Influencer Birdie feels more like a doll for her mother to use for their internet presence than anything else. So when she crashes her boyfriend's very expensive car and immediately dumps him, this is not good for the audience. Birdie is sent to stay with her father at their summer house on a New England island where she will *gasp* find a job and stay off social media for the summer, under threat of her trust being held from her for another three years. Cass, a longtime native of the island, has watched gentrification push families out, in part due to a family friend and developer. She'd be happy just working with her family's housing foundation and lifeguarding at the beach with her best friend, and of course, following the no summer girls rule. But when said family friend offers her a very well-paying side job, looking after his wayward daughter for the summer, things get more complicated. Birdie and Cass were friends years ago, but Birdie has changed a lot, and is the ultimate summer girl: temporary, rich, stuck up. However, sparks fly between them even though both know it's a bad idea.
This is a cute rom-com. I liked it a lot. Birdie could have been a really annoying character, but she was well done. Her dad was also kept good and complicated. Cass was flawless. And Tate. A fun and breezy read.

'Summer Girls' delivered a cute queer summer romance which is exactly what I was looking for when I picked this up! As we learned more about Cass and Birdie, I felt myself wishing it was told in dual POV to get a bit more attached to their dynamic, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it.

Summer Girls by Jennifer Dugan is a queer coming-of-age YA romance/contemporary that’s absolutely perfect for summertime—no pun intended!

First, a big thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an e-ARC, a physical copy, and a finished copy. I know it took me a while to get to this one, but once the audiobook released, I finished it in just two days!

My only real complaint is that I wish the story had been told in dual POV. That said, I understand why it wasn’t, and it still worked really well.

The best part for me was getting to know the characters. I loved Cass as our main character, she’s snarky, bold, and fierce. Then there’s Birdie, who’s almost the opposite: not as snarky, more cautious, and definitely someone who likes to stay inside the lines. Watching their dynamic unfold made the story even more fun to read.

I also enjoyed the small town setting we got in summer girls I think it's quickly becoming a favorite trope of mine or is it. I recently did an author interview with Jennifer Dugan so here is my link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DL03sZoyC6u/

a decent read. the characters weren't interesting enough to keep me engaged. there is certainly an audience for this book, but it wasn't for me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable reading experience.

3.5 stars rounded up!

I thought this one was really cute. I loved the dynamic between Birdie and Cass. I thought they were such a hilarious duo, and over the summer, I liked how we saw their friendship and relationship bloom. This was a good representation of queerness as high schoolers, and reminiscent of my own thoughts.

I thought the dynamic of rich girl/normal girl was interesting, and I loved the work that Cass' family does. I appreciate that Birdie got into it and could find the value in it. Also, I thought it was fun that their dads were best friends, too.

I liked the commentary this shared about parents who become influencers and the things they do to exploit their children. This is such an important topic in regards to the Internet and overall safety. So many issues are coming to light now that many children who faced these issues are growing up, and it's astounding to hear about their trauma and suffering :(

Perfect sapphic romance to take to the beach! Took on vacation and loved every second. Thank you for the advanced readers copy..

3.5 stars rounded up. This book was really fun at first. I loved the enemies-to-lovers trope in this one. The characters were great and their banter was entertaining. I think my main issue is that I would've liked it to be an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers book. It really lost steam when they got together. I hate misunderstanding plots and this one wasn't an exception. That said, it was a solidly cute book overall. I just wish it had taken them longer to get together.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Jennifer Dugan does it again in this charming little summer romance! Cass and Birdie are super cute as a pair, even tho they are a little angsty and messy. It is such a sweet little romance, perfect for those final few weeks of sitting on the beach! (Plus, we love a bi 4 bi sapphic YA romance!)

In this fun summer LGBTQ+ YA romance novel, readers follow Cass and Birdie as they deal with the complexities of a summer relationship and two different lives. Birdie, the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer and an influencer, is stuck at the beach for the summer as a punishment for crashing her ex’s expensive car, and Cass is her babysitter and, now, coworker at the public beach. Disliking their forced proximity, the two girls have a long summer ahead of them, but as Birdie continues to surprise Cass, they might discover that they have more in common than they realize. The characters’ relationship is the star of the book, and readers will particularly enjoy their evolving relationship and the involved tropes. The setting is a great backdrop for the different complexities in Birdie and Cass’s relationship and individual storylines, and the additional drama adds a great layer to the novel. The emotional storyline is particularly well-written and detailed, and the emotional beats add great depth to the story. The characters’ evolution is particularly rewarding and fascinating to follow, and readers will love this fun summer LGBTQ+ YA romance novel and the characters involved in this entertaining and enjoyable new release.

Fun summer read! This is my first Jennifer Dugan book (I think) and I thoroughly enjoyed the switching perspectives, the character development, and the stakes of the relationship. I will definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good summer romance/readalikes for books like The Summer I Turned Pretty or To All the Boys I've Loved Before.

"Summer Girls" by Jennifer Dugan offers a delightful summer read with a sweet enemies-to-lovers dynamic between townie lifeguard Cass and privileged influencer Birdie. The book explores themes of class differences, social media pressure, and finding your own path, making for a story that's both entertaining and thought-provoking.
While the romance develops a little quickly, the compelling characters and exploration of important topics, like gentrification and influencer family dynamics, shine through. Birdie's character growth, in particular, is a highlight, as she learns to navigate a world beyond her online persona.
This novel is a solid sapphic YA choice that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside, perfect for fans of contemporary romance and stories about finding yourself.

DNF @ 25% — This was a kinda sweet YA sapphic romance. Nothing bad to say about this book, but unfortunately the book didn't keep me interested enough to finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam Son’s for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Dugan has once again captured the complicated, tender, and often messy realities of young love in *Summer Girl*. With her signature blend of heartfelt emotion, queer joy, and character-driven storytelling, Dugan delivers a summer romance that’s as bright and warm as the season itself, but not without a few clouds.

At the center of the story is Becca, a girl grappling with grief, identity, and long-distance longing. When she finally reconnects with her childhood crush (who has grown into a very cute boy), she sets out to explore what might be between them, only to find herself falling for someone else in the process. What unfolds is a beautifully awkward and deeply authentic journey of self-discovery, set against the backdrop of beach days, bonfires, and the fragile hope of first love.

What stood out most for me was Dugan’s ability to write characters who feel real. Becca is impulsive, sweet, a little lost, and incredibly relatable. The supporting cast, especially the love interests, are well-rounded and avoid falling into easy tropes. Dugan also handles themes like queerness, body image, and mental health with nuance and care, without derailing the romance at the heart of the book.

If I had one critique, it’s that the pacing in the middle lagged slightly, but the emotional payoff in the final chapters more than made up for it. Fans of Cool for the Summer or Some Girls Do will find familiar emotional beats here, but Summer Girl stands on its own as a sincere, sun-soaked coming-of-age tale.

Final Thoughts:
Summer Girl is a queer summer romance that doesn’t shy away from emotional complexity. It’s perfect for fans of heartfelt YA, beach reads with depth, and anyone looking for a story about figuring yourself out, even if it gets a little messy along the way.


Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Birdie is humiliated on camera when she is filmed wrecking her boyfriend’s car after a video of her boyfriend cheating on her in real time gets posted. She is exiled to her family’s beach house and assigned a babysitter in the form of Cass, a long ago friend from childhood. If there’s one thing Cass hates, it’s rich people that move into her town to spend their summers and pricing out the rest of the neighborhood. And no one is more implicated than Birdie, who is the daughter of the man whose entire job is real estate development. Cass is determined to keep Birdie a Summer Girl. And no one is more off limits.

To be honest, I really didn’t get the book’s treatment of Birdie. Both Cass and her dad just see her as a vapid rich girl when it’s been clear that Birdie’s mother’s control of her and her life through 24/7 filming is ironclad. Birdie’s dad spends more time praising Cass than he does paying any attention to his actual daughter. Cass, despite her internal feelings, is quick to cast judgment against Birdie at every turn without hearing her out.

Cass and Birdie’s relationship would never make it outside of the story. The differences in their economic class has a chokehold on the plot and at no point does Cass really grow beyond that while Birdie is working on deconstructing her privilege and volunteering with nonprofits in direct contradiction to her father’s job. Sure, Birdie has issues on communication at points and displays immaturity, but she’s only 17. Cass’s internal monologue 90% of the book is focused on her hatred of the upper classes and their effect on her small town. Her relationship with Birdie’s dad has her as his business protege and most of the time she thinks about him it’s overwhelmingly negative despite his charity and friendship with her own father.

This is not to say this book didn’t have its charms. The charms just didn’t lie with the romance arc but instead with Birdie. I think if the book had been Birdie's POV only, the plot would have been stronger in its overall execution.

This book was not perfect but it was sweet and cute and talked about something that matters. The writing felt a bit cliche at times but I really enjoyed my reading experience overall and I loved the main characters.

Birdie and Cass end up spending time together over a summer season-- Cass despises the summer girls and Birdie is a summer girl relegated to the beach town by her father as a consequence for her crappy social media behavior and crashing her (ex) boyfriend's fancy car as part of the temper tantrum of seeing him cheating on her. Digital detox is now in full effect after spending years in the spotlight due to her mom's power hungry social media savvy that she then capitalized on. She's a girl that readers will love to hate even Cass until it's more love than hate.

It's excitement lies in the budding relationship, a YA romance that is indulgent. However it didn't feel fresh enough to be super memorable but it's a great beach read.

Summer Girls is a heartfelt exploration of first love, identity, and the messy middle ground between who we are and who we’re trying to become. Jennifer Dugan brings her signature wit and emotional honesty to this queer summer romance, set against the backdrop of a small beach town filled with secrets, tension, and undeniable chemistry.

The dynamic between the main characters is layered and complicated in all the right ways. It’s not just a love story—it’s about grief, family, and how the past shapes the present. Dugan captures the ache of trying to reconnect with someone who once meant everything to you, even when you’ve both changed.

While some plot points feel a bit rushed or overly dramatic, the emotional resonance hits home. The characters are flawed, and sometimes make frustrating decisions—but that’s also what makes them feel so real.

Perfect for fans of emotionally charged, queer YA that doesn’t shy away from vulnerability or tough conversations. It’s a beach read with bite—and a whole lot of heart.

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.