Dnf 20% in

I found this book really hard to read, I don’t know if it’s because i though the characters were adults & the i found out that it was a ya, which honestly was mostly likely told & i just didn’t realize. I was really excited to read this book when i started it & when i found out it was ya i was a little disappointed but i continued on because i do love ya book especially sapphic ya book. At the beginning i found it was a little hard to read but i decided to just push through, i originally wanted to get 50% in before deciding to dnf since i don’t like dnfing my arcs but i just couldn’t do that with this book. I don’t know if it was the writing, my mood, or just my chaotic life making it hard to connect to the story but i just could not get myself to pick up the book. Honestly i think it’s also the cover, as pretty as it is, the characters look older than they are.

Wow. I loved this! I was never really a camp person but that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed this book.

Priya and Juliette were so fun, I loved their journey from indifference to being in love. Lucy and Gia were amazing side characters and I would read more just about them!

The ending was adorable and a perfect way to wrap up the story.

Erin Baldwin has written a beautiful, funny love letter to the summer camp experience. The addition of a enemies to lovers romance really sealed the deal for me. Thoroughly entertained.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

"Wish You Weren't Here" by Erin Baldwin is a delightful and engaging read. Baldwin's storytelling is witty and charming, drawing readers into a world filled with humor, unexpected twists, and heartfelt moments. The characters are relatable and endearing, making it easy to become invested in their journeys. This novel is perfect for anyone looking for a light-hearted and enjoyable summertime escape into a well-crafted story.

Wish You Weren't Here is a great book for the summer! I've never been to sleepaway camp, but it's clear that the author has that experience and a ton of love for it, so much so that it had me wishing I was going off to a summer camp soon. I loved how this centered on the BIG FEELINGS of being a teenager, the romance a soft supplement to a little summer-y slice of life, though certain aspects of the plot/execution left me wanting for more. Specifically, Juliette's intense nature is a big part of her character, and there are moments where we get a glimpse of her chaotic family life with five siblings that makes you understand her better, but I wish we delved into that a bit more at times, but I also appreciated that it is unresolved because this book IS just a summer camp story and that kind of struggle is, realistically, not overcome so quickly. I will say, that although I understood (and to some extent related to) Juliette's insecurity and intensity and WHY she was this way, she could be rather rude and standoffish, almost a bully. This, again, was something I felt personally, but I'm on the fence about whether Juliette fully understood how mean she was being. Priya, the love interest, on the other hand, was a particularly compelling character, and I loved getting to know all the different sides of her throughout the book alongside the main character. I also really loved how much personality each of the side characters (campers, counselors, friends, etc.)

Overall, a heartwarming, fun, summer-y read that I would recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for providing me with a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review <3 All opinions are my own! (This book officially came out 4 June!)

A lighthearted sapphic YA romance set at a summer camp - what isn't there to love, not to mention the "I hate you but not really" vibes that were going on between the two main characters.

I loved watched the dynamic shift and grow between Juliette and Priya, especially as they navigated the summer camp life together.

Overall, I had a love/hate relationship with the first person perspective the book was written in, and think there was some over the top pop culture references throughout the book, with some feeling natural and others feeling forced. However, I would definitely recommend this book, and enjoyed it as a light and fun summer themed read with a touch of queer romance.

Oh — what a perfect Pride Month read! I've been in a weird place where I keep wanting to enjoy reading YA and keep being let down; I have been wondering if I simply have outgrown the genre or if I'm just not reading the right novels. Wish You Weren't Here reaffirmed my love for the genre and was such a delightful read.

Erin Baldwin perfectly encapsulated that senior year/everything is changing feeling, wrapped up in the joy and warmth of summer camp. Sometimes authors struggle to capture teenage banter—it either feels too overdone or too cheesy—but the interactions between Baldwin's characters felt seamless. It felt like we were just getting a peak into Juliette's relationship with her friends + camp vs. Baldwin feeling the need to overexplain everything.

I also thought the romance was so cute. The build-up was delicious and I was giggling and kicking my feet between the interactions! I cried at the end, not going to lie. It's such a perfect summer read and really burrowed itself into my heart. Loved it!

There were some slight pacing issues and little minor issues that dropped it to a real rating of 4.5 stars but I enjoyed it so much that I'll bump it to 5 stars.

This was very cute.

As a romance, I had mixed feelings, in part because it's another book that's billed as "enemies to lovers" (not just in the blurbs, but also in the setup of them being... frenemies? Rivals? Unclear) but doesn't really follow though on that. There's also a weird just-for-plot-reasons fight at the end that came out of nowhere and didn't make sense OR add much of anything, IMO.

That said, I love the banter, the quirkiness, and most of all, the love letter to summer camp, growing up, and bringing the best parts of yourself into adulthood. I never went to camp quite like THIS, but I think the goal of Fogridge was to be the best parts of summer camp turned up to maximum chaos settings. I enjoyed that quite a bit.

I did have a good time with this one, even if I was a bit tepid on certain elements of the plot and execution. Would recommend for a lighthearted summer read. :3

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A perfect read for anyone who ever felt more like themself at summer camp than they did the rest of the year! WISH YOU WEREN'T HERE is such a fun, joyful, heartwarming story with relatable characters and a delightful setting. And that cover! My god!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. It was definitely worth the time, a heartwarming read about the intense feelings long forgotten by most adults.

I was in a major book slump, and this book broke it for me. I couldn’t put it down. This is one of the freshest and most fun books I’ve read in a long time!

I could wax poetic about this novel for hours. How this is everything the sapphic romance genre is for. How these characters are so dimensional, the plot so fun, the romance so sweet, the chapter titles timely and hilarious & that the book has so so much heart.

I say I could talk about it forever, but I think that's all you really need to know. 'I wish you weren't here' is gorgeous, sweet, funny and everything you should be looking for in the romance genre. It has such a fun setting with so many fun characters and events and I already can't wait to reread this over and over again. Sapphic summer, anyone?

The sapphic novel of my dreams. If you're a fan of angst, tension, and undeniable chemistry, you're gonna want to pick this one up. If you're not a fan of those things, you should pick it up anyways

Wish You Weren't Here was such a cute sapphic romance! I really enjoyed the summer camp vibes and think this is a perfect light, fluffy, summer read.

This was a hilarious YA romcom with messy, chaotic characters, and it's sapphic!! I would definitely recommend this book to romance lovers.

This frenemies to lovers book is the perfect summer read with a heroine that owns who she is. This is the perfect queer summer read.

The perfectly silly enemies to lovers sapphic camp romance you never knew you needed, an absolute treat to read!
Easily one of my favorite books that I've read lately, this was an absolute delight and a romp to read. I could hardly go a few pages without smiling or laughing.
We all know what's going to happen in this book, right off the bat, but Baldwin still manages to keep it fresh and unexpected with how much heart and thought goes into the characters and the story itself. Juliette and Priya are well rounded and painfully human in their interactions with each other. As the book goes on, the longing glances and yearning looks were sprinkled so well amidst the occasional arguments or tension. Long before Juliette realizes it, you the reader will be be like, YOU WANT TO KISS HER FACE GIRL! Please just take a load at this writing, because it just captures that baby gay vibe so well.
"Every atom of my being goes motionless. Her hair brushes my cheek. Her shoulder presses into mine, but she keeps leaning, reaching for something behind me."
I loved the growth the characters go through over the book, and how the "friendship" that Priya and Juliette develop changes each of them for the better.
If you were ever sent off to summer camp as a child, (as I was, for many a year) you know that Baldwin didn't just nail the silliness and comadire of camp. She absolutely captured the essence and feeling of it. The interactions, the not wanting to leave, even the camp nicknames. It made me feel like I was back at camp. One of my favorite parts of reading this was the different counselors, such as Flagstaff, and how they all interacted with the campers. I never felt overburdened by the number of characters, they were all balanced well with the story and I never felt lost.
Not many authors can balance the right amount of world building with how much of it to share. It was clear that there was a lot that could have been delved with in regards to Juliette's family, and how it has shaped her current insecurities and competitive (slightly intense) nature. [ The amount we were shown made it easy to paint the picture of her family being, well not the best. Not abusive per say, but clearly prioritizing winning and being the best. Quite frankly I would argue that they were abusive, any parents who pit their kids against each other and only gives attention and time to those who are going to be a prodigy, are textbook assholes. (Can we get some therapy in aisle three, please?) I do like that it was primarily unresolved, because it was so realistic. The story isn't about. Juliette confronting her family, it's about her growing up just a bit and realizing how wrong her perceptions of Priya were. And of course, their fantastic romance. (hide spoiler)]
I am going to need someone to send the author a fruit basket or something, because we were BLESSED with an epilogue and I was so grateful. It didn't feel unnecessary either, but just made the ending all the sweeter and wrapped up any lingering questions I had. (Dare I say, a perfect ending to a perfect story?)

There were a few times Juliette gave me, well not mean girl vibes per say, but she was so insecure and the way it manifested was being judgemental of others, it was a bit of a bully vibes at times. As in, I could see her being difficult to someone or not so nice or welcoming just because she was jealous. It was obvious where it was all coming from, (read earlier spoiler) but it didn't make it any less true.

Easily one of the best and most enjoyable books I've had the pleasure of reading lately, I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THIS! READ THIS! The perfect sapphic book for summer. I will eagerly await Baldwin's next book, with the same anticipation of a child counting down the days till they get to go back to summer camp.
I also adore the cover, it is always a treat when a book with excellent writing is given the cover it deserves and that matches its vibe. Excellent colors, composition, and one that will stand out on any shelf.

Thank you Penguin for this Arc, any quotes are subject to change before publishing

Thoughts and Themes: It took me a while to get into this book because I wasn't sure where it was going with our main character and her friend. It was also frustrating at times as they went back and forth teasing us with a potential romance but then going in the other direction. I kept reading only to see what would happen, but I am glad that I did because of how much I ended up enjoying the story.

Characters: In this book you are introduced to our main character, Juliette and some of the people at her camp, Priya, Gia, and Lucy. Each of the relationships that are depicted throughout the book are great to read and I love how each of them is different.

I really loved the relationship that Juliette had with the other campers as well as some of the professional staff that is at the camp site. I loved getting to see how the professional staff navigated some of the experiences that Juliette was having at camp and how they helped her through the emotions. I really loved Juliette's friends at camp as well and how different they were from her.

Priya and Juliette's relationship made me laugh at times because of how much Juliette seemed to dislike Priya right from the start. I also liked that it seemed that neither really knew much about the other beyond surface level facts, yet they have been friends for years. I enjoyed getting to see each of them learn about the other and see how the relationship developed due to that information.

Writing Style: This book is written in first person and told through Juliette's perspective. I love that we get to see everything through Juliette's perspective because we only know things about others as they reveal them. I love that for the majority of the story Juliette isn't supposed to be a likable or reliable narrator, but you can't but love her. She does read a lot younger than her age so there were moments in which I had to remind myself of how old she actually is.

SUCH A GOOD BOOK! erin has such an amazing voice and is so good at weaving in hilarity and chaos with believable narratives.

I had a lot of hopes for this book, especially because of the setting. But honestly I felt like I could never really latch on or care for the characters, which is my biggest criteria for enjoying a book.