I absolutely loved this fun and fresh take on queer identity and the navigating we all have to go through to really find who we are -- and what we want in this life. Amy Spalding has truly done it again!

No Boy Summer always got me. Lydia's relationship with her sister, Penny, is emotional and precious. Always united by their boy drama, Penny decides the No Boy Summer should be born. The idea that they will be able to spend the summer focused on themselves and also their sister relationship. So when Lydia falls for her coffee regular Fran, Lydia ends up falling into a romance and lying to Penny. Their sister relationship is everything.

Lydia feels like the disaster child. The one who doesn't have it together like perfect Penny. But them figuring out their relationship and how they really learn to talk to each other is my favorite element.

In the throes of summer I would have eaten this one up like a delicious ice cream cone but for whatever reason (gloomy dreary day?) I wasn't pulled in by the sister-sister dynamic of Spalding's chick lit title. I'm a Spalding fan and continue to enjoy the lightheartedness in her stories and the depth of her characters that aren't sappy sweet, simply realistic and full-bodied.

That cover. The setting as a whole mood. The sisterly connection was adorable and their differences make it ring true- even though you're different doesn't mean you can't have meaningful conversations about life and growing up. Then the eventual romance that sprouts when she realizes that she's fallen for a girl, is a surprising, but not unforetold twist.

Summer book CHECK!

This was cute! I feel like it was a little young for my taste but it wasn’t a bad book. The plot is very cyclical and can be a bit repetitive but overall it was fun to watch the main character grow. The secret romance and miscommunication trope was strong in this one. The relationship the main character carried with her sister was fairly awkward as well. My biggest pet peeve is the amount of references specifically about Southern California. I understand the setting of the book being in SoCal, however, if I have to google restaurants, towns, or cities to understand a reference made within the book, it’s not really worth the read. Thankfully I’m from SoCal. Other than that, overall the book was a cute coming out/coming of age story. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

3 stars for Amy’s debut YA romcom. To be honest, I think I’m just growing out of the YA genre. I love Amy Spalding’s writing style but I just couldn’t connect with Lydia. The pacing was off. I couldn’t handle juvenile feelings. This book just wasn’t for me, sadly, but I know it’ll be important for young, queer readers. Thank you to Netgalley and Amulet Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

“No Boy Summer” is my first time reading anything by Amy Spalding, but it won’t be my last. This was a fun and easy YA read! I liked the chemistry between Lydia and Fran. I really enjoyed the growth that Penny and Lydia got in their relationship. Spending the summer with their aunt Grace allowed them to learn more about themselves and each other. They both experienced growth both as individuals and in their relationship with each other. The characters in this book are one of the best parts. Each one, even minor characters like Oscar, Lydia’s aunt Grace’s partner, are three dimensional and well-developed. Lydia’s friends are diverse and interesting. I also thought Spalding did an incredible job incorporating sex and body positivity into this book. Sex is treated seriously but not as something forbidden, which I think is the right way to do it. Thanks to Amy Spalding, Netgalley and Amulet Books for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I look forward to reading what Amy writes next and I am definitely going to check out “For Your Consideration”.

I really enjoyed this book! It was fun and engaging and i like the time capsule of a summer story. I loved everyone and their growth. THAT SAID, the friend group felt like a group of 20-somethings. I kept having a hard time remembering that they were literally weeks out from their senior year of high school. The MC and her sister didn't feel anywhere near as old so i kept trying to figure out why these literal adults want to be friends with a literal child, then remembering they were only supposed to be a year apart in age. I liked a fat teenage MC having a lot of experience with relationships and dating but not with friendship--it felt like a shifting of the regular book script that felt not untrue to life. And i liked having the aunt as the main adult support because it felt like it could make the relationship of guidance work in very compelling ways.

This is the second of Amy Spalding's two releases this year (the first is For Her Consideration), and I've given both five stars. The Summer of Jordi Perez has been one of my favorite books for years now, but these have cemented Amy Spalding as one of my favorite authors. I love the way she writes queer romance, full of heart and embracing the not-so-perfect moments. I love the way she writes friendships, creating dynamics that feel so real and never treating them as inferior to the romantic storyline. I love the way she writes Los Angeles, making me remember the things I love about it from thousands of miles away. No Boy Summer is another perfect example of all of these things.

Possibly the biggest testament to how much I loved this book is that something that's normally one of my biggest bookish pet peeves didn't bother me at all. Usually, when it's obvious from very early on how the big conflict will blow up, I just spend the whole time I'm reading with this impending sense of doom that makes it really hard for me to enjoy the book in the meantime. Here, it's even in the premise that Penny will probably be upset with Lydia's bending the rules, but I was so invested in Lydia and her story that I didn't feel that way at all.

I highly recommend this and all of the Amy Spalding books I've read, and I can't wait to see what's next from her.

Amy Spalding crafts a fun and emotional story of Lydia, who is a disastrous mix of confidence and shy, assured and unsure. Lydia felt very real in the way she was allowed to be messy without being a mess, be romantic and good at romance without being labeled a slut, and be confident about herself while also being awkward and not quite fitting in. The pay off was very satisfying and there were so many good conversations about truth and confidence and perception. A very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up. Reading this one right after reading Carlin Greenwald’s Sizzle Reel gave me a mild case of deja vu, in that both books are about disaster bisexuals who have just/have not come out, they’re both set in L.A., and both have characters who work as PAs on film set. This is not a bad comparison! I loved both books. I’m just saying they may have run together a little in my head and I am apologizing ahead of time if I get some facts confused.

Anyway, THIS book was like a young adult version of the other one, with different stakes, and was also the perfect spring break (or summer! I was just on spring break when I read it) read. My favorite part about this book? When the characters actually talked their feelings out with each other and communicated! So refreshing,

The stakes were low, the plot was uncomplicated (but never boring!), and damn did I get hungry at times while reading about all these great food places the characters were hitting up. Nice and fluffy with a lovely ending.

**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lydia and Penny have felt that their lives had been defined by the boys they are in relationships with. After each having a disastrous experience the previous school year, Penny concocts a plan for the two sisters to have a "no boy summer." They're going to spend the holiday in LA, gain experience in the workforce, and focus on themselves. When Lydia immediately gains a solid group of female friends and starts flirting with a cute girl that comes into the coffee shop she's working in, will she keep the pledge she made with her sister? And will their relationship survive the summer?

This is your typical YA romcom. Lydia is great body positive representation, The conversations and thoughts she has about her bisexual identity is refreshing in a queer YA novel. The strong female friendships forged are also highlighted and valued, which is great for young teens to see. Overall, it was a fine, cute story--just not one that I would personally return to.

Lydia and her sister Penny have had enough of boy drama. So when her parents decide to go on a summer long cruise, they decide to spend the summer in LA with their Aunt Grace and her boyfriend Oscar. Penny is going to get business experience working at Oscar's work and Lydia gets a part time job at Grace's space themed coffeeshop, "Grounds Control". The girls decide they will not allow boys into their lives this summer. Lydia also wants to work on becoming closer to her sister.
As the summer goes on though, Lydia finds herself drawn to her friend at work Margaret and a customer named Fran who really gets Lydia's attention. When Lydia finds herself attracted to Fran, will she break her pledge with Penny?
A fun and easy YA read! I really liked Aunt Grace. I think the rest of the characters were all relatable.

Huge huge fan of Amy Spalding's writing. She is genuinely funny and I love the specificity of her Los Angeles set-novels. There's always a fun and distinct set of characters adding to the found family. I really enjoyed NO BOY SUMMER's exploration of a teen girl's queerness and her relationship with her sister. Also this cover is beautiful.

A delightful story about sisters, romance, friendship, and figuring out who you are. Sometimes a new setting is what you need to figure out who you are and what you want. That’s what happens for Lydia when she and her sister Penny spend the summer are her aunt and uncle’s house. Lydia makes new friends, explores a new city, and falls in love while trying to understand herself and her sister better. Spalding writes another love letter to LA in this charming YA novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams for the eArc! I really thought this was going to be directly up my alley, but it definitely wasn't for me. While the plus-size and queer rep was meaningful, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. Despite being very short, I was bored for most of the book after the first 50 pages. The pacing was my main issue with this one. The main couple got together very quickly, and the book went in circles with Lydia feeling guilty about lying to Penny but going out with Fran anyway until they're discovered at the end. I didn't feel like anything had really happened by the end of the book, which isn't necessarily a problem and I love quiet books, but for them to work for me there needs to be character development. While Lydia developed, she didn't do so enough for it to carry the book for me. I know this book will be meaningful for a lot of people, but it just wasn't for me.

This book was SO great.

First of all, Amy Spalding is such a natural writer. Nothing feels awkward and forced, and the way the characters talk sound like real human teenagers. If you just read the dust jacket, you might think this is going to be a cliched romance novel full of tropes. Lydia finds a loophole in her and her sister Penny’s summertime pact - no boys - by dating a girl. Nope. Not cliched at all. Earnest and full of heart.

The characters in this book are one of the best parts. Each one, even minor characters like Oscar, Lydia’s aunt Grace’s partner, are three dimensional and well-developed. Lydia’s friends are diverse and interesting.

The story is so beautiful because in the changes they experience in their summer in LA with their aunt Grace, both Penny and Lydia learn more about themselves and each other. Positive but complicated sister relationships are rare in YA fiction, and it was really lovely how Spalding had Penny and Lydia doing kind and thoughtful things for each other.

I also thought Spalding did an incredible job incorporating sex and body positivity into this book. Sex is treated seriously but not as something forbidden or taboo. This is the right way to do it.

Thank you to Amulet Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this title is most definitely Amy at her absolute best!
No Boy Summer by Amy Spalding was a fun, easy and down right an enjoyable YA story.

The characters are so well written. They feel so real. And honestly I could picture perfectly the scenes that were taking place!
I loved the relationship dynamics here. Every single relationship felt real. Sisters Penny and Lydia and then the growing relationship between Lydia and Fran. I loved it, I could feel it and I cherished it.
I have no complaints here.
The writing was great. her storytelling was amazing and they story was enjoyable.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Amulet Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Love Amy Spalding, her YA and adult books are always an immediate yes for me and this one did not disappoint!

Amy's Spalding's NO BOY SUMMER may be her best YA book yet. Lyda, the main character, is so engaging. Her voice is distinct and she's smart and funny. But she doesn't see it that way and the most compelling part of the book is watching Lydia realize that she has so much to offer people--and so much to offer herself. Lydia's hesitation with friendships was also very believable and it was such a joy to see how she bonded with Margaret and Margaret's "girl gang." Aunt Grace is also well developed, moving from the "cool aunt" to a more rounded human as Lydia gets to know her better.

The sister relationship also feels real. Something a sibling says can carry so much more weight than that of a friend or even a family member, whether we realize it or not. Seeing how Lydia was able to explain to Penny how her comments left a mark was compelling and empowering. The sister relationship didn't become "perfect" but it was believable and loving.

The rom-com part of this--Lydia's feelings for Fran--is fun and also emphasizes the same honesty Lydia shows in her new friendships. This author knows how to write a swoon-worthy love interest and it's very likely Fran will be as popular as Jordi from THE SUMMER OF JORDI PEREZ. This relationship was great to follow--and cheer for--but, ultimately, it felt like Lydia's relationship with herself was the true heart of the book.

I highly recommend this book. I read it so fast I couldn't believe it was over and I miss hearing these characters' voices.

Thank you, Abrams Kids, for allowing me to read No Boy Summer early.

From the moment I saw the cover, I knew I wanted to read No Boy Summer (I hadn't even read the blurb yet). A plus-sized girl on the cover! We need more of them! The story luckily was great too and I loved Lydia's search and the way she started bending the rules because she fell for Fran. Highly recommended!