Such a fun queer take on the reality dating show trope in book form! I loved this story, even with a miscommunication trope that could be spotted as soon as the story began. I l adored our side characters just as much as our two FMCs and was a big fan of the genuine friendships forged in the show. I had such fun with this story!

I greatly enjoyed Elle Everhart's debut, Wanderlust, so I was excited to read her next one, especially with such an intriguing premise. I've enjoyed watching silly dating shows like Love Island here and there, and I loved finally reading a sapphic version. The chemistry between Cas and Ada was amazing. There's some good spicy scenes! It's a delightful summer read.

Reading this while listening to Chappell Roan added some more enjoyment for me!

Thank you to Netgalley, Putnam Books, and Elle Everhart for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars!

This was such a delight to read! I am NOT a fan of reality TV or dating show at all but I know those who are are going to LOVE this! It felt like I was watching the show play out in front of me!

Perfect if you love:
-Reality TV/Dating Shows
-Sapphic romance done right!
-Drama
-Summertime reading
-Found family
-Great side characters

I loved Elle Everhart's book Wanderlust so when this title popped up, I had to have it! Sapphic love stories can be hit or miss but this was done so so well!

Our girl Cas has been working nonstop for popular a dating app hosting event after event and avoiding falling in love. Given the chance to jump up the ladder and propel her career forward, she's told her company is partnering with a popular dating TV show for brand awareness and she is to be a contestant on the show to get viewers pumped for the collaboration. Cas is a huge fan of the show and goes in hoping she can make it through towards the end to get her career move secured and get recognition but is definitely not looking for love. That is until she meets other contestant Ada on day one and can't stop thinking about her.

This was such a fun ride from start to finish. We get all the POVs from behind the scenes of a dating show to the actual shooting. It's all fast paced and the events that happen keep you wanting to read more. It incorporated the drama of a tv show and the slow burn aspect while Cas and Ada became close friends and then lovers. Every character including the side characters are so well developed and stole the show at moments with how well they played into the story. My only issue with this book was how Cas's job and TV world collided. Things seemed blown out of proportion and the reunion part didn't sit right with me either.

I cannot recommend this book enough for a quick fun, easy summer read full of sweet moments and some delicious spice! Thank you Netgalley & G.P. Putnam for this incredible ARC!

While the premise is a little rocky-- Cas, an event coordinator for a hybrid dating app who runs most of the live events, in order to get a promotion, goes on a reality dating type show-- once you get past that (and you do within the first 30 or so pages), this is an engaging read. I'm always hesitant when there are large casts, because it's really not fun to read and keep track of twenty people, but this book kept a reasonable amount of focus on the premise, while at the same time really zeroing in on the relationship between Cas and Ada, both bi-cons in their own right.

For me, it was easy and a bit fantastical, but for a cheesy rom=com style book, I truly didn't mind much of the stuff that made me roll my eyes. This is definitely 3 stars in terms of just being a book in the world, and probably like 4 in terms of just being a fun queer beach read.

And dammit, don't the queers deserve completely gratuitous beach reads too?

This book is for Love Island watchers!

As a fan of the show, I love the behind the scenes look at one of these shows. The author described it like she’s been a contestant herself. Her research was well done, I could visualize the villa.

It really explores relationships in a fun way we see on dating shows. But in this we get a more personal view of the characters participating. The author also examined various gender stereotypes and expectations. The theme of queerness and having such strong queer characters was much appreciated and the explanation of those relationships.

Overall this was a fun quick summer read!

I really loved the cover! The colors and artwork are very engaging and captivating. My eyes would be drawn to it in the show.

I was lucky enough to have Elle Everhart on my podcast and talking to her about the book and those episodes will air June 25 and 27!!

Hot Summer is just that: hot and summery. And I loved it.

Cas has been passed over for a promotion at her job time and time again for years. So when an opportunity to star on hit reality dating show Hot Summer, and finally get a promotion, falls into her lap, Cas accepts without hesitation. Her plan is simple: be likeable enough for the other contestants and the audience to want to keep her around until the finale so she can open up doors for brand partnerships and make a name for herself at work. What was not part of her plan, however, was falling for her co-contestant Ada. Over the summer, Cas and Ada grow closer, and the attraction is undeniable. Cas has to decide which is more important to her– the big promotion she's been waiting for, or her blossoming romance with Ada.

I devoured this book. From the very beginning, I was obsessed with Cas and Ada, as well as a few other contestants of Hot Summer, specifically Femi, Sienna, and Freddie. The cast of characters was written wonderfully; even with the amount that there were, I was able to keep track of who was who and could see each of their different personalities. I am a sucker for reality show premised books, and this one was amazing.

I loved the pacing of Cas and Ada's romance. It was slow enough to give a nice burn, but quick enough to where it didn't get boring or dragged on for too long. And the main conflict was written pretty realistically. My only complaint with it is that I wished there was better communication from Cas, but it makes sense why there wasn't.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book!! I will definitely be purchasing it when it releases. It's such a fun and quick read, perfect for a day at the pool!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such a fun summer read about one of my favorite summer shows -- but gay! It's not the deepest of stories, and the side characters are appropriately one-dimensional, but I'll never get tired of following someone as they realize deep truths about themselves and how they want to start living their lives.

A perfect read for pride month! This is such a fun story and concept, it really felt like I was watching one of my favorite guilty pleasure shows. This story had everything I am looking for in entertainment and handled it all in such a real way, it was easy to get lost in the book. I couldn't get enough of this!

This book gets released on the 25th of June, so as always when I get to read a book prior to its publishing date… shout out to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity!

This book surprised me so much! I actually loved all of the characters and thought the plot and storyline was done in such a real way. You’ve got a cute romance, a little bit of drama, bit of spice, and none of it is over the top of cheesy. (Jensen you would like this one)

Perfect quick fun read for pride month 😊🌈

I personally LOVED this book. I devoured it in 2 days, loving all the twists, turns, jokes, sarcasm, and depth in the characters.

Cas goes to a reality dating show, Hot Summer, desperate to get to finals and get the promotion she has been waiting for, an upgrade from the "events" that she now does. What she doesn't expect is to make genuine friendships... and even find someone perfect for her on this reality show.

I loved how deeply developed all the characters and romance between them was, as well as the thought out setting and the description of the show and how it all works behind the scenes.

If you love reality shows, have watched reality shows, or even if you haven't, this is a wonderful book, and I loved how Cas had seen the show, and was comparing living the show to how it looked broadcasted as she was experiencing it.

I would like to say thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVE a queer romance and Hot Summer was no exception. It was the perfect mix of flirty, romantic and reality show drama (if you know, you know).
This book was one of my favorite summer reads. I hope there are more to come in this series!

Entertaining while it lasted, but much like a reality show, quite forgettable once it's over. I didn't dislike Cas, but I didn't like her much either - I felt kind of indifferent about her, and I liked Ada well enough but her character is not quite as compelling as Cas makes it quite to be. I just wasn't convinced and Cas' instant attraction to her screams too much like insta-love.
However, the side characters really shined. I loved Sienna and her confidence but also warmth and kindness - she stayed true the whole time she was on the show. The way her character was described felt so vivid. I also instantly loved Femi and I loved his friendship with Cas. Freddie was an instant favorite! Without Sienna, Femi, and Freddie - I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did.
Overall, I think it's a fun enough read for the summer, but will not be for everyone - the reality TV show vibes is pretty heavy.

I absolutely loved this! LGBTQ+ romance with some smut in it! I loved the main character Cas as well as Ada! This had some great moments! I laughed and was shocked and smiled happily to several parts. I think I also enjoyed it as the Hot Summer show is like Love Island in so many aspects, which i truly enjoyed the book probably because I'm obsessed with that show! Fun little summer read about someone being on a reality show not seeking love but finding it anyway!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I haven’t read Elle Everhart before, but I was drawn to the premise of Hot Summer. While I’ve never seen Love Island, I’ve really enjoyed previous reality-show setups in romcoms. I did think it started a tad slow, but I liked all the detail that went into setting up the reality-show atmosphere and all the different contestants, even getting me invested in that aspect almost as much as the romance. While I had mixed feelings about how the queer relationship was exploited for ratings, I also appreciated that it wasn’t viewed as a major taboo or scandal.
Cas is an interesting person to follow for the book, as in her “normal” life, she works for a dating app, and she’s picked to be on the show due to a partnership between the app and the show. I enjoyed seeing her perspective shift from being purely work-focused to considering the possibility of actually finding love upon meeting and getting to know Ada. This makes the source for their eventual third-act conflict pretty obvious from the jump, but I ended up really liking them together and was glad they worked out.
This was a sweet read, and I’d recommend it to readers who are interested in a queer twist on romance about reality-tv dating shows.

I am a sucker for trashy reality shows, and an even bigger sucker for queer romances based around them, and I absolutely devoured this. The balance of two bisexual leads taking a very heteronormative show and spinning it on its head with their relationship as well as the wider cast was really well done, and while the challenges were a little weak and some of the production choices were odd (what was the reason for making so many drastic changes and bringing up that they were changing things? we never learn), I really enjoyed reading about all of the aspects of Cas and Ada's time on the show.

It was also really nice to see two bisexual women who were really secure in their bisexuality and none of the drama came from their sexuality or relationship choices (there's already PLENTY of drama given the reality show setting) and nice to see them in kind of a forced proximity setting getting to fall in love. Femi and Sienna absolutely melted my heart, and I wish we'd gotten to see more of Freddie and some of the others once a sort of "core cast" was established.

My issue comes with most of the setup of the show - the contract between Cas' company and the production team never quite made sense, and who was it who leaked the contract? Also everyone keeps saying Cas has never used a dating app, but she only actually says she hasn't had a successful date off of one and doesn't like them, and on top of that, there's no way the production team could have expected a show based around social media followings to not uncover someone's workplace, so expecting Cas to keep quiet felt really stupid. I almost think it would've been better if the production team hadn't been in on it? But by the point that it all comes crashing down, I was fully invested in Cas and Ada, so it's a minor bump in the end.

HOT SUMMER is a sizzling reality show romance set on a love island-esque show about cas, an event planner whose job places her on the show as a new partnership between her company and the production team. cas only goes on the show to further her career, strategically planning how she's going to act while on camera, but her plans quickly go awry when she meets ada, a fellow contestant who she shares an undeniable connection with. as cas's feelings for ada grow, and as she forms friendships with the other contestants, cas isn't sure whether she should follow her heart or stick with her strategy.

i've said this before and i'll say it again: i'm not someone who watches reality shows, but i will always eat up a reality show romance and this was no exception. especially when queer love story taking place on a show that's predominantly straight. i loved cas and ada's relationship, how it slowly grew over time until it was obvious to everyone but them that they were so in love. i also really loved the other contestants (for the most part) and the friendships that cas formed with them.

read if you like:
- love island
- reality romances
- open door spice

thanks to netgalley and putnam for the advanced copy! HOT SUMMER comes out june 25th.

If you love reality tv this book is for you ! I would have liked more POV’s from different characters. I did find the book predictable but still enjoyed it.
Thank you Peinguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

Hot Summer takes a close copy of Love Island and explores what might happen when two of the "girls" fall in love with each other, rather than the "boys" living in the villa with them and competing to win the reality tv show. I found the main character of Cas and her love interest Ada to be a good match, and be unique enough protagonists to feel fresh. I appreciated the author's intent to build out a strong cast of close friends, though it worked better for some than others (Femi and Cas' friendship jumps off the page, while we learn nothing about Sierra aside from her falling for Femi)

I have to imagine that someone who's never watched Love Island might find this to be a newer, fresher concept. Having seen a few seasons, I was a little surprised by just how closely the author stuck to the formula of the show. It made it much more predictable. I also found the premise of Cas' casting on the show to be flimsy, but necessary to have a conflict at the climax of the story. Overall I would grade the creativity of Hot Summer a 2/5, but putting that aside, think it's a 3/5 beach read for the summer.

What a fun summer read! Event planner Cas agrees to go on Hot Summer, a reality show aiming to match up hot people, for the promise of a much desired and deserved promotion. Things get complicated when she starts to develop real feelings for housemate Ava.

Ava, as well as several of the other Lovers, were well fleshed out characters that I was really rooting for. I wish we could have gotten a better feeling for Cas's personality since we were in her head. I believed the chemistry with her and Ada, and there were a couple great spicy scenes.

All in all, a lovely beach (or wish-I-was -on-a-beach) read!

* Digital ARC provided by NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam*

Have you ever watched Love Island and wished it was more queer (like I have)? Then this is the perfect book for you!!

As a big fan of Love Island, this book had me HOOKED! I literally could not put it down and finished it in two days. The two main characters, Cas and Ada, were so lovable and I was rooting for them the whole time. The side characters/ensemble were so well done and really added to the whole story. I feel like in books with larger ensembles sometimes they can get lost in the story and not be fully-fledged characters, but the author did a great job of making them standout and feel like real people.

The story was paced really well and kept me wanting more until the end. My one issue with the story is I think that the catalyst for Cas going on the show was just a bit too unrealistic. But, it really did not take away from the story so I don't think it's a huge deal.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful and fun queer summer read, and I would suggest it to anyone who loves reality TV dating shows, queer/sapphic romances, or that is just looking for a fun beach read!