CWs: Some HP references, mentions of parental abandonment and divorce, gaslighting, underage drinking, and some scenes containing sex.

Cool for the Summer is such a wonderful exploration of discovering bisexuality and coming into your queerness. Plot-wise, this story kind of feels like a bisexual spin on Grease, but like if Sandy fell in love with another girl over summer break and Danny was her long-time crush back home. It's not a Grease retelling, just to be clear, but I really enjoyed that dynamic.

I really like how, structurally, this story seems to parallel bisexuality with how Larissa's life feels sectioned off in two parts: there's the life she's always known with her childhood friends at home and there's the person she's become while vacationing at the Outer Banks over summer break. Much like how Larissa is trying to figure out how bisexuality fits into the way she's always seen herself and the life she's always known, she's also trying to figure out whether one of these "versions" of herself is the "true" version or whether those experiences can both exist at once.

I think that really speaks to the erasure that so many bisexual people face, especially when other people fail to reconcile that more than one thing can be true at once. Just like how the liberated, confident, queer person Larissa becomes over summer break doesn't invalidate the people, places, and experiences that have shaped her growing up, her attraction to other genders doesn't invalidate her attraction to men and what she feels for Chase. Her relationships with her friends and this newfound romance with Chase make her feel grounded and validated, because in a way that represents everything her life was "supposed to be." But her romantic tanglings with Jasmine represent another part of herself that she's never let herself put a name to or confront.

And that mental separation is explored so well, especially with the physical distance between Larissa's home town and the Outer Banks. That distance is what makes her compartmentalize her newfound queerness and rationalize them away. That distance, in some ways, makes it easier and safer for her to approach her queerness from the other side because, at the beginning of the story, she's not fully ready to accept that part of herself. And the story taking place in two different locations really speaks to how we make ourselves beholden to the familiar because it's comfortable, it's expected, it's safe. When we remove ourselves from what's familiar to us, when we have the space to recognize what other people are projecting onto us, we gain the ability to explore different parts of ourselves, and I think that experience of discovery is going to ring true for so many readers.

Larissa has to struggle in this story and come to terms with accepting herself first and foremost. She is realizing that not only does she need the people around her to stop erasing her, but she also needs to stop feeding into that and erasing *herself* before even giving them the chance.

I think this is an emotional and challenging story about coming into your queerness, experiencing growing pains, and coming to a place where you're ready to ask the people in your life to love and see you fully—which is really difficult to do. But it is so worthwhile and powerful to read, and I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this. It's a fun light read with some good bi rep.

Lara had a surprise romance over the summer before returning home and to her long time crush. She's forced to learn what she truly wants. I surprisingly liked how the love triangle was handled. I loved Lara and was hooked on her story. I also really enjoyed how the author told the story alternating between the past and present, it flowed well.

This is a great summertime sapphic read about learning about yourself and your sexuality.

I’m new to the YA world, but this is definitely my favorite that I’ve read! It was so well written and a lot of fun. I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author.

I loved this book and thought it showed a journey of self discovery that is less represented in LGBTQIA stories. Having a book with a main character that has made great strides in discovering their sexuality and what brings them joy while also not having decided where exactly they fit into the community and what label best fits them is such a great story for YA readers who are still going through their own journeys. I also enjoyed the other LGBTQIA stories that were told through the secondary characters that really highlighted the range of the community. I thought the characters were well written. It was interesting seeing some the clear high school cliques but also the ways that the characters defied the expectations and where individuals. This was particularly apparent in Lara’s main friend group, they were in many ways the stereotypical popular girls but also had their own interests and personalities. I also loved seeing the group coming together to support Lara. The book does a good job of showing the fear Lara faced when deciding to come out but I really appreciate that ultimately she was surrounded by love and support. Overall, while there is a lot of drama; this is a really happy, fun, and funny romance. The story made me so happy and I absolutely recommend this book.

3,5 stars
I really enjoyed this! it was a light, easy, pretty fun read that I think is perfect for summer. I think it was a great queer coming of age story that a lot of people will be able to relate to, and I also really appreciated the bisexual representation.
this was my first book from the author and I'm definitely interested in checking out more!

I was pretty excited for this book – the cover immediately spoke to me (the colors!), and I’m a not-very-loud-but-very-proud Lovatic (Demi Lovato fan), so the title immediately hooked me, especially at the thought that the song itself as an indication of the story. Overall, this was a good YA book about a girl’s discovery of herself, in a lot of different ways. I found the best part of this to be the character development and how she found her way into her own and out from her friend’s shadow(s) – it felt natural and real, and I related really well to the idea of being someone who kind of unknowingly always went with the crows or other’s decisions. I didn’t really ever like her friend’s, which is a pretty good testament to how they are written – I fully understood this friend group, the friend dynamic, and the personalities of each one, and though I never warmed to them, they absolutely worked together on the page. Another example of this is Chase, the main boy character – I found him to never be particularly impressive, but he reminded me so much of the boy I was “in love” with in high school that I couldn’t help but marvel at how good the personification of the High School Love was. The only complaint I had about the book was that sometimes it didn’t really feel very…exciting. I know a lot of the developments were supposed to be shocking, and they are earth rocking to the character…but someone it never fully hit that note to me, where I was gasping or really taken aback. I still liked the story itself though, and really liked the flashbacks to Lara’s summer with Jasmine and how it’s interwoven into her present day. If you’re looking for a book that explores relationship dynamics and how they morph and change in reaction to each other, I think this would be a good pick.

Cool for the Summer is exactly what the title promises: a cool book for the summer. Make cooler by the fact it's one of those precious few young adult books with a bisexual protagonist who - on the page! - has feelings for people of more than one gender. It's like breath of fresh air.

It offers a great spin on Grease: the person with whom the main character has a summer fling & the person at school on whom she curshes are not the same person. It's a fun way to rejuvenate that particular plot arc.

Cool for the Summer's main character is very well fleshed out, definitely feels like a girl anyone would want to hang out with. The two love interests, while also interesting, kind of pale in comparison to her, though.

All in all, it's a sweet romance, perfect for the summer!

A fun, tender read that had me fully engrossed. Lara, Ben, and Jasmine are wonderfully fleshed out. The star athlete surmount interested in her but her recall of that romantic summer with Jasmine, who now goes to school with her is enough to leave any girl confused.

A light enough for summer read that honestly looks at the poignant finding of self and your sexuality in a young person. I suggest it to anyone to read this

I want to place this in the hands of every teen I know looking for a fun, Summer, silly beach read. Their parents will probably like it, too, as the Grease parallels are strong with this one.

I had been anticipating this book for almost a year; a queer ya romance novel, featuring a bisexual MC whose love interests are more than one gender, and the title is based on a Demi Lovato song?! It's like it was meant for me! But I have to say that I personally was mostly underwhelmed by this. The plot was definitely cute and there were details of it that really shone to me; the friend group and dynamics each friend had, exploring a queer sexuality and coming into that identity, the main character (Lara) was a book and writing nerd. But the core romance of it just didn't feel believable. Both of Lara's relationships with her 2 love interests seemed very surface. I kept thinking "show me don't tell me" as her and Chase would go on a date, or there were flashbacks to Jasmine and Lara at a party together over summer. Yes she was spending time with them, but were they actually getting to know each other? Why does she even like them... what is it about Chase & Jasmine that she is into? Where is the connection?

The last like 20% of this book bumped my rating up by a star - Lara really starts to dig deep into identity and make some calls for herself that are self serving in the best way, and show her growth and how she's coming of age. It got more real at the end.

I still think everyone should give this book a shot. Ownvoices bisexual representation is so important to see in all types of books, including cute little summer ya romance books!

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for my arc of this title.

One sentence review: An enjoyable account of a high school student who returns to school and finally lands her dream man - only after having discovered her dream girl that summer - and she now goes to her school.

I really enjoyed Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler. The book centers around Lara, a girl of the top of the high school popularity ranks. The story is told in two timelines - present day and over the summer. The basic premise is that over the summer Lara develops feelings for a girl Jasmine. However as they return home from after a summer away their relationship fades. Until Jasmine shows up at Lara's high school - at the same time that the boy that Lara has had a crush on for years finally notices her and wants to start dating.

My thoughts:

- One thing that sets this book apart for me is that Lara's character is a popular one. As she struggles with her sexuality she has a lot to lose. This perception of what she always thought she wanted vs the reality of what she really wants.
- I always struggle with dual timelines. In this case I felt like the summer timeline felt a little drawn out for me.
- I thought the story did a great job of capturing Lara's struggles with accepting her sexuality.
- For people that are looking for Jewish people living everyday lives - this would be a great pick.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. My one caveat is that Lara is very much a popular girl in the popular clique. It didn't bother me but it might not necessarily click as well with others.

A delightful and honest exploration of queerness, love, and high school. This book made my little bi heart explode and the vibes were off the charts! Highly recommended for fans of YA romance. You'll want to listen to Demi Lovato's Cool For the Summer and Taylor Swift's Betty on repeat for days after!

This was one of my most anticipated books of the summer and I was so excited to get an ARC of it. I'm happy to say it lived up to my expectations. I loved how the story was told in dual timelines. Getting to see Lara fall for Jasmine, while knowing that for some reason it's all going to fall apart, made me all the more intrigued. I also loved the bisexual rep in the book simply because its a kind of coming out story I've never read in a book before. Most bisexual MCs I've read have already figured out their sexuality before the story starts, but Lara is actively dealing with the "coming out to yourself" part of the process. Since she's always had feelings for guys she's never had the occasion to question her sexuality, until she finds herself having feelings for Jasmine. That catalyst is very similar to a lot of real life bisexual coming out stories I've heard/witnessed. I'm so excited that a book like this exists in the world to maybe help kids realize being bi is still an option, even if you didn't realize right away. Although there is a lot of discussion of sex in the book that younger teens might not feel as comfortable with. Over all I would 100% recommend picking this one up.

Cool For The Summer is the first Dahlia Adler book I’ve read. Tragic, I know, but hey now I totally understand all the hype surrounding her books. Not to mention she’s awesome IRL as one of the voices of the YA LGBTQ+ Community!

Given the author’s track record, there’s already a level of confidence in terms of getting the representation right, plus a lot of readers really love her books so I’m literally just caving in for the hype. And boy, it delivers alright!

I really enjoyed the characters and the writing style, especially how it was told in alternating timelines as “Then” and “Now”, which gives us an equal dose of backstory as the present one.

Also, I’m totally in love with the cover. Look at the colors!! If that doesn’t scream BI RIGHTS, I don’t know what will!

I should probably retire this phrase since I used it on a recent post but it featured Cool For The Summer too so I’ll let it pass. Besides, summer romances are one of my favorites!

Though in this case, Lara’s was more of a secret summer fling. The summer before her senior year, she met Jasmine and they spent the perfect summer together. All good until it ended, until Jasmine walks right back to Lara’s life as she transfers to her school. And Lara finally got the attention of Chase, the most popular guy in school, after years of crushing on him.

So… cliché but definitely complicated. I was so invested in their story, even though this wasn’t really up my alley most of the time. But the characters were written well and fully fleshed out that’s why I couldn’t stop reading.

I thought I hate love triangles, but then reading this book (and more books with bisexual rep) made me realize that it’s not that I hate love triangles, I just don’t like them when they involve straight couples 🤣

Yep, a total eureka moment for me.

Totally going Grease on this one because the lyrics of Summer Nights really fit the story of Lara and Jasmine! But where does Chase fit into all this?

Chase is literally the boy of Lara’s dreams, she’s had the biggest crush on him forever. Honestly, teenage me couldn’t blame her. He’s a jock, sure but there was more to him than the usual athlete and I love that Dahlia Adler made the choice of giving him more personality than just being a love interest. Plus, he’s literally the sweetest kid.

Now to reiterate this lovely line from the synopsis, “But if she’s finally got the guy, why can’t she stop thinking about the girl?” Lara and Jasmine shared a deep bond during that summer, which changed Lara in many ways. She became more confident and more sure of herself, except obviously for her feelings and sexuality. This is often the point of YA stories with bi/pan rep. The endless curiosity and questioning, which is a valid feeling, and I always love seeing these characters take matters into their hands by putting themselves first and finally listening to their hearts.

Another thing I loved about the book was how it tells us that it’s okay to let our dreams change. Setting up goals is one thing, but accepting that our goals may change in the future is another. Lara’s dream was to be Chase’s girlfriend until that one summer with Jasmine.

Again, I don’t blame Lara. I think one of the weak points of the story was the lack of a deeper connection between Chase and Lara, which turned me to rooting for Jasmine more. Although, I also had issues with how Jasmine and Lara’s conflict boiled down to miscommunication. Not a big fan, but then again they’re teenagers so I’ll let it pass.

Which brings me to another eureka moment, I am not the target age group of this novel anymore 😅 Still love it though!

Cool For The Summer is one of the best summer reads that I can recommend! It’s a great contemporary novel that perfectly handles questioning one’s sexuality. I absolutely adored the story and how the relationships evolved around friends and family. Plus, no one was an antagonist in the story and I liked the way how Chase and Lara ended their relationship on good working terms. It somehow reminds me of Steve and Robin from Stranger Things.

The book also tackles sex positivity and exploration in a good way, big props to Dahlia Adler for weaving these topics really well in the story. This book also has a diverse cast of characters, one in particular, is aroace.

I’m definitely adding this book into my collection of dearly beloved books with an amazing bisexual rep, like Perfect on Paper, Ramona Blue, and Small Town Hearts! If you read and loved those books, I’m sure you’ll definitely enjoy this one!

Thank you for this arc! First off I’d like to say that I love this cover, I thought the author did a good job of involving different races, culture and sexual preferences. But I think for me personally I didn’t like that it felt like the author spent more time trying to include all these diverse topics rather than focusing on the story plot.

This book dragged on forever. At first this book made me feel nostalgic for the younger summers, then the story was stuck on repeat or like a CD skipping.

Going into "Cool for the Summer," I didn't know if you could turn a bisexual crisis into a whole book. Hell, I didn't even know that was what this book was going to be, but that's what it seemed to be and I'm totally cool with it.

Dahlia Adler's "Cool for the Summer" centers on Lara, a girl who is finally getting the man she's been pining over for years, Chase Harding of the football team, but is having certain thoughts about a girl she spent her summer with, Jasmine. When Lara finally achieves her high school dreams, Jasmine transfers to her high school and throws her way off her rhythm. It's up to Lara to figure out who she is and what she wants before she ends up losing both of the people she's fighting between.

Right off the bat, this book has some cool vibes. While there was one time where I had to sit back and go "oh my gosh okay," the Demi Lovato vibes and song instantly give this novel color and light. For some reason, going into this novel with that song in your head makes complete sense and really adds to the experience. Every time I see the cover and read the title, that song pops in my head, and the way it is woven throughout is very cute.

This novel is pretty chill, and the characters aren't super extreme. For the most part the characters are realistic and the conflict she has between who to choose is a good representation of a "bi crisis." This book really breaks down bisexuality simply liking both genders, because Lara is shown to clearly be with both a guy and a girl. It seems like an obvious statement, but I think Adler really does well in showing Lara's struggle with coming to terms with herself while also providing commentary on bisexuality and it being accepted amongst teenagers.

While that might all sound great, there is one problem that I had with the book and it's just that it's very simple. It's a little plain and kind of blends in among the other YA books that are similar to it. I would recommend reading this if you want something more easy going, but I couldn't really get invested in the characters and, as I mentioned earlier, the whole book is just a drawn out bi crisis. It's fun and relatable in many ways, but there were multiple points where I stopped reading it for whatever reason and when thinking about it couldn't find anything very unique about it.

Though I did greatly appreciate the "working in a coffee shop part of a book store" and some other oddly relatable content. I can confirm it's not as great as working with the books lol, but that was just some funny timing.

Overall, "Cool for the Summer" is a somewhat lackluster, yet enjoyable and easy read. While it doesn't have much that makes it stand out from the crowd in terms of LGBT+ YA novels, it does provide some chill vibes and a cute beach read to enjoy this summer.

Official rating: 3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4

This is such a fun book! I enjoyed the uncertainty and tension in all the relationships and think this is a perfect summer read for young adults.

This was a very sweet semi-Grease take on lost summer loves and how you may not always be the same person to different people. I loved Lara's journey of discovering her sexuality, and I loved that the characters were messy and complicated. It made me relate to them all even more!

I really, really do not like to DNF ARCs. Makes me feel genuinely horrid because I strive to provide good feedback on everything I read and also, once I start a book I simply always (98% of the time) finish it. But this book was like a broken record. Not much was happening, the same sorts of situations were being repeated over and over again in both past and present chapters (a structure that was certainly not working in its favor at all) and I felt...nothing. There was no grip to had on the "love triangle" because it was clear where Lara's head was at, and that wasn't changing even 41% of the way through. I was simply disinterested in seeing where this story was going to go, because it felt obvious, and I felt like I had nothing interesting to grasp onto here. I was so, so excited for this book, but it was so middle-of-the-road average and plain, and I just...it wasn't for me at all. It's for someone, but not me, and it wasn't what I expected. Sorry!!!!