After K.J. and Becka's grandfather passed away, the two cousins are left with a big sum of money but there's a catch: they have to complete a series of tasks together. Spending summer with your cousin may seem fun but K.J. and Becka aren't your regular cousins. They're so different from each other, but to get the money, they must tolerate each other.

Something happened between their moms many years ago that has caused a big separation of their family. Since their moms don't like (more like hate) each other, the girls had grown up apart. The ultimate goal for all of the trips their grandpa had planned was to bring the girls together and maybe even become friends.
Completing the tasks seemed like torture and both girls are reluctant to do spend time with each other. Aside from that, they get to visit amazing places like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon but of course, not without annoying each other throughout. As time passes, they do seem to get closer but then everything goes downhill as if their efforts were all gone...

It's an adventurous debut novel

Because the book was written from two perspectives, I got to see what each girl was thinking when the events happened. I liked the difference in the social class between K.J. and Becka. It was nice seeing how that kind of influenced them as a person. The pacing was just right for me and it was fun seeing the characters develop.

The plot twist was totally unexpected. I didn't see it coming at all, but hey, it makes sense why the girls were kept apart. It still was a surprise though and it took me a moment to recover.

Overall, the book caught my attention from the first page, and I finished it fairly quickly. It was a great debut novel and it kept me engaged throughout. I'm definitely interested in reading future works by the author!

A review for Net Galley. This was such a cute story! What caught my interest to read this is because it mentioned they would be hiking through Yellowstone where I have been many times.

We follow two young senior high school girls Becca and K.J. whom are cousins. When their grandpa passes away both girls and their mothers are sent to the attorney to see what they received from the will. Neither the girls nor the mothers have ever been very close.

Becca and K.J. are given a list of things from their grandpa that they have to do together in order for their families to receive the money. I'm not going to list all of them , but a couple of things on the list are to hike in Yellowstone and ride together in a car for 13 hours to Key West. Things were going smoothly and the girls were finally starting to get along until one day they receive news from the last letter their Grandpa left that could change things for the rest of their lives.

Highly recommend to all ages! Short easy read. There were no mistakes and the writing was very well done. I was able to finish this in less than a week. There is nothing to dislike about this book.

A wonderful, heart-felt read that will transport you to the days we could travel and experience adventure outside our own home, to the days we could hug our loved-ones. If you're in need of an escape, I highly recommend completing this bucket list adventure with K.J and Becka.

A sweet, fast-paced story about family and forgiveness, NOS follows 2 cousins in the grips of a family feud, now asked to fulfill their grandfather's dying wishes: to complete a short bucket list of adventure-based activities meant to build a bond between the girls. The scenes are quick, reading much like a series of snapshots, as the girls grow to respect and eventually like each other. Though the story touches on grief and loss, class differences, and the forging of identity outside the initial family unit, the tone remains light and breezy throughout as we leap from canyon to car ride to coral reef to cattle pen. It's a comfort read, which suits these times well! You know where it's going when you start, with likable characters, lovely scenery, and an uplifting ending.

3-3.5 stars

Not Our Summer is a solid debut novel! I thought that the story flowed nicely, the writing was descriptive, and the two main characters, cousins Becka and K.J. had some really nice character growth and I loved watching their friendship grow and change as the story went on. I loved reading about their bucket list adventure that their grandfather planned for them, as well as the letters he left behind that explained why he had planned all of this for them. I'll be honest, I didn't actually see the twist coming but once it was revealed it made complete sense as to why they were estranged from each other for so long. I thought that the ending was satisfactory and ended on a hopeful and realistic note, which I enjoyed.

Though I had wished that there was more diversity within the cast. While we had diversity in social class between Becka and K.J., there was not any racial or sexuality diversity. Not to say that I want characters of color or LGBTQ+ characters just thrown into stories and either used as token characters or stereotypes, but some diversity would've been nice.

It was easy to stay focused and engaged in the story, I read it in mostly one sitting. I'll definitely be checking out Casie Bazay's work in the future.

NOT OUR SUMMER immediately pulled me in from the first pages. KJ and Becka are well developed characters with distinct, compelling voices. I found myself rooting for both of them and hoping they would mend their estranged relationship. Their feud felt very realistic. I've never read a book about cousins and NOT OUR SUMMER was a refreshing read. Especially now when travel is limited, I also loved reading about the various adventures the girls took as part of their grandfather's bucket list. This is a heartwarming story about the importance of family and relationships. A great read!

K.J. and Becka do not get along because of a long time feud between their parents, so they have not seen each other in years except for a random bump in once. At least not until their grandfather passes. He leaves the girls a series of letters and they must complete these tasks before they are able to get their inheritance.
This story was beautifully written and kept me very engaged. I recently lost my Pop Pop so when I read the synopsis for this book I knew I had to pick it up right away.

I had so much fun reading this debut contemporary YA from Casie Bazay! Especially now that everyone is trapped at home, it was refreshing escape to travel the country with Becka and KJ. I'm always a sucker for friendship stories, and I appreciated the balance in this one between the enemies-to-friends storyline and the very real issues each girl was dealing with in her own world. While difficult issues were addressed with nuance, the tone was both hilarious and surprisingly optimistic. Would highly recommend to YA readers--especially teens and pre-teens on the younger end of that spectrum--looking for a fun, engaging, and fast-paced book.

This book was truly a pleasant surprise. I went in blind, and my hopes weren't the highest based off of the cover, but I really liked this. It was a super quick read, but it was wholesome.

Not Our Summer follows two cousins, K.J. and Becka on a series of challenges. After their grandfather passed away, he left them a large inheritance on one condition; that they go on a series of vacations together. While this may sound easy, K.J. and Becka hate each other, due to unresolved family drama. Over the course of the trip, they slowly grow to understand each other, all while having the trip of their lives.

The plot of this is pretty character-driven, so it was super important that I liked the characters. I'm happy to say that I did! Becka and K.J. both had their own unique voice, and I really liked them both. Watching them reconnect was so touching, especially because it felt realistic. They didn't immediately become besties and forget the years of hate. Instead, they'd make a little progress, and then lose it, and then make a little more. The slow process had me rooting for them the entire time, and I was super happy with how this ended!

The twist that happens around the 60% mark actually really surprised me, I wasn't expecting to be shocked in a character-driven book. And, even better, the twist felt natural, not like it was thrown in just to add page time. I loved what it added to the story.

I do have to admit that I haven't read many novels about bucket lists, but considering how much I enjoyed this, I'll be on the lookout for them! I loved reading the descriptions of the fabulous places these girls traveled, they were so lush and beautiful. If you're a fan of contemporary, you'll love this book!

Thanks to Casie Bazay and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I received this ARC from Netgalley.

‘Not Our Summer’ by Casie Bazay is a cozy, fast-paced, endearing story about two estranged cousins who have to fulfill their grandfather’s last wishes before they can earn their inheritance. In the process of their journey they grow, learn, and they become better people.

Right now, with everyone not being able to travel, I sped through this book because I needed something to take me away. It reminded me of all the places I want to go. Since a lot of us are going to have to do ‘Staycations’ this year, I say a book like ‘Not Our Summer’ is a perfect read to escape and remember there is a big world out there.

Now I gave this book a four-star review because while it’s a solid read, I know I’m not going to take anything from it. There are a few moments in the story that I think was glossed over and it lost the punch the book could have had, but overall it didn’t hurt my reading enjoyment. Sometimes a good summer read is a good summer read, and that is exactly what this book is!

This was such a fun book with a really sweet (but not sappy or sentimental!) core. I loved that this was a cousins story, which set it apart from other "friends" road trip or "bucket list" stories I've read. Both K.J. and Becka were believable and each had a unique voice that gave a lot of flavor to their respective chapters. The different adventures they have together were exciting to read about, and I loved how each one changed their relationship. The change in their feelings toward one another was slow and incremental, and very believable. One step forward....two steps back., just like repairing a seriously damaged relationship in real life. There's a twist at the end that I didn't see coming at all, but once it was out there, it made everything make so much more sense. Very well handled by the author.! I'd highly recommend this is a fun summer read about family, friendship, forgiveness, and the healing power of a good road trip.

Casie Bazay’s NOT OUR SUMMER ticks so many boxes for me. I love voicey novels, and Becka’s and K.J.’s voices sing. I’m a sucker for road trip stories – check, again. And I’m a big fan of National Parks, so the scenes in places like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon are just icing on the cake. Told in alternating points of view, including letters from the girls’ recently deceased grandfather, NOT OUR SUMMER brought tears to my eyes as Becka and K.J. are reminded, again and again, of the importance of family and of making it count while you still have the time. Thank you to NetGalley and to Running Press/Hachette for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGally and the publisher for this ARC

A book about two cousins who don't get along who are forced to take trips around the country in order to get their grandfather's inheritance. The plot is not really all that believable, but the characters are realistic and I enjoyed tagging along on their trips.

This book reads very quickly and is rather enjoyable. I don't think I will remember it a few months from now, but I was entertained while reading it.

Thank you Net galley for this awesome book. It’s an incredible story of cousin rivalry turning into true friendship and sisterhood. Becka and KJ’s grandfather died and he left a bucket list for the two to complete together ,in order to get their inheritance. And then their adventure starts. Soon the rivalry and hatred starts to turn into friendship and they reach a state where they kind of start understanding each other and build a strong bonding of sisterhood. The story was fun, enjoyable and the characters were amazing. Loved it!

*𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

I enjoyed this book! Casie Bazay did an great job with the writing of this novel. For the most part, I didn't find myself becoming bored of the plot or the characters, and I was always excited to see what came next. It was easily cliché, but I didn't mind reading on because the book is worth it.
I liked Becka’s and KJ’s character development because they both learned from each other and that allowed them to grow. Eli’s letters were so amazing and look forward to reading more from Casie Bazay in the future.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Not Our Summer in exchange for an honest review.

Not Our Summer is not expectation defying. It's 2 girls completing a bucket list and travelling from enemies to frenemies. It's cute and campy and a fun quick read. I just wish we got a little more development into either girl's mother considering their the whole reason for the feud in the first place or even more flashback scenes between the girls and the people they've lost in their life. There were a lot of beats here that felt like they were supposed to be emotional, but were so unsupported that they ended up feeling hollow.

THIS WAS SO CUTE. I decided to binge read it right away after receiving the arc. Becka and KJ's banters were hilarious and relatable to one specific cousin of mine. I loved the way they were portrayed. Sure they had their shortcomings at times but they definitely make up for it. Reading this was such a fun experience literally not much drama was involved which is refreshing. It's all fun and banters. The ending felt a bit rushed to me but it was okay nonetheless. I kind of saw it coming.

A refreshing debut novel. Looking forward to more of Bazay's works in the future.