I really enjoy Samantha Markum's books. She has this way of writing that feels casual and easy, but gets to the heart of the story in a super fun way. I enjoy how she writes relatable and honest characters and situations that are true to life but also fun to read. I listened to the first half and wish that I had just made time to sit down and sink into her writing.

This story of Graham and Juniper is complex and fun and filled with the kind of growth that I like best. After kissing all of the previous summer, unexpected events and life break them apart. But when they are together again through community theater and major life changes the summer before their senior year, sparks fly and things change. I love a story with a good growth arch, romance and fun friend groups. This is all three at its finest.

Long live contemporary YA summer romances! This was right in the same vein as a Sarah Dessen or Morgan Matson book, and I will never get enough of those.

This is the second book by Samantha Markum I’ve read and she REALLY knows how to write that close knit found family group of friends. But what I love is that her groups grow and evolve and always make room for more.

Juniper’s town is Stars Hollow on the beach, you can’t tell me otherwise. The community was fun and caring, but there are A LOT of characters in this book which was tough for a while. I felt like we were never going to stop meeting new people, but they were all so unique that it kept things feeling fresh the entire time.

Overall, You Wouldn’t Dare is a fun, summery book that will give you all of those cute butterfly feelings.

I thought this was really cute! I appreciated the different kinds of relationships that were showcased in this, rather than only having it be about the romance. I thought it was a well-written book as well. The only thing that lowered my enjoyment is that this felt very young to me. The main character was pretty juvenile at times and it frustrated me. I do think though that this book would be PERFECT for a younger teen, like 13-16. I would totally recommend it for that age range and I did think it was good, it just wasn't really for me.

The quick cut: A teen girl finds her life getting more awkward as a summer fling kept hidden puts her on bad terms with the boy she likes.

A real review:
Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the arc for an honest review.

Summer months are known for their hot weather and school breaks. For some, they are also used as a reason to take a break from reality and have a short term relationship. When Juniper tries to keep hers with Graham a secret, it ends badly with their friendship destroyed as she tries to awkwardly navigate the damage the next summer after.

Juniper (known as Junie by her friends) had a summer fling with Graham last summer that she tried to keep secret. When it came out, it destroyed her friendship with Graham and created a lot of awkward tension they try to navigate in their shared circle of friends. She thought it was the worst thing in her life until she finds out she's moving with her mom into her mom's boyfriend's house - and the boyfriend's daughter, Tallulah. Can Junie find a way back to a comfortable life?

I enjoy a good rom-com story as much as the next girl, but I found myself not enjoying this one. The description makes it sound like the focus is on Junie's broken relationship with Graham, but it feels more like an afterthought until the tail end of the book. A lot more focus is put on the upcoming move, the merging families, and the summer play.

Junie is described as overdramatic and while she had her moments, I wouldn't describe her that way. In fact, it seems like the author went out of their way to make her seem unlikeable, which is odd. She makes poor choices and bullies people when she should just give them a fair chance. Meanwhile, she also gives her biological father way too many passes he hasn't earned.

The friendship group is easily the best part of this book. They're supportive, funny, and have their own found family vibe. Of all the elements in this book, this one was the best.

A romantic comedy that doesn't focus on the romance.

My rating: 2.5 out of 5

That was a fun book. Junie was something else. Love her and her friend group and how they were supportive but not to a fault. They told you like it is when you needed to hear it most. Also Graham was the most adorable thing!

This is a quote from the ARC. I loved it so much I had to add it. Just note the quote could change by the time the book is released

“Don’t be sorry. You can’t control what he does. Besides, you’ve already done the most. There are no gaps left in my life for him to fill—you’ve filled them all. So don’t apologize to me.”

This quote is so perfect. As an only child of a single mother this quote nails the vibe.

Junie and Milo have been best friends since they were really little. They befriended another duo, Graham and Lucy, several years back to become a tight-knit group. Last summer, Junie and Graham kissed and she is still left dealing with the repercussions this summer, all while trying to become president of her drama club by putting on a community theater show at the end of the summer.

This was a very slow build for me. There were a lot of characters at times so trying to keep them straight at first was a little difficult. But then the book hit its stride and I LOVED it. I actually cried several times throughout! This wasn't just a YA rom-com, this dealt with family issues, friendships, relationships, childhood trauma and first loves. I was a bit annoyed by Junie at times, but her arc was a really nice one and I was so happy for her by the end. I especially loved the development of her possibly future step-sister Tallulah. This was a very sweet book and filled with lots of the teen angst that I love in YA novels. I also LOVED the romance. It wasn't a majority of the book but it was enough for me to feel very satisfied with the story.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

You Wouldn't Dare was such a delight for me to read. It gave me major nostalgia for summers long ago, playing at the local beaches with friends and having awkward crushes. Everything seemed and felt so much bigger.
Junie loves her life. She has great friends and loves drama, both the theater and expressing her big emotions. But she's been holding on to a big secret, terrified it will break her friend group and now her mom has made a life altering announcement. What's a girl to do but cling to all that's dear?
There are a LOT of characters in this book, which was initially difficult to keep up with. However, I was swept up into this small beach town and dug in fairly quickly. I loved the tight knit community and Junie's coming-of-age growth. Also... This is probably one of the swooniest romances (including those geared to adult audiences) I've read in quite some time. I adored Graham from cover to cover.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for the gifted copy. All thoughts in this review are my own. This one releases 03.28.2023!

I usually love a good summer romcom, but this one wasn't for me. Don't get me wrong; it was an enjoyable, fast-paced read. But it felt very cliche and I didn't love the way the main character was treated by her friends within the narrative.

The reader is repeatedly told by the characters that surround the main character that our main character, Juniper, is overdramatic. I didn't really feel like she was actually overdramatic; I felt like the narrative just framed her in a really unflattering light. She's overdramatic for... what? Getting a nosebleed and being hemophobic? I know people who are hemophobic. She dislocates her shoulder and is in pain and upset about it? I have dislocated my shoulder and it is painful. If it wasn't for the way the author framed Junie's emotions, and the way the other characters responded to it, I really don't think she's more overdramatic than the average teenager.

Also, there was a weird quote halfway through the book, in which a character said, "I broke up with Milo... because I will not be second best when it comes to my boyfriend. Not to some other girl, not to his boys. I'm number one, maybe number two, but only behind his mother," which just felt like it was condoning mother-son emotional incest and I was NOT here for that. What's up with Wednesday Books and the occasional nod to emotional incest as if it's a good thing? This isn't the first time I've found it in one of their books and it always makes me uncomfortable.

While I struggled to connect with most of the characters in this (I just didn't like them as people), they were all well-rounded and developed. There were a lot of characters, and I usually struggle to keep track of bigger casts. But each character was unique and memorable. I was never fumbling to remember a name, and they all felt real to me.

There was also a lot to love about the writing voice. It was easy to fall into Junie's head, and her emotions are written in a way that you as the reader cannot help but feel them too. The story starts off with a very melancholy feel to it. Junie is excited for summer. But there is a lot going wrong in her life, and you feel deeply for her by the end of the first chapter. Overall, I did really enjoy the writing.

Overall, this isn't one that sticks out to me as brilliant or noteworthy. But it was a fast read, and I did have a good time.

Such an adorable, feel-good but turbulent young adult story. You Wouldn’t Dare literally hits all the marks of great friendship, family, growing up, and young love.

Juniper Nash is such a quirky main character that I adored following. She’s headstrong, aloof, and yet tons of fun. I really enjoyed following her story with her group of friends and family as she navigates a summer filled with changes.

With her friends group, we have Miles, Lucy, and Graham. I love the dynamic between Miles and Junie. Growing up, my close group of friends were all guys and loved seeing that portrayed in the book. Lucy is just a ball of sunlight and then there’s Graham.

I loved everything about Graham as soon as he’s introduced. His relationship with his friends and Junie, his hardworking attitude, and artist brain. He’s just all around a great guy and I loved seeing Junie and him grow together.

Overall such an adorable read that I blew through. This young adult story has everything you’re looking for and definitely will stay with you long after. I just want more Graham and Junie! Definitely worth a pick up.

𝘈 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘞𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘦 follows Junie adjusting to new changes, learning to let go and dealing with past secrets over the course of a summer and trying her best to recognise the truth infront of her.

- ~ -

I don't know why this was listed as a romcom because it's not, don't get me wrong it's pretty sweet. But mostly it tells a different story all together...

𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥

𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬-𝘢𝘯𝘥-𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘴, 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵.

That's exactly how I'd describe the whole plot. A girl who lives loudly, dramatically and has a big heart for the people of her town. A girl who learns that sometimes families are made not born and the friends who help her realise all along.

- ~ -

The story takes place the summer before their last year of high school and features a 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 play being organised which in my opinion adds for extra chaos and fun.

Junie is bold, daring and so dramatic it's obvious she's a theatre kid but her dramatism only adds to the plot.
Aside from her usual gang, I think hype girl Sophie also deserves a big shout! My girl was rooting for Junie before she even had the confidence to back herself up.

I love how both the books the author has written so far feature great diversity and a little flirting that makes you swoon and laugh.

"𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴?"

𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦. "𝘐'𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥."

"𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮."

Junie and Graham were so perfect together it was adorable.

The whole town providesa solid support system, bar a few exceptions, and it all felt very wholesome, like if I were to get in trouble they'd help me, no questions asked.

I would like to say that I hope the author writes a few more boarding school set books because I'm not over her last one.

- ~ -

3.87 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

2.5 stars [Meh] - The writing, narration and characters were good but this book was WAY too long in my opinion. The story was too ordinary to have so many words. I grew super tired and just wanted it to end. If I didn’t have the audiobook, it would have been a DNF for me. At X2.5 speed I was able to power through but it was too little to late for me, I was no longer invested.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing free advanced copy of this ebook and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

As I started reading this I had happy flashbacks to buying similar style books by Sara Dessen when my daughter was a teen. Similar themes like chosen families, absent parent, very deep angsty feelings, life changes and love are all part of the story. It is the summer before her senior year and Juniper Nash Abreheart is trying her best to survive changes. Graham and she secretly were together last summer but things happened and are still tense in their life long friendship. Her mom announces plans to live with her boyfriend at the end of summer, which Junie is fine with until she realizes they are moving to his house twenty minutes away from her friends. Junie also is spending a lot of the summer working on a community theater production because drama is her first love. In addition the boyfriends daughter Tallulah, a year younger, is now working at her moms family cafe.

Everything is told from Junie’s POV which is very self centric. You hear the longing for Graham, the deep hurt she feels when her dad lets her down yet again. You also get the supportive friend group that have been the extended family for she and her mom. She is old enough to catch when she says things that hurt her mom’s feelings. I really wish there were a few more conversations between her and mom as they are wonderfully connected. I thought one comment particularly should have been addressed. But overall there is real growth in the short months of summer.

Half way through the book I was a solid five stars but dropped a little as the angst dragged on getting repetitive. I didn’t need to know every time she caught a glimpse of Graham's arms or abs. Also the ridiculousness of the date where she self sabotages not seeing anything from any view point but her own made me roll my eyes. I thought her friends should have intervened earlier in helping her sort out her feelings.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would gladly recommend it to teen readers and up. The theme of chosen family really resonates and there are a lot of things to learn along with Junie as she finds her inner strength. I appreciate the added LGTBQ representation in the friend group. There is mentioning of hooking up but the book only shows kissing. This is a sophomore novel and I will look for her other and future books. (4.5 Stars)

Rating: 4/5
Pub: 3.28.23
I received a copy of eARC my honest opinion.

To wake up one day to everything changing, your moving to a new house, with new family members, and to top it all off you feel like this might be the last summer with your friends and all you want to do is make it the best you can.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. I loved the beachy vibes so much, it had me missing my ocean. I thought this book was a cute YA summer romance. It was a story about love; love of your friends, found family, finding yourself as well. I enjoyed that in this book we get to watch teenagers learn how to face and accept changes. The characters in this book were relatable and I won’t lie, at times I really wanted to shake Junie and just tell her to open her eyes, it's right there in front of you. I wish we would have had more time with Graham only because I wanted to read more about Junie and their relationship. Milo is a great character and I know for me, I could relate so easily with Junie and his friendship, seeming like they were more than just friends. I had 2 bffs in high school that were males and whenever I needed them they would call or come over and help me through whatever it was that week. A lot of people always thought I was dating one of them. I loved the plot of this YA book. It wrapped up nicely and I didn’t have any unanswered questions or confusion.

This book is the perfect book for first love and learning how to navigate it, understanding oneself, complications of family and friendships.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for the opportunity to review this book.

Overall, this was cute — cute characters, cute town, and cute relationships! If you’re looking for a breezy summer YA romcom with Gilmore Girls vibes, then this is the book for you. It was certainly cute, but not something I’ll reread. I just wish the themes had been deeper. There is nothing necessarily wrong with it, but it’s just not the perfect book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I struggled a little with this one. I know it's YA but I found the main character really annoying and kind of unlikable. When her friends yelled at her I was right there with them. I think this is where the author and I part ways as I've read two and found both not to my liking.

Whip-smart and delightful, YOU WOULDN’T DARE is so much more than a fun summer romance. It’s a story about love, found family, and learning to face and accept change, especially the reality that adults can be just as lost and messy as kids. Within the layers of a truly believable teenage love story and a beautifully diverse cast of kids trying to put on a community play, you’ll find deep stories of rough family dynamics and loss. The relationships between all these kids- romantic ones, friendships, siblings- are perfect and insightful. Absolutely loved this thing!

Junie's life revolves around her three best friends, doing theater, and working at her mom's store. As she enters the summer before her senior year, though, things seem like they may be coming apart. Her relationships with her friends is still recovering from the fallout of the secret relationship that Junie and Graham, one of the other friends, had the summer before that ended in spectacular fashion. Her mom has just informed Junie that they will be moving in with the mom's boyfriend and his daughter, who seems to despise Junie, at the end of the summer. And Junie is desperate for the summer theater production to be a success, because she thinks it is the key to be electing president of the drama club. But as Junie focuses on keeping her friends together and making the theater production a success, she finds it harder and harder to ignore her feelings for Graham -- even as she worries that pursuing them will blown up the only life she has ever known.

This is a heart-warming and perceptive exploration of first love, the complications of family, and the resilience of friendship.

Highly recommended!

I enjoyed the friendships and the genuine love and care for one another. I loved the way the other-daughter relationship was represented I enjoyed the small town island living and the summer theater life. A sweet chemistry filled romance that was interesting and fun to read with lots of heart!

Unfortunately, I couldn't finish this book at 60%. There was so much going on and yet it moved too slowly for me. A big plot line is Junie moving in with her mom's boyfriend and his daughter and yet over halfway through the book, that hasn't happened yet. I found Junie to be a little too immature to be enjoyable. I understand that she has a lot of growing up to do through this summer but she seemed like the youngest one of the bunch. I just wasn't captured by the story so I was apathetic to what would happen in it.

Messy girls and the second chance, friends to lovers trope are my catnip! Pair them with a beach town setting, and it was a no-brainer that I would love this book. The romances and friendships were top-tier and the drama top-notch. Congrats to this author for becoming an auto-buy one.