Summer Official

by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Opposites attract in this contemporary, sweet, sapphic romance about two girls who reluctantly come together for a summer challenge.

Heaven and Saylor could not be more different. Saylor is bubbly, popular, athletic, and always partnered up. Heaven is grumpy and artistic, prefers her skateboard to people, and has never dated anyone. So no one would believe they’d agree to spend the entire summer together.

Yet, that’s exactly what happened. When Saylor Ford breaks her arm at Basketball camp, distracted by her mom’s internet fame discussing Saylor’s newfound sexuality, she becomes determined not to spend the summer stuck at home with the woman. Her one saving grace is a girl she’s pretty sure can’t stand her but that she finds absolutely irresistible. Heaven Goo-Campbell. Thankfully, Heaven is willing to let Saylor in on her Summer Bingo challenge, but for a price. Saylor has to help Heaven establish a social media page showcasing her art for her future career as a tattoo artist.

They didn’t plan on the intimacy of spending each day together and the deepening feelings that followed. Soon, they become something more than a shared project. But can the girls even have a future together when Saylor is wary of bringing their relationship out into the light—too afraid that her mom’s status as a popular influencer will give Saylor and timid Heaven more attention than they can handle?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Lesbian, LGBT, Contemporary, Queer, Fiction

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2026

About the author

After years of meddling in her friends’ love lives, Rebekah Weatherspoon turned to writing romance to get her fix. Raised in Southern New Hampshire, Rebekah Weatherspoon now lives in Southern California where she will remain forever because she hates moving.

Her BDSM romance At Her Feet won the Golden Crown Literary Award for erotic lesbian fiction. Her novella FIT (#1 in the FIT Trilogy) won the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Erotica Novella, SATED (#3 in the FIT Trilogy) was nominated for the the Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Digital Erotic Romance and most recently SOUL TO KEEP VSS#3 won the 2017 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Erotica.

Her 2018 romantic comedy RAFE: A Buff Male Nanny received praise from both Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times. You can look for her most recent romantic comedy XENI : A Marriage of Inconvenience now, and a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, A COWBOY TO REMEMBER, late February 2020 from Kensington Books. In the meant time, you can find Rebekah and her books on twitter at @rdotspoon and her website www.rebekahweatherspoon.com,

Reviews

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SO freaking adorable!! Summer Official is a slow-burn, sapphic YA rom-com that had me internally squealing by the time our girls finally kiss. It's sweet and thoughtful with characters coming of age and navigating the complexities of life.

Heaven is a shy, artistic teen who dreams of becoming a tattoo artist. Her dad always makes her a summer challenge bingo board that keeps things fun.

Saylor's mom is an influencer who made a 10 minute video CRYING when she came out. (in a supportive way, but still) She thinks she has the summer away from being in videos, until she breaks her arm the first week of basketball camp and has to go home. In order to escape her mom and all the content, she talks her way into joining Heaven's bingo board challenge, but along the way they fall for each other...

This was such a great rom-com and I liked the characters and the things they have to work through. Definitely one to read! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[anzhelika ୨ৎ]

pre-read:
this looks so cute! really excited to read it 🤭

˗ˋˏ ୨୧ thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and Rebekah Weatherspoon for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review! ୨୧ ˎˊ˗

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet sapphic young adult romance! 3.5 Stars!

What Worked: Rebekah Weatherspoon has a way with words and developing relationships between characters. Heaven and Saylor are complete opposites in their personalities, but readers will find themselves rooting for their developing romance. There are also some great conversations about social media (its ups and down) and parents who use their children as a part of their social media content. As someone who is actively on social media, I refrain from excessively showing my child during videos or on posts. More people need to discuss the psychological and emotional impact mommy influencers have on their children.

What Didn't Work: This is definitely a slower book that focuses more on character development than plot development. While there were some interesting things happening in the background, I wouldn't go into this book expecting any explosive moments in regard to the plot.

Overall, this was a cute read! And definitely one I would recommend to teens during the summer.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, first of all, this book features one of my favorite lines ever:

"I never regret a cake run. If you're queer, you deserve cake. I feel like that should be a rule..."

I would get this on a t-shirt if I could. Hard agree.

Overall, this is a lovely YA lesbian romance. Sporty Saylor breaks her arm at basketball camp, dooming her to a summer spent with her influencer mom who dominates her life. She turns to Heaven, an acquaintance; through their parents Saylor knows that Heaven's father has created a summer bingo challenge to entertain her (and force her out of her shell). Saylor wants in to avoid her mother. Anxious, artistic Heaven isn't so sure about having a "plus one," until Saylor agrees to help Heaven with the social media required in her quest to be a tattoo artist.

What I loved about this story is that it truly evokes the longing, yearning, and excitement that comes with your first youthful teenage (queer) romance. Truly, this story took me back. It also captures the fear that accompanies falling for the first time, too.

The bigger issue here is Saylor's awful mom, who is pretty horrible with her influencer lifestyle, even using Saylor's coming out by posting about it. Her actions keep Saylor from wanting to truly to commit to anything or anyone. I really felt for this kid!

Perhaps my only hesitation here is that the story wraps up a little too easily (thank goodness Heaven has good parents), but I'll grant that it's a teen romance: we deserve a HEA! I also wish I'd realized there was a first book in this series, featuring some oft mentioned friends, as it would have provided a little context, even though this can definitely stand-alone.

Still, this is a great YA story and a truly thoughtful lesbian romance!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group / G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers in return for an unbiased review.

[megan manayan · Rating 3 out of 5]

i can guarantee you that her name doesn’t need to be Heaven Goo-Campbell

[Jill (readinginpjs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin Teen, Penguin Young Readers Group, & PRH Audio for the ARC ALC, all opinions are my own. :

This was a really cute & quick read/listen! 🥰

I really adored Saylor & Heaven, both secretly crushing on one another and neither thinking the other would be interested 🥹 I loved the development of their friendship, and more, as they spent time together.

I also loved how they were figuring out their paths, which is such a common element of teen years.

I also appreciated the messaging behind what it means to be online - Saylor’s mom is an “influencer” and we can see the impact that has on her children, and how negative the Internet can be when Heaven starts posting her art as well.

🎧 I really enjoyed the narration by Brie Carter & CJ Locks, both fit their characters personalities well.

✦ tropes & stuff:
☀️ summer bingo
🌦 grumpy sunshine
🙃 opposites attract
🎨 artist + athlete
❤️‍🩹 sports injury
🤫 secret crushes
💞 dual 1st person pov

🎧 audio + ebook | ⭐️: 5 | 🌶️: closed door |

📖 Summer Official by Rebekah Weatherspoon
💜: contemporary YA romance (ff)
🎙 narrated by: Brie Carter & CJ Locks

*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute and perfect for summer

[Jess Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as an ARC from NetGalley, to be published April 2026

3.5 Star rounded up

If I was younger this would have been a 5 star 100%

I found this book really refreshing, lately I have been reading a lot of books and finding that the internal thoughts of the characters aren’t matching the age they are supposed to be. With Summer Official I felt like I was really in the 17 year old mindset throughout both Heaven and Saylor’s chapters. It was a great insight into the minds of LGBTQIA teens who are trying to navigate the reality of a first queer relationship in the society we live in currently.

I think the contrasts of the families and the contrast of outside pressures on the two girls was dealt with beautifully and showed the complexities of coming out as well as the complexities of your first love in such great detail that I felt like I was back in that headspace again.

I think this is a wonderful book for YA teens and I highly recommend it to anyone around that age wondering how to deal with their inner emotions.

So grateful to have received this early

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun opposites attract YA Sapphic summer romance between a sporty popular out girl whose whole summer plans get ruined when she breaks her arm and a moody, newly out, aspiring tattoo artist and skater girl with a secret crush on the popular one. What follows is a forced proximity slow burn friends to lovers romance that has the two girls working on a summer bingo card and slowing falling in love. It was sweet, had tons of charm and was so easy to root for the two FMCs! A perfect, lighthearted summer read that was also good on audio!

[julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounding up! very cute, easy reading.

[hailey ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the eARC! Always greatly appreciated.

3.75 ⭐️

This book was so cute! I liked the fact that it was a soft, sweet, and acquaintances-to-friends-to-lovers lesbian YA romance with two girls of color (Heaven is mixed with Asian and Black and Saylor is mixed with Black and White). Even though I liked reading about their summer, I wished the romance happened a little sooner than later, and that the bigger conflict happened sooner as well. I felt like the ending was kind of rushed, like I really wanted to see how their summer and fall were going to go but I understand it was supposed to be just the summer. I also feel like I would've liked it a lot more if I was younger, which isn't a slight at all, more so that this book is very YA and I read a lot of new adult and adult sapphic books. Getting to know the characters Heaven and Saylor and slowly start to notice their friendship and then relationship start to build was really fun, I just wish the timeline was a bit longer to experience their relationship more instead of just their friendship. If you're looking for a YA summery sapphic romance that features two young mixed black girls, I'd recommend!

[Lindsay (pawsomereads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Summer Official was a cute, sweet read with an opposites-attract romance I really enjoyed. I loved watching Heaven and Saylor slowly open up to each other and their relationship had some genuinely tender moments. This was a charming sapphic romance that was great for summer reading.

[Sophie smith]

Tik Tok being called BeeBop is crazy work #cringey

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved everything Rebekah Weatherspoon has written and her YA books are no exception. I love that her characters are layered and the reader is learning about each person along with the love interest in the book. This story had a really fun plot- unlike anything I have seen done before. I loved the friendships and family dynamics. I rarely read YA romance, but this series is an exception. I cannot recommend this book enough. It was the perfect way to unwind and relax. I couldn’t put it down.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Justine]

OH MY GOD NEW REBEKAH WEATHERSPOON AND ITS A SAPPHIC ROMANCE!?!?!?!

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saylor's summer plans are ruined when she breaks her arm at basketball camp and is stuck at home with her mega-influencer mother, doomed to be a content creator until school starts again. Heaven's summer is looking a little different. She is preparing to become an intern at a tattoo shop, and is also planning to complete the bingo game her father puts together for her each year. But she's feeling very overwhelmed, even just with the thought of having to post her work on Instagram. When they run into each other at the store, Saylor decides to ambush Heaven and ask if she can tag along on her bingo quest. Saylor gets to avoid her mother, and in return she promises to help Heaven with all the business-related/extroverted stuff she needs to do. Of course, as the summer goes on and they spend more time together, sparks begin to fly and feelings grow.

This was a really sweet sapphic romance by the outstanding Rebekah Weatherspoon. She is better known for her spicier stories, but she really nails the tone in this one. We have mostly good parents, mostly good friends, and mostly good people. After some of the darker books I've read recently, this one was sweetness and light and everything I needed for the beginning of warmer weather.

[Cally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one is very cute, and a great fit for YA readers. I think the way the characters acted and felt, the problems they faced, and solutions were very realistic to teenagers, which is great to see. There's a lot of YA books I've read where the characters act far too old, and this one strikes a great balance.

I particularly loved the way that Heaven and Saylor pined for each other, it was adorable to watch their crushes on each other grow the longer they spent together.

I also enjoyed the idea of the summer bingo assignment, that sounds like it'd be a lot of fun.

My only complaint is that I wish we had gotten to see the reactions from the friends, it teased it at the end and I wish we'd gotten to see the actual reveal.

Overall, a fun and cute sapphic summer read perfect for YA readers. 4.2/5 stars!

[Leahnna Sparling · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was fine. nothing to write home about. i really liked the concept of a tattoo artist as a love interest. it just fell short in some areas.
they didn’t kiss until about halfway through. which is fine, other than the fact that the rest of the story seemed quite rushed after.
another thing that bothered me was the only conflict that happened was in the last 20 pages and it wasn’t even between Saylor and Heaven-it was between them and their parents. not that all stories need to have drama and conflict, but it seemed very unrealistic to have zero issues.
continuing on that- Saylor’s mother being so oblivious to her daughter’s stress and apparent discomfort with being filmed as much as she was. it was frustrating because while i understand social media can take over people, at the end of the day you should still be able to talk with your family; especially having your daughters feel comfortable enough to talk with you about things.

[Selena Schulz · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars. i was in it for the relatively innocent crushing for a little bit and then it was just like…..is this what kid/YA books are coming to? i LOVE that there are options with queer representation, but come ON. the writing itself was far from quality, even for a younger age group. the plot was fine, the bingo was cute, although the conflict with the saylor’s mom was just like…..do we not have bigger fish to fry in this world? idk maybe im too old to judge fairly. on that note, i don’t know if this book knows exactly what its audience is because it was straddling the line between closed-door intimacy and intensely frequent making out. all is fine and well but idk what age group would even mesh with this. also heaven’s home life was quite possibly the most unrealistic thing i have EVER heard. anyways, it was cute and gave me something to read so ill take it.

[Keisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
This is an adorable, sapphic opposites attract YA novel. Already having secret crushes on each other, Heaven and Saylor agree to team up and help each other out regarding their respective dilemmas. This includes navigating social anxiety and parental boundaries when it comes to social media. There were bursts of confidence intermingling with insecurities. I loved that the characters acted like actual teenagers.

Characters from Weatherspoon's book 'Her Good Side' make appearances in Summer Official.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC

[Brooke! · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so so so cute!!! if you’re looking for the perfect sapphic romance that just brings you so much joy this is it!!! saylor and heavens bingo challenge is amazing!!! the end of this book was very very full circle to it and i love reading it! make sure to read this when it comes out next month!

[DaphaBelle Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Format: Audiobook 🎧
4.5 ⭐️. A cute YA sapphic romance about two teens who spend the summer together while taking on a summer Bingo challenge. This was such a sweet, feel-good read that had me smiling and saying "aww" from beginning to end. If you're looking for a light, heartwarming romance, this one is definitely worth picking up.

[Tiffany Blose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute book!! I loved the main characters so much. Definitely wouldn’t won’t to live in Saylors shoes

[Elaja · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. Short and cute, just an average contemporary sapphic romance. I liked the bingo aspect. Of course the momfluencer part was cringy but that was the point. Not bad, just simpler than I like!

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not noticing that this is YA is on me, but the author forgetting to put any conflict in this plot at all is on her.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cute summery read with a very interesting look into influencer families without it necessarily being abusive. I loved Heaven and need a sequel about their lives!

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a soft, summery read
Loved that Saylor and Heaven both like each other but are too in their heads about it, i ate it up. The introvert/extrovert dynamic + slow burn + summer bingo setup made their friendship (and eventual romance) feel really natural and sweet.
I also loved the quieter moments, especially how the book handles coming out, privacy, and being online. The rainbow cake scene?? Adorable and lowkey emotional.
It’s quick, cozy, and a little tender, perfect!

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

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an eARC on Netgalley

This is a delightful Sapphic summer young adult romance.


Heaven and Saylor, who have moved in close circles but not known each other well, despite Saylor's quietly unexpressed crush on Heaven. Both have initial plans for the summer that get thwarted, and then spend the rest of the summer getting to know each other, and slowly and gently falling in love. Weatherspoon does a great job of building their relationship bit by bit, moving from quiet individual longing to openly caring for one another. If you've read Weatherspoon's adult romances, note that the "spicy" level of this one is appropriate for its young adult context: it's not explicit, just emotionally intimate. Weatherspoon also does an excellent job of depicting young folks learning to advocate for themselves, articulating their own feelings, needs, and goals clearly.

Very enjoyable!

[Delaney (flairforfiction) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t really know what I expected from this book, aside from it being a cute YA f/f contemporary.

It started off really well, with the two characters seriously crushing on each other and thinking it was unrequited. But then it just kind of kept doing that over and over again? I felt like half the book was just the two characters talking about how much they liked each other but not expressing their feelings to one another. And then once they did express their feelings, nothing really happened. The two of them just kind of kept it secret but still went about doing their bingo challenge. There was no real tension or plot imo other than the fact that Saylor’s mom kept bothering them with content creation, but even that wasn’t really handled well to me. It was talked about endlessly, but nothing was really done about it for the majority of the novel. And even when something was done about it, it was handled in like five seconds, so the culmination of it felt so rushed. I just didn’t feel any sense of relief from all that we had to hear about it and wish we could have had more of a resolution or something more from how her mom handled being told she was kind of being too much with her content creation. Even Saylor’s reaction just seemed like a nothing reaction. And the ending even felt kind of abrupt. I didn’t even realize the book was over until I turned the page and was at the acknowledgments. I wish we could have had just something MORE.

Overall, I just felt like this book just sort of went around in circles. It just kept repeating the same things endlessly and I didn’t feel like it really had any plot to follow. It was nice that the girls didn’t really have any big problems between them, as opposed to a big fight or a third act breakup or something, but there didn’t seem to be any storyline because of that. I wish there had been more plot, aside from the bingo challenge, because I was honestly kind of bored with everything. The book itself wasn’t bad, but it just felt just okay. I don’t really feel like I can recommend it though.

[Natasha P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into Summer Official hoping for a cute YA sapphic romance, and what I got was something that completely stole my heart. From the very first page, I was hooked, and somehow the story just kept getting sweeter, deeper, and more emotionally resonant as it went along. This is that perfect kind of slow burn—soft, yearning, and loaded with just enough angst to make every moment of connection feel earned.
Saylor and Heaven are truly opposites in the best way. Saylor’s bubbly, golden-retriever energy paired with Heaven’s grumpy, artistic, socially anxious introversion creates a dynamic that is powerful. Their relationship unfolds naturally as they spend long summer days together working on Heaven’s art and navigating the messiness of viral fame, identity, and fear of being seen. The tenderness between them? Immaculate. I loved how the romance never rushed itself, instead letting trust, attraction, and vulnerability build page by page.
What really elevates this book is the care poured into its representation. The BIPOC and queer rep is thoughtful and unapologetic, the social anxiety portrayal feels genuine and compassionate, and the body diversity is refreshingly normalized. Add in supportive friends and family, and you’ve got a world that feels warm, safe, and real—without losing emotional stakes.
I adored this story. Truly. I already know this is one I’ll be rereading when I need comfort, softness, and a reminder of how beautiful the world can be.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

#SummerOfficial
#NetGalley

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