13 Days of Summer

by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Almost Famous meets The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in this YA meet-cute following a group of friends on an unforgettable road trip to a Taylor Swift concert, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Nicola Yoon.

It’s the summer after senior year for a group of friends, and they intend to live it up while they can. What could be more epic than a cross-country road trip to see Taylor Swift in concert? Along the way, the friends pick up a mysterious and charming guy who is stranded at a rest stop. (Is that a James Dean daydream look in his eyes?) As he and one of the friends hit it off, said friend gets a crash course in love-at-first sight.
 
At its core, a novel about the power and possibility of friendships, sprinkled with just enough romance and set against the ultimate summer playlist, this lighthearted read is both a quintessential teen romance and coming-of-age novel that will stay with readers long after Taylor sings her last note.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult, Travel, Young Adult Contemporary

336 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2025

About the author

Stephanie Kate Strohm is the author of Love a la Mode; Prince in Disguise; It's Not Me, It's You; That's Not What I Heard; The Date to Save; and Katy Keene: Restless Hearts. She grew up in Connecticut and attended Middlebury College in Vermont, where she was voted Winter Carnival Queen. Currently she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son. Her middle-grade debut, Once Upon a Tide: A Mermaid's Tale, will be released in September.

Reviews

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

💝Cause the sign on your heart said it's still reserved for me💝. 13 Days of Summer written by Stephanie Kate Strohm is for all of my SWIFTIES!!!!!! Throughout this book you will find cute moments, silly moments, heart wrenching moments, lyrics, song titles, and albums from the Queen of Pop Music, the one and only Taylor Swift. If you are looking for a fun and cutesy book about friendships, a cross country road trip, Taylor Swift, and a semi romance novel for the beach this summer, then look no further than 13 Days of Summer and make sure it's on your summer reading list and mark your calendars for June 3rd, 2025 for the publication date of this summery read. Originally this book was going to be four stars for me because it was such a fun and cute story, but the insta- love and this miscommunication made me knock it down to three stars, unfortunately. When I first saw that stunning cover, I knew I had to get my hands on this book immediately and I'm so glad I had the chance to read it early because it was too fun to pass up. Despite this book being Taylor coded, you don't need to be a Swiftie to read this one, although you might not get all of the references. This book is also for the girlies who are graduating high school and losing friendships along the way because things happen and things can change at any moment. I can't recommend this book enough if you are looking for a sweet and cute palette cleanser. I also knocked it down to three stars because this book is centered around a group of friends going cross country for a Taylor Swift concert and at the ninety-nine percent mark we only got a tiny glimpse of the concert.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND RUNNING PRESS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!

🎤LYRICAL QUOTES🎤

"✨Cause I see sparks fly, whenever you smile✨".

"💅Don't blame me, love made me crazy💅".

"🔥😘You don't know if it's gonna be forever or if it's gonna go down in flames when you start dating someone🔥😘".

"❤🎀It does feel like a perfect night to fall in love with strangers❤🎀".

"😈💫I had a marvelous time ruining everything😈💫".

NON LYRICAL QUOTES

"🎀🎤Swifties"- noun. The fandom of the American singer/song writer- Taylor Swift🎀🎤.

"💖😭Taylor just had this way of getting to the truth of a matter, right down to the great big heart of how you were feeling💖😭".

"💗💐This life is sweeter than fiction, because we are going to see Taylor Swift💗💐".

"💝🐥Chick for you, my chick💝🐥".

"🏜🌊Sometimes one simply must leave the desert and embrace the ocean🏜🌊".

"🎨🍭There isn't only value in being an artist. There's so much value in being the person who loves and appreciates the art. Art wouldn't exist without that love. In some ways, it's just as important as the act of creation🎨🍭".

🚗CROSS COUNTRY ROAD TRIP DESTINATIONS🚗
📌Maine- Home state
📌Massachusetts- Holy Grounds- a coffee shop and a Taylor Swift song.
📌New York- Hotel- overnight stay.
📌Ohio- gas, Southwest quadrant park- Balloon fest.
📌Illinois- Skyscraper penthouse for an overnight stay.
📌Iowa- rest stop/bathroom break.
📌Nebraska- Tenderfoot Saloon and Dance Hall- restaurant.
📌Colorado- Eleanor's family ski cottage- overnight stay.
📌Utah- group of friends went to the bathroom behind cactus on the side of a desert highway.
📌Nevada- rear ended by a reckless rat bastard on the highway.
📌California-Taylor Swift Concert.

Carson Hart's lucky number has always been thirteen and she claims it's always bringing her good things since birth. Carson's birthday is April 13th, her field hockey jersey was number thirteen, and it also connected her to Taylor Swift. Carson grew up with the albums- Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, Lover, and Reputation, but she also loves new and old music from the Queen of Pop. Carson has never ever been in love before. Carson claims she felt like Taylor was singing just for her. Carson has never been to any concert ever that wasn't sponsored by her public library. It's the summer before college and Carson and her two friends will be taking a cross country road trip to see Taylor Swift in California. Carson Hart, Noemi Levin, and Eleanor Lin Hanson are all eighteen years old and the most devoted Swifties in the state of Maine. The concert is in thirteen days, so therefore they have thirteen days to drive cross country. This group of friends had to convince their parents to let them attend the concert alone, but they have to check in at least once a day and stop for a full night's sleep every night. During their trip, they take so many Polaroid pictures, the independence without their parents felt pretty amazing. They had a random karaoke contest at a Wild West themed restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska for a rhinestone cowboy hat, so of course the girls sang 22. At a random rest stop, the girls pick up a random person.

Dean Andrysiak is a James Dean look alike. Dean is a yearbook photographer, so he took a picture for Carson in front of her favorite coffee shop. Dean is the "hitchhiker" the girls picked up a long the way, he's trying to get to LA as well, but his best friend was going back to his girlfriend and left Dean behind at some random coffee shop. Carson and Dean have the same birthday- April 13th. Could Carson and Dean possibly be lovers at first sight? Dean reads books, he's a salty French fry lover, and he's taking a gap year before college. But meanwhile he's doing a coast to coast photo essay before returning to college. "When your name is Dean, you a rebel without a cause". During their cross country trip, Dean flirtatiously carpooling with Carson and her friends. Dean carries lip balm and he's super serious about self care, Lord this man is such a green flag. Dean lights up when he talks about his abuela- which is so freaking precious. Dean is always leaving the sweetest compliments when he takes pictures of Carson along their journey. The Taylor Swift concert is at SoFi stadium in Los Angeles, California on August third, Eleanor's outfit is a shimmery bodysuit and rhinestone cowboy hat, Noemi's outfit is a striped bodysuit and high waisted shorts from the Anti-Hero music video, and Carson's outfit is a black fedora, black shorts, we are never getting back together like ever t-shirt, and red lipstick. There were so many cute and adorable moments in this book, but there were just a few times were the miscommunication trope drove me absolutely bonkers between the group of girls and also between Carson and Dean. Maybe I just wasn't the right target audience as this was more YA than anything, but I still thought it was super cute and I recommend to all my Swifties.

[Libby Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yall fight too much

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must read for Swifties! I’m not actually one myself (don’t really have anything against Taylor but she’s not my favorite either) so I’m sure a lot of the references were lost on me. I did get some of them though and I enjoyed finding them like little Easter eggs scattered through the story. Plot-wise, there wasn’t a ton happening but it touched on relevant subjects like life after high school and how friendships change over time. The romance was really instalovey but the focus was more on the friendship between the girls. I also loved the road trip aspects and all the stops they made. This is a light read perfect for summer and enjoying at the beach!

[aurelialovescats✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was perfect for anyone who likes Taylor Swift. however, at points it was definitely cringeworthy, if that matters to you at all.
the love trope was also overused and cliched, however, the characters were interesting.
first we have Eleanor who is the daughter of a lip balm manufacturer CEO/founder and a model/influencer. she is petty and mean and the friendship troubles that happen in this book are mostly her fault. she's my least favorite character especially bc she insults everyone and is insensitive.

then we have Carson who is, as she is confronted for being, boring. however that's not really her fault, and she's just head over heels in love, which is understandable. the fact that she is the narrator of the book is different from lots of other stories along the same lines.

her other best friend is Noemi. type a and always responsible. I get the feeling that she has put a lot of pressure on herself and she's a perfectionist. Noemi is basically a mom, and the pressure gets to her.

finally there is dean, who I can't really say much about but is basically a human golden retriever. lovable and always bending to other people's desires.

this is the story of their road trip from Maine to California and it's hilarious, full of mishaps, but lovable. my only doubt is in the writing which is kinda clunky but still good. at times, the plot gets boring and references can pass over non-swiftie heads, however, it's more about the three girls than taylor Swift. perfect road trip summer read

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Running Press for the ARC of 13 Days of Summer won from Goodreads. It is difficult to give this book an accurate rating since A) I am not the targeted audience for this book (Taylor Swift fans née Swifties) B) This is a YA novel and C) This book is filled with Taylor Swift puns, quotes of her music. If you are not a proponent of Taylor Swift Nation, you will NOT ENJOY this book. I would not call myself a Swifty - I am more of an appreciator of her musical and lyrical genius. I enjoy listening to her music and savor her savage moments being a baddie. If I wasn't familiar with her music, story arc, and eras, this book will be a difficult read.

The book follows three Swifty fans as they enjoy their final summer before heading off to college: Carson Hart, Noemi Levin, and Eleanor Lin Hanson. Using her mother's social media influencer connections, Eleanor scores 3 tickets to see the Taylor Swift Eras Tour in LA. One minor inconvenience, LA is on the opposite side of the country from Maine, their home state. Suggestion: CROSS-COUNTRY ROADTRIP. After a convincing PowerPoint presentation and back-up from Carson's sister Willa, all sets of parents agree and allow the girls to venture west on a final celebration before college.

Early on their travels, the girls meet and pick-up hitchhiker Dean, who clears the stranger-danger test since he the nephew of their high school teacher, Mr. Andrysiak. Carson instantly feel sparks fly and an invisible string tying her and Dean together through the trip. The more Carson and Dead flirt and spread time together, the more Carson falls for him.

With memorable stops along the way: Ohio for Balloon Fest remembrance, Chicago at the Lin Hanson Penthouse, Karaoke at a Wild West Salon in Omaha, Nebraska, mountain air and views at the Lin Hanson cabin, an Oasis Retreat on the outskirts of Vegas, and assistance from Eleonore's godmother, the girls make it to the concert in time to see Taylor.

The book has a bit of everything - social dynamic and arguments between friends, navigating a new romantic relationship, "jaw-dropping" moments, and cutesy moments. If you have ever seen the movies Chasing Liberty and First Daughter, you will understand some of those moments *spoilers without typing spoilers*

Overall, it's nice to read an easy, uncomplicated novel. It's mostly of the vibe, not for enriching and educating myself further.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

13 Days of Summer is a breezy young adult road trip story that follows three best friends on a cross-country journey during their last summer before college. It’s packed with travel hijinks, emotional shifts, and a dash of romance all set against the backdrop of a long-anticipated concert.

The friendship between Carson, Noemi, and Eleanor has heart, and the tension that arises as they grow and change feels relatable. The road trip settings add color and movement to the story, and Carson’s unexpected romance with a mysterious guy they pick up along the way brings a sweet if slightly rushed, love interest into the mix.

Where the book falls short is in its depth. Some emotional beats are touched on but not fully developed, and the pacing sometimes feels too quick to allow real impact. That said, readers looking for a fun, feel-good escape will find this a pleasant read.

If you're a fan of pop culture or concert-centered stories, especially ones that center around fandom friendships, you'll likely get more out of this. Taylor Swift fans in particular may find it extra charming, though being a fan isn’t essential to enjoy the ride.

Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy in exchange for honest review.

[Jess]

she was cute

[Annlynn Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a Swiftie, I really loved the Taylor Swift References, but there were times when they didn’t make sense, like she was trying to cram them into the book. I really liked this book in the beginning, i thought the story was really cute (even though they picked up some random guy) but at the end I wasn’t really sure how I felt about it. To me Dean seemed stalkerish, when you find out everything. It was a good read but there were a few things I didn’t like.

[emily wellman · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - as much as I love Taylor the references were too much and felt so forced that it made me cringe. unfortunately the characters got increasingly on my nerves as the book went on. (also I could have cried when ‘then’ was used in a sentence when it should have been ‘than’ but I had like 30 min left so I made myself push through. but it hurt.)

[Robyn Shtadtlender · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s not to love about a book bursting with Taylor Swift quotes and enough references to make even a die-hard Swiftie scream, “It’s me, hi, I’m the reader, it’s me”?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Elvina Zafril · Rating 3 out of 5]

13 Days of Summer had such a fun premise: a cross-country road trip to see Taylor Swift in concert and it definitely delivered on the summer vibes. The book really captures that bittersweet in-between moment after senior year when friendships feel like everything but you know change is just around the corner. I especially enjoyed how the story leaned into friendship and group dynamics which felt the most real and relatable to me.

Where it didn’t fully work for me was the romance. The mysterious guy they pick up at a rest stop had charm but the insta-love felt too rushed and didn’t give me enough to root for. Some stretches of the road trip also dragged when I wanted more spontaneity or bigger emotional payoffs. It had all the right vibes with music, nostalgia and long drives but the execution didn’t land as strongly as I hoped.

That said it’s still a cute lighthearted read with plenty of heart. I think fans of YA contemporary and especially Swifties will find a lot to enjoy. For me it was fun but not unforgettable.

[Luv2TrvlLuvBks · Rating 3 out of 5]

It can be broken.
It can be restored.
It can be found in oneself and, an essential component in a relationship.

What is it? Trust.

As much as this was an ode to Ms. Swift and her extensive music collection, this story is about Carson. Trusting her friendships will be sustainable despite distance. Trusting herself to speak out without judgment of others. And, finally, trusting in a new relationship despite what she discovers about him and her family.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Running Press | Running Press Kids, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Reya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love everything Almost Famous related and I love Taylor Swift, so as soon as I read the comps, I knew I had to read this. Sadly, all the miscommunication was annoying me a little, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped to. It was still a quick read, and all the references were super fun.

Thanks to NetGalley and Running Press for the ARC!

[Hectaizani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute YA meet-cute clean romance for Taylor Swift fans.

Carson, Noemi, and Eleanor take off for a cross country road trip from Maine to California for a concert. It's their last summer together before heading off to separate colleges so they want to make the best of it. There is friendship, romance, adventure, and self discovery along the way.

[Marion · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was cute and a perfect YA read for long summer days.
I love the roadtrip idea and I liked the fact that it’s not all perfect and loveable but it comes with realistic struggles. However, I missed a little bit of depth in the characters and although all the Swift references where cute, they became just a little much in the end. Nonetheless, 3 stars.

[Kaarrtini · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very fun read. I think all Swifties will enjoy it because there’s so many Taylor Swift song references it. There was a lot going on in the friends group and it made sense given their different personalities and they’re all teenagers. Loved reading about the girlhood and this fun road trip the girls went on.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super light-hearted, Taylor Swift obsessed road trip story with three best friends, who are spending their last summer before college driving across the country to see Taylor Swift in concert. What could go wrong? 😉

3.5⭐️

[Mikayla Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a swift fan, I liked this book a lot. It was kinda slow in the beginning and that’s why I have a 3, but I loveddddd how the ending turned out. It’s a book you should definitely Read if you’re a Taylor fan!!

[Kristina]

As a 1989 and Speak Now lover, this had me at "road trip to a Taylor Swift concert." Can't wait to pick this one up!

[Lilika Duviella · Rating 1 out of 5]

Doesn't even show the concert at the end.

What a waste of time

[Jessica White · Rating 3 out of 5]

teen fiction romcoms are the only thing that gets me out of reading slumps and this one definitely did the trick.

thank me later swifties

[Hanna Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 really cheesy but cute book for swifties. The teen friendship drama got to be a bit much at times but the road trip vibes and end of high school nostalgia were great.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Idk about this one…may be 2.5 stars tbh.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that the book was a little too long for me personally (over 300 pages) and lacks a steady plot. Other than that, this book is a fun, light read for swifties filled with so many references.

[Jasmine Judge · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 I enjoyed this book, it was perfect for Summer, and being a Swiftie myself made it very fun!

[avneet · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25