A fresh and funny contemporary YA rom-com about teens working as costumed characters in a local amusement part.“I’m wrecked with love for this funny, joyful, bighearted book.” –Becky Albertalli, bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens AgendaElouise (Lou) Parker is determined to have the absolute best, most impossibly epic summer of her life. There are just a few things standing in her … her life. There are just a few things standing in her way:
• She’s landed a job at Magic Castle Playland . . . as a giant dancing hot dog.
• Her crush, the dreamy diving pirate Nick, already has a girlfriend, who is literally the princess of the park. But Lou’s never liked anyone, guy or otherwise, this much before, and now she wants a chance at her own happily ever after.
• Her best friend, Seeley, the carousel operator, has always been up for anything, but she’s decidedly not on board when it comes to Lou’s quest to set her up with the perfect girl or Lou’s scheme to get close to Nick.
• And it turns out that this will be their last summer at Magic Castle Playland–ever–unless she can find a way to stop it from closing.
Jennifer Dugan’s sparkling debut coming-of-age queer romance stars a princess, a pirate, a hot dog, and a carousel operator who find love–and themselves–in unexpected people and unforgettable places.
“Both classic and new, hysterical and heartfelt, and packed with all the awesomeness and awkwardness of first love, first job, and the painful thrill of growing up.” –Mackenzi Lee, bestselling author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
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I’m wrecked with love for this funny, joyful, bighearted book.
Young Adult Contemporary LGBTQIA+ Romantic Comedy
This book is so adorable and awkward. The main character Lou reminds me of Emma from Jane Austen expect Lou’s romantic plots are much more illogical and teen and Lou has doesn’t think she is the best thing sense crispy M&Ms like Emma. While I didn’t connect with Lou and her matchmaking I did connect with her and her low self esteem and insecurities. I was always like Lou never the princess always the Hot Dog Girl and I loved watching Lou find out being the Hot Dog Girl is even better then being the princess.
Seeley is the Lou’s best friend and I love her so much. She is always there for Lou no matter how crazy her ideas and always helps her with them. Seeley is best friend goals. I love how Lou and her father where so close and had such a great relationship. I want to see more great dad and daughter relationships like this in other books. If you love rom coms I can’t recommend this book enough.
Rating: 5 stars
Engrossing. Need I say more?
This is a really lighthearted fun read. It’s YA romance and full of humor and sweet, sweet moments. I really loved the friends to lovers aspect; Seeley and Elle are perfect for each other. This is one of those reads for me where I knew the ending going in (it’s predictable) but that didn’t take away from enjoying the journey. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
I loved this funny YA romp with a bi protagonist!
This is such a fun, snarky queer YA about a girl who spends the summer dressed as a dancing hot dog at an amusement park. She pines for the guy she likes, tries to set her best friend up with the girl she thinks is right for her, and agonizes over the amusement park’s impending closure.
The no-mom-to-guide-her aspect hit way too close to home for me. All Lou wants is something steady and secure in her life. In many ways, the amusement park represents that for her, so losing it is a hard blow for her to take. That, coupled with her attempts to meddle in the romantic lives of her peers makes for a multi-layered story that might remind you of your own teen years.
In the end, everything turns out for the best with the fun, witty cast of characters… including a favorite carousel horse! This story has so much warmth and heart, that I smiled throughout.
I picked up this book for the cover and title, and I’m happy to report the story inside didn’t disappoint. I loved the amusement park setting and the quirky cast of characters. It brought me back to those slow, lazy days of summer when you’re still a kid but have a job and are trying to negotiate growing up. A light and breezy read perfect for summer!
Both classic and new, hysterical and heartfelt, and packed with all the awesomeness and awkwardness of first love, first job, and the painful thrill of growing up.
Oh gosh, will a girl in a hot dog suit grab your heart and stomp on it. This is a lovely rom-com that is light and undeniably fun, but simmering under the surface is Lou’s incredible ache that comes out in her ill-timed and poorly managed hi-jinks. I was enraged by her cluelessness, filled with motherly love about the missing woman in her life, and wiping tears from my eyes when she mucks everything all up time and again because she’s hiding the one thing from herself she really needs.