Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler

Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler

Release Date - May 11, 2021 

Publisher Website - Raincoast Books
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages - 272 pages
My Rating - 4/5

**received for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Lara's had eyes for exactly one person throughout her three years of high school: Chase Harding. He's tall, strong, sweet, a football star, and frankly, stupid hot. Oh, and he's talking to her now. On purpose and everything. Maybe...flirting, even? No, wait, he's definitely flirting, which is pretty much the sum of everything Lara's wanted out of life.

Except she’s haunted by a memory. A memory of a confusing, romantic, strangely perfect summer spent with a girl named Jasmine. A memory that becomes a confusing, disorienting present when Jasmine herself walks through the front doors of the school to see Lara and Chase chatting it up in front of the lockers.

Lara has everything she ever wanted: a tight-knit group of friends, a job that borders on cool, and Chase, the boy of her literal dreams. But if she's finally got the guy, why can't she stop thinking about the girl?

Cool for the Summer is a story of self-discovery and new love. It’s about the things we want and the things we need. And it’s about the people who will let us be who we are.

I was excited to pick up Cool for the Summer after reading its Grease inspired synopsis. It seemed like it would be a fun read and I have previously enjoyed books by Dahlia Adler. It turned out to be quite the enjoyable read filled with just enough angst and romance.

The story is told through a dual timeline. The summer that Lara and Jasmine spend together and the school year after. It allows us to experience the highs of them falling in love and the awkwardness of their reunion. It is effective as it keeps us anchored and connected to both Lara's relationship with Jasmine and her relationship with Chase.

Each of Lara's potential relationships are given weight and care. You believe that she cares for both of these people. Neither person is made out to be awful or shown to be a bad choice. I like that the focus is on Lara and what is right for her. 

Most of this novel is Lara figuring out her sexuaity. She has had a crush on golden boy Chase for forever and is unsure what it means when she starts also having feelings for Jasmine during the summer. I thought that Lara's arc of discovery about herself and what her heart ultimately wants was well done.

Communication is the main cause of conflict as per most romance plot points in novels. Much of the angst could be solved by the characters having a conversation. It is something that works especially well here because there are characters who are figuring things out. They cannot have the conversations that need to be had until they work through things internally first. It added another layer to this often used trope that suited this particular plot.

This book did not disappoint and is definitely one you should toss into your beach tote this summer. I also recommend checking out Dahlia Adler's other books if you haven't yet.

Under The Lights by Dahlia Adler

Under The Lights by Dahlia Adler
Release Date - June 30, 2015
Publisher Website - Spencer Hill
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 312 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**borrowed from a friend for review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Josh Chester loves being a Hollywood bad boy, coasting on his good looks, his parties, his parents' wealth, and the occasional modeling gig. But his laid-back lifestyle is about to change. To help out his best friend, Liam, he joins his hit teen TV show, Daylight Falls ... opposite Vanessa Park, the one actor immune to his charms. (Not that he's trying to charm her, of course.) Meanwhile, his drama-queen mother blackmails him into a new family reality TV show, with Josh in the starring role. Now that he's in the spotlight—on everyone's terms but his own—Josh has to decide whether a life as a superstar is the one he really wants.

Vanessa Park has always been certain about her path as an actor, despite her parents' disapproval. But with all her relationships currently in upheaval, she's painfully uncertain about everything else. When she meets her new career handler, Brianna, Van is relieved to have found someone she can rely on, now that her BFF, Ally, is at college across the country. But as feelings unexpectedly evolve beyond friendship, Van's life reaches a whole new level of confusing. And she'll have to choose between the one thing she's always loved ... and the person she never imagined she could.

Growing into who you'll become is filled with mistakes, regrets, and learning experiences. It is even harder to do under the harsh light of scrutiny. Dahlia Adler's Under The Lights makes the spotlight literal as Josh and Vanessa grow up in Hollywood, but it's the recognizable part of becoming your own person with the expectations of those around you that shines through this incredibly readable novel.

The character growth is the center of the story. The story makes you feel like you're being allowed to peek into the lives of real people. Both of them are struggling with what they want, and with what others want from them. The industry that is their world plays the role of just another thing that wants something from them. The character development is not only authentic but earned. Each of them questioning who they are, what they want, and what it all means for their future is something that is entirely relatable to those reading it. It makes falling into the story effortless, and it adds a human element that is often missing in the usual Hollywood set character archetype.

The dual narration worked for this particular story. Dahlia Adler created two vastly different characters, and crafted both of them through their voices. Each is distinct, and fits within both the story, and the setting. Dahlia's talent seems to most evident in her characterization and the attention to detail she shows in getting the voice right is supremely evident here.

The romance is sweet, tentative, and with just the right amount of drama to increase the stakes. Tying the romance directly into Vanessa's character arc worked to make it feel vital to the story but not something that overtook it. The slight issue I had was that, while we get to see a lot of the relationship development, I wanted more. I wanted more scenes where Van and Bri talk. I wanted Vanessa to spend more time discussing her feelings, and what it meant. The moments felt quick, and some of them didn't carry the weight I wished they would have. This may have been the only draw back of the dual narration - not enough time spent with either character (in my opinion). You got the impression things were happening 'behind the scenes' so to speak and I felt some of that could have added to the story.

The importance of stories like this can not be stressed enough. To be someone finishing up high school and going through what Vanessa goes through and seeing yourself reflected in a novel would be huge. I had friends in high school that a novel like this would have helped. It includes different forms of diversity and does so in a really organic way.

The ending of the story left me wanting a third novel about Josh. While this novel focuses on him, I would not say no to another novel that focuses solely on his journey. This felt more like Van's story with it being a set up for Josh to find his own way. This character, for me, stole the spotlight and it doesn't feel like his journey is quite done yet.

Dahlia offers up an atypical Hollywood ending in this one, and it's most welcome. She doesn't make the obvious choices, and instead gives us endings that are totally fitting for the characters, uncertainty and all. A story that examines the various ways we struggle to find ourselves, and to accept ourselves once we do. A sequel that surpasses the original as the characters, and their story shine just a little more brightly. 

Waiting On Wednesday ............... Just Visiting

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is Just Visiting by Dahlia Adler

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Reagan Forrester wants out—out of her trailer park, out of reach of her freeloading mother, and out of the shadow of the relationship that made her the pariah of Charytan, Kansas. 

Victoria Reyes wants in—in to a fashion design program, in to the arms of a cute guy who doesn't go to Charytan High, and in to a city where she won't stand out for being Mexican. 

One thing the polar-opposite best friends do agree on is that wherever they go, they’re staying together. But when they set off on a series of college visits at the start of their senior year, they quickly see that the future doesn’t look quite like they expected. After two years of near-solitude following the betrayal of the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart, Reagan falls hard and fast for a Battlestar Galactica-loving, brilliant smile-sporting pre-med prospective... only to learn she's set herself up for heartbreak all over again. Meanwhile, Victoria runs full-speed toward all the things she thinks she wants… only to realize everything she’s looking for might be in the very place they've sworn to leave. 

As both Reagan and Victoria struggle to learn who they are and what they want in the present, they discover just how much they don't know about each other's pasts. And when each learns what the other’s been hiding, they'll have to decide whether their friendship has a future.

I love books about friendship. This one seems to be about growing up. things changing and trying to hold onto that friendship when there are secrets. Excited read this one as I've enjoyed Dahlia's previous books.

Expected release date - November 17, 2015

Behind The Scenes by Dahlia Adler

Behind The Scenes by Dahlia Adler

Release Date - June 24, 2014

Publisher Website - Spencer Hill Press
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 328 pages
My Rating - 3.5/5
**received in exchange for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

High school senior Ally Duncan's best friend may be the Vanessa Park - star of TV's hottest new teen drama - but Ally's not interested in following in her BFF's Hollywood footsteps. In fact, the only thing Ally's ever really wanted is to go to Columbia and study abroad in Paris. But when her father's mounting medical bills threaten to stop her dream in its tracks, Ally nabs a position as Van's on-set assistant to get the cash she needs.

Spending the extra time with Van turns out to be fun, and getting to know her sexy co-star Liam is an added bonus. But when the actors' publicist arranges for Van and Liam to "date" for the tabloids just after he and Ally share their first kiss, Ally will have to decide exactly what role she's capable of playing in their world of make believe. If she can't play by Hollywood's rules, she may lose her best friend, her dream future, and her first shot at love.

Anyone with a Hollywood fixation has wondered 'what if'. What if your best friend was famous? What if they became the star of a CW type show? Behind The Scenes plays with this daydream with plenty of swoon worthy, and drama filled moments.

A pleasant mix of romance, humour, drama, and seriousness the novel read and felt like a teen show on the CW. It capture the 'entertainment' world version of behind the scenes Hollywood, and wove in some easily believable scenarios that could be lifted from the pages of gossip magazines. This light and fun element will certainly please any Hollywood gossip obsessed reader.

Ally's flaws and mistakes are front and center in this novel. She often assumes things, and puts her own feelings onto others. She is stubborn, makes mistakes, and that's embraced by the author. She felt honest, and well developed. I feel like I got to know her character and could see the whys behind her actions (even if I didn't agree with them).  It's because of this that I wanted more from Liam, Vanessa and the other characters. I feel we got to know Ally so well, but the others are little more than surface characters. Ally needed the other characters to be her equals in terms of development but instead it felt like the entire focus was on her.

The romance alluded me because I didn't feel the connection with Liam. I understood Ally and her quirks perfectly. The why behind her and Liam getting together didn't feel developed enough for me. There are a few moments of shared grief that could have blossomed into something deeper, but it didn't happen. There is plenty of sexual chemistry, and lots of cute moments, but the magical element of what draws them together remains illusive. It wasn't enough that they were attracted to each other, I wanted more.

The friendship between Vanessa and Ally was portrayed much the same. I had a hard time with the relationships because the character developement outside of Ally felt thin, and I didn't feel the connection. Vanessa and Ally have been friends for practically ever, and it didn't come across the way I expected it to. It's a novel that has a rather enjoyable plot, but as a character driven reader it didn't quite captivate me.

There are plenty of more serious elements and themes peppered in with the Hollywood fun. Ally struggles to fit into Liam's world, and to find her own footing, all while dealing with a family member's illness. The less fun side to dating a Hollywood heartthrob are glaringly obvious in this novel, and allow for some juicy plot points. It allowed me to see different sides to the main character, which ultimately ended up saving the novel for me.

A glitzy, drama filled behind the scenes look at Hollywood. There is plenty of fun, but I didn't quite connect to the story, or it's characters, the way I wanted to. It's tone compliments summer reading though, and would be solid choice for your beach bag.