January 22, 2024
A spontaneous girls trip to Cancun is at the center of this sexy if simplistic summer romance from Gracia (Boys I Know). With senior year of college approaching, theater major Grace is looking forward to a trip to L.A. with Josh, her boyfriend of six months—but then Josh dumps Grace and starts dating her theater class nemesis instead. Brokenhearted Grace relies on her friends Tiff and Camille for emotional support, and the besties agree to take a rejuvenating trip to Mexico. Unbeknownst to Tiff and Camille, however, Josh will also be in Cancun for the summer, and Grace is on a secret mission to get him back. Things heat up further when Grace meets Daniel, a soccer player from Hawaii who distracts her from her original plan. Daniel is easygoing, caring, and interested in Grace’s needs—everything Josh wasn’t. With Daniel in the mix, Grace’s summer of heartbreak turns into a season of friendship, romance, and finding herself. The setting is lush and the conceit is fun, if somewhat familiar. Unfortunately, the characters feel one-note, and while the physical chemistry in Grace’s relationships comes through, the love triangle lacks emotional depth. Still, as easy beach reading, this will do in a pinch. Agent: Kiana Nguyen, Donald Maas Literary.