This book is a similar plotline to the broadway If/Then. The main character and the story were both a lot of fun, and the love interests were so cute and genuine the reader couldn't possibly pick between both of them. I in depth Jewish representation was amazing since a lot of contemporary books don't get into conservative Judaism. I also loved that the author was able to show the LA Jewish scene, which I feel like is often overlooked in a lot of media that focuses just on the New York aspect (which is obviously still super important, it's just nice to see LA getting some love too). I will say, I was surprised at the ending and liked the choice the author made with it. Great representation and a fun story!

thank you to netgalley for my advanced copy!

okay, I loved the cover, the concept, both love interests, the Jewish rep, all the food references, all the music references, AND Natalya’s relationship with both parents… so yea I pretty much love this entire book!

I think my only not as positive feedback is the middle lost me a little bit and I was wondering if we would actually get a reality ending to see what choice she actually made- to spend the summer in LA with her mom, Adam and that cast of characters, or if she actually stayed in NY… but the author kind of made it like a choose your own path ending, and left it up to the reader to decide which partner and ending Natalya chose. I think I like that but also still wanted an answer of which path she chose, haha.

I loved that she got to teach both/either romantic partner of hers about Shabbat and other Jewish customs, like keeping Kosher. I loved how casual and accepted it was that Talya was bi, and this wasn’t so much an identity-discovery model in that sense for her, she was already a fully formed person before the story started.

Thank you Dahlia Adler for writing another summer fun, queer, Jewish, and delectable read- I definitely enjoyed this one a lot!

And… as a queer Jew myself, it would be really hard for me to choose between Elly and Adam, so I totally get not wanting OR having to choose one at the end of the book (haha)!

A dual timeline book with a male and a female love interest!!!! omg yes please.
Personally I do not and will not pick between the love interest and I will be treating it as alternate universe versions. It would be too hard to pick a favorite timeline, both are so cute and relationships of all kinds are formed/ strengthened in both so I can't imagine one of the timelines not being true if that makes sense.
Obviously if you read you are welcome to pick but if you're like me then just treat them as separate entities....
I learned a lot about Shabbat which was cool. I wasn't sure on all of the aspects of it so that was fun to learn about.
L.A helps Natalya come out of her shell and explore a new place while also making new friends on her own and growing her relationship with her mom.
N.Y helps her finally meet the girl she's been secretly admiring and helps her start going out and doing more adventurous things as well. She talks to her mom but I think it is different to her L.A life in the sense that strengthening a relationship is way different over the phone as opposed to in person.
It's also hard to pick since so many things are set in motion by her choice that would probably not happen if she had chosen the other option. In both however Natalya still figures out what her future can look like career wise and that makes me happy that it isn't all about the love interest, it's also just about her finding herself.
Both timelines are so cute and make me happy as someone interested in both guys and girls.
Queer love stories are so important and I am so thankful that I got to read this story.
Happy Pride Month!!!

Natalya Fox has been given a choice for the summer: stay home with her dad in NYC or visit her estranged mom in LA. She knows that she has to get out of her routine and explore the city, repair her relationship with her mom, and figure out her future. But is she going to do that while chasing the girl of her dreams or falling for the guy she never saw coming?

This book felt like the perfect depiction of the “why not both?” meme and I absolutely loved every second of it. Going into the story knowing only that it was “a queer Sliding Doors YA rom-com” and not knowing what Sliding Doors was or even having the foresight to look it up, I definitely stumbled a bit in the beginning once the split between the New York and Los Angeles timelines happened, but I caught up really quickly and fell in love with the way in which Dahlia was able to so effortlessly not only flow between the two but to also weave elements of one timeline into the other.

I’ve always been a believer that people have more than one soulmate, that timing really affects who is the right person for you. And that’s exactly the same vibes that I got from this story. Natalya lives out two very different paths, but even though they happen on opposite coasts with different groups of people, they both made sense for the person she was becoming in their respective timelines. There isn't so much a wrong choice as a different choice with a different outcome.

Anyone who lives off vibes or moods will be happy to find that this book’s release is very timely. All the summer vibes are there in both timelines and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this book is going to be one of the books of the summer. I want to pull up a lounger by the pool with a fruity umbrella cocktail in one hand and this book in the other and just relive the experience over again. Oh, and please add in some tacos. Speaking of which, do not go into this book on an empty stomach. All the food talk had me salivating and wishing I was actually living the story instead of just reading it.

Balancing a two different plotlines that jump between every chapter or so is incredibly difficult; I wish I could say this book pulled it off.

I just couldn't get invested. The bland and uninspiring prose doesn't help, either. I'm always looking for good books with good bi rep, but this bored me too much.

3.5 ⭐️s

- Young Adult
- Bi FMCs
- Jewish rep
- Alternating timelines: one set in NY, the other in LA
- All the food & all the music references

What a cute YA book! I had a little trouble in the beginning remembering which details belong to which timeline, but as I read on, the more invested I got into each story. I personally preferred the LA timeline, but both stories were super cute.

I loved Natalya's growth on both timelines. I loved her exploration of her Jewish culture, and the possibilities of her future career-wise. The fun set of side characters rounded out this book very nicely, too.

A great summer read for YA fans!

Thank you, Wednesday Books, for the ARC.

1. There is a casual Empire Records reference and I LOVE that.
2. As an only child who lived through my parents getting a divorce... I felt Natalya's comment about being an only child of divorced parents so much. It's a very different lived experience when you don't have siblings to go through it with.
3. Even now that I'm done reading this book, I still can't decide which version of Natalya's summer I liked more.
4. Obviously I loved the Poe references as well.

I think this is my favorite Adler novel yet and I cannot wait to get this into the hands of some of my teen patrons. It's nice to have an already out teen protagonist so the YA romance can be about romance and not about our main character figuring out their sexuality (not that those types of books aren't great too). There is plenty of queer rep that is allowed to just happily exist and both sets of friends groups are great in their own ways. I also really liked how Adler let the plots play out simultaneously and I LOVED how both East and West Coast characters end up kind of crossing paths at one point in the plot line to tie things all together.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

This was just a blast all around! “Going Bicoastal” follows the dual storylines of Natalya choosing to either a) stay in NY or b) move to LA for the summer. This was such an engaging way of writing a story and while it definitely was a bit odd at first, I quickly found myself enjoying it! So much so that I’m writing a review right now at 12 am instead of sleeping.

Both of the storylines were fun and fleshed out. I personally enjoyed the LA storyline more but that’s the fun of this book. Both romances are cute and it’s fun to see them both play out instead of potentially being disappointed by a love triangle. The inclusion of food and music in their respective storylines was also a great touch! Seeing adam’s emphasis on food and Elly’s emphasis on music make their way into the story was super fun.

Overall, if you’re looking for a quick and entertaining queer summer read, definitely check this out! Thank you so much to Wednesday books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very unique format and it did take a little more focus than some other YA romances might, but I really enjoyed it!

I love the way certain details were woven into each storyline. I also loved the cameo of Lara and Jasmine and a few other callouts to Dahlia Adler's other works.

I found myself unable to pick which storyline I liked better and for that reason I was very happy with the ending.

I would definitely recommend this one to fans of YA romcoms.

I cannot believe this is my first Dahlia Adler book!! I was looking for a cute summer romcom and I am so glad I decided to pick this book up. Natalya Fox has a big decision to make at the start of her summer vacation, go to LA and live with her mom for the summer or stay in New York City with her dad. It's an obviously tough decision and when she can't decide, both timelines play out through the course of the book. I loved this premise and I feel like as a reader, I got two great stories without missing out on Natalya's own growth. Both stories were well developed and I really enjoyed reading both of them.

I really loved Natalya as the main character. I feel like I understood her struggle to figure out what she wanted from her future. The summer before senior year definitely feels like a momentous time and I felt for her as she attempts to try new things while also holding on to what she knows. I really felt like she grew up a lot throughout the book. While she struggled with figuring out what she wanted to do after high school, I'm glad she was able to work through her options and find out what she wanted.

I loved Natalya and Elly's story; the coincidental run ins, the nervousness of figuring out if the other person likes you or not. Their story was very sweet and I loved that they both shared their interests with each other. I also loved Natalya and Adam's relationship. Starting off as rivals, becoming friends, and then finally being together is the perfect YA trope to me. I loved that Natalya had someone she could rely on while she was in LA. Both storylines were so cute and I won't spoil anything but the end was perfect! Besides her romantic relationships, I really liked that Natalya was close with her dad and that she was working to repair her relationship with her mom.

I loved the back and forth between New York and LA and I felt like I got to experience summer in both cities. Definitely do not read this book on an empty stomach! All the food descriptions made me so hungry and although I don't cook that frequently, all the food talk made me want to make a feast so I can try everything!

Overall, I really loved this book, it is a super cute YA romcom! It's a perfect read for this summer! I loved all the characters, the setting, and the romance. I really appreciated the Jewish and LGBTQ rep. I can't wait to read Adler's backlist. I would highly recommend this book, it's out June 13th!

This was such a fun book you guys that I wasn't sure about going into it but I kind of fell in love.
This was quite a different read with the same story playing out but our main character makes a different choice in the beginning that changes the outcome over all. So it's like reading two different stories at once. Idk if I have ever read a book like this and now I want to read so many more like this.

Spoiler******

Though I enjoyed the romance in New York and Nats journey there I was definitely much more invested in the LA story. I kind of fell for Adam and now want one of him for myself. I also liked the growth with her mother in both tales.

I would have loved to have seen a bit more of a cross over at the end though. Like Adam and her really meeting Elly or maybe even Elly and her trying the taco restaurant since I am guessing the boys would have moved to New York anyways.

Overall I loved this book and will definitely be checking out more from this author in the future.

Thanks to OrangeSky Audio and Wednesday Books for the free book.
This was so much fun! Natalya can't decide what to do for the summer - stay in NYC with her dad or go spend it in LA with her mom - and lucky for us, Adler didn't make us choose. The novel explores both decisions in alternating chapters, and I enjoyed it so much. There wasn't one timeline I liked better. Both were full of friends, fun, and food. I liked the exploration of being a queer Jewish woman. Adler had Natalya in so many different experiences that helped her learn and grow, which is what I love about YA. Seeing these characters become more mature in a way that feels natural and authentic to the YA experience. I wanted what was best for her, and both timelines give Nat that. I could've listened to so much more of this story because of how invested I was.
This is the first book I've listened narrated by Mara Wilson, and I immediately went and listened to her narrate another book right after I finished this one. Her performance was impeccable. She captured all of the different friends and love interests, and I had no problem keeping anyone straight. I can't wait to listen to her narrate more.

Going Bicoastal is the story of 17 year old Natalya who has 24 hours to make a huge decision of how she is going to spend her summer between her junior and senior year. She can either stay in NYC with her father who she currently lives with, gets to see her friends that are sticking around and maybe keep running into the red-head girl she has a crush on. OR she can go stay with her mom in LA and intern at her work. It would be a big change and a chance to do something new and to get to know her mom since they rarely see each other or talk to one another. What would be easy and comfortable would be NYC, but she really does need to branch out, right?

I loved the way this story was told. It was almost like a "choose your own adventure book". In some ways, I wish I would have read it that way. All NYC story back to back and then LA, but the way Adler alternated chapters and had Natalya living her NYC life while also living her LA life was perfect! I loved it! I actually had to go back the first time I read when Talya had decided to stay in NYC and then the next chapter has her going to LA. Very clever!

We saw Talya bring her cool, bisexual Jewish girl vibes to both coasts and it worked. 2 love interests that I really enjoyed and friend groups that made it even better. I love the way the Jewish culture along with the LGBTQ community was brought to both 'stories' and how positive it was. Add in the fact that I love music, art as well as food trucks and this was a total winner. It's just a book that makes you feel good. It also made me look forward to summer.

If you've read Dahlia Adler's previous books, you may catch a few surprise guests. But this book totally stands on its own and it was a pleasure to read from beginning to end. I really enjoyed how the relationships developed between Talya and her love interests as well as her friendships and relationships with her parents, especially her mother. This is definitely a book you should put on your TBR if you want something fun and positive and filled with great characters all around. A true joy!

thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books. & Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book

Natalya must choose between summer in NYC with her dad or LA with her estranged mom, and learns there may be more than one path to happy ever after.

This was such a unique premise with both of Natalya's choices playing out in alternating chapters between life in NYC and LA. Adler pulled off the duality in that the alternating settings were never confusing and I wasn't more invested in one path than the other. Ultimately I was rooting for Natalya as she grew and stepped out of her comfort zone, tried new things, met new people, and repaired her relationship with her mom.

We see Natalya explore her Jewish culture (loved Shabbat dinners with Adam) and own her bisexuality. It's a cute story overall with a great cast of characters and may leave you craving coffee and tacos. Perfect summer read for YA fans.

Thanks NetGalley and Wednesday Books for my advance copy; all opinions are my own.

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

This book was so much fun and the perfect book to kick off the summer season! Main character Natalya has decide which parent she is going too stay with for the summer, the dad she lives with in New York, or the estranged mom who lives in LA. She cannot decide, so each decision plays out in alternating chapters. Both love interests, Elly and Adam, were compelling and interesting to read about. I couldn’t pick a favorite and somehow wanted her to end up with both of them. Because of the dual timelines, however, there were quite a lot of characters to keep track of, but it did not cut down my enjoyment of the novel. The one thing I did not like was the portrayal and little digs at straight white boys/men. With the exception of Adam, for the most part they either were not there at all or were jerks and then never seen again. But again, I definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who reads young adult contemporary, romance, and LGBT stories.

I’ve been reading this for 17 days and I’m just at the 45% mark. When I say that that this book is putting me to sleep, I literally mean it puts me to sleep. I read and I’m immediately in nap mode after a chapter or mid-way through because they are lonnnnng chapters.

I was was excited for this book, but realized as I started reading it’s not what I expected - I fully realize I should have read the blurb better, but I jump right into books, especially those with cute covers. I love the teen Bi representation but on one side of the country she likes a guy and the other side of the country she likes a girl - cool. Only these are happening simultaneously - not cool. I didn’t expect this to be a choose your own adventure book for the main character and every other chapter seeing her life live out of choose to live with her dad or mom. And the chapters are very disjointing. You get into moments and it ends and doesn’t pick up where you left off. I’m not feeling attached to anyone, not even Natalya (love this name) who is the one main constant throughout.

It’s just a disappointment because this had huge potential. The writing needs to be smoother and connect better between scenarios on the same coast. I want to feel invested about the characters and root for them to get together romantically and with her mom because she working on getting to know her in both scenarios.

Usually I’m like I will pick that up again given it’s a queer romance with Jewish main characters. I absolutely the love the Jewish representation! The Jewish and Bi rep is why it’s getting two stars because otherwise I find this a big snooze fest of a mess, which makes really sad for a book I was excited about.

If Dahlia Adler writes it, I’m going to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC of Going Bicoastal!

This was the perfect summer read. It was light and fun and quirky. I really love the way we got to get a peek into both of Natalya’s possible summers. It was a unique way to explore her bisexual identity without making it about her bisexuality or making it an issues book. I loved how this was able to be a sweet romance about choosing between two possibilities (where the points of contention were picking between parents and summer destinations) without pitting either relationship against the other. They were presented as both equally valid.

I’m so excited for everyone who still gets to read this for the first time!

Thoughts

I was expecting to be mildly let-down as I have been by Adler's work in the past, but instead, I was incredibly pleased. This is a book of what-ifs, a choose-your-own-adventure for romance fans, and that was an absolutely delightful experience.

Pros
What-Ifs: This is a book full of possibilities. What if she stays in NYC for the summer? What is she heads to LA instead? What if she doesn't have to choose--or, really, what if you as the reader don't have to choose? This book is a choose-your-own-ending without all of the work, all the flipping back and forth to match up the bits and pieces you want. You can have it all, and that's delightful.

Little Echoes: Something that really grounded this enchanting romance was the consistency of the characters. Because it really wouldn't work to have two alternate timelines in two locations with two love interests if the repeating characters didn't feel consistent. But these characters do feel consistent, because in each timeline, little bits of them echo. The same conversations come up. The same snippets are said in different contexts, and that grounds these characters as the same, albeit in different universes. Natalya is the same, no matter what she chooses. Her relationship with her parents, that's also the same. And these little things, these echoes of her experience, help the story come together so well.

No Compromise: This is a book without compromise. Do you want an edgy redhead for the love interest? You've got it. Is a nerdy intern also of interest? You get that here, too. If you like art and music, food trucks and good food, well, all of that makes it into this piece. A little bit of everything you could want from your romcom makes it into that piece. 2023 has been a year of no-compromise romances, and I'm really loving that.


Cons
Confusing Timeline: Especially at the beginning, the jumps and cuts between timelines were jarring. Once I got into the quirky flow here, it was definitely less of an issue reorienting myself in time, place, and plot. But it did still feel like the chapter titles were often deliberately vague, almost as though they were meant to trick the reader into experiencing that timeline disorientation. I felt like I was purposefully getting jerked around, and it wasn't enjoyable. Needless to say, that made for an unhappy reading experience.

Whiny: Natalya definitely settles into herself as the story goes on, but gosh if she isn't annoyingly whiny! Especially in the early chapters, she reads very immature and pouty. It was difficult to read, especially since her narrative and her storyline(s) isn't particularly juvenile. This book is definitely in the middle to upper range for YA content, but the character reads very young.

Mature: I said it above, and it bears repeating here. This book is far from the most mature YA content out there, but the cutesy cover and whimsical premise might mean the content here will surprise readers. Because it definitely isn't for the young end of the YA range. There are glossed-over sex scenes, adult language and banter, and mature themes throughout. It doesn't go too far by any means, but there is a definite mismatch here between the maturity level of the marketing and the actual content of the book.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7/10

Fans of Emma Lord's When You Get the Chance will love this new city life romance. Those who loved J.C. Peterson's Lola at Last will love this new summer of self-discovery.

This was a really fun YA queer romance that sees Natalia, a Jewish, bisexual teen girl forced to decide which of her divorced parents to spend the summer with: her dad who she lives with all the time in NYC or go to LA and spend some quality time with her mother.

In a twist of fate she somehow gets to live out both scenarios in a magical realism sliding doors situation. I really enjoyed both her summer experiences (but I think LA was my fav). The audio narration was excellent by Mara Wilson and I am OBSESSED with this gorgeous cover too!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!

This book is really fun! I really enjoyed that co-existing stories and the implications of seeing what happens depending on what Tal choses to do. The ending is really fun as well, since you get to choose what ending you want to see (though I chose to read both). I was a fan of both Elly and Adam and the different ways they impacted Tal. I also really enjoyed that in both plots she got closer with her Mom, because you can sense the tension at the beginning of the story and sort of see that fade away. I think in both stories Tal does a lot of growing and starts to understand more about her mom which is a really good thing.

My full review can be seen here: https://theweatherwriter.wixsite.com/blog/post/book-review-going-bicoastal-by-dahlia-adler