When Quincy is mysteriously kissed in a dark theatre, her friends are determined to find out who did it. This sets off a series of blind dates and first kisses for hopeless romantic Quincy, but she seems to be falling for a guy she knows for sure wasn’t the mystery kisser.

This premise was weird. A random kiss in a dark theatre? Odd. The blind date plot was creative, but Quincy didn’t even kiss the majority of them. The main romance was cute as well, but the whole “Operation Mystery Kisser” was left unsolved and an open ending. The whole point of the book was to find out who the mystery kisser was! Not a huge fan of that.

This book was so cute! The idea was original and the execution was great. I would consider this book lower YA, which is why it got 3.75 ⭐️ for me. I will totally be looking for more from Bateman though.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Quick read. Lots of emotions and big feelings, but that's to be expected with teens. Little cheesy but you kind of want that in a rom-com. I didn't mind not finding out who the mystery kisser was like so many other readers did. It's the way of life, we're not always going to get the answer we want.

Messy, emotional, quick read.

Dealing with grief and being young is hard. Then throw in real teen things like dating, friends, mystery kisses in the dark and you are bound to be confused.

This was an okay read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

I am so disappointed that we do not find out who the mystery kisser was. I just can't understand why the author and editor thought this was the right choice.

Overall a pretty fun read.

Quick, cute story about a girl trying to find the guy who kissed her in a dark theater. Her friends decide to set her up on dates and she ends up falling for one of the guys, even though he isn't mystery kisser guy!

I was a little disappointed with how Quincy kept hurting one of the guys she was set up with. Shame on you girl!

But honestly though...I think the question I most wanted answered was not who the mystery kisser was, but who did he THINK he was kissing!?
Thank you NetGalley and Running Press, Running Press Kids for the eARC.

It was cheesy. It was cute, and I so enjoyed it. Sometimes you need a predictable and sappy romance,

This was a fine book with good writing and ok characters. It just did not intrigue me as much as the description did

Quick recap: "Make the Fireflies Dance" by Rachel Bateman is a heartwarming story about a high school senior working on a film project—and revamping her nonexistent love life. The book also features relatable friendships, diverse characters, and messages of resilience in the face of tragedy. Throw in a mystery kisser and I was hooked! 3/5 stars and a recommendation to YA readers.

Full review: Quincy is a film enthusiast, a dedicated friend, and a royal pain in the arse. After receiving the kiss of her dreams in a dark theater, Quincy grudgingly agrees to go on dates with all of the possible kissers. I like that her friends were so supportive of her search, but I'm not sure that setting her up on blind dates was the best way to do it. Rather than helping, the dates actually got in the way of her being with the man she actually liked. Her friends' inability to recognize that seemed weird. It doesn't help that I had trouble keeping the names and personalities of all the characters straight. Quincy has a family, three close friends, five possible kissers, and a bunch of classmates that help out with her film project. Making matters worse, we're bombarded with a bunch of these names in the first chapter. It was a really confusing start, but I'm glad I pushed through and kept reading. The ending was definitely worth it!

Aside from having too many characters, my other big issue is that I didn't connect with the main protagonist. I thought it was really mean of Quincy to go on dates and kiss different guys, especially when one of them genuinely liked her. If I was Kenyon and I saw her kissing my best friend, I'd be upset, too. Making matters worse, Quincy doesn't just hurt people's feelings, she dismisses their opinions, too. This was especially problematic when it came to her film project. I understand that it was part of her character arch, but it still made me not like her as a person.

Okay, moving on to the stuff I really liked! This book features people of color and people who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I appreciate the diversity, and I think Rachel Bateman did a wonderful job raising awareness of trauma, grief, and the power of family healing. Some conversations about Quincy's mother's death were sad to read, but the author approached them with courage and honesty.

I also like how Quincy reconnected with her childhood friend, Ezra. Both Quincy and Ezra experience lingering trauma from deceased/absent parents, and I thought their healing processes were addressed in a positive manner. It gave credence to Quincy's need for control and explained Ezra's hesitancy in joining her play. Overall, their character arcs were handled well.

This review wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention how much I like Kenyon. He's adorable, and the dates he brought Quincy on were really thoughtful. Even when a date didn't go to plan, he still found a way to make it enjoyable. I don't want to spoil anything, but his statements in the final ending scene almost sent me to the dentist. They were so sweet!

Final thoughts: I enjoyed "Make the Fireflies Dance". While I didn't connect with the main character or agree with some of her actions, I still think this is a great story. I also appreciate its inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters and the overall message to enjoy life, take risks, and accept the uncertainty of falling in love. 3/5 stars and a recommendation to readers in the teen fiction genre.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

I am so sad. The cover is so cute and I loved the idea of the story but for me it was missing so many things. A lot of details didn't feel realistic to me and even if I liked the characters I just did not really enjoy reading this book.

Make the fireflies dance is a very cute and sweet YA romance, it just wasn't for me. It was a little too sweet and sappy for my taste and I do feel some plot points either didn't get developed fully or were left with an open ending. I may also be a little too grown up to find the mystery kiss romantic, specifically because it happened at a birthday party for her grandma... which was mostly attended by adults.

All in all it's a very cute read and perfect for when you're in the mood for a sappy light read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

What initially drew me in was the stunning cover, followed closely by the actual premise.

Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing this book. What I disliked: The pacing of this book was fall short to my liking. I don't like short chapters for any of romance books, but I stayed for about 30% and decide to put it down later on.

But I do love the banter. This book is YA-ish, fresh and classic.

I have mixed feelings for this story.

I would say it's between ‘okay’ and ‘not really good’ so about 2.5? I want to comment more on this story but at one point along the story it feels like okay?? But it's not okay at the same time. It feels too normal. Too bland. We need grand gestures like Kenyon mentioned and that makes a story, storying. It almost feels like a documentary instead of a story. I never felt so bland reading a story before but idea wise it's really interesting. If not I wouldn't pick up the story at all. And what makes it bland for me is when I read some parts it gives an idea like “if she like this, shouldn't it be like this instead? But it can be anything not anyone experiences the same. But it’s not exciting though…”

What’s more is that the main idea of the story doesn’t resolve by the end. It was left hanging just like that. It can be left hanging if it wasn't mentioned every single time and not the main idea of the whole story. At least give the audience some hint on who he is. Doesn't it feel weird that everyone acts like nothing happened? At least give us the hint if you want to keep Quin in the dark.

Overall I felt like this story had a potential but it should twist around a bit on the storyline. And of course a bit of editing would help. Above all thank you for writing this story author!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I felt invested from the very first page!

Overall this was a mostly enjoyable, easy read.

What I liked about it was the side characters and their relationships (such as Quincy's friends and family) and I really liked Kenyon, he was a really nice, refreshing love interest. I was very interested in the film making subplot and I liked how it tied in with the main story.

However, the inciting incident made me very uncomfortable (and then we did not even get closure for it??), I feel like there could have been a better way for Quincy to go on all these blind dates rather than her going through that very uncomfortable experience (which she is not concerned by apparently?). I think I may have expected more from this book, I think there was a real possibility into a discussion about consent (since we do see Kenyon ask before he kisses her, which is direct comparison with the first 'kiss'). Then again, this is a contemporary YA romance that is likely not meant to delve into such serious topics.

I enjoyed it enough to finish it and I was never bored, however it is not my favourite YA contemporary.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Sometimes, being a 42 years old, YA novels are hit or miss for me, but this one was definitely a hit. I wound up binging it in just one day.

Quincy Walker is looking for the love of her life...only she has no idea who it is. After being kissed by a mysterious figure in a dark movie theatre Quincy, along with her three best friends, embark on a quest to find out who the mystery kisser is and who has stolen her heart.

I have to say I loved this book. It was such an easy read. All of the side characters were amazing. I definitely felt a connection with all of them. Also Quincy is amazing. Fun, Fearless, Type-A, and knows what she's wants and isn't afraid to go after it. Thought the story you are routing for every single guy who could be Quincy's mystery kisser. I was actually surprised by the ending because my choice guy was the not the one she ended up with! I still loved the ending though.

**Side note and slight spoiler...Rachel. Girl. DM me. I need to know the answer!"

All in all an amazing story of senior year. I wish my 17 year old self would have had a chance to read this story. It would have meant the world to her.

So thankful to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC.

This book was super cute. I found myself laughing quite a bit. I had an overall good time during this read. Very sweet and lighthearted fun

This was a super cute book. I loved how it was very much a romantic comedy but also had so much heart. I love all of the characters that we met throughout the book. Overall a lovely book that made my heart warm.

"Make the Fireflies" dance is about aspiring teen filmmaker Quincy. She's close to her old Hollywood actress grandmother and her grieving widower father. After she has a mysterious kiss at her grandmother's birthday party, Quin embarks on a journey of blind dates to find her mystery dream man. Overall, there was a lot going on with this book, but it was imminently likable. I was into old movies as a teen and always get the warm fuzzies when I encounter teen lit that nnods to the movie fan youngsters. I can see a lot of cinephile teens being into this one as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy :)