Hot Summer
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Sparks fly when a young woman finds herself cast on a Love Island-inspired reality show and has to choose between her heart and her strategy in this sizzling new queer romantic comedy from the beloved author of Wanderlust.
This summer, things are about to heat up.
Cas Morgan has spent years of her life watching Hot Summer, the hit reality dating show that pairs together a bunch of sexy singles in an exotic island location. Like the rest of the TV-watching UK public, she’s captivated by the hot contestants, outrageous fights, and hilarious banter. But she never quite thought she’d be a part of it, until her company secures a partnership with the production team behind the show, and Cas is handpicked as a contestant. She won’t get any extra help making it through the eight weeks in the hot Cypriot sun, but if she does well and makes it to the finals, her long-awaited promotion will be secured.
Cas is ready to spend the summer trying to make herself more likeable to win over the voting public—and, if not likeable, then at least iconic. But just as she steps into the villa, her entire plan goes off course. She’s instantly smitten with fellow contestant, Ada, who shockingly appears to be on the show to find a genuine relationship, one Cas can't give. Ada is gorgeous and charming, and seems to like Cas exactly as she is, sharp-edges and all. Cas isn't used to the side of herself Ada brings out, and when their connection becomes undeniable—and Cas's own standing in the villa precarious—she's torn between listening to her heart or sticking to her strategy.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this inclusive, pop-culture-forward romance, Everhart (Wanderlust) sends her heroine into the world of reality television. Cas Morgan works for Friday, a popular dating app. When she's not running the app's in-person events, she's watching Hot Summer, a Love Island–esque British reality dating show about gorgeous people looking for love in a Cypriot villa. Then Cas's boss announces that Friday has landed an organic marketing deal with Hot Summer and offers Cas a promotion if she appears on the show and makes it to the finals. Cas heads to Cyprus for an eight-week, high-stakes vacation with at least nine other people. Cas, who is bisexual and whose fiancée recently left her at the altar, is looking for career advancement, not love—but she feels an unexpected connection to Ada, a fellow bisexual woman. The two grow closer, but what will happen when Ada learns Cas's true reasons for appearing on the show? Everhart has a light touch with both plotting and prose, and her heroines' bisexuality is refreshingly unsensationalized. Meanwhile, the supporting characters—especially obnoxious contestant Brad, a mansplainer with a short temper—feel impressively real. This is one to throw in the beach bag.