Seventeen, fashion-obsessed, and gay, Abby Ives has always been content playing the sidekick in other people’s lives. While her friends and sister have plunged headfirst into the world of dating and romances, Abby’s been happy to focus on her plus-size style blog and her dreams of taking the fashion industry by storm. When she lands a great internship at her favorite boutique, she’s thrilled to … thrilled to take the first step toward her dream career. Then she falls for her fellow intern, Jordi Perez. Hard. And now she’s competing against the girl she’s kissing to win the coveted paid job at the end of the internship.
But really, nothing this summer is going as planned. She also unwittingly becomes friends with Jax, a lacrosseplaying bro-type who wants her help finding the best burger in Los Angeles, and she’s struggling to prove to her mother—the city’s celebrity health nut—that she’s perfectly content with who she is.
Just as Abby starts to feel like she’s no longer the sidekick in her own life, Jordi’s photography surprisingly puts her in the spotlight. Instead of feeling like she’s landed a starring role, Abby feels betrayed. Can Abby find a way to reconcile her positive yet private sense of self with the image others have of her?
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This book is funny, empowering, and romantic, without downplaying the role of platonic friendships. And to the fat girls who are sidelined in almost every romantic comedy? It’s a love letter.
41/2 Stars. This book has a funny story for me. I agreed to read a lesbian romance for a contest i was judging. The book came and i downloaded it. Later i went to my Kindle and started reading The Summer of Jordi Perez. While it took me a little while to get into it, i was eventually captured and really enjoyed this charming story of a young woman coming into herself. I loved all the characters and the story sneaked up on me. I was quite excited that i thought i would be able to give the book a winning score in the contest! When i went to send in the judging form i discovered i’d read the wrong book. Somehow I’d bought Amy Spalding’s book then forgotten it was there and mixed up the two books on my Kindle. Obviously, it was the right book and i recommend it to anyone who enjoys Becky Albertalli-style YA. (Now i’m reading the book i was supposed to judge, which is sadly not as captivating.)
The Summer of Jordi Perez is a confectionary delight. From lovely romantic date nights to secret makeout sessions to utterly relatable friend drama, this is the happy queer-girl romance I’ve been longing for since I knew enough to long for happy queer-girl romance.
You’ll want to go shopping with Abby. You’ll obsessively need to sample every cheeseburger in town. You might even plan a foodie-fashion-fun times vacation in L.A. But most importantly, you’ll fall in love with The Summer of Jordi Perez. Just like I did.
This book is the queer, fat girl rom-com of my dreams! Plus-size fashion, a fat girl falling in love, nuanced friendships, and cheeseburgers! Did I mention cheeseburgers?
This was the feel-good wlw summer romcom I never knew I needed. The main character, Abby, is thrilled to land an internship at a local boutique, until she learns that she’s not the only intern. Now she and Jordi Perez are competing for the part-time position for the fall, and to make matters more complicated, Abby may be developing a crush. This book filled my heart with rainbows and joy. If you’re ever looking for something light and heartwarming, this is your book. It wasn’t terribly complicated, and it felt pretty low stakes the whole time, but it was also extremely low-stress and satisfying.
Not a lot of conflict in this story, till there was. Not sure the conflict with her mom was really ever solved. Jordi was real patient. Not sure I’d’ve given girlfriend a second chance, but who am i? Liked her new buddy, the burger boy, not to mention the manager at her job. Didn’t like the decision that wasn’t, though.
Plus-size fashion, photography, and a quest for the best burger in Los Angeles. A juicy summer rom-com I devoured in one sitting!