This is one of those books that I would have loved and appreciated so much in my early teenage years. While I enjoyed reading it at this stage of my life, there were things in it that didn't quite sit right with me, and some language that didn't come across in the right way. That being said, the overarching concept of this book is worth the read and it managed to keep my attention throughout the story.

Firstly, Larissa's friends are all kind of assholes most of the time. While I understand that friends can be flawed and are not always perfect, I couldn't help but think that if I was in Larissa's shoes, I would have ditched all of them and found better people to surround myself with. After several chapters of dealing with them, I stopped caring for them and spent my time pretending they were nicer people.

Secondly, I wish there had been more exploration of the "then" parts of this book (this book is told from "then" and "now" perspectives; summer in the Outer Banks, and fall semester of high school, respectively). This is partly because I didn't find Chase, one of Larissa's high school love interests, to be interesting at all. I just think he was put in to create a love triangle and to be that typical high school jock which I don't care for and he had no redeemable qualities other than being attractive. In my opinion, all of the "then" chapters had so much more depth and it seemed like Larissa was having a better time with her summer friends compared to when she went back to school. I simply could have done with a lot more information about her glow-up summer vacation.

Overall though, I read this book pretty quickly and it is worth pushing through the rough parts or things that annoyed me to get to the end. This is one of those stories where I was so pleased it ended how it did, and while I spent time debating who I would rather Larissa end up with, I am so glad she followed her heart; it made this story all the more enjoyable.

2.5 ☆☆.
Cool for the Summer follows Lara and Jasmine and their blossoming romance. This is a lighthearted, quick and fun YA-read. The characters were fun and the plot was cute. The story was a bit too short, I didn't connect with any of the characters and wished we got to see some scenes just about Lara and other issues or things in her life than romance. I think it was too centered on just the romance and that made the book less memorable to me. The character development wasn't there for any of the main characters.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an eARC copy of Cool for the Summer!

This was fine. I just didn’t really like it. I disliked the mean girls in it, and was unsure why the main character was stuck on one love interest even though she repeatedly said this love interest made fun of her and she felt bad as a result. I didn’t really understand either of the main character’s relationships. They seemed thrown together.
2.5 rounded up.

“Cool for the Summer” was so adorable and is the perfect book if you are looking for a light-hearted YA, contemporary romance.

I loved how the author wrote the main characters. Lara and Jasmine are so cute together. The author writes their friendship in an attractive manner that is gradual and realistic. For instance, I loved some of their moments where she has dinner with Jasmine’s mom or when Jasmine encourages her for the new hairstyle.

Moreover, what’s nice about the tale is how accepting the characters are. Nobody makes fun of gay relationships or disrespects them. I loved all the supporting characters like Shannon, Chase, Kiki, and even Gia. Honestly, the only person having conflicting feelings is Lana. The author correctly wrote her feelings. She is confused and conflicted about her feelings with Jasmine and Chase. Also, I adored how Lana and Jasmine share a fondness for books and share memories in a bookstore.

However, perhaps my only criticism is that the story is too short. While I loved everything about the story, I thought there was not enough time to get invested in the romance. The author spends more time with the present situation than the flashbacks, and I wish we had more scenes with Jasmine and Lara bonding. Furthermore, I thought Chase’s attraction towards Lara was a bit sudden, considering that they had known each other but never even friends before he made a move on her.

Apart from that, I enjoyed the story! Overall, “Cool for the Summer” is a sweet YA romance that is worth reading.

Cool for the Summer's synopsis sounds like the perfect set-up for a fun romantic YA contemporary, does it not? In potential, yes, but unfortunately I found the book lacking in its execution. If the central plot of a contemporary is a romantic one, it needs a good build-up for me to care about it. That does not happen if a book almost immediately gets into characters being together and romantic. Chase's interest in Lara is suddenly there within the first few pages, and in the past timeline, Lara and Jasmine start kissing shortly after they have met each other in the narrative. There was not enough build-up on either side of the love triangle to make me care about anything that was happening in this book, which made it quite hard for me to stay interested in the unfolding relationships.

The lack of relationship build-up really was a shame because the process of a girl questioning her sexuality in her later teens is definitely a story that deserves to be told. Lara's internal monologue surrounding her sexuality feels real and raw. She is incredibly confused about suddenly having feelings for a girl when she has been crushing on the same guy when she was little; I don't doubt that this will resonate with many bi- and pansexuals.

While I appreciated the bi-questioning representation, there was not much else in Cool for the Summer that I liked. A lot of Lara's internal monologue felt disruptive or even straight-up tone-deaf. I understand that people might genuinely question what the gender-neutral alternative is for boy- or girlfriend, but it felt really out of place for Lara, a cis character written by a cis author, to make a comment (that came across as half-jokingly) about it perhaps being "non-binary-friend", especially because there are perfectly good alternatives like "partner" or "significant other". Additionally, I genuinely cringed at some of Lara's mental descriptions of things (see: her description of Jasmine's French as "panty-droppingly good"... no, thanks). Other reviewers have also raised concerns about the way characters' ethnicities were described. In the end, a lot of things about the writing did not work for me at all.

All in all, I am sad to conclude Cool for the Summer was a big disappointment for me. I could see this book being incredibly important for teens questioning their sexuality, and perhaps someone who can get invested in romance without much build-up would enjoy this more than I did, but this book definitely was not my cup of tea.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I've read Adler's other books for the most part apart from short stories. This is the first novel out in the past few years so I'm trying to be gentle.

Larissa Bogdan is a relatable character. She's had a crush for years on Chase Harding, her school football team QB. Her best friend Shannon Salter is a force to be reckoned with and her close friends Gia and Kiki complete her "crew"

The story is told in two time periods, the beginning of senior year and the beginning of summer in flashbacks. I wish this back and forth was executed better. There are a few inconsistencies, one of them being pretty major to explain why when the school year starts, why Larissa and Jasmine, her summer fling aren't on speaking terms. Larissa meets Jasmine because her and her mom are staying in the OBX home of her mom's boss- whose daughter is the same age as Larissa. Jasmine's parents are divorced and Jasmine lives mostly with her mom in Asheville, NC which explains why Larissa never met her. Why Larissa kept her friendship + benefits from her closest friends who seem pretty open minded like most of Gen Z, doesn't make sense to me. I get that Larissa thought she was straight, and maybe bi, but couldn't admit to herself that there were feelings.

Once she's back in school she seems different, more confident, which attracts Chase to her. Chase is a perfectly nice dude, no stereotypical jock but a decent guy although a bit one dimensional. The more Lara tries to fight her feelings for Jasmine and go deeper with Chase because she's wanted him SO long the harder time I had enjoying this book. Also we don't understand what precipitated the end of summer for Jasmine to shut her out. At one point, Larissa alludes to Jasmine yelling at her in front of a whole house party but we never see that event happen in flashbacks. Truly kind of confusing. The end did tie together rather nicely once Larissa gets the courage to come out as maybe bi and gets her HEA. Also her boss at the bookstore could take a chill pill since she as a teenager wasn't given a choice where to spend her summer so she is punished by having to make lattes with crappy foam art rather than sales/ reccomending books which she is much better at doing.

In conclusion, if you want to read this book try to get it from your library. Plus points for representation.

I wanted this to be a five-star review. However, after letting the book simmer in my mind and getting a good night’s rest, I stand by my four-star review. As other reviews that I’ve read have stated, some things just didn’t sit right for me. Despite the few negatives I saw in the book, the positives outweigh them.
For me, the story is something I wish I had as I was in high school. I recently came out as bisexual in my thirties, but I knew I was different even back in high school.
On to the positives of this book: I enjoyed watching Lara’s sexual identity unfold in this book. It’s the thought process I felt connected to throughout her discovery. I liked the non-linear timeline. Lara telling her present with Chase, her long-time crush, and past from the summer with Jasmine is one of the things that helps her discover who she really is. You see Lara’s dream senior year play out but when Jasmine keeps creeping back into her mind (and into her school), it’s hard for Lara to be committed to the dream she’s always wanted.
I do love a good love story, even when it’s a love triangle. It might not be a complete triangle in public, but in Lara’s head, it is a battle between who she really is and wants to be with. Lara’s aspirations to be a writer is also something that resonates with me. I may not want to write romance novels, but I would like to have my poetry published one day.
I also truly love the relationship Lara has with her mom. Her traditional Russian nickname from her mom made me smile each time her mom would say it in the book. Her mom might not be a huge character in the story, but she is the main reason she ends up in OBX for the summer, in the same beach house as Jasmine. I love mother/daughter relationships in books because I have a close-nit relationship with my own mom.
Also-one last positive, Book & Bean. Need I say more? A bookstore in a plot always makes me happy. And Demi Lovato? Her music plays a big role in the story… she is a goddess. Okay, that was two more positives…
On to the negatives: Lara’s friend group. Whew, I know high school is tough but let’s be honest, there are better friendship that form in high school than Lara’s. Shannon, her best friend is my biggest issue. The friendship seems toxic. Shannon is the Reginia George of Stratford High, but less intense. There is no burn book. But she tells Lara what to wear and has ‘rules’ to follow. I know in the end, the dynamic of the friendship changes (trying not to spoil anything for future readers). The only friend that I feel truly supports her after she gets back from her summer in the Outer Banks, is Kiki. She sees Lara’s struggle without Lara coming right out and saying anything.
Another thing that I noticed is some underlying tones of biphobia and queerphobia. There are tones that I noticed when Lara was coming out that were somewhat frustrating. There’s a line that says, “that that’s the bi thing. Not being able to choose?” I know Lara addresses as the stereotype, however, we that’s not bisexuality is, “not being able to choose”. Lara’s lab partner, Jamie is bisexual, and their partner, Taylor are another LGBTQ+ couple in the story but Lara has a hard time “labeling” Taylor as a boyfriend or girlfriend or non-binary partner. I think the word partner should have just been used.

I received this book through NetGalley, thank you to them and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this before the published date.

Full of queer self-discovery and summer love, Cool for the Summer is a beautiful take on what happens when you're forced to reconsider yourself and what (and who) you want in life. I loved following Larissa's path to love and the ways in which this book so kindly allowed for the messiness of self-discovery and also the joys of finding people who truly help you grow as a person. The Jewish rep with both Larissa and Jasmine made me so, so happy as well!! I genuinely enjoyed this book so much and definitely recommend it!

I'm not sure how to describe how much I loved this book without giving too much away. The concept of finally getting something you've always wanted and then realizing it might not be what you want anymore? Yes please. Love it!

If you're a sucker for good love triangles like me, you're going to love this book. And even if you aren't, you can still love it. Because it's not a love triangle just for the sake of back and forth plot drama. It does what love triangles are actually supposed to do. It's not about the MC choosing between two people. It's about the MC choosing who SHE is. And I am so here for it! I was rooting for Lara so damn hard.

The Now/Then format really worked here to keep me frantically reading so I could keep finding out more of what happened between Lara and Jasmine over the summer. BECAUSE I LOVED THEM. My heart couldn't take how adorable their romance was. And at the same time, Chase was so sweet and wonderful, and I really enjoyed their scenes together as well.

The way the author handled Lara figuring out her sexuality felt very authentic and really resonated with me. It never felt contrived. The way the romance unexpectedly bloomed between Lara and Jasmine was exciting and honest, and I feel like it's something many queer teens will be able to relate to. And again, I don't want to give too much away, but while the story made it seem clear that Lara was bisexual, I really appreciated how the author had her decide not to give herself that label. She figured out who she was in love with, but that didn't mean she'd completely figured out her sexuality, and she realized she didn't need to define it yet.

I honestly loved everything about this book, and while I loved the resolution, I didn't want it to end!

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

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Cool for the Summer is the story of two teenagers trying to come to terms with their sexuality after a hot summer in Outer Banks and what happens when Larissa goes back home and is suddenly the "cool girl".

I flew through the book because the storyline was something I haven't read before. I wanted to know what happened. Also, the side character of Kiki was really interesting and I would love to read more about her. There were characters who are aromantic, non-binary, gay and bisexual and talked about labels.

I personally loved this book and enjoyed that the author added Demi Lovato songs and talked about her. I'm a huge fan so that was a nice perk!

I would recommend this book to my friends.

A sweet YA read about a girl named, Larissa who has crushed hard on the school's most popular student. Chase is the all around perfect guy who is sweet, thoughtful, a football star and totally hot. Larissa, who is in the popular girl group, has loved him from afar for 3 years and has never been on Chase's radar....until.....

The book takes place in a Then & Now format where it reveals what happened the summer before Larissa's senior year. Separated from her town and her friends, Larissa spends the perfect summer in a beach town with a girl who changes how she feels about everything.

Senior year begins after a summer of exploration and Larissa sports a makeover and newfound happiness. This attracts her dream guy and everything she thought she wanted...but she can't get her summer romance out of her mind. Faced with a love triangle and bi-questioning, this is a coming of age story that has all the feels.

This story features positive LGBTQIA+ discussions, strong female friendships, personal growth, familial support, bi-questioning and underage drinking. I gave it 3 start because it felt a bit repetitive at times and I felt there could have been a bit more story telling and character development. Overall, it's still a great read that I would totally recommend.

this book was really good! i read it under 48h and really enjoyed it. there were a few problematic things with representation though, but other than that it was nice. i think it's the first time i read a book with a main character coming to terms with being bisexual and i really loved it. it has everything i love in a ya contemporary!

Lara has spent the majority of her grade school years with a very obvious crush on a football player, Chase/ However, a summer at with her mom, her mom's boss, and his daughter makes her question everything she thought she knew about herself and love. Back at school, after having the most dreamy and lovable summer, she hopes chase's new found interest is more than it seems but then the girl she's trying to forget about comes back and makes it not so easy to forget not that she really wants to.

the best thing about this book especially being BI myself and knowing how it feels in highschool and having that first girl crush, everything just feels so real and jumps off the page with emotion and storytelling.

I had such a fun time reading this book! It felt nostalgic, like I was reading one of the beachy, summer YA books I enjoyed as a teen, but with a queer twist. Both the “Then” timeline of Lara falling for Jasmine over the summer and the “Now” storyline of Lara finally getting to date Chase, her long-time crush, while trying to figure out her feelings for Jasmine were compelling.

I think this showed a different side of someone figuring out their sexuality. Lara initially feels like she can’t be bi because she’s always liked boys but never had feelings for girls in the past. When she talks to other queer characters she doesn’t relate to them because they’ve been out or known about their sexuality since they were really young. I liked how the book displayed that there isn’t a one size fits all process for figuring out how you identify.

I never felt like I fully understood why Lara had such intense feelings for Chase. It is explained some, but I feel like I knew more about what the characters were wearing instead of why Lara had been crushing on Chase for years. The relationship between Lara and Jasmine felt way more fleshed out because of getting to see the initial interactions between them and watching those emotions blossom.

Lara has a crush on the football star. However, her summer at the beach with her mom's boss and his daughter give her a new outlook. This is a great book all about love and self-discovery! I thought it felt very realistic and just overall such a lovely feel good read!

This is a perfect YA summer read -- Dahlia Adler knocked this story out of the park. It all felt incredibly realistic, and the conflict and resolution gives you a HEA, but with honesty and integrity.

Loved this book. Hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I have.

Cool for the Summer (yes-like the Demi Lovato song!) gives you a then-and-now look at Larissa's current school year and her past summer. She's always crushed on Chase, dreamed about going to parties and dances with him, and suddenly in her senior year, it seems like she has that opportunity. At the same time, the girl that she spent her summer with moves to town, which bring up a lot of conflicting feelings in Larissa. I appreciated the inside look at Larissa questioning herself and what she thought she knew about her sexuality her whole life. It seemed very honest and relatable that way, and I haven't read YA books in which the main character doesn't already know that about themself.

This was a quick read-it's not too long, and the pace is fairly fast, so it would be easy to end up reading this in one sitting. If you're looking for a fast, fun, YA book to take on vacation to read this summer, I'd recommend Cool for the Summer!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a good YA book. A bit tough to get into in the beginning, but the story and characters built up before it was finished. Good ending.

I adored this book! I loved seeing a bi main character and her very real struggles with knowing/accepting this about herself. There was also a lot of other representation here: Jewish main characters, a nonbinary character, and asexual/aroace rep just to name a few. I've seen some reviewers say this felt like a "diversity check list," but I didn't get those same feelings. It felt real because this amount of diversity the reality of so many young people today.

Lara's relationship with Chase was probably the least believable part of the story for me. Yes, she crushed on him for years but I was not sold by his sudden, insta-love once Lara returned from her summer. The main conflict would have been resolved with better communication skills, which felt a little frustrating to read, but these are teenagers! This is exactly what teenagers do! Still, Lara's journey of self-discovery felt very real and I'm sure this will resonate with so many young readers who might be confused about their sexual identity.

Overall, this was CUTE. I'm so glad I read this! There's some serious soul-searching but also some good warm and fuzzy feels in the end. This book will be published on May 11th 2021!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"I solve my problems and I see the light
We got a lovin' thing, we gotta feed it right
There ain't no danger we can go too far
We start believing now that we can be who we are
Grease is the word..."

The Grease theme song by Frankie Valli fits this story so well. Except, maybe, bisexual is the word.
Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler is basically a modern day Grease retelling featuring two bisexual girls, and I AM HERE FOR IT! It was such a sweet story, and it covers hard topics. Not only is sexuality a major part of this story, but there are also references to things like divorce, teen sex (no graphic or detailed scenes, mostly just insinuations or very brief, vague descriptions), self-discovery, and being yourself around your friends.

Lara's mom works for Jasmine's dad, and therefore they are all sharing a house for the summer in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Lara and Jasmine become friends and start hanging out everyday, but one night, things get more intense and Jasmine kisses Lara. From that point on, Lara can't stop thinking about Jasmine, what it means that she kissed a girl, and most importantly, if Lara liked it, does it make her bisexual?

The summer surges on and Jasmine and Lara continue hanging out. Sometimes they make out, sometimes they don't. But they never discuss it, or what it means. Is Lara learning who she really is, or is this just some summer fling secret that happened because they were bored?

As the summer comes to a close and Lara is headed back to New York to start her senior year of high school, she feels confused and a little alone. She has this big secret that she can't talk to anyone about, except Jasmine, but Jasmine is going back to Asheville, North Carolina where her mom lives. Lara tries to push the memories out of her head and focus on Chase, the hunky quarterback of the football team she has been crushing on for the past six years. Out of sight, out of mind with Jasmine, right?

Not exactly. The school year rolls around and Chase is suddenly really into Lara. What a dream come true! But as Lara is getting her flirt on with Chase, she sees Jasmine stroll into her school.
Wait, what? Jasmine is supposed to be in Asheville with her mom. What is she doing at Lara's school in New York? Lara is thrown for a loop and tries to process what is happening, and waiting for a chance to talk to Jasmine.

As the story goes on, Jasmine and Lara can't seem to get connected like they were over the summer. They both seem to be more into boys and parties instead of each other, and Lara is even more confused than ever. She has Chase, so why is she still so caught up on Jasmine? If Lara is still thinking about her, and the summer they spent together, what does that mean? Why does Jasmine seem so cooled off now that she is back around Lara? Was it just a summer fling for her?

I loved everything about this story. The characters felt real, the confusion and emotions of teenage love felt accurate. I could see Lara growing and becoming more independent as the story went on. I was cheering for her and Jasmine throughout the entire book, hoping they could somehow figure out what they each felt over the summer and what they wanted now that they were reunited (Chase who?)

I'll be the first to admit that I don't typically read LGBTQ books. I don't have much in common with the characters most of the time, so it makes it hard for me to connect emotionally. But Adler nailed it with this book, and I had strong emotions throughout. Mostly frustration, because teenagers are finnicky and frustrating, but I also felt how devastating some of the events and conversations were too. I thought that high school drama and love and friendships were perfectly portrayed.

I devoured this book in a day. I loved it that much. It was just such a cute, sweet, flirty story and regardless of how you identify, there is something in this book for everyone. I have a feeling this will be a big hit this year. Look for it on shelves May 11, 2021.

5 stars from me, recommended to everyone!