I gave this a two out of three stars, I enjoyed the story. It was confusing at times. It was hard to tell which part was alternative story and which was the current story. It was so hard to figure it out.

Natalya Fox is Jewish, Bisexual, and unsure of what she wants in life. It is the summer before her senior year, she has a choice in front of her, stay in NYC with her Dad, all her friends in her comfortable bubble, or go to LA to stay with her Mom with their strained relationship, an internship at her company, and do something out of her comfort zone. In a dual timeline we see how each choice would play out, what her summer ends up as, who she ends up dating, and how she comes to a decision on future plans.

This book was fantastic, I stay away from YA as a whole cause I feel I no longer enjoy or relate to the stories. And while that was still true to a degree I can objectively say this is one of the best YA Contemporary novels I have ever read. I love me a good dual timeline story, and this was so unique. It felt like a choice your own adventure in a way and I had the best time. I enjoyed the characters and the exploration of deeper themes. It was still so much fun and the perfect summer novel.

Pub date: 6/13/23
Genre: YA romance, coming of age, queer romance
Quick summary: Natalya has a big choice to make - spend summer in NYC getting to know her beautiful crush, Elly, or head to LA for an internship with her mom. But in this Sliding Doors take-off, she's able to do both, and we'll see her grow and fall in love in both timelines.

I picked this book for Pride Month, and it was a perfect read to celebrate queer joy! I liked that Natalya's bisexuality was well represented in the narrative - she falls in love with a girl in one timeline and a guy in another, but in both storylines, her queerness is emphasized, no "bi erasure" here. I enjoyed the fun and banter in both love stories, with a slight preference for Elly because she was just so cool!

I read YA because I love coming of age elements, and there was plenty to love here as Natalya worked to figure out her next steps after high school and how she could turn her passion for art into a future career.

If you enjoy YA stories, I bet you'll love this one for summer! I wish I could have had a summer of love/self-discovery like Natalya when I was her age.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtepvmTLTfS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

4⭐️

This was so freaking cute!!! If you are looking for a short YA book with lots of queer rep and amazing characters look no further.

We follow the story of Dahlia who is a recent high school graduate and has to make a decision to stay with her dad in NYC for the summer before college or go to LA and stay with her mom who she has not lived with since her parents split. The story follows what would have happened if she chose one or the other, where her life would lead, who she would date, how her career/jobs would go.

I was a tad confused with the plot when Dahlia makes her decision but I quickly came to realize what was happening and I have to say I had never read a book like this and I absolutely loved the idea and concept. It was very well executed to show how both decisions would lead her to happiness and the way there was incredibly good.

I am not normally a person who selects a YA book over Adult but this didn't really feel too YA. The characters were mature and well developed throughout the story, they were very charismatic, funny and had amazing banter and chemistry. I wish I had been this mature when I was Dahlia's age to be honest 😂

There is such good representation in this book and was very well written.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

I don't think it would be fair for me to give this book a rating. I can completely see what the author was trying to do, and I fully appreciate it, but because I'm not the target audience those things fell flat.

It took me a little while to find my groove with the chapters switching back-and-forth between New York and LA. I was taken aback and thought there was an issue with the ARC because the first switch came out of nowhere. Once I was settled, I couldn't help but notice that there was almost a bias between the two stories. It seemed like LA was more fleshed out and descriptive. New York felt stunted and all of the characters blurred together in my head.

I did really love that this was a story of a Jewish, bisexual teen with no compromise. I learned a lot about Shabbat and I think including it as such a big part of the story as well as Nat's identity will be relatable and comforting for those that practice. I really enjoyed that one timeline was Nat with a guy and the other was Nat with a girl because both relationships were treated as normal and felt natural. Nat being bi wasn't a plot point - it was just part of who she was.

Some scenes felt over-explained and the dialogue occasionally felt stilted. However, these are some of the things that can be looked past when you're reading a book targeted for a different age group.

This book wasn't meant for me, and that's okay. I really can't wait to see all the positive reviews for it because I know it's going to be so loved by the right people.

This is my first read by Dahlia Adler and I gotta say… WOW. I loved that we got to see both versions of Natalya’s life. This book offers bisexual representation without feeling gimmicky, which I really really appreciate. I loved the entire cast of characters — they were all very dimensional, and the plot was fabulous. The only thing that could have made it better was a “Why choose?” at the end. I enjoyed that both timelines were distinct and felt separate enough to keep track of. I found Natalya’s characterization very real and relatable, and it gave me the same giddy feeling that I would associate with new love. Fabulous book, and one I need to re-read ASAP.

Dahlia Adler completely gets me in terms of what I want out of books. The way this burrowed it's way into my brain afterwards is top tier. Also Poe puns.

OKAY IT'S OFFICIAL. Dahlia Adler is a genius in queer YA romcoms 😭😂

This book is so so good. The two alternate timelines shouldn't have worked, but it did, and it's an incredible thing to witness. Both timelines connected with the MCs character arc well, and the parallels in specific pivotal scenes are so good! In one timeline music is a big part of her life, in the other, it's food. In both timelines we see her fixing her relationship with her mother, and we see her struggle and realize her passion. In both timelines we see her fall in love and discover two different kinds of romance. The author aced the writing styles in both timelines for sure.

Also loved how this book navigated through being queer and religious at the same time. I also learned a lot about Jewish customs and practices here, which I really appreciated!

Overall this book was just fun and wildly entertaining. Did I hope for some magical twist at the end? Maybe?? Like all of it was a dream and only one timeline is real 😂 But if there's anything this book has taught me is that we make our choices and those choices lead us to exactly where we need to be. This book showed that perfectly well.

I love the idea of Going Bicoastal - the Sliding Doors premise is a fun one, and works so well with the two coasts, two love interests conceit. Unfortunately, I found the execution of that idea so dull. It just spent so much time listing bands and foods and brand names and details at me in moments I didn't care much about at all. There wasn't much going on, as if the dual storyline structure meant each got side of the story only got half as much plot, and it was overall just very low-stakes and surprisingly low energy for this genre. And while I usually avoid this kind of review, especially about books written for demographics I'm not part of (it's been a minute since I was in the YA age group), I found the main character deeply annoying. Not in a realistic, some people (including teens!) are annoying sometimes, flawed people get stories too, kind of way, but as a character. I was just spending so much of the book grumbling under my breath about her choices and actions and every time she was kind of snotty or irritating, and that simply isn't how I want to spend my reading time, you know?

A disappointment, but one I could see others getting much more out of than I did.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the advance review copy.

What a cute, light summer read! This is honestly the epitome of a beach read to me, and I mean that in the best way!
I was NOT expecting the dual timelines (I like to go into my ARCS somewhat blind!) and at first I thought the LA timeline was my favorite, but I honestly wound up loving both equally. I am impressed with how the bisexual representation played out, the diverse cast of characters, and the love interests. I think I adored Adam and Elly more than Nat! I thought the family dynamics were handled deftly and any kid with divorced parents can find Nat’s struggles relatable. I know my students will love this story!

The thing I keep thinking about with this book is how smart it is to show two separate relationships at once, one with a girl and the other with a boy, to represent bisexuality. Showing both relationships side by side really makes the point that both are options and that one identity contains both possibilities at the same time. It is such a cool way to emphasize that point.

I also really liked Nat as a character. She’s artistic and sweet, a little bit of a people pleaser, and she’s in the midst of trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. She feels like everyone else has it all figured out, which makes her feel like she’s somehow already behind. She brings her whole heart to a relationship and shows up to help her friends when they’re in need.

Though the story follows two separate timelines, there are things that appear in both stories, which I also thought was cool. It made those moments feel like they were pretty central to what would become Nat’s life story. I liked seeing the way some things played out at different times but often in a similar or the same way.

All in all, I’d definitely say this is a great summer romance to put on your reading list. It’s fun and sweet, with celebrations of music and food, so there’s a lot to love about it.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

What a fun and perfect summer YA read! The sliding door concept of this book was so cool and admittedly the first one I've read. It was a tad confusing at first and I did have to pay a bit more attention if I was listening to it for a while but I loved seeing both sides play out! Both storylines were well written and had cute moments that made me smile, I didn't really have a favourite (OK... maybe I'm a tad jealous of all the tacos in the LA scene 🤤 what can I say? I'm a foodie lol!!) This book also has great LGBTQIA+ and Jewish rep! 🙌

I do think some might have a harder time listening to this one solely on audio due to the sliding door concept - if doing chores or something repetitive that doesn't take a ton of brain power, I think you're fine but if you try to listen while working, like I did, lol don't get surprised if you miss a transition. Reading with your eyes might be easier lol but after a while I got the hang of it by audio and I also enjoyed the narrator.

A huge thanks to Wednesday Books , St-Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

In Dahlia Adler's latest LGBTQ+ YA romance, we meet Jewish, bisexual, artsy heroine Natalya (aka Nat, Tal, or Tally) on the precipice of deciding what she's going to do with her summer before senior year of high school: Stay in New York with her dad, trying to find a job and avoid being his research assistant, and hope to run into the punk redheaded girl who's been catching her eye? Or travel to LA to spend the summer with her mom, interning at her marketing firm, where there's a (according to her mother) handsome male intern around her age?

In this sliding doors style romance, this book avoids choosing and explores both options, alternating chapters between the two paths. I've never read a book like this before, but I had to say I enjoyed it. You kind of get the best of both worlds, two love interests for the price of one without a messy love triangle and double the HEAs. I was worried, at first, that it would be confusing, but it ended up being a breeze to read and fall into the rhythm of both stories. This is my third novel by Adler, and--particularly given that each one seems to be getting better and better--will not be my last. I also loved the easter egg reference to the last book hidden in there!

Thanks to Wednesday for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Going Bicoastal should be on your summer reading list, because this has all the fun, happy, summery, queer, YA, figuring-out-your-life vibes you could want. You'll leave feeling happy no matter what, because this sorta-kinda choose your own adventure slash sliding doors of two different timelines is low-stakes but high reward.

The characters are fun, and there's a lot of working through family issues (nothing too intense), learning about yourself and what you want to do in your future, and the effects of your choices on your present, and how some things won't change regardless of your decisions. I personally liked the idea that there is no one soul-mate, that multiple people could fit that bill.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Finishing this extremely cute and fun book with bisexual representation on the last day of pride month is so serendipitous. What perfect timing! I honestly loved this story so much, and I knew from the first few pages that it would be an entertaining read!! This is my first time reading from Dahlia Adler so I’m excited to now check out her backlist!

The story follows Natalya Fox through two alternating narratives as she tries to decide where and how to spend her summer. In one timeline, Natalya stays in New York City with her father for the summer, where she focuses on reconnecting with her (sort of?) estranged mother by way of a long-distance book club. Should she stay in New York, there’s an added bonus: to potentially pursue a relationship with the girl she’s had a huge crush on but only ever met in passing, Elly, “The Redhead.” But if she hops on a plane to LA, Natalya not only gets the chance to reconnect with her mother in-person and as an intern for her company, she just might find herself falling for the cute intern she shares a desk with: aspiring chef, Adam. Decisions, decisions!

The timeline switching was so genius and worked so well with this story. Each chapter and storyline, although taking place in different parts of the country with different people, flowed pretty seamlessly together. I need to read more books with this narrative structure immediately!!!

There was (at least to me) a clear distinction in the writing between Elly and Adam’s chapters, where one timeline *cough* Adam’s *cough* felt more thought-out and complete, though. I’m not complaining because I shipped Adam and Nat more from the start (sorry Elly!), but I wonder how I would’ve felt if we got more of the relationship dynamic between Elly and Nat that we see with Adam. It felt like wherever Elly and Nat went on “dates,” Elly invited her friends and they ended up third-wheeling 98% of the time. There were plenty of scenes that involved Adam’s friends too (and I really loved that friend group so much), but they also gave Adam and Nat their space to get to know each other in a way that didn’t exist in the other timeline. But aside from that, I really did love this book!! And can we also give Dahlia Adler a round of applause for not only giving us one happy ending but a second one too?! I was waiting on a big reveal of sorts but I have to say, I love the idea of a double HEA.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for this eARC!! ((:

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced copy of Going Bicoastal. Let me start off by saying this is a good book. The writing was fun, the characters had depth, and I loved the Jewish, bisexual representation as well as the food and music scenes. I definitely loved Natalya’s confidence and the growth you see throughout the book with her parents.

I went into this book completely blind and unfortunately this did not hit home for me. I absolutely could not get past the parallel timelines and I’m finding that YA isn’t my favorite. Also, Elly’s chapters were weird for me and I couldn’t wait to get back to Adam’s chapters. Overall I would recommend this book to a certain audience if what I described interests them.

When I was a kid I used to read a lot of Encyclopedia Brown books where I was able to interact with the story and guess the Whodunit. I also used to read some books where I got to choose the end. But I was a weird kid because I didn’t ever want to pick. I always just wanted to read both. So imagine my surprise where I found a book that would do just that at my grown age lol

Obviously that was my favorite part of the book. I LOVED the feeling of being in charge of the narrative and I’m sure others will too. And what makes this even better, the timelines are near exact, but you don’t have to read both if you don’t want to. Like you can make the decision at her very first big decision. And then from there you can decide if you want to read the story separate or together. Adler essecntially wrote the same story twice and made them both 5 star reads.

The romances were cuteeeee! And the best part is your ship will sail no matter who you’ve picked. And Adler made sure to make both of them cute. Whether its about the red head or about the brother, I was enthralled in both of them. I loved that she had the cutest story about going all those places and seeinngred head or how she really thought the brother was a dick at sometimes throughout the other time line. It was amazing trying to keep track of the two of them. And the coolest part is, they both are different enough that you won’t get the m confused.

I know I sound like a broken record with all the ways the separate timelines made this book a masterpiece, but it really did make all difference. It was cool to feel like I was in the book and that I controlled it, even though I had the easy part with just deciding if I wanted to use it in one way or the other. This was a fun one and I really hope y’all get your hands on it!

When Natalya Fox has twenty-four hoursto decide whether to stay home in NYC for the summer or go see her estranged mom in LA, she isn't sure she makes the right decision.

Natalya decides to take a chance, move to LA and see what could happen.

This book was absolutely lovely and I really loved the bisexual rep. I think this is the Queer YA book of the summer and can't wait to talk to my book club about it!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the digital copy of the book.

If I could summarize this book in two words, it would be dishonest because I was not able to fully read this before my deadline came through. I was fully absorbed in my own life and by my job to read this in it entirety. Yet I want to buy it based off of what I have read.

Based on what I read I can describe it as cute and charming. Our protagonist is presented with a choice: stay with their dad or visit their mom for the summer. Because I don’t want to spoil their decision, I will let you read the book to find out what they decided.

To be honest, whenever the main protagonist got involved with Elly, I was always cheering for them. She kinda became a favorite for me. 😅

High key, read this book! Highly recommend it!