why is Beatrice me? For real, even on the cover, she looks like me. One of the only differences is that she’s a STEM Queen and I am getting an MA.

This book has a lot of things that usually win me over: summer camp setting, aforementioned socially-awkward STEM Queen, blooming friendships/wholesome found families, and interracial pairings. I enjoyed all of it. It was so cute how Bea’s friends were so open and welcoming to her list of personal things to accomplish because I would be so embarrassed to have one.

A lot of people say that the beginning drags and, I’ll admit, it kind of does but I was enjoying the ride. I felt like we got to know all the characters and see them develop. Although I will say that I personally didn’t care much for the Shakespeare/theatre camp part of it, and felt like hearing all those lines was a bit much. And the more I think about it, I like Nick as a love interest and a character, but I think this story would’ve been great if it was just a coming-of-age friendship story.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. I had issues with the pacing - the story tended to drag on for no reason. The makeover scene(s) made to the heroine in order to make her appear more "normal" had such problematic undertones. What was going on with those parents? Sure, strict parents would have made sense, but parents who are therapists and also so out of touch with their child felt awful to read about. The southern accent given to the BIPOC side character was questionable. I don't think i'd recommend this book to any younger audiences unfortunately.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was too adorable for words. It’s a delightful coming of age story with a wonderful lead in Beatrice. I think every reader can empathize with her through never having gone through the exact same situation. She was authentic and relatable with a witty sense of humor. It was fun getting to relive some of my adolescence alongside her as she stepped out of her shell and experienced normal teenage life.

Between the romance and the friendship, this book is a heartfelt story that is nostalgic and sentimental. It’s the kind of book that leaves you with a constant smile on your face well after you read the last page. Bea is the kind of character that stays with you because you feel as if you are living life with her. The narrator did bring a special tone and inflection that just gave this story the liveliness that jumped from the pages. She brought Bea to life in a way only she could. You haven’t had this book on your radar yet, you should. It’s one that will make your soul happy. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Serena Kaylor for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a cute YA novel touching on personal growth, making friendships, new romance, learning to trust again, and putting yourself in new situations. I loved reading from the point of view of a homeschooled teen and seeing how different their lives are compared to how I experienced high school and classic teen experiences. As a mom who currently has two daughters that go to a completely virtual school, this helps ease my mind that they'll be able to have the same experiences and make genuine friendships.

This book is a super relatable and cute coming-of-age story. Transitioning to college is hard at any age and I feel like Beatrice's journey is very endearing, from navigating new friendships to new love. It was refreshing to see a book who's main character is dealing with anxiety and a slight OCD tendency, evidenced by her repeating element names whenever she gets nervous. A lot of the obstacles that B goes through emphasizes the importance of breaking out of comfort zone, which is an important theme at any age. And of course, the progression of the family dynamics is also very heart warming. This book is a little different from other books I usually read since it's a lot more pure and innocent but definitely highly recommend. It is a nice young adult and coming of age story that is relatable at all ages.

I like to listen to my books lately so this audiobook was something that was a nice listen. I do think that there were some points that went a little bit slow, but the plot remained interesting throughout! I think that it is a cute read that I would recommend to others.

Man, as someone with anxiety, I wish I had had this book when I was in high school. It deals realistically with anxiety and learning to overcome parts of it without giving the impression that anxiety is something you can just “try hard enough” to will away. Even with Beatrice’s new confidence in herself, she still has anxiety. Her friendships were pure and realistic and the romance part had me squealing to myself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute, sweet YA that takes place at a Shakespeare summer camp (every English teacher’s dream!!). I had read a lot of theater YA books recently, and this one holds up amongst the others very well.

This is a very cliché style story, but I still found it entertaining and adorable. I liked seeing Beatrice grow and open up, and her sidekicks were funny and fun to read. Not much depth to the story, but that’s not always a problem!

4⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

In this adorable story, the main character, Beatrice is awkward and clueless when it comes to social interactions. Because of this her parents make her attend a summer theater camp before they allow her to go off to college.
I enjoyed every moment I spent with Beatrice and all the friends she makes at camp. She learns the lessons that her parents were hoping and finds love along the way as well.
I love me a good enemies-to-lovers story and this one did not disappoint.

I recommend picking this up if you enjoy YA and want a summery read.
I listened to this in audiobook the narrator did a great job at capturing Bea's personality and I loved the voices she did for all the side characters as well.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Amazon

I started and finished this book in one day! It was super cute and inspiring. I loved the commentary on mental and social issues, along with societal issues. If you're looking for a cute YA book, I definitely recommend this!

Beatrice goes to camp, which would seem normal to a high school graduate, but it’s not for B. She’s been homeschooled and has trouble interacting with others so when she tells her parents she wants to go to Oxford for college they are shocked. The compromise is that she goes to camp and exhibits what they consider “normal” behavior.

With the help of her new friend Mia, B sets out to accomplish the list of tasks her parents have given her and achieve her dream of going away for college. What she doesn’t expect is to fall in love along the way.

Nick has been at the camp for years and it’s not long before his eyes are set on Beatrice. Through a twist of events they end up on stage together and the rest is history!

This book was actually really adorable. All of the “nerdy” people can definitely relate. Plus, the group of friends that Beatrice finds at camp teach her so much and it’s really cute.