4.5 stars

I just finished this book and I’ve literally melted into a puddle on the floor. From the very first page these two had me giggling and kicking my feet! Their rivalry was so polite I was genuinely laughing at their pettiness. I also found myself absolutely in love with the camp setting, im itching for it to be summertime already.

Overall, this was such a fun read and the pacing was absolutely phenomenal. I seriously couldn’t recommend it enough. (Also, im going to need an invitation to the next Priyatopia… like ASAP.)

This book is such a delight! I’ll admit, I never attended any camps growing up, so a lot of the obscure camp traditions really went over my head, but the romance was very sweet, and the epilogue was just lovely,

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley.

Sapphic romcom with a unique and exciting setting. Mean girls at camp + sapphic. Amazing!!

I wanted to go to summer camp so bad as a kid and this book fulfilled some of my dreams. Juliette and Priya gave perfect frenemies to lovers. I loved that I got to see all of Juliette's emotions from disdain to confusion for her blossoming feeling for Priya.

I got this book for free, in exchange for my honest opinion via NetGalley.

When I said I devoured this book, I mean it. Erin Baldwin is an absolute genius! This slow-burn, young adult romance was just what I needed this winter. I've personally never been to camp, but this book made me nostalgic for the place. Yes, on the surface, this is a story about romance. But it's so much more than that. It's wonderful and full of finding your authentic self, and the struggles and joys of your adolescence.

Juliette is so relatable. I may not be as "intense" as her, but I could see myself in her stubbornness and humour. Priya while being this big named influencer is written as down to earth and downright misunderstood. All of Erin's characters are so well-written and real. Even a character you only read about once or twice, pops off the page.

I could say so much more about this book, but I won't. I don't want to give anything away. Just know, that this is certainly a book you're going to want to pick up.

this book was an absolute delight to get through. i found myself laughing throughout the entire thing, really resonating with all of the characters. i’ve been waiting for a sapphic romcom like this, and it was AMAZING. the slow burn was fantastic and i really enjoyed the setting. i received the book through netgalley and will definitely be preordering it! first five ⭐️ of the year! (:

i really enjoyed the beginning of this book! but once it got to the actual camp setting... it fell flat to me. i feel like there was too much of nothing going on, if that makes sense. however, i liked juliette's characterization. but i wish her relationship with priya had a bit more to it, cause it was kinda lacking. but overall this book is pretty solid for a debut

A smart, fun, and vibrant debut romcom! The voice is so fresh and unique, and I loved the summer camp setting - and I'm sure fans of YA romcoms will too!

I really enjoyed this book, and I felt like both the characterization of Juliette and Priya was very real. I could relate to aspects of their characters such as Juliette's intensity and Priya's people-pleasing and perfectionist habits, and I feel like they complimented each other very well. Overall, I think the romance in the story was very cute and would be enjoyed by YA romance readers. Some criticisms I have, however, is the introduction of Juliette's conflict with her sister, Eloise. Although I understand the point of their only interaction was to showcase Juliette's home life, I wish it was expanded on, even though she was at camp. Also I feel like Gia's character was a bit lacking, and I wish he appeared more through the pages. Lucy had more appearances, and I feel like I understood her more. Also who else did Galahad bully? That question isn't a criticism, but more of a curiosity since I spent most of the story assuming, along with Juliette, that her problem was only with the MC.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion!

I read this over 2 days and had it not been for the fact I needed to sleep at some point I seriously would have finished this in one day. This debut was super fun, heartwarming, hilarious, and even with the slow burn between Priya and Juliette, somehow fast paced too. Its been a minute since I had a book where i couldn't quit reading and Im always happy to find a new one like that to obsess over. Erin Baldwin did a stunning job with her debut novel and i'm excited to see what she publishes next because i will be SAT, no questions asked.

Fogridge was such a fun setting, the book did a great job making you feel right at home in camp with the counselors sporting these ridiculous but funny fake nicknames that added to that layer of comfort. Even if Juliettes been going for 10 years and were only seeing one year of those 10, it made you feel like you HAD gone for the full 10 if that makes sense. I loved how the camp was ran, all the fun stuff they do and events you can participate in like this is a camp ID wanna go to and I'm a little salty it doesn't exist. All the characters were amazing too, no matter how little page time they had they made an impression and they felt like real actual people. Especially Lucy and Gia, and i liked that they weren't sidelined to make way for Juliette and Priya's relationship like they stayed important the entire book and there wasn't any unnecessary fights between them and Juliette which I hate and is also for some reason common in books (for why??) Also we only saw Pat a few times but that man is camp adoptive dad, he doesn't simply run a camp full of random kids you see, they are HIS kids and he loves them all.

Juliette was a great narrator to read from, I really liked how she read it was easy to get on board with and like her right away. Even when she did slightly annoying stuff it wasn't read like bratty or anything idk how exactly to describe it but I was just very chill the entire time nothing about it threw me out of the story. Her character development was very subtle to me through the story but every once in a while it would hit me and I liked that about her, same with Priya too. It's described as enemies to lovers but like truly look at these two, were they ever enemies or were they just dancing around and deliberately ignoring each other and their subtle crushes?? The world may never know (it is obvious of course we know) Juliette seriously went from "im gonna begrudgingly be your kinda sorta friend not because i WANT TO but because were roomies" to "ok maybe your pretty alright we can be friends" to "well shit I have fallen for Priya Pendley" and it was so funny to watch lol.

The one thing I would have liked I think is an actual reason given for Galahad's vendetta/behavior/attitude whatever you wanna call it towards Juliette. It really did seam for like no actual reason honestly. I just wanted to know what her deal was lol. Also Kinda what happened after Priya and Juliette got back from camp, since it was widely known that they kinda just EXISTED in each other's orbit with mild toleration before camp and then they come home dating after, there had to be some reactions to that y'know. But nothing that actually truly bothered me I loved this through and through.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion!

Cute and sweet sapphic romcom with cool characters. Not exactly enemies to lovers more like semi rivals to lovers. Cute. Thanks for the arc

oh i just ADORED this! this is a wonderful quick and cute read. juliette and priya are now firmly in my top sapphic book couples! the summer camp setting is so fun and was such a great choice; the details that went into the camp activities really made me feel nostalgic for those summers in high school and made me regret never going to camp. i love all the side characters and just how fun this was! sometimes i get a bit annoyed with teens in books bc they don't feel real in the way they're written, but Erin Baldwin has managed to capture teenhood so well i felt like i was in high school again. my only complaints with this book that makes it a 4 star read and not a 5 is that i felt like some things were left unresolved. why was galahad acting like that towards juliette? i also wanted to know more about juliette's family- did they support her and priya? did any of their relationships with juliette improve at all? i feel like there are some pieces missing that would've wrapped everything up better for me. but overall this was so cute and lovely and all the characters were so well-developed and relatable in their own way. i couldn't put it down and finished in only a few hours

this book was everything i could have imagined and more! i absolutely enjoyed every single second of it. like a sapphic ya summer camp novel where the two main characters are rivals??? sign me up!!!!

before the summer, they literally used to stand at opposite ends of one another so that they could crop out eachother in pictures. LIKE THATS BRILLIANT!!!!! i truly just ate up every single moment of tension and bickering amongst the two , because what can i say, i will always be a sucker for a good ole rivals to lovers.

overall i really connected to these characters and think this was an amazing novel. erin put tons of love and energy into these characters and into the essence of what it's like to almost be an adult. it was beautiful seeing sapphic representation in young adult books and i hope everyone picks this one up when they get the chance!!!!

thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!!! <33

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I think this book should be a sapphic romcom classic. Seriously, I enjoyed it so much. And I’m not much of a romance reader. If you enjoy ya sapphic romcoms, or even if you’re not a romcom person but enjoy coming-of-age stories, I’d definitely recommend this book.

This book follows Juliette, a wonderfully funny and relatable main character, and Priya. It’s a twist on typical enemies to lovers where the two are more-or-less long term “frenemies.” They share friends and have been going to school together forever, but Juliette annoyed by Priya and they never really got closer.

That is, until Priya shows up at Camp Foxridge, the camp Juliette has been attending for years. Juliette is of course frustrated by Priya showing up at the one thing that is supposed to be hers, but this also provides them the chance to actually get to know each other after all this time.

Alongside their relationship development, I loved Juliette’s growth as a character. I also loved her as a character in general, she had such a fun voice, I enjoyed her and the author’s humor. I think the author did a really good job at truly expressing and working through complex emotions with Juliette, and I really enjoyed that. This was as much of a coming of age story as it was a rom-com, and I found myself tearing up a little at the end while also grinning during the entire last chapter.

Additionally, I loved the setting of Foxridge. As a kid who loved summer camp myself, it was very nostalgic for me and it also provided extra fun. I loved the rest of the cast including Lucy, Gia, and some of the camp staff. Sometimes I get annoyed with how friends are cast aside in romance books, which I do think I would’ve liked to see more of Lucy and Gia, but they were nonetheless important to the story and to Juliette the whole time. I also really enjoyed how the counselors had their made-up names, adding extra personality to the book with even just the names of characters (and allowed for a really cute detail at the end).

My only critiques would be that sometimes there were a lot of references, including some that may not resonate with readers, or current memes that will likely date the book in the future. That being said, I did personally enjoy the references (that I understood) and the jokes from the memes (it’s impressive to include it without it being too cringy), but it may not hit for every reader.

Overall, this is a great romcom debut, and I look forward to seeing what else the author will do in the future! As mentioned previously, I am not much of a romance reader in general so I was genuinely surprised with how much I enjoyed this, and I’m rooting for this book to have a successful debut!

I really enjoyed the writing and the characters in this book. I knew it was going to set at a camp but the author really made you feel like you were at Fogridge (sidenote: everyone needs a Pat in their life). The story is an enemies to lovers trope but from the first couple of chapters I could tell that Priya’s heart really wasn’t into it and Juliette’s feelings mostly came from a place of envy. Nonetheless, I liked that the author allowed them to slowly peel back those layers and naturally progress into a friendship. By the time I reached the climax of the book I was heavily rooting for them. I only wished we got to see their relationship dynamic once they returned home/to school since so much of the book touches on how they exist in the outside world. All in all, this was a good read.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This book really surprised me in a good way. Wish You Weren't Here is a light and easy read, which was exactly what I needed right now since I'm currently in the middle of a much more intense, long and complex book, so this provided a nice break.

First of all, I really like the initial dynamic/relationship between Juliette and Priya. It's not the typical 'enemies' dynamic where they are just like "grrrr I hate you". I also found myself actually connecting with Juliette's struggles at times. For example I thought the stuff about feeling invisible was quite well done and realistic. Wish You Weren't Here is firmly YA and although I often find myself not wanting to read YA because sometimes I find it cringe or the characters to be unrelatable and fake-ly immature, this book was actually fine for me (mostly).

Okay, so about that "mostly", this is my biggest complaint and the only thing that really detracted from my experience reading this book: Galahad. Or rather the lack of backlash against Galahad. I mean.. I'm sorry, but any person acted and spoke that way towards me when I was any age above 12 and I would've been a massive asshole to them and severely ruined the next 5 weeks of their life. But, okay, perhaps I can understand that Juliette may not be that type of confrontational person, but you cannot convince me that no one else on that camp wasn't firing back! As someone who has gone through school I've seen exactly what happens when adults disrespect teenagers, and it is not what happened in this book! This really started to annoy me, especially since we are told that Lucy is the confrontational type, but apparently she won't stand up for her friend? And really remember these are 17 year olds! they are not babies! Okay, Okay, though. All that aside, (trying to stay spoiler free), even if Juliette didn't want to be confrontational there was nothing making her uphold her end of the promise she made to Galahad. Me, personally, I would've been like fuck this bitch, I'm going anyway and you literally can't stop me. So in summary, that particular dilemma felt a bit.. forced, or annoying, or just unrealistic to my experience?

That out of the way, I do wish there was a bit more to the romance aspect. I understand they were going a bit more for the slow burn route, which I love, and it's YA, which I respect, but it just felt like there could've been a little bit more *something* with the romance. Perhaps it's more tension I'm looking for? I'm not quite sure.

Those complaints being said, I really did like this book! It was a short, refreshing read and exactly what I needed (I read it in a day) and I really enjoyed Juliette as the narrator (most of the time). I 100% recommend checking out I Wish You Weren't Here if you're interested, and I personally will be looking out for future books by this author :)

(fun fact: i have also sprained my ankle on a camp)

this book is so good oh my god...

let me tell you a story. i was reading a blog post about anticipated lgbtq+ books coming out in 2024 and then i saw this book. my interest was instantly piqued...i added it to my tbr within seconds of reading the description. after that, i proceeded to go to erin baldwin's website, where i saw the art for the characters, and then to her twitter, where i read a preview of the story. by this time, this book had rocketed to one of my most anticipated stories of 2024. then, one fateful day, i saw that she had tweeted that this book went up on netgalley. when i tell you i RACED to netgalley, logged in, and smashed that request button.

this book is just so great. it follows juliette and priya, two "polite enemies" when they become roommates at juliette's summer camp. the setting was so well-done; the writing made me want to go to fogbridge, and i hate summer camps. the plot was great as well! i loved that there was no third-act conflict(i hate third-act conflict)

juliette is such a great narrator, and i honestly felt that her story resonated with me deeply; her story seemed, in some parts, what i had felt many times before. her voice is so authentic; it feels wholly unique. she's so relatable and messy and real! i love her!

i also loved the cast of characters; priya, lucy, gia. all of them were so real! so unique and so fleshed-out! this story may have had juliette as its main character, but it treated all the other characters with love and care!

i also loved how the romance was done. usually i love enemies to lovers, but a rushed love can drown the whole book. i felt like the romance in this was built up well, and the conclusion was so satisfying. i loved the epilogue!!!!

i read this book on the fourth of january and already it may become a new favorite. this was a fantastic debut by erin baldwin and TRUST if she ever releases more writing i will be there! i would recommend this to anyone who likes ya romance, a funny yet relatable mc, and a well-thought out cast of characters. i'm giving this 5 stars!