4 🌟Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summer Girls did not disappoint. The perfect summer read that entices real and raw emotions regarding young long and bisexuality. Jennifer Dugan knows how to develop characters in a way that leave you wanting more.

This book touches on topics related to coming out, parental influence and power, lack of self-confidence, the importance of self-growth, lack of communication in relationships, all while displaying a sweet young romance.

I would 100% recommend this book and look forward to what this author has in store for the future.

Thanks to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons for advance copy for honest review.

Summer Girls (though you don't want to be one) is a fun story of two girls Birdie and Cass who are old childhood friends. Money (and instagram fame) had them taking different paths in life. They come together at a dinner event, Cass working the event and Birdie's dad being recognized. With the whole night going horribly wrong, Birdie is sent to spend the summer with her dad, at the beach, getting a real job. Cass is getting paid to watch over her. But over time they come to find out they have more in common than they think. A budding romance takes shape but not without hesitation and bumps in the road.
I really enjoyed this one! Having read several books by Jennifer Dugan. I recommend Summer Girls for a feel good story, 4 stars!

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would considering it’s a YA romance. The chemistry between the MCs was palpable and seemed very authentic. My only complaint is how the rich vs poor dynamic was handled. It felt a bit awkward considering how different they were, that Cass almost resented Birdie.

The first half or more of this book was fun and cute. I liked the development of Birdie and Cass coming to understand each other and then get together.
Once the conflicts started it kind of lost me as the relationship began to feel kind of toxic. Birdie was struggling as she didn't know what to do. Her mother was extremely controlling and she was under the impression her parents and best friend were going to react badly when she told them she was in a relationship with a girl. I find it hard to find fault in someone staying safe. It is true that she should have told Cass she wasn't out, but Cass shouldn't have immediately torn into her for it.
Speaking of Cass, her hot headedness is like 90% of their relationship issues in the second half of the book. If she would let Birdie get a word in instead of brutally dragging her everytime she found fault in something Birdie was doing there would be a lot less issues. And it seems all their friends side with Cass tearing Birdie apart at every opportunity, which does not sit well with me. And then Cass seemingly only decided to get back with Birdie at the end because Birdie pledged her dad's company a bunch of money. Kind of icky.

A super cute YA book with the classic tropes of forbidden romance, summer fling, class differences, but with a sapphic twist that I’ve been longing for in so many novels with these tropes!!! A very endearing read, however I didn’t feel like the story picked up until about halfway.
Still, I found it endearing and sweet, I enjoyed the easy to read style and the character banter.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy!

It was so lovely and cute. Dugan's books are pretty hit or miss for me, but this one was a huge slam dunk and felt perfect for those queer girlies that wanted their own The Summer I Turned Pretty storyline to relate to. Birdie's story was the most enthralling to me and seeing her journey throughout was lovely to see. The girl just wanted something real in her life that wasn't behind her mother's phone screen and seeing her come into her own, get the girl, and stand up to her controlling parents was the perfect ending for her and Cass.

4.5⭐️
Thank you netgally for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

I loooved this book. Who wouldn’t want a sapphic love story about a rich girl falling in love with her childhood friend and learning so much about herself and what she wants in the process.

This story had me hooked from the beginning. Birdie driving her boyfriends car and accidentally crashing it while finding out he’s cheating. The perfect start for me. I really liked birdies character arc, from spoiled, annoying and doing whatever she wanted to really caring about Cass and the town.

The only thing I didn’t really like was how they made it such a big deal for birdie to “come out” even tho she already told everybody she was bi. I understand that for some people it is a big deal but I’ve been out for so long that that didn’t really resonate with me.

One thing I did really like was how the term ‘summer girl’ was generally a negative term used in the book. That kinda confused me because it’s the title. But the ending made it perfect.

This is just a wholesome book, perfect to read in summer!

Summer Girls follows Birdie, an influencer forced to speed the summer unplugged and supervised in the two that she grew up in while connecting with someone that she had moved on from. 

At first the characters were a little frustrating. There was a lack of communication between the two fmc's, Cass and Birdie. I feel like a lot could've been cleared up, had there been better communication, especially, surrounding the sexuality of Birdie and her fear of coming out to her parents. There were many sweet moments throughout this story and the scenes are beautifully written with cute banter along the way, but unfortunately, the chemistry felt rushed and very insta-lovey to me.

This is a cute summer read that had all the tropes of: forbidden romance, class differences, and childhood friends reconnecting. This is the perfect cozy summer rom com book that is easy and quick to read.

This is my first Jennifer Dugan book and I love the vibes of it so I'm excited to read other books from this author. I think having the dual pov helped to understand the story thoroughly and makes it more engaging for the readers. Although this story is a YA book and geared more towards a younger audience, it's very well written and deserves the attention and love of all the readers out there.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cute book. Yes it is for a YA style reader but it did hit on adult situations in a way that wasnt overwhelming. I really enjoyed it and ended up rooting for everyone to fall in love and end up in an HEA

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review ✨

reading the description of the book, i really wanted to love this book. however, i have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. to start with, i thought the premise of the book was very cute! the first 50% of the book was very entertaining, and to say i ate it up would be an understatement.

however, after i hit this point, i was extremely disappointed by the main characters and their lack of development. everything felt very insta-lovey. their chemistry fell flat for me, and the miscommunication in this book was unbearable. i really struggled with the lack of awareness from birdie, and the lack of patience from cass. it truly did not seem these characters had anything in common and were only lustful for each other.

unfortunately, i just don’t think this book was for me.

I honestly could not stop smiling while reading this. This was such a cute summer read that had all the classic tropes: childhood friends to enemies to lovers, class differences, forbidden romance, public announcements of love. I loved the alternating POVs and the increasing gay panic as they realized their feelings for one another. This book made me feel like I was 17 again dating my first girlfriend (stealing kisses at work) and feeling so excited and nervous about everything.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP, Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

Summer Girls follows Birdie, an influencer forced to spend the summer unplugged in the beach town she grew up on thanks to a scandal, and Cass, the townie Birdie’s dad has put in charge of her.

I’m a big fan of Dugan’s book Some Girls Do and this gave me such similar vibes in terms of stress with parents and it affecting the relationship. I loved how the book was told in both Birdie and Cass’ points of view and how clear it was that they were attracted to each other from the beginning. It was also delightful to see how both Birdie and Cass grew and changed over the summer and how they were able to find each other as they changed. I also really enjoyed Cass’ friends Bentley and Six as well as Birdie’s friend Ada. The dynamics with Birdie’s parents and how much influence Birdie’s dad had over the town also added to the conflict and added an extra layer to the story.

The only issue I had was the complete lack of communication between Cass and Birdie. They had multiple arguments that I thought could’ve been cleared up very quickly if they had just listened to each other, especially surrounding Birdie’s sexuality and how she was afraid to tell her parents again. But overall, this was a very sweet romance with unexpected depth.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP, Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley again for the chance to read this early.

This was a quick fun summer read. While the characters were a little frustrating at first it was entertaining to see how they helped each other grow. It was pretty predictable but perfect for a light vacation read.

This is an engaging summer read where two people get a second chance at connecting and ultimately fall in love. This read is sweet, fun, speedy, and encompasses often challenging topics with care.

Summer Girls centers around Cass and Birdie, who are stuck together for the summer after Birdie's behavior results in having to spend her summer working, and with Cass essentially having to babysit her. They were friends a long time ago but life happened and they went their separate ways. Now thrown together they have to sift through complex feelings and very different life backgrounds.

We end up with a beautiful story that touches on family structures, class differences, breaking down preconceived notions, and friendships in a beautiful way. If you love Sapphic love stories, this one was a perfect beach read. I especially loved all the side characters in this book. Their relationships with the main characters was heartfelt and gave this an extra special touch!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I LOVE Jennifer Dugan, so when I saw I was approved to read her newest book, I was ecstatic. This did not disappoint. I loved how the book explored a pre-existing relationship that had been changed by time and misunderstanding, and looked at the differences people can have that seem so big, but really aren’t all that once you realize. I would definitely recommend this book to other people.

This is an engaging YA romance/beach read, with a sweet story/plotline following two teens as they connect, grow, and learn about themselves, their families and friends, and their surroundings.
The author expertly blends what I’d expect from the typical light summer beach read with tough social, emotional, and financial topics, creating a balanced book that can be enjoyed in summer or any other time of the year. There are elements that many teens (and adults) will be able to relate to, even if they are in different parts of life than the main characters. I would recommend this to teens/adults looking for an emotionally deep summer themed novel.

This is an entertaining YA novel about summer romance, broken rules, and broken hearts. It follows two young friends reconnecting again at 18 in a dramatic way. Though they come from different backgrounds, they are drawn to each other, helping each other grow and become better versions of themselves when it’s most needed. At the same time, they unintentionally hurt each other along the way.

I enjoyed the witty, engaging dialogue, as well as the emotional depth both characters experience. The coastal setting was a nice backdrop to their evolving relationship. Overall, it’s a heartfelt story that captures the complexities of friendship, love, and self-discovery.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin, and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Summer Girls is the type of quick, feel good sapphic book that I find myself drawn too. The romance was a bit too fast for me, but overall I genuinely loved the storytelling and the cast of characters.

It's not quite enemies to lovers, but it's close. There are some heavy moments throughout the story which balances out the quick pace just enough to make it all come together. This was my first Jennifer Dugan novel, but it definitely won't be my last.

There's so many sweet moments throughout the story that I am in love with. The scenes are beautifully written with super cute interactions and banter. I think it makes for a lovely cozy rom com that also goes over some important issues. Loved it!

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin, and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was a really sweet ya sapphic romance. I love the discussions of class and children on the internet, both very important. Unfortunately the book just didn't hook me the way I wanted it to. Nothing bad to say :).