Another great YA read with an enemies to lovers plot (my catnip!). The characters were extremely well developed (including the side characters), and I loved the theatre camp setting. I would have liked to have some of Nick's point of view, but that's just a personal preference.

This was so adorable! Shakespeare theater camp was such a fun setting, and Beatrice's journey of self-discovery was also delightful to read. I loved how her list of friendship tasks gradually morphed from an obligation to something she enjoyed.

The cast of side characters was also great. I wish we got a bit more on Shelby. I like how her character transitioned over the story, but it felt like she needed just a bit more character development to make her behavior changes less sudden.

Super heartwarming and cute!

I really enjoyed this debut YA. I love the young protagonist Beatrice and that she is a homeschooled math genius! Following along with her to step out of her comfort zone and attending a theatre camp before she heads off to Oxford University. As someone who has become a little more introverted with age and all that’s happening in the world I really appreciated Beatrice and all she stood for! If you love Shakespeare… summer camp… and romance check this one out!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - I loved the premise of a socially awkward, intelligent, homeschooled high school senior forced to go to summer camp to broaden her experiences before her parents would let her go to Oxford for college to study statistical genetics.
The friends Bea makes along the way really pull her out of her shell and guide her through some of the newer teenage experiences she finds herself in. Having a Shakespeare summer camp was a fitting setting (and compromise for both Bea and her parents’ wishes) and gave the story a unique twist. I’d be interested to see what happens with Bea at college and her new journeys as well.

For the most part, I loved this book. But there were a few flaws with it. The biggest one was the impression that homeschoolers are isolated and socially awkward. I homeschooled my kids, and they were better socialized than public school students their own age because they interacted with people of all ages while homeschooling.

And there's a fine line between parents creating learning experiences for their kids and tossing them into the deep end. Why Bea felt ready for Oxford, I'm not sure. But going to summer camp first as a transition into the world outside her cocoon was a bit much, especially since she'd never navigated that type of environment before.

That said, I loved the characters in this book (although not how loose they were with sexual preferences)! Mia was a great foil to Bea's reserved nature, forcing her to get outside of her comfort zone, but in compassionate and understanding ways.

The friendship that Bea had with Mia and Nolan was refreshing because of how supportive they were of Bea's quest to finish her list of "normal teenage experiences" she had to have in order for her parents to allow her to head off to Oxford University on her own.

What I loved about the book, in general, was that Bea learned how her own beliefs were what was limiting her. And once she allowed herself to believe otherwise, she was capable of much more than she thought.

Of course, it's unrealistic for someone to go to camp and have absolutely everyone in their corner. But by the end of this book, that was the case. It made for a feel-good ending, even if it wasn't how teenagers typically behave.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed the story, flaws and all! Thank you to Serena Kaylor, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Homeschooled and introverted Beatrice has just been accepted to Oxford. But her parents are hesitant to let her go since she'd never been out on her own before. They come up with a brilliant idea, a checklist of "normal" teenage things that she has to check off at a Shakespeare camp because what better place to make friends and act like a "normal" teenager than an acting camp? But Bea runs into all kinds of problems trying to check off her list, a lot of which comes at the hands of her enemy (as in enemies-to-lovers), Nik.

I thought I'd love a Shakespeare themed book as a big Shakespeare fan as I am. But I have some words. First of all the first 2/3rds of this book dragged, dragged. I found myself nodding off more often than once. The pacing was not great. It did pick up at the end, but only if you can get through the first 2/3rds. Secondly, what the actual heck is wrong with Bea's parents? I'm not a big fan of books/movies/TV shows where the nerdy girl is made over to be "cool." The worst part about this was that it's forced at the hands of her own parents. That doesn't sit well with me at all. There's the formulaic get Bea into less clothing, take her to a party, get her drunk, and I'm over her the whole time going "why?" She doesn't really want to do any of these things. Then you have the token mean girl. You know, the girl who's mean for absolutely no reason. The romance was okay, except when the love interest goes off the rails for something so tiny. I liked Bea, but I don't like that she was forced to change to fit into a box of what her parents think a normal teenager should be. I was so excited for this book, and I really wanted to like it, but it just left a sour taste in my mouth.

Sarah Beth Goer was an okay narrator. Her southern accent was difficult to listen to though. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC, but unfortunately I don't think I can recommend this especially with the message it carries to teens.

Beatrice is prodigy level smart, but her intelligence means her whole life has been focused on her education and lifelong desire to attend Oxford University. When she applies and gets in at 16, Beatrice’s parents worry she won’t be able to adapt to all the new changes. They strike a deal. Bea will go to theatre camp and check off a list of “teenage activities” like making friends and doing something she doesn’t want to. If she completes the list, she can go to Oxford.

Bea is unmoored when she first arrives at Shakespeare camp, but quickly makes her first real friend in her roommate. She also instantly makes an enemy and goes head to head with the resident cute boy and lead actor.

🌟 My take 🌟
This book is the cutest thing ever! Sweet awkward Bea with her regimented schedule and struggle with social situations. Her friends who take her under their wing and help her blossom. And dreamy Nic. This is literally the book of my 16-year-old self’s dreams. I loved every single second of it!

I adored the narrator on this one! She shifted her voice perfectly for the various characters.

What a sweet summer YA. Tender characters that had such good friendships for a short summer camp experience. Fun smart sarcastic barbs in the enemies to lovers romance. A very enjoyable book.
Thanks to Netgalley and dreamscape media for an advanced audiobook

Long Story Short follows a socially sheltered, homeschooled student's journey to experience "normal teenage life" before heading to Oxford University to study Statistics. Bea's parents insist that she prove to them that she is both willing and capable to branch out socially, make friends, and focus on more than school before they agree to let her study abroad. She heads off to a four-week Shakespeare Theater Camp to break out of her comfort zone and, in doing so, discovers friendship, love, and her talents beyond what can be studied from a textbook.

Long Story Short is a charming and fun summer read. The protagonist will be relatable to studious or academically-minded teen readers. The story is also full of Shakespeare, which might further appeal to thespian readers.

I found reading the hardcover to be more enjoyable than the audiobook overall. This was largely due to the narrator's lack of dynamic accents for the various characters. For example, one main character was supposed to speak with a southern accent, however, the narrator's accent was so inaccurate that it was distracting. Likewise, the main love interest was meant to have an English accent and the narrator's reading of that character was neither believable nor consistent over the length of the story.

Maybe it's my love of Romeo and Juliet (which I've taught to 9th graders for 16 years) or it's that Beatrice is so relatable in the way she is trying to find herself in the world and find comfort in who she truly is. Maybe it's the enemies to lovers trope (my favorite) or maybe it's the way that the author crafted the perfect summer camp friendships and experiences. For me, this book was just perfect and a delight to read. I love when a book surprises me and this one did! The wit, banter and all those lines from the Romeo and Juliet! When homescholled (genius) Beatrice wants to attend Oxford in the fall, her parents are concerned that her quirky qualities and lack of relationships with peers will hold her back from success. They craft a list of expectations for her to complete and send her to theater camp. Everything that follows is just fantastic. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion..

Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor was a YA Romance loaded with Shakespearean references sure to please young fans of The Bard, The book was addictive enough I read it in two settings. My rating may be skewed because of my age. Though I like YA Romances sometimes, I can't get behind toxic ones most of the time. If I can be honest, Beatrice/B was a toxic person. Just looking at how she viewed and treated people around her, I was not rooting for her to get her happy ending romantically. I did love her friendship with Mia and how quickly Mia put her in check about being glibly derisive about other people's passions. It was strictly B's relationship with Nick that I had a HUGE problem with. She was AWFUL to him. Even if their first interactions together resulted in him saying something hurtful to her, she eviscerated him at each interaction they had until close to the end of the novel. As a parent, someone who said the things B said to Nick if he were my son....well, I would be warning him that he should stay far away from her. B had been hurt in the past, which might explain her defensive attitude towards people, but she also demonstrated very little ability to be flexible or emotionally mature in certain aspects of her life. All in all, I enjoyed the book, but I really struggled with having the lead be such a difficult character to like. I loved all the Shakespeare references, though, AND the idea of a Shakespeare competition!

✨🎭Long story short, it was a Bard time🎭✨

As I expected, this had everything I look for in a YA romance. It delivered on both Shakespeare and those impeccable summer camp feels. Somebody get me a campfire, a s’more, and an enemy who wants to be my lover! I was definitely not a theater kid in high school but I’ll always ✨dramatic✨ so it was a natural fit.

While the book took some expected turns, more than once I was surprised by the way it shook up certain tropes! I found the premise to be a fresh take on the “summer camp” storyline. Her friend group was lovely and I really do miss going to the theater.

✨ Nicknames: He called her MOUSE 😩
🎭 Summer camp vibes
✨ Found (friend)family
🎭 True enemies to lovers I was like BOY but I was also like boyyyyy 😏
✨ Shakespearean quote battle sealed with a kiss x2
🎭 Hero with a very hero-worthy accent
✨ Awkwardly likable heroine
🎭 Single POV
✨ Overheard insult (!!!)
🎭 Villain with an arc of her own
✨ Shakespeare quotes as a verbal love letter
🎭 Bucket list items
✨ Slow burnnnn
🎭 When he said “Need a hand there, killer?” 🫠

Fans of Emma Lords’s When You Get the Chance will be right at home at this Shakespearean summer camp! It also reminded me a lot of the new Netflix movie Along for the Ride, but so much better. (I know that one was also based off of a book, but I’ve never read it.) The supremely awkward MC didn’t work for me in the film, but she was translated so well here.

I got a bit worn out by about two-thirds through when Beatrice was still dealing with Shelby. But once I started to be like “okay we can be done with this now!” we were pretty much done with it and it turned into something I actually really liked. Beatrice was prickly but she was loveable and I never disliked her. It was really interesting to see a character who literally had so little social interaction.

Classic and effortless, Long Story Short was a super quick listen that had me hooked as soon as Beatrice arrived at camp. On that note, I totally recommend the audiobook as I loved the narrator and the story translated well for listening. I can’t wait to see what Kaylor comes out with next and let me tell you it BETTER be a sequel with my babes because PLEASE a college arc I beg.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audiobook copy! All opinions are honest and my own.

Completely adorable YA summer romance! Had me cringing and having butterflies like it was my own first crush. Well-written, the story moves along well, and there are moments I giggled out loud. It really took me back to the teenage years (oh, but not mine - mine were nowhere near this cute). Seriously pick this one up for a feel-good read!

Very sweet, light summer read. Loved seeing Beatrice get to know herself and the friendships she formed with Mia and Nolan in a theater summer camp setting. Really enjoyed how Bea doesn't have a "label" but is just shown to be on the spectrum and how that is handled was nice to see.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for both the e-arc and audiobook arc.

This is an adorable love story between teenagers while acting at acting camp. Bea has to learn to socialize to get approval to go to uni in England early.

I Loved the development and journey that Bea went through and the complications of reading people's intentions and interactions with teenagers and their meanness

The friends she picks up are funny, supportive, and awesome - I adored their little stories that added to the overall - I do wish there was a little more POC rep in the supporting characters but not a must-have

Nik had a thing for Bea but he made an error in the beginning that he is attempting to correct - I can appreciate the honesty in that - we all put our foot in our mouth or say the absolute wrong thing out of being cool or impressing the wrong people

This was a great coming age journey and I enjoyed the whole thing.

The narration was great - the voices were distinct - the was a 1 part POV and the male voice sounds male and the other characters have different voices than the main character. Very good

Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous meets Being Mary Bennet. This adorable camp tale follows Beatrice as she attempts to be a real teenager for the first time so she can prove to her parents that she's adjusted enough to attend Oxford the following year. This homeschooled genius has a lot to learn as she spends the summer at theater camp. Peppered with lovable characters and fun shenanigans, this is a truly joyful and fun read!

Really cute loved the story so unique and the enermies to lovers ya book will stay with me i wish it were a bit shorter seemed to overly focus on the play and less on budding relationship but really enjoyed it

This was a cute YA summer romance set at a Shakespearean theatre camp as homeschooler Beatrice is forced to attend in order for a chance to gain her parent's permission for early admission to Oxford. Opposites attract in this enemies to lovers romance between Beatrice and the star of the theatre camp (who also happens to be the owners' sons) as she works as an understudy in the summer production of Romeo and Juliet. Perfect for fans of Emma Lord and great on audio with great social anxiety rep. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review.