I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

If you love dating reality TV, this is the book for you. And then to make it sapphic??? ABSOLUTE PERFECTION!!! I was captured by this book from the second we meet Cas and getting to follow along on her journey of going on the show Hot Summer was so fun. Not only do we get to see a romance blossom between Cas and Ada, but we also get to see friendships developing throughout the villa. The friendships formed between the characters was one of my favorite parts because they really added depth to the story. Overall, I loved this book and would absolutely recommend.

Before this book came out, it immediately caught my interest, and it definitely lived up to expectations.

The story follows Cas Morgan, an event host for a dating app, who’s offered a shot at a promotion—if she's willing to join the reality show Hot Summer. Cas signs on for the challenge because she’s determined to win over the viewers and perform well on the show. But romance isn't for her and what could possibly go wrong?

I really enjoyed this book. It has both drama from the reality dating show, and a slow-burn romance between Cas and Ada. The third act breakup did however seem avoidable which was annoying. I still really recommend this book!

A big thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

While I am not a fan of watching all of the “reality” dating shows, I am a fan of reading about fictionalized versions. Or at least I am when there is a great romance involved.

I really liked Cas, even when the public didn’t, because she was completely real. She wanted to be genuine, but was trying to protect both her heart and herself. I felt like she was kind of pushed into the situation she was in on the show (and don’t get me started on how that whole situation turned out), but she truly cared about the people she met there.

The relationship between Ada and Cas was perfect. It started with instant attraction (on both sides), but built slowly through a growing friendship before they finally got together. Ada broke through Cas’s walls, but Cas still carried baggage from past hurts. Ada had her own baggage as well.

I also really loved the relationship between Cas and Femi and the friendship that they developed. And when the drama from the situation occurred, I was so happy that he continued to have her back and knew there was more to the story that what they were being told. Cas also had some really great friends outside of the show.

I loved the ending as well!

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hot Summer is a standalone queer romance novel. It follows Cas Morgan onto a dating show called Hot Summer so that she can secure a partnership for the dating company she works for and get a promotion.

Upon reading the description, I was immediately interested in this book. I am guilty of watching Love Island every year, so obviously I was hooked from the start! This book’s Hot Summer tv show is a fun spin on the real life show! I also really liked our main female character Cas. Knowing how things go on shows like this, it’s really hard to know what a persons true intentions are. Her journey was really understandable.

The love interest, Ada Hall, was so lovable! I felt like she was always understanding and sweet. She gave me puppy dog energy but also sometimes lethal woman vibes. I loved it! I also really enjoyed how Cas just melted at everything Ada did, it was so cute!

I did expect some things here and there because as I mentioned, I’ve watched the show similar to Hot Summer, but I felt like it was more of a wink nudge at those who have watched it. I actually liked that the parts when we see the producers talking with the contestants were focused on, and the fact that not everyone and everything is how they seem from tv to real life. It gave an extra bit of realness to the story.

This one is for the tv lovers, my queer/bi/pan girlies, and anyone under the sun 😉. 4.75/5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read that was perfect for a lazy day. I loved the premise and felt that it tackled some great subjects well.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on October 7th, 2024. Links provided.

Cas Morgan never thought she would end up on a reality dating show but with a potential promotion on the line, she is hand picked by her company to participate after they partnered with the show’s production team. Since she won’t receive any special advantages while on the show, she knows she has to be liked to stay on as long as possible to get her promotion. As she steps into the beautiful villa, her strategy of just being liked and staying on as long as possible without actually developing feelings for anyone quickly becomes more difficult when she meets Ada, a fellow contestant who seems genuinely interested in forming a real connection. Captivated by Ada’s charm and beauty, Cas struggles to navigate her feelings, torn between her budding romance and her ambition, leading her to be unsure of whether she should follow her heart or stick to her original game plan.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I felt the writing was great and the story was very enjoyable. The author did a wonderful job developing the characters and, because of that fact, I really grew to love them and was invested in their story. I loved the slow burn of their friends to lovers storyline and thought it was very sweet. If you love sapphic stories based off of reality tv shows with a sweet romance, some spice, and summer vibes, then I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of Hot Summer in return for my honest review.

Huge thank you to #gpputnamsons and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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This was a fun one, especially if you are Love Island obsessed like I am! Cass had spent years watching Hot Summer (AKA Love island) but when she needs to choose between business and love she’s in a real predicament. This was a quick read, with a cast of characters I loved and overall a good time!

First of all, I have to say that I LOVED the cover art.

This was a cute, fun read, if not a bit predictable. I enjoyed the story and the characters, as well as the setting on a reality show.

I would definitely recommend this one.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A hot new bombshell has entered the villa ... it's this book! The story follows Cas, a contestant on a *Love Island*-inspired dating show, who plans to manipulate her way to the top for a career promotion, only to be sidetracked by unexpected feelings for fellow contestant, Ada. The writing was engaging with strong development of sweet, genuine characters. While the ending was predictable (aren't they all?), the story was so fun, drama-filled, and a solid rom com.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm staying true to my brand by only reading books set on reality TV shows, but this one was especially amazing. A perfect summer read, and an answer to my biggest Love Island question which is, why is it always so straight? As a bonus, I don't know why, but I'm so enamored with the book cover. Bright! Neon! This is one instance where you can judge a book by its cover, because it delivers on that promise.

This was super fun! I’ve watched like 1½ seasons of Love Island US, and I loved seeing a book with a more queer version of it. The whole thing about how “anything goes” but most of the couples are still m/f totally tracks. And I like the social media posts, I definitely was thinking some people would recognize Cas if the app is big enough, so I’m glad they addressed that right away, and it makes sense that that ends up being the major conflict of the story.

Cas and Ada’s relationship was nice, I loved the relatable “oh but does she REALLY” like me aspect of it, and this is a story where the third act breakup totally makes sense. I also really like that Cas went into the show wanting a friend couple and came out with several friends AND a girlfriend :’)

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my review. I’ve been wanting to read this since like February and I got approved for the ARC in June so idk what took me so long to read it, but I’m glad I finally did!

I can’t believe I procrastinated on reading this book for so long, but it was the perfect way to end the summer! ☀️

A big thanks to PUTNAM for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Read if you 🩷:

• 📸 Reality Show Romance

• 🌈 LGBTQIA+ Representation

• ‼️ Drama and Secret Reveals

• 🛌 Only One Bed (x5!!)

Cas Morgan never imagined she’d be a contestant on "Hot Summer," the reality dating show she’s obsessed with. But when her company partners with the production team, Cas is thrust into the villa with the goal of winning over the public—and securing her promotion. Her plan? Charm her way through eight weeks under the sun. But when she meets Ada, a fellow contestant looking for something real, Cas’s strategy goes awry as sparks start to fly. Now, she’s caught between playing the game and following her heart. 💕

I have to be completely honest… I WISH this year’s dating shows were as entertaining as "Hot Summer"! 🤩 The drama of Cas being sworn to secrecy due to her NDA is full of tension and anticipation. It’s hard to tell if, when, and how the big reveal will happen, so I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! I also loved the social media threads sprinkled throughout the story. They were a great reminder that the world wasn’t seeing everything happening inside the house. 👀

My only gripe is that the ending felt slightly unsatisfying in terms of redemption. I wish we could’ve seen more of the public’s reaction to the reunion episode! However, the extra scenes with Ada and Cas, along with the perfect epilogue, more than made up for it. 💕

If you love books like "The Charm Offensive" and "Love & Other Disasters," I’d highly recommend "Hot Summer"! ☀️

Hot Summer by Elle Everhart is your ultimate summer binge-read!

This book is a queer romantic comedy that takes you on a sizzling ride through the drama of a Love Island-inspired reality show.

Cas Morgan, a reality TV superfan, is plucked from her mundane life and thrust into the spotlight, where she’s expected to charm her way to the finals and snag a promotion.
When she meets the gorgeous and genuine Ada, her game plan starts to crumble.

With sharp humor, undeniable chemistry, and a behind-the-scenes peek at reality TV chaos, this book is a must for fans of drama and romance.

4 ⭐

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. This gives you an insight to a reality tv show. I enjoyed the characters, however I thought it was predictable. We all knew the secret would be exposed. This was an easy read.

As a big fan of slow burns with very long push and pulls I was absorbed from the start. Hot Summer is the perfect blend of light-hearted, sentimental, and cute--a wonderful summer read. I don't watch a ton of reality television, but I did really enjoy this, and the peak behind the curtain this also gave.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I unfortunately DNFed this book at 53%, I wasn’t enjoying myself.

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam for the eARC!

This book started off compelling despite its somewhat contrived premise. Cas, a grunt worker at a dating-app company (whose job seems to be an exhausting cycle of hosting late-night singles’ mixers) is offered the promotion she’s been waiting for, contingent upon her entering, and making it to the finals of, the reality dating show Hot Summer. (Which is essentially just Love Island.) There’s some connection here with the dating app building a brand partnership with the show that maybe makes sense, but still seems kinda goofy; nevertheless, Cas is determined to net herself a real office and more consistent working hours, so she agrees. She’s not looking for love at the Hot Summer villa but, of course, it finds her anyway.

As someone who doesn’t watch reality dating shows (my working knowledge of Love Island comes exclusively from an SNL skit that spoofed the show), I was pleased that the book was still easy to sink into. The characters were extremely likable, with a couple of standout secondary characters who were extremely charming and fun. The problem, I think, is that eventually, I just got bored. Watching reality TV, which has been spliced and edited to be exciting, is not the same as watching reality TV get made; the reality is that Cas, her love interest Ada, and the other characters are essentially locked in a fancy house for weeks on end, with the monotony occasionally broken up by the introduction of new people arriving at the villa or challenges where they get to know one another. There wasn’t even really any juicy drama, except for what’s going on with background characters; most of the main cast of characters in this book are just nice people getting along really well and being supportive. Which is fine! I like people being nice! But when they’re pretty much doing nothing most of the time, even I felt myself craving a little drama.

The main romance was fine, as was the fact that the show, and all the cast members on it, were really kind and supportive of it. The book itself just had such a hard time keeping my interest. I definitely think there’s an audience for this—reality TV fans, or people just looking for something sweet and a little soapy to read on the beach.

I really liked the premise for this book. I am often drawn into reality dating type shows such as Too Hot to Handle and Love is Blind. And I also typically enjoy romcom style books. This had both aspects so I enjoyed that very much. I liked meeting the different characters and found their individual traits to be unique and fitting for each one. I enjoyed seeing the relationships grow and develop throughout the course of the book. I did feel like it was longer than expected and just got to the point it felt to be drawn out a little too much. The details and conflict made it drag on longer than I would have liked.

I may hate dating shows but I love dating show romance novels, and Love Island is one of the few dating shows I actually have watched some of, so I was very excited at the prospect of a sapphic Love Island romance novel.

Overall I liked this book. I loved the characters, especially Femi, and the plot was enjoyable. It wasn’t perfect. I do think the pacing could be better and I frankly found the reason for the third act breakup to be kind of stupid. (I’m sorry but who cares why she was on the show? I get the fans caring but Ada? And I know she kept it secret but she had an NDA and you’re literally surrounded by cameras and mics 24/7? That warrants a conversation not a breakup imo.) But it was still a fun summer beach read and I’m glad I read it.