I had a difficult time connecting with the characters.
I liked the concept, and wanted more depth in order to care more about the relationships being built.
It probably didn't help that I'm not a super huge reality tv fan.

8/19/24
As a Love Island lover, the minute my best friend sent me a post about this book I KNEW I would have to read it. Who hasn’t dreamed of a queer Love Island couple? (Seriously though - when is a queer season coming? Can you imagine the drama?)

This book definitely for you if you’re looking for a little Love Island fix during the off season.

Shockingly, it was not as dramatic as I would’ve liked. And I felt like the climax was lacking. It felt predictable.

I kept being like “yeah it feels like Love Island but it doesn’t FEEL like Love Island because I barely know the side characters.” Like, Freddie never even had a purpose aside from “get Cas and Ada together.” We don’t even know if he found anybody in the villa! I need to know!!

We don’t find out much of anything about any of the other couples either! Like, at the reunion we’re supposed to be like “omg drama these two won’t sit too close” but we didn’t have enough information about them for me to really care.

Every time somebody got voted off or got sent home, it just felt lackluster because I couldn’t find it in myself to care.

Yes, I know a book cannot replicate the 1+ hour episode 6 nights a week but I should at least care about the other islanders - er, “lovers” - outside of our main character’s best friends there. Love Island is an ensemble cast at its core.

Anyway! I feel like I’ve spent a lot saying why I had to take a star off. But genuinely, I highly enjoyed this! It’s very easy to read and just as addictive as Love Island. I just happened to put it down for like a week or two there🤣

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for an ARC of this!

Hot Summer by Elle Everhart 4 ⭐️

Cas Morgan works for a dating app company and is provided the opportunity to go on Hot Summer to hopefully make it to the finals and secure her promotion. Things get sticky when she forms actual relationships with her fellow housemates.

I really enjoyed this fun read and blew through this book in 4 hours! I was initially overwhelmed by the sheer amount of names I was trying to remember but once I realized that there was only a core group that truly mattered to the plot line (aka Cas) it got easier to keep track. I loved that Cas not only built a strong relationship in the villa but also built strong friendships. I thought that Cas’ abandonment/commitment issues were well discussed and I appreciated that she was still conflicted with them throughout the story. I feel like sometimes those issues are resolved super quickly when the MC meets the “one”. I also liked that we got to see the relationships between the other contestants develop. The yearning is TOP TIER!! Cas and Ada’s relationship developed naturally and in a way that I could actually believe. I also liked the “live” tweeting aspect of the book and thought it was a fun way of showing the audience’s perspective.



Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Felt like a good reality tv show, Hot Summer was a mess in the best way! Fun and all over the place and had some darling characters and some beautiful friendships and romance! So hot! So summer!

This was a thoroughly enjoyable sapphic romance. I am realizing I don’t necessarily love the dating show trope, but I was able to get past it because I really did enjoy all of the characters and getting to know them. I loved Cass and Ada, as well as the background characters, Femi and Sienna, I would happily read more books by this author as I had a hard time putting this book down it was a perfect beach read summer read all around enjoyable.

Hot Summer is a delightful, heartwarming, and drama-filled sapphic romance. 🌞💕 The writing skillfully captures Cas’s emotions, and I appreciate how neither Cas nor Ada are portrayed as perfect characters. Both are given raw, authentic emotions and unique personalities, and their actions are refreshingly unpredictable. It’s incredibly sweet how Cas and Ada’s lives are transformed in just eight short weeks by each other and their new friends. 🌈
I absolutely adore the book’s concept and believe it’s brilliantly brought to life by the off-screen details, setting, and plot twists. 📚✨ Fans of dating reality shows will find this book a captivating read!

The slow build was nice, even though it felt like it could've been a little bit shorter. Even knowing how the climax was going to happen based on the initial setup, it still delivered and had me near tears. Definitely recommend this book!

I'm not even a fan of reality tv shows, much less dating reality tv shows so I didn't know what to expect from this book. Turns out, you don't need to be a fan of those shows to enjoy this book. I actually loved it and found Cas and Ada phenomenal characters and love interests. It would be easy to get lost in the amount of characters in this book but Everhart does a great job with making each main character stand out and I really liked the friend relationships in this book. This was my first Elle Everhart book but it won't be my last. Highly recommend!

If you're like me and can't get enough of reality dating shows, especially Love Island, then you’re going to love Hot Summer by Elle Everhart. This book is a total treat and perfect for summer reading.

The story follows Cas Morgan, who’s suddenly plucked from her regular life to join a reality dating show that’s a lot like Love Island. She’s hoping to play it smart and win over the public to snag a promotion at work. But things take a turn when she meets Ada, another contestant who’s there to find real love. Ada is charming and gorgeous, and Cas can’t help but fall for her, even though it complicates her strategy.

Everhart’s writing captures the fun, drama, and sun-soaked vibes of reality TV perfectly. The chemistry between Cas and Ada is fantastic, and their romance has just the right amount of spice and sweetness. I loved the banter and the little twists that kept me hooked from start to finish.

If you’re into reality TV, sapphic romances, or just need a fun summer read, Hot Summer is a great pick. It’s got everything you want—flirty, funny, and full of heart. Grab a copy and let yourself be whisked away to an island where the drama is hot and the romance is even hotter!

*Hot Summer* is a sizzling, addictive dive into the world of reality TV romance. The vibrant setting of a sun-soaked Cypriot villa perfectly frames the intense, drama-filled interactions among the contestants. Cas's journey from a strategic player to someone who opens up to genuine emotions is both compelling and relatable.

Ada's authenticity and the undeniable chemistry between her and Cas add depth to what could have been a typical reality show narrative. Their relationship challenges Cas to confront her true desires, making for a heartfelt and transformative read.

The book deftly balances humor, romance, and the high stakes of reality TV, making it a perfect summer read. Whether you're a fan of dating shows or just looking for a captivating love story, *Hot Summer* promises plenty of heat and heart.
Cas and Ada's love story is the summer romance we all dream of—unexpected, passionate, and utterly unforgettable.

Hot Summer is the perfect steamy, summer read for Love Island super fans! I had a lot of fun reading, though I did feel the pacing dragged in the middle there.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. If you ever wondered if reading a reality show would be better than watching, this book will answer that question. This was certainly a different take on the romance genre, but didn't stand out in any way from others I've read. There wasn't a lot of depth to the characters, but I did appreciate the epilogue.

As someone who is completely obsessed with both reality tv and romance novels, this book was an absolute win for me! This book was written well and had me hooked from the start. There was enough drama for it to be entertaining but not too much where it became taxing to read. There were minor issues with redundancy and rushing the storyline towards the end, but ultimately it wasn't enough to deter me from finishing and loving the book. The lighthearted summer vibes is going to make this an absolute treat of a summer read!

Super cute and quick read. If you like love island, this book is perfect for you. This was a gay love island and I absolutely wish real love island could have that twist!

A sexy sapphic reality TV show love story?!? Sign me up! I was so excited to read this one and fell in love almost immediately! Set on the fictional reality show Hot Summer (think Love Island), Cas and Ada are both bi-sexual contestants on a show that largely features straight couples. Watching their love story unfold was like actually watching each and every episode of Hot Summer. The writing and character development is so well done you find yourself on the edge of your seat every elimination episode. Will your fave couples survive the cut?! It's absolutely nerve wracking in the vest way!

This was the perfect summer read with just the right amount of spice! Now I'm just waiting for the Tell All show! 🤣❤️

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Everhart, and G.P. Putnam. 🫶🏼

I definitely enjoyed this book, but I did expect to like it more. I am an avid reality TV fan, so I was super excited to read this one. The story is fun and cute, but the main 2 characters lack development. They seemed exactly the same and sometimes I had trouble remembering who was who. I think my biggest qualm was that I saw the third act breakup from miles away, and I felt like there was not much closure to the conflict.

Rated this one 5 stars! Romance is not my top genre, but I am trying to get more into it. This was a fun setting with likable characters. Was great to read on my beach vacation.

This was a fun read, I would’ve liked it to have been longer though, loved the time we got to spend with Ada and Cas getting to know each other, and loved Femi and Sienna obviously
That breakup was rough though
Marisa did an amazing job with the audiobook! Loved her performance

If you are looking for a HOT SUMMER read, add this to your TBR!

What to expect:
🏳️‍🌈Queer romantic comedy
🏝️Love Island-inspired reality show
☝️Single POV
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩Sapphic romance
🤝Forced proximity (sharing a house for 8 weeks)
🎭Drama

Hot Summer follows commitment phobic Cas Morgan as she ends up on a UK dating show supposedly looking for love but really to score a promotion. Cas is an event planer/ host for Friday, a dating company in London, who is looking to partner with the tv network. If she can make it to the finale, she’ll gain a permanent break from all the nights of socializing.

Things get a little complicated when she meets beautiful, open and utterly charming, Ada Hall, on arrival. Can Cas resist the gorgeous red head…. Spoiler alert, she cannot!

✨my thoughts✨

I rated Hot Summer 4 stars. I really enjoyed watching Cas and Ada fall in love over the course of the wild competitions and lazy days in the mansion. They have an immediate connection, but I wouldn’t call it insta-love, more of a friendship. Due to the 24/7 forced proximity, things move somewhat quickly but that is something I expect with the dating show dynamic.

There were a lot of great characters in this book. I adored Ada. She is so sweet but kind of a secret minx. The lap dance scene… IYKYK. She kind of gave me Claire energy from Delilah Green, but without the mom status. Femi, Sienna and Freddie were some of my favorite supporting characters.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for an e-arc; all thoughts are my own.

I am such a sucker for a romance that is based on/around some sort of reality dating show, so I jumped on Hot Summer when I saw that it was not only about a Love Island-like reality show, but it was a queer romance as well. Plus that cover? This was just a check, check, check on all the boxes.

This book is single POV & focuses on Cas, a long-time fan of Hot Summer (the show), who has just learned that her potential work promotion will be dependent on her participation in the same reality show. What she thinks might be an easy, breezy Cypriot-shaped solution to her current work woes basically blows up in her face even before she makes it inside the Villa. Why? Well, Cas wasn’t expecting to actually find love - you can’t find what you’re not looking for, right? But the reality tv gods have another plan when Cas finds she has a fierce connection with the first other participant that she meets, Ada. And well, this complicates things because Cas legally cannot talk about how she is on the show via a partnership with the dating app company that she works for. What could go wrong?

What follows is a level of shenanigans that you would only witness in a dating show full of ridiculously attractive people who are cut off from the outside world for an extended period. It’s basically ‘Forced Proximity, the Reality Show.’ Some of it is…not great (in situation, not in writing) but a lot of it is fun & steamy & hilarious & delightful. There are hookups. There are villains. And there are so many incredible friendships built among the participants.

The writing is fun, the pacing is quick, &, with the inclusion of some multi-media elements, like social media posts from viewers of Hot Summer, this book is a solid fun summer romance read!

Thank you to NetGalley & PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for providing an advance digital copy of this book for review. All thoughts & opinions expressed are my own.