YA Realistic Fiction. Avery and her family are headed to a summer resort the year before her senior year. Two months with no cell phones, new friends, and a few surprises. This novel is a modern-age Dirty Dancing. My students should find it relatable; it includes friendship, romance, and growing into one's own. Overall, an accessible though predictable storyline, but it should capture a young adult's attention. .

Kasie West's latest book Sunkissed is an homage to the classic film Dirty Dancing. Avery Young's family summer vacation finds her at a remote resort in the California woods, where she is trying to recover from her best friend's betrayal in kissing Avery's boyfriend. Cautious by nature, Avery decides she is going to spend the summer stepping out of her comfort zone. She agrees to help Brooks, a handsome staff member, write songs for his band and ends up singing with the band when the lead singer is injured. Of course, campers fraternizing with staff is against the rules, so her outgoing sister, who is a video blogger hoping to do a piece on the band, helps her sneak around to spend time with Brooks. Although Avery has a great voice, she has stage fright and is reticent to sing with the band at an upcoming competition. Coupled with her parents' disapproval. her growing attraction to Brooks leaves her struggling find herself in this predictable but satisfying YA romance.

Avery has not had the best of school years. After she has a falling out with her best friend, Shay, Avery is not exactly looking forward to next school year. Avery's parents decide to book a family trip to a remote camping location that has no internet. Lauren, Avery's sister, is a always posting stuff on the internet, being without WiFi is really hard on her, so she annoys Avery. Enter a cute, guitar-playing staff member, Brooks, who is totally off limits and we have the makings of a Katie West teen romance. Add a music festival that Brooks wants to win, and you get the big picture. A quick read but a great story. Avery has to find herself. One thing Brooks and Avery share is the love of music and that love springboards their romance. This book will definitely be in our class library. Thanks to Ms. West, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was not able to read this before it was archived. I am interested in picking it up and will do so ASAP.

Sunkissed follows Avery and her family as they spend two months in a remote family camp with no cell service or internet. This works amazingly for Avery since she wants to distance herself from her best friend, who kissed her ex-boyfriend. Messy, right? So Avery takes the Summer to escape relationship drama and live new experiences, like meeting Brooks, the cute guitar player working at the camp.

Although I hate keeping my book reviews short, there isn’t much that I feel like talking about regarding this story. It was okay, and that's the worst for me. It didn’t leave me excited, or curious, or attached to the characters. It’s your typical summer camp experience, with new friends, a blooming romance, and some Dirty Dancing vibes. There’s nothing terrible about this story, but there’s also nothing good or excellent; it’s too generic.

Two things I did enjoy, though. I’m a sucker for sibling relationships, so I enjoyed Avery's development with her sister and their journey to understand each other and value their differences. It would be even better if the relationship with the parents was explored more, but it’s not the point of the book. Second, this story is so easy to picture in your head because it’s so much like Summer teen movies. It could premiere on Netflix tomorrow, and I would watch it.

Avery's parents have planned a summer away at camp. Avery is more than happy to get away since catching her best friend and ex-boyfriend making out. At camp she meets Brooks who is part of the camp entertainment. He wants his band to compete in a contest to earn money. Avery finds herself helping him with song lyrics but she has to be careful because camp employees must not get involved with guests. Avery finds herself too deeply involved with Brooks and his quest for wining the contest but she may find herself in the process.

This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but I did find myself enjoying it regardless. It was a fairly quick read.

Anything by Kasie West is an automatic read for me and this one did not disappoint! This has all the sweet Dirty Dancing vibes.

Sisters, Avery and Lauren, and their parents spend 2 months at a resort with NO INTERNET! Avery falls in love with a worker and Lauren is the annoying little sister who never seems to go away but mostly had good intentions.

Avery spends the summer trying to mend her broken heart and best friend’s betrayal, explore new things, and try to get her parents to see her more than boring and predictable. She and Lauren become friends with several of the workers and have an awesome summer making memories and music.

I’m always a sucker for a sweet Kasie West romance and this did not disappoint. Easy read, relatable characters, and sweet romance to make you feel relaxed and ready to start the summer.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Delacorte publishing for the ARC. The thoughts and opinions of this review are my own.

Uma das coisas que eu mais amo ler são romances adolescentes com aqueles dramas que seriam resolvidos apenas com uma conversa. E foi com isso em mente que eu escolhi ler Sunkissed.

Avery acabou de descobrir que a melhor amiga, Shay, beijou seu ex-namorado e está se sentindo traída. Enquanto Shay tenta se desculpar desesperadamente, Avery se sente cada vez pior pela traição da amiga. Agora ela está a caminho de um acampamento com os pais onde não tem acesso a internet ou telefone e essa parece a perfeita oportunidade para que ela consiga colocar a cabeça no lugar e decida se quer desculpar Shay ou não. Ao chegar no lugar, ela acaba conhecendo Brooks, um garoto misterioso e que tem muita responsabilidade em suas costas, que toca na banda do acampamento. Avery e Brooks desenvolvem um relacionamento que começa com uma amizade e companheirismo, Avery ajuda Brooks com a escrita de suas músicas e Brooks ajuda Avery a se encontrar. Acontece que as coisas começam a mudar entre eles e Avery precisa ser mais assertiva no que realmente quer.

Eu amei demais essa experiência, embora ache que tenha faltado a essa narrativa o desfecho de Avery e Shay, ja que isso acabou não sendo concluído nesse livro. A autora conseguiu construir uma narrativa bastante gostosinha de ler e bem jovem, já que aborda questões sobre futuro e família, além de descobertas sobre personalidade e sonhos.

Avery é uma protagonista que você torce que consiga se encontrar. Ela tem muitas dúvidas e muitas vezes foge dos conflitos, o que faz com que ela não se posicione e se anule em função de não magoar os outros.

Brooks, por sua vez, é um rapaz com muitas responsabilidades, pois seu pai vive em uma instalação hospitalar e a mãe trabalha muito para manter a casa e o hospital. O que muitas vezes faz com que ele assuma a responsabilidade que não lhe caberia em outras circunstâncias.

A relação dos dois cresce de forma muito coerente e fofa. Eles acabam se ajudando de muitas maneiras, mas em alguns momentos eu creio que Brooks poderia ter tomado posições de maneira diferente.

Indico esse livro para quem ama livros mais juvenis e de romances de verão. Infelizmente ainda não chegou no Brasil, mas espero que venha em breve.

A sweet YA romance about discovering who you are and learning to fight for yourself. Avery's used to letting herself come in second. The ultimate people-pleaser, she tends to go with the flow and let people make her decisions for her. When her best friend betrays her, her instinct is to forgive and try to forget. But that process is complicated by the fact that Avery's family goes on a summer trip to a remote camping area with no wi-fi. Suddenly, Avery has time to sit back and think about what she really wants and to discover her true passions in life instead of just doing what everyone expects. Of course, summer camp equals summer romance, and those expectations are met in the form of Brooks, a down-to-earth guy whose used to taking care of his sick dad but is using this summer to chase his dreams of pursuing music. It's easy to fall for Brooks right alongside Avery as she goes on her journey of self-discovery. I was rooting for their relationship throughout the whole book. I read the book in two sittings---it's the perfect summer read!

I've read most of Kasie West's books and was looking forward to this one as well! With a title like Sunkissed it's obvious this will be a great summer read to read by the side of the pool.

After being betrayed by her best friend, Avery is spending the entire summer away with her family at a resort. However, it's not THAT kind of resort. They're basically spending the entire summer camping in the woods with no cell reception. Avery hits it off with an employee Brooks, right away. That is until, Brooks finds out that Avery is a guest of the resort and not a fellow employee.

It's more than just a summer romance, as we get to experience Avery making some discoveries about herself and bonding with her family, including her parents and her younger sister who's vlogging their entire trip for her youtube channel. I loved this and read it all in one sitting, like I do with most of Kasie West's books.

I loved it!!! And the Dirty Dancing vibes it gives off.💕 A perfect book to read in the sunshine. Kasie 'Queen of the First Kiss Scene' West nailed it! 👑 I want some more stories with these secondary characters now! I love this one for a summer read.

This was such a cute story. I really liked the family dynamic, the romance, the music, and the overall message. As someone who hates confrontation I really connected with our m.c. but we definitely had a disconnect about being a people pleaser. I would have lost it on so many people lol Overall: super cute and the perfect summer read.

I received this normal as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. It is an adorable and entertaining summer read that is a young adult spin on the Dirty Dancing story. Loved the camp and the cast of characters!

Avery Young and her family are spending the summer at a mountain resort where they meet and become friends with the resort staff, who are off-limits to guests. The plot mimics themes from the 1980's hit movie, Dirty Dancing, with the nostalgia of a summer before technology and filled with music. Avery is a definite people-pleaser while her sister, Lauren, is more self-assured and prefers to speak her mind. A sweet, clean, coming-of-age YA romance, with positive characters who work through accepting themselves while discovering their true interests and talents.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kasie West, and Random House Children's Delacorte Press for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

So much to love about Sunkissed. It's a wonderful summer read with all the feels.

Avery ends the school year in a fight with her bff, over her ex boyfriend and is welcoming the time away from technology. I really liked this aspect of Sunkissed, it gave it an 80's vibe that I totally loved. Avery meets Brooks, who is working at the camp. There is definitely a pull there, but it's not over the top instalove. I really liked how this relationship developed over the course of the book.

While there is a romance, it's mostly about Avery discovery herself and what she is capable of. Kasie West did an amazing job of portraying Avery's change and her feelings about everything.

Highly recommend, it's the perfect beach read!

Very cute teen romance with only a mild bit of angst. If you combine Dirty Dancing (without the sex) with A Star is Born (without the tragedy), you get a really good sense of the plot of this book. There’s Brooks, the hot rocker with a heart of gold, who works at a woodsy resort in Northern CA so he can both escape the obligations to his family and raise funds for his father’s medical bills and Avery, the good girl who doesn’t like conflict, which means she trods the path of least resistance. When she realizes that she’s not living a life she’s chosen, she makes a vow to get out of her comfort zone, and Brooks is there to encourage her every step of the way. They break all the rules to help each other fulfill their dreams and, in the process, fall in love. Supporting them is a solid group of friends and Avery’s younger sister, all of whom spur them on to reach for the stars. Fans of Morgan Matson, Huntley Fitzpatrick, and Sarah Dessen will love this great summer read. Highly recommended.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Delacorte Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

After her bestfriend betrays her trust, Avery is whisked away by her parents and younger sister on a vacation at a family campground with no Wi-Fi for the entire summer. There, she meets an off-limits staff member named Brooks, who she begins to fall for as she spends more time with him and his friends. When an opportunity arises to join a singing competition with Brooks, she jumps at the chance to try something new.

This was your typical light-hearted Kasie West book. An easy to read story with a cute romance, summer vibes, sibling relationships, developing friendships, you know the usual. I don't think it was anything particularly special or original, but it was still a quick and fun read. I do think that the book is a bit surface level, never really diving deep into any topic. I liked the inclusion of the music festival and song writing. I liked Avery as a main character, and how she was still trying to figure out what she wanted from life. I think she was a very realistic character, and I liked how she began stepping out of her comfort zone as the story progressed. I also thought Brooks was a great character as well. His interactions with Avery were cute and I liked them together. I was also a fan of Lauren and the sister relationship in this. They were very different from one another, but you could tell they did care about one another.

Overall, the storyline was pretty predictable, but it's what you expect from a Kasie West book.

Avery Young and her family are escaping for the summer on a 7 week long adventure to Bear Meadow Camp, and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. She recently discovered her best friend snd her ex boyfriend kissed, and she is ready to escape the drama. With this new family adventure, she begins to realize that her too predictable, too easy life is not enough. As she begins the journey to find who she really is, she finds herself crushing on Brooks, the handsome member of the camp band, and wonders if he could help her find herself at Besr Meadow Camp. A fun, light hearted read that has likable characters and a happy ending!

A nice light YA summer romance with a bit of self discovery. Good for fans of Tweet Cute and Dumplin.