thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review ✨

reading the description of the book, i really wanted to love this book. however, i have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. to start with, i thought the premise of the book was very cute! the first 50% of the book was very entertaining, and to say i ate it up would be an understatement.

however, after i hit this point, i was extremely disappointed by the main characters and their lack of development. everything felt very insta-lovey. their chemistry fell flat for me, and the miscommunication in this book was unbearable. i really struggled with the lack of awareness from birdie, and the lack of patience from cass. it truly did not seem these characters had anything in common and were only lustful for each other.

unfortunately, i just don’t think this book was for me.

I honestly could not stop smiling while reading this. This was such a cute summer read that had all the classic tropes: childhood friends to enemies to lovers, class differences, forbidden romance, public announcements of love. I loved the alternating POVs and the increasing gay panic as they realized their feelings for one another. This book made me feel like I was 17 again dating my first girlfriend (stealing kisses at work) and feeling so excited and nervous about everything.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP, Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

Summer Girls follows Birdie, an influencer forced to spend the summer unplugged in the beach town she grew up on thanks to a scandal, and Cass, the townie Birdie’s dad has put in charge of her.

I’m a big fan of Dugan’s book Some Girls Do and this gave me such similar vibes in terms of stress with parents and it affecting the relationship. I loved how the book was told in both Birdie and Cass’ points of view and how clear it was that they were attracted to each other from the beginning. It was also delightful to see how both Birdie and Cass grew and changed over the summer and how they were able to find each other as they changed. I also really enjoyed Cass’ friends Bentley and Six as well as Birdie’s friend Ada. The dynamics with Birdie’s parents and how much influence Birdie’s dad had over the town also added to the conflict and added an extra layer to the story.

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. But overall, this was a very sweet romance with unexpected depth.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP, Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley again for the chance to read this early.

This was a quick fun summer read. While the characters were a little frustrating at first it was entertaining to see how they helped each other grow. It was pretty predictable but perfect for a light vacation read.

This is an engaging summer read where two people get a second chance at connecting and ultimately fall in love. This read is sweet, fun, speedy, and encompasses often challenging topics with care.

Summer Girls centers around Cass and Birdie, who are stuck together for the summer after Birdie's behavior results in having to spend her summer working, and with Cass essentially having to babysit her. They were friends a long time ago but life happened and they went their separate ways. Now thrown together they have to sift through complex feelings and very different life backgrounds.

We end up with a beautiful story that touches on family structures, class differences, breaking down preconceived notions, and friendships in a beautiful way. If you love Sapphic love stories, this one was a perfect beach read. I especially loved all the side characters in this book. Their relationships with the main characters was heartfelt and gave this an extra special touch!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I LOVE Jennifer Dugan, so when I saw I was approved to read her newest book, I was ecstatic. This did not disappoint. I loved how the book explored a pre-existing relationship that had been changed by time and misunderstanding, and looked at the differences people can have that seem so big, but really aren’t all that once you realize. I would definitely recommend this book to other people.

This is an engaging YA romance/beach read, with a sweet story/plotline following two teens as they connect, grow, and learn about themselves, their families and friends, and their surroundings.
The author expertly blends what I’d expect from the typical light summer beach read with tough social, emotional, and financial topics, creating a balanced book that can be enjoyed in summer or any other time of the year. There are elements that many teens (and adults) will be able to relate to, even if they are in different parts of life than the main characters. I would recommend this to teens/adults looking for an emotionally deep summer themed novel.

This is an entertaining YA novel about summer romance, broken rules, and broken hearts. It follows two young friends reconnecting again at 18 in a dramatic way. Though they come from different backgrounds, they are drawn to each other, helping each other grow and become better versions of themselves when it’s most needed. At the same time, they unintentionally hurt each other along the way.

I enjoyed the witty, engaging dialogue, as well as the emotional depth both characters experience. The coastal setting was a nice backdrop to their evolving relationship. Overall, it’s a heartfelt story that captures the complexities of friendship, love, and self-discovery.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin, and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Summer Girls is the type of quick, feel good sapphic book that I find myself drawn too. The romance was a bit too fast for me, but overall I genuinely loved the storytelling and the cast of characters.

It's not quite enemies to lovers, but it's close. There are some heavy moments throughout the story which balances out the quick pace just enough to make it all come together. This was my first Jennifer Dugan novel, but it definitely won't be my last.

There's so many sweet moments throughout the story that I am in love with. The scenes are beautifully written with super cute interactions and banter. I think it makes for a lovely cozy rom com that also goes over some important issues. Loved it!

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin, and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was a really sweet ya sapphic romance. I love the discussions of class and children on the internet, both very important. Unfortunately the book just didn't hook me the way I wanted it to. Nothing bad to say :).

This is the kind of queer joy that I'm always searching for in books. While it follows some of the more usual beats of a contemporary romance, I still had a lot of fun reading it. We meet two girls who think they are the opposites yet slowly help each other grow, bringing the best out of each other. It's a lovely reminder of summer days helping me travel mentally somewhere else especially as they both work on a housing project. It's the type of book I'd certainly recommend to people of all ages.

Either you're an adult looking back on YA and need to heal a little or live through a queer life you didn't get to have or you're living in the same moment of these characters as they figure out their lives.

I've loved Jennifer Dugan's books but while this one was good I don't think I...loved it as much. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for the socioeconomic storylines, but I did like the characters.

I am mind blown by this book it was so much fun to read. I've been in a reading slump for a bit and wasn't enjoying books as much but this book had my full attention from start to finish. The characters both have so personality which clearly shines through in their own perspectives. The major contrast between them is their class status with Birdie coming from a highly privileged background while Cass has to work hard for her future. I'm glad this depiction wasn't superficial, but the author took the effort of showing both sides of the coin while stressing on the struggles both MCs undergo.

There's so many sweet moments throughout the story that I am in love with. The scenes are beautifully written with super cute interactions and banter. I think it makes for a lovely cozy rom com that also goes over some important issues. In particular, Bentley and Six were awesome as both a couple and a pair of protective besties when it came to Cass. I wouldn't mind reading a whole other book about them. Ada and Mitchell felt like grayer characters who had plenty things wrong about them but that also felt real seeing that's what life is like. (For added context, Ada isn't very open to Birdie's perspective many times and Mitchell is Birdie's ex with a slight redemption arc)

Some things I didn't really agree with were Birdie's mom being a major villainous character throughout without any explanation of how she became so, especially with Birdie saying she wasn't always like this. Birdie's dad on the other hand is projected as a good guy, maybe slightly misled in his ways. I don't see how this narrative makes sense with his actions repeatedly contradicting what he says. Seeing him and Cass's dad, Gordon felt like a guy who didn't care all too much about his daughter or the consequences of his action but only nonchalantly cared about his business. His attitude was just not that obvious because of the contrast with Verity who was a stereotypical self-obsessed villain.

Overall, I think this is a highly engaging and well written book that deserves the attention and love of all the readers out there. Highly recommend.

3.5 rounded down
this book was much more than romance, surprisingly there were great conversations of parental emotional abuse, money divide, and coming out and what happens when it doesn't go perfectly. This book was definitely more character driven and they were written so detailed. i really loved how they each had their own ambitions and had more than just the relationship to worry about. The only part of this book that i didn't love was how fast the romance moved, i really wished there was more growth in the feelings that we see. the epilogue and when birdie and cass first get together are my favorite parts and i really wished there were more moments like that. i feel that there were more fights and resentfulness between them than actual deep connections. honestly i would kill for a sequel of them in college. i really enjoyed the passion that cass had for helping people that birdie also learned from her. also the conversation about social media parents and how it affects their kids was super important and relevant. im glad that it showed how kids are affected by this borderline abuse. the relationships between other characters such as birdie and her dad was a very well written and developed plot line. i am only rating this book 3.5 instead of 4 because i wish i didn't go into it thinking it was all romance, i would have enjoyed it much more if i wasn't waiting for more romantic moments while reading.

Thank you to Penguin Group and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

summer girls is a dislike-to-lovers sapphic YA romance. it's engaging in the beginning, with our protagonists, birdie and cass, butting heads at every turn. their quarrells initially are very understandable, considering how different their lives and circumstances are.

it's when they get together that the story started to fall off for me. firstly, cass and birdie got together too quickly. we barely saw them coming to terms with their feelings for one another before suddenly they were dating. even the part where they confessed their feelings for each other just felt severely lacking.

their romance needed more longing. i also wish we got to know more about what their friendship was like when they were kids, before they drifted apart, because it was barely touched on.

cass also started to become very frustrating in the second half. whilst i understand why she resented birdie for her privileged lifestyle, i hated how much she lacked empathy and was always so judgemental towards her. having a momfluencer comes with its own baggage and trauma and i wish cass would've been more considerate of the unique issues birdie faced.

this was definitely book i finished with the sole thought of "they're definitely breaking up after the epilogue"

This story was so heartwarming and I enjoyed the relationship we see from Birdie and Cass. The commentary on socioeconomic differences and the privileges that come with money, were portrayed in such a meaningful way. I loved the way we see these two manage family expectations, social expectations, and more throughout the story. Both of them grew so much individually and the lessons learned are so important for young readers today.

The only thing holding me back from rating this higher was the constant miscommunication. As such a great story for young readers about navigating socioeconomic issues, managing parental expectations, and exploring love, I would have appreciated more focus on learning good communication. I still adore the story and will absolutely be recommending to others, but wanted just a bit more here.

Thank you to Penguin for access to the eARC!

cute! classic rich privileged influencer discovers reality with her hard working small town childhood bestie who's now her #1 public enemy, eventually falling in love. but times TEN for Birdie. She really did struggle with being stuck in the image her mother molded her as and not knowing who she was outside of it. She does find out though! Happy endings all around.

Casey was a tad bit annoying at first and just overly rude until I remembered what the hell these rich people were taking over their livelihoods they should be more mad. What I don't understand though, is Birdie's dad's character. He's portrayed as one of the "good" rich guys but he's really not doing anything to show it. Troubles of trying to have a "good" rich character 😭. The writing was a bit awkward at parts too, or written in a choppy bald way at random intervals throughout the book. Threw off the flow a bit but not terribly unbearable.

Overall sweet, solid, summer sapphic YA read but hey, it's Jennifer Dugan, what else to expect? 3.5/5 Thank you NetGalley + Penguin Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summer Girls is a heartfelt YA sapphic romance that perfectly captures the magic of summer, self discovery, and unexpected love. The story follows Birdie, a rich and privileged girl sent to her family’s summer home as punishment, and Cass, the responsible and dependable “townie” who have known each other since they were kids, but have since grown apart. Despite their vastly different lifestyles, one summer changes everything.

Told through dual POV, this book explores themes of growth, identity, and coming to terms with how toxic miscommunication and not standing up for yourself can be. The bi representation felt authentic, and I loved how both characters had to confront their insecurities while figuring out who they were truly meant to be.

Summer Girls is a great pick for fans of opposites attract YA romances and stories about finding yourself when you least expect it!

First off, thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Jennifer Dugan for letting me read this!

Summer girls is written from the dual POV of Cass and Birdie. Two girls with very different upbringings but connected by their dads. Cass’s dad works for Birdie’s father, which comes with its owns ups and downs. Birdie ends up getting herself into a bit of pickle when she crashes her boyfriend’s very expensive car. She is sent off to the beach to spend the summer with her father. The problem? She has no social media, no car, she has to get a job, AND she’ll be under the supervision of her ex childhood friend Cass. Neither girls are a fan of this arrangement, but will that change over the course of the summer?

This queer YA book is a great summer read! It was a fairly quick and easy read, which I appreciate from time to time! Dugan portrays bisexuality in a raw and real way. I really enjoyed Cass and Birdie as well as the side characters (especially Cass’s friends). You can truly feel their emotions as you read this book. Overall, I rated it 4 stars and definitely recommend that you check it out!