Jennifer Dugan never misses when it comes to bi representation. She did a great job with this summer romance too.

Summer Girls was the perfect launch into my summer reading: breezy with lots of romantic tension, and set against a compelling backdrop of communities priced out of their own neighborhoods to ground it all. I had to fight to read my copy with my two daughters who love every book Jennifer Dugan writes. Her titles are insta-buys in our household.

Summer Girls is a queer coming-of-age story that sets itself up with promise: LGBTQ+ representation, beachside vibes, and emotional undercurrents. But for me, it didn’t quite land the way I hoped.

Such a cute, fun summer read. I’m really in my Friends to Enemies to Lovers era. I love how this book actually had some depth to it instead of just being a typical wrong side of the tracks romance. Even the miscommunication made sense!

Would recommend to teens looking for a contemporary sapphic romance. There were enemies to lovers, and miscommunication tropes. A light summery book perfect for summer reading. Will be putting this in my romance for teens book list at our library.

A little cliche but it’s a young adult so I should not complain too much. The romance was so cute. I loved the summery vibes and Birdie’s character growth.

SUMMER GIRLS by Jennifer Dugan has so much promise. The subplot about the impact Airbnbs have on vacation destinations, especially those who live there year-round, is so relevant and timely. However, the subplot is very underdeveloped and does not add anything to the story. But it had so much potential!

The "enemies-to-lovers" romance between Cass and Birdie sadly lacked tension. The "enemies" aspect of their relationship melted too quickly and the two characters felt rather underdeveloped, too.

This was a new author for me & it won’t be the last book from her I read! It was such a fun, sweet summer romance! The characters were so relatable. I just adore the whole story! I loved the dynamic of them too! I can’t wait for the next book from Jennifer! Just wonderful:)

As a big fan of Jennifer Dugan's previous works, "Summer Girls" unfortunately left me feeling a bit underwhelmed, earning a 2.5-star rating. While the premise was intriguing, and the enemies-to-lovers trope is usually a favorite of mine, the execution here fell short.

My main issue lies with the central relationship between Cass and Birdie. The "enemies" part of their dynamic seemed to resolve far too quickly, leading to what felt like premature declarations of love. It was difficult to grasp what exactly drew them to each other, as their personalities felt extremely disparate, and I struggled to see significant common ground being established.

The novel also touches upon the timely and interesting theme of gentrification and the impact of Airbnbs on vacation towns. However, this promising subplot felt underdeveloped and largely relegated to the background. It had the potential to add depth and relevance to the story, but it wasn't explored in a way that felt impactful.

Finally, I found the individual characters themselves to be somewhat unengaging. I didn't connect with Cass or Birdie on their own, which made it even harder to invest in their rapidly developing romance.

Overall, while I appreciate Dugan's attempt at an enemies-to-lovers story with a relevant social backdrop, "Summer Girls" ultimately didn't hit the mark for me.

Summer Girls is the first book by Jennifer Dugan that I’ve read. I’d heard great things about her other books, especially Hot Dog Girl or Melt with You. So, she’s been on my list of authors to check out for a while. Now that I’ve read one of her books, I only want to read more.

I’ve read more than one book lately that shines light on the harmful effects of gentrification on neighborhoods and communities. Summer Girls shows the classism at the root and offers a version of a “Prince and Pauper” kind of romance.

I like that in Dugan’s world, people are more than one thing. The characters continually wrestle with the moral weight of their choices, and struggle to evaluate the decisions others make on a moral scale. For example, Birdie’s dad makes a lot of money buying up foreclosure properties and flipping them as vacation rentals, something which exacerbates the housing crisis for local residents. Yet, he appears to be a big supporter of Cass’s dad’s community organization which helps homeowners retain their property. So, is he a good guy or bad guy? Is he taking advantage of a system and pretending friendship with Cass’s dad to keep his enemies close, or is his support genuine? I liked that the story explored this question.

The romance between Cass and Birdie is also very sweet. It’s got an estranged friends to lovers vibe that was a lot of fun. Birdie is also bisexual and wrestles with some biphobia. I like that Dugan brought this to the page, too.

All in all, I think this is a lovely summer romance, especially perfect for a beach or vacation read.

Summer Girls was super cute and had that perfect beach-read setup—grumpy townie + rich girl chaos = sapphic tension for days—but it didn’t totally blow me away. I loved the enemies-to-lovers vibe and the way it explored class differences and identity, but sometimes the emotional depth felt a little surface-level for me. Still, Jennifer Dugan knows how to write that flirty, messy, teen summer feelings energy, and there were definitely moments that made me kick my feet a little. It’s the kind of book I’d recommend if you want low-stakes queer romance with sun, snark, and just enough angst to keep it interesting—it didn’t become an all-time fave, but I had a good time riding the wave.

What a cute summer YA sapphic romance! Honestly this storyline has a lot more depth than I thought it would, which bumped my rating to a 5⭐️. It very much gives different sides of the tracks, “you can’t understand what it’s like to be ME” romance lol I enjoyed it and it was a fast read.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the eARC.

SUMMER GIRLS – by Jennifer Dugan – Highly Recommend!

‘Cass has a rule about dating summer girls—just say no. Every year, her idyllic beach town is flooded with summer girls, the obnoxious daughters of the rich, who stay in their families’ summer homes, sail their yachts, and generally make things unbearable for townies like Cass.

‘Birdie is the ultimate summer girl.’

‘At first, the two despise each other. . . . But as the season heats up, Birdie surprises Cass time and again, and before long both girls can’t help but wonder: Are some rules made to be broken?’

I’m not crying, you’re crying—My Heart! I Love, Love, Love this Book so much!

My daughter is bisexual, and I know how hard it was for her to come out, never knowing if her friends and extended family would accept her.

What matters most is to love and be proud of who you are no matter what anyone else thinks.

As her Mother, I couldn’t be prouder of the woman Amanda has become.

P.S. Have tissues at the ready, you are going to need them.

Ages –12 up
Grades – 7 up

Thank you, NetGalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Random House LLC), for providing me with an eBook of SUMMER GIRLS at the request of an honest review.

Highly Recommend!

This one didn’t quite land for me. While I appreciate the intention for a fun, summer romance in a beach town, the story felt overwhelmingly superficial and materialistic. The characters, especially Birdie, came across as one-dimensional, entitled, and very surface-level. I did enjoy the beachtown setting and summer backdrop; but otherwise I was underwhelmed.

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

White sandals, linen tops, and laid-back sapphic romances—summertime is here thanks to Jennifer Dugan’s 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬!☀️

Thank you GP Putnam and PRH Audio for the complimentary digital and audio copies.

Read if you 💕:
• 🍋 New England summers
• 💞 Opposites attract
• 🌈 LGBTQIA+ rep
• 🌼 Romancing Haley in Stardew Valley

This is the perfect audiobook to listen to while lounging around this summer. While the stakes are relatively low, and the miscommunication is a bit over the top, the contrast between Cass and Birdie’s lives adds just the right amount of tension to keep you hooked. Honestly, I kept finding chores to do just so I had an excuse to listen to another chapter!

Speaking of opposites, I adore how well Leeanna Albanese and Kristyna Zaharek’s voices complement each other in the audiobook. Birdie’s chipper tone and Cass’s grounded vibe were spot-on. It’s rare to find narration this full of life—this one knocks it out of the park, twice!

If you’re looking for a summer romance that makes you want to spend all day at the beach just so you can keep reading, 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 is the one for you! Be sure to grab a copy at your favorite local bookstore or on your preferred audiobook app.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of Summer Girls. Unfortunately I was unable to read this before the archive date but I look forward to finding Summer Girls in the wild!

This book was a quick and easy feel-good summer read! I think the book did a good job balancing delicate topics while also giving the characters the room to grow. I've enjoyed Jennifer Dugan's past works, and this book was no exception!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

If you're looking for a very light and extremely cheesy queer read, go check out this book.

I found this romcom too sickly sweet and unrealistic to be enjoyable and I immensely disliked one of the two protagonists, which is why this book didn't work for me. Sorry.

2 stars

This was a really well done young adult romance novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this book. The characters were everything that I was looking for. The concept was everything that I wanted and enjoyed the overall feel of this book. I enjoyed getting to know Cass and Birdie through this book and thought the rest of the characters were so well done. I thought the characters worked well in this universe and can't wait for more from Jennifer Dugan.

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)
Sapphic, sun-drenched, and full of slow-burn sweetness—Summer Girls is a heartfelt enemies-to-lovers romance with just the right touch of angst.

Jennifer Dugan delivers another emotionally resonant queer YA romance, this time set against the backdrop of a breezy beach town with just enough class tension and summertime longing to give it depth. Summer Girls balances snarky banter, budding attraction, and coming-of-age vulnerability with care and charm.

☀️ What worked beautifully:
Cass & Birdie’s chemistry. From frosty glares to warm glances, their dynamic evolves naturally, and their slow burn romance feels authentic and earned.

Beach-town setting. Dugan makes the summer air practically shimmer off the page—lifeguard stands, boardwalks, late-night confessions… it’s all deliciously immersive.

Class & privilege dynamics. Cass’s resentment toward wealthy “summer girls” and Birdie’s discomfort with her parents’ image-driven world give the story thoughtful tension beneath the romance.

Messy, relatable teens. Both girls feel like real people with complex emotions and flaws, especially as they navigate expectations, family pressure, and self-discovery.

🌊 Why it’s a solid 4 (not quite a 5):
Some pacing drag. The early hostility lasts a touch too long, making the shift to romance slightly rushed by comparison.

Secondary characters fade. While the focus is rightly on Cass and Birdie, a few supporting cast members (especially friends and parents) could’ve used more development to deepen the emotional stakes.

🌈 Final thoughts:
Summer Girls is a queer summer romance with brains, heart, and just enough bite. It’s for anyone who’s ever judged someone too quickly—and then fallen for them anyway. A strong 4/5, perfect for fans of Some Girls Do, She Gets the Girl, or any reader looking for a beachy escape with real emotional heat.