I got an ARC of this book.

This book started out a miss for me, drastically changed to love real quick, then ended with four chapters of total let down. The book could have easily been four different books instead of one, but it did work well as one.

Des is the oldest of the Garrett girls. She is the one who pretty much has taken on the role of being their mother after their parents died in a car crash. She cooks, cleans, and looks after the store that their mother had opened. She is especially needed lately  because their grandmother just had knee surgery. Des is one of the characters that can read as really bland or can be perfect, really just depends on how you can connect to her. She can read as bland because she has no rebellious streak, no desire to get out, and she has no interest in dating. The rebellious streak is the focus of her story. She meets a girl who has purple hair and then all bets are off on what Des will be doing. My favorite aspect of Des is that she is cannonly asexual or aromantic. She has no desire to date, no interest in sex from what she says to others. It is damn rare a character like that exists and even more rare that a character like that is allowed to just be. Spotswood earned so many points with Des.

Bea is the perfect child. She is high achieving, has a steady boyfriend for years that is also high achieving, she got accepted into an amazing college. She has everything figured out. When she gets stressed out, she bakes. Her story reads a lot like Gilmore Girls drama. Her issues is she doesn't want to be with her boyfriend anymore and isn't sure about her future anymore. It is pretty fantastic to see such a high achieving character experiencing doubt and being accepted by her family for it. This is the type of character so many AP kids need to read. Bea will resonate so deeply with those kids. 

Kat is dramatic and jealous, or is she? She is really into theater. She joins both the local and the high school productions. She is good at what she does. Her story revolves around her trying to win back her ex who cheated on her. She gets together with a bisexual guy who is also into theater. He is trying to get back with his (male) ex who cheated on him. They agree to fake date, but things go wrong. Kat falls for him. In the process she learns that she wasn't actually jealous, that she was being gaslighted and that the guy who made her feel crazy was doing it to cover for the fact he was cheating on her (and has tons of insecurity issues like with his height and sexuality). Kat's story is so much more complex and beautiful that so many other YA books have allowed. The representation of the bisexual male character was AMAZING. He had eyeliner, but more in a punk way than a femme way. He also actually dates men and women. He doesn't cheat. He has issues being taken seriously by his gay friends for seeing a woman, he has issues in town being taken seriously because he dates men. His character is so much more than I have seen in bisexual characters in any genre. 

Vi is the youngest Garrett sister and an out lesbian. She is always wearing political t-shirts that get her noticed, but she doesn't seem to notice it. Others see her as brave and proud, she sees herself as awkward and scared. She has a HUGE crush on the waitress next door. She has to figure out how to be friends with someone she has feelings for and respect that not everyone who is queer can be out. It takes some growing pains, but Vi does learn her lessons and find some happiness. Her character is much softer than the others. I would have loved to read a full book about all of the sisters, but Vi's story would have been one I latched onto in middle and high school because she was openly gay in a small town. 

The issues I had with the book were my fear of telling the characters apart, but they are wonderfully different (not what you see on the cover as they are redheads in the book). So that fear eased after five chapters. My other major issue with the last four chapters. They read as too after school special to me. The author jammed a synopsis of what everyone learned and went through in the book into a chapter each. It wasn't really something I needed or wanted in an ending. The only chapter that really mattered of the last four was Vi's. That chapter really ended her plot, the others were just rehashing of what I already sat through by reading the book. Vi had the only new plot in it. For how amazing the representation of the characters was, I can ignore a few pages of boring. For how much this story sucked me in, I can easily forgive a few pages of "what?". 

This is a great book full of diversity. This is the sort of book I want to see everywhere.

The last summer of the garret girls is a book about 4 sisters spending their last summer together before life happens. This is a coming-of-age young adult book that was a nice, light read for the summer.
Although the premise was good, i found the story and the pacing a bit boring. I wanted more action and more drama. Even though that was the case I still enjoyed it.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

*3.5 stars*

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is a lovely, summery contemporary that follows a family of four sisters navigating their last summer together in their small, coastal town. Since the book features four perspectives, it feels like you’re reading four companion novels that involve the same setting and same characters, which made for a fun reading experience.

Each of the Garrett sisters brought a different vibe to this story. There’s Des, the oldest, who struggles with feeling inadequate and boring because she decided to stay in her small hometown and work in her family’s bookshop after graduation, rather than attend college. Then, there’s Bea, who realizes that the plan she made years ago– attend Georgetown with her boyfriend– now that it’s within reach, is no longer what she wants. Kat, the second-youngest sister, hatches a plan to get back at her ex-boyfriend through the community theater production they’re both involved in this summer. And finally, we have Vi, the youngest (my precious child), who harbors a not-so-secret crush on the cute girl who works next door– the only problem is, she doesn’t know whether said cute girl actually likes girls.

I related to each sister in different ways. I empathized a lot with Des, as she’s the closest to my age; Bea reminded me of my high school self; Kat shared my love of the arts; and Vi is dealing with one of the quintessential #QueerGirlProblems. That being said, I definitely enjoyed reading some stories more than others. I think Kat’s perspective was my favorite to read from, because I adored the romance she develops with one of her castmates (who, I should mention, is bisexual and Korean-American! more bi boy love interests, please!). It involves the fake dating trope, a personal fave of mine, so obviously I was hooked from the beginning. Plus, Kat works in a cat cafe, which I loved reading about. I also loved Vi’s storyline, because her romance was really, really sweet. Plus, she’s such a cinnamon roll. I just wanna protect her. Like I said, I related to Des quite a lot, but she made some pretty poor decisions that were kinda frustrating as a reader. Bea’s storyline was by far my least favorite, because 1.) I feel like, out of all the main characters, she had the least-developed personality, and 2.) it involved cheating.

The setting of The Summer of the Garrett Girls added so much charm and personality to this book! It takes place in a tiny riverside town in Maryland. The small-town vibes were strong, and they added lots of atmosphere to the story. The Garrett family owns an independent bookstore, and all the sisters work there periodically. I of course enjoyed all the scenes that took place in the book shop! I think book lovers will all appreciate the myriad literary references in Garrett Girls: first off, all the sisters are named after Shakespeare characters (Desdemona, Beatrice, Katharina, and Viola). Plus, all of the sisters love to read, and titles from across multiple genres are frequently name-dropped. I especially appreciated the A+ queer girl YA recs. Jessica Spotswood did an excellent job of giving this town unique personality while keeping a cozy feel that anyone who grew up in small-town America will find familiar.

I’ve heard this book pitched as Gilmore Girls meets Sarah Dessen, and I think that’s a great comp. The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls tackles some heavy issues, but it still reads easily and makes for a perfect summery contemporary. I’d highly recommend any contemporary lover to pick this one up!

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls follows four sisters for their last summer together as a family before Bea goes off to college. I enjoyed The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls. It is the perfect summer read full of romance, self-discovery, and family. I’ve seen a lot of people say it’s Little Women meets Gilmore Girls and yeah that pretty much sums this one up. It follows four sisters – Des, Bea, Vi, and Kat – through the summer as they meet new people, try new things, discovers new things about themselves, and fall for people they didn’t expect.

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls was a joy to read and it was fun and heartfelt. I loved the bookish references during Vi’s chapters as their family owns a bookstore. We saw mentions of Nina LaCour’s books, Robin Talley’s books, and Reign of the Fallen! I loved that. The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is a very character driven book with each sister going on her own journey and discovers something about themselves. But at the heart of the story, it is about sisterhood, family, and friendship and I really loved that.

Each sister had a very distinct personality and each one went on their own personal journeys and they were definitely a highlight of the book. Des learns that sometimes she needs to put herself first sometimes and learns to stand up for herself. As the oldest, she has always felt like she needs to be the responsible one, the one to pick up everyone’s slack. She’s naive but she learns and she grows and I liked that.

Bea, the second oldest, has been with Erik since she was thirteen and they have had their whole life planned out. They’ve just graduated and are heading off to Georgetown but Bea isn’t sure that is what she wants anymore. She isn’t sure what she wants or who she wants, she doesn’t even know who she is without Erik by her side. Bea was… a complicated and messy character who I liked as a person. She was selfish, impatient, ambitious and very very anxious so I related to that (I personally thought it was good anxiety rep). BUT her storylines also features cheating which is always a big no for me.

Vi is the youngest sister and a lesbian and she is out and proud. She has a crush on the girl next door called Cece (who is queer & latina) but she isn’t sure if Cece is straight or not, she knows she likes lgbtqia+ lit but she isn’t out. I really adored their relationship and especially their love for YA lit and their love for dogs! Kat kind of a favourite of mine she is such a drama queen and I loved every second of it. Also, her storyline featured fake dating which is a favourite of mine. Her relationship with Mase (who is Bisexual & Asian-American) was super cute and I loved it.

Overall, The Last Summer of Garrett Girls is a solid summer read with cute romances, family bonds, and a book about self-discovery.

I really liked the author’s previous novel, Wild Swans, so I was eager to give this one a try. Unfortunately, although it isn’t a bad read, I didn’t enjoy it as much.

The story is told through four different characters, the Garrett sisters, which may be part of the reason I didn’t fully connect with the story. There’s 19-year-old Des, who has taken on the responsibility of caring for her younger sisters and running the family bookstore after their guardian, her grandmother, becomes ill; Bea, who planned to attend Georgetown with her long-time boyfriend but now feels stifled by the expectations for her future; Kat, an actress and the family drama queen, who plots to win back her ex-boyfriend so she can dump him; and Vi, who has a crush on another girl and hopes she might like her back, too. The viewpoint switches between the sisters with every chapter. Since the book isn’t very long, the net result was that I don’t feel like I got deeply enough in any of the sister’s head’s to really become truly invested in what happened to them.

The other aspect of the book that I found a little off-putting is the author’s choice to use present tense in her narration. I know it’s very common these days, and I don’t mind it in some books, particularly in novels with lots of action. But this story is so character driven, and the characters spend so much time in their own heads, that using present tense felt awkward and unnecessary to me, although it probably wouldn’t bother a lot of readers.

One thing that this novel does embrace is representation. Vi is an out lesbian, and her crush is Latina. Although it’s never stated outright, Des seems to be asexual. The guy who agrees to pretend to date Kat to make both their exes jealous is bi and Korean. (I also suspect that Bea’s boyfriend isn’t white, although I don’t remember it being clearly indicated anywhere in the story.)

Overall, I was interested enough in what happened to the four sisters to keep reading, even if I didn’t fall in love with the story. Readers who enjoy YA contemporaries might want to check it out, though, particularly if they like the author’s earlier novels.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Jessica Spotswood introduces you to the four Garrett sisters, presenting a modern-day retelling of Little Women. Des, the Meg character, is the eldest sister, the responsible one who felt she needed to forego college so she could help their grandmother take care of her three younger sisters. Then there is Bea, who may share Jo's birth order but is actually closer to Beth. Bea suffers a death of sorts, but hers is by choice, and she has to figure out what to do as she faces the loss. Kat's similarities to Jo do not go unnoticed by other characters, and, like Jo, she has to learn that she is not as smart and self-reliant as she thinks she is. Lastly, Vi is the Amy of the bunch, only without Amy's annoying characteristics and with her share of secrets.

I loved half of this book: Kat's and Bea's stories. Kat is interesting and vibrant. She leaps off the page, even when I want to jump into it and shout at her to please just stop doing dumb things. When she's off the canvas, you miss her. Bea, likewise, keeps you fully invested. For all of her passivity, she turns out to be surprisingly strong and stubborn. I freaking loved Bea.

Des and Vi's stories didn't captivate me the way that their sisters' do. They were too familiar, and I felt like I'd read those before, that I already knew those characters. Kat and Bea felt fresher.

Teen girls should read this. They will find themselves in the four Garrett sisters, and that's always important, particularly when you feel like no one understands you.

The Last Summer Of The Garrett Girls is a great summer book to take to the beach. You'll fall in love with these sisters and be rooting for them till the last page. Such a terrific book

The Garrett sisters are pretty used to the routine of their lives in their small town. Des, 19, is caretaker of her sisters and Arden, the bookstore left behind by their late parents. Their seventy-year-old Gram counts on her to take care of things--even more so since her knee surgery. Bea, 18, is smart, ambitious, and heading to Georgetown in the fall, along with her longtime boyfriend, Erik. Kat, 16, is their theatrical diva, whom no one really takes seriously; she recently broke up with her boyfriend, and she'd do just about anything to get him back. At fifteen, Vi is the "baby" of the family. She's quiet, sensitive, and gay. It's all worked pretty well for a while, but little do they all know: things are about to change for the Garrett girls this summer.

Jessica Spotswood said that she pitched this novel as "Little Women meets Gilmore Girls by way of Sarah Dessen," and I couldn't agree more. I didn't read this until her epilogue, and both the Little Women and Gilmore Girls pieces had already crossed my mind. This is such a lovely, charming, and touching book--I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Garrett sisters were so wonderful and engaging that as the book ended, I immediately found myself wishing there was a sequel, because I was completely immersed in their lives.

Spotswood creates some excellent, different, and completely captivating characters in these sisters. Each is unique in their own way--their own person. I loved the wonderful diverse representation in this one: "there aren't many YA books about girls falling in love," Vi says. It's so true, and how nice it is to have a well-written book where that storyline is just one of the many plots. There are some absolutely beautiful exchanges, as Vi has a crush on the girl who works at the restaurant next door, Cece. It was easily my favorite part of the book--I adored sweet Vi. I also loved how books played a such a strong role in the story--between the girls' family owning a bookstore and all of them loving books and stories in some way.

The novel itself is really about the universal themes of growing up, finding your way, and friendship and sisterhood. And love. It's so well-done and really sweet and fun. The girls seem so real, and it was quite easy to get caught up in their lives and problems. I found it quite enjoyable, even if I could guess how most things would resolve themselves.

Overall, this was a delightful novel about sisterhood and growing up. I truly wish I could have spent more time with the Garrett sisters. 4+ stars.

What an interesting story about girls growing into women! I enjoyed reading this story about these four sisters who lost their parents in an accident and just trying to become adults while depending on each other. I enjoyed that the chapters are divided by the different viewpoints of each sister which I really liked and made it easy to read. Anyone with a sister or best friend that they are close with will connect on some way to this story.

This was just a joy to read. A perfect summer book! I'd describe it as Gilmore Girls meets Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets modern Little Women! I thought getting perspectives from four sisters would get confusing, but they're all so different and have their own unique voice. I feel like I got to know each one very well, and fell in love with each of them in different ways. This book is also way more diverse than some of the stories it can be compared to. The girls are all proud to be considered feminists, even if they're still learning exactly what that means to them. Plus not everyone is straight here and not everyone is white, hallelujah! Overall, a simply lovely read I got a lot of enjoyment out of. I read a lot of darker books, and this was just a welcome breath of fresh air. It has a great balance of funny and sweet moments.

Des has taken up the majority of caring for the family since her grandmother had knee surgery. She has no plans to leave town, even though she watched most of her classmates take off when they graduated. With her best friend experiencing new things without her at college, she's a little lonely. She spends all of her time at home or at the family bookstore, working her butt off but feeling a little unappreciated.

Bea has had the same boyfriend for five years, and they have a five year plan... and a ten year plan. She's on the verge of getting everything she ever wanted when she heads off to college, but she's starting to feel like she might not want the same things as she did years ago... and might not want them with her devoted boyfriend, either.

Kat has a flair for the dramatic, and lands a starring role in a play put on by the community theater. Unfortunately, her ex-boyfriend did as well... and his new girlfriend. She doesn't actually want a new romance, but maybe she could put on a personal play of her own to make her ex jealous and want her back.

Vi is out and proud of it, and is harboring a crush on the pretty girl next door... who has a boyfriend. She's convinced she's not only straight, but completely out of her league. She wants to be her friend if nothing else, and it looks like that can happen... or will it be more?

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Sourcebooks Fire, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

*I received this book through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*

This book is the reason why I still try reading woman's fic or contemporary writing. By the time I got around to needing to start it, I didn't think I would like it since other similar genre books haven't been working for me, but I began reading it anyhow and ended up really enjoying it.

What a quirky group of sisters. They all had something about them that I liked or was able to relate to. There were times I wanted to shake the girls because they were being so silly, but as the reader we can see it, in life you can't see it and I felt even more deeply for the characters. I wanted to scream at Bea to break up with her boyfriend, only to remember when I continued dating someone I wasn't in love with anymore. That feeling of knowing you will be losing their family, friends you've made through them, and letting go of a secured future.... it is terrifying! I don't agree with what she did, but I understood at least that part of her.
Des feeling stuck and wanting more out of life?? Yeah, I get it.
Kat finding something else to be passionate about and trying not to be as jealous or dramatic? I heard her so loud!
Vi being nerdy and writing fanfic--AND talking about it fluently?! Shocking, surprising and made me feel so nostalgic.

These girls might be fictional, but their problems and the solutions they come up with are so very real. I think many people will be able to relate and root for these girls.

Sweet, cute, yet still has some bigger issues it tackles: mental health-wise and sexual identity (I totally didn't realize how prolific Nina LaCour and her girl love books were). It is awesome how not everyone is straight and white.

This is a book I think many people will enjoy and I plan on recommending it to many, many people. I look forward to reading something else by this author.

In The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls, Jessica Spotswood returns to a theme with which fans of her Cahill Witch Chronicles trilogy will be deeply familiar: sisterhood. The book is the story of the last summer before the first of the four orphaned Garrett sisters will be leaving their small town behind, a summer which proves to be transformative for all four.

In any book with multiple storylines, readers have more room to make comparisons between elements like pacing and character development. While each of the girls’ stories are engaging, there will likely be one or two you find more appealing than the others. My personal favourite was Kat’s, since it includes one of my favourite tropes of all time: fake dating. (I maintain to this day that the Debra Messing/Dermot Mulroney romcom The Wedding Date deserved an Oscar.)

I also enjoyed Bea’s story of trying to break free of the future that she had so meticulously planned for herself, complete with career path and significant other. Recently, I finally read Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, one of the themes of which is the struggle to reveal new parts of yourself to people who think they already know you. I was strongly reminded of this while reading The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls, which also draws on the difficulty of changing people’s expectations.

Vi’s relationship with Cele also has a fun fandom element, with frequent mentions of other YA books with queer themes (Nina LaCour appears a few times) and slash fanfiction. Sometimes this comes off as kitschy, but it’s a genuine attempt to place the book in the larger context of queer YA. Readers who are interested in a book which explores fandom more deeply may be interested in Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I’ll likely be checking out Spotswood’s Wild Swans, an earlier contemporary standalone that was published in 2016. The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is a fun summer read that would be a perfect fit for your beach bag. Though it dances around some difficult topics without ever letting consequences come down too strongly, that might be just what you’re looking for.

This book had a lot of names and it took me awhile to figure out who everyone was and keep them straight. It seemed like a lot happened but also nothing that dramatic happened. It was a light, YA read that would be good for reading at the beach because it doesn't require that much attention, once you figure out who everyone is.

This was a quick and easy read fit for a sunny day at the pool. But it was also something I could have lived without reading.

The Last Summer of Garrett Girls was a cute and fast story that focuses on four sisters. Although I haven't seen Little Women in years, and I've never seen Gilmore Girls, it's very easy to see why it's compared to those. The description says it takes place over the summer, but really the story only covers about the three weeks before the Fourth of July. It's a brief window into the lives of these girls, and while everything rounded off and ended well, I still feel like there was so much left untouched. Jumping between 4 POVs took away a lot of background from each girl and has left me with several questions about things that happened in between.

In regards to the multiple POV, they worked well because they were all separate. There was some repetition that wasn't necessary (Kat mentions something in her chapter, and in the next Vi says the same thing almost word for word). It was only towards the end that the multiple POV didn't sit well because each chapter started exactly where the other left off. But if Des's chapter ends with Bea saying something, PLEASE don't start Bea's chapter repeating exactly that. It's almost insulting.

Of the four POVs, Bea and Kat tied for my favourite. Bea was a solid likeable character from start to finish, whereas Kat grew on me very quickly. My first impression was not favourable, but her development as a character was spot-on. Des was someone who rapidly spiralled into someone you pray to god you never end up like. She became really quite pitiful. Vi was the only POV I could have happily skipped. Let me make it clear my feelings are not because she is a lesbian, but because she is a 15-year-old girl who is nauseatingly and annoyingly infatuated with a crush. The doubts, the insecurities, the second-guessing every little word and move you or your crush makes—I was so happy when all that shit got left behind in middle school and high-school and I have absolutely no interest in reliving it.

Side note: I think I've finally figured out exactly why contemporary novels like this never fall in my LOVE category. It's because it's real life. It's people not so different from yourself going through problems that you can relate to and you spend the whole time you're reading comparing problems and solutions and thinking about things you probably don't want to. That's not why I read. I read for escape. You can take fantasy and sci-fi for what it is and enjoy it without constant side-by-side comparing because sadly there are no dragons or space captains in your life. :)

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. I've never read any of Jessica Spotswood previous work but I think I may now. I loved how she wrote the characters. The book is told from each one of the Garret Girls perspective on things they are experiencing through out their last summer before everything changes. Bea is getting ready to head off to college, Kat has just been cast in "Little Women", Vi is becoming close with a girl she's had a crush on forever and then Des who is starting to get tired of not living her own life.
Out of all of them, Bea was the one I was most interested in. All of them were interesting, don't get me wrong, but Bea stuck out to me more so than the others. There were times where I felt like Bea was the oldest sister and not Des
At the end of the day though, this is a great Beach Read!!
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this

4.5 stars.

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls had everything I love, love, love in a contemporary YA book.

I adore stories that involve siblings. I enjoyed this one even more for being about four sisters navigating their lives as they grow individually and as siblings during their last summer together at home. It's told in alternating perspectives of the four girls, but each voice and storyline was so different, it wasn't easy to get lost. The writing, although slightly slow paced at some parts, is fun and upbeat, which very much reminds me of Gilmore Girls, which I love.

I found each of their storylines relatable, but I particularly enjoyed Des' chapters, mostly because she was the most relatable for me, being the eldest sibling in my family, and I felt an instant connection with her from the first line in the first chapter. Bea was a little more complicated. I found her extremely problematic and some of her actions I just couldn't agree with. There were parts of me that I saw in her and she reminded me of past me, so she wasn't terrible - just human and young. But I didn't enjoy the cheating storyline and she just made me frown most of the time. Kat, I loved, because she was amusing and I loved Mase (um, hello, character of diversity who is bi and also Asian-American!). Loved him. A whole lot. So their storyline was another win for me. Her story was super cute! And then there's Vi. Sweet, angel Vi. Vi, who I loved and love with all my heart and my entire soul. A lesbian (and proud!) who has a crush on Cece, the girl next door. Oh, and Ceci is another diverse character! She is queer and latina, and I am currently still screaming because Vi and Cece were just. So good. So relatable and sweet and good.

I really loved getting to know these girls. I loved getting to know their quaint, little seaside town. I loved experiencing all of the characters' personal problems and seeing them develop. I loved the way it was written, how relatable it was, how enjoyable all of it was.

I'm gushing, but that's because it was that good. This was my first ever Jessica Spotswood read and I loved it! I needed a break from fantasy and this contemporary read was just the best refresher to get me out of a mini slump. I'll be checking out more of her books after this!

I really enjoyed this one! A great summer read, the Garrett sisters all had very distinct voices and interesting stories. I would have liked a little bit more development on some of the characters, but for a story with so many narrators, it worked well. I especially appreciated the diversity in viewpoints among the sisters. Cute story!

DNF at 20%

I had high hopes for this one, but it is unfortunately not for me. The pacing is very slow, the characters aren't enjoyable to read about, and the drama is a little too far-fetched.

There are a few key elements of the synopsis of the book that immediately sold me: the small town atmosphere, summertime, various sisters, and working in/owning a bookstore. I saw someone compare it to GILMORE GIRLS and Stars Hollow, which feels right. I didn't like GG and never finished watching, but it feels like a more updated version of that cute town, and also is set in Maryland instead of Connecticut.

The book centers around (and alternates perspectives between) four sisters: Des, Vi, Bea, and Kat. I was nervous about the four POVs because I would usually get them all confused or they'd blend together. Each sister felt super real and different to me though; they were all going through their own things and trying to find themselves. They were growing and attempting to change everyone's expectations for them. Des, as the oldest, was overworked and underappreciated. A new girl blows into town to change how she sees herself. Bea is supposed to live happily ever after with her boyfriend of five years, but she's cracking under the constant pressure to be the best / the person everyone expects her to be. Kat is trying to make her ex jealous by fake dating her bisexual coworker... you can guess what happens next! And finally, Vi is the youngest and trying to figure out if the girl she has a crush on is feeling the same way.

One of my complaints is that the book is a bit too topical. It was fun to read about super current authors, books, TV shows, trends, etc. because it's relevant to right now... but I'm worried that it will feel really outdated in a few years. I don't have other complaints really; I enjoy flawed characters who make mistakes and grow. I could understand why each girl acted how they did and I was supporting them through all the bad behavior, because I knew they'd work it out.

This was the kind of book and small town you don't want to leave; there should totally be companion stories with side characters from this book! I would love it so much.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, an I have to say that I really enjoyed it.

We get to meet Kat, Bea, Des and Vi. They go to live with there Grandma after a tragic accident happens with there parents. They get to run a book store ( what an amazing job) since it’s the last summer they will be spending together. There are multiple POVs and some people may not like that. I really enjoyed getting to know the different aspects of the girls. Jessica does a wonderful job at executing the girls lives.

Vi is 15 an I’d say the most adorable girl ever!

Des is 19 she is the “mother” she takes care of the girls.

Bea is 18 and getting ready to go off to collage wit her boyfriend. She’s got a job at a local newspaper. She annoys at a few parts but who doesn’t have an annoying sibling. Other than that I loved her story.

Kat is 16 and very sassy. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and let you know what she’s thinking.

I loved how diverse this book was and how relevant it was. I loved how it reminded me of Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants/ Gilmore Girls.