⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
LOVED this YA rom-com from a debut author!! I’m trying to read more YA books so I can visit with my middle schoolers about the books I’m reading. This one was great!!

Beatrice is a home schooled student (think awkward teenager who wears the same khakis & polo everyday & struggles with social interactions). She gets accepted to Oxford; but before her parents will allow her to go, they want her to experience the ‘real world.’ So they enroll her in a summer theatre camp. Nothing like throwing her right in the ‘deep end of the pool’ with loud, opinionated, but very kind and caring theater kids.

Beatrice has never had a friend (or boyfriend) before and the relationships she develops at camp are so charming and real.

I LOVED this book. In fact I couldn’t stop raving about it to my 7th grade daughter & she now wants to read it too.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this ARC.

I can’t wait until Serena Kaylor writes another book. I’ll be watching for it!

4.5 stars!

This novel is like if you took the Shakespearean backdrop from If We Were Villains and combined it with the teenage “outcast” going against a master of a new extracurricular from My Mechanical Heart (and of course all the pining and “enemies” to lovers). The first couple chapters feel a little clunky but it’s not a fault of the writing- our main character isn’t an easy read, especially at first. She’s very reserved, straightforward, and way too in her own head.

I absolutely love the two friends Bea makes at the camp, I feel like overall the characters are well-written, but these two are my favorites, they’re very fun and sweet, but they also don’t let her get away with anything just because they are her new friends. It was also important to see how even though they tried to push her out of her comfort zone, they understood that she did need some time to get used to so many new things at once.

The growth our main character goes through is really powerful and it didn’t seem like it was too much for a summer away form home. Even up to the end Bea is still learning how different things and people can be, especially from just online research.

The Shakespeare was fun, especially the game between Bea and “Romeo”.

I feel bad that her parents sheltered her so much and then didn’t like how she turned out so they forced her to go to a camp or not get to go to her dream college right away. Something about that just didn’t all sit right with me- but stuff like that does happen in real life unfortunately. At least they are otherwise supportive and loving.

There are a couple good redemption arcs that make the end a little more satisfying as well.

I wanted to really like this one. It had a lot of potential but Bea was a really hard character for me. She was so stuck in her ways that I felt no sympathy for her about 94% of the time. I did like the friendship she formed with Mia and Nolan. That was one bright spot. Basically this just wasn’t a book for me.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles. I really not the opportunity!

I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

If I’m being honest, I tend to find a lot of YA fiction fairly bland. It’s a lot of “My parents don’t get me!” and “I’m so misunderstood!” And when I started this, I was all ready to dislike it. The main character has been homeschooled and therefore has barely spoken to another human being outside of her parents for most of her life, and I found that extremely outdated. However, once they got to the Shakespeare camp, I just fell in love with these characters. It was such an original idea outside of the basic camp experience. Plus it had a bit of a Pride and Prejudice vibe to it at times that I liked. Overall I really enjoyed this one.

Beatrice Quinn wants nothing more than to go to Oxford, but when she gets in, her parents are less than convinced that she’s ready to move to another county and away from home. So they make a deal, if she can complete their list of tasks at summer camp, than she can go to Oxford.

I enjoyed this. It was a fun, light read. I liked the characters and thought that the pacing was good. If your not a Shakespeare fan, some of the dialogue might be a bit much though.

Overall I would recommend this if you interested in a ya romance set at a Shakespeare summer camp.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC.

Serena Kaylor's LONG STORY SHORT is such a wonderful, strong YA debut. Bea is such an interesting, sympathetic protagonist. I love her journey and development throughout the story and the relationships she makes along the way. Such a satisfying ending, too! I think the writing could have been a little more polished in some areas, and there was a little too much running away, but ultimately everything in the story comes together super nicely. Also, while this is a fun summer read, LONG STORY SHORT also contains such important representation. Can't wait to have this in the library and in my classroom for students. I know they're going to love it! I look forward to reading more of whatever Kaylor publishes in the future.

The cutest, sweetest YA book. I really felt what Bea was feeling.. the awkward/unknown teenagerness down in the pit of my stomach. But also butterflies and happiness for the friendships she found. I’m so glad her story ended the way it did. I LOVE the Shakespeare summer camp vibe. I loved all the characters. This book was a delight.

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

4.5 stars, rounded up

i loved this book so much! it was such a fun, lighthearted, quick read. The writing was very easy to read, and the plot was pretty straightforward and really cute. the characters were fabulous, and the friendships were really well-written and adorable! bea was a really great main character, and the banter between her and nik was quite entertaining. all of the shakespeare quotes and references were really fun, as well! overall, i really enjoyed this book :)

Long Story Short has a fun sounding plot but something about constantly telling a teenager (or anyone at any age) that they need to change to be *normal* is not the message you think it is. And it's not okay. And Long Story Short is very much a *YA* novel with plenty of clichés. Which is definitely okay. But the former is why I did not enjoy this book. And I don't think I would recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a review copy.

Long Story Short is a young adult novel perfectly targeted to those who feel (or once felt) out of place.

Our female main character has a goal of becoming a normal teenager, or at least, making her parents think that she has, so they’ll allow her to move to England alone to attend Oxford. She arrives at Shakespeare summer camp with a checklist of teenage experiences, and as she marks things off, she learns more about herself and feels more comfortable sharing that with others.

It’s a sweet first kiss type of romance, where that first kiss is everything we all hope it could be.

In order to go to Oxford in the fall, Bea's parents are making her step outside of her comfort zone and do normal teenage things instead of studying and solving problems. They send her to Shakespeare camp with a list of to dos in order to go to Oxford. Her roommate Mia and budding costume designer Nolan help her navigate camp and her to do list

Fun, YA rom-com that makes want to go back to summer camp. A quick read with enjoyable characters and a whole lot of teenage drama.

Thankyou for Netgalley for this ARC

Y'all these '22 debuts are not playing! Just banger after banger, and LONG STORY SHORT is no different. As someone who is both a massively introverted nerd and a theatre kid (but not like that), this felt like two worlds crashing together and making something even more beautiful in their wake. I was invested in Beatrice’s journey the entire way, and I loved to see how much she grew without having to compromise who she is at the core. This was a joy to read, and one that I couldn’t recommend enough.

LONG STORY SHORT follows Beatrice “Bea” Quinn as she spends her summer at a Shakespearan summer camp in order to convince her parents that she’s ready to go to Oxford in the fall. Along the way, she’ll make friends, come out of her shell and into herself.

This book strikes the perfect balance between an introvert coming out of their shell without trying to make them into an extrovert. Beatrice’s character never felt betrayed, only further developed. She undoubtedly grew up within a sheltered bubble and it’s so satisfying to see her flourish. I could not help but root for her all along the way, from every burgeoning teenage emotion to almost overwhelmingly nerdy comment.

One of the best parts of this book, though? The friends they made along the way! Really, this book truly spends the time to highlight the importance of platonic relationships, making them the foundation of Bea’s growth instead of just basing it all on something romantic. The supporting cast of LONG STORY SHORT are all delightful and well-developed, making me wish there was a little epilogue for each and every one of them. They bring the world around them to life, so much to the point that I don’t even know if the camp ever had a name but it felt real (and I would like the opportunity to go please).

LONG STORY SHORT is an absolutely delightful, hard to put down read that shines through the classic teen cheesiness and somewhat predictable twists and turns. It wraps up a whole host of delightful characters that I learned to love by the end (some took longer than others), and a story that was both heartwarming and ultimately satisfying. Like I said, I couldn’t recommend it for YA readers enough!

Wow, can I state that this story invoked an amazing rollercoaster of feelings. A beautiful and sweet YA story about friendship, self discovery, ambition, and love. Sixteen year old Beatrice was accepted to Oxford University, but her parents didn't think she can handle being so far away. She was homeschooled for years because of an unfortunate circumstance as a child. Beatrice was bright and bold enough to believe she can go. Her parents highly suggested for her go to Shakespeare camp for the summer to prove herself and to them that she can handle personal relationships and Oxford. With their to-do checklist for her to achieve her dream she went to camp. By the way the checklist was hilarious. The growth, determination, vulnerability, and new friendships was so beautiful to read. Beatrice was like a caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly. I loved the interaction between her and Nik. Nik, the god of Shakespeare plays, and the son of the owner of the camp was an interesting character. Mia and Nolan were amazing cheerleaders, besties, confidents and really great friends to Beatrice. Now, I’ve forgotten most of the Shakespeare plays since it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea in school, but I liked how it was interwoven into the relationships. Lastly, I want to state that I highly recommend this book to everyone. Anyone who felt awkward or different growing up will appreciate that you are loved for who you are. The message that you can be yourself and yet grow into someone who can appreciate and learn new things in life was a beautiful message. The ending was chef’s kiss perfect, but I’m greedy and would love to see what happens in six months. Maybe a sequel, pretty please! Definitely, looking forward to the authors next book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sweet YA contemporary romance!
Great debut novel by Serena Kaylor!

Beatrice is an introvert through and through. As a young home schooled teen, she gets her dream in the form of an acceptance letter to Oxford. But her parents think this is too early, and their daughter should go experience "teen" life. So they chose a theater camp for the summer. If she can complete her social list, her parents will let her go to Oxford.

I love seeing an introvert put out of their comfort zone. Very realistic reactions to social activities, pressure, making friends. Beatrice is quiet with a spunky attitude. And I sense a neuroatypical in her mannerisms and personality which I love seeing in books!

Romance was sweet. A little enemies to lovers. Fun banter. Love the Shakespeare themes and quoting battle. Nik is a bit arrogant, witty, and charming. Their interactions make the book for me.

Her new friends are adorable and fun! Mia and Nolan are a riot!! Very cool to watch them help with her list and be such a great support group for Bea!

I would have liked to see more of her math skills...expand on what makes her so smart? The book also had quite a bit of insta-love to me. Camp was quite short but then again they see young teens. So I don't know. Plus, I did want a little more of Bryce history as well.

Besides a couple missing plot elements, I really enjoyed the book. Fun read. Nice to see some sweet romances in the YA contemporary field.

Thank you @netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC. All thoughts and words are my own

@the.book.belle

3.5
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review
This book was so cute and I really enjoyed the whole camp vibe. I’ve never been a huge Theater person but I enjoy watching plays from time to time so I also enjoy that aspect. One of the main things I didn’t really like/connect with was anything Shakespeare related. I disliked Shakespeare so much when I was in high school so that was a disconnect. I related to the characters on a few occasions but for the most part didn't really relate to the characters. overall I still enjoyed this book and I’d recommend this cute YA rom com to any Theater & Shakespeare lovers.

I had Long Story Short on my eARC shelf for a long time and always gave priority to other galleys. And when I finally dived into the book I found out that I was so wrong. I requested the story because of its premise, a home schooled math genius, a summer camp to proof she can be a normal teen, and an annoyingly British boy. Those were all ingredients for me to love the story in advance. So, when I finally picked up the book, I ended up adoring this story!

I loved Bea’s anxiety and Nik as the love interest was so cute! I swooned and rooted for them so much! It seemed to me that Bea was neurodivergent, although it’s not mentioned in the synopsis or in the story itself. It’s just palpable throughout the book. A fantastic summer read!

This story had the sweetest characters and the development from enemies to lovers it was just so smart the banters and the events that took place at the summer camp so perfect! This book was very genuine and pretty adorable the main character is intelligent especially for only being 16 and a math prodigy you definitely can connect with her from the beginning of the story and her roots are easy to understand. I love the Shakespearean vibes from this book or interactions between the characters was always entertaining and I love how the author develop them from enemies to lovers. This book because everything I expected plus a little more it’s very fine and lighthearted and great for young adults aspiring to be stars!!

If you're into fun summer camp settings, characters discovering the "power of friendship", and Shakespeare based flirting then I 100% recommend you pick up Long Story Short. Struggling through the pitfalls of social interaction with introverted genius Beatrice Quinn was the perfect kind of second hand embarrassment.

Already tried to submit my review, but apparently I'd been logged out by the system, so you don't get my pretty rec, but I'll just say it's worth a read. There's cursing, if that bothers you, but it's still enjoyable, so don't let that deter you.