I really appreciated how this book approached the idea of fluid sexuality. Neither Lara nor Jasmine really define their sexual orientation, but also somewhat struggle with the idea of it, given what they believe to be true about themselves. I think this would be a fine title to have on my shelves for students in similar places in their development.

I really enjoyed this book, not what I expected much from the name, but Love!

My first book from this Author and I really enjoyed it.

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Let's just say, I loved it! The characters are interesting, well-developed, and diverse. The author deals with various sexual identities in a respectful manner and uses the characters effectively to educate and explain identities that people may not be familiar with. I would definitely recommend this book.

Enjoy the summer with a quick read, fun and witty!

Rainbows and Sunshine Book Blog
May 17, 2021

This was a cute and fun summer rom-com with a bisexual love triangle. I loved how Lara had gained confidence and her journey towards accepting her sexuality. Also really enjoyed the romance.

✔Grease retelling
✔Bisexual MC
✔Jewish MCs
✔Love triangle
✔Single POV

Even though the main love interest is obvious from the beginning, I loved the pining and questioning and the confusing feelings. I didn't understand how Chase was suddenly into Lara. Very much insta love and I would've loved to see a bit more depth.

I liked how the chapters were divided into past and present, contrasting her past relationship with Jasmine and the current one with Chase. If you're looking for a lighthearted sapphic YA rom com, definitely pick this up!

*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

2.5 stars but i'm glad i didn't dnf it like i was going to

the beginning was super rough, i almost dnf-ed 4% in because the characters felt so fake and one dimensional. that changed slightly as the story went on, but still, the characters were super lacking in development. i still don't feel attached to any of them.

i do want to point out the things that i liked:

1) i like that this book exists - the bisexuality of it all felt real enough (in context of an underdeveloped story) and i can appreciate the arc that the main character went through. lara. her name is lara.

2) there's no evil cartoonish antagonist. it was super refreshing and made it way easier to read than if it was trying to be anything more than what it promised to be, if that makes sense.

Dahlia Adler knew the freaking assignment. This was fantastic. I loved everything about it and I can’t stop thinking about the characters.

I just love the glut of LGBTQIA+ friendly literature available these days, but especially in the teen/YA category. I wish these books had been available when I was in high school and confused about my potential feelings for girls. This book is about Lara, a high school girl who has had a long-term, unrequited crush on a boy named Chase Harding, which sounds like a very cliched name for a high school crush. The problem is that she can't stop forgetting about a girl she spent one perfect summer with before, and the memory haunts her and has the potential to derail any play she makes for Chase. Then, Jasmine, the girl in questions, literally walks back into Lara's life, and all the feelings come flooding back. What will poor Lara do? The answer is actually quite satisfying. This is a fun and breezy read, the perfect beach read for anyone 12 or older, in my opinion, including adults.

Cool for the Summer is a YA contemporary about Lara. She’s had a crush on Chase, a guy from her school for as long as she can remember, but then one summer, she meets Jasmine. They have a beautiful summer together (with a lot of makeouts happening) but they don’t live near each other so they don’t expect to see each other ever again. But then, Jasmine is suddenly at Lara’s school, and a lot of drama ensues.
This book is definitely not exactly a romance. The love triangle goes on throughout the whole thing, and while it’s quite clear how it’s all going to end, we can still see both sides a lot. That part of this book definitely wasn’t my favorite; I’m someone who despises love triangles (so obviously, I’m not exactly the target audience for this) but I wanted to give this book a chance anyway, and I’m glad I did. While I didn’t fully love parts of the romance, I loved the content we got with the two MCs who end up together. It was so cute, sweet, and I absolutely rooted for them.
The best thing about the book though was Lara’s emotional journey and how she figured out her sexuality. This book is definitely much more of a coming-of-age story than a romance, and I felt like the bi questioning was done in here was excellent. There were some amazing moments related to that, and I just loved everything about that.
The pacing was a bit off for me at some points – probably due to the fact that we got a lot of scenes with the person in the love triangle who isn’t endgame. That obviously makes sense for the book but just isn’t my preference. But I still flew through the book, and had a really fun time with it.
If you want a book with bisexual & questioning rep, I would definitely recommend this for that! If you like love triangles, you definitely need this. And if you don’t, like me, I think you could still enjoy it if you like themes of identity, sexuality, and love!

Loved the main character Lara's character arc, and seeing her blossom and become sure of herself and confident in who she is, but overall fell a bit flat for me. Fun, quick, and surprisingly emotional/impactful, but just didn't feel like it fully gave me what I needed. Would recommend for a fun bisexual read, but just wasn't my jam!

Thank you so much @WednesdayBooks & @NetGalley for giving me this physical ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 11 May 2021)

SYNOPSIS | Lara has had a crush on Chase for as long as she has known him. He is popular, the schools football star & he is finally flirting with her. Except she is confused as she returns to school after spending a strangely perfect summer with Jasmine. She is even more confused when she see's Jasmine walking down the hallway at school

WHAT I LIKED:
- loved the summer lovin' Grease vibes
- the dual timeline was perfect for this type of story
- I think a lot of people will really appreciate the discussion around sexuality

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- generally I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles
- there wasn't a lot of explanation as to why Chase was suddenly interested in Lara (even though he appears to have known that she has been besotted with him for years)
- Lara & Jasmine's relationship was fraught with miscommunication which again isn't one of my fave tropes

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Rating: 6/10
Steam: 🔥🔥/4
Narrator: 🎧🎧🎧🎧/5
Publisher: Macmillan Audio / Wednesday Books

Cool for the Summer follows Lara, a high school senior, who discovers herself and her romantic preferences. This book switches from the past summer before and currently during her senior year. During the summer, Lara and Jasmine have a memorable time together that changes both of them. Then Lara catches the eye of her long-time crush Chase. Her dreams are coming true because one of the most popular boys in school wants to date her. She should be happy, right? Why can she not get Jasmine out of her head? Everything becomes even more complicated when Jasmine transfers to her high school. Lara needs to listen to what her heart is telling her about herself and who she wants to love. This is a cute YA triangle queer love story.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Cool for the Summer was a fun book that I had a great time reading. I'll admit that I wasn't as drawn in as I expected to be for the first part of the book, but the last 20% had me actually tearing up at how good it was. I loved the characters, I loved the representation (Jewish and bisexual/questioning), and I think that this is going to be a lot of people's next great summer read.

I received an advanced listening of Cool for the Summer through NetGalley so I could share my review with you!

Lara has been in love with the same person for years. She’s got a whole bucket list of things she would like to do with Chase Harding, the gorgeous football star of her dreams. He’d never paid her much attention, though, until the start of senior year. All of the sudden, it feels as though Chase is pursuing her, instead of the other way around. Yet, as much as Lara has wished for something like this to happen, she can’t help but find herself confused with the past. Lara spent the summer away from home, making complicated, romantic memories with a girl named Jasmine. Lara has never felt romantic feelings towards a girl before, so her summer romance comes as a surprise and an awakening. It also forces her to reexamine her feelings towards Chase, which may have shifted. Lara will have to determine who she really wants to be with, the girl from her past or the boy of her dreams.

You can get your copy of Cool for the Summer now from Wednesday Books!

This book has one of my all-time favorite uses of the “love-triangle” trope! I was rather surprised at how much I enjoyed the romantic conflict, as I am not typically a fan of love triangles. Cool for the Summer felt different than other love-triangle stories, largely because the main conflict in the romantic relationships was time itself. This leads to my five-star review's largest contributor: the skillful way Adler switched between two periods. It can be difficult to make multi-timeline stories flow well, yet I was fully immersed within this one! I was equally invested in Lara’s past and present, which made this book a quick read for me! Dahlia Adler brought in some fantastic bisexual and bi-questioning representation, while also exploring the difficulties of self-labeling when it comes to sexuality.


My Recommendation-
If you have been looking for a summery contemporary romance to welcome the warming weather, you need to pick up a copy of Cool for the Summer! This sweet story would be perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, Casey McQuinston, and Sophie Gonzales!

This book was cute, if predictable. I knew what the ending would be the whole time and felt like I was just waiting for the book to catch up and get there (I realize this is the point of a book and that I am maybe not the exact audience this was written for, but nevertheless). But I did like the ending once it came around.

Review: Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler

Lara has had heart eyes for Chase Harding as long as she can remember. He is not only a gorgeous football star, but he’s sweet and kind too. Suddenly, at the start of the new school year, he seems interested in her too. All of her dreams seem to be coming true, expect Lara has a secret. She spent the summer catching feelings for someone else: a beautiful girl named Jasmine. Lara is left haunted by their whirlwind summer, and now she’s confused if the boy that’s always been in her dreams is still the one in her heart. And just when Chase is flirting with her in front of the lockers, Jasmine herself walks in the front doors of the Lara’s school, leaving her more lost than ever and what she wants.

I’ve been struggling to figure out how to go about this review because on one hand there were so many things I really enjoyed about this book, and yet on the other hand, I still have some criticism overall. Here’s the thing: this book was somehow a combination of light-hearted rom-com and serious issues with heavy emotions. What I liked about this book was the discussion on Lara’s sexuality. It was portrayed well in my opinion. Her struggle to understand her own emotions when she developed those unfamiliar feelings was relatable. I also found it very refreshing that the author created a “love triangle” in the sense that there were two love interests but it didn’t really follow the stereotypical trope. The author didn’t make one of them more flawed or “bad” to push the narrative; it was more natural. However, I felt like the motivation for Chase suddenly developing feelings wasn’t explained, and really his character lacked depth. I thought too much of the book was spent on their narrative, leaving the ending rushed and missing the potential with Jasmine’s story. All the romance pushed into flashback scenes was good but I wish there was more of a build up on the present timeline. Additionally, I didn’t like some of Lara’s friends especially a few comments that were made towards the end about the trendiness of being queer (and some other off hand comments made throughout) It totally took me out of the moment. Especially, one of the biphobic comments that seemed totally out of character in my opinion. Likewise, I’ve seen some valid criticisms from other reviewers about how diversity was poorly handled in the book. I did enjoy reading this book and found myself emotional at the coming out scenes but it’s so hard to rate at the same time after thinking about how some aspects did bother me overall.

Rating: 3.5/5 (I think?)

*thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book definitely is very YA and author did an amazing job portraying different characters with strong dialogue. It was such a fun book with depth. I want to thank the author to make it a easier read with different locations since it goes from different timelines. This book makes all of us think back ‘to the good old days’ what ifs questions. I highly recommend this book to high schoolers to adults!

3.5/ 5 stars

Cool for the Summer is a Young Adult romance that has a bisexual love triangle.

This story is told in a now and then timeline. The present is senior year of high school. The past is the previous summer.

The narrator is 17 year old high school senior Larissa/Lara (1st person POV). Larissa lives in Stratford, NY. She has always had a huge crush on Chase. But she may also like a girl (Jasmine).

The past takes place in Outer Banks, NC where Lara was forced to spend the summer with her mom. This is where she met Jasmine.

This was a charming YA book that focused on Larissa trying to figure out who she liked. The book was very inclusive. And I think that some teens will probably be able to relate to how the main character was feeling.

I loved that the main character worked at a book store. I loved everything to do with her aspiring to be a romance author. And I loved that she had a favorite romance author, and book recommendations...

Lara has 3 best friends and I honestly could not stand two of them. One in particular was so annoying.

This book is about friendship. It is about high school drama. And it's about one girl trying to figure out who she likes and what that might mean.

The title was interesting and it references Demi Lovato's song "Cool for the Summer".

I enjoyed the book while I was reading it. But I didn't love any of the characters. But overall it was a cute YA book.

It's a cute story in this re-imagined telling of Grease. The friends are nice, but there's a lot less happening (a lot less drama) in the book. It's pretty obvious what's going to happen. I'd still recommend this book to most high students.for casual reading.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

This book follows a girl who is not only discovering her sexuality but herself as well.

Cool for the summer its a cute rom-com you should pick up if you like YA contemporary. However, it wasn't for me. The love interests didn't feel like they were. There was not enough connection between both Lara and Jasmine nor Lara and Chase. I also didn't like how Chase started liking her.
The side character did not have enough characterization and it made me enjoy the book a little less.

Overall it is a cute rom com perfect for fans of YA contemporary.

On the one hand, this is a thoroughly lived-in YA romance with two bisexual leads, at least one of whom is struggling with her identity as someone who isn't strictly heterosexual. Lara Bogdan was your typical mousy high schooler, with a clique of awesome friends and a raging crush on handsome, sweet Chase Harding, football quarterback and all-around American dream. But he's never looked at her as anything but a friendly acquaintance till the start of senior year, when she's returned to her New York suburb from a summer in the Outer Banks, looking and feeling like a new and improved version of herself.

First, there's her tan, then there's her awesome new haircut. More importantly, she carries herself with a newfound sense of confidence, born of a summer spent in the company of Jasmine Killary, her mom's boss' daughter. When Lara's mom had told her that they'd be spending the summer in North Carolina, Lara had been pretty bummed. She had a sweet bookstore job lined up, as well as several lucrative babysitting gigs, all in service of filling up her car fund. But Lara's mom hadn't felt comfortable leaving her daughter alone for the summer while she went south to accompany her high-flying executive boss, and so Lara had to tag along.

Luckily, the Outer Banks were a lot more fun than she expected. Having a housemate her own age certainly helped, especially since Jasmine was both exceedingly cool and surprisingly considerate, bringing Lara to parties and introducing her to all her own summer friends and activities. And that was even before they kissed...

Back in Stratford in the fall, Lara is ready to resume life as usual. It's a surprise when Chase suddenly starts paying attention to her, the culmination of nearly her entire life's dreams. It's an even bigger surprise when Jasmine walks through the doors of her high school, a senior year transfer who'd given Lara absolutely no warning of her arrival, and whose attitude towards Lara now seems to be that of an aloof stranger.

Lara has no idea what to do. She's always loved Chase, but she can't get Jasmine out of her head, even if Jasmine keeps sending her mixed signals. Should Lara just pursue the happily ever after with Chase that she's been dreaming about for years, or should she try to figure out what's going on with her and Jasmine?

I loved how Cool For The Summer, which Dahlia Adler freely admits refers to Demi Lovato's hit song, really examined the thoughts of a confused teenager as she tries to make sense of her love life. Tough enough being in a love triangle without also questioning your own identity and fearing the reactions of your loved ones should they discover your same-sex attraction. What I didn't love (and this is my on the other hand bookend to this review's opener) was the frustrating use of the non-communication trope. There would have been a lot less silly angst if Lara had just texted Jasmine a "hey, can we talk?" after Jasmine shows up in New York. There was certainly enough angst going on even without avoiding the "do you still like me and want to be together?" talk. The only reason I could forgive the use of the trope was the fact that these are teenagers we're talking about, and if ever there was an age for jumping to conclusions and assuming the dramatic worst, it's definitely adolescence.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed this tale of exploring your sexuality and learning who you are and who you really want to be. It was really great that everyone was basically a decent human being, and I loved all the diverse representation as well. Was also pleased that the ending bucked the trend of recent bi/questioning books I've been reading -- all said endings have been equally valid and delightful, but it's nice to bring balance to the force.

Cool For The Summer by Dahlia Adler was published May 11 2021 by Wednesday Books and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781250765826">Bookshop!</a>

Thank you Wednesday Books at St. Martin’s Press for inviting me to read this arc.

3.25 / 5 stars

Lara has always been interested in Chase, but things may be changing when someone new starts at her school. What was supposed to be a summer only thing now has the potential to change into something more with the unexpected new arrival.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. I liked both the characters and plot of this book. I appreciated the conversations in this book. Lara was an interesting character to follow. The reader is able to see her question her life as she knows it. She realizes that maybe what she once wanted in the past may not supposed to be part of her future.