I Love You S'more was such an adorable YA read about friendship and romance. Ivy is just coming off a breakup with her gf who also happens to be a very popular TV star. She's working at the camp she should to go as a kid. Only to find her ex-friend Rynn is working there too. Now she has to deal with heartbreak and navigate camp with her ex-friend. However, the more time Ivy spends with Rynn, she starts to see something more might be there. It's overall a quick read.

I picked this up for the cover and stayed for the story. A summer camp that's putting on a musical of Peter Pan where the two co-directors use to be friends but now dislike each other. Plus the main character's girlfriend is famous and everyone can't stop talking about the breakup. Such a rollercoaster ride.

I never went to an away summer camp but this made me miss going to camp. I went to a couple different ones and one camp was putting on a show of Grease. So it's fun reading about that and almost going back in time. This is great to get you ready for summer or to read during the summer. The YA audience will definitely like this one.

*Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.*

I loved this book, I could visualise the setting really well, the characters were fantastic and it just flowed so well, cute read.

I appreciated "I Love You S'more"
by Auriane Desombre. You can tell that the author is a middle school teacher as she does a good job with middle school and adult characters. Theater camp was a fun setting. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC.

Ivy Raines is off to be a counselor at the summer camp she used to attend. She didn’t expect that another counselor would be her childhood best friend, who she hasn’t seen or spoken to in years. That would be hard enough but they also want to both direct the camp musical. This alone has the makings of a very fun summer read. But Ivy arrives at camp full of hurt and anger. Her girlfriend of the last four years has just dumped her, and may have already moved on. The girlfriend has a hit tv show and having their breakup be all over the internet doesn’t help.

I like the camp stuff in the story. Trying to work together, sharing past stories. But every time the story switched to the celebrity breakup I rolled my eyes at the probability. What are the chances that these two could undergo four years of living six hours apart and call it a relationship. Ivy talks about her girlfriend introducing people to her and her encouraging her writing. What adult wants to read the writings of a young teen? I am not saying people can’t fall in love when young but this was a stretch. And I am someone who married a person I went to middle and high school with. So I was not into that part of the story, which was a big part.

I did like the camp and reconnecting with a childhood friend. Ivy is likable when she isn’t angsty and making impulsive decisions. But that is part of being a teen. The author wrote one of my favorite middle graders books, ’The Sister Split’ (Mar 2023). That one gave me all the feels and I’ve read it more than once. While I enjoyed reading this book I didn’t connect emotionally with it. (3.5 Stars)

Just the best summer romance! I loved the characters, the plot, and especially the ending. This is the perfect cozy up with a book for any rainy day or night. Honestly, it had me longing for summer. Simply amazing.

When your celebrity girlfriend dumps you, the best way to forget about it is to throw yourself into becoming the best summer camp musical theater coordinator... but the only person in your way is your ex best friend and the girl who absolutely gets under your skin, yet all this rivalry might actually lead to a new romance? What? Ivy Raines was known as the girlfriend of TV show megastar Ali.... and now she's been dumped by her and its an extremely public breakup. It doesn't help that Ali won't tell her why and Ivy is just reeling from the last year of their relationship in which Ali checked out of their relationship despite how hard Ivy tried to make it work. Ivy knows she needs to get offline and away from anything so she signs up to run her favorite summer camp's musical production, yet she finds herself with a rival for the job, Rynn. Rynn, her former best friend whom she had a terrible fight with, Rynn who gets under her skin constantly, Rynn who she can't stand. When the head of the camp makes Rynn and Ivy co-directors, this play is about to get messy. Ivy is in over her head as her campers barely listen to her, she's bombarded with constant news of Ali and her weird feelings for Rynn, which she can't decide if its hate or if she's actually falling for her. This was a very YA sapphic romance but I felt like some things didn't work for me, from the fact that Ivy so easily forgives Ali despite finding out that Ali might have been cheating on her, how Ivy talks about Ali treating her poorly, and then the romance between Ivy and Rynn just didn't really feel believable to me. I do think younger YA readers will enjoy this as a easy summer romance read though.

Release Date: April 8, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

SO.MUCH.DRAMA!! I know, I know, this was a YA second chance, forced proximity Sapphic romance set at a summer camp that sees two former Jewish girlfriends having to put aside their hurt feelings and co-direct the camp play. This read as very immature (granted the girls were only 15 going on 16) but it just didn't hit well for me. Okay on audio and likely to be enjoyed by fans of authors like Becky Albertalli or Jennifer Dugan. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review. (I did enjoy that there was disability rep: Celiac's disease).

I Love You S’more was cute and had its moments, but it didn’t totally hit the way I wanted it to. The summer camp vibes and sapphic tension had me excited, and I love a good rivals-to-lovers setup, but the chemistry between Ivy and Rynn felt a little more lukewarm than sizzling. It was a solid read—definitely gave cozy queer rom-com energy—but it didn’t sweep me off my feet the way I was hoping. If you’re into soft, low-stakes romance with musical theater drama and camp nostalgia, it might work better for you, but for me it was just alright. I know some people who will really enjoy it though!

A cute read though FMC was grating, especially towards middle of the book. I felt that the heart of the demographic was hit spot on, but I wish there was a bit more grace for certain scenes.

Desombre's I Love You S'more is GIVING sweet summer romance, and a lovely reprieve from a school/extracurricular setting that so many YA stories are about. I love a good, sapphic enemies-to-lovers plot, especially between camp counselors?! That would have been the summer of my dreams when I was a teen!

Regardless, Desombre does a beautiful job with creating full, dynamic characters with Ivy and Rynn: their banter, WHOA! There's a clear slow burn chemistry between the two that also addresses both the awkwardness and heartbreak of losing your first love and the hope of a fresh start with someone new. While Ivy and Rynn's relationship dynamic is thoroughly addressed, I would have appreciated a bit more of a resolution between Ivy and her ex at the end of the story. It felt a bit rushed and didn't match the thoughtfulness that shined through the rest of the plot.

VERY excited to share this one with my teen readers. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

R E V I E W

this was such a sweet fun read. it had a fun setting (i am a sucker for summer camp stories) and a rivals to lovers storyline.

i enjoyed the tension we saw with Ivy & Rynn’s background and the competition between them. i wish we had seen more moments of the transition from rivals to lovers.

i appreciated that this novel addressed the grief that comes from long term relationships ending, no matter what age that happens.

overall this novel is short and sweet and delivers what it promises. i would have loved more build up to the main characters getting together, as well as more of the side characters (I would love to see more Ben & Fitz’s summer story), but it is a cute fun read that captures teenager level drama and emotions.

**Thank you to Auriane Desombre, Random House Children’s, Delacorte Romance, and NetGalley for the ARC**

The title caught my attention and I was pleased to see the amount of marshmallow mentions. It was cute and I appreciated the clear internal conflict that Ivy had. There were some moments, especially the asides and fourth wall breaks to the audience, that took me out of the story. I was hoping for more exploration of Ivy's dynamic with her fellow counselors and sisters and to really dig into those relationships. I also wanted some more performance art imagery. Overall, it is a light read with heartwarming moments with lovely sapphic characters.

What I Liked: From the start of this book your attention is captured through an introduction to the main character, Ivy, and the drama that surrounds her life. From this moment you get to witness the way she is choosing to handle her breakup with her long-time girlfriend, and how she decides to go away to be a counselor at camp rather than go on the yearly family vacation. At the start of each chapter, there is some sort of media post that ties Ally back into the story and reminds you that Ivy is still dealing with the backlash of that breakup. These media pieces show how hard it is for Ivy to move on when the world hasn't moved on from her previous relationship.

This book handled grief from a long-term relationship ending as well as friendship breakups quite well. This captured just how each of those feel and also provides you with a way to get through both of these things or to repair a friendship that shouldn't be broken. Throughout the book, you get to see that so much of what happens is underlined by larger feelings. A lot of the responses that Ivy has along with Rynn have to do more with things that happened in their childhood versus their actual relationship with one another. This book allows you to understand and witness the impact that ignoring feelings has on other parts of your life, and how it's important to share your true feelings with the ones you love.

There are moments in which the campers are annoying but as Ivy has to remind herself, we too have to remember they are middle school children and at that age things are complicated. This book shows the reality of being in middle school, how friendships change during that age, and the things that pressure can cause us to do such as lie.

While the ending left me wanting more from this book as it felt a bit rushed, I was happy with how things wrapped up. In the end, you do get to see closure for each of the storylines that take place in this story, you get to see what happens for Rynn and Ivy, each of the campers, and see a bit of where Fitz and Ben stand.

Final Verdict: I Love You S'more is a sweet and fun summer romance book that young adults will enjoy as they see their relationships reflected in that of Ivys. Fans of enemies to lovers will enjoy this book especially the twist that this is best friends to enemies to lovers.

Thank you to TBR & Beyond and Delacorte Romance for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I rated this book 3 stars. I really enjoyed this one—it was cute and such an easy, breezy read. It genuinely captures what it’s like to be a teenage girl right now, especially with the ever-present pull of social media and how it shapes relationships, self-image, and identity.

I loved that while the main focus was on Ivy and Rynn (our high school-aged counselors), we also got meaningful glimpses into the lives and relationships of the younger campers. It helped create a more complete picture of what girlhood looks like across different ages.

As far as the rivals-to-lovers angle, I found the “rivals” part compelling and believable. Ivy and Rynn’s history added nice tension and complexity to their dynamic. That said, the shift from rivals to lovers felt a bit too fast for me. I think the book could have benefitted from a bit more development in that transition and more context on their history together.

In general, we got a very solid, detailed look into Ivy’s emotional state—her breakup with her famous ex, her past friendship with Rynn, the divorce trauma, and her desire to feel like she belongs. But while the book set up her emotional struggles well, the resolution to those issues felt a little rushed and underexplored.

Still, this was a really enjoyable read with excellent summer camp vibes, cute moments, and strong queer representation—not just in the main romance but throughout the side characters as well.

Perfect if you’re looking for something short, sweet, and sapphic for your summer TBR!

Follow me on Instagram and TikTok @mythicalreadsreviewer for more reviews!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an e-ARC of this book. "I Love You S'more" is about a camp counselor who hopes to get over her recent breakup. Ivy has been with her ex-girlfriend for four years and thought they'd be together forever. After the breakup, she decides that working at her old summer camp would be the perfect place to heal. She has put so much weight into this camp being exactly as she remembered it, that when she arrives and is face-to-face with an ex-friend (Rynn), she has this need to prove to herself. She wants to show her ex, Rynn, and even her family that she is capable of doing things.

I thought the premise of this book was really strong and had very high hopes for it. Unfortunately, I found Ivy to be a bit annoying. She sees everything as a competition and believes everyone is out to get her, even when her fellow counselors are just trying to help or offer advice. We learn a bit about Ivy's past and come to learn that this is a defense mechanism meant to keep her from getting hurt, but it's infuriating. Her fellow counselors could offer simple advice such as "Oh, it's very sunny; don't forget the sunscreen," and Ivy would take that as a personal offense. Towards the end of this book, we see her truly start to work on her issues and that's nice but it was so short and very rushed.

I do think this book has the charm and nostalgia factor of summer camp down, truly no critiques on that front. The cute sapphic romance that happens at this camp is wholesome and cute while also addressing a lot of issues that many experience when they enter a relationship, especially the issue of trying to be yourself while also being someone's girlfriend or boyfriend or partner. I like this because this book is aimed toward YA readers, and some of them have never been in a relationship and might struggle with the issues addressed in this book.

Overall, it is a three-star read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of I Love You S'more.

The title is adorable, but didn't quite match the story as a whole. The MC and love interest/frenemies were hard to root for. Rynn is just rude the entire book and has a lot of growing to do before being ready for a relationship. I first assumed that Ivy was 17

Although a quick read, I have mixed feelings about this book. It was a nice palette cleanser from heavy dystopian books, but if I had read it just to read it I think it would have been a dnf for me. The ages didn't match the storylines. Big things happened between the MC Ivy and frenemie Rynn, but it's talked about like three years is twenty. I get that for teens the ages between 12-15 can feel like an eternity, but the emotional stakes just didn't fit in the timeline of three years. Had the MC been 17 going on 18 than maybe it would have been more believable, but instead Ivy keeps mentioning how her ex bff Rynn stole her childhood camp and Rynn acting all this is my camp I've been here longer when they're both 15 was just silly.


Then there was a lot of focus on Ivy's dad not wanting her to go to college for a teacher degree. It's talked about as an end-all no personal growth or changes and a big block between her dad. Had Ivy been 17 and the summer was after graduation this could have held more weight in the storyline, but it just didn't.

The Hollywood plotline didn't quite fit in the story. Sure, it led to some good conversations, but other than that it didn't hold the importance of including press snapshots at the beginning of each chapter. It would have made more sense if Ivy had been the celebrity. Actually, Rynn's beef with Ivy and pushiness from her father would have made more sense if Ivy was the celeb. Instead everything felt disconnected.


To wrap it all up, the plotlines felt disconnected and I found it hard to root for the Ivy and Rynn. The title I Love You S'more fits better with Fitz and Ben.

🤍🖤 I Love You S’More ARC Review 🖤🤍

Thank you so much to Auriane Desombre and Delacorte Romance for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I Love You S’More is a standalone contemporary YA sapphic romance. 15 year old camp counselor Ivy has just gone through a very public breakup. Thinking that theater camp is her perfect escape, she’s excited to get away for a few weeks. But when she runs into her childhood rival, can they both adapt to the growing feelings between them?

This was a cute YA read. Ivy was an interesting character and went through a lot of growth in this story. Rynn was a good match for her and I enjoyed the development of their relationship from ex-childhood friends to dating. I did feel like Ivy had her moments of immaturity but she did make progress in this book

Overall this was a cute three star read. This was a fun story with all the summer camp vibes. This book does have some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. This book did have a romantic story, but YA levels of on page spice, so one flame for spice

If you’re a fan of rivals to lovers, Hollywood gossip and summertime romance, then absolutely pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this cute summer camp rom-com!

A lot of celebrity romances focus on the whirlwind of being in a relationship with a celebrity, so it was an interesting perspective to see the book told from the aftermath of the relationship. Breaking up is hard, but breaking up when the whole world is watching and hashtagging it has to be impossible, especially if you’re a teenager.

I really enjoyed Ivy being forced to work with Rynn and confront why they had the big friend breakup, and I liked the parallel to the campers. This was such a fun and quick read!

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with an eARC for an honest review!

As expected, my main takeaway from reading this book is how cute it is. Reading it as an adult took me back to the days of the intensity of high school relationships, of summer camps, and of feeling like you need to care what people think of you. Not all of those are cute and fun emotions, mind you, but this book embraces the wholesome nature of these things in a way that makes it a lovely summer read. I think that the pacing is a bit wonky at times, and the end feels a bit rushed, but on the whole I was fully engrossed in what managed to both be a coming of age story and a lovely bit of sapphic romance melded together. For anyone looking for a quick summer read, this is a great option!

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Review:
3.25 ⭐ out of 5

I have mixed feelings about I Love You S'More. This story follows the journey of grief faced by young teen, Ivy as she foregoes her normal yearly family vacation to spend the summer at a camp where she spent most of her childhood in an effort to escape the reality that she has been dumped by her long term girlfriend and Child TV Star. Except her ideal summer is thwarted by the arrival of her childhood best friend who the last time they saw each other, informed Ivy she didn't want to be friends anymore and never wanted to see her again.

What I enjoyed: Wonderful queer representation among the camp councilors. The descriptions of grief felt when experiencing your first heartbreak was definitely relatable and I believe handled very well (not necessarily by Ivy, but she is understandably inexperienced in the area of being dumped and having a romantic relationship come abruptly to an end). With that being said, I did very much like Ivy's character. She didn't always make the best decisions, but let's be real here: teenagers, especially teenagers experiencing extreme emotions for the first time, are often reckless in their decision making. The story flowed well enough (right up until the end) and it didn't feel like there was a lot of unnecessary fluff.

Middle ground: I was more invested in the relationship of two side characters that I was in the relationship between the main characters. Fitz and Ben need their own story. They were cute and funny and carried the story as much as they carried the camp.

What I struggled with: Rynn. Even after figuring out what Ivy had just gone through (a very public breakup and having her private life blown up on the internet), she seemed to go out of her way to make Ivy's camp experience a bad one. <spoiler>The magical hike where nothing was really said but everything was magically fixed. </spoiler> Even when Rynn was being more sincere towards Ivy, I couldn't really get behind the idea of them actually being a couple. Along those lines, this didn't FEEL like a romance, more like a YA Contemporary Fiction/Coming of Age with a romantic subplot. A cute title that I didn't feel matched the vibe (even if they did eat a lot of s'mores). And finally, the ending. The ending itself felt so incredibly rushed, I didn't even fully realize I hit the end until the page wouldn't turn on the Kindle anymore.

All that to say, I slammed through this in less than a day, and while I enjoyed the story, was ultimately left a bit unsatisfied with the end.

My monthly reading breakdown will be posted to TikTok and IG during the first week of April.