Publishers Weekly
★ 05/18/2020
When 17-year-old Saoirse is dumped by her girlfriend and former best friend, she decides that dating isn’t worth the heartache, especially since she’s already dealing with her mother’s moving into a home due to dementia, and the revelation of her father’s affair. She doesn’t expect her electric attraction to Ruby, who is visiting her cousin’s family for the season, but when Ruby proposes a summer together modeled after a rom-com—all fun, and no hard feelings when it ends—Saoirse decides to bend her rules. From Ferris wheel rides with prolonged eye contact to skinny dipping at the beach late at night, the two embrace every romantic cliché, but feelings inevitably grow between them, and Saoirse struggles to let down the walls that keep her heart safe. The sweet love story is balanced with Saoirse’s fear of being vulnerable and struggles to accept that her father has found a love of his own, and though the girls never plan for forever, what they create together is special and precious to them both. An emotionally stirring queer romance with witty, playful dialogue. Ages 13–up. (June)
From the Publisher
Saoirse and Ruby set the standard for the genre of lesbian romantic comedy. A fun romance with substance.” — School Library Journal
“An emotionally stirring queer romance with witty, playful dialogue.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A snarky and sincere romp through meet-cutes and grand romantic gestures, this book is a must-read for fans of Becky Albertali and Morgan Matson.” — Ashley Poston, author of Geekerella and The Princess and the Fangirl
“Delightfully brash and no-nonsense. Pleasantly and audaciously fills a gap in queer romance.”
— Kirkus Reviews
"A meet-cute in the style of Jenny Han, and just as sweet and cinematic as YA rom-com fans will expect." — Booklist
“A charming romp of a rom-com about the delights and terrors of falling in love. Saoirse is a heroine for the ages; she is smart, flawed, funny, and—when she lets her guard down—achingly vulnerable. This book will make your heart sing. Read it.” — Misa Sugiura, award-winning author of It's Not Like It's a Secret and This Time Will Be Different
“A joyous, hilarious, big-hearted book with the kind of electric, rollicking voice that makes you want to live in its pages forever.” — Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author of Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee
“A book that manages to be both tenderly gutting and absolutely hilarious. I want to be best friends with Saoirse Clarke.” — Dahlia Adler, author of Under the Lights
“The romantic story all queer girls deserve: funny, flirty, and absolutely perfect.” — Camryn Garrett, author of Full Disclosure
“A slow-burn summer romance narrated by a beautifully snarky heroine who likes to pretend that she doesn’t have a heart of gold. This book was made for those endless-feeling summer nights.” — Aminah Mae Safi, author of Not the Girls You're Looking For and Tell Me How You Really Feel
“Everything I wanted and so much more. How refreshing to read about two girls who like girls who find each other in the perfect meet cute. You’ll want to read this one again and again.” — Jaye Robin Brown, author of Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit and The Meaning of Birds
Jeff Zentner
A joyous, hilarious, big-hearted book with the kind of electric, rollicking voice that makes you want to live in its pages forever.
Camryn Garrett
The romantic story all queer girls deserve: funny, flirty, and absolutely perfect.
Ashley Poston
A snarky and sincere romp through meet-cutes and grand romantic gestures, this book is a must-read for fans of Becky Albertali and Morgan Matson.
Dahlia Adler
A book that manages to be both tenderly gutting and absolutely hilarious. I want to be best friends with Saoirse Clarke.
Aminah Mae Safi
A slow-burn summer romance narrated by a beautifully snarky heroine who likes to pretend that she doesn’t have a heart of gold. This book was made for those endless-feeling summer nights.
Misa Sugiura
A charming romp of a rom-com about the delights and terrors of falling in love. Saoirse is a heroine for the ages; she is smart, flawed, funny, and—when she lets her guard down—achingly vulnerable. This book will make your heart sing. Read it.
Booklist
"A meet-cute in the style of Jenny Han, and just as sweet and cinematic as YA rom-com fans will expect."
Booklist
"A meet-cute in the style of Jenny Han, and just as sweet and cinematic as YA rom-com fans will expect."
School Library Journal
09/04/2020
Gr 10 Up—Saoirse is dealing with a lot. Her girlfriend broke up with her, she feels betrayed by her best friend, she doesn't know if she wants to go to university, and her mother is suffering from early-onset dementia while her dad moves on with another woman. Then she meets Ruby, a girl who, despite having problems of her own, loves romantic comedies and makes the most out of what life gives her. Instead of getting into a serious relationship, Saoirse and Ruby decide to have a fun summer fling while following all of the tropes from romantic comedies. Saoirse is a complex character. While watching her mom's health deteriorate, she struggles with watching her dad move on and worries that she too will develop dementia and forget everyone she loves. Ruby is fun and understanding, and her cousin Oliver adds extra comedic flare. Saoirse and Ruby, who are white, set the standard for the genre of lesbian romantic comedy. VERDICT A fun romance with substance. Recommended for all high school collections, especially those looking to enhance their LGBTQ holdings with stories that go beyond coming out.—Ashley Leffel, Griffin M.S., Frisco, TX
Kirkus Reviews
2020-03-25
A girl-girl rom-com packed with all the standard cheesy moments and raw emotions.
Having just completed her final exams, 17-year-old Saoirse heads into summer after high school with a lot on her plate: not wanting to attend prestigious Oxford, though her father’s set on it; navigating the anxiety and struggles of a mother suffering from early-onset dementia; and her father’s upcoming marriage to his new girlfriend, Beth. To postpone dealing with any of that, she heads to a party. There, she finds a cute girl to kiss—Ruby, visiting the seaside Irish town from her native England. Ruby adores romantic comedy films. To convert horror-loving Saoirse, Ruby proposes they try to complete a list of rom-com clichés over the summer. Commitment-phobic Saoirse’s keen to promote wholesome lesbian romance and to keep things casual. As they spend time together, however, it gets harder for Saoirse to follow her own relationship boundary rules. The novel’s voice is delightfully brash and no-nonsense while it simultaneously reveals Saoirse’s vulnerabilities as she deals with various feelings of betrayal. Smyth paints each character as a complex, messy, lifelike individual. Irish slang adds cultural texture to the story. Most characters are cued as white; Beth is English and brown-skinned.
Pleasantly and audaciously fills a gap in queer romance. (Romance. 13-18)
