Donut Summer Book Review 🦇

What's your favorite type of donut?❓

Penny Dexter intends to start saving tuition money with the seasonal gig she lands at Delicious Donuts, one of the few remaining small businesses and a staple on Main Street. But when she finds out that her genderqueer nemesis, Mateo della Penna, will also be working behind the counter, Penny’s summer of mindless labor instantly vanishes before her eyes. Mateo is ridiculous and artsy, and their favorite kind of donut is Boston Crème (gross!). But the duo’s two-and-a-half-year feud will have to take a backseat when the donut shop is threatened by a corporate takeover. As their small town faces big pressure and anxiety threatens everything Penny’s worked for, there’s still one person who remains by her side. Mateo’s presence manages to keep Penny calm and focused. Could it be that Penny’s found the perfect, most infuriating person to change the world with? 🦇

Congratulations Anita Kelly on your Young Adult debut. I've been a long-time fan of their adult queer romances, but there is something ESPECIALLY sweet about Donut Summer (yes, slight pun mostly definitely intended). Let's break it down. 💜

Characters (4/5) Penny and Mateo are precious. It's obvious, very quickly, that there's a bit of miscommunication going on, which acts as an off-page catalyst for their enemies-to-lovers vibe. Kelly's characterization of Penny--of her anxiety, the way her brain works, her desire to make positive changes in the world--is SO strong. Penny doesn't just leap off the page; she's a familiar friend, a voice you already know and love and want to soothe, because if you've struggled with anxiety, you've heard that voice, too. And Mateo? Cutie baby. I just wanna squish their face and talk about their art and correct anyone who knowingly misgenders them. ✨

Plot and Pacing (4/5) The pacing is fairly consistent. I'm glad we didn't have to wait through the WHOLE book for the miscommunications to come to light. The waterfall scene and resulting conversation at the diner is everything. Everything. ✨

World-Building (4/5) I've been to Oregon once, but from the start of this book, it felt like I left the east coast and stepped right back into the forest. I think, for Kelly, this was a love letter to their hometown as much as a story's setting. ✨

Romance (5/5) All cuteness. Absolutely precious. No notes. I absolutely adored Penny navigating her queerness--starting with the term "bisexual," hearing Mateo's explanation, and recognizing that "queer" suits them even better. Because sexuality, and even our understanding (even our LABELING of it) can change, and that's beautiful. ✨

Tone/Prose (5/5) I adore when writers shift genres and find something new in their abilities as a result. However, many authors who shift from adult to YA often make their characters overly juvenile, and it shows in very adolescent prose. Kelly does NOT fall into this trap. The prose fits perfectly to the story, Penny's first-person narration realistically a teenager's voice without it ever feeling frustratingly immature. I know shifting genres can feel nerve-wracking for some writers, but the familiarity of Kelly's voice is still there, making for a flawless YA debut. ✨

Recommended for fans of Imogen, Obviously; Heartstopper; and Kween. 🦇

The Vibes ✨
Young Adult
Summer Vibes
Coming-of-Age
Mental Health Rep / Anxiety
Enemies to Friends to Lovers
First Person Single POV

Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #DonutSummer 🦇

Quotes 💬
Possibly I’d been clinging to my future imaginary world so hard that I’d missed the signs. That there are people who think I’m interesting already. Here. Now.

I have always wanted to catalog Mateo’s smiles. And The smile before they kiss me has to be the best one yet.

I just feel loved for being me.

“I prefer queer.” Mateo lifts a shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with bi, or pan, or . . . I mean, I know people get real specific about their labels sometimes, but queer’s always felt more fluid to me. And if there’s anything I’m most closely aligned with, it’s being . . . not exactly one thing.”

I continue to love all things Anita Kelly. This was a great YA, something I haven't tried by them yet. Also, donuts. Who couldn't love them.

Great chemistry, solid plot, excellent writing. No notes.

This book had everything! I loved the small town businesses (yay donuts) and how much representation is always packed in without overwhelming the plot. Penny’s anxieties are very relatable. All the characters make me so happy. Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and net galley for this arc!

I loved this book. The care that Anita Kelly gives their characters is such a gift. I’m so excited that younger readers will have this special book.

I love Anita Kelly with my whole heart. I've read four of their adult romance novels and Donut Summer absolutely holds its own as a YA.

I did not expect to cry this much over this book, but I see so much of myself in Penny. The depictions of her anxiety are so real and I have definitely found myself in the same situations she has, especially as a teen.

All in all, this book about Penny's summer job in a donut shop, efforts to revitalize it, and falling in love in process is fully worth reading and I would absolutely recommend it.

Donut Summer by Anita Kelly is a YA novel about Penny, a 16 year old who gets a summer job at a local donut shop in order to save money for college. Penny is disappointed to find out that her classmate, Mateo, is also working there because the two have a fraught relationship. When Penny finds out that the owner is planning to sell Delicious Donuts to a donut chain, she enlists Mateo’s help to try and save the store in exchange for teaching them how to drive stick shift. There’s a lot of miscommunication and angst along the way, but, as a former anxious, overachieving teen, I found Penny’s character very relatable.

I loved the author’s Nashville Love series so I was very excited to read this ARC. As with their adult novels, the characters and situations feel authentic and they do a great job depicting mental health struggles, specifically anxiety. I generally prefer 3rd person POV writing, but I think telling this story in 1st person helps the reader understand how Penny views the world.

This was a sweet YA romance following Penny, a teenager whose summer job at the local donut shop leads to far more than she expected. There was your usual teenage drama mixed with some adult topics and coming of age realizations, as well as a cute slow romance, which I felt led to a great blend of engaging narrative with real-world applicable lessons. I’d definitely recommend this to the YA readers in my life.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

Donut Summer follows Penny, a sixteen year old who dedicates her summer to saving her local donut shop while falling for the person she’s been at odds with for the past two years.

I’ve been an Anita Kelly fan since I first read (and loved) Love & Other Disasters and have devoured their other books in that series in the past three years. Donut Summer was no different, just written for a slightly younger audience. Penny was relatable and a wonderful character whose perspective I really enjoyed and Mateo was a great love interest who I loved getting to see through Penny’s eyes.

The book also had great conversations around gender and sexuality that I, as a non binary person, really related to and enjoyed reading. The side characters were great, as was the plot about the donut shop and Penny’s efforts to save it. I especially loved Penny’s younger siblings and how Penny’s struggles with their needs versus her own were so clear in the book. I could read so many books with these characters!

Thank you HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley again for the chance to read this early.

I’m not rating this 5 stars because it was my favorite book in the whole world, or because I loved it and I’m obsessed with it and I want more. I’m rating it 5 stars because it is an EXCELLENT contemporary queer YA romance, and while I am not the target audience - I think it will really resonate with younger individuals who are looking to see themselves represented in literature. I thought the characters were well thought out and they both experienced growth, and I thought the themes were important and relevant. I’m really glad I read this one. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC!

📖 Bookish Thoughts:
I really wanted to love this one, overall it just didn’t quite land for me.
Penny was the heart of this book, and I felt for her on such a deep level. She’s carrying so much—parentified way too young, hyper-aware of her family’s financial situation, and trying so hard to be everything for everyone. I had so much compassion for her, especially in the way she supports her triplet siblings and shoulders adult responsibilities no teenager should have to bear. One part that really gutted me was how things played out with her boss. Penny puts her whole heart into helping the donut shop, going above and beyond in ways no teenage employee should have to. But in the end, her boss was just another adult taking advantage of her.

While the romance with Mateo was sweet and had some adorable moments, I couldn’t fully invest in it because I was just so sad for Penny. It was hard to focus on the love story when I was so overwhelmed by how much she was going through.

That said, I think a lot of readers will connect with this story. This one just wasn’t quite the right fit for me.

⭐️ Rating: 3.25 stars
🗓 Release Date: July 29, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Anita Kelly is a genius at YA. The way they are able to depict the anxiety of growing up, from worrying about the future of a world that seems determined to destroy itself to being terrified of that the person you are isn't good enough, it's all done so spectacularly well. Then, there's a donut shop, a trans love interest, and a main character who throws herself into everything she does with such passion, and I just fell completely in love. It's such a good book.

What a great read! I've already read a few adult Anita Kelly books and immensely enjoyed them. I really appreciated the queer, POC and genderqueer representation in this book. I think it would be a great recommendation for older teens who love baked goods, and want a book that doesn't center same-sex / same-gender relationships.

Cute summer romance set in a donut shop. Not quite as compelling as the author’s adult work but not a bad book in the least!

I don’t say this lightly but this is one of the best YA romance I have read in a very long time. The story, characters development throughout the story just chefs kiss. Romance in a donut shop 🍩 my heart. Literally heartstopper vibes I could not get enough 🥹🫶🏼

"Donut Summer" by Anita Kelly is a queer YA enemies-to-lovers romance. This sweet high school romance is set at the local donut shop where the MCs work during summer vacation.

Without giving too much away -- Penny is an anxiety-ridden queer eldest child with six-year-old triplet siblings and gay moms who dreams of saving the planet thru environmental activism. Mateo is a non-binary artist & theatre crew kid whose sister is supportive but whose dad is the ultimate masculine douche. With an all-too-familiar backstory wrought with miscommunication, Penny & Mateo finally get their act together and start dating when their job at Delicious Donuts throws them together.

An ideal queer romance for high school students and young adults alike. I love the open, honest conversations that Penny and Mateo have with one another. Anita Kelly doesn't shy away from hot topics & I think she does a really great job of making them relatable to younger readers. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the eARC.

Such a sweet book, I really liked this one. It felt so realistic to the experiences kids have in high school. Issues with family, college, insecurities, loneliness, and overthinking all felt so relatable. It brought me back to my own high school memories several times.

As far as the romance, it was super cute. I loved Mateo and Penny together and seeing them overcome their misunderstandings of each other was adorable. I liked the way that we got to see them together for a large part of the book and not just a tiny bit at the end as many YA books tend to do. I think it made the relationship feel more real and heartfelt.

Overall, this book is a very good YA debut and I reccomend giving it a try. 4.8/5 stars rounded up.

Anita Kelly has been one of my favorite authors for a while so I was super excited to read their YA debut! Penny spends her summer with three goals: 1. Have a “different” kind of summer. 2. Save money for college. 3. Save the local donut shop from being bought out by a chain. Her plans are complicated when it turns out that Mateo, her classmate who she overheard calling her “the worst,” is also working at Delicious Donuts for the summer.

Donut Summer perfectly captures a lot of the anxiety and excitement of being a teenager. I related so hard to Penny’s confusion and nervousness about how to turn school friends into outside-of-school friends - and to Mateo’s fear of learning how to drive. Their families are ever-present, shaping everything about their summer, and each family is portrayed with so much care and nuance, but the spotlight stays firmly on Mateo and Penny as they navigate life.

I also really related to Penny wanting to change kind of everything about herself in the course of one summer - say yes to more things, have better friends, have more adventures. Summers as a kid and teen feel like such an opportunity - a blank slate where anything could happen. Honestly adults need free summers too.

Oh my god. This book is PERFECTION! One of the best queer YA romances I’ve read in a long while. Anita Kelly is one of my favorite romance authors and they have really struck gold with this one. It has major Heartstopper vibes–it’s super cute, heartfelt, charming, poignant and Penny & Mateo are adorable together. I love them and kind of want to start reading it again right now.

This follows Penny & Mateo during the summer before their Junior year of high school, with an enemies-to-lovers plus a misunderstanding trope. Penny is a clever, determined, extreme over-thinker with a face full of freckles. Mateo is a cool queer artist with pink and purple hair. They end up working together at Delicious Donuts for the summer as they work to save the shop from being sold to a corporate donut chain. The local donut shop is a fun setting in a hometown in Oregon as its background, and I wanted to go in and buy some myself.

Penny wants to fix everything and solve all the world's problems, but has bad anxiety. Mateo is a talented artist whose family doesn’t fully accept them as non-binary. These things end up causing conflict but it’s written with such care that I think people with this kind of anxiety will feel seen. Penny is also figuring out her queer identity and Mateo helps her, while in return she helps Mateo gain confidence as an artist. They are a perfect fit together!

– THINGS I LOVED: –
• Creative chapter titles
• The ideas to save Delicious Donuts
• Mention of Heartstopper leaves
• Their first date shenanigans
• Mateo's different smiles
• The Speech about weirdos

Anita's writing really is magical. It grabs you and then sweeps you along and you can’t put their books down. I always find something to relate to in their stories, even if it’s not 100% exactly like me. The amount of emotion and feeling is so well done, they are a true talent. I would recommend this to anyone who has teen kids who love to read, or if you're an adult who loves YA (like me). This one reminds me a bit of Kelly’s books Love & Other Disasters or Something Wild & Wonderful and if you liked those you will love this one.

•• Thanks to NetGalley & Quill Tree Books for the ARC ••

I’m obsessed with Mateo Della Penna! I loved this one from the start then I was a little mad then I was loving it again! The story was so cute and I loved the donut shop setting. The end was amazing! I love the diversity and how Anita incorporated different LGBTQIA+ characters. I don’t know what else to say other than definitely check this one out!

I am calling it now - this will be the YA book of the summer!

Penny Dexter just landed a part-time summer job at Delicious Donuts to help save for college. The only problem? Their rival Mateo della Penna, who is most certainly not Penny’s friend, also started working at Delicious Donuts. Penny plans to keep her head down and save for her college fund, but life (and her job) forces her to interact with Mateo. Except, Mateo isn’t as bad as she thought and is willing to help Penny on her quest to save Delicious Donuts. As the summer progresses, Penny and Mateo forge a new relationship that slowly leads to something more.

Thank you to Anita Kelly for writing this book! I really enjoyed the story, the characters, the writing, really just everything! It was so refreshing to read a young adult novel where the characters felt like teenagers. It was very much coming of age, but also very raw, emotional, and full of heart.

I appreciated the vulnerability in Penny’s character, especially as she grappled with her anxieties about her family, college, high school, and the future. I loved how open her family was about mental health and encouraging they were to her as she learned to navigate her panic attacks. Additionally, I think a lot of young (and older) folks will find resonate with Mateo’s character and struggles with helping their family understand their identity.

I am so glad I get to experience a world where books like this exist! Catch this one out in July!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins for the ARC!