i devoured this book!! this was so fun to read and Cas is one of my favorite characters EVER. i loved the reality tv show vibes. such a brilliant book!!

do yourself a favor and read it as soon as it releases. a huge thank you to netgalley for the arc!

I really enjoyed this! I think once you hit the villa and the reality show the book really hits its stride. For me the problem was the beginning - I feel like our introduction to Cas doesn't necessariliy do her justice. Over the rest of the book we start to see glimpses of why she wants out of events but the first chapter sort of makes her seem like a party-ish girl that fits in that 'scene' well. I felt like without some of the background on the job and also her history with Saoirse I don't really understand why she jumps at the opportunity to be exploited by her boss slash why she isn't looking for anything serious. So it felt like a bit of a flimsy start that really strengthens as the novel goes. I understand why she's hesitant to open up with people at the villa, but I don't know that her being hesitant to open up to the reader encourages us to root for her from the start.
I felt the 3rd act break was really strong and well motivated by all parties and even though i saw it coming it still broke my heart.
Thank you so much for the ARC, i'm so glad i got to read it and think overall it's a great queer summer read!

I read this book feverishly and tried to put it down multiple times the week week I was approved for it (because it doesn’t come out til summer and I have JANUARY ARCs to read🫣) BUT I SIMPLY COULD NOT….IT WAS TOO GOOD!

This book was fun fun fun! Cas is one of my favorite characters I’ve read in a long time!!! I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this book because I regrettably do not like dating show reality shows (unless you count Catfish…which is the most deranged and most likely, 100% staged “dating show” that I have not been able to look away from since 2011😂) and have never watched “Love Island”. Lucky for me watching and liking dating shows was not a pre-requisite to absolutely loving the heck out of this book! The characters in this book (a large majority of them, a select few were clearly ones you are supposed to love to hate) were so likeable and authentic and I just love that in my books! I can already see this being a top read of 2024 for me!!!

5.0⭐️

⭐️THIS BOOK COMES OUT JUNE 25TH, AND YOU SHOULD PROBABLY JUST PRE-ORDER NOW TO SURPRISE YOURSELF WITH AN AMAZING SURPRISE COME JUNE⭐️

Special thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and Putnam for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

#hotsummer #elleeverhart #penguinpublishing #gpputnamssons #putnambooks

So wonderfully queer and brilliant! The story and characters were engaging and I loved them all! Femi has my heart though! I have not once watched Love Island and now I want to but only if it’s gay! Cas and Ada are both brilliant well developed characters that draw you in and make you root for them! The storyline was fun and lighthearted with pure joy and laugh sprinkled throughout! There was also however good character growth from Cas and getting to know her more over the book made her more loveable! The love between Cas and Ada was believable and sexy and you wanted to yell KISS ALREADY PLEASE! Thank good they finally did! The depiction of nonjudgmental and pure supportive friendship in her Hot Summer house made me very happy and hope that everyone gets to experience that in life. Your friends rooting for you and your love and bringing you an iced coffee in bed! I need a sequel!Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5

Setting: Cyprus
Rep: bisexual protagonist and love interest, multiple POC and queer side characters

This was an easygoing lighthearted read perfect for queer fans of Love Island! At some points it felt a bit on the nose - the concept of Hot Summer was literally Love Island with the name changed and it would've been nice for it to be a bit more unique but I still enjoyed it. I would've liked to have seen more of Femi and Sienna, and more.of Femi and Cas's friendship which was really nice, and I thought the turning point near the end was a bit abrupt and people's reactions were a bit unrealistic but overall a good solid summer romance.

I absolutely loved this book and have already discussed it with my entire Love Island group chat. We don’t even deserve this it’s the best.

This book was great! I enjoyed Cas and Ada, though I would have loved Ada’s POV as she seemed the more mature of the two. I thought the author handled the reality TV aspect of things really well and fleshed out some of the side characters in a way that helped keep them all distinct. The chemistry was there and Cas had a good arc. It was a fun read, but I wanted a little more overall.

Short summary: all that stands between Cas and her dream job is getting to the finale of Hot Summer (based on Love Island). When she meets Ada though and starts developing feelings, Cas wonders how long she can keep up the lie or if she wants to.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Hot Summer hooked me from the very beginning, and I couldn't put this book down! I was and continue to be obsessed with it. If you are a fan of 'Love Island' (or obsessed with it, like I am), this book will make you so happy!

Cas has worked hard for years, and she is always overlooked for promotions. She is surprised when her boss comes to her with an idea- he wants her to be a contestant on Hot Summer, which is a reality dating show very similar to Love Island. As an obsessed fan of the show, Cas knows how to play the game, and she know how important it is to make a good impression on the public. She has a game plan going in, but all of that goes off the rails when she meets Ada.

Ada and Cas's meet cute is amazing- they are the first two girls into the Villa! They come riding in the Jeeps and hold hands walking in and open champagne- just like on Love Island! I loved all of the little details that brought pieces of Love Island into the book. It was so much fun to be immersed in that world and see it from the contestants point of view.

At first, Cas isn't sure if Ada is interested in her as a friend, or as something more. They hold hands, share stolen glances, and share secrets, but one night changes everything! This book is a slow burn, but it brings the steam and the spice.

I loved Cas and Ada's chemistry. They were amazing together! I loved so many of the other contestants too. Their story lines were also fun to read about.

Overall, this book is like watching an entire series of Love Island all rolled into one steamy, sapphic love story. I wish that the real Love Island featured more queer couples, and we can only hope to see it happen!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC of this amazing story! I can't wait to buy it in June!

Hot Summer was the perfect little pick me up to read during the current cold snap I’m living in. As an avid watcher of Love Island, this story took an interesting look at the other side of it and how people aren’t always what they seem at face value.
I loved all the characters of this book loved reading about they’re stories and how easily everything unfolded. I also will read anything if two women are falling in love. It was a tad cliche but in a good way and the perfect length.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the chance to read in advance!!

I stopped after chapter 1 (8%) specifically because I wasn't a fan of the voice. Cas felt really immature and I didn't want to spend any more time with her, but the target audience should enjoy. I'd guess three stars, four for the right readers.

I loved this story, and finished it in one sitting. Cas was set up to go on a dating show by her employer, and it immediately felt like he was exploiting her on the basis that she’d be given a promotion if she made it to the finale of the show. She wasn’t interested in actually starting a relationship, but was pretty desperate to get into a new role at the company. Immediately she felt a bit of a connection with Ada, but they danced around each other for quite a long time. Some of the other cast members weren’t memorable, but there were a few standouts. Brad was terrible and needed a throat punch. Cas’s friendship with Femi was cute, and she pushed him to act on his feelings for Sienna, but was hesitant to do the same for herself until she really didn’t have much of a choice. Once Ada and Cas FINALLY got together it was rather short lived, because someone outed her work arrangement on social media. Again, Cas was exploited by both production and her boss, but I was thrilled to see her stand up for herself this time around. Ada and Cas were very cute, their friendship and chemistry came across as genuine, and I appreciate that the show slowly seemed to skew in a direction that was accepting of their pairing instead of having the men make those selections like they had at the start.

This book was adorable and really well written. I don't know what it is but I love books about contestants on a reality tv show and this book lived up to my expectations. The main characters were relatable and the writing was really well done. I would recommend this one to anybody that wants a good quick read. And it looks like I found a new author to follow so I will go see what else she has written, Well done!

I loved this book! The whole premise of the book sucked me in, even as someone who doesn’t typically watch reality dating tv shows. I loved this book because I felt real chemistry between the characters, I was interested in the premise of the story, and was entertained from start to finish. The only reason I am rating this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that while I felt the timeline moving through, it wasn’t always clear how much time was passing and so I would’ve like that to be a bit more clear. I will definitely be recommending this book to others!

Cas Morgan just wanted a promotion, now she's on her favorite show and head over heels for Ada. Hot Summer is a dating reality TV show that Cas agreed to solely for the promotion. But she actually meets people she likes, and one in particular has caught her eye. Ada joined to have fun and possibly meet her special someone. Have they found that in each other? And will Cas's beginnings ruin their relationship?
This is happily my first five star review of the year! Confession time:
I've never watched a dating show, minus two episodes of 90 Day Fiancé. But "Hot Summer" brought me all the excitement and feels viewers of those shows swear by! The reader and Cas meet all kinds of people through the contestants (even Brad, ugh). Cas and Ada's love felt organic and paced just right. I also really loved how there was no negativity towards the fact that Cas and Ada were a female couple, it let me really lose myself in the story. Did I mention Femi and Sienna?? I could use a whole book based off those two soulmates.
This book is a YES YES YES, every person who likes queer romance (or romance in general) should read it. I'm immediately shoving this book into my girlfriend's hands the second it's released!