Wish You Weren't Here by Erin Baldwin is a stunning debut that blends humor, emotion, and a perfect summer camp setting. The story centers on Juliette, a flawed but lovable protagonist, and Priya, her perfect yet complex rival-turned-love interest. Their slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers dynamic is brilliantly written, with each character growing in meaningful ways as they challenge and support each other.

At the heart of the story are Juliette Barrera-Wright and Priya Pendley, two characters who start as friendly rivals, but slowly reveal the complexities of their personalities and flaws. Juliette, the story’s POV character, is incredibly well-developed—flawed, funny, and relatable. You’re not always supposed to root for her, and that’s part of what makes her journey so compelling. As she learns to grow and accept her own shortcomings, she also begins to see Priya in a new light. Priya, at first, seems like the perfect, untouchable girl, but the layers peel back to reveal her own flaws, making her just as human as Juliette.

The inclusion in the story feels seamless and authentic, not forced or one-dimensional. The characters are wonderfully diverse, and the way their different backgrounds and personalities are woven into the narrative only adds richness to the story. You truly feel like you're spending a summer at camp with these characters, and the genuine, inclusive atmosphere only strengthens the emotional pull of the novel. Highly recommend!

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

This was such a cute ya sapphic romance ! We follow Juliette as she’s off to her much anticipated final year of summer camp, only her worst nightmare comes true her rival Priya is at her summer camp and worse yet her new bunk mate. I loved the characters in this one they felt real and relatable. This made me miss summer and think of my own past summer camp days. I enjoyed this authors writing it was fast paced and engaging and I couldn’t put this down. This is my first book from this author and hope to read more from them in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

This was an entertaining book that revolved around two girls that seemingly have a rivalry, yet nothing is quite as it seems. There is also plenty of camp hijinks!

This is a fun enemies to lovers YA romance. Priya and Juliet were never friends but Priya has defended her from day one. Juliet is easily annoyed by Priya but goes to her birthday party every year. At her party she mentions to Priya's mom that she's attending Fog Ridge for the last time before they're off to college. That unintentionally gets Priya sent to camp with her and changes everything. She slowly starts to see Priya differently and romance starts to bloom. It's witty and has interesting characters.

It's sapphic and it's set at summer camp, I'm here. I liked that this had a heavier focus on self discovery and wasn't too fully romance centered, and I always love books set at camp!

What can I say, I'm an absolute sucker for messy sapphic rivals-to-lovers romcoms, and this delivers all of that and more, with the added bonus of summer camp vibes.

Adorable. If you’ve ever experience summer camp, this will bring back all the feelings of nostalgia for the connections and growth that happens in such a short period of time. It’s like 1 day camp time is 1 month real time. I don’t know if I’d necessarily categorize this as a YA romance as much as a journey of self discovery. I loved the diverse representation and the sweet sapphic frenemies to lovers trope. My queer-summer-camp-kid heart loved this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book's got very little romance and reads more like an adventure/self-discovery novel. If you enjoy high school gossip and summer camp drama, this will be pretty entertaining. I love how summer camp is important to Juliette and the things it represents to her feel like such an accurate representation of what growing up feels like. This feels like a weird comparison to draw but this book reminds me a lot of Dork Diaries, just a more grown-up version with a better writing style. That said, the writing itself didn't engage me 100% of the time and i zoned out every now and again.

Wish You Weren't Here by Erin Baldwin is an emotionally charged and poignant exploration of grief, healing, and the complexities of relationships. From my perspective, Baldwin’s writing is both raw and lyrical, effectively conveying the turmoil that accompanies loss while offering glimpses of hope and resilience. The characters are well-drawn, each grappling with their own pain and struggles, which makes their journeys feel authentic and relatable.

I appreciated how the narrative tackles difficult themes with sensitivity and depth, allowing readers to experience the weight of the characters' emotions. The pacing is generally steady, though there are moments when the story feels a bit repetitive, which can detract from the overall impact. Baldwin’s ability to capture the nuances of human connection, especially in the face of adversity, is commendable.

Overall, Wish You Weren't Here is a heartfelt and thought-provoking read that resonated with me on multiple levels. It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of love and support during tough times, making it a compelling choice for readers who appreciate emotionally rich storytelling that delves into the human experience.

Holy hell did this book catch me by surprise! On the surface, a cute YA sapphic summer-camp romance, complete with the enemies-to-lovers tension and chaotic friend-group I love to read. I didn't have much by way of expectations for this book though - YA romance is often too surface for me and while its a genre I love, the tension can sometimes be too cringey to enjoy. This book really transcended all of that for me. The setting was used beautifully and I was so fully engrossed in this dang summer camp that I'm honestly heart broken it doesn't exist. And I don't even like summer camp. The building of both the tension and breaking-down of barriers between the two MCs was excellently done. I found myself cheering deeply for both of them, and deeply engrossed in their story. I also really enjoyed the use of the villain in this story for how it brought the two leads together and helped the MC really grow. And there was vindication! Sweet sweet vindication! All in all, a book that surprised me, not because I thought I wouldn't like it, but because I never imagined how much I would.

I really enjoyed this book and the whole hate to love aspect. Usually summer camp romances are a hit or miss but this one was definitely a hit! This book would easily fit in any summer themed book display.

This was a super cute romance about 2 girls who think they have nothing in common but find that they may be perfect for each other. Enemies to lovers is a tough trope to get right but Baldwin does a good job here. Juliette and Priya aren't enemies but they don't like each other and do their best to give each other a wide berth. When they have the opportunity to really get to know each other, the chemistry is great and I believed the evolution of their relationship. Anyone who went to and loved summer camp will find this book nostalgic. This was a fun one.

This was very predictable. I was hoping for a bit more, because I was predicting what would happen, but it was still good. It was a fun, quick read that I’m glad I read.
Recommend reading if you’re in the mood for a good, light, fun, sapphic teen romance.

This book is a delightful summer romance that I’d call fluffy yet a slow burn. At one point, I really questioned if the characters would end up together, but I was invested in their journey. "Wish You Weren't Here" follows Juliette, who unexpectedly finds herself sharing a summer camp experience with her not-so-evil nemesis, Priya.

Priya embodies everything Juliette is not, making it feel like fate when the popular girl becomes her roommate at Fogridge, Juliette’s summer sanctuary. Determined to make the most of her last summer there, Juliette navigates this rivals-to-lovers dynamic.

The romance unfolds gradually, which is charming to watch as they realize their feelings are more complicated than they thought. The side characters added depth, though I’m still puzzled by Galahad's intense dislike for Juliette, which left me a bit frustrated. Overall, it’s a lovely story with a sweet romance, perfect for a palate cleanser. I highly recommend it!

I received an ARC from Penguin Group via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

“Wish You Weren’t Here” is a sweet coming of age YA story. While this is classified as a romance, I’m not sure I’d go that far. While there is a romance, it’s more of a subplot than anything else. This is more about Juliette’s journey to finding self-discovery and acceptance.

I only went to summer camp once and unfortunately; I don’t remember much about it. However, this story has made me see what I was missing. Camp Fogridge is Juliette’s oasis from her home life and it’s the only place where she feels like she can really be herself. At home she’s a middle child that is ignored and considered “too much.” At school she has to deal with Priya, a social media influencer, that she’s known most of her life. Priya, while not an enemy exactly, gets on her nerves with how perfect her life is. Her plans to enjoy her last summer at Camp Fogridge come crashing down when she finds out Priya will be her roommate for the summer.

Juliette is an intense girl with intense feelings. She doesn’t make a great first impression as she is pretty insufferable to start. Because of her home life, she has some issues with her self-worth and being insecure. She doesn’t take Priya being at camp well and it takes a lot of work for her to accept the situation. Luckily, she has some friends that help.

Priya has known Juliette for long enough that she doesn’t let Juliette’s attitude get her down. Their relationships grows and evolves over the 5 weeks and I loved how sweet and funny they were with each other. I did have an issue with Juliette some of the time. She could verge on being a bully sometimes and I wanted to see her held accountable and deal with that more.

I appreciated all the queer and POC rep. I think it did a nice job of showing how differently things are now even if it doesn’t always feel like it. Especially with the younger generations. Race and sexuality were accepted without much discussion if any at all.

Also, kudos to the author. This is Baldwin’s debut and nothing about this felt like it. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find out she’s written under a pen name or something like that.

I want to end by saying this felt young adult. I read quite a bit of YA and it doesn’t always feel YA. There’s a lot of teen angst and emotions and I appreciated that the author did make this seem like 20 years old and slap a YA label on it.

YA Romance is not usually my genre, so I was surprised how much I loved this. The summer camp vibes and relatable characters took me back to my own high school camp days. Highly recommend for anyone looking for sapphic nostalgic vibes!

I have never been a summer camp kid so it’s very possible that colored my experience of this book. Besides having no affinity for the camp life, the narrator of this book was just insufferable. The pop culture references and asides just got on my nerves. If you want a much more fun and toxic version of the relationship from this book you should just read I Kissed Shara Wheeler. The moment the really sealed my distaste for this book was the theatre stuff that had absolutely no understanding of how a production works. In no world is a costume designer building set pieces, that makes absolutely no sense. A costume designer does not have the time to do that work especially on a high effort production like Beauty and the Beast. Bad theatre rep in YA is the bane of my existence, since I minored in it I just have way too many opinions. Again see I Kissed Shara Wheeler for good theatre rep. Overall, I personally wouldn’t recommend this but maybe if you’re a camp kid this’ll really do it for you.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wish You Weren’t Here is a YA romance told from the perspective of Juliette, middle child of 7, regularly deemed “too much”… unless she’s standing next to her childhood frenemy, Priya, where she becomes invisible. Her saving grace is Fogridge, the summer camp Juliette has been going to for ten years, the one place she truly feels like she can be herself. You can imagine what happens when Priya ends up at the camp during Juliette’s senior year. And even worse, they are cabinmates.

Ugh this book is so… freaking… cute. I had no idea going in that it was YA (I tend to judge books by their cover and this cover is too good), but in the end it didn’t matter because I legitimately adored this book and in no way thought it was a read for “ages 16-20 only.”
*Unless you’re looking for spice in which case this one probably isn’t for you*

I loved Erin’s writing style, the queer rep, and the amazing cast of side characters (who I wouldn’t hate reading about in future books *hint hint*). I also thought Priya and Juliette’s relationship was adorable and loved watching their growth, both personal and as a couple. But what I loved most was how Erin was able to encapsulate Juliette’s feelings. They were often extreme and heightened in the way your feelings really only are as a teenager but the way Erin described it never made me annoyed, only sympathetic. I was reminded of how hard it is to exist at seventeen, when everything feels huge and life changing and I truly felt for Juliette as she dealt with the idea of losing something that had been such a huge part of her life for ten years. #changeishard

Still, there was a lot of funny banter, swoony encounters, and laugh out loud humor throughout the story and I spent the majority of the time with a giddy smile on my face. It’s an overall feel good romance and I recommend everyone check it out.

EVERYTHING I NEEDED IN A BOOK AND MORE!! IT WAS EVERYTHING! The plot was easy to follow, and the characters were amazing

4.25 stars

Again am I a bit biased in terms of my love for queer romance? Absolutely yes, but this one did not disappoint.

The summer camp setting felt so nostalgic and comforting. There are a few great romances set at summer camp but it can be hard to not make it feel immature as a result. I was impressed that this book had some maturity for the setting.

The tenseness of their frenemies-t0-lovers dynamic made it such a page-turner! I loved seeing their quips and bonding moments. That said, there were times when the banter turned a bit toxic. There comes a point where teasing becomes bullying and I fear it crossed that line.

Overall while I do not love the toxic moments, the vibes as a whole were immaculate. The cute cover had me falling in love!