This wasnt my usual genre of book. However I actually really enjoyed it. Thanks for the preview Net Galley

I honestly liked this book way more than I thought I would. I got this through netgalley as an arc but before reading, I decided to look at the reviews and a huge majority of them were pretty negative. I came in with super low expectations but I don’t know, I didn’t think it was too bad. I actually enjoyed Lola and while a lot of the characters were immature, I still found them pretty fun and enjoyable. I liked the setting and the overall vibe of the book but I will say, if you’re someone who doesn’t like modern day references in their books, this won’t be the book for you. I also enjoyed Lola’s self-discovery journey, her discovering her sexuality, and just the overall theme of rediscovering yourself in your adulthood. I would recommend this book for sure!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the arc. Minor spoilers ahead

I'm not really sure how to rate this.

I've been reading this one for a while. As I mentioned in my last review, I've been in a reading slump lately. I sped through the first part of the book, kind of lost interest, then forced myself to come back and finish it so I could review.

I actually was really interested in the concept and enjoyed the first part of the book. I enjoyed watching Lola's "fall from grace", so to say, as she goes from mega-influencer to the most-hated-influencer-of-the-month online. I think it's a topic worth writing about because it happens every week, seemingly.

When we first meet Lola, she's vapid and self-absorbed, focused only on having fun and making more money. I just wish she had developed at all from that. Even after everything, at the end of the book, it feels like Lola learned nothing. She sounds the same the entire way through the book and doesn't show any personal growth at all. She starts designing clothes again, but that's really it.

I think you're supposed to feel sympathetic for Lola? And I actually did, at first, but as the book progressed, I truly just could no longer feel sorry for her. She was a terrible friend and girlfriend.

Let's talk about that now...

Aly Ray Carter. The reporter who ruined Lola's life. I like that set up for an enemies-to-lovers, but again, Aly wasn't really that great either. She's kind of one-note the entire way through.

I also really did not like the discussion of sexuality. Lola claims to be straight all the way up until the very end of the book, and I'm not saying someone has to identify as anything, but it just came off in a way that was very icky. She hates being called bisexual or gay and barely admits to actually being attracted to women, even though she sleeps with Aly all summer. Again, not trying to say you have to label yourself, but as a queer reader, I felt uncomfortable with the narrative, especially with the comments they make about Aly only going for straight girls. It was almost like it was meant to give off predator lesbian, and I just am not a fan of that.

I actually (somewhat) liked their relationship, other than that, until the very end, where any communication skills either of them had flew right out the window, and they acted like toddlers.

Every character fits into a neat stereotypical box: there's Ryan, her "best friend" who's gay and flamboyant and only seems to exist to have a good time, or for Lola to ignore? Next is Justin, her doctor boyfriend who's rich, handsome, and perfect in every way. Colette is Aly's ex and hates Lola for no good reason (according to her). There are the rest of Aly's lesbian friends who are the same person copied and pasted. I could go on, but I think you get the point.

I really liked the summer beach setting, but I don't think we get enough of it. It feels like most of the actual plot happens in the city, and I wanted more beach vibes! Most of the time there is just spent describing Lola and Aly having sex.

I don't mind an ending where the main character ends up with no one, but it just didn't feel properly executed. Genuinely like 3 days after her and Aly break up, she officially breaks up with Justin, and they sleep together. Earlier Aly describes being nervous about Lola because the last girl she dated broke up with her for a man, and it's essentially that all over again. Aly treats Lola so poorly (though maybe it's deserved) at the end that I didn't even mind that they didn't get back together.

Of course all of Lola's problems are solved by one Instagram livestream apology. Wouldn't be an influencer story if it didn't! I liked that they gave Colette a little more at the end though and enjoyed seeing her and Lola become friends.

I also liked that Lola starts to get back into fashion at the end, but again, it doesn't feel like she's changed or reflected at all. I don't think this is a bad book by any means, but I think it touches on such important topics that I wish it had been better executed. There really is a lot to say about social media culture, influencers, and discovering your sexuality, but this book unfortunately just misses the mark.

2.5 stars

Hotter in the Hamptons follows Lola as she navigates major life changes. It starts off very promising as Lola decides to have a fresh start and spend the summer in the Hamptons, however, she has no real development until the last chapter of the book. It was very difficult to follow due to the main characters all being stuck in their roles and their cliches.

Thank you for the opportunity of an eARC, and I am leaving this review willingly.

Hotter in the Hamptons had potential, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to it for me. I was intrigued by the premise and initially interested, even if it leaned cheesy, but things quickly went downhill after the two FMCs got together around the 40% mark. From there, I just couldn’t stay invested.

The characters lacked depth and development. I found it hard to connect with any of them, and there was little to no chemistry between the leads. The plot felt predictable and flat, and while the book did have some spice, even that didn’t do much to elevate the story.

By the end, I was mostly just ready for it to be over. And the self-promo plug for Tinx’s own podcast at the end? That pulled me out of the story and honestly just felt cringe.

I didn’t hate it, but I definitely didn’t enjoy it.

I really really really wanted to like this book because it sounds like it was written for me specifically--I love influencer, pop culture books! But unfortunately, it was a miss.

First of all, was the entire book spon-con? I like some brand references to add color, but oh my god there were way too many. I felt like I was being pitched to every other line.

Lola is 30, lives in NYC, talks about how all she watches is lesbian porn, had a crush on her volleyball coach, and then fully hooks up with a woman for a week straight and the thought doesn't even cross her mind that she could be bi??? With all due respect ma'am, bffr. There's no sheltered upbringing or religious trauma that could explain why she acts the way she does, except for the fact she truly just only thinks of herself.

The ending felt very shallow. I think they were going for she's a girl boss! she can be on her own! But it felt empty, and I was sad for her because she in no way grew and did not treat anyone else like a valuable human being. Even at the end, everyone was just a player in the Lola show. I think both her ex and ARC are better off without her, so good for them, I guess.

Rising social media star, Lola Fine, has it all until a comment on Instagram Live brings it all down. Trying to save face and her brand, Lola decided to do an interview with one of NYC’s top cultural critics, Aly Ray Carter, which only seems to make the situation worse. Instead of this helping (and saving) her brand, her followers turn on her. Brand deals get dropped, her handsome boyfriend tells her he needs a break, and Lola is over it. Lola escapes to the Hamptons, only to find out the woman who ruined her career is staying next door. Will loathing turn into lust?

When I saw the cover and read the description, I knew this was going to be one of those reads I couldn’t put down once I picked it up. The struggle was picking it up (I seemed to have bit off more than I could chew when it came to arc reading). When I did get around to reading it, I found the build-up to be slow, and then the plot came out of nowhere. I was so locked in, I was reading this at work (some of it was nsfw).

The enemy-to-lovers plot was so good, considering Lola wanted to hate Aly, but I really hate how the book ended. You’re telling me we get this whirlwind summer romance, just for Aly not to hear Lola out and end it? Biggest gag of it all. Like, I think lesbians are so chic, but not Aly.

The blurb of this book attracted me like a moth to a flame because being a book Blogger ( I refuse to call myself an Influencer), I loved the whole idea of immersing into an influencer's life who is struggling with identity, self worth, getting cancelled and staying relevant. Lola Fines isn't fine and escaping to Hamptons with her best friend is for a fresh start. But what happens when the neighbor is the very journalist who wrote the life destroying article and Lola is immensely attracted to her...

⛱️ LGBTQ
⛱️ summer romance
⛱️ enemies to lovers to...
⛱️ more like women's fiction with romance a part of the plot

I loved the first half of the book. I feel all of us reviewers will identify with parts of Lola's life. We went from being bloggers to influencers or content creator. People started focusing on PR and aesthetic and branding etc. In this curated and many times, fake world..Lola is being cancelled. I thought she will find her passion back in Hamptons. Her bicurious/biawakening part with Aly was interesting and exciting too. I enjoyed the summer vibes and the beautiful places and the beautiful dates. But that's it. Lola didn't actually grow as a person. She lost herself into another relationship after being abandoned by a lot of people but she didn't commit to it. She refused to look deep into her attraction and feelings for Aly. The story started as her journey to not be bland and stereotypical and curated. But didn't she just shed one mask for another? I didn't know who the author is but after finishing the book, I did and a lot made sense..a lot didn't. I am not from queer community but even I can see a lot of conflict and stereotype going on here. And the controversy about if you can call it a romance if there is no HEA..I will leave it to you.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

okay... so i was really excited for this book like the cover is stunning first of all and a summer in the Hamptons hello sign me up! but it was really boring. it fell flat to me and the characters seemed very one dimensional. this book was one hundred percent not for me and that's really disappointing because i love a sapphic summer romance!!

respectfully, what a clusterfuck. i would like a refund for the few hours of my life that it took to read this. as a lesbian, reading a book in which the main character has a LOT of sex with (and has feelings for!) a lesbian while staunchly calling herself straight is not really my idea of a good time.

i honestly feel kind of deceived? it feels disingenuous to market this as “the romance for a new generation” when i personally do not find it romantic for the main character to have this crazy run of internalized homophobia that’s actually never resolved. if you are actively falling in love with a woman, you are not straight!! straight girls don’t do that!! i feel like i’m going crazy. i don’t want to be mean, but this quite frankly felt disrespectful to read, so that’s just how the cookie crumbles today.

This book takes place in a world I have no experience with and one which I'm too old for. I have a miniscule social media life, but I can imagine an influencer's life being similar to Lola's life. There are some stereotypical characters included, but they're a part of the world that makes up this story. I wasn't really a fan of either Lola or Aly. They're part of a generation I'm far removed from, but I could believe they were capable of the behavior in this book. This story has humor and there is some character growth. I can't say this was one of my favorite reads, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be after reading some of the other reviews. I could definitely see where those reviews were coming from, but if you're looking for a relatively quick read or just a bit of escapism, you might want to give this a try.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was unfortunately not for me. I only made it a few pages in and could tell that I wasn't going to like it. I didn't know Tink was an influencer when I first got this book and I probably would've skipped it all together had I known.

3.75 STARS

For a hot second I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book…

I thought the beginning was eh. I absolutely hated the middle. But I actually was really here for the ending and I appreciate where Tinx took this story.

I would say this is a love story and not a romance.

(arc review) — OUT NOW!!

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

✨ Hamptons Summer Vibes
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Sapphic / Gay Awakening
✨ influencer x Critic

This book was easy to read, a little bit messy, and kinda felt like I was a fly on the wall in a rich lifestyle. I feels like this was gossip girl meets sapphic love story and while it was entertaining I wish I had gotten a little more.

Lola and Aly definitely have chemistry and watching Lola’s journey to figuring out her sexuality was a whole ride. This book just didn’t feel as authentic as I wanted it to.

It’s entertaining has some great trend references and delivers on the spice. I think some people might enjoy that.

I only have one good thing to say about this book: I’m glad I didn’t finish it.

The main character Lola is so unbearable to read and all the side characters fit into their stereotypes. The writing is not terrible, however, the author used so much slang terms and referred to Gen Z as a punchline so much that this book will feel out dated in two years.

I went into this book blind, but after I decided to DNF, I read the synopsis and this is supposed to be a w|w love story?!? How am I supposed to believe that this girl, Lola, is attracted to ARC (the love interest) when she repeatedly says she is straight and uses ARC at the beginning at the novel to write her a positive review so people stop thinking she’s homophobia?!?

I really don’t understand what the author was trying to say with this story. There’s a lot of stereotypes of gay people and Gen Z that I just can’t get behind. So I don’t recommend this book.

I approached this book thinking it would be a fun and quick summer read. I was correct about one thing: it was indeed a quick read. I found it challenging to root for Lola at first, but I was curious to see what she would do or say next. By the end of the book, I began to like Lola, although it took me some time to get there. However, the writing felt somewhat corny, and the dialogue seemed cheesy for the ages of the characters.

I tried to love this book. I really did. I was so excited about it when I saw it was coming out. Unfortunately, it was a struggle to finish. I get that Lola’s flaws are part of the book, but it made it unbearable. The spicy scenes were all written fairly well. That was good.

It was a rough debut. I will be holding my review on review sites for a few weeks. I will not review on social media.

Thank you so much to Bloom and NetGalley for giving the chance to read the book early and leave my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloom Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

First, I want to say that I'm a long time Tinx fan and love all the messages she spreads on her platform. I was extremely excited to support this upcoming release, but unfortunately, it just was not for me. The writing style, while I could almost hear Tinx narrating parts in my head, came off a little juvenile. While I get that there are many influences that I'm sure were pulled from Tinx's life (we know she's a die hard Sex in the CIty fan and huge fashionista), the name dropping of designer labels seemed misplaced and disrupted the flow of the story. They were mere decorations and served no real purpose other than to name drop. The characters were too caricature-y for me, bordered on stereotypical, and fell flat in terms of personality. And while I have no real issue with Tinx writing a sapphic romance novel, I know that this caused some discord within the LGBTQIA+ community. However, as a TInx fan, I know how much of an ally she is for the community and I know she would in no way, knowingly try to take advantage of her situation as an influencer just to push her book. I really wish this book could have been for me, I truly love Tinx so I won't be posting reviews to my platforms because I don't want to take away from her release day. Writing a book is an accomplishment in itself. So thank you again Netgalley and Bloom Books for the arc.

Thank you to @netgalley and @read_bloom for this ARC!

Hotter in the Hamptons
By @tinx
Releases May 6th, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Recommend? Maybe!

Blurb:
“As New York City’s fashion it-girl, Lola has been living her dream. But when her career comes to a screeching halt after a very public snafu, everything Lola has worked for – her loyal following, her designer closet, her perfect boyfriend – starts to go up in flames. And when notorious culture critic Aly Ray Carter lights the final match by writing a scathing exposé, it feels as if Lola has lost it all.

When Lola flees to the Hamptons to escape her mistakes, she expects to spend her summer drinking Minuty by the pool while carefully rebuilding both her confidence and her brand. Instead, she looks over the trimmed hedges to see none other than her rival and newest neighbor: Aly Ray Carter.

As summer blazes on, Lola is swept into an intoxicating situation with the woman who ruined her life, marred by chaos and confusion as she tries to pinpoint why Aly has her so captivated. She thought the Hamptons would be the perfect place to outrun her mess, but quickly realizes there’s no place to run.”

My Take:
This is a great debut fiction novel!
The spice rating is 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 more for frequency of spicy scenes rather than the extreme or k*ink etc.
Well done spice for the hetero and wlw scenes!
I did struggle to connect with the book or any of the characters for the first half. The problems and power struggles that happened were hard for me to get into or feel sympathetic for anyone in the book.
The second half had me hooked though! I ended up not wanting to put it down once halfway, because I began rooting for Lola.

Nice quick read, only about four hours total.

If you’re into influencers, fashion, etc…then I think you’d really enjoy this book!
I’m also totally unfamiliar with this author, so I’m not sure if you’d enjoy the book more as a fan familiar with her.

Definitely open to reading more from this author!

#bookreview #tinx #hotterinthehamptons #netgalley #bloombooks #queerbookstagram #queercreator #bookarc #arcreview #tbr #fyp #trendy #maybookreleases

⭐⭐ = 2.5 Stars

I hate to review a book I didn’t love but I had such a hard time reading this. I DNF’d 30% in. The writing was cheesy and the story wasn’t much better. I love Tinx and I was so excited to see her writing romance. I had to give it a chance based upon the author alone. I don’t think I am enough of a fashion girly to care about all the references and I had a hard time connecting with a wealtyh fashion influencer who was not in touch with reality. I would still check out more books Tinx writes, but sadly this one was not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!