3.5 that I have to round down because for everything it does really well, there are just as many places where it stumbles.

I loved the rivalry and tension between Juliette and Priya, but I definitely got the sense that it was mostly Juliette towards Priya, and Priya actually wanted to be friends. It made the rivalry feel one-sided, but more than at, made the moments where Priya ignored or dismissed Juliette (like cropping her out of the photo after expressly inviting her to be in it) really weird and unbalanced.

The sense of camp and all of the memories and ties and sense of belonging was so well-done, but I got the sense that the Galahad storyline got cropped or cut-out or /something/, because her actions towards Juliette felt out of nowhere and escalated for no reason. The musical storyline similarly felt disjointed, at least in its conclusion, which felt anti-climactic after how much both Priya and Juliette had built it up. There were also things like why did Priya always wear white? Why was Priya the only one on tech/crew? How were Color Wars kept even if the campers got to choose their teams? Why did Juliette even send a letter to one of their mutual friends? Things felt at once both over and under-explained, which was a shame because the sense of love of camp and having a place where you could learn to define yourself was so nice and I loved watching Juliette figure out her feelings for Priya in that setting.

What a cute YA story. The writing was so good, and it really felt like they were teenagers. And the setting that was described at the camp made me wish that I had been able to go to one when I was in high school.

What I really liked about the story was that it was pretty low angst for a book about so called "rivals." They weren't really mean to each other, and didn't pull pranks like other stories I've read. They just rubbed each other the wrong way, but eventually they learned it was all from misunderstanding each other as people. And once they took the time to really get to know each other, then a real nice friendship was formed. From there, the friendship to more was just pure sweetness.

Would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet read that makes you reminisce about summers during high school.

such a cute ya book with good banter!! i really loved the setting of this book, a summer camp, it was a nice change from other books. although i read this in the winter, i think it will make for the perfect summer read, it’s super easy to get through with an enjoyable plot & characters.

This is the PERFECT ya lgbtq not-quite-enemies to lovers summer camp book experience


Seriously it was just is fun ??? And heartwarming ??? And encapsulated the senior year teenage nostalgia experience ????

Tooth achingly sweet and one I’ll be thinking about for a while

Wish You Weren’t Here is a YA Contemporary that I adored. I loved Juliette and Priya as individuals and together.

Juliette has one place that feels like home. One place where she doesn’t feel like “too much” or is eclipsed by her rival Priya. One place where she’s embraced with open arms and has a found family. And that place is Fogridge Sleepaway Camp.

Juliette is excited to spend five peaceful Priya free weeks at camp. It’s her last year as a camper and she wants to enjoy every second. So she’s devastated to discover not only is Priya a camper this year, but is also her cabin mate.

The banter and exchanges between Juliette and Priya are so fun, especially as the book progresses and it’s so obvious (except to Juliette) that Priya is flirting with her.

Juliette’s best friends at camp, Lucy and Gia, are great. Priya fell in seamlessly with them, joining in with the joking and friendship. And I found the dialogue between all the characters very entertaining.

I also loved the setting. Despite the fact I’ve never been to a summer sleepaway camp, I think they are a blast to read about. Between the various camp activities, silly camp counselor names, the wilderness survival challenge, and color wars you can just feel how much every character loves camp. And their enthusiasm was contagious as a reader.

Overall, this is the perfect summer YA romance.

Publication date: June 4th 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for a copy of this eARC in exchange for a honest review.

5/5 (I would give it higher if I could)

Let me just start this review by stating how much my heart hurts because this is over and ended with the perfect ending.

To give you a glimpse of what you are in store for we are hit with “I don’t want anyone else” and “I’m glad it was you.” Get ready for the full hearts and longing sighs.

Priya Pendley and Juliette Barrera-Wright, long time childhood rivals, spending years in a passive battle reach the peak of their rivalry when the two come face to face at Fogridge Sleepaway Camp and are bunched together as cabin mates. Fodridge has long been Juliette’s home away from home and the only place she felt she could be seen as her true self, not the subdued, ignored girl she feels she is in Priya’s world. But with Priya now in her domain, Juliette is faced with the struggle to be herself and staying enamored with her home away from home as her final year as a camper.

The nostalgia alone could make this a top tier book but when you mix in tropes such as “enemies to lovers,” “forced proximity” and “she falls first” you know you are in for a holy grail of a rom-com. This book was perfect and I cannot wait for its release because it will be one of those books that becomes everyone’s new favorite. The pacing, the silly situations, everything that could go wrong going wrong, the healthy communication and maturity of it all mixed into a positively amazing setting such as Fodridge. It is hard, in my case nonexistent, to find anything to dislike about this book. I cannot wait for its release so everyone can fall in love with it just like I have. Thank you for such a beautiful story Erin Baldwin. I hope we see more from you.

3⭐️
Such a cute YA romcom book which is just what I needed after reading like 4-5 heavy books. I deeply enjoyed this book and the characters were so fun to read, so fun that I finished this book in 2 days while reading in every lull in both days.

Thank you to Penguin Kids for the free ARC! 🫶🏼

"Wish You Weren't Here" was a fun read about two frenemies exploring their sexuality and if they have romantic feelings for each other at summer camp. Fun read that really captures camp experience. Great character development as well. Funny a lot of the time with tender emotions as well. Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen/Viking Books for this eARC!
I absolutely loved this book. A sweet sapphic rom com set at camp! 💕🌻

If you enjoy a summer camp slower burn of friends to lovers romance- this is a book for you! Juliette and Priya's story is filled with banter and small tension filled moments that I always enjoy in this trope. The characters in this were all written out and given back stories, which admittedly it did feel like extra gravy, but it does make you feel that you know everyone in this story well. However, there was an exception of the counselor who seemed to have it out for Juliette, this character was not ever given an "why does she act this way" story, usually unnecessary but with all the other characters getting little blurbs I was left wondering. I was happy that there was a little epilogue, that I feel is the kindest thing to do for a reader is give us a little glimpse into their 'happy ending' Overall, I enjoyed this book- was not my favorite of its kind but it was a quick one sit read through that I could read just as easily again.

This YA simply wasnt for me. I made it about 35% into this book before I DNF’d because I wasnt invested and a bit bored. Juliette is annoying, a bit too whinny and her dislike for Priya feels very one-sided. I would’ve loved to see things from Priya’s POV to really make the “enemies to lovers” trope real. Priya sounded like the more interesting character outside of her apparent privilege which is mentioned quite often as a way to make her sound very self absorbed/self centered when to me she sounds like a confident and sweet girl with a multitude of interests. This read like one of those badly aged Summer Camp coming of age romance movies from the 90s that I never really enjoyed.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc!

I really want to read this but it is expiring very soon and I do not have plenty of time to read. There is no link to send it to my Kindle so I am dnfing this arc. I will pick up the final copy instead.

oh this was delightful. i love a good "and they were roommates" premise and this delivered and then some. i loved juliette. i loved priya. i loved fogridge, which was its own character. i myself have never been to camp but by the end of this book fogridge felt like MY home and i found myself getting misty eyed at juliette's inner monologue at the effigy.

a lot of the time pop culture references in books can feel shoehorned in but they felt organic here (am i biased as a survivor fan? probably). i reference "people are dying, kim" constantly and to see it written in this book killed me.

The main characters were cute in this one, but the book itself felt overall disjointed and rushed. Some parts really dragged while others were simply brushed over. Overall, it wasn’t awful, but it definitely was one I struggled to pick up and finished just to finish.

The central characters of the story are Juliette and Priya. Priya, being affluent and widely popular, stands in contrast to Juliette, who comes from a working-class background and harbors dreams of attending college. Despite their disparate backgrounds, Juliette feels a warm, motherly affection towards Priya's mother, Deepika.

A defining moment in their friendship occurred during their youth when Priya defended Juliette against a teacher who attempted to simplify her name, emphasizing that "there's no such thing as too complicated names." This sentiment deeply resonates with the me, who, as a mother with a name deemed "too complicated," encourages my daughter to assert her name, her identity proudly, much like Juliette.As the story unfolds, Priya finds herself attending the summer camp beloved by Juliette, thanks to Juliette's subtle persuasion of Deepika regarding the camp's potential benefits for college applications.

This review provides merely a glimpse into the engaging and enjoyable story. Thank you to Erin Baldwin and NetGalley for granting the opportunity to experience this great book.

My Rating 4.5/5
CAWPILE Rating 7.29/10

Juliette and frenemy Priya Pendley have an agreed upon truce where the two try to keep their lives as separate as possible despite the fact they share similar interests, the same classes, the same friends, and—unfortunately—this summer at Fogridge Sleepaway Camp. Juliette thought she'd be free of Priya and her Insta and instant popularity for the summer, but with one offhanded comment to Priya's mom, Juliette finds herself not only sharing the summer and her camp with Priya, but her coveted cabin she's worked so hard to earn over the years. Like a comedy of errors, Juliette's summer keeps getting worse the longer it goes on—camp counselors from hell, her camp friends liking Priya, and an unfortunate trip to the ER with a sprained ankle that sends her summer into an even further tailspin. Injured, Juliette and Priya and saddled with one another even further. As the two work through their differences, Juliette discovers she's falling for Priya and it seems like the end of the world for her. The rest of the summer has its up's and down's, but it concludes with Juliette's final everything as a senior, ushering her and Priya out of Fogridge and the differences they once had into whatever the future may hold for them.

-a goofy cast of characters
-the dynamic Priya and Juliette has, evolving over the course of the narrative
-Deepika Pendley; picture Granny from Mulan in her comedic effect and one liners

Read if you enjoy:
-meet cutes
-frenemies to lovers
-being more than meets the eye

"Instead, we find ourselves in the Tenth Circle of Hell: Cooperation."

Intended Audience: YA
LGBTQIA+: Yes, Sapphic
Romance: Yes
Diversity: Yes
#OwnVoices: Not stated

Analysis

Trigger Warnings:
unhappy home life, abandonment issues, competitive siblings, hostility at home, emotional abuse at home, crying over changing, adults passing judgement, adults exacting revenge through punishments

Tropes:
roommates, sharing a bed, sharing clothes, childhood friends, frenemies to lovers, dealing with adversity, dealing with loss, conflict through interpersonal relationships, family drama, small town, happy ending, forced proximity, misunderstandings, absentee parents, protagonist as a punching bag

Pros:
-fun
-loveable parental figure
-frenemies to lovers done well
-happy ending
-growth
-understanding

Cons:
-narrative falls apart if reader looks too close at some aspects, like many of the reasons for and surrounding theatre
-doesn't deal with resolution for Galahad situation and is unsatisfying in how that situation is concluded
-characterization issues
-absentee parent trope; almost lead to a 'Did Not Finish (DNF)'
-protagonist as the punching bag trope; protagonist is verbally accosted by almost every other character in the narrative and does nothing
-the narrative and romantic plot forcing the protagonist into situations to move the plot along despite the protagonist's protests
-protagonist has a breakdown about liking their romantic partner; this doesn't feel safe or healthy, nor does it feel very 'romantic' to continue on with the romance after this moment in the narrative
-the final confrontation between the protagonist and the romantic lead has no real conclusion and is unsatisfying in how that situation is brushed under the rug and not actually addressed; it felt very much like the narrative was so focused on beats it needed to hit, that it didn't actually matter how the protagonist felt in the moments leading up to those 'needed to be hit' beats

When you combine young adult fiction with summer camp and also there is a sexuality awakening and sticking it to a terrible authority AND overcoming your preconceived notions about someone to form a terrific bond? Yeah, I'm immediately there and having a good time. Juliette's story was very relatable, especially the moment where you realize that your talent isn't enough to be considered talented anymore. For being one of Juliette's best friends, I feel like I didn't know much about Gia and only minimally about Lucy. I enjoyed seeing Juliette take Priya off her pedestal and finally being able to see her as a peer; I think making Priya a theatre nerd and an avid fan of Survivor was hilarious.

“How lucky you are to have some thing that makes saying goodbye so hard”

As a former camp counselor, this book had me in my feels. It brought back such fun memories! This was incredibly well written. I loved all these characters. I recognize that this is not my target audience however, I just found so much joy in reading this. Ms.Baldwin did such an amazing job and definitely got me out of the worst slump I have been in, Juliette and Priya are more so rivals to lovers and honestly I wouldn’t even say rivals because I really didn’t see the rivalry that much just felt like people who just had to deal with each other growing up and weren’t the best of friends! This book simply had a lot of engagement from the banter, the humor, getting to know a little bit about the side characters and their personalities shinning through! it was just great especially Priya’s mom! A whole vibe. I absolutely could not stand Galahad tho because like at your big age. Why are you harassing this child? Are you not embarrassed? Anyways, this is a must read for camp lovers it’ll have you in your feels; a must read for anyone who ever finds themselves you know, being very doubtful of themselves, not really knowing where you fit in but also being able to find community and be able to find someone who just gets you and is able to affirm you. a solid read that I highly recommend and just great queer representation that does not fall into any pandering tropes! A must read and looking forward to all future works by Ms.Baldwin! She just gets it!

I say this as a queer and a former camp counselor: This book is perfect. I am so glad I read it. It filled my entire heart with joy. Our narrator, Juliette, is a longtime camp kid at her very last trip to Fogridge as a camper. She's one of a billion siblings, right in the middle, so she feels constantly overlooked and unseen, except when she's at camp. Priya Pendley is a social media influencing superstar who Juliette thinks she knows — and hates — oh so much. But she could not be more wrong. Over the course of the book, their antagonistic relationship turns so sweet without losing any of its flirty punch. Erin Baldwin absolutely nails the experience of camp, that one place where everyone, including the counselors, can't ever be Too Much. Juliette and Priya find out so much more about themselves and each other as nothing goes the way either of them planned it, and the end result is so much more than they could have hoped for. Wish You Weren't Here is also the funniest book I've read in months (so many theater kid LOLs) and is absolutely bursting with found family feelings. I read it with only one single break to sleep. Love, love, love.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group/Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

This book is an absolute gem! With its enemies-to-lovers plot and charming camp setting, it's a delightful and nostalgic read. The camp atmosphere is vividly depicted and I loved it. Whether you're a fan of summer adventures or simply love a good romance, this book is sure to leave you smiling.
Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!