About the Book:
Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, this charming, chaotic romance follows two teens who agree to fake-date when stuck together one summer in a quirky, scenic lake town.
This is definitely not how Maya wanted to spend the summer—depressed at her once-beloved cabin in Spruce Lake, and unable to avoid seeing her lifelong best friend, Rashida, after confessing her woefully unrequited love to her last year. Maya can’t decide if she wants to escape, or convince Rashida they’re still meant to be.
Gabe is sent to Spruce Lake by her mom in hopes she stays out of trouble. Gabe is NOT excited to be here. She does NOT like nature. She does NOT want to spend her summer in a tiny town with outdoorsy environmentalist types.
Gabe is pretty sure she’ll be spending this entire summer bored and alone…until she meets Maya. Together, they hatch a fake-dating scheme to make Rashida jealous and convince Gabe’s mom that Gabe has turned a wholesome new leaf.
But as the plan plays out, and Gabe and Maya contend with protests, a relentlessly concerned community, and romantic twists, they start to realize that their assumptions about friendship and love might have led them completely astray. Can they find their way through this mess without hurting each other in the process?
*Review Contributed by Adrien Carter, Newsletter Manager and Staff Reviewer*
Maya was hoping to have a great summer, but instead, she is spending it at Spruce Lake, heartbroken as she has to see Rashida, her best friend, whom she confessed her feelings to, yet the feelings were not mutual. Maya is torn as she can’t decide if she wants to move forward or try to convince Rashida that they should be together.
Gabe has been sent to Spruce Lake by her mother, hoping that it will keep her out of trouble. Gabe hates nature and doesn’t want to spend her summer with others who are outdoorsy. Gabe is sure that this is going to be one boring summer, but that changes when she meets Maya. The two of them start fake-dating to make Rashida jealous and help Gabe convince her mom that she is a new person. Things get a bit complicated, though, as Gabe and Maya grow closer and have to confront their assumptions about friendship and love. Will they be able to figure things out before things get messy and someone gets hurt?
What I Liked: It takes a while for this book to really dive into the adventure that you are going to take with Maya and Gabe. The beginning of the book introduces you to Gabe and Maya and provides you with their thoughts about the summer that is about to unfold. As this book goes back and forth through Maya and Gabe’s perspectives, you get a chance to understand how each of them is feeling about different events in the story.
The inclusion of the environmentalist group was fascinating, and it was nice to see the development of Gabe because of her involvement with this group. The twist regarding this wasn’t something that you saw coming, and it was interesting to see how Gabe navigated this information and the shifts that occurred due to this.
What Left Me Wanting More: Throughout the whole book, Maya spends a lot of time pining after Rashida. This constant reminder of Rashida’s existence was a bit much, as Maya is so focused on her feelings about her that she dismisses their friendship. While this constant pining and fixation on one person is annoying, it does remind the reader of how old the characters are and where they are developmentally.
Due to the focus on Rashida, we should have gotten a bit more of the friendship that she and Maya shared. The focus was too centered on making Rashida jealous, and even when that is accomplished, it feels that we are far from the goal. It would’ve been great to have some of Rashida’s thoughts or feelings included, as she also navigates Maya’s feelings.
Final Verdict: Lake Life is a chaotic summer romance that incorporates environmentalism, the nuances of friendship, and much, much more. This book is perfect for young adults who are fans of Becky Albertelli’s books, Meet Me at the Picket Line, and Mason Deaver’s books. This is definitely one that you should pick up if you’re looking for a fun romance to read this summer.
*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*
