HI ALL…this is a call to action to pre-order this book IMMEDIATELY!

Reason why you should buy this book:
✨Cutesy Frenemies to Lovers Romance
✨Queer Love
✨ACTUAL Chapter Titles (totally an underrated necessity in my opinion…ALSO who decided just “Chapter 1, 2, 3, etc” was enough?! IT’S NOT.
✨IMMACULATE SUMMER CAMP VIBES
✨FUN SNAIL MAIL PASSAGES
✨Family Dynamics That You’ll Love
✨Laugh Out Loud Quippy Banter
✨Characters You’ll: love to love, love to hate, and hate to love
✨A YA Novel that doesn’t read immature and deals with really issues in a lighthearted but real and honest way💖

⭐️THIS BOOK COMES OUT ON JUN 4TH⭐️

I absolutely can’t wait til everyone reads this book so that I can discuss it in FULL detail!

5.0⭐️

Special thanks to NetGalley, Viking Books For Young Readers, and Penguin Teen for the early review copy in exchange for my honest review!

#wishyouwerenthere #erinbaldwin #penguinteen #vikingbooksforyoungreaders

Overall rating: 4 stars
Genre rating (YA Romance): 4.25 stars

Long story short:
I enjoyed this book very much, with my adoration toward the characters growing as the story went on. While there were some aspects that felt a bit juvenile on first impression, the book is ultimately a Young Adult novel and therefore this should not reflect as a criticism. It is appropriate for the intended audience, has a satisfying plot progression, and demonstrates well-crafted character development. This book receives a 4.25 when compared to other YA romances I've read because it is a satisfying, representative story that I enjoyed reading. It only falls short of 5 stars because it did not grab me from the beginning, but rather about halfway through. I give the book a 4 stars overall for the same reason, paired with the fact that it is not my first choice genre. However, I was happy to pick up this story as a step outside of my typical reading habits, and I am likely to return to the genre because of my positive experience with this book.

Plot commentary:
The pacing of the story and the overall duration of the book was perfect. Just short of 300 pages, this is the perfect length for a (presumably) standalone YA romance novel. Enough time was spent setting the stage at the beginning, developing both the characters and the general conflict, while also giving the storyline enough room to flow naturally without getting bogged down in too much detail or repetition. The climax and resolution of the plot were realistic, satisfying, and enjoyable to read. While I was not entirely engaged at the beginning, this is more due to the fact that YA romcoms are not my primary genre, so it always takes some time for me to settle in. Once I hit the midpoint of the book, I devoured the rest of it in no time, eager to see what would happen next.

Character commentary:
The main character, Juliette, experienced multiple forms of character development over the course of the book. Both internally and interpersonally, Juliette was challenged in some ways and reaffirmed in others. Priya, as the secondary main character, also experienced these developments, albeit on a smaller scale. Other side characters were not within the main focus enough to go through such development, but I did not feel that I was missing anything without that. The book is ultimately character-driven, and Juliette and Priya are the focus. The characters were relatable for the intended audience, though the stubborn nature of Juliette was a challenge to read sometimes. This is authentic, however, given her age and circumstances, and reminds me of myself as a late teen. So, while uncomfortable at times, this was exactly how the character was supposed to be portrayed and Baldwin pulled it off genuinely and without overdoing it. The dynamics between characters evolved naturally, with no changes in the relationships catching me off guard. I felt that the pacing of the conflict/dynamic between Juliette and Priya was reasonable, and I was eager in the way that the reader of a slow-burn should be, not too much excess build up but not going by too quickly either.

Misc/Other:
[NOT IN ONLINE REVIEWS]
There were a handful of formatting errors throughout the book, mostly in relation to quotation marks. Additionally, when Juliette receives a letter, there is a portion of her inner monologue that is still formatted in the way the letter was written instead of returning to the standard text, which was confusing for a moment as I tried to determine if this was actually what the letter said or if it was her thoughts mis-formatted. These were minor errors that did not overall impact my reading experience.

Priya Pendley and Juliette Barrera-Wright have been decidedly not friends for as long as they can remember. Which is why when Priya shows up at summer camp, the one place where Juliette truly feels like herself, Juliette could not be more displeased. Yet between the two of them sharing a bunk and Priya getting along with Juliette’s friends, she won’t exactly be able to avoid her. By the end of the summer, will she even want to?

This was a fun teen sapphic romance filled to the brim with summer camp nostalgia. There were a few elements I wish had been fleshed out more, but I think readers will enjoy getting to know these characters and experiencing their journies.

I adored this voicey, funny, nostalgic debut from Erin Baldwin.

Juliette and Priya have been polite rivals for pretty much their entire lives. They're in the same circles so can't avoid each other, but they bug each other, too. Juliette's favorite thing is camp, and is looking forward to 5 Priya-free weeks at her favorite place on earth. But of course, when she arrives the first day, Priya is there, and is also her roommate.

This book had such a relatable, grumpy protagonist, all the nostalgia of a summer at camp, and was so amazingly VOICEY that I flew through it. The romance is slow burn and incredible. I adored all the descriptions, the hijinks--all of it. Read this book!!!

This was a really cute sapphic summer camp (soft) enemies to lovers story! This was a quick and easy, fun read!

"I've said before that Priya and I are two planets orbiting the same sun, but in this moment, I don't feel like a planet.

I feel like space garbage. Straight-up low-orbit debris, incin- erating in Planet Pendley's stratosphere."

~

thank you netgalley and penguin viking for the eARC!!!

i'm SO grateful i got to read this book bc i feel so warm and fuzzy after finishing. i had only been to summer camp once when i was a teen, but diving into this book and being in Juliette's summer camp world transported me into a nostalgia that i didn't even know i still had.

Juliette's refreshing voice and her journey was also one of the most enjoyable aspects of this book as well. i love her intense energy (as she herself describes it) and her unapologetic demeanor.

overall, this was a light and fun read and i can't wait for this book to hit shelves in june 💜

This romcom is a delightful combination of wit, charm, and energy! The author's voice is incredibly refreshing and one-of-a-kind, and I absolutely adored the backdrop of a summer camp.

4.5 stars

I just finished this book and I’ve literally melted into a puddle on the floor. From the very first page these two had me giggling and kicking my feet! Their rivalry was so polite I was genuinely laughing at their pettiness. I also found myself absolutely in love with the camp setting, im itching for it to be summertime already.

Overall, this was such a fun read and the pacing was absolutely phenomenal. I seriously couldn’t recommend it enough. (Also, im going to need an invitation to the next Priyatopia… like ASAP.)

This book is such a delight! I’ll admit, I never attended any camps growing up, so a lot of the obscure camp traditions really went over my head, but the romance was very sweet, and the epilogue was just lovely,

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley.

Sapphic romcom with a unique and exciting setting. Mean girls at camp + sapphic. Amazing!!

I wanted to go to summer camp so bad as a kid and this book fulfilled some of my dreams. Juliette and Priya gave perfect frenemies to lovers. I loved that I got to see all of Juliette's emotions from disdain to confusion for her blossoming feeling for Priya.

I got this book for free, in exchange for my honest opinion via NetGalley.

When I said I devoured this book, I mean it. Erin Baldwin is an absolute genius! This slow-burn, young adult romance was just what I needed this winter. I've personally never been to camp, but this book made me nostalgic for the place. Yes, on the surface, this is a story about romance. But it's so much more than that. It's wonderful and full of finding your authentic self, and the struggles and joys of your adolescence.

Juliette is so relatable. I may not be as "intense" as her, but I could see myself in her stubbornness and humour. Priya while being this big named influencer is written as down to earth and downright misunderstood. All of Erin's characters are so well-written and real. Even a character you only read about once or twice, pops off the page.

I could say so much more about this book, but I won't. I don't want to give anything away. Just know, that this is certainly a book you're going to want to pick up.

this book was an absolute delight to get through. i found myself laughing throughout the entire thing, really resonating with all of the characters. i’ve been waiting for a sapphic romcom like this, and it was AMAZING. the slow burn was fantastic and i really enjoyed the setting. i received the book through netgalley and will definitely be preordering it! first five ⭐️ of the year! (:

i really enjoyed the beginning of this book! but once it got to the actual camp setting... it fell flat to me. i feel like there was too much of nothing going on, if that makes sense. however, i liked juliette's characterization. but i wish her relationship with priya had a bit more to it, cause it was kinda lacking. but overall this book is pretty solid for a debut

A smart, fun, and vibrant debut romcom! The voice is so fresh and unique, and I loved the summer camp setting - and I'm sure fans of YA romcoms will too!

I really enjoyed this book, and I felt like both the characterization of Juliette and Priya was very real. I could relate to aspects of their characters such as Juliette's intensity and Priya's people-pleasing and perfectionist habits, and I feel like they complimented each other very well. Overall, I think the romance in the story was very cute and would be enjoyed by YA romance readers. Some criticisms I have, however, is the introduction of Juliette's conflict with her sister, Eloise. Although I understand the point of their only interaction was to showcase Juliette's home life, I wish it was expanded on, even though she was at camp. Also I feel like Gia's character was a bit lacking, and I wish he appeared more through the pages. Lucy had more appearances, and I feel like I understood her more. Also who else did Galahad bully? That question isn't a criticism, but more of a curiosity since I spent most of the story assuming, along with Juliette, that her problem was only with the MC.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion!

I read this over 2 days and had it not been for the fact I needed to sleep at some point I seriously would have finished this in one day. This debut was super fun, heartwarming, hilarious, and even with the slow burn between Priya and Juliette, somehow fast paced too. Its been a minute since I had a book where i couldn't quit reading and Im always happy to find a new one like that to obsess over. Erin Baldwin did a stunning job with her debut novel and i'm excited to see what she publishes next because i will be SAT, no questions asked.

Fogridge was such a fun setting, the book did a great job making you feel right at home in camp with the counselors sporting these ridiculous but funny fake nicknames that added to that layer of comfort. Even if Juliettes been going for 10 years and were only seeing one year of those 10, it made you feel like you HAD gone for the full 10 if that makes sense. I loved how the camp was ran, all the fun stuff they do and events you can participate in like this is a camp ID wanna go to and I'm a little salty it doesn't exist. All the characters were amazing too, no matter how little page time they had they made an impression and they felt like real actual people. Especially Lucy and Gia, and i liked that they weren't sidelined to make way for Juliette and Priya's relationship like they stayed important the entire book and there wasn't any unnecessary fights between them and Juliette which I hate and is also for some reason common in books (for why??) Also we only saw Pat a few times but that man is camp adoptive dad, he doesn't simply run a camp full of random kids you see, they are HIS kids and he loves them all.

Juliette was a great narrator to read from, I really liked how she read it was easy to get on board with and like her right away. Even when she did slightly annoying stuff it wasn't read like bratty or anything idk how exactly to describe it but I was just very chill the entire time nothing about it threw me out of the story. Her character development was very subtle to me through the story but every once in a while it would hit me and I liked that about her, same with Priya too. It's described as enemies to lovers but like truly look at these two, were they ever enemies or were they just dancing around and deliberately ignoring each other and their subtle crushes?? The world may never know (it is obvious of course we know) Juliette seriously went from "im gonna begrudgingly be your kinda sorta friend not because i WANT TO but because were roomies" to "ok maybe your pretty alright we can be friends" to "well shit I have fallen for Priya Pendley" and it was so funny to watch lol.

The one thing I would have liked I think is an actual reason given for Galahad's vendetta/behavior/attitude whatever you wanna call it towards Juliette. It really did seam for like no actual reason honestly. I just wanted to know what her deal was lol. Also Kinda what happened after Priya and Juliette got back from camp, since it was widely known that they kinda just EXISTED in each other's orbit with mild toleration before camp and then they come home dating after, there had to be some reactions to that y'know. But nothing that actually truly bothered me I loved this through and through.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion!

Cute and sweet sapphic romcom with cool characters. Not exactly enemies to lovers more like semi rivals to lovers. Cute. Thanks for the arc

oh i just ADORED this! this is a wonderful quick and cute read. juliette and priya are now firmly in my top sapphic book couples! the summer camp setting is so fun and was such a great choice; the details that went into the camp activities really made me feel nostalgic for those summers in high school and made me regret never going to camp. i love all the side characters and just how fun this was! sometimes i get a bit annoyed with teens in books bc they don't feel real in the way they're written, but Erin Baldwin has managed to capture teenhood so well i felt like i was in high school again. my only complaints with this book that makes it a 4 star read and not a 5 is that i felt like some things were left unresolved. why was galahad acting like that towards juliette? i also wanted to know more about juliette's family- did they support her and priya? did any of their relationships with juliette improve at all? i feel like there are some pieces missing that would've wrapped everything up better for me. but overall this was so cute and lovely and all the characters were so well-developed and relatable in their own way. i couldn't put it down and finished in only a few hours

this book was everything i could have imagined and more! i absolutely enjoyed every single second of it. like a sapphic ya summer camp novel where the two main characters are rivals??? sign me up!!!!

before the summer, they literally used to stand at opposite ends of one another so that they could crop out eachother in pictures. LIKE THATS BRILLIANT!!!!! i truly just ate up every single moment of tension and bickering amongst the two , because what can i say, i will always be a sucker for a good ole rivals to lovers.

overall i really connected to these characters and think this was an amazing novel. erin put tons of love and energy into these characters and into the essence of what it's like to almost be an adult. it was beautiful seeing sapphic representation in young adult books and i hope everyone picks this one up when they get the chance!!!!

thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!!! <33