thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Absolutely adorable bi romcom and the perfect book for the summer -- complete with a "choose your own adventure" style ending where you, the reader, can choose who Natalya really spent her summer with! I read both, but I'll admit I (view spoiler).

This book follows Natalya Fox, a bisexual Jewish girl living in New York City with her math genius dad and is immediately faced with a huge decision to make: will she spend the summer in her home city, with her dad, hopeful to finally face her fears and make a move on The Redhead, the girl she's in love with and bumps into in the city from time to time; or to go to Los Angeles with her distant mother, intern at her marketing firm, and get out of her comfort zone for a change.

Going Bicoastal alternates back and forth, chapter to chapter between a reality in which Natalya chose to stay in NYC and she falls for The Redhead (Elly, she learn) and a reality in which she chose to get out for the summer, try something new, and went to Los Angeles to stay with her mom where she falls for her fellow intern, Adam.

I loved the way that there were a lot of details throughout the story that stayed the same regardless of where Natalya spent her summer -- her mother's love life, Natalya discovering her passion for graphic design, and Natalya sharing Shabbat meals with her love interest. These things are worked into the story in different ways, but it's interesting to see the things that don't change with Natalya's choice.

This story didn't necessarily have a lot of conflict (there was some very minor drama in one of the realities, but it didn't really involve Natalya directly), it was more like a very slice-of-life view of one girl's summer romance. For people that really like their stories to feel like they had a resolution and the loose ends were all tied up, that might make this book feel like it's missing something and the ending isn't complete -- I disagree. I think that for a fluffy book to get into the summer mood, this book is absolutely perfect and the ending (whichever you choose) felt right for the story.

It was adorable and it made me want to move Cool for the Summer up on my TBR immediately because I saw that two of the side characters that make a little cameo in one of the side stories are from that book.

Natalya has two options for the summer before her senior year. Spend the summer at home in New York with her Dad or spend two months getting reacquainted with her Mom in LA. Told in alternating timelines Natalya discovers there is more than one way to find happily ever after.

What I enjoyed most about this book was that while some things were vastly different, there were a few things that were brought up in both timelines and handled almost exactly the same way. I love that she came to the same decision about her future in both timelines. And of course I loved the characters and food and music references. I was especially fond of Elly’s character in part because she’s a writer and a red head (like me!) and in part because of who she’s based on. However I really loved all of the food discussion with Adam, especially the respect he & his friends had for her food restrictions in respect to her being Jewish, as well as details on Shabbat dinners, which I knew next to nothing about before reading this. There really wasn’t a lot that I didn’t like, just a couple spots more near the first half of the book that were almost word for word copies of what happened in the alternate timeline. I was worried that would happen more and it only happened, maybe twice? Overall this was a really fun read that I flew through and I can’t wait to dig into more of Dahlia’s work.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, & Wednesday Books

While I appreciated the representation and initially the duality of the story, nothing felt final. This was essentially two separate stories with two different conclusions - what actually happened? Finally, maybe it’s because this was YA and that may not be for me, but this felt surface level and not at all in-depth. I found myself bored and not invested in the characters and their immaturity (again, it’s YA and they’re teenagers so this may be a me thing and not the book).

The summer before her senior year of high school Natalya has a big decision to make: go to LA to intern at her estranged mom’s corporate job or stay in NYC where she is comfortable with her dad and friends. In this Sliding Doors esque alternating timelines YA romance, Natalya finds adventure and love in LA with her standoffish co-intern and in NYC with her long time elusive crush while attempting to repair her relationship with her mom and figure out what she wants to do with her life.

This was such a cute story and I loved the wide variety of representation which felt not at all forced. I also loved the primer on Jewish culture and traditions which I haven’t seen often especially in YA books. There were a few times I got confused by where I was at in each timeline but that’s only because I was reading while tired. Dahlia made it very easy to distinguish timelines by using Natalya’s LA and NYC nicknames (Nat and Tal respectively).

I preferred the LA timeline slightly more because Natalya felt more slightly comfortable and secure in her relationship with Adam. Plus I loved reading about all of the different food the chefs were making over the bands Elly loved. I expected the ending to be a little different but I thought the choose your own ending was cute.

Thanks Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I loved everything about Going Bicoastal! Ever wonder what would have happened if you’d made a different choice? With Natalya we get to find out! She has to choose between a summer at home with her dad or a summer in LA with her absent mother. Luckily for readers we get to see what happens with both summers! In New York Tal will finally talk to the redhead, Elly, that she’s been dreaming about for a year. She’ll meet new friends, have adventures, start a new relationship, and have some good food! In LA, Nat, will get to know her frustrating co-intern Adam, who may be less d-baggy then he seems. She’ll reconnect with her mom, meet new friends, start a new relationship, have adventures, and eat some amazing food. Both of Natalya’s summers dragged me in and hooked me! I loved both Elly and Adam and the way Natalya got all funny and awkward with them upon their first meetings! I loved the sass between her and Adam and the yearning between her and Elly! Plus all her friends, both new and old sound amazing! Going Bicoastal is sweet, charming, and absolutely swoon worthy! I can’t wait to read it again!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. As I've mentioned in other reviews, I've read maybe all of Adler's standalone novels and follow her on socials for years. Going BiCoastal is one of my favorite books of Adler's in recent years.

Natalya Fox is a 17 year old rising senior with divorced parents. She primarily lives with her dad, Professor Ezra Fox, a math professor at Columbia University. Her mom moved to L.A. a few years ago for a great marketing director career. Natalya is supposed to spend the summer with her mom in L A. However, her parents gave her the choice to make to stay in NYC or L.A. I'm not sure what custody arrangement would allow that, but I'm not a child of divorce.

Nat, or Tally, cannot seem to decide what to do. As she weighs the pros and cons with her best friend Camila in the park, we then get a story split in 2 realities. Door A, she stays in NYC, babysits, finally meets her crush known as The Redhead at first, then by Elly. Door B, she goes to L.A. to be with her mom and take a marketing internship at her mom's firm along with their other intern Adam. Since the main character is bi, we get two different love interests- Elly and Adam. Is it wrong to say I kind of wish she was in a throuple? Adam is a tough nut to crack for reasons. I loved Tally's NYC friends in particular and meeting familiar characters from other books recently. In both versions, Tally bonds with her mom over books, and her love for art translated into a possible graphic design career.

Both love stories were compelling. It would be hard to pick who I would want Elly to end up with as both love interests benefitted from knowing Tally and her friends. [And Tally with their friends] On that note, there were a lot of side characters. I liked her NYC friends, both old and new, only because I felt they were less 1 dimensional. I'm not sure if that was an intentional choice or if the author had a preferred version. The only reason I took off a star was that there wasn't really a clear answer or resolution. The reader ultimately decides which door Tally picked. Also, the fact that she liked raisins, sorry but EW. I cannot with raisins, but that is my Gen X bias talking.

Bonus points for Jewish rep and LGBTQ rep. 4/5☆ 6/13/23

Such a fun and refreshing YA! I love all the diversity in this. And having to choose between LA and New York AND two love interests?! I wouldnt know who to choose either lol! The story kept me captivated all the way through. This is going to be the perfect read for summer. Thank you Netgalley for the arc!!

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler

Sliding Doors is one of my favorite movies, so I can't tell you how excited I was that one of my favorite YA authors wrote a sliding doors, queer, young adult romance where the decision the heroine makes leads her to either the redhead she's been pining for, or a sweet, slightly broody, fellow intern.

This book was OBVIOUSLY a 5 star win for me!

Natalya has to decide whether to stay in NYC for the summer where she lives with her dad, or go to LA and spend the summer doing an internship with her mom, who she is not close to. Like in Sliding Doors (have you seen this movie?! It's amazing), we see what happens to Natalya if she stays or if she goes.

🌮 So many perfect little details cross over between either the NYC or LA reality, but Natalya had a different nickname when she is with her dad (Tal/Tally) vs. with her mom (Nat).
🎵 Perfect pacing and some kind of magic sucked me into every chapter/alternate reality change. You'd think the alternating chapters would be jarring, but they weren't at all and I was equally invested in the NYC and LA plotlines.
🌮 Natalya is fully developed and it feels like *her* in both realities.
🎵 So many loveable characters.
🌮 Low angst and sex positive. I'd say it's upper YA and would really resonate with teenagers gearing up for college, career, and relationship decisions.
🎵 Jewish rep! There's a lot of kosher food in this book and Shabbat dinners! I really loved the inclusion of Jewish culture and traditions.
🌮 I like where this story went between Natalya and her mom in both versions.

Thank you so much Wednesday Books and Netgalley. All opinions are my own!

Dahlia Adler does it again! This is a feel good book and one l think should be on everyone's tbr/radar this summer.

This book follows Natalya Fox through her summer vacation and showcases the different outcomes of how she chooses to spend it. Stay in New York with her dad and possibly run into "red head girl", who she's been crushing on for a year OR visit her mom in LA taking an internship where she will be sitting across from a talented chef she finds very handsome.

This book is perfect for fans of ‘Maybe In Another Life’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid!

Something I loved about this book was that even though Tals love interests were different, her path in both alternate realities led her to the same conclusion (dream-wise). Dahlia Adler provides a diverse group of characters readers will find comfort in!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for an e-arc of this book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I adored this book and could not put it down. If you like YA romance this book is for you.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Talley has a huge decision to make. Does she want to go to LA for the summer with her mom where there is an internship waiting for her and a cute boy that her mom has told her about or does she want to stay in NYC with her dad and the red headed girl she’s been obsessing over for the past year…

This book is written as if she went to LA and also if she stayed in NYC, kind of like one of those choose your own adventure books. I thought it was a different concept and I enjoyed the different timelines but it sometimes could get confusing about which friends were in which spots since there were so many people involved. I also liked the chemistry between Tally’s different love interests. It was an engaging story and I enjoyed reading it a lot.

I didn't realize this was a dual-timeline book (with a what-if twist), BUT once I figured that out, I genuinely enjoyed every second of Going Bicoastal. Such a good coming of age story with a number of complexities and strong representation that made it impossible to put down! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler is a sweet YA rom-com with a unique Sliding Doors twist. Natalya Fox has a big decision to make: spend her summer in NYC with her dad, and maybe finally talk to the girl she's been crushing on, or head to LA to fix her relationship with her estranged mother. Unable to decide, the story plays out in alternating timelines, one where Natalya pursues the girl of her dreams and one where she falls for the unexpected guy.

Adler does a great job of creating a diverse cast of characters, including different religions, sexualities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The respect shown for these different faiths and traditions adds a strong sense of community to the story. The food descriptions are also mouth-watering, making readers hungry for more.

Adam, a love interest, is funny and adorable. The stalking and pretending to like the same things as Elly, the other love interest, by Natalya could be off-putting to some readers. Additionally, there is no real conflict in the story, which leads to a lack of character development for Natalya. Everything seems to be handed to her, including people offering to buy her artwork without any marketing. Some readers may also feel that the author doesn't fully understand the concept of work-study.

Overall, Going Bicoastal is a light, enjoyable read that will appeal to fans of YA rom-coms. The Sliding Doors twist adds a fun element to the story, and the diverse cast of characters adds depth to the world. However, readers who prefer more conflict and character development may find the story lacking in those areas.

This book is a dual timeline situation. I love a good dual perspective, but I’d never read something that was a ‘what if?’ situation. It was a little challenging for me to keep all our supporting cast straight. I think the author did a great job at showing things can turn out okay in the end. It’s a great concept, and has wonderful Jewish and queer representation. It just didn’t quite hit the mark for me to be 5 star wowed. I did struggle a bit to get through this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the ARC

If you're looking for a cute queer Jewish teen romance novel with a twist, then Going Bicoastal is definitely worth checking out. The book follows the story of Natalya Fox, who must choose between spending the summer in New York City with her dad and the girl of her dreams or going to LA with her estranged mom and the guy she never saw coming.

What's interesting about this book is that it explores two different timelines based on Natalya's decision, and we get to see how her life plays out in both scenarios. It's like a queer “Sliding Doors” YA rom-com, which makes for a really enjoyable read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a light and fun read. The only downside, in my opinion, was the naming of the chapters. Instead of chapter titles, it would have been cool to see some visual representation of the two different locations, like a picture of palm trees for California and the Statue of Liberty for New York.

Despite this minor issue, I'd still give Going Bicoastal a solid four stars. It's a refreshing and engaging read that offers a unique take on the classic summer romance story. So go ahead and give it a try!

Finished ✔️ Going Coastal by Dahlia Adler and enjoyed it.

4 ⭐️’s
Publish Day: June 13th, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: No

A queer sliding doors YA rom-com in which a girl must choose between summer in NYC with her dad or LA with her estranged mom.
This book shows there is more than one path to happily ever after.
This book was overall enjoyable in more ways than one.
It was beautifully and brilliantly written.
Yes, I’d recommend.

#DeesReading #DeesRecs #DeesBookRecommendations #BookNerds #BookNerdProblems #BookNerdsUnited #BookProblems #BookProblems101 #BookNerds101 #Bookworms #BookwormProblems #BookwormProblems101 #BooksOfFacebook #DeeTheBookReviewer #DeesReadOfTheDay #DeesBookOfTheDay #DeesBookReviewsOfTheDay #BookReviewer #NewToMeAuthor #Dahlia Adler #ReadOfTheDay #BookOfTheDay #GoingCoastal #NetGalley

This is a very cute fun YA romance in which our young bi protagonist has to choose between spending the summer in New York with her dad or trying something new and spending the summer in LA with her mom.

Overall, I really loved and enjoyed the two different storylines for their own reasons. They were both fun and funny which is something I look for in YA romance.

My only complaint was that at first the two storyline did kind of confuse me and at time felt repetitive. There were similar scenes that took place in both storylines which was a little “hey didn’t this happen” at times.

3.75

this book was so much fun. it was also a really short, quick read. i’m honestly team elly - even though i liked the concept of natalya going to la more and thought the plot from her going there was sooo interesting. i usually don’t like the concept of “sliding doors,” but i really enjoyed this and way more than another book i read that had the same concept. i also loved the concept of mixing bisexuality with the whole “sliding doors” concept. it’s so smart to have two paths of different love interests (in this case, a boy and a girl) with a bisexual MC. i didn’t know that this had jewish rep in it, and that was really interesting to read about.

thank you to netgalley/wednesday books for sending me an arc of this book !!

Thank you NetGalley and Dahlia Adler for letting me read this ARC!

My first 5 star read of 2023 and I don’t know how anything will top it. It just gave me all the feels and brownie points for all of the music references that just tugged at my rock-music-loving heart. I love being able to read each story independently, or going back and forth between the two.

I absolutely cannot wait for this to be released so I can add it to my collection!

A unique, fun & light-hearted new YA 'sliding doors' dual timeline romance where Natalya's life (and romantic partners) turn out completely differently depending on whether she chooses to spend the summer in New York or LA. Having enjoyed visiting both places myself, the locations and food imagery brought back memories, making me want to travel and eat some delicious food - maybe don't read whilst hungry.

I did struggle to keep up with the many side friend characters - it was too easy to keep getting the many names mixed up, or forget them entirely - Nat is clearly very popular. Overall this was a delightful, lighter, low-trauma option compared to my recent heavier reads and I wish these diverse YA books existed 20+ years ago!