Going Bicoastal / Dahlia Adler / Book Review

Natalya Fox has two paths before her. She could take the safe route, stay in NYC this summer with her math professor dad. She could work as his assistant, find a part time job, and finally learn how to cook Shabbos dinner with her neighbor. This future may or may not involve a cute redhead who always seems to be lurking in Natalya's favorite places, too... if she gets up the nerve to talk to her, of course. This could be Natalya's summer. Or... 

She could spend the summer in LA. She could reconnect with her mom, work a marketing internship, and enjoy a brand new city. She just might connect with the other intern, fall in love with food trucks, just plain fall in love... She might.

How's a girl to choose? 

Thoughts

I was expecting to be mildly let-down as I have been by Adler's other solo work in the past, but instead, I was incredibly delighted! This is a book of what-ifs, a choose-your-own-adventure for romance fans, and that was an absolutely delightful experience. 

Pros

• What-If: This is a book full of possibilities. What if she stays in NYC for the summer? What is she heads to LA instead? What if she doesn't have to choose--or, really, what if you as the reader don't have to choose? This book is a choose-your-own-ending without all of the work, all the flipping back and forth to match up the bits and pieces you want. You can have it all, and that's delightful. 

• Little Echoes: Something that really grounded this enchanting romance was the consistency of the characters. Because it really wouldn't work to have two alternate timelines in two locations with two love interests if the repeating characters didn't feel consistent. But these characters do feel consistent, because in each timeline, little bits of them echo. The same conversations come up. The same snippets are said in different contexts, and that grounds these characters as the same, albeit in different universes. Natalya is the same, no matter what she chooses. Her relationship with her parents, that's also the same. And these little things, these echoes of her experience, help the story come together so well. 

• No Compromise: This is a book without compromise. Do you want an edgy redhead for the love interest? You've got it. Is a nerdy intern also of interest? You get that here, too. If you like art and music, food trucks and beach afternoons, well, all of that makes it into this romance. This book has little bit of everything you could want from your romcom. 2023 has been a year of no-compromise romances, and I'm really loving that. 

Cons

• Confusing Timeline: Especially at the beginning, the jumps and cuts between timelines were jarring. Once I got into the quirky flow here, it was definitely less of an issue reorienting myself in time, place, and plot. But it did still feel like the chapter titles were often deliberately vague, almost as though they were meant to trick the reader into experiencing that timeline disorientation. I felt like I was purposefully getting jerked around, and it wasn't enjoyable. Needless to say, that made for an unhappy reading experience until I really got into it. 

• Whiny: Natalya definitely settles into herself as the story goes on, but gosh if she isn't annoyingly whiny at the beginning! Especially in the early chapters, she reads very immature and pouty. It was difficult to read, especially since her narrative and her story isn't particularly juvenile. This book is definitely in the middle to upper range for YA content, but the character reads very young. 

• Mature: I said it above, and it bears repeating here. This book is far from the most mature YA content out there, but the cutesy cover and whimsical premise might mean the content here will surprise readers. Because it definitely isn't for the young end of the YA range. There are glossed-over sex scenes, adult language and banter, and mature themes throughout. It doesn't go too far by any means, but there is a definite mismatch here between the maturity level of the marketing and the actual content of the book. 

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

7/10

Fans of Emma Lord's When You Get the Chance will love this NYC romance. Those who loved J.C. Peterson's Lola at Last will love this new summer of self-discovery.  

Details

Publisher: Wednesday Books
Date: June 13, 2023
Series: N/A

Add to Goodreads
Buy It HERE

Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.