Review: See You at the Summit by Jordan Taylor
Thank you Gallery Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
I have been a fan of Jordan Taylor’s since her first YA book so I was so excited to read her first adult romance! And it did not disappoint. I have been reading so slowly lately and this book held my attention to finish it in 24 hours! I loved it, especially the Canadian setting and the exploration of queer identity.
Synopsis:
“Girl comes out as bi. Girl falls for a straight guy.
Simone Whittaker has spent the first three decades of her life pretending to be straight. But when the girl she never dared call her girlfriend walks away, she decides she’s done living in fear. Her uptight parents don’t take the news well, but a viral coming-out post and a new job at Toronto’s Rainbow Museum offer a fresh start—and a crash course in queer adulthood.
That is, until her first day of work, when Simone ruins a project designed by Ryan Foley—the museum’s gruff and annoyingly hot carpenter—earning her the top spot on his enemies list. When they’re forced to take a work trip to the Whistler Pride and Ski Festival together, Simone vows not to let a grumpy straight guy ruin her first Pride. But Ryan keeps surprising her—thoughtful, vulnerable, and impossible to ignore. As sparks fly on chairlifts and by crackling fires, one snowstorm—and one bed—changes everything.
Back in Toronto, however, reality sets in. Dating a guy—and being mistaken for straight—weren’t exactly part of Simone’s coming-out plan. As the pressure builds between the identity she’s just beginning to explore and the relationship that wasn’t supposed to happen, she starts to wonder: What if claiming one part of herself means erasing the other?” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Writing—I gobbled this book up in 24 hours so the writing style worked for me! I thought it was well paced, engaging, and balanced heart and humor.
The Settings—I live close to Toronto so I love when I get to explore it in books! I also LOVED Whistler. I’m a sucker for a ski lodge setting.
The Characters’ Journeys—While I can’t relate to every aspect of Simone’s journey, the writing allowed me to empathize with her and I thought her self discoveries were messy and honest. And I loved Ryan! I thought everything unfolded in a natural, human way.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
Some Pacing—There’s was a bit of insta-hate to insta-attraction that made me feel like things moved at a strange pace, but they were ultimately righted.
Wish We Spent More Time in Whistler—From the title, I thought the ski lodge/mountain would play a larger role!
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Content Warnings:
biphobia, homophobia