The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angeles)

by Amy Spalding

"This book is the queer, fat girl rom-com of my dreams! Plus-size fashion, a fat girl falling in love, nuanced friendships, and cheeseburgers! Did I mention cheeseburgers?" —Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin'

Seventeen, fashion-obsessed, and gay, Abby Ives has always been content playing the sidekick in other people’s lives. While her friends and sister have plunged headfirst into the world of dating and romances, Abby’s been happy to focus on her plus-size style blog and her dreams of taking the fashion industry by storm. When she lands a great internship at her favorite boutique, she’s thrilled to take the first step toward her dream career. Then she falls for her fellow intern, Jordi Perez. Hard. And now she’s competing against the girl she’s kissing to win the coveted paid job at the end of the internship.

But really, nothing this summer is going as planned. She also unwittingly becomes friends with Jax, a lacrosse playing bro-type who wants her help finding the best burger in Los Angeles, and she’s struggling to prove to her mother—the city’s celebrity health nut—that she’s perfectly content with who she is.

Just as Abby starts to feel like she’s no longer the sidekick in her own life, Jordi’s photography surprisingly puts her in the spotlight. Instead of feeling like she’s landed a starring role, Abby feels betrayed. Can Abby find a way to reconcile her positive yet private sense of self with the image others have of her?

• ISBN10: 1510727663
• ISBN13: 9781510727663
• Publish Date: 19 April 2018 (first published 3 April 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
• Imprint: Sky Pony Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 284
• Language: English

Reviews

[layawaydragon]

I was immediately swept up in The Summer of Jordi Perez! It's adorable. Awesome fat and lesbian rep. Love the crossing of cliques. Love to hate the mom - she's like so many women I know and I'm happy to see it represented, but god, she's so fatphobic it made me ache for Abby. I love her dad and Jordi's family. The issues and reactions are so perfect. I would totally read more about Abby and Jordi, or any of their related queer friends.

And this is weird, but finally someone who gets not wanting to drive! It's so frustrating being the one who still doesn't. Me and my friend both fear and hate driving, walk a lot and take public transportation, yet people still give us shit about fatness and exercising. Ugh, people just don't get it. So it made me really happy to read another like us - Abby.

The one thing I will say is the original crush girl Abby was hoping was gay, then gets a bf and assumed to be straight...she could be bi, ya know? I mean she's off the market with a partner now but that don't mean she's not in to girls at all!

But all in all, a cute, fluffy, realistic, interesting f/f romance YA novel that I recommend for everyone.

Quotes from Reading:

"She said I'd finally be happy and pretty."

"Why not? It's not an insult, just a thing. A thing I am."
"I just want you happy and healthy and--"
"I'm very healthy. Dr. Misra says so. Remember?"
"Hmmm," Mom says. Every year after my annual physical, it seems she's determined something's wrong with me that could be cured by skinniness.

"Abbs, I'm a feminist," he says. "I'm equally scared of all feelings."

And to all the girls who worry they take up too much space: you don't.

[Sam@WLABB]

Ah, first love! I felt so lucky to be able to accompany Abby on her path to romance, because it was one adorable and fun trip.

Abby was a really interesting and vibrant character. She was quite charming, and had this magnetic persona. However, because of her mother, her lack of a love life, and the general distaste directed towards "bigger" girls, Abby was unable to recognize how wonderful she was, even when everyone was telling her so.

Abby's world was pretty fun to be in too. The whole fashion blogger thing and adventures through clothes was interesting, and I loved going out for burgers with Abby and Jax. Jax was such a bro, but he had a heart of gold. The heart-to-hearts Abby and Jax shared were delightful, and I was actually starting to anticipate and look forward to their eating adventures.

The Summer of Jordi Perez, chronicles Abby's summer of growth and change. She got her dream internship, and found a mentor, who was giving her the support she needed to flourish. She worked through her changing relationship with her best friend, and formed a new and unlikely friendship with Jax. She came to an understanding with her parents, but most importantly, she fell in love.

I love romance, and this one was very sweet. Both Jordi and Abby were new to this whole romance thing, and they shared so many special moments with us. The little touches and brushes and the excitement that accompanied them made me smile. I loved watching their connection grow and change, and it definitely warmed my heart and made me feel good.

Overall: A sweet and charming story of first love, friendship, and learning to see yourself through someone else's eyes, which left me with lots of happy feels.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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