"Make the Fireflies" dance is about aspiring teen filmmaker Quincy. She's close to her old Hollywood actress grandmother and her grieving widower father. After she has a mysterious kiss at her grandmother's birthday party, Quin embarks on a journey of blind dates to find her mystery dream man. Overall, there was a lot going on with this book, but it was imminently likable. I was into old movies as a teen and always get the warm fuzzies when I encounter teen lit that nnods to the movie fan youngsters. I can see a lot of cinephile teens being into this one as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy :)

Such a sweet YA!! Quinn is such a great main character. I love that she dossnt settle for less. Her mom taught her to settle for fireflies, not butterflies! I loved her circle of friends. It totally took me back to my own high school days. I also loved the family dynamics in this. I really wanted to know who kissed Quinn in the dark theater so I was a little disappointed that we never find out. I absolutely loved the ending. Thank you Netgalley for the arc!!

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Cute, light, fluffy. Everything you want from a YA romcom!

I enjoyed the quest of “go in blind dates til I find my mystery kisser”, Quincy is an adorable protagonist. I know my romance obsessed students will love this book!

I cannot get over how cute this book was!! I immediately fell in love with the relationships that were established. The girls’ friendship providing so many wholesome (and funny) moments. Quincy and Kenyon’s relationship. I thought it was built up beautifully and made for some very adorable and gush-worthy moments!

I was drawn to the cover and title and I'm so happy that the book was as good as I had hoped! I enjoyed following Quin's story and senior year. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars! Well written and the flow was perfect.

I loved the idea of this book. A girl gets mysteriously kissed in a dark theater and sets out on a series of blind dates to figure out who it was. Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. The starting idea falls apart after the first blind date. Quincy, the main character, falls for that first blind date and then spends the rest of the novel dating him, messing things up, and worrying about how to fix it. I feel like this could have been achieved without the mystery kisser situation. The thing that was most annoying to me was that she gives up on finding out who the mystery kisser was after the second blind date. We never figure out who it was, which was annoying to me. I wanted that lose end tied up so badly since it's such a big driving force at the start of the plot. That aside, it was a sweet teen romance that I think high school girls will enjoy.

Quincy was a fine protagonist. She's very much in high school and behaves appropriately. She's annoying at times and a bit self-centered, which was spot on for the age. She also talks and reacts just like a teenager. In that aspect, the writing is well done. The author understands her characters and writes them appropriately for their ages.

One other thing that bugged me was the film aspect of the story. Mom and Grandma were supposedly actors. The story is set in North Carolina. Is there a thriving film industry in NC? It just seemed like an implausible detail. Mom was supposedly semi-famous (enough that someone in Colorado would have known who she was), but she was painted as a loving and doting mother who was around enough to take her daughter out after her first kiss went poorly. Things like that just didn't feel realistic.

Overall, I think teenage girls will enjoy this one. The characters are believable and the romance is sweet.

Quincy loves watching cheesy romance movies and the idea of waiting for that special first kiss. So when she’s surprised by a fireworks exploding kiss in a dark movie theater. Quincy has to find out who the mystery boy is. So her friends decide to set Q up with each boy that was at the theater so she can figured out which one gave her the magnificent kiss. This book was a cute romance with adorable characters and will be a hit with anyone who loves a great rom-com. Can’t wait to read another book by Rachel.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

This was a fun, cute, summertime read. I liked how different/difficult topics were handled. I loved the characters and the dynamics.

"Make the Fireflies Dance" by Rachel Bateman was SO good! I will probably re-read this during summertime for sure!

This was a cute, quick YA Romance read. Quincy is dealing with the loss of her mother, her student film needing to be recorded, a brother who has ghosted his family, and a meddlesome group friends who are as quirky and quippy as her. She harbors a crush on her coworker that borderlines infatuation and when she is kissed serendipitously at her grandmother’s birthday she feels like it HAS to be him. But when her friends set her up on blind dates to find the “mystery kisser” she is conflicted when she starts having feelings for one of her blind daters. She then has to navigate her new romance, her friends setting up more blind dates, and working with all parties involved on her movie, all while getting ready for prom and graduation.

Things get messy, arguments ensue, and life lessons are had. All in all I thought it was a great read that YA readers will love. It moves a little quick through the plot to an almost unbelievable pace, but that’s the joy of YA novels. I think younger readers will enjoy it.

This sweet book follows Quincy as she falls in love after starting a mission to find a mystery man with her friends all while making a final film project. Learning how to balance her intense personal experiences and emotions with consideration of those around her character grows in her search.

I loved this book so much! So glad I got to read an early copy. Quincy felt like such an authentically teen heroine who readers will relate to and root for, and I loved the balance of light, fun, flirty romance with heavier topics like grief and loss. Really looking forward to future books from Rachel Bateman!