Two more idiots in love. Friends to not friends to lovers to not lovers to lovers.
Two girls working at a summer camp used to be friends. One has been going thru a breakup and working on finding herself and healing after that experience. They have to coproduce the summer musical and they fall in loveeeee

I loved this. It was so cute and fun to read. And I love a summer camp romance

This was cute, but it was just that. Add on to the fact that y’all know enemies to lovers isn’t exactly my jam, so I was kind of going through it. But it did have its redeeming qualities, like the fact that it was sapphic and set during the summer. And that was enough for me lmao

Ok so this is really tough for me because y’all know I’m not a fan of enemies to lovers. But y’all know I AM a fan of summer and romances set in the summer and even moreso when it’s sapphic. And this book has all of those things. So I gave it a shot. Just in case. And lo and behold I actually liked them. There was so much more to this than what I was thinking. I’m actually glad I gave it a shot.

The plot was ok, but it did drag in some places. It was dragging because it was so repetitive. There’s only so many different ways you can say how much you’re trying to stay out of the limelight and don’t want anyone to recognize you. It was the same thing over and over and it got to be annoying. Especially with the fact that she wasn’t even saying what happened between the two of them. It was just weird.

The romance was cute, but some things were iffy. Like why in the world would the love interest ever make a move on that attraction when she was doing things like this? And there was really nothing that made me think, “you know what? She changed. I can see that she really loved her.” I hate this part of enemies to lovers romances because I never know if its me or them. I think there needs to be a more clear picture of them changing and the love interest needs to not be so immediately forgiving if that makes sense.

I did like the storyline tho. Again, I will read and love anything that has to do with summers and romance. And this should have been a slam dunk for me. The execution just didn’t work for me. But again, this could be a me thing, so give it a try!

This was super surface level. The romance felt rushed. The ex showing up felt shoved in and not natural. The side characters were more interesting. I may give the author another read. Would recommend to younger YA.

This was a cute book but I had trouble staying with the story at times and wish the characters were a bit more fleshed out. I look forward to seeing more from this author.

Today is my stop on TBR & Beyond's (@tbrbeyondtours) release tour for I Love You S'more by Auriane Desombre (@aurianedesombre). To celebrate, I'll share my five-star review of the book so you can hear my thoughts!

As the weather gets warmer here in the Northern Hemisphere, I find myself craving books with a light, summery feeling to them. Something about the changing of the season makes me want to read about new romances and young love, so I Love You S’more couldn’t have come at a better time! I enjoyed so many aspects of this book, and it ultimately was my first five-star read of April. I Love You S’more has a summer camp setting that had me reminiscing about my own days as a camp counselor. I only wish my camp years had held the level of romance that Ivy and Rynn found with each other. Their story was realistic, fun, and resonated with me as a queer woman. I had high hopes for I Love You S’More after enjoying Desombre’s debut novel, I Think I Love You, and I was not disappointed!

My Recommendation:
If you love summer camp stories, rivals to lovers, or sapphic romances, you need to grab a copy of I Love You S’More! This book would be perfect for fans of Jennifer Dugan’s Young Adult books, which have a similar summery feeling to them.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book and read it in one day. I loved the characters and their growth as well as the storyline. I would definitely recommend this book.

Such a cute read, loved the camp vibes. The added aspect of the ex being famous and how social media interacts with that was interesting and done well.

I read about 30% of I love you Smore in one sitting and then set it down and never picked it back up unfortunately. I thought it was ok, but I wasn't in love with the story and I didn't really have a lot of motivation to pick it back up and finish. However I think all of that is a personal issue rather than something actually wrong with the book. Auriane Desombre writes YA on the younger side of the genre in my opinion and though I previously read and enjoyed her debut, I think I love you, It was several years ago when I more fit the age demographic for it. I think that I personally have aged out of her stories but they would be wonderful reads to recommend to those just starting out in YA. And I intend to do just that if I ever come across someone looking for that! Please do still give this a chance if your interested in it, my DNF is completely for personal reasons rather than an issue with the book itself. From what I remember reading the camp setting was fun and I think it was getting ready to set up some really cool characters (like the other counselors) for the rest of the book. That and the cover is gorgeous and I remember the cover for I think I love you being super pretty too! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

An engaging summer camp story that explores breakups from a few different angles. Ivy is still smarting from her very public romantic breakup with Allyson--a teen TV star. But the more interesting "breakups" for me were the platonic tween separations. The last thing Ivy wants to face at camp is fellow counselor and blast from her past Rynn. The two were inseparable as young teens, had a dramatic falling out, and hadn't spoken or seen each other since. Two campers in Ivy's bunk are going through a similar falling out in real time, but Ivy's so in her head over what her ex (and her ex's fans) are saying on line and competing with Rynn that she doesn't recognize the parallels to her own experience (and hence a way to help her campers mend their rift) until it's almost too late. When romantic sparks fly between Ivy and Rynn things only get more complicated. Eventually, Ivy figures things out, mends the fences that can be mended --including her own self worth apart from Allyson and all the drama that comes with her.

This is a fun, breezy read, but I found Ivy--and the "Ivy/Allyson 'ship"--the least interesting character/relationship. Ivy's endless paranoia and competitiveness got a tad tiresome, though I was rooting for her and Rynn.

I Love You S'more by Auriane Desombre is the perfect summer read—fun, flirty, and full of heart. This sapphic rivals-to-lovers story had me hooked from the start, and the setting at summer camp made it all the more charming. Ivy Raines is a relatable character, navigating life after a very public breakup and trying to escape to camp for a fresh start. When she finds herself clashing with Rynn, the camp’s experienced and bossy co-director, the sparks fly in the best way. The author really nails the "rival" aspect of this trope with tension and banter that kept me turning pages, and I loved how the chemistry between Ivy and Rynn built slowly but surely.

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

I Love You S’more is the perfect summer read. It’s fun, flirty, and full of heart! It’s a rivals-to-lovers story that had me hooked from the very start.

Ivy Raines is a relatable character. She’s navigating a very public breakup and she tries to escape to her childhood camp for a fresh start. At camp however, she finds herself clashing with Rynn, the camp’s experienced and very bossy co-director. The sparks fly in the best possible way. The author tends to nail the rival aspect of this trope. There is so much tension and banter.

For me, the standout feature of this book are the characters. They feel real, despite Ivy being dumped by an actor that isn’t quite relatable to most of us. Ivy and Rynn act their age. The book is full of awkwardness and painful moments. The only thing that I didn’t like, was that Ivy just forgave Ally so quickly. I mean, Ally treated Ivy really bad.

This was a fun read, and would’ve read in a shorter time if I didn’t have other books waiting.

Thank you, NetGalley and Auriane Desombre for allowing me to review! As always, my review is my own opinion and thoughts. This review will be shared to my Instagram @what_emm_reads shortly.

Hello, Summer Camp romance #2 of 2025!
I love reading summer romances as summer camp season approaches to get myself in the mood. I Love You S'more is a fun middle/high school romance. Full of middle school drama, theater shenanigans, and internet/dating woes. It was a fun, quick summer read!
I have worked at camps for too long not to have been distracted by how wildly this camp is run. Why are all the counselors minors? Where is the adult supervision?
But despite the distraction I had fun. It was a lovely, quick summer read, full of drama, and it got me ready for summer.

I thought this was a cute romance with a great summer camp setting. I enjoyed most of the characters, even the obnoxious middle schoolers with their middle school drama. Ivy and Rynn were great together and I loved their chemistry, but I will say that I was hoping for more cute banter than I got since it was supposed to be a rivals to lovers type story. I felt like they went through the rival stage really quickly. They're more ex friends to lovers because their rivalry over who's going to direct the summer camp show was not built up a lot and they got together pretty quickly. Though maybe it seemed like it happened more quickly than it did because it was a pretty quick read so everything seemed to happen quickly. That being said they were still cute and I enjoyed their summery romance. I just especially loved the summer camp vibes and the fact that Ivy said that my way of eating s'mores is superior, marshmallow between 2 pieces of chocolate and no graham crackers. So overall if you're looking for a quick cute summery read then I suggest checking this one out,

content warning; bullying, infidelity, toxic relationship

i love a camp book. this one was a 3.5 and is a great get for the queer, young adult reader in your life.

ivy heads to camp after a messy breakup with her ex, a girl best known for acting on a cw-type television show. she needs to get out of the public eye, away from prying questions. camp used to be the place that healed her when she was young. imagine her shock when an enemy from the past is still there and in attendance. rynn's got a chip on her shoulder about her past with ivy. on top of it, her camp experience should mean that she shouldn't have to fight ivy for the top spot to direct the camp play, and yet...

i have quite a few thoughts about this one. firstly, i though ivy's backstory with ally, the teen actress that treated her like garbage felt a little bit bizarre to me. i'm not sure that i understood the purpose of the celebrity/acting plotline and it felt like a weird inclusion. i also am not sure that i love ally's snidely whiplash mean girl betrayal, but maybe this is a product of this book skewing a bit young for me.

another backstory in this was two campers at each other's throats because one was selected for a lead role in the play because she was the best choice, but her friend that wanted it was furious and absolutely cruel to this girl despite assurances that she wasn't trying to be manipulative. i get that this book was trying to make kids feel like kids and act their own ages, but some of these elements felt over-dramatic and unrealistic to me.

also, for a romance, the romance here really took a backseat. i'm not sure if i buy the chemistry between ivy and rynn, but i do like the discussions of their previous traumas, how they can impact the way people exist and react. ultimately, a very cute read.

I personally loved summer camp as a kid and was also a camp counselor for a few summers, so I was excited to dive back into this world. I also love a queer YA book, something I wish I had as a kid growing up in the 90s. I'm all about supporting and reading these types of books because 1. They heal something inside me, 2. I want to give them all the hype and help boost their reach, and 3. I want any kid to have access to this type of novel to either help identify themselves or increase their understanding of the world around them.

After a public breakup with her teen TV star ex, Ivy Raines heads to summer camp as a counselor hoping for a low-key escape filled with sunshine, friendship, and s’mores. But her plans are upended when she’s paired to co-direct the camp musical with Rynn, an overly confident counselor she hasn’t spoken to since a falling out years ago. What starts as a rivalry soon turns into something much more, as old tension gives way to unexpected chemistry.

This was quick read, and it definitely hits on the dramatics of being a teen. So many feelings and reactionary actions! A lot of this book focuses on dealing with navigating the post-breakup blues, which is extra important at this age.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Children's & Delacorte Romance for this eARC!

Auriane Desombre is an author I wish I had as a teen! She writes super cute romantic books that reflect current issues for teens in an honest but funny way.

I’m giving this one a solid four stars because it was everything you would think you’d find in a ya sapphic romance—including the miscommunication trope and a bit of past middle school drama that didn’t really feel like it was needed?

So Ivy just had a very public breakup with her first girlfriend who also happened to be a tv show mega star. She’s burned out and needs to escape so she signs up to be a music counselor at a camp. What she wasn’t planning on was running into an old rival, Rynn. Rivalries refresh, sparks fly, and two young women find love when they’re least expecting it.

The writing is engaging and flows well. I can see this becoming a staple ya sapphic romance to read.

♡ sapphic ya romance
♥ rivals to lovers
♡ camp counselors

{I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own. Any quote mentioned is subject to change.}

This was so disappointing. The plot felt super underdeveloped and the FMC felt way too immature to be 15 years old. How is she at a summer camp and unable to control the kids? Also the conflicts and climaxes were unnecessarily dramatic.

True rating: 2.5

I Love You S'more by Auriane Desombre is a super fun, ya romance.
I was so excited to read this one, and loved it from the very start.
A charming, heartfelt romance that explores themes of self-discovery and second chances. The relatable characters and sweet, slow-burn love story make for an engaging read.
The plot was great, the characters were engaging and the writing was well done.
A wonderful sapphic rival-to-lovers story.

First of all, I love the sapphic rivals to lovers trope and I love a summer camp setting and so I was very excited to read I Love You S’more which combines the two perfectly. This book is filled with drama and teen angst and tension as Ivy navigates her new single life at her childhood camp after her famous high school sweetheart dumps her. Here, she has to work with Rynn, the girl who friend-dumped her 5 years ago who she hasn’t seen since and so cue plenty of drama as Ivy attempts to deal with everything (badly).

I thought this book dealt with the grief and sadness of being dumped by someone you loved really well and I could definitely relate to Ivy’s feelings as she tries to get over Allyson. This is made a lot harder due to the constant reminder of her every single moment she is around the kid campers who are huge fans of her show and continuously ask her questions about her. Dating a child star was also difficult as their relationship was very much in the spotlight and she also has to deal with thousands of fans speculating on the rumours of Allyson and her co-star.

At the beginning of each chapter there is a unique format used to present snippets of information such as texts, news articles, social media posts and comments from fans. This added a fresh design to the story gives the reader an insight into how the fans reacted to news and showed what Ivy always has to deal with online. Throughout the story, Ivy is obviously trying to get over Ally and the more I learn about her the more I dislike her, especially the way she treated Ivy in the last few months.

I loved the camp setting and the other camp staff really added to the story. Her friendship with the others, especially Fitz was so cute and she definitely needed some friends during what she was going through even though she never really opened up to any of them about how she was feeling. I loved the rivalry and tension between Ivy and Rynn as they are forced to work together on the musical production and there is plenty of angst before they start to like each other again which was very fun to read. The only think that could have made it better was if there were some chapters from Rynn’s POV so the reader could see how she felt about Ivy.

I also love that Rynn continuously calls Ivy by her last name which is a classic romance trope to me and it really adds to their dynamic as they slowly grow closer. I did think that Ivy’s drama over Ally was quite repetitive after a while and it felt like she was very self absorbed, only thinking about herself and not even really helping the kids but she does eventually realise the error of her ways and makes up for her mistakes. Ivy is also only 15 apparently but it read like she should be at least 17 with everything that she was going through.

Overall, this is a fun and angsty sapphic romance that I raced through in only 2 sittings. It is a fast paced, easy read and I loved all the characters and I was very invested in the plot. This is a cute rivals to lovers sapphic romance with lots of drama and angst to ensure there is never a dull moment!