A perfect book for a hot and sunny day of summer.

This was my first time reading a novel by Jennifer Dugan — even though I’ve known about her other books — and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get into this story and just read nonstop. Dugan’s writing is smooth, heartfelt, and effortlessly engaging, making it the kind of book you can happily devour in one or two sittings.

The novel delivers exactly what I hoped for in a queer coming-of-age story: complex friendships, tender romance, and a nostalgic summer backdrop that captures both the excitement and uncertainty of growing up. Dugan has a talent for balancing humor and vulnerability, and it shows here in the layered dynamics between the characters.

That said, there were a couple of things that kept this from being a full 5-star read for me. The Coalition storyline left me wanting more — I was really intrigued by the tension between Gordo and Cass’s dad. Throughout the book, Cass mentions that her dad keeps Gordo around just to keep an eye on him, and I was hoping for a deeper backstory or more resolution about their history. Instead, it felt like everything wrapped up a little too neatly before the final act.

Also, Birdie’s mom — even though she’s only in the story briefly — was such an insufferable character that her scenes left a sour note for me.

Despite these minor frustrations, I still thoroughly enjoyed The Summer Girls. If you love YA contemporaries with queer friendships, summer nostalgia, and emotionally honest storytelling, this is one to add to your TBR — and I’ll definitely be picking up more of Jennifer Dugan’s backlist soon.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on April 30th, 2025. Links provided.

Summer Girls follows Cass, a working-class teen from a coastal town, who wants nothing to do with the wealthy tourists that invade every summer—especially the spoiled “summer girls.” Birdie, the daughter of a real estate mogul and a social media influencer, ends up in town for the summer as punishment for crashing her boyfriend’s car. Tasked with keeping an eye on Birdie, Cass is drawn into an unexpected connection with her, and as their relationship develops, both girls are forced to confront old assumptions, economic divides, and unresolved feelings from the past.

Summer Girls didn’t quite hit the mark for me. While the premise had potential, the characters felt a bit one-dimensional. Birdie, the influencer daughter of a real estate mogul, didn’t spark much interest and was incredibly annoying throughout the majority of the book. Then, the romance between her and Cass felt rushed with horrible communication and no real chemistry in my opinion. The constant focus on class differences became repetitive and honestly annoying after awhile. Cass would call Birdie out, storm off, rinse, repeat. Also, it really rubbed me the wrong way that Birdie’s dad was portrayed as some “good guy” who helped Cass and her family while at the same time his company was literally, actively working against everything Cass and her family stood for and were trying to accomplish. Make it make sense. Lastly, while Birdie did have some character growth, I didn’t feel like we really got any comeuppance for the way her dad and mom acted throughout the book. It might work for someone looking for a light, quick summer read, but it left me feeling slightly annoyed and unfulfilled. Still, 3 stars for having some cute moments, great setting, and a cute cover.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of Summer Girls in return for my honest review.

This was a really sweet romance between two seemingly opposites. Cass and Birdie live lives that are worlds apart in many ways, but ultimately they are bound together by work, common interests and love.

What fascinated me most about this book was the way social media can have such control on people’s lives; Birdie’s mother posted her since she was a baby and now that’s all she knows. Seeing the fallout of “scandal” and social media hiatus really was intriguing, and the impact of that on Birdie’s life direction was, too.

Full of drama and life lessons, I loved this read. The setting was great and there was plenty of familial relationships as well as friendships that were lovely to experience.

This was such a well-crafted and refreshing YA read!

I was in the mood for something sweet and low on spice, and this summery novel delivered exactly what I needed. The plot is cute and engaging, the pacing is easy to settle into, and it weaves in some meaningful life lessons without feeling heavy-handed.

It’s the perfect pick for a cozy afternoon or a sunny day escape—lighthearted, heartfelt, and totally charming.

In Summer Girls By Jennifer Dugan a rich social media influencer named Birdie (not her real name) is exiled to her parent’s beach house for the summer as a punishment. Her dad, a real estate developer/airbnb owner, hires Cass to keep an eye on Birdie for the summer. Cass and Birdie used to be friends as children but grew apart. Cass is reluctant about the job as she views Birdie as one of those stuck up tourists who visit for the summer, but needs the money for college and likes Birdie’s dad, despite actively working against what his company does. This story focuses a lot on rich versus poor.

The characters in this book were compelling. Even the ones I didn’t like I enjoyed reading about. I loved the character of Birdie especially. She was flawed but trying and you could really see the character growth throughout the book. Cass I found a bit harder to like. She came off close minded and just felt like she kept expecting the worse from Birdie.

I found the lack of communication between Birdie and Cass frustrating. Even when they seemed to talk by the next chapter it was the talk never happened.

Overall, a good book. It kept my attention and had a dramatic enough finish to keep me wanting to see it through to the end.

Thank you Jennifer Dugan, Penguin Young Readers Group, and NetGalley for the ARC.

sadly gonna have to dnf this one. 30% through and these characters are fairly superficial with a heavy emphasis on their different economic statuses that was more irritating than romantic. from other early reviews, it seems that this is never resolved in the rest of the book and i would rather stop reading it now!

I absolutely loved Birdie & the way she changed through out this novel (for the better) by Jennifer Dugan. The character involvement by everyone was top tier. This is the second novel I’ve read by this author and I have loved them both! It’s a must read. Thanks to netgalley & the publisher for this ARC.

Jennifer Dugan does it again! A near perfect LGBTQ+ YA romance novel, this book sweeps you off your feet and will keep you engaged until the very last page. Featuring Cass, who absolutely refuses to date summer girls and Birdie, the quintessential summer girl you kind of know where the book is headed, but it's adorable and fun nonetheless. A perfect summer read, I hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I did. 4.5/5

I have read every Jennifer Dugan book ever written and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Summer Girls was a slice of fresh, sweet, enemies to lovers cake. Her commentary on children being used for social media content was spot on.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

2.5/5 ~ Too one-dimensional to be really good.

Birdie is a rich influencer who has to spend the summer in her father's beach house, without social media, can you imagine!? In this beach town, Cass says she's poor but she is actually working class and works at the beach to be able to afford going to university. Cass has to look after Birdie for the summer, in exchange for loads of money from Birdie's father.

They start off hating each other but since they're both hot, they quickly remember they used to have crushes on each other as kids (kids!?) so yeah now they're dating...

The drama comes from the same things over and over and over: Cass and Birdie's differences in wealth. It was their main conflict and it came up so often without ever really getting into real talk. Cass just always says Birdie doesn't understand then storms off. Great communication skills!

Anyways... I'm sure Summer Girls will be enjoyed by some as it's a fast read, sapphic romance that's enjoyable for summer and beach reads.
For me, the characters, the romance and the plot lacked dimension.

thank you to the author and publisher for sending me an e-ARC through NetGalley.

I really liked the setting of the book—the summer beach town atmosphere felt vivid and made for a relaxing, easy read. I also appreciated how the story touched on issues like wealth and housing equity. Those elements added some depth and made the book stand out a bit from typical summer romances.

That said, I struggled with the romance. I wish there had been more tension between Birdie and Cass throughout the story. Aside from the conflict near the end, their relationship felt a little too easy, and the insta-love was hard to fully buy into. I was hoping for more complexity in their dynamic.

Overall, Summer Girls had some strong points, but the romance didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Another awesome book by Jennifer Dugan! This is quite possibly one of my favorite YA romances that I’ve read. “Summer Girls” had fun characters, fuzziest romance scenes, a plot I was truly invested in. I was hooked from the moment I started reading. The book grabs you quickly establishing who the characters are and you get to see them growth as they get out of their comfort zones. I loved the alternating POVs as they realized their feelings for one another. It always makes a romance better when you can get thoughts and feelings from both of the MCs. Cass and Birdie were so sweet together, and I loved how you could see through the cracks even when they were “enemies.” The rescue scene was so sweet, it had me swooning. I enjoyed the sweet nature of the relationship between them after they got together. I liked their banter and how soft they were with one another. Neither character was perfect and they both made mistakes when it came to their relationship. I also liked that because there wasn’t a “bad guy” in their drama. The only issue I had was the complete lack of communication between Cass and Birdie. They had multiple arguments that I thought could’ve been cleared up very quickly if they had just listened to each other, especially surrounding Birdie’s sexuality and how she was afraid to tell her parents again. The side characters were well written as well which elevates the story but they never take over and never overshadow the main characters. This will definitely be a fun summer read for fans of the author and should find new fans as well. Thanks to Jennifer Dugan, Netgalley and Penguin for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I can’t wait for Jennifer’s next book!

Rated 3.5/5 on StoryGraph.
Summer Girls is a dual POV YA sapphic romance. Birdie is from a wealthy family. Her and her mom are influencers, practically every moment of Birdie's life has been posted or streamed. Her father is a successful real estate developer who she doesn't see much of because he's usually staying at their summer home. When Birdie crashes a very expensive car while streaming, it's decided that she'll have to spend the summer at the summer house with her dad while doing a strict social media detox (and other restrictions) in order to get her trust fund on her 18th birthday at the end of the summer. Birdie's dad hires Cass to keep an eye on her for the summer. Cass is his protege and heading to MIT in the fall. She has mixed feelings about Birdie's dad; on one hand he's a close family friend who her dad works for and has given her many opportunities, but on the other hand he and his company's gentrification of the island has increased prices for locals and pushed them out of their homes. Cass's father started the Affordable Housing Coalition to oppose these practices while also being friends and working for Birdie's dad. Cass does know that she can't stand Birdie. They may have been friends as kids but they haven't seen each other in years and Birdie is a typical Summer Girl, a wealthy spoiled brat who makes the locals' lives worse. Cass has sworn off anything to do with Summer Girls, but the money is too good to pass up.

My favorite part of Summer Girls was the main characters. Both Birdie and Cass felt well developed. The plot and set up was fun and had a lot of potential, but unfortunately the execution fell short for me. My biggest issue was there wasn't enough communication between characters. There were a bunch of important conversation that I felt were set up and were needed for character and relationship development. This was especially true of Birdie, because she internalized a lot of her issues. I wanted her to have conversations with her dad about how he hasn't been around and how she feels like he likes Cass more than her. The main conversation I wanted her to have with Cass was about her relationship with streaming, social media, and her mother. Because of the lack of communication, I never felt like Cass really understood Birdie. It also made their relationship feel way too fast, out of nowhere, and shallow. More communication in this book would have made it so good.

Thanks to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I've been eying Jennifer Dugans books for years but somehow never got the time to pick one up, until now. I was really excited when I saw that I got the ARC for her new book.

Birdie and Cass know each other since their childhood but their lives couldn't be more different. Birdies mom is an influencer and never had to worry about money. Cass is the complete opposite. She's working hard, not only for her dreams but also to be able to pay for her future. She doesn't understand Birdie and thinks that she is spoiled. And maybe she is right with that, but Birdie has so much more in her life and tries to prove that not just to Cass or her dads but also to herself.

The story started interesting and I really liked the writing style right from the beginning. It was nice to follow and I couldn't put the book down. The story was from time to time kind of predictable but it was still fun to read. Sadly this wasn't the book for me. It felt a bit rushed. To me it felt like some things were missing.

My rating is more a 3.5 stars. It was diffiult for me to give a rating because of my mixed feelings about it.

It was a sweet story, perfect for the summer. And even if it wasn't the book for me, I will still recommend it to fans of sweet enemies to lovers stories and people who just want a sweet story for the warmer days.

Thank you to Netgalley for this EARC!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Having been disappointed by Jennifer Dugan’s previous YA novel, and not being able to even get into her two adult offerings, I did wonder if she was an author I still wanted to read or not. However, Summer Girls is a nice return to form with her YA style, which I very much prefer.
Cass and Birdie are two compelling leads, and very distinct from one another. Cass is much more relatable, being a year-round resident in a beach town and seeing the visitors come and go, being burned by the “summer girls” who come and visit, plus seeing the negative impact the uber-rich have on the housing market. Birdie, meanwhile, is the stereotypical, troubled “poor little rich girl,” being sent to their family’s summer home as punishment for crashing her boyfriend’s car. With these two coming from such different worlds, and being at loggerheads somewhat due to the impact the wealthy and temporary visitors like Birdie, her family, and people like them have on permanent residents like Cass and her family. These messages definitely hit home, especially in the current economic and political climate.
The interplay between them was great, and while there are some real challenges and conflicts to work through, I liked how Birdie in particular rose to the occasion and learned from Cass, and Cass came to see Birdie’s potential.
This was delightful, and as the title promises, makes for a great summer read if you love YA sapphic romance.

I loved the plot, especially the trope enemies to lovers. I always love reading young adult books, so there is no smut. The book had so much detail and setting description that I felt like I was actually IN the book. GREAT ENDING !!!! I’d love a follow up book!

I have to start by saying that Jennifer Dugan is an all time favorite of mine. I have read almost every book and have loved all of them! This one was no exception. It was the summer vibes, feel-good, sapphic book that I needed growing up. I am so glad that I got to enjoy it now as an adult! Cass and Birdie are such an unlikely pairing but in a great way. They compliment each other very nicely. I loved the deeper topics that this book touched on and the narrative of it all. I can't wait for the audiobook to come out so I can listen to this as well!

First, I'd like to thank Penguin Group and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read Summer Girls by Jennifer Dugan. This review is solely my own opinion. Jennifer Dugan's done it again! This book was such a great read. I had a hard time putting it down. The story follows Birdie, a "famous" instagrammer whose father decides that she needs a summer away from the limelight and Cass, a small town girl whose town turns into a tourist trap during the summer. Birdie and Cass used to be friends when they were younger, but Birdie, for reasons unknown to Cass, just stopped showing up for the summer. Cass is tasked with "babysitting" Birdie for this summer, and as the saying goes, old habits die hard. Cass and Birdie spend the summer trying to figure out how they fit together after years of hostility. I gave this book 4.5 stars and absolutely recommend reading it once it's released in May.

Thnaks to Netgalley and the author for the arc!!

Saddly i could not go thru this book, i think its a sweet story, might be not the right time for me and i would totally try again in the future!!

I’m not sure why exactly, but I find YA romance so purely escapist. Summer Girls was all that I hoped—a half-real, half-dreamt summery slice of pure queer teen escapism. These kids think they’re so slick but really they wear their feelings on their sleeves. Their love is big, their drama bigger, and everything all together is real and ridiculous and painful and sweet. And if I can’t help the feeling that the whole thing was a bit undercooked, somehow—well, it would be entirely dishonest to pretend that I actually cared.