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Lovesick Falls
Sometimes growing up means growing apart in this queer take on As You Like It featuring first loves and friend breakups, perfect for fans of The Gravity of Us and We Are Okay, from award-winning author Julia Drake.
Celia Gilbert is the perfect friend—loyal, trustworthy, and committed to mending her best friends’ broken hearts.
She’s the reason the trio is spending the summer in Lovesick Falls, the idyllic little town where Touchstone’s sort-of-uncle’s cabin was waiting to be house-sat by three unsupervised (but totally responsible) teenagers.
After all, Celia, Ros, and Touchstone have been best friends since childhood. Sure, Celia is in love with Ros, and Touchstone was once in love with Celia — but that’s the beauty of a place like Lovesick Falls. If you fell in love, you could fall out.
Unless you can change the other person’s mind.
They started the summer closer than ever. Will living together tear them apart?
Celia Gilbert is the perfect friend—loyal, trustworthy, and committed to mending her best friends’ broken hearts.
She’s the reason the trio is spending the summer in Lovesick Falls, the idyllic little town where Touchstone’s sort-of-uncle’s cabin was waiting to be house-sat by three unsupervised (but totally responsible) teenagers.
After all, Celia, Ros, and Touchstone have been best friends since childhood. Sure, Celia is in love with Ros, and Touchstone was once in love with Celia — but that’s the beauty of a place like Lovesick Falls. If you fell in love, you could fall out.
Unless you can change the other person’s mind.
They started the summer closer than ever. Will living together tear them apart?
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 2025
7 people are currently reading
4450 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 18, 2025
I'm dying happy now I've read this book.
Want to read
January 5, 2025julia drake i trust only you with this play
June 23, 2025
Thank you NetGalley & the publishers for sending me an ARC of this amazing book. 💕
I was really thinking I was done with YA and then this came along. This was cute, quick, and easy to listen/read though. I got this as an ARC, as stated above, but waited a bit long to get to it. With that being said, I don’t regret it. The the characters stories felt well composed and brought together very well. As someone who also teaches middle school, & taught high school, I understand YA books getting dramatic, but never was this pushing to to much boundarie. I often find YA to be way to dramtic, but the cakes were thrown in all the correct places here. 😋 iykyk. A cute read I would recommend to a lot of my friends, my LGBT ones included. 💕
I was really thinking I was done with YA and then this came along. This was cute, quick, and easy to listen/read though. I got this as an ARC, as stated above, but waited a bit long to get to it. With that being said, I don’t regret it. The the characters stories felt well composed and brought together very well. As someone who also teaches middle school, & taught high school, I understand YA books getting dramatic, but never was this pushing to to much boundarie. I often find YA to be way to dramtic, but the cakes were thrown in all the correct places here. 😋 iykyk. A cute read I would recommend to a lot of my friends, my LGBT ones included. 💕
October 24, 2025
A queer take on Shakespeare’s As You Like It - summer teen romance with lots of unrequited love all around and friendship mishaps. An accurate representation of how friendships can change. Sounds very much like it was written by a teen/includes a lot of teen feelings/perspective.
Story: Before the start of their senior year of high school, three best friends - Ros, Celia, and Touchstone - spend a summer living together in Lovesick Falls at Touchstone’s relative’s home, thinking it’ll be the best summer ever together. Touchstone is still in love with Celia even though they broke up awhile back, Celia is in love with Ros, and Ros falls for another girl named Jess Orlando on the trip. Celia struggles with jealousy and feeling like she’s losing Ros while at the same time considering a blossoming relationship with Oliver Teller, a hot teen actor who likes Celia back. Ros, Celia, and Touchstone struggle with keeping their friendship over the summer.
Pacing is okay. It parallels Shakespeare’s As You Like It with a lot of the name references (it even had Jacques the cat LOL). I liked that we got to see the gang in college pursuing their interests at the end. The ending just felt okay, nothing big or impactful, which I was kind of whatever about, but maybe that was the point - quietly remembering that as life continues on and relationships continue on, that you can keep growing. This book was fun in a teen-summer-vibey kind of way - there were multiple moments where the teens eat junk food together, throw themselves into the water, binge their favorite trashy show, and tease each other with inside jokes. It gives unsupervised summer vibes, with teens learning how to live on their own, work, make food, and have relationships with one another.
Voice: Celia’s voice is strong and in line with her character, especially in voicing her panic or jealousy or disbelief (the use of ?! helps too). Celia’s definitely an unreliable narrator who clearly has a bias towards Ros and does everything based on that obsession. Jess’s voice is not as strong and Touchstone’s is almost nonexistent in narration (similar to his character in the work), but I benefited from the change in POV to Ros at times, as I feel it gives the readers a fuller picture of their friendship messiness and desires.
Style: The little footnotes are so fun! Chapter titles are a bit quirky/funny. The switch between narrators lets readers see what each character of the trio values: Celia - her crush on Ros and jealousy over Jess Orlando; Ros - her crush on Jess Orlando and their relationship; and Touchstone - figuring out his identity, doing theater, and liking Celia.
Setting: Mostly takes place at Lovesick Falls, which feels grounded and believable.
Accuracy: Accurate to teen love triangles, the messiness of relationships, and the changing nature of friendships. Celia’s jealousy is relatable to many - trying to convince Ros that Jess is bad news, feeling like she’s losing her best friend, wanting Ros to be happy but not being happy about what Ros has chosen and being mad at herself that she isn’t happy about what Ros wants, doing over-the-top things to get Ros’s attention, and using other people in the process of getting Ros to love and notice her. Struggling with feeling distant in closest friendships and not being loved back by the one you love. Difficulties in apologies and learning how to be a good friend. Phoebe’s description of how many high school friendships are out of convenience or being stuck together was also accurate.
Characters: Celia is the list-making, problem-solver friend who is a bit overbearing and struggles with her heart set on loving Ros. Touchstone is funny and personable, pining quietly for Celia. Ros is unique and loyal, falling head over heels for Jess Orlando. I like that Celia is into languages and I enjoyed the emphasis on art (costuming, theater, poetry) and nature (falls, hikes, florist). I appreciated the role of parents - absent (Jess’s mom working hard to provide), abandoning (Ros’s dad), and supportive (Celia’s parents). Main characters are white, except for Phoebe. Diversity in sexuality and gender expression - nonbinary (Ros), bisexual (Celia), questioning/people perceiving differently (Touchstone), and lesbian (Jess Orlando).
Theme: Friendships are complicated. Take responsibility for your actions. Don't try to solve everyone's problems, but be a good friend - see what your friends wants. Don't keep score in your friendship. You are not responsible for anyone else's happiness. You don't have to know everything - adults can help you!
Design: The cover art was nice but the symbolism was just eh to me - a clearer symbol for their love triangle would have been fun.
No sex but sex mentions/allusions to sex. Some cursing. Underage drinking. Hospital visit for needle going through someone’s finger.
" 'Failure is a part of life,' my mom said. 'And it's not your job to glue someone back together...You are not responsible for another person's happiness, no matter how close you are.'" (279)
Story: Before the start of their senior year of high school, three best friends - Ros, Celia, and Touchstone - spend a summer living together in Lovesick Falls at Touchstone’s relative’s home, thinking it’ll be the best summer ever together. Touchstone is still in love with Celia even though they broke up awhile back, Celia is in love with Ros, and Ros falls for another girl named Jess Orlando on the trip. Celia struggles with jealousy and feeling like she’s losing Ros while at the same time considering a blossoming relationship with Oliver Teller, a hot teen actor who likes Celia back. Ros, Celia, and Touchstone struggle with keeping their friendship over the summer.
Pacing is okay. It parallels Shakespeare’s As You Like It with a lot of the name references (it even had Jacques the cat LOL). I liked that we got to see the gang in college pursuing their interests at the end. The ending just felt okay, nothing big or impactful, which I was kind of whatever about, but maybe that was the point - quietly remembering that as life continues on and relationships continue on, that you can keep growing. This book was fun in a teen-summer-vibey kind of way - there were multiple moments where the teens eat junk food together, throw themselves into the water, binge their favorite trashy show, and tease each other with inside jokes. It gives unsupervised summer vibes, with teens learning how to live on their own, work, make food, and have relationships with one another.
Voice: Celia’s voice is strong and in line with her character, especially in voicing her panic or jealousy or disbelief (the use of ?! helps too). Celia’s definitely an unreliable narrator who clearly has a bias towards Ros and does everything based on that obsession. Jess’s voice is not as strong and Touchstone’s is almost nonexistent in narration (similar to his character in the work), but I benefited from the change in POV to Ros at times, as I feel it gives the readers a fuller picture of their friendship messiness and desires.
Style: The little footnotes are so fun! Chapter titles are a bit quirky/funny. The switch between narrators lets readers see what each character of the trio values: Celia - her crush on Ros and jealousy over Jess Orlando; Ros - her crush on Jess Orlando and their relationship; and Touchstone - figuring out his identity, doing theater, and liking Celia.
Setting: Mostly takes place at Lovesick Falls, which feels grounded and believable.
Accuracy: Accurate to teen love triangles, the messiness of relationships, and the changing nature of friendships. Celia’s jealousy is relatable to many - trying to convince Ros that Jess is bad news, feeling like she’s losing her best friend, wanting Ros to be happy but not being happy about what Ros has chosen and being mad at herself that she isn’t happy about what Ros wants, doing over-the-top things to get Ros’s attention, and using other people in the process of getting Ros to love and notice her. Struggling with feeling distant in closest friendships and not being loved back by the one you love. Difficulties in apologies and learning how to be a good friend. Phoebe’s description of how many high school friendships are out of convenience or being stuck together was also accurate.
Characters: Celia is the list-making, problem-solver friend who is a bit overbearing and struggles with her heart set on loving Ros. Touchstone is funny and personable, pining quietly for Celia. Ros is unique and loyal, falling head over heels for Jess Orlando. I like that Celia is into languages and I enjoyed the emphasis on art (costuming, theater, poetry) and nature (falls, hikes, florist). I appreciated the role of parents - absent (Jess’s mom working hard to provide), abandoning (Ros’s dad), and supportive (Celia’s parents). Main characters are white, except for Phoebe. Diversity in sexuality and gender expression - nonbinary (Ros), bisexual (Celia), questioning/people perceiving differently (Touchstone), and lesbian (Jess Orlando).
Theme: Friendships are complicated. Take responsibility for your actions. Don't try to solve everyone's problems, but be a good friend - see what your friends wants. Don't keep score in your friendship. You are not responsible for anyone else's happiness. You don't have to know everything - adults can help you!
Design: The cover art was nice but the symbolism was just eh to me - a clearer symbol for their love triangle would have been fun.
No sex but sex mentions/allusions to sex. Some cursing. Underage drinking. Hospital visit for needle going through someone’s finger.
" 'Failure is a part of life,' my mom said. 'And it's not your job to glue someone back together...You are not responsible for another person's happiness, no matter how close you are.'" (279)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2025
Got an arc from work!
Last True Poets is a fav of mine so I was so excited when my store got the arc in of Drake’s newest, and my god does she know how to write Big Feelings. This was a lot more melancholy than I was expecting it to be and it didn’t go where I thought it would, but that’s also on me for not being particularly familiar with the play it’s inspired by. Im definitely gonna be thinking about this one for a while
Last True Poets is a fav of mine so I was so excited when my store got the arc in of Drake’s newest, and my god does she know how to write Big Feelings. This was a lot more melancholy than I was expecting it to be and it didn’t go where I thought it would, but that’s also on me for not being particularly familiar with the play it’s inspired by. Im definitely gonna be thinking about this one for a while
June 1, 2025
This is a charming and heartfelt story set in a whimsical town where the spring water is rumored to make people fall out of love. The story follows Celia, who plans a summer getaway with her two best friends, Ros and Touchstone, hoping to mend their hearts and perhaps win Ros's affection. However, unexpected romantic entanglements and the arrival of a celebrity crush turn their plans upside down.
Drake weaves themes of friendship, unrequited love, and self-discovery into a story filled with humor and emotional depth. The characters are richly developed, and the setting adds a magical touch to the story. It’s a delightful read that celebrates the complexities of love and the bonds of friendship. Thank you Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Julia Drake for sharing this book with me!
Drake weaves themes of friendship, unrequited love, and self-discovery into a story filled with humor and emotional depth. The characters are richly developed, and the setting adds a magical touch to the story. It’s a delightful read that celebrates the complexities of love and the bonds of friendship. Thank you Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Julia Drake for sharing this book with me!
June 9, 2025
I love a coming of age story centered around a tight knit group of friends and all the complexities that come with that time in life and Lovesick Falls absolutely delivered. The friendship between Ros, Celia and Touchstone was so goofy, loving and supportive. I loved seeing each of them discover who they are outside of their group while also trying to maintain their connection. The summer vibes are perfect and have that magic feeling that happens when you’re a teenager out of school. It is pure YA fun which as a huge YA reader, I LOVED. I also liked the modern take of As You Like It and all the theatre aspects of the book. I think anyone looking for a summer YA book with complicated friendship dynamics will enjoy this one!
CW: homophobia
CW: homophobia
December 11, 2025
This was a good story. It was a story of love and love lost, and of growing up and facing the hard truths of life as an almost grown-up 17yo. Based on the play As You Like It by our friend Will, it didn't feel forced ... always a win when you're reimagining a story. 😁
Although it was written from a dual perspective, my heart was only with one MC. In fact, if it hadn't been for the chapters written from the other MC's pov, I could have really disliked them as a character! If that was by design, well done to the author. 👏
CW: mild sexy fun times, lengthy discussion of male abs
Y11, Y12
Although it was written from a dual perspective, my heart was only with one MC. In fact, if it hadn't been for the chapters written from the other MC's pov, I could have really disliked them as a character! If that was by design, well done to the author. 👏
CW: mild sexy fun times, lengthy discussion of male abs
Y11, Y12
March 28, 2025
Source: ARC from publisher
Initial Thoughts: If you can ignore the premise that three teenagers' parents let them live together for a summer with no adult supervision (I get it, it's a fun, aspirational idea for the intended teen readers), it's an entertaining story. Mishaps and miscommunications. I didn't like all of the characters and actually thought a couple were insufferable, but they were interesting to read about nonetheless. I think teens would like this one.
Initial Thoughts: If you can ignore the premise that three teenagers' parents let them live together for a summer with no adult supervision (I get it, it's a fun, aspirational idea for the intended teen readers), it's an entertaining story. Mishaps and miscommunications. I didn't like all of the characters and actually thought a couple were insufferable, but they were interesting to read about nonetheless. I think teens would like this one.
November 8, 2025
es un libro muy interesante y muy bueno
March 15, 2025
I was so excited to see a new book from Julia Drake! Last True Poets of the Sea is one of my favorite YA novels of the last decade, and I’d say Lovesick Falls totally lived up to my hopes and expectations. It’s funny and tender and subverts whatever predictions you may have about how things are going to go. My one issue is that I didn’t really connect with Celia, but there are plenty of other characters who interested me more, so it didn’t overly affect my enjoyment of the book.
June 16, 2025
I inhaled this. It really reminds me of the YA I was reading in high school. All three of these characters were annoying but it works because they're annoying. I love the idea of a summer that really helps you grow up. The theater, the friends, the hiking and living alone for the first time... being in love with someone who doesn't want you back. Very essentially YA, just written way, way better than most of it.
I wish Julia Drake published like once a year.
I wish Julia Drake published like once a year.
June 27, 2025
A tender, chaotic summer of friendship, first love, and finding your voice. Lovesick Falls is witty, emotional, and full of queer longing set against a dreamy redwood backdrop and Shakespearean drama.
Julia Drake captures the messy magic of growing up and growing apart with heart and clarity. Perfect for fans of found family, emotional slow burns, and character-driven stories.
Thank you to Little, Brown and NetGalley for the ARC!
Julia Drake captures the messy magic of growing up and growing apart with heart and clarity. Perfect for fans of found family, emotional slow burns, and character-driven stories.
Thank you to Little, Brown and NetGalley for the ARC!
June 8, 2025
Personally biased but savored this despite it being a fast read. I would read even more of the Celia, ros and touchstone chronicles or simply a series on the setting of lovesick falls. I loved the point of view glimpses for Ros and wanted more of them!
July 8, 2025
An excellent YA romcom. The audio narration was fabulous.
July 21, 2025
Entertaining and well-developed characters really make this retelling of "As You Like It" shine. Borrowing from the blurbs on the back of the book, I found it both witty and tender.
August 12, 2025
Fantastic book for readers and English nerds alike! I smiled throughout almost the entire thing...
Lovesick Falls is a modern, young adult retelling of Shakespeare's comedy "As You Like It." While not a literal, scene-by-scene reenactment, the movement of the book follows the play as do the themes, names, and even some of the language itself. (But in a sneaky way. This does *not* feel like Shakespeare.) Lots of Easter eggs for those familiar with the play, nothing confusing for those who aren't.
Best friends Celia, Ros, and Touchstone are spending a few months together in a friend's northern California cabin, while working in town doing various theater-related summer jobs. They're 17, and it's quite an adventure! But as they experience the weight of responsibility of sharing a home, and as new friends and crushes come into their lives, will their friendship hold up?
There's quite a delightful cast of characters, and the world-building is great. Fabulous job by Julia Drake; this book has inspired me to hunt down some of her other Shakespeare reimaginings.
Lovesick Falls is a modern, young adult retelling of Shakespeare's comedy "As You Like It." While not a literal, scene-by-scene reenactment, the movement of the book follows the play as do the themes, names, and even some of the language itself. (But in a sneaky way. This does *not* feel like Shakespeare.) Lots of Easter eggs for those familiar with the play, nothing confusing for those who aren't.
Best friends Celia, Ros, and Touchstone are spending a few months together in a friend's northern California cabin, while working in town doing various theater-related summer jobs. They're 17, and it's quite an adventure! But as they experience the weight of responsibility of sharing a home, and as new friends and crushes come into their lives, will their friendship hold up?
There's quite a delightful cast of characters, and the world-building is great. Fabulous job by Julia Drake; this book has inspired me to hunt down some of her other Shakespeare reimaginings.
June 19, 2025
the descriptions make me want to fly across the country and visit lovesick falls myself. i absolutely love how specific and detailed everything is.
the story itself was similarly paced to last true poets. slow enough to feel connected to the characters but not too slow to bore you. the main character was both incredibly relatable and downright annoying. actually, most of these characters were frustrating enough to make me want to rip my hair out...but not necessarily in a bad way! it was a rollercoaster of emotions and i teared up a little at moments i didn't expect to. i was so absorbed that i didn't even realize i'd reached the last chapter until tried to swipe forward and it went to acknowledgements.
overall, the themes of growing up and handling changing relationships hit hard. definitely gave me something to think about.
the story itself was similarly paced to last true poets. slow enough to feel connected to the characters but not too slow to bore you. the main character was both incredibly relatable and downright annoying. actually, most of these characters were frustrating enough to make me want to rip my hair out...but not necessarily in a bad way! it was a rollercoaster of emotions and i teared up a little at moments i didn't expect to. i was so absorbed that i didn't even realize i'd reached the last chapter until tried to swipe forward and it went to acknowledgements.
overall, the themes of growing up and handling changing relationships hit hard. definitely gave me something to think about.
July 18, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this YA novel about three high schoolers whose parents agree to let them live together away from home for the summer. Their small house is located near a town that hosts summer theater productions. The three intend to delight in their friendship all summer - however, once they find jobs and begin meet new people, things don't go so smoothly. Most of the story is told by Celia, whose crush on Ros and immaturity seemed very realistic to me. Overall, there was plenty of humor, and I liked learning some things about costuming in the theater.
My rating would have been a 5, except for my feeling that after the climax, the remainder of the story was kind of a let-down - although I have to admit it's realistic, at least in some ways. So I really give it a 4.5, and would be happy to read other work by Julia Drake.
My rating would have been a 5, except for my feeling that after the climax, the remainder of the story was kind of a let-down - although I have to admit it's realistic, at least in some ways. So I really give it a 4.5, and would be happy to read other work by Julia Drake.
May 13, 2025
Thank you The Novl for this physical ARC
I enjoyed these characters and thought it was an interesting premise. Seeing how everyone grew over the course of the summer and the ways that tested and changed their friendship was interesting. The setting worked so well for this journey, the small town and it's unique history added a great layer. While it was well paced it also just never quite picked up enough for me, even as the story reached the climax it was just kind of expected and petered out. I also felt that some of the more complex challenges that the friends faced also just kind of faded into the background without being fully addressed. That said it still had some really fun moments and overall is a nice summer read.
I enjoyed these characters and thought it was an interesting premise. Seeing how everyone grew over the course of the summer and the ways that tested and changed their friendship was interesting. The setting worked so well for this journey, the small town and it's unique history added a great layer. While it was well paced it also just never quite picked up enough for me, even as the story reached the climax it was just kind of expected and petered out. I also felt that some of the more complex challenges that the friends faced also just kind of faded into the background without being fully addressed. That said it still had some really fun moments and overall is a nice summer read.
July 3, 2025
This was okay, but it didn't blow me away. I loved The Last True Poets of the Sea, so I was very excited that Julia Drake had something new out, and i had a moderately decent time with it. It just didn't do anything special for me, and Celia was so annoying to me and the whole book was from her POV. It was funny enough and there were some lovely descriptions of food and plants, and I really liked Ros even when they were being a bit selfish, so, 3 stars. Not one I'll read again, but you could do worse.
October 6, 2025
Although its title suggests that this As You Like It rewrite is a romance, Drake borrows only some of the original’s comedic hijinks to tell Celia’s story of a crush and the mishaps that befall our besotted lead as she slowly learns that what she wants might not be what she needs. Shakespearean loyalists may object, as will any looking for a straightforward happily ever after, but if you are looking for misadventures set amidst a summer theater festival, this story about friendship is worth the summer fling.
September 7, 2025
3.5 stars
A cute teen romance, full of all sorts of hijinks you might expect teens to get up to when living on their own for a summer. There is a lot of romance drama, so if that's not your cup of tea, just a heads up. But I liked the friendships, the way they worked through their problems, even if there was some miscommunication along the way. They are teenagers, after all.
If you're looking for a fairly light, quick read, I'd recommend this one!
A cute teen romance, full of all sorts of hijinks you might expect teens to get up to when living on their own for a summer. There is a lot of romance drama, so if that's not your cup of tea, just a heads up. But I liked the friendships, the way they worked through their problems, even if there was some miscommunication along the way. They are teenagers, after all.
If you're looking for a fairly light, quick read, I'd recommend this one!
August 7, 2025
Well, gosh. I just love everything Julia Drake writes. The interiority is so strong, the prose so gorgeous. I was recently dreaming up a story of long time friends who were all in love with each other at one time or another, and so it's like Julia plucked this out of my brain and polished it up and set it in a nostalgic summer location.
I'll admit I don't know Shakespeare well at all so any of that went over my head, for the most part, but it certainly didn't matter.
I'll admit I don't know Shakespeare well at all so any of that went over my head, for the most part, but it certainly didn't matter.
Read
June 6, 2025it was okay! it didn't do terrible things to the source text and i liked the ending. the audio narrator was really annoying and it made celia even more annoying as a character than she already was. didn't really do anything for me overall but i didn't hate it.
July 7, 2025
Solidly ok. Main character was whiny and not very self aware.
July 10, 2025
How DOES one injure themselves having merry-go-round sex with roller skates on?
July 20, 2025
Really enjoyed this one. What a dream of a summer to spend with your best friends (though it didn't always feel that magical)
August 30, 2025
Didn’t realize this was YA but I enjoyed it! Yes the characters drove me a little crazy but they’re seventeen, it’s understandable.
September 15, 2025
cute. a little too much pining.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews