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.

This was so good. It was the perfect pool side read to get lost in laying out in the sun. I read this quickly because I had to know what happened next.

Thanks to Putnam and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

This was a fun second novel from Elle Everhart! I think it is heavily based on Love Island, which sadly I don't watch, but I still really liked it. Much like Cas, the main character, I forgot why Cas was actually on the reality show to begin with and so it felt like the tension of "is she there for the right reasons" never really played out as it could have. But I loved watching Cas and Ada fall for each other and it was a lot of fun. Can't wait for the next one.

This is like if love island wasn't afraid to have sapphic couples. I'm kind of obsessed with Cas and Ada. Cas was so cute in how oblivious she was to Ada being into her. The moment when she finally said fuck it was so good. I need two bonus chapters, one with Cas proposing and another with Femi proposing.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Such a perfect gay love island summer romance.

Ada and Cas were so perfect together!! I loved their relationship sooo much throughout this book. I loved the character growth that Cas had and I was rooting had for these lovebirds to make it.

Also shout out to the rest of the characters! Femi I love you so much!!!! I really enjoyed the found-family aspect of the dating show and it makes my heart so happy so think that dating show contestants really remain friends after everything is over.

So far, Elle Everhart doesn’t miss!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this earc in exchange for my honest review.

I was gifted a digital arc of this and I loved it so much that I had to buy a physical copy!! This queer romance was absolutely amazing! I went into this expecting a light hearted fun romcom and came out with so much more. I fell in love with main character Cas and loved her journey throughout the novel. The romance was so well written from the minute Cas and Ada met to the end of the story and I think Cas's reasons for being on the show were handled really well. Even the side characters were great and I wanted more from them!! I loved how the Hot Summer show is based on Love Island and now I need to go binge watch that show!! There was drama, romance, and nice spice! l'd absolutely recommend this one to anyone!

LOVED THIS! For fans of Love Island, this may be the perfect reading break for you. I want to see the characters come to life on my screen! Thanks netgalley & the publisher for the great summer read, in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a book that models those reality shows you grew up with ..... Hot Summer is a must! Hot Summer is a cocktail mixed with Love Island and all the VH1 reality shows!
This story is a lighthearted , easy read about finding an unexpected love in an unexpected time. The main characters have a natural magnet towards each other the instant they meet and their love gets challenged by the dram of being in a reality show.
I give it 3.25 stars because although it was enjoyable, it felt like the ending was rushed and there was a gap of time missing . I also felt that it was predictable and did not contain the depths I usually crave in a book .

I love a good sapphic romance, and this one checked all the boxes for me. I loved the premise of Love Island-esque show, I enjoyed reading this instead of watching the actual show. This book was such a fun, easy summer read and I was a fan of the romance in it. It was the right amount of heat and tension between Cas and Ada as the competition continues.