Cool for the Summer - by Dahlia Adler

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Witty, wise, and disarmingly tender. I am hopelessly devoted to this summer dream of a book. --Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

The guy of her dreams... or the girl in her heart?

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?

Dahlia Adler's 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.

Review Quotes

* Winner of the Alma for Best Jewish YA of the Year *
* An Indie Next Pick! *
*2021 Booklist Editors' Choice *
*A 2022 Rainbow List Pick *

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, "Four YA Romances for Teens Watching 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'"

Writ-ten in a clear, acces-si-ble style, this book tells the com-pelling and sweet sto-ry of one girl's jour-ney of self-discovery. --JEWISH BOOK COUNCIL

There are so many more reasons to pick up this YA romance... Cool for the Summer is the perfect addition to your LGBTQ+ YA reading list. --SHONDALAND

This book is a gamechanger for queer Jewish teens. --ALMA

A delightful, lighthearted romantic comedy. --THE SEATTLE TIMES

With its summery vibes and rollercoaster of queer confusion, Cool for the Summer is the sexy, sweet and steamy beach read of the year! --THE NERD DAILY

Adler's heartfelt contemporary romance is as bright and sweet as its cover and poignantly explores queer identity and self-discovery. --BUZZFEED, 30 New YA Books You'll Want To Read This Spring

[S]trung through with humor, warmth, and sensuality, this romance will speak to any reader who has ever struggled to know their own heart. --BOOKLIST (starred review)

Readers who enjoy romance will be delightfully surprised with this book that will take them a bit deeper on the road of self-discovery through high school crushes. --SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

The thoughtful representation of a questioning teen's struggle to understand herself...is sorely needed. A welcome addition to the small but growing canon of questioning queer fiction. --KIRKUS

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It's fun, sexy, sweet, and the perfect spring read. --ALMA, The Best New Jewish (And Other!) Books to Read in Spring 2021

Un-bi-lievably good. --BUZZFEED, 40 YA Contemporary Books We're Highly Anticipating In 2021

Dahlia Adler's latest has me longing for the summer. This story of a bi girl discovering who she is and who holds her heart sounds like the perfect summer 2021 read. --BOOKISH, '10 LGBTQ+ Young Adult Books for Your 2020 and 2021 TBRs'

...echoes of Demi Lovato's 2015 bop resound throughout these sweet and sultry pages, but Adler's novel offers a wonderfully queer spin on another August-becomes-September anthem: Grease's 'Summer Nights.' --OPRAHMAG.COM, '32 LGBTQ Books That Will Change the Literary Landscape in 2021'

Witty, wise, and disarmingly tender. I am hopelessly devoted to this summer dream of a book. --BECKY ALBERTALLI, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

"Adler captures the radiance and joy of summer love and perfectly mixes it with all of the longing and wonder that comes after. Filled with nuance and charm, and queer girls you can't help but root for, Cool for the Summer will leave readers grinning long after they finish." --JENNIFER DUGAN, author of Hot Dog Girl and Verona Comics

A little bit sexy and a little bit sweet - Dahlia Adler has written the perfect summer romance, filled with humor, joy, and self-discovery. Cool for the Summer is a delight and an anthem to self-love all at once." --AMINAH MAE SAFI, author of Tell Me How You Really Feel

Filled with summer vibes and swoon-worthy moments, Cool for the Summer is a book I wish I'd had as a teen. I related to Lara's story so much, from dealing with divorced parents and the struggle of finding your own voice, to the rollercoaster ride of figuring out your sexuality. Dahlia perfectly captures what it's like to feel torn between what we think we should want and what our hearts actually desire. --JEN WILDE, author of Going Off Script

About the Author