Natalya must decide between spending the summer with her dad at home in New York City and traveling to Los Angeles to spend the summer with her mom. Each has it’s own possibilities so what does she choose? Both. After the first couple chapters the book switches between the timeline where Natalya stays and the one where she goes. In New York finally works up the courage to talk to Elly, the cute redhead she’s been crushing on. In Los Angeles she starts hanging out and dating Adam, the other intern at her mom’s marketing firm. The book does not pick which timeline was real and which one wasn’t allowing the reader to pick which one they want.

I really enjoyed this book. Young adult books are hit and miss for me but this one worked. I honestly enjoyed both timelines. In addition to Natalya being bi, the book is filled with other queer characters, making this a wonderful read for Pride. Additionally, Natalya’s Jewish faith is a prominent feature for much of the book. I liked the choose your own adventure ending because i could see myself rereading this book and picking a different storyline and ending to be rooting for each time.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Natalya has to make a choice. She can either go spend her summer with her estranged mom in LA or stay with her dad in NYC. And turns out that choice will impact her life in more ways than one. And we get to see all the ways!

I actually had no idea this was a "Sliding Doors" novel because I don't read summaries. I just saw "Dahlia Adler" and I'm like "Yes please". Could have I guessed it from the cover? Probably, but here we are. I really loved this one. I was enthralled from the first chapter to the last and truly loved both timelines, I can't lie I have a little preference for the NYC one because of reasons but overall, both were great. Dahlia really made me care about so many people in such a short time, that's talent. The main character was great, the love interests were layered and captivating and I somehow even cared about the parents, and the friends and so much more. I also just had a great time with the entire concept of the book.
So yes, another banger by Dahlia Adler and I cannot wait for anything she writes next.

This book is cleverly written, thoughtful, and I enjoyed the journey of seeing both sides of the outcome; what a wonderful YA book. I caution you to read the synopsis first, as there is a potential Self Harm Trigger.

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler is my most anticipated Queer YA Romantic Comedy this Summer; perfect for June Pride Month! The alternate timeline, and sliding door plots were easy to follow but have you invested the whole way through.
The action takes place on both sides of America; allowing for a change in atmosphere, but still having the big city vibes in both. Switching between living with either one of her parents, and finding a different love interest really makes you think about all the choices one makes in life; all the little things adding up to find a life that could be completely different, but just as fulfilling. If you end up like me, you’ll find yourself needing more of this book, and potentially more snacks (due to all the food references).

While the sliding door effect might seem like a best-of-both-worlds sorta situation, the divergence of the two options was never really explained or weaves into the overall narrative. There was no Groundhog Day-esque or magic realism/speculative explanation, instead we were left treading through each story, unsure of what exactly the point was. Who was I supposed to root for? What goals did I most want to be met? But above all, which version was true?

It was very difficult to have a vested interest in two romances when you're being ping-ponged back and forth between opposite coasts. Each chapter was cute and made me want to read more until we were transported back into the other story. While the flow was disrupted by the structure, it is almost justified by the cleverness of a bi protagonist being on two coasts (ie BIcoastal!)

I suppose the message here is that different versions of the same happiness can be true, but it's hard to hold on to that when I'm wondering what exactly the point of the last 336 pages were.

Structure aside, I do have to admit that creating two compelling romantic interests and stories in one go is very impressive. I enjoyed both Elly and Adam Rose as love interests, and it was difficult to decide which one I liked more. In fact, all of the characters in "Going Bicoastal" were equally delightful, and they added a certain charm to their story through their witty repertoire and shining personalities.

Additionally, the tidbits of Nat's self-discovery that littered each story were unexpected joys, and I found the moments where they did overlap to be equally rewarding. She was boldly bi and Jewish, and the moments where she shared Shabbat dinner with friends or matchmaker-ed couples (more like predicated via gaydar) were vivid and honest.

Likewise, the writing was another light of the story. It managed to keep things fresh and young feeling, without being overly pop culture-laden or cringy. The tone was perfectly summery, and it matched Nat's energy in a way that seemed both confident and self assured in what it hoped to accomplish. Of course, this was expected given my enjoyment of Adler’s other works, "Cool For the Summer" and "Home Field Advantage"; however, "Going Bicoastal" might be Adler's strongest showing yet. The two narratives meant that a tight writing ship was ran, plus it had all of the zest of her previous works.

While the creative concept of "Going Bicoastal" makes for a unique summer read, in execution, it doesn't quite meet its potential. However, if you're able to put a bit of wondering aside, Adler’s 2023 release manages to be both fresh and fun through its lighthearted writing and fun characters.

Dahlia Adler has done it again! I adored this - the premise was amazing, and it was delivered so so well! I’ve been in such a rom-com mood, and this was the perfect thing for it. Loved, and can’t wait to recommend!!

This was overall super adorable, but the dual timeline thing was a bit lost on me, since it feels like there was no real closure

When I was younger, one of my favorite types of book were the choose your own adventures. The books that made you skip a bunch of pages and would give you exactly what you wanted, or didn’t want. This book gave me that same feeling but took away the anxiety of skipping around because we follow two storylines - Nat who goes to LA for the summer and takes an internship at her mom’s office and Tal who stays in NYC for the summer and finally talks to the Redhead she’s been crushing on.

Adler does a phenomenal job and keeping both storylines/universes easy to follow, I mean using different nicknames was so smart and simple! In LA, Nat interns alongside Adam and they start off on the wrong foot. I love a light enemies to lovers moment because if someone is fawning over you at your worst, it’s only uphill. The chemistry and banter between them was magnetic and the found family in LA was so beautifully written. In NYC, Tal takes on some odd jobs and finally talked to the mysterious Redhead, Elly, who turns Tal’s summer into a fun-filled adventure. Watching Tal come to terms with her future was so rewarding because Adler does a great job mirroring this in both universes.

Rewriting scenes from a slightly different lens is hard to keep the reader engaged. Nobody wants to read the same thing over and over. Adler does a great job at keeping this to a minimum and summarizing the similar dialogue. Although there are moments where I wished things weren’t the same, I understand the message Adler wanted to convey with this novel.

This was such a delightful, queer, wholesome read with amazing representation. As always, check content and triggers before starting this book. Also, this book will make you VERY hungry.

4.5+ stars

I love Dahlia Adler’s writing, and this book was no exception. The premise was intriguing, and although I think I expected the ending to be a bit more definitive, I kind of loved how it finished. The whole story was a super fun YA summer romance, and I especially appreciated the references to music, Poe, and other literature/cultural elements. I also enjoyed what had to be a quick allusion to the writer’s Home Field Advantage, another book I loved; I know there were other references that I missed, so one day when I have a chance read the rest of the author’s books, I’m sure I’ll be able to appreciate them as well. All in all, this was a great book featuring a bisexual Jewish protagonist who is safe and confident in her identity, and I’m looking forward to purchasing a copy for my classroom library.

“Going Bicoastal” by Dahlia Adler is an engaging queer rom-com that takes readers on a delightful journey of self-discovery and the complexities of relationships. In a unique Sliding Doors-style narrative, author Dahlia Adler presents readers with two parallel realities, allowing them to explore the different paths and possibilities that Natalya’s life could take.

The first reality keeps Natalya in New York, where she finally connects with the girl of her dreams: the enigmatic redhead she has been harboring a crush on for ages. This storyline allows the author to delve into the complexities of Natalya’s emotions and the challenges of navigating a long-held attraction. The blossoming relationship between Natalya and Elly is portrayed with authenticity and sensitivity, capturing the exhilarating highs and the nerve-wracking uncertainties of a new relationship.

In the second reality, Natalya embarks on a journey to Los Angeles, reuniting with her estranged mother and interning at her mother’s company. The vividly described setting of L.A. serves as the backdrop for Natalya’s personal and professional growth, as she navigates through the vibrant city and encounters Adam, an intriguing fellow intern and aspiring chef. The chemistry between Natalya and Adam is palpable, creating a tender and passionate romance that keeps readers eagerly turning the pages.

What makes “Going Bicoastal” shine is its depiction of the queer experience. The novel celebrates diversity, showcasing the richness and complexity of LGBTQ+ relationships while emphasizing the importance of self-acceptance and embracing one’s true desires.

While the dual narrative structure adds depth and intrigue to the story, there are moments when the transitions between the two realities could have been smoother, occasionally causing a slight disruption in the overall flow of the novel. However, this minor drawback does not detract from the book’s ability to captivate readers.

Natalya is faced with an impossible choice: spend the summer with her semi-estranged mother in LA, or spend the summer in NYC working for her dad, while her best friend is off in Puerto Rico. A part of her wants to reconnect with her mother, but a part of her is happy right where she is...

So, we see her make both of these choices. In alternating timelines, Tal stays in New York, and Nat goes to LA.
New York has the redhead Tal had been obsessing over for months; LA has Adam, the other intern at her internship. New York has her friends and routines with her father; LA has new friends and bonding moments with her mother.

It took me a little while to get into this book, just because I kept wanting more of whichever timeline I was in, but ultimately I really liked it. I loved how the two timelines were, in some ways, the exact same story, and in some ways complete opposites.

Going Bicoastal is a sweet, fun read about a bi girl doing her best and falling in love--with two different people, in two different cities, living with two different parents.
I found myself a bit nervous toward the end because I really couldn't choose which I wanted to be the "true" timeline--but the penultimate chapter ends in a way that works for both--and Dahlia Adler included an ending chapter for each of the timelines, like a choose-your-own-adventure ending, which I loved. I read both, but honestly even without that final chapter of each, the conclusion is really satisfying.

Going Bicoastal is the must-read Queer YA Contemporary Romance of the summer! It made me giddy. I loved it! That may seem like a bold proclamation, but I mean it from the depths of my soul. I absolutely adored it, from the first chapter to the last.

In this story, our main character is Natalya, a bi Jewish girl, who lives with her Dad, a mathematics Professor in NYC. Her estranged Mom works in advertising and lives in L.A. With summer approaching, Natalya needs to make a big decision. Her Mom wants her to go to L.A. to live with her for the summer.

They've barely spoken in years and going to stay with her Mom, means leaving everything she knows and loves behind; including her Dad and the red-headed girl she's been crushing on. Natalya can see the other side too though. It could be a chance to repair her relationship with her Mom. Does she want that? And the opportunity to explore new interests and opportunities; to get out of her comfort zone.

It's such an important choice. How will she ever be able to make it? She has a tough time making regular impact choices on a regular day...

She can't choose. So then, in the best use of the Sliding Doors plot device since, well, Sliding Doors, we the Reader, get to watch both choices playing out parallel to one another via alternating chapters.

We see Tal in NYC, breaking out of her shell, talking to the girl, taking on new interests and potentially healing things with her Mom through a long-distance option. We see Nat in L.A., living with her Mom for the first time in years, working at her Mom's business, meeting an interesting boy who also is working as an intern at her Mom's office, and befriending others in the L.A. Queer and Foodie communities.

Natalya's learning so much about herself and the plethora of new experiences are helping her understand what she may want for herself in the future.

Y'all, Adler absolutely crushed the construction of this story. While it may sound confusing, it is so seamless, it makes perfect sense as it's unfolding. I never found myself scratching my head or feeling like I was missing something. It's easy in the moment to just coast along with Natalya on her journey.

It's also fun developing opinions on which situation you would prefer. I was Team NYC from the start, and pretty much stayed that way throughout, although the LA scene definitely grew on me due to the all the delicious sounding food and super friendly people.

The writing is engaging and keeps you wanting to know more. I desperately wanted to know what was going to ultimately happen. As I got closer to the end, I wondered how Adler was going to be able to wrap it up. I loved the ending. It was such a great choice in my opinion. I feel like this might not be for everyone, but I fully support the direction Adler went with it. My heart fills with joy even thinking about it.

Honestly, I appreciated so much how unapologetically sweet and hopeful this story is. Everyone deserves a happy ending, and I think everyone can find one here. I definitely recommend this to YA Romance Readers, or anyone looking for a fun and unique Queer story. Be prepared to smile.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. 10-out-of-10 recommend!

🌟🌟🌟🌟
“Going Bicoastal” was such a cute romance! The book opens with Natalya Fox (also known as Tal) trying to decide if she’ll stay in NYC with her father over the summer, or travel to California to stay with her mother. From there, the two paths diverge into the different timelines that accompany each decision.

Along her adventures with her friends and family come two different love interests: Elly, the redhead girl in New York that Tal has been crushing on for ages; and Adam, a boy that Tal meets at the internship her mom arranged in California. I really loved how Tao’s bisexuality doesn’t act as a source of trauma or character development for her (and neither is it erased by the people in her life). It reminded me a bit of how “Schitt’s Creek” also portrayed different sexualities, and this representation is beautiful to read.

I personally am not the biggest fan of the “two timelines” trope in media, but I think this story handled it well for the most part. I didn’t love the “choose your own adventure” ending, but I can understand how it worked for the overall structure of the book. I would be interested to read more from this author if the other elements within the story are included within one timeline.

Overall this is a fun and light-hearted read! It releases in three days on the 13th—just in time for Pride month! 🏳️‍🌈

A delightfully queer romance perfect for a summer read!

And what makes it so special you ask? The dual timelines, the Jewish rep, the queer pride, and the relatable MC!

This was my first Dahlia Adler book, and I can guarantee that it will not be my last. I loved the Jewish representation, the cultural and traditional education sprinkled in the book, and the fact that our FMC gets to explore her Jewish identity throughout the book. As I am typing this I realize that I need to emphasize that the Jewish rep in this book is intertwined so beautifully into the story it just feels organic, and I love that.

It was so interesting to follow Natalya on her journey to self-discovery both in her romantic life and in her professional one. It was so nice to see her struggle to find herself in adulthood, to find her place in the world, and to find herself within her relationships (both romantic and familial). Once you get into the groove of the two timelines, its easy to follow the two directions of the story, and its cool to see how in some points the two timelines converge. It gave off a Gwyneth Paltrow in Sliding Doors vibe, but more fun and cozy.

Both timelines are written so well. The story is well paced, and the writing is very entertaining. I could not recommend this book enough!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martian's Press for the eARC!

I got an ARC of this book.

The dual timeless wasn't something I enjoyed. Jumping back and forth felt very odd for me. I would have rather seen this as a chose your own adventure sort of book or like the books where you flip them over and the other story is going the other direction. Something that made it feel less disjointed.

I did love there was acceptance for a queer Jew. I loved that there was no issues with her parents being bi, though I was annoyed at the mom asking if she still liked boys.

So this wasn't for me, but I can see why people would enjoy it. The format just stood in the way of me really getting into it.

Trigger Warnings: divorce, cursing, coming out, underage drinking, marijuana, past self harm, self harm scars, sex, mentions of masturbation

Representation: Bisexual, Ashkenazi Jew, Queer, Agender

Going Bicoastal is a queer sliding doors YA rom-com in which a girl must choose between summer in NYC with her dad (and the girl she's always wanted) or LA with her estranged mom (and the guy she never saw coming).

Natalya Fox has twenty-four hours to make the biggest choice of her life: stay home in NYC for the summer with her dad (and finally muster up the courage to talk to the girl she's been crushing on), or spend it with her basically estranged mom in LA (knowing this is the best chance she has to fix their relationship, if she even wants to.) (Does she want to?)

How's a girl supposed to choose?

She can't, and so both summers play out in alternating timelines - one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the girl she's always wanted. And one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the guy she never saw coming.

When they called this book a sliding door, they weren’t kidding! I have never read a book with this concept and while it can be a little confusing sometimes, I absolutely adored it! I loved that Nat could struggle with her future and crushes without the trope of a love triangle! And this was such a great read for June and truly illustrates the bi panic! I think this is going to be a great summer/beach read for anyone!

this is the perfect pick for the summer! i loved this so much and it was so cute and sweet. i was obsessed with the split timelines and romances.

Perfect book to read for Pride month! I love how this is coming out ;) in June! I love the duality this book plays on of having our main character, Tal, go through two different summer experiences and also play on her bisexuality.

10/10 book
Although I did mention that I loved the duality of going between both New York and LA, it definitely could be confusing at times to figure out what state I was reading about. I put this book down and picked it up a bunch, I.e. did not read in one sitting, and found it hard to remember where I was. Otherwise, I loved hearing both perspectives as I also have divorced parents and had to split some of my time.

I've been following Dahlia Adler for a quite a bit now, and this was my first time actually getting to read anything by her. Overall, this was a really cute book!

In Going Bicoastal, we go back and forth between the MC, Natalya, having two separate summers: in one, she spends time in the NYC with her dad and her new girlfriend, Elly. In the other, she heads to California to spend time with her mom and her new boyfriend, Adam.

Somehow though, I missed the memo this book had two separate plots like that, so it was a pleasant surprise for me. And I thought it was executed really well; a book with a bi MC who gets both the girl AND the guy? Yes, please!

The only part of this book I didn't really like was that after the halfway mark, there's a lot of pop culture references thrown at you in a few chapters. I know everyone feels differently about that in novels, but at times it was a little overdone for me.

The ending(s) were really well done here. And there's a nod in there to one of Dahlia's other books, which was really cool. Overall, I definitely recommend this.

What I Loved
-Fun Bi romantic rep
-Alternate timelines
-Diversity of religion in the story
What Didn't Work for me as well
-The book is more vibes and character focused than plot driven and I've been on a plot driven binge read this week.
-The custody arrangement premise hit at an unfortunate time for something going on in real life with a friend.
Who I Would recommend this title for
Readers looking or a split timeline story featuring a character driven narrative about identity and plans for the the future will enjoy going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler.

If you liked the “Choose Your Own Adventure” book series, then make sure you check out this new YA rom-com!!

The summer before her senior year, Natalya has a big decision to make: stay in NYC with her dad or visit her estranged mom in LA. Told in alternating storylines, Going Bicoastal follows Natalya’s story based on what decision she makes.

I might have totally missed this in the marketing of this book, but I didn’t realize that each chapter would be a different storyline: one following if she chose to stay with her dad and one following if she chooses to visit her mom. So, at first I was a bit confused, but as soon as I realized what was happening, I was 110% on board!

I loved how the story was told! @missdahlelama ‘s books are total hits for me 💕, so I’m not surprised that I also loved her newest book!

This book is FUN 😎I think the way Dahlia tells the story is super unique and it felt like such a wonderful surprise. Dahlia also nails the bi-rep and Jewish rep.

Going Bicoastal is a quick read that is expertly paced. The writing is great and super engaging! Overall, I highly recommend adding this one to your summer tbr ☀️