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Buried Feelings
Not yet published
Expected 7 Jul 26When a San Francisco treasure hunt ropes two ex-besties back together, they’ll end up digging into their own complicated, buried feelings in this queer YA rom com!
Cam was the one who discovered the hunt. He brought it to Ivy like an offering, took her hand as they combed through San Francisco, searching for treasure and conspiring against the heteronormative agenda. But that was back then.
Now juniors, they're both out and proud—Cam as a trans man and Ivy as gay—but their friendship isn't as assured. Problem is, Ivy can’t reveal Cam’s past betrayal without airing closely guarded secrets of her own.
As Ivy comes across the missing link in the treasure hunt from their childhood, she’s certain she can put the clues together and finally come out on top in the cat-and-mouse game Cam’s been playing with her ever since their friendship ended.
Once Cam gets wind of Ivy’s renewed interest in the hunt, the ex-best friends will go head-to-head in their search for gold. But as they get digging, they’ll uncover more things buried between them than they bargained for.
Cam was the one who discovered the hunt. He brought it to Ivy like an offering, took her hand as they combed through San Francisco, searching for treasure and conspiring against the heteronormative agenda. But that was back then.
Now juniors, they're both out and proud—Cam as a trans man and Ivy as gay—but their friendship isn't as assured. Problem is, Ivy can’t reveal Cam’s past betrayal without airing closely guarded secrets of her own.
As Ivy comes across the missing link in the treasure hunt from their childhood, she’s certain she can put the clues together and finally come out on top in the cat-and-mouse game Cam’s been playing with her ever since their friendship ended.
Once Cam gets wind of Ivy’s renewed interest in the hunt, the ex-best friends will go head-to-head in their search for gold. But as they get digging, they’ll uncover more things buried between them than they bargained for.
352 pages, Paperback
Expected publication July 7, 2026
209 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 8, 2026
So going to start off this review like any other. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for approving me to read this arc. So I’m just going to say that I did not like this book at all. Like at all. For me this book was a 1.5✨. The characters were very dense and self centered.
I didn’t really like how the story played out because from what I read from the synopsis on Goodreads, it made me think that our main characters Cam and Ivy were doing this scavenger hunt together. Which they were at the start but for most of the book they weren’t. And that really confused me it also confused me that when I read the synopsis that Ivy was lesbian and Cam is a trans male, I was totally confused on how they would get together and I was like in my head maybe Ivy likes one of the girls in her friend group. I was wrong.
One thing I really didn’t like was how toxic Ivy was with herself and other people including her mother.🙄 There was so much miscommunication in this book and it was just awful. Ivy avoided her feelings all throughout this book and it was childish, so much so that she did the scavenger hunt on her own and didn’t tell her friends and she disrespected and disregarded their feelings and I was disgusted by that.
Now let’s talk about our other main character, Cam. When he wasn’t on the page you kind of forgot about him because Ivy wanted to forget him but couldn’t because she was so out of touch with herself and her feelings. But Cam was the opposite he knew what he wanted but he never went for what he wanted until the end because he wanted Ivy to figure out that he liked her. Which was stupid because again if Cam and Ivy had communicated more then this book would be cut in half.
The real reason I kept reading was because I wanted to know what the prize was. Also let me bring up that there was a lot of mentions of having to be gay or needing to be. And in the first chapter when Ivy was on a date her date says something close to why do you make everything about being gay and that’s what the book was like everything was about being gay and it got repetitive and annoying. It got so annoying that Ivy’s friends were annoyed when she made the big deal of being gay. This book had so many facts that I didn’t know which at some points in the book I appreciated but this could have been a nonfiction book with Ivy, Cam and all of their friends. I was also cringing a lot about how the characters dealt with their problems and I had to close the NetGalley app many times. I had to force myself to finish the book just to see how it ended.
The last thirty pages of the book was the best because the characters finally started talking to each other, the writing got better, and all of the characters stopped avoiding their feelings. Now I’m questions why the last thirty pages were better than the rest of the book. The whole book should have been written like the last thirty pages in my opinion.
If you couldn’t tell I did not like this book. Maybe someone else will love it but there could have been changes that would have made me like this book a lot more. I just want to thank NetGalley again and the author for allowing me to read Buried Feelings and letting me review this book.
I didn’t really like how the story played out because from what I read from the synopsis on Goodreads, it made me think that our main characters Cam and Ivy were doing this scavenger hunt together. Which they were at the start but for most of the book they weren’t. And that really confused me it also confused me that when I read the synopsis that Ivy was lesbian and Cam is a trans male, I was totally confused on how they would get together and I was like in my head maybe Ivy likes one of the girls in her friend group. I was wrong.
One thing I really didn’t like was how toxic Ivy was with herself and other people including her mother.🙄 There was so much miscommunication in this book and it was just awful. Ivy avoided her feelings all throughout this book and it was childish, so much so that she did the scavenger hunt on her own and didn’t tell her friends and she disrespected and disregarded their feelings and I was disgusted by that.
Now let’s talk about our other main character, Cam. When he wasn’t on the page you kind of forgot about him because Ivy wanted to forget him but couldn’t because she was so out of touch with herself and her feelings. But Cam was the opposite he knew what he wanted but he never went for what he wanted until the end because he wanted Ivy to figure out that he liked her. Which was stupid because again if Cam and Ivy had communicated more then this book would be cut in half.
The real reason I kept reading was because I wanted to know what the prize was. Also let me bring up that there was a lot of mentions of having to be gay or needing to be. And in the first chapter when Ivy was on a date her date says something close to why do you make everything about being gay and that’s what the book was like everything was about being gay and it got repetitive and annoying. It got so annoying that Ivy’s friends were annoyed when she made the big deal of being gay. This book had so many facts that I didn’t know which at some points in the book I appreciated but this could have been a nonfiction book with Ivy, Cam and all of their friends. I was also cringing a lot about how the characters dealt with their problems and I had to close the NetGalley app many times. I had to force myself to finish the book just to see how it ended.
The last thirty pages of the book was the best because the characters finally started talking to each other, the writing got better, and all of the characters stopped avoiding their feelings. Now I’m questions why the last thirty pages were better than the rest of the book. The whole book should have been written like the last thirty pages in my opinion.
If you couldn’t tell I did not like this book. Maybe someone else will love it but there could have been changes that would have made me like this book a lot more. I just want to thank NetGalley again and the author for allowing me to read Buried Feelings and letting me review this book.
January 29, 2026
Overall this book was a delight. From the start, following Cam and Ivy through the San Francisco treasure hunt was fun and engaging, even when the story slowed slightly in a few spots. Their history as former best friends added so much tension and heart, and their dynamic felt very real and very high school. I especially enjoyed how messy and human they both were, trying to navigate friendship, pride, and old wounds while still figuring out who they wanted to be.
Cam’s story as a trans character was handled with warmth and care, and I appreciated how naturally it was woven into the narrative without becoming heavy or overwhelming. Ivy’s perspective felt honest and relatable, especially as she worked through her own fears and secrets. The supporting characters added humor and charm, making the whole cast feel like a group of kids you could actually imagine going to school with.
What I loved most was that this book allowed queer teens to just exist. There is no sex and no unnecessary drama, just friendship, growth, history, and a lot of fun along the way. It was both silly and meaningful, and I think it would be a great read for high school students or anyone looking for a light, affirming queer story.
Cam’s story as a trans character was handled with warmth and care, and I appreciated how naturally it was woven into the narrative without becoming heavy or overwhelming. Ivy’s perspective felt honest and relatable, especially as she worked through her own fears and secrets. The supporting characters added humor and charm, making the whole cast feel like a group of kids you could actually imagine going to school with.
What I loved most was that this book allowed queer teens to just exist. There is no sex and no unnecessary drama, just friendship, growth, history, and a lot of fun along the way. It was both silly and meaningful, and I think it would be a great read for high school students or anyone looking for a light, affirming queer story.
February 9, 2026
ARC from NetGalley, 3.5/5
I simply love San Francisco and the whole premise of the book was a major reason why I decided to give it a go. The history and the landmarks mentioned were effectively integrated in the text and the author did a great job setting up this hunt for the reader. One factor that was not mentioned in the summary and that I found confusing while reading is the major presence of other characters that help Ivy solve the puzzles. It really felt like Cam was missing the majority of the book and just appeared for a small ending of it. It’s possible that the reason for this distance I’ve felt with Cam is from the perspective this book is written in (i.e. if it was third person, maybe there would not be a barrier for his character?). Which is also why their ‘rivalry’ didn’t really feel like a rivalry, as I am not sure that Cam would define it as such if the book had his pov. And not to mention, I have no idea of what to think about the mother/daughter relationship that this book portrays as well. However, the representation of queer history was very interesting and very engagingly presented in this book. Overall, it was a very fast read which captured my attention and that had a very quick and happy ending.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this novel!
I simply love San Francisco and the whole premise of the book was a major reason why I decided to give it a go. The history and the landmarks mentioned were effectively integrated in the text and the author did a great job setting up this hunt for the reader. One factor that was not mentioned in the summary and that I found confusing while reading is the major presence of other characters that help Ivy solve the puzzles. It really felt like Cam was missing the majority of the book and just appeared for a small ending of it. It’s possible that the reason for this distance I’ve felt with Cam is from the perspective this book is written in (i.e. if it was third person, maybe there would not be a barrier for his character?). Which is also why their ‘rivalry’ didn’t really feel like a rivalry, as I am not sure that Cam would define it as such if the book had his pov. And not to mention, I have no idea of what to think about the mother/daughter relationship that this book portrays as well. However, the representation of queer history was very interesting and very engagingly presented in this book. Overall, it was a very fast read which captured my attention and that had a very quick and happy ending.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this novel!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2026
This was a really fun read for anyone who had a hyperfixation with the movie National Treasure as a child. The romance plotlines are definitely 2nd to the overall treasure hunt/mystery solving but I still had a really fun time reading this. This book did a really good highlighting conversations around sexuality I don't often see in books. Ivy talks about how since coming to terms with her sexuality being a lesbian is something she is very proud and vocal about being. So I enjoyed getting to see how she tackles realizing that the feelings she had for Cam prior to his transition may still be lingering under the surface.
I think this book is probably best enjoyed in physical format. I loved seeing the treasure hunt clue pictures that were included in the book, and I wish it was easier to flip back and reference them when they came up again in the story while reading on Kindle.
Thank you Random House Children's Books, Delacorte Romance, and NetGalley for an ARC of Buried Feelings.
I think this book is probably best enjoyed in physical format. I loved seeing the treasure hunt clue pictures that were included in the book, and I wish it was easier to flip back and reference them when they came up again in the story while reading on Kindle.
Thank you Random House Children's Books, Delacorte Romance, and NetGalley for an ARC of Buried Feelings.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This books is amazing! This is the kind of book I’d like for all younger kids to read. Not only is it entertaining but it also provides a lot of historical context. Throughout the book, the main characters are learning more about queer history through a scavenger hunt. It feels as though the reader is also learning more. This books provides trans visibility/ different spectrums of queer love. It’s written perfectly for high school students. Exploring themes of love, coming of age, and accepting yourself. The writing style is very fluid and the story develops gradually and interestingly. It feels like such a fast yet engaging read. Would 100% recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Join Ivy and Cam on a National-Treasure-style hunt to dig up not only a rare and coveted artefact, but their feelings for one another. Along the way, they solve puzzles and ciphers themed around decades worth of San Francisco queer history. What I loved about their adventure was what I love about the early 2000s Nancy Drew PC games: that through the process of solving an exciting mystery, you learn something new and interesting about the way history influences the past. At times messy, funny, and charming, Buried Feelings is sure to suck you into the thrill of the chase. I know it did for me!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance review copy.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for this ARC!
What an absolute love story to San Francisco and it's queer history. I was apprehensive about reading something labeled as YA, but this was a really nice read. It was fresh, very fun, and felt very true to their ages. If I was 16-18 reading this it would have meant everything to read a queer story set in my home.
What an absolute love story to San Francisco and it's queer history. I was apprehensive about reading something labeled as YA, but this was a really nice read. It was fresh, very fun, and felt very true to their ages. If I was 16-18 reading this it would have meant everything to read a queer story set in my home.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Following Ivy and Cam on their adventure was great. I think this book is great for young adults and teens based on themes, emotional experiences from the main characters, and conflicts that arise. Overall it was good, I would read again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kit Rosewater for the advance reader copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kit Rosewater for the advance reader copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Buried feelings was a really enjoyable book. I did find that I had a hard time connecting with Ivy and Cam at first, but they both grew on me as the story progressed.
I really enjoyed the treasure hunt aspects as well as all the history that was included. I was learning right along with Shovels and REDACTED. This made the book feel a bit more alive and easy to get sucked into.
I really enjoyed the treasure hunt aspects as well as all the history that was included. I was learning right along with Shovels and REDACTED. This made the book feel a bit more alive and easy to get sucked into.
anticipated-releases
March 2, 2026a book releasing in my birth month with one of the protagonists sharing my name? yes, please !
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews