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Summer Girls
From the author of Some Girls Do comes a YA sapphic romance about two girls from different sides of the tracks.
Cass has a rule about dating summer girls—just say no. Every year the idyllic beach town Cass's working-class family calls home is flooded with summer girls, the obnoxious daughters of the rich, who stay in their families' summer homes, sail their yachts, and generally make things unbearable for townies like Cass.
Birdie is the ultimate summer girl. She’s the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer dad and a social media influencer mom, and this summer Birdie happens to be in big trouble for accidentally crashing her boyfriend's very expensive car.
As punishment, Birdie must spend the summer with her father at the beach—but it won't be a vacation. He's enlisted the help of Cass, whose dad works for him, to keep Birdie on the straight and narrow, including getting her a job as a beach parking lot attendant.
As the summer heats up, Cass realizes some rules are made to be broken, and Birdie just might be different from other summer girls. Soon they can't help falling for one another . . . But will the love the two girls have discovered be strong enough to overcome their differences?
Cass has a rule about dating summer girls—just say no. Every year the idyllic beach town Cass's working-class family calls home is flooded with summer girls, the obnoxious daughters of the rich, who stay in their families' summer homes, sail their yachts, and generally make things unbearable for townies like Cass.
Birdie is the ultimate summer girl. She’s the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer dad and a social media influencer mom, and this summer Birdie happens to be in big trouble for accidentally crashing her boyfriend's very expensive car.
As punishment, Birdie must spend the summer with her father at the beach—but it won't be a vacation. He's enlisted the help of Cass, whose dad works for him, to keep Birdie on the straight and narrow, including getting her a job as a beach parking lot attendant.
As the summer heats up, Cass realizes some rules are made to be broken, and Birdie just might be different from other summer girls. Soon they can't help falling for one another . . . But will the love the two girls have discovered be strong enough to overcome their differences?
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2025
120 people are currently reading
14534 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Dugan
25 books2,142 followersJennifer Dugan is a writer, geek, and romantic who writes the kinds of stories she wishes she had growing up. In addition to being a young adult novelist, she is also the writer/creator of two indie comics. She lives in New York with her family, dogs, and an evil cat that is no doubt planning to take over the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 411 reviews
August 10, 2025
♥︎Here’s a lesbian romance that’s basically a love letter to wives everywhere—read it, and you might just find yourself wanting one too.♥︎
🌊❤️🔥I don’t care if we just stand there and sway; I just want to hold her, want everyone to see she’s mine.❤️🔥🌊
I didn’t expect to fall so deeply for this sapphic YA romance, but it caught me off guard in the BESTTTTTTT way possible. From the very start, I was pulled into the world of Cassandra and Birdie—two lovely girls who are soooooo different yet somehow 💕PERFECT💕 for each other. Cassandra especially stood out to me ughhhhhhhhhhh I WANT HER ( she seriously had me feeling all kinds of gay panicccccccc every time she appeared .... OHHHHH IM SO RIDICULOUS😌🫦🫦🫦🫦)she’s that kind of character who makes you grin from ear to ear, who feels so alive and real that you can’t help but root for her every step of the way.
✨️💜I narrow my eyes; I hate how much she knows about my family. I hate how comfortable she is here. Above all, I hate the stupid dimples that pop out with her little sarcastic sneer…✨️💜
The story’s summer vibes wrapped around me like a warm blanket, and the slooow, delicious tension between Cassandra and Birdie had me hooked. Watching them go from fiery haters to tentative lovers was like witnessing a delicate dance full of sparks, awkward moments, and undeniable hot chemistry. Their push and pull, the way Cassandra could be soooooo mean (There’s something seriously sexy about how mean Cassandra gets. Honestly, she could be rude all day and I’d still be swooning AAAAAAA ),yet so irresistible, made every scene between them crackle with life. It wasn’t just fiction—it felt real, messy, and beautifully imperfect.
🤎💛Okay, her… aggressive concern? rudely approached kindness? lack of total assholery?… should not make my belly do the little swoop thing, but it does.🤎💛
SAMEEEE GIRLLLLLL SAMEEEEEEEEEE AAAAAAAAA SHE'S A HOTTIEEEEEEE 😏😏😏🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.
What truly made this book so freaking ✨️special✨️ was how it made me feel. I laughed out loud, smiled through happy tears, and at times felt my heart ache with the struggles these girls faced. Their journey wasn’t easy—Brenda’s life was tightly controlled by her mom, and Cassandra was fighting her own battles, full of anger and pain. Yet, despite their youth and the odds stacked against them, they found a way to connect, to fight for something real. That made their love story all the more touching and believable.
👑✨️“You saved his life,” she says, tucking some hair back behind my ear and wiping away my tears. “You’re incredible.” She leans closer, resting her forehead against my shoulder in an awkward hug.
“Birdie?”
“Shh,” she says, like she can somehow hear my thoughts. “Don’t ruin it.” I lean into her, grateful for her warm, solid body and the hug I so desperately need. And I won’t ruin it. I won’t.✨️👑
I CANNNNNT STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS SCENEEEEEE .......😭😭😭😭😭
If I had one wish, it would be for more moments where these two were simply together—just being themselves, sharing quiet smiles, and building the kind of closeness that lingers in my heart long after the last page. The story focused a lot on their struggles and build-up, which was important, but those stolen moments between them were pure gold, and I wanted more of them. The scene where they danced by the bonfire? Absolutely adorable and one of my favorites Aaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaa🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦😌😌😌😌
🍓🍓🍓I can’t stop smiling. It’s silly— I know it is— but it just feels good to be around her. Like she and I are something that was always supposed to happen and we’ve just finally set it right, rather than it being a mistake.🍓🍓🍓
I will admit, some parts of the story, like the extensive details about Birdie's dad business, felt unnecessary and pulled me away from the heart of the romance. But thankfully, those moments were few and far between. What truly stayed with me was the love, the chemistry, and the warmth radiating from these two girls.
Also, a quick shoutout to the side couple—the two boys Six and Bentley🥹🥹🥹. Even with their limited appearances, their chemistry was undeniable and left me wishing for their own story someday. The author may not write MM books, but honestly, I’d be first in line to read about them.🙇🏻♀️🙇🏻♀️🙇🏻♀️🙇🏻♀️🙇🏻♀️
The writing throughout was a delight,engaging, smooth, and immersive. It held my attention effortlessly and made me eager to turn every page, wanting to spend more time with these characters and their world.
In the end, this book is exactly the kind of story I LOVAAAAAAAA to read—one that makes you feel everything: the joy, the pain, the hope, and the beauty of young love. Cassandra and Birdie's story touched my heart deeply, and I know they won’t be leaving my thoughts anytime soon. If you want a warm, heartfelt romance filled with real emotions and adorable chemistry, this book is a perfect choice🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭.
🌊❤️🔥I don’t care if we just stand there and sway; I just want to hold her, want everyone to see she’s mine.❤️🔥🌊
I didn’t expect to fall so deeply for this sapphic YA romance, but it caught me off guard in the BESTTTTTTT way possible. From the very start, I was pulled into the world of Cassandra and Birdie—two lovely girls who are soooooo different yet somehow 💕PERFECT💕 for each other. Cassandra especially stood out to me ughhhhhhhhhhh I WANT HER ( she seriously had me feeling all kinds of gay panicccccccc every time she appeared .... OHHHHH IM SO RIDICULOUS😌🫦🫦🫦🫦)she’s that kind of character who makes you grin from ear to ear, who feels so alive and real that you can’t help but root for her every step of the way.
✨️💜I narrow my eyes; I hate how much she knows about my family. I hate how comfortable she is here. Above all, I hate the stupid dimples that pop out with her little sarcastic sneer…✨️💜
The story’s summer vibes wrapped around me like a warm blanket, and the slooow, delicious tension between Cassandra and Birdie had me hooked. Watching them go from fiery haters to tentative lovers was like witnessing a delicate dance full of sparks, awkward moments, and undeniable hot chemistry. Their push and pull, the way Cassandra could be soooooo mean (There’s something seriously sexy about how mean Cassandra gets. Honestly, she could be rude all day and I’d still be swooning AAAAAAA ),yet so irresistible, made every scene between them crackle with life. It wasn’t just fiction—it felt real, messy, and beautifully imperfect.
🤎💛Okay, her… aggressive concern? rudely approached kindness? lack of total assholery?… should not make my belly do the little swoop thing, but it does.🤎💛
SAMEEEE GIRLLLLLL SAMEEEEEEEEEE AAAAAAAAA SHE'S A HOTTIEEEEEEE 😏😏😏🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.
What truly made this book so freaking ✨️special✨️ was how it made me feel. I laughed out loud, smiled through happy tears, and at times felt my heart ache with the struggles these girls faced. Their journey wasn’t easy—Brenda’s life was tightly controlled by her mom, and Cassandra was fighting her own battles, full of anger and pain. Yet, despite their youth and the odds stacked against them, they found a way to connect, to fight for something real. That made their love story all the more touching and believable.
👑✨️“You saved his life,” she says, tucking some hair back behind my ear and wiping away my tears. “You’re incredible.” She leans closer, resting her forehead against my shoulder in an awkward hug.
“Birdie?”
“Shh,” she says, like she can somehow hear my thoughts. “Don’t ruin it.” I lean into her, grateful for her warm, solid body and the hug I so desperately need. And I won’t ruin it. I won’t.✨️👑
I CANNNNNT STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS SCENEEEEEE .......😭😭😭😭😭
If I had one wish, it would be for more moments where these two were simply together—just being themselves, sharing quiet smiles, and building the kind of closeness that lingers in my heart long after the last page. The story focused a lot on their struggles and build-up, which was important, but those stolen moments between them were pure gold, and I wanted more of them. The scene where they danced by the bonfire? Absolutely adorable and one of my favorites Aaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaa🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦😌😌😌😌
🍓🍓🍓I can’t stop smiling. It’s silly— I know it is— but it just feels good to be around her. Like she and I are something that was always supposed to happen and we’ve just finally set it right, rather than it being a mistake.🍓🍓🍓
I will admit, some parts of the story, like the extensive details about Birdie's dad business, felt unnecessary and pulled me away from the heart of the romance. But thankfully, those moments were few and far between. What truly stayed with me was the love, the chemistry, and the warmth radiating from these two girls.
Also, a quick shoutout to the side couple—the two boys Six and Bentley🥹🥹🥹. Even with their limited appearances, their chemistry was undeniable and left me wishing for their own story someday. The author may not write MM books, but honestly, I’d be first in line to read about them.🙇🏻♀️🙇🏻♀️🙇🏻♀️🙇🏻♀️🙇🏻♀️
The writing throughout was a delight,engaging, smooth, and immersive. It held my attention effortlessly and made me eager to turn every page, wanting to spend more time with these characters and their world.
In the end, this book is exactly the kind of story I LOVAAAAAAAA to read—one that makes you feel everything: the joy, the pain, the hope, and the beauty of young love. Cassandra and Birdie's story touched my heart deeply, and I know they won’t be leaving my thoughts anytime soon. If you want a warm, heartfelt romance filled with real emotions and adorable chemistry, this book is a perfect choice🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭.
April 22, 2025
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.
May 12, 2025
☆3.5 stars!
⁀➷🌻 august sipped away like a bottle of wine, because you were never mine. Wanted to preface by saying thank you NetGalley for the arc, as well as Penguin YA Group! woo!! another arc that i think would be such a perfect simple read for those who want a summer sapphic rom com :)
”i don’t even care. beneath it all they’re still perfectly warm and inviting, perfectly birdie.”
｡ﾟﾟ･｡･ﾟﾟ｡
ﾟ。 bridgette ’birdie’ gordan
ﾟ･｡･hot take? REALLY liked her throughout this whole novel IDC! she consistently made efforts to be a better person, and yeah she’s rich girl but she wants to learn?!!! like obviously she’s a bit ignorant of her privilege, a bit alarmed, but when she learns she LEARNS and wants to help?!! though i wish her townie hate was a bit toned down, i feel like so much of the hate towards her is unfair, and im glad she got her happy ending!
｡ﾟﾟ･｡･ﾟﾟ｡
ﾟ。 cassandra ‘cass’ adler
ﾟ･｡･ liked her as well! she was definitely within her rights to be mad at times but… did not like that half her monologue is shitting on birdie at first for a grudge at FIVE YEARS OLD??? like the lack of communication drove me nuts… then her anger towards birdie? i feel like yes it’s justified to a certain extent, but to constantly blame it on the fact she’s lower class when it’s not only that??? like birdie is also closeted huh??? idk her vibe felt very pretentious at times but she was also right other times… idk found her to be just ok! also feel like it’d make more sense if cass was a poc but!!! just my opinion
romance! it was so cute when they actually were being soft w one another!! more fluff, less pointless problems!!! i feel like most of the book was trying to put them in irritating situations and didn’t let us enjoy their tenderness for long enough, just short brief moments, nothing that fully encapsulated THEM. also them realizing their feelings for each other felt rushed and a bit jarring from hating one another to suddenly wanting to kiss in like 3 seconds?!! overall, i just wish we saw them understanding one another more rather than hating one another
writing! okay, i think this is where a bit of my problems came from. there were simply TOO MANY pop culture references, the first chapter alone mentioned kardashians and taylor swift like babe please i cant?!! i know birdie’s an influencer but i feel like it could’ve been done without mentioning tiktok and hashtags and pop culture… it just didn’t fit and made the writing feel more juvenile than it should be (esp for YA.) i think this would be geared better for a middle grade audience!
plot/characters! i think a lot of the side characters lacked depth and were cartoonishly exaggerated LOL like birdie’s mom and other rich friends. and then the dads being friends??? so odd? i feel like the whole coalition overshadowed the actual romance, and birdie’s dad actively gentrifying the city for richer people and being aware and cass’s dad still being his friend whilst being w the coalition is so confusing LMFAO ?? it never made sense to me but ok!!
overall…
so overall this was a decent book!!! i did finish it in one sitting & i still adored the romance, it’s just the writing and the UNFAIR birdie hate… idc!! birdie and cass were def so sweet in their moments, i just wish the book focused more on their romance and building it up rather than shoving them into a strenuous situation that wasn’t fair on either of them (and didn’t exactly make sense) LMAO. but still!! i think for a lighter summer read this is vv perfect :)
⁀➷🌻 august sipped away like a bottle of wine, because you were never mine. Wanted to preface by saying thank you NetGalley for the arc, as well as Penguin YA Group! woo!! another arc that i think would be such a perfect simple read for those who want a summer sapphic rom com :)
”i don’t even care. beneath it all they’re still perfectly warm and inviting, perfectly birdie.”
｡ﾟﾟ･｡･ﾟﾟ｡
ﾟ。 bridgette ’birdie’ gordan
ﾟ･｡･hot take? REALLY liked her throughout this whole novel IDC! she consistently made efforts to be a better person, and yeah she’s rich girl but she wants to learn?!!! like obviously she’s a bit ignorant of her privilege, a bit alarmed, but when she learns she LEARNS and wants to help?!! though i wish her townie hate was a bit toned down, i feel like so much of the hate towards her is unfair, and im glad she got her happy ending!
｡ﾟﾟ･｡･ﾟﾟ｡
ﾟ。 cassandra ‘cass’ adler
ﾟ･｡･ liked her as well! she was definitely within her rights to be mad at times but… did not like that half her monologue is shitting on birdie at first for a grudge at FIVE YEARS OLD??? like the lack of communication drove me nuts… then her anger towards birdie? i feel like yes it’s justified to a certain extent, but to constantly blame it on the fact she’s lower class when it’s not only that??? like birdie is also closeted huh??? idk her vibe felt very pretentious at times but she was also right other times… idk found her to be just ok! also feel like it’d make more sense if cass was a poc but!!! just my opinion
romance! it was so cute when they actually were being soft w one another!! more fluff, less pointless problems!!! i feel like most of the book was trying to put them in irritating situations and didn’t let us enjoy their tenderness for long enough, just short brief moments, nothing that fully encapsulated THEM. also them realizing their feelings for each other felt rushed and a bit jarring from hating one another to suddenly wanting to kiss in like 3 seconds?!! overall, i just wish we saw them understanding one another more rather than hating one another
writing! okay, i think this is where a bit of my problems came from. there were simply TOO MANY pop culture references, the first chapter alone mentioned kardashians and taylor swift like babe please i cant?!! i know birdie’s an influencer but i feel like it could’ve been done without mentioning tiktok and hashtags and pop culture… it just didn’t fit and made the writing feel more juvenile than it should be (esp for YA.) i think this would be geared better for a middle grade audience!
plot/characters! i think a lot of the side characters lacked depth and were cartoonishly exaggerated LOL like birdie’s mom and other rich friends. and then the dads being friends??? so odd? i feel like the whole coalition overshadowed the actual romance, and birdie’s dad actively gentrifying the city for richer people and being aware and cass’s dad still being his friend whilst being w the coalition is so confusing LMFAO ?? it never made sense to me but ok!!
overall…
so overall this was a decent book!!! i did finish it in one sitting & i still adored the romance, it’s just the writing and the UNFAIR birdie hate… idc!! birdie and cass were def so sweet in their moments, i just wish the book focused more on their romance and building it up rather than shoving them into a strenuous situation that wasn’t fair on either of them (and didn’t exactly make sense) LMAO. but still!! i think for a lighter summer read this is vv perfect :)
January 28, 2025
NEED THIS NOW. as a gay girlie who was obsessed with summer tourist/locals romance books in middle school and always wished they were sapphic this was made for me.
would do unholy things for an arc of this…
update 1/27/25:
Okay, so funny story... I added that little bit about doing unholy things for an arc this afternoon then, not even 5 minutes later, signed into Netgalley to see if there were any books I was interested in requesting. I was scrolling through the LGBTQ+ category when I came upon Summer Girls. Now, obviously, I've been dying for this book for what feels like ages at this point but I never requested an arc because, frankly, I didn't think I'd get it. However, I thought, you know what? I'll just try to request it. So I clicked on it and lo-and-behold, it was available to read! Talk about timing, am I right?
Anyways, I'm thrilled to have been able to read an arc of this book. I'm mildly (read: completely) obsessed with Jennifer Dugan and all of her books. Some Girls Do, Melt With You, Playing for Keeps... I could keep going but I'll sum it up with I love love love the way she writes YA sapphic books and this was no different.
Minor spoilers from this point on!
Summer Girls is a dual-pov novel, following Birdie -- daughter of an influencer who, after a very public and very messy split from her boyfriend involving cheating and a crashed $200k car, goes to spend the summer with her father in Newport -- and Cass -- a Newport townie who has a rule with her best friend to never get with a summer girl. Oh yeah and her and Birdie's dad work together and they were friends as kids. Juicy!
I adored both of them with my whole heart. Starting with Birdie -- I hadn't realized how big of a role the social media influencer aspect would play and I was pleasantly surprised. I think it's an apt conversation, especially in this day and age as critique of "Mommy Bloggers" has come to an all-time high. Birdie's struggles with her whole life, all the way back to when she was potty-training as a toddler, being broadcast to the internet and her future being scripted for her. I thought this aspect was handled well and treated with care.
As for Cass, she's a lifeguard who lives year-round at the beach and is sick of seeing her friends and neighbors homes bought out from them and turned into overpriced vacation rentals, shoving those she cares about out of town. She's passionate and fiery and stands up for what she believes in. She works with her parents at a coalition to support affordable housing. Their biggest opponent, however? None other than Birdie's father, George, a real estate developer who is also her own father's best friend. I really enjoyed the discussion of how the two manage to coexist despite having wildly different views.
After being sent to Newport, George enlists Cass to keep an eye on Birdie, help her find a job, and keep her out of trouble. The two have a shared history that, despite their intial disdain for each other, eventually bubbles over into something new.
Now, while this book is great -- and 1000% up my alley -- it was not without its flaws. I do wish there was more build-up to their relationship. They hate each other at first, which I loved as I'm always down for enemies/rivals-to-lovers, but it feels like very quickly Birdie is attracted to Cass. I don't mind enemies-to-lovers having moments where they notice how attractive the other is -- that builds tension -- but it seems to very quickly jump into them both liking each other. I wish they had a few more non-hostile encounters because it just felt somewhat unrealistic. I would've liked a slightly slower burn with more build-up. I also don't think the "I had a crush on her as kids" was fully fleshed out enough either, as all we get of their past friendship is Cass thinking about how Birdie wouldn't play with her and Birdie reflecting on not being able to play to make her mom happy. However, I still fully enjoyed their relationship and was rooting for them!
As for the side characters, they were all interesting (I'll be briefer here, I swear, lol). Loved Bentley, of course, liked Six (though, strangely, felt a little bad they only mention his name once? And call him Six to his face? But I guess he said he liked it... LOL), Mitchell was a good antagonist and was at least slightly redeemed by the end in a way that felt deserved, and also enjoyed Ada but... felt like she was not the bestttt friend to Birdie? Maybe that was meant to be intentional but especially in regards to her not being 100% accepting of Birdie being bi when she came out; I thought for sure we'd come back to that, or she'd apologize, or even it'd be revealed that she was weird because she was queer too, but nope. I still liked her, obviously, but I wish either that or her storyline about also trying to please her parents had been more explored to add more depth to her character.
Despite that, I loved the story and the local/vacationer plot. I was happy with the ending and felt it resolved everything that needed to be resolved.
Overall, I am so so glad I was able to read this book early. Middle school me who devoured every summer romance she could get her hands on would have squealed over every cute moment (and let's be real, 20-year-old me was still doing the same). I'm so glad we've finally gotten to a point where sapphic stories can be cute and light and summery. Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!
4 stars!
would do unholy things for an arc of this…
update 1/27/25:
Okay, so funny story... I added that little bit about doing unholy things for an arc this afternoon then, not even 5 minutes later, signed into Netgalley to see if there were any books I was interested in requesting. I was scrolling through the LGBTQ+ category when I came upon Summer Girls. Now, obviously, I've been dying for this book for what feels like ages at this point but I never requested an arc because, frankly, I didn't think I'd get it. However, I thought, you know what? I'll just try to request it. So I clicked on it and lo-and-behold, it was available to read! Talk about timing, am I right?
Anyways, I'm thrilled to have been able to read an arc of this book. I'm mildly (read: completely) obsessed with Jennifer Dugan and all of her books. Some Girls Do, Melt With You, Playing for Keeps... I could keep going but I'll sum it up with I love love love the way she writes YA sapphic books and this was no different.
Minor spoilers from this point on!
Summer Girls is a dual-pov novel, following Birdie -- daughter of an influencer who, after a very public and very messy split from her boyfriend involving cheating and a crashed $200k car, goes to spend the summer with her father in Newport -- and Cass -- a Newport townie who has a rule with her best friend to never get with a summer girl. Oh yeah and her and Birdie's dad work together and they were friends as kids. Juicy!
I adored both of them with my whole heart. Starting with Birdie -- I hadn't realized how big of a role the social media influencer aspect would play and I was pleasantly surprised. I think it's an apt conversation, especially in this day and age as critique of "Mommy Bloggers" has come to an all-time high. Birdie's struggles with her whole life, all the way back to when she was potty-training as a toddler, being broadcast to the internet and her future being scripted for her. I thought this aspect was handled well and treated with care.
As for Cass, she's a lifeguard who lives year-round at the beach and is sick of seeing her friends and neighbors homes bought out from them and turned into overpriced vacation rentals, shoving those she cares about out of town. She's passionate and fiery and stands up for what she believes in. She works with her parents at a coalition to support affordable housing. Their biggest opponent, however? None other than Birdie's father, George, a real estate developer who is also her own father's best friend. I really enjoyed the discussion of how the two manage to coexist despite having wildly different views.
After being sent to Newport, George enlists Cass to keep an eye on Birdie, help her find a job, and keep her out of trouble. The two have a shared history that, despite their intial disdain for each other, eventually bubbles over into something new.
Now, while this book is great -- and 1000% up my alley -- it was not without its flaws. I do wish there was more build-up to their relationship. They hate each other at first, which I loved as I'm always down for enemies/rivals-to-lovers, but it feels like very quickly Birdie is attracted to Cass. I don't mind enemies-to-lovers having moments where they notice how attractive the other is -- that builds tension -- but it seems to very quickly jump into them both liking each other. I wish they had a few more non-hostile encounters because it just felt somewhat unrealistic. I would've liked a slightly slower burn with more build-up. I also don't think the "I had a crush on her as kids" was fully fleshed out enough either, as all we get of their past friendship is Cass thinking about how Birdie wouldn't play with her and Birdie reflecting on not being able to play to make her mom happy. However, I still fully enjoyed their relationship and was rooting for them!
As for the side characters, they were all interesting (I'll be briefer here, I swear, lol). Loved Bentley, of course, liked Six (though, strangely, felt a little bad they only mention his name once? And call him Six to his face? But I guess he said he liked it... LOL), Mitchell was a good antagonist and was at least slightly redeemed by the end in a way that felt deserved, and also enjoyed Ada but... felt like she was not the bestttt friend to Birdie? Maybe that was meant to be intentional but especially in regards to her not being 100% accepting of Birdie being bi when she came out; I thought for sure we'd come back to that, or she'd apologize, or even it'd be revealed that she was weird because she was queer too, but nope. I still liked her, obviously, but I wish either that or her storyline about also trying to please her parents had been more explored to add more depth to her character.
Despite that, I loved the story and the local/vacationer plot. I was happy with the ending and felt it resolved everything that needed to be resolved.
Overall, I am so so glad I was able to read this book early. Middle school me who devoured every summer romance she could get her hands on would have squealed over every cute moment (and let's be real, 20-year-old me was still doing the same). I'm so glad we've finally gotten to a point where sapphic stories can be cute and light and summery. Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!
4 stars!
April 25, 2025
✧₊‧˚⁀➷ 3.88/5 .ᐟ
very sweet and butterfly-inducing. possibly one of my favorite ya romances, maybe romances in general, actually. fun characters, fuzziest romance scenes, a plot i was truly invested in.
there were two things i didn't like, however. the first being the absolute lack of communication. it felt they were arguing about the same things every chapter, with birdie constantly relapsing into her townie-hate vocabulary and ruining things. which isn't to say cass wasn't also picking a fight repeatedly, but i think she was usually right, so i'm ignoring that. but seriously, it was almost every chapter.
the second thing i didn't like was that the narrative, maybe subconsciously, i don't know, seems to target rich girls more than rich boys. the constant use of "rich bitch" for the girls vs calling the one rich male birdie's "horrible ex" quite literally in the same sentence was... interesting. subtle misogyny always annoys me, even if it's not that deep, i guess.
anyway, i still really loved this, because lesbianism makes me overlook just about anything, but i can't give it four stars.
thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy!
very sweet and butterfly-inducing. possibly one of my favorite ya romances, maybe romances in general, actually. fun characters, fuzziest romance scenes, a plot i was truly invested in.
there were two things i didn't like, however. the first being the absolute lack of communication. it felt they were arguing about the same things every chapter, with birdie constantly relapsing into her townie-hate vocabulary and ruining things. which isn't to say cass wasn't also picking a fight repeatedly, but i think she was usually right, so i'm ignoring that. but seriously, it was almost every chapter.
the second thing i didn't like was that the narrative, maybe subconsciously, i don't know, seems to target rich girls more than rich boys. the constant use of "rich bitch" for the girls vs calling the one rich male birdie's "horrible ex" quite literally in the same sentence was... interesting. subtle misogyny always annoys me, even if it's not that deep, i guess.
anyway, i still really loved this, because lesbianism makes me overlook just about anything, but i can't give it four stars.
thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy!
June 25, 2025
This book has me feeling complicated. I don’t know if I liked it or not. I was becoming very frustrated with the characters because they were being juvenile and constantly in their feelings over not that deep of shit. Like one girl was rich and one was poor and that was the majority of their conflict. It was so annoying to have them have the same conversation over and over again about their problems. But I thought it was cute, especially the end when they finally got over themselves. This is definitely a romance book that I don’t think the couple would actually last outside the book. This was in the teens section so maybe if I was a few years younger I’d resonate with it more, but I just didn’t. It was an easy read with a sweet ending though! 6/10
May 20, 2025
Happy release day!! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC! This was really cute or whatevaaa 🥹🥹 I will say that at some point it got a bit slow for me but it picked back up and I was engrossed again! The book takes you on birdie and cass’ journey, exploring themes of classism, gentrification, the toxicity of influencer family culture, biphobia, and finding oneself and ones integrity, while it simultaneously takes us on the romantic relationship between the main characters, providing the reader with that 2000s romcom feel.
July 12, 2025
3 1/2 Stars
Summer Girls is a YA romance about two girls from completely different backgrounds. Birdie (Bridget) is the daughter of an ultra-wealthy real estate developer father and a social media influencer mom. Birdie’s mom has been live streaming information about Birdie since she was 3 years old.
Cass (Cassandra) is a “townie” , works as a lifeguard and lives with her family in Newport, where the very well off have their summer homes. Cass calls the spoiled obnoxious daughters of the rich who come for the season the “Summer Girls”, and vows to have nothing to do with any of them.
After Birdie wreaks a $200k car, (it wasn’t all her fault after all, she was live streaming her arrival to her father’s investor gala) her parents send her to their summer home, and her father, who is friend’s with Cass’s father and his family, hires Cass to get Birdie a job and to basically babysit her for the summer before Cass leaves for college at M.I.T.. Additionally, Birdie’s driving and social media privileges are taken away.
The girls initially dislike each other, which intensifies when Birdie discovers that her summer job is as a parking lot attendant at the beach where Cass works as a lifeguard. Ironically, both girls eventually realize their attraction to each other, and things seem to be progressing in a positive direction. However, the island’s gentrification element and the stark contrast between ordinary families and those of the ultra-wealthy play a significant role in shaping the storyline.
With it’s look into the lives of media influencers and it’s pointed comments about the lives of the ultra-wealthy (Birdie’s best friend is put up in a penthouse suite in a 5 star hotel while her parents renovate her bedroom) there is always something trying to pull Birdie and Cass in different directions.
This was a nice story by an author who is consistent in her ability to write feel-good YA romance books. Give Birdie a chance, in the end she will surprise you.
Summer Girls is a YA romance about two girls from completely different backgrounds. Birdie (Bridget) is the daughter of an ultra-wealthy real estate developer father and a social media influencer mom. Birdie’s mom has been live streaming information about Birdie since she was 3 years old.
Cass (Cassandra) is a “townie” , works as a lifeguard and lives with her family in Newport, where the very well off have their summer homes. Cass calls the spoiled obnoxious daughters of the rich who come for the season the “Summer Girls”, and vows to have nothing to do with any of them.
After Birdie wreaks a $200k car, (it wasn’t all her fault after all, she was live streaming her arrival to her father’s investor gala) her parents send her to their summer home, and her father, who is friend’s with Cass’s father and his family, hires Cass to get Birdie a job and to basically babysit her for the summer before Cass leaves for college at M.I.T.. Additionally, Birdie’s driving and social media privileges are taken away.
The girls initially dislike each other, which intensifies when Birdie discovers that her summer job is as a parking lot attendant at the beach where Cass works as a lifeguard. Ironically, both girls eventually realize their attraction to each other, and things seem to be progressing in a positive direction. However, the island’s gentrification element and the stark contrast between ordinary families and those of the ultra-wealthy play a significant role in shaping the storyline.
With it’s look into the lives of media influencers and it’s pointed comments about the lives of the ultra-wealthy (Birdie’s best friend is put up in a penthouse suite in a 5 star hotel while her parents renovate her bedroom) there is always something trying to pull Birdie and Cass in different directions.
This was a nice story by an author who is consistent in her ability to write feel-good YA romance books. Give Birdie a chance, in the end she will surprise you.
March 9, 2025
I used to love reading beachy summer YA romances when I was a teen, but because of the industry at the time they were always straight. So I love now how there are queer books that give me nostalgia for the types of romances I read back in the day. Cass and Birdie lead very different lives. Cass is a year round resident of the beach town and works with her family to find affordable housing for people who are being priced out of living there by all the vacation rentals popping up. Meanwhile Birdie is the very wealthy daughter of a mommy blogger/influencer who is being sent to the beach town as punishment for crashing a very expensive car. Will this lead to an opposites attract situation or are there too many obstacles for them to see eye to eye?
Cass and Birdie were both well fleshed out characters and I really enjoyed seeing how they had to learn about each other's lives. I especially liked seeing how Birdie learned about the harm that her father was causing in his job as a real estate developer and how Cass’ family was trying to work to combat it. Also, Cass learning about how Birdie was forced by her mother to be part of her influencer content and how what was being shared wasn’t always her choice was interesting to see. Both characters have great development throughout the book, but I especially enjoyed seeing where Birdie ended up at the conclusion of the story in comparison with the opening.
I also loved seeing how their connection and romance slowly grew throughout the story. There are a lot of rough points that they have to work through, especially because of coming from such different backgrounds. But there are also so many cute and fun, summery moments in addition to the more serious moments. I’d definitely recommend this for readers who enjoy sapphic YA romances and different sides of the tracks romances.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Cass and Birdie were both well fleshed out characters and I really enjoyed seeing how they had to learn about each other's lives. I especially liked seeing how Birdie learned about the harm that her father was causing in his job as a real estate developer and how Cass’ family was trying to work to combat it. Also, Cass learning about how Birdie was forced by her mother to be part of her influencer content and how what was being shared wasn’t always her choice was interesting to see. Both characters have great development throughout the book, but I especially enjoyed seeing where Birdie ended up at the conclusion of the story in comparison with the opening.
I also loved seeing how their connection and romance slowly grew throughout the story. There are a lot of rough points that they have to work through, especially because of coming from such different backgrounds. But there are also so many cute and fun, summery moments in addition to the more serious moments. I’d definitely recommend this for readers who enjoy sapphic YA romances and different sides of the tracks romances.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
July 23, 2025
not enough "eat the rich" for me to give it a higher rating even though this is a cute read... i fear birdie's ignorance doesn't get that much better until nearing the end like. man. don't ask me to sympathize with rich people who get mad when people bring up their privilege and then says "well *I* had it rough too" that's a different struggle bbygirl she was talking about how you never have to worry about money and debts and the comfortable ignorance you're living don't bring up ur mommy issues to this fuck u 😭
June 28, 2025
This was cute!
May 27, 2025
Ugh. I feel like I have beef with this book. The first half felt like a chore to read. The enemies to lovers arc was uncomfortable and one character was so bratty that I couldn’t get past it. I felt like I was left hanging at the end. Several plot points were neither explained, nor resolved. It felt incredibly unfinished for a stand-alone story. I think maybe Jennifer Dugan is not for me. This is either the fourth or gift book I’ve tried to read and ended up disappointed.
February 2, 2025
3.5 rounded up
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. i also really loved the summer vibes and how it was set in a coastal town, might need to do a re read in the summer to fully appreciate the “summer girls”. 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.
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. i also really loved the summer vibes and how it was set in a coastal town, might need to do a re read in the summer to fully appreciate the “summer girls”. 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.
July 8, 2025
Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this.
I think the author didn’t do enough research into social media and influencer culture. The terminology used felt off? Like calling a content creator a blogger or referring to their YouTube as a web series or referring to their content in seasons. And they are supposedly massive influencers constantly doing brand deals, so why would her inheritance be such a big deal? This girl would be making so much money from the way it’s framed and could afford to launch a purse collection.
I felt like a lot of the side characters lacked depth and no character felt likeable.
And it felt like the book was trying to do too much theme wise so nothing hit?
It didn’t give me the fun summer romance vibes I wanted.
* note a copy was sent over by the publisher
I think the author didn’t do enough research into social media and influencer culture. The terminology used felt off? Like calling a content creator a blogger or referring to their YouTube as a web series or referring to their content in seasons. And they are supposedly massive influencers constantly doing brand deals, so why would her inheritance be such a big deal? This girl would be making so much money from the way it’s framed and could afford to launch a purse collection.
I felt like a lot of the side characters lacked depth and no character felt likeable.
And it felt like the book was trying to do too much theme wise so nothing hit?
It didn’t give me the fun summer romance vibes I wanted.
* note a copy was sent over by the publisher
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2025
A sapphic cute YA summer read about two girls from different worlds. Cass tries not to date summer girls aka rich girls visiting the town for the summer and Birdie is the ultimate summer girl. This was so cute and fun! Well established characters with their own ambitions, fun plot, great conversations about parental emotional abuse, money divide, coming out etc. I love that it talked about the impact of growing up online and being used as a puppet in your parents online content
July 11, 2025
2.5 rounded up.
June 18, 2025
giggling and KICKING MY FEET at this one. absolutely adorable!!
May 25, 2025
Summer Girls by Jennifer Dugan is a fun-in-the-sun YA beach read. Two high school graduates from different worlds spend their last summer before college falling in love and learning some hard life lessons. One, a rich social media influencer named Birdie, gets a dose of reality. Cass, a hard-working, MIT-bound townie, learns a thing or two about making assumptions.
Birdie, as a social media influencer under the thumb of her controlling mother, was an interesting take that I hadn't read before. I enjoyed it. I could more personally relate to the beach-loving townie, Cass, with a distaste for tourists despite the community's reliance on tourist trade.
I liked both characters, especially Birdie's introspection and growth.
I agree with other reviewers: I would have liked to see more moments between the main characters cultivating their relationship on the page. The author did a great job depicting the seaside tourist town—I felt like I was there on the beach in the salty breeze.
I enjoy most of Dugan's YA novels for their formulaic expectations. They are somewhat predictable, including teen angst, sweet romance, and characters overcoming challenges to earn their happy ending. These novels delightfully fill a need. I will always pick up this author's stories. After a few heavy reads, this was a nice, relaxing book with a sweet love story.
#richgirl/poorgirl #oppositesattract #townie #summergirl #beach #surfing #touristtown #smalltown/bigcity #socialmediainfluencer #lifeguard #birep #thirdactbreakup #epilogue #HEA #YA #nospice #sweet #NewEngland #RhodeIsland #Boston #realestate
I received a free ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.
Birdie, as a social media influencer under the thumb of her controlling mother, was an interesting take that I hadn't read before. I enjoyed it. I could more personally relate to the beach-loving townie, Cass, with a distaste for tourists despite the community's reliance on tourist trade.
I liked both characters, especially Birdie's introspection and growth.
I agree with other reviewers: I would have liked to see more moments between the main characters cultivating their relationship on the page. The author did a great job depicting the seaside tourist town—I felt like I was there on the beach in the salty breeze.
I enjoy most of Dugan's YA novels for their formulaic expectations. They are somewhat predictable, including teen angst, sweet romance, and characters overcoming challenges to earn their happy ending. These novels delightfully fill a need. I will always pick up this author's stories. After a few heavy reads, this was a nice, relaxing book with a sweet love story.
#richgirl/poorgirl #oppositesattract #townie #summergirl #beach #surfing #touristtown #smalltown/bigcity #socialmediainfluencer #lifeguard #birep #thirdactbreakup #epilogue #HEA #YA #nospice #sweet #NewEngland #RhodeIsland #Boston #realestate
I received a free ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.
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June 9, 2025how fun! this was super cute. i was pleasantly surprised by the b-plot of the affordable housing coalition and the commentary surrounding it. and i loved the ending! this would make a great movie.
August 4, 2025
meh honestly too cheesy which i hate to say about a gay YA romance but it just didn’t pull my attention at all.
June 12, 2025
3.25 Ahhh this sort of let me down when I was very excited for it. Cass jumped to conclusions like it was an Olympic sport and even tho Birdie messed up I didn’t think her reactions were warranted and it just irritated me
April 16, 2025
DNFed at 62%. I don’t really know what to say about this book. The premise sounded really good and the cover was so cute! Unfortunately, it ended up just disappointing me.
Birdie is a rich influencer with a mom who vlogs constantly and a dad in real estate. Cass, on the other hand, comes from a working-class family living in a coastal town that is slowly becoming more expensive, due in part to Birdie’s dad’s influence.
First off, I really didn’t feel any chemistry between the main characters. Each of them just seemed one-dimensional and their relationship evolution just felt very insta-lovey. It seemed to take them all of 20 pages to go from disliking each other to kissing to dating. I kept getting further into the book thinking “Okay, so when does the attraction start building?” and a second later they got together.
Speaking of one-dimensional, Birdie’s mom was the pinnacle of that. It was hard to take her seriously at all because the only thing she cared about was vlogging, keeping views up, and making money. At least Birdie’s dad seemed more fleshed out, so that’s something.
I also didn’t really care for the CONSTANT talks and thoughts of class differences between Birdie and Cass. I understand it’s an important element of their dynamic, and I understand it needing to be brought up occasionally, but it was so constant that it just became annoying and pointless because the same thoughts would be repeated over and over again and it just became white noise. Like I can totally understand why Cass was frustrated with Birdie, but Cass also just became obnoxious and seemed to play the victim no matter the circumstance. For example, making it some big deal that she’s a scholarship kid when she goes to MIT in the fall. First of all, as a college student myself, literally no one gives a crap if you’re a scholarship kid. No one. In fact, people will probably envy you for not having to pay thousands for school. It was also strange that she’s going to MIT to study business, like, girl, go to a state school. It’s just such a dumb cliche that every main character HAS to go to some prestigious college.
Yeah, overall, not the book for me. I think I’m getting too old for these books. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Birdie is a rich influencer with a mom who vlogs constantly and a dad in real estate. Cass, on the other hand, comes from a working-class family living in a coastal town that is slowly becoming more expensive, due in part to Birdie’s dad’s influence.
First off, I really didn’t feel any chemistry between the main characters. Each of them just seemed one-dimensional and their relationship evolution just felt very insta-lovey. It seemed to take them all of 20 pages to go from disliking each other to kissing to dating. I kept getting further into the book thinking “Okay, so when does the attraction start building?” and a second later they got together.
Speaking of one-dimensional, Birdie’s mom was the pinnacle of that. It was hard to take her seriously at all because the only thing she cared about was vlogging, keeping views up, and making money. At least Birdie’s dad seemed more fleshed out, so that’s something.
I also didn’t really care for the CONSTANT talks and thoughts of class differences between Birdie and Cass. I understand it’s an important element of their dynamic, and I understand it needing to be brought up occasionally, but it was so constant that it just became annoying and pointless because the same thoughts would be repeated over and over again and it just became white noise. Like I can totally understand why Cass was frustrated with Birdie, but Cass also just became obnoxious and seemed to play the victim no matter the circumstance. For example, making it some big deal that she’s a scholarship kid when she goes to MIT in the fall. First of all, as a college student myself, literally no one gives a crap if you’re a scholarship kid. No one. In fact, people will probably envy you for not having to pay thousands for school. It was also strange that she’s going to MIT to study business, like, girl, go to a state school. It’s just such a dumb cliche that every main character HAS to go to some prestigious college.
Yeah, overall, not the book for me. I think I’m getting too old for these books. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 25, 2025
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.
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.
April 25, 2025
every single person in this book is a caricature. The relationship wasn’t super developed and came out of no where and was a bit lazy tbh
February 23, 2025
4.5⭐️
Thank you netgally for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.
I loooved this book. Who wouldn’t want a sapphic love story about a rich girl falling in love with her childhood friend and learning so much about herself and what she wants in the process.
This story had me hooked from the beginning. Birdie driving her boyfriends car and accidentally crashing it while finding out he’s cheating. The perfect start for me. I really liked birdies character arc, from spoiled, annoying and doing whatever she wanted to really caring about Cass and the town.
The only thing I didn’t really like was how they made it such a big deal for birdie to “come out” even tho she already told everybody she was bi. I understand that for some people it is a big deal but I’ve been out for so long that that didn’t really resonate with me.
One thing I did really like was how the term ‘summer girl’ was generally a negative term used in the book. That kinda confused me because it’s the title. But the ending made it perfect.
This is just a wholesome book, perfect to read in summer!
Thank you netgally for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.
I loooved this book. Who wouldn’t want a sapphic love story about a rich girl falling in love with her childhood friend and learning so much about herself and what she wants in the process.
This story had me hooked from the beginning. Birdie driving her boyfriends car and accidentally crashing it while finding out he’s cheating. The perfect start for me. I really liked birdies character arc, from spoiled, annoying and doing whatever she wanted to really caring about Cass and the town.
The only thing I didn’t really like was how they made it such a big deal for birdie to “come out” even tho she already told everybody she was bi. I understand that for some people it is a big deal but I’ve been out for so long that that didn’t really resonate with me.
One thing I did really like was how the term ‘summer girl’ was generally a negative term used in the book. That kinda confused me because it’s the title. But the ending made it perfect.
This is just a wholesome book, perfect to read in summer!
June 7, 2025
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this. Jennifer Dugan is one of those writers whose books I automatically add to my TBR list and this one had been on there for a bit. As soon as my hold came in I dove in. These were two flawed, messy characters who came together despite class, status, family and financial differences. I loved Cass. She's a strong person with solid values, loyal to her friends and family and forgives all the bullshit Birdie puts her through. Birdie was more problematic for me. I sympathized with her for having parents with crappy morals who didn't believe in her and controlled everything she did. Her mom was a bitch who wanted to monetize everything she could about her and her daughter's lives, whether Birdie wanted it or not. But all the choices she made about Cass and their relationship were crappy and by the middle of the book my sympathy was wearing off and I thought Cass could do better. I did like the writing style, great pace and plot, it was just Birdie causing problems for me. Nice, pretty realistic ending and epilogue made for a satisfying overall story.
May 22, 2025
I love a good Sapphic YA summer romance and this opposites attract slow burn was so much fun!! Birdie is the daughter of a wealthy influencer mom who gets stuck with her former friend and local lifeguard, Cass. Together they realize they might have more in common than at first thought and slowly Birdie comes to embrace her bisexuality even though the pressures of her old life have kept her in the closet. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Becky Albertalli. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
March 27, 2025
Short and sweet! It was enjoyable and just short enough that I didn’t get bored. I will say that this had some great representation of LGBTQ teens along with the fear of dating a person of the same gender for the first time. I will say though that this book is DEFINITELY YA and is perfect for younger audiences, but if you’re an adult you may not enjoy as much. Being an older teen myself I did find some of the fights childish but that's probably because the target audience is for younger teens.
April 29, 2025
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.
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.
August 29, 2025
this was a fun read, tho really hit me in my feels at some points and I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t often read YA anymore, so I was stu k in a headset of like “ugh god they’re so childish”… like yeah they’re not even 18 yet lmao but I think that’s why I can’t give it more than 3.5 stars. but it ended up being very sweet and I love seeing female bi representation in teen books, we need so much more of it (and also lesbian representation please!!!!) This was a good last summery book before I get into my fall, creepy, moody vibes
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