Camp Boyfriend

Camp Boyfriend #1

by J.K. Rock

The summer of her dreams is about to get a reality check.

They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.

But Matt isn't giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Young Adult Contemporary, Teen, Fiction

324 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2013

About the author

J. K. Rock is the pseudonym for the Young Adult writing partnership of Joanne Rock and Karen Rock. Their CAMP BOYFRIEND series recreates the magic of summer camp, first love, and friendships.

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

For so long, I had seen myself in terms of who I dated. First it was as Seth's camp girlfriend, and then as Matt's cheerleader girlfriend. Maybe I needed to be on my own to see who I was and what I really wanted.

I'm all for fluffy and summer-day reads. They have their flaws such as clichés and melodrama, but at the core, it's a book written for a relaxing day at the beach. But there are instances where these fluffy and cute reads are stretching my tolerance of stereotyping and melodrama. Camp Boyfriend is one of those instances.

Summary of book:
I really liked the idea of Camp Boyfriend. It's set at Camp Juniper Point, a summer camp that Lauren has been attending since a young age. Just before Lauren leaves, she plans to break up with her boyfriend, Matt. She never felt a true connection with him, and he only knows one side to her--the typical popular cheerleader. He doesn't know the science geek half. But someone does. Seth, her camp boyfriend. This year, she plans to be Seth's all year girlfriend. But the break up doesn't happen because Matt reveals that his parents are getting a divorce. Things only get more awkward when Matt tells Lauren that he's joining her for summer camp.

The characters:
I have a very weak relationship with Lauren. Despite how much I loved her personality--a girl who is always trying to keep everyone happy, (also a total nerd on the inside) unfortunately, this girl always presumes things and makes conclusions way too quickly. Lauren's character was full of pointless drama. I just didn't really feel any empathy towards Lauren. At one point in the novel, nothing is really working out and she is feeling like a hot mess, but I seriously could not care less. As for the side characters, I really liked them. The author manages to give each secondary character some degree of depth. I liked some of the other characters more than I liked the main character, to be honest. Lauren came off as melodramatic while the other characters did not.

The romance:
I think what killed my enjoyment for this book the most, was the romance. Don't get me wrong, it was cute! But the love triangle frustrated me to no end. Lauren one minute wants to be with Matt, next minute wants to be with Seth. She breaks up with Matt and then goes and kisses Seth but doesn't think it's right and somehow ends up back with Matt. Next minute, she's presuming Matt is with Hannah because he's not by her side; but then at the same time, she's jealous of the older and prettier girl that Seth occasionally hangs out with. I. Just. Couldn't. Deal. Lauren was way too indecisive and never sticks to her goals. She claims that she wants a break from all things romance, but on the next page she's making out with one of the two. In this case, the love triangle just didn't work. There was too much angst and jealousy going on. I could hear my brain cells dying off while reading this.

For one thing, Matt was still here and I respected him too much to jump into Seth's arms after out break-up. Also, I missed Matt, even if my feelings for Seth were still strong. It wasn't fair to date anyone while I was a mixed-up mess. I had to fix myself before I was girlfriend material.

Nice pep talk. Shame you never acted on it seeing as next minute you kissed Seth. Hot mess, you are.

In conclusion:
I am pretty disappointed with Camp Boyfriend. If you're looking for a cute and fluffy read, this might be for you, but only if you can stand annoying close triangles and pointless drama. I say look somewhere else. (I will be reading book 2 only because it's in the perspective of a character I liked in this novel.)

~Thank you Spencer Hill Press for sending me this copy!~

[Jasprit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Camp Boyfriend was a cute read perfect for the summer. Our MC Lauren has been going to camp Juniper point for the summer far as long as she could remember it’s where she met long term crush Seth and so she is just itching to go back to her friends and Seth once again. This summer is meant to be Lauren’s last at camp, so she wants to make sure it’s one to remember. But things have changed dramatically in the last year; Lauren’s changed as a person both physically and emotionally. Will her friends and Seth (who has become a summer camp boyfriend only) recognise her anymore? Also Lauren has to break it gently to her boyfriend Matt that they can’t be together any more. What was meant to be a simple summer camp to look forward to ends up being one of the worst.

I read the prequel Camp Kiss before picking up Camp Boyfriend and I really enjoyed the watching the relationship develop between Seth and Lauren. Lauren then was an under-confident girl, who didn’t ever think Seth could end up liking her back. So it was great watching a girl like Lauren come into her own when she realised the guy she had been pining for, for so many years actually shared the same feelings back. I thought their relationship was sweet, and it was cool how they had their own things in common, they were just liked the perfect fit! So I was immensely looking forward to them reconciling back in the summer. I just couldn’t wait to see what was to come for both of them, as it was their final summer together and with them being only a couple over the summer would they still have the same strong feelings for each other? So having Lauren’s boyfriend Matt on the scene was totally unexpected. He was a nice guy don’t get me wrong, but Seth had immediately won me over with his sweet gestures in Camp Kiss so I didn’t want Matt getting in the middle of it all.

However with things not going to plan, everything at camp Juniper point went crazy. I truly felt for some of the characters as Lauren took forever working out her feelings. I did think that I knew which way things would eventually end, but the decision in the end really surprised me.

With it being the last camp for a lot the kids, I greatly appreciated the character growth amongst so many individuals. A lot of the characters hadn’t left the greatest impression with me in Camp Kiss, but I liked walls being broken amongst rival groups and characters coming to their own.

I hugely recommend Camp Boyfriend if you’re looking for a fun read for the summer, it had the summery feeling of what summers are meant to be about nailed and its unexpected twists certainly kept me on my toes.

This review can be found on The Readers Den

[Talltree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and almost innocent YA coming-of-age story with romance elements set in a fun summer camp (and briefly high school). I liked almost all the(many) supporting characters in the book, which is rare. The romance was a love triangle which normally I hate - but this one was handled just right! - and made me like and admire the h even more. Both the H's had positives to them but in the end I liked the h best and was cheering for her all the way!

3.75 stars!!

[Kim at Divergent Gryffindor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

After reading the first 20% of this book, I was prepared to give it a very low rating. It just seemed very juvenile to me and I thought it was a pointless story, but by the time I closed the book, I already liked it more and saw that it was not the pointless story after all.

There were lots of things I didn't like about this book. How Lauren kept going back and forth between Matt and Seth, not only in her thoughts but also in her actions. She would go kissing both of them, and she didn't feel guilty, only confused. And she didn't only do this with those two boys, but also her sets of friends - the Munchkins and the Divas.

But, I also realized that there are lots of things that I liked about this book. I realized that the reason Lauren went back and forth between the boys and the set of friends was because she was meant to have an immense character growth in the story. The reason that she was finding the right boy and friends was because she was trying to find herself, and I couldn't find it in myself to fault her for that.

Overall, this is not a book that I loved nor hated, but I like it a little bit more than I didn't like it.

[Charmaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am astonished that I finished this book. It was that bad. I almost checked out of it several times, but plodded through. These were the longest 324 pages of my life.

This book was 100% YA, huge emphasis on the "young." Lauren did not read like a rising junior in high school. Everything seemed so juvenile. It was brainless, angsty, and unnecessarily drama-ridden.

Almost all of Lauren's problems stemmed from her poor communication skills and over-analysis of every situation... with gaping holes, assumptions everywhere, and logical fallacies thrown into the mix. I couldn't sympathize with this protagonist when her problems were of her own doing. Why couldn't she be straight with either of her love interests or her friends? Why did she constantly lament that her situations were "complicated"? So many issues would have been resolved if only she were straight-up.

With such an unlikable protagonist, I was really surprised that Matt and Seth fought for her so much. She was self-centered (and admitted this to herself) and didn't appear to have any redeeming qualities for either of them. The authors touched upon the serious issues that both boys faced among their family lives, yet cruelly strung them along by Lauren for the course of the whole novel. Lauren acted as if she had the toughest life in the world.

Her "friends" were no better. It is too far-fetched for me to believe that the "Munchies" could forgive the "Divas" for their truly nasty and juvenile pranks (like itching cream? What is this, middle school?). Likewise, I couldn't sympathize with the Munchies for their judgmental and holier-than-thou attitudes either. I don't know why Lauren would want to be friends with either of those groups, except that she wasn't much better with her passivity.

Matt and Seth both made their intentions with Lauren glaringly obvious ALL THE TIME. She frequently pushed them both away, then lamented her "sad love life" when they so much as talked to other girls. She saw Matt serenading her, then assumed he was with Hannah. Lauren hatched a plan to "get Matt back," but in the interim, pushed him away when he asked her again to resume their relationship. I didn't understand Lauren. That was exactly what she wanted, and made plans in hopes for their reconciliation, yet pushed Matt away when given that same opportunity in such a simple and clear-cut manner. For that matter, her jealousy over Hannah was completely unwarranted. Matt attended Lauren's summer camp to be with Lauren, not for any other reason. He wanted to stay, sacrificing summer practice because there was a chance that he and Lauren could stay together. There was nothing to signal that he was "interested in someone else."

That was merely one of many far-fetched events in the story. If Gollum was such an attentive drill-sergeant, how did he keep losing the campers? And why was it okay for Seth to leave for practically a week without any notice, when losing Eli for 10 minutes was a major crisis? Brittany lamented that Eli was dead, for goodness sakes. That was out-of-the-blue. Many of the events in the book did not line up with character motivations or simply did not make any sense. Evidently, these plot points were meant to drive the story and cause the characters to react in certain ways... but they were ineffective on all accounts.

I was really excited to read this book after reading dozens of glowing reviews. But I can't think of a single enjoyable or redeeming scene in this book. It was contrived, juvenile, and senseless. I'm being very repetitive at this point (much like the book, hah), but I can't emphasize enough how much displeasure and annoyance I garnered from Camp Boyfriend.

[Kayleigh {K-Books} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Camp Boyfriend Review Posted On K-Books

There are seriously no words to explain just how excited I was about this book. As soon as I heard that my favourite publisher, Spencer Hill Press was launching a new Contemporary line I was pretty much bouncing with excitement. I am soooo in love with contemporary book. Then I heard about this book from writing due Karen and Joanne Rock I was so beyond excited. Since first hearing about this book I have become friends with Karen and Joanne and let me tell you they are so awesome. I love them to pieces. Having become friends with them it made me even more excited to read this. Let me tell you I was not disappointed in the slightest.

After reading Camp Kiss the free prequel I was so damn excited to get started and had already made my mind up about which guy I loved. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about the series at first purely because it was set in Camp and being in the UK I don't really understand the big deal with camp. It's not such a big thing around here and I have never experienced it. BUT by the time I was 2 pages into the prequel I was in love with camp and now having finished Camp Boyfriend I'm like man I wanna move to the US so I can go to camp!

Lauren has been counting down the days until she can return to camp and her soul mate Seth. Seth is her Camp Boyfriend and this year she has plans to turn their summer time relationship to a full time thing. But when her current boyfriend refuses to budge and fights for her Lauren has to choose between who she believed her soul mate and the boy whose feelings may run deeper than she ever expected. But Lauren has been living a lie. She is the perfect popular girl with Matt but her inner geek comes out when she's with Seth. But which one is the real Lauren? And how can she choose where her heart lies when she doesn't even know who she is herself.

I fell head over heels in love with this book. JK Rock have the best writing style. It's just so refreshing and easy to read where you can just get stuck right in and completely involved with the characters and story. Right from the start I was completely attached to this story and I couldn't put it down. I read it in one day only stopping to eat. I literally could not put it down!

Lauren is such a great character and I really loved her in this book. You might think Camp Boyfriend it's a total love story and in a way you are right. But it is so much more than that. It is a story of self discovery and you end up not even being a team. You're not rooting for any particualr guy you're just rooting for Lauren and for her to do whatever she needs as long as she is happy. I loved Lauren and she had to go through so much and I ended up being really defensive of her. For the most part I was getting really angry at the way her friends were acting and Lauren seriously has the patience of a saint because her friends? I would have punched them in the face by a quarter of the way into the book.

Oh the boys... the boys in this book had me in such a fuddle. I didn't know who to root for. Right at the start I was obviously Team Seth! I fell head over heels in love with Seth in the prequel, Camp Kiss and I was so rooting for him... but the more I read the more confused I got because Matt is such a sweetheart and at times I would just be like awww I love him Team Matt.... and then I would go back to team Seth and then I was just like...



So overall I am just way confused when it comes to these boys. The thing with this particular love triangle is that there isn't one guy who would be better for Lauren. They are both amazing guys who deserve to be with her... I just found that by the end there was one guy who was a better match than her. And then I just got way confused because Seth is my favourite character in the whole book but...



Camp Boyfriend is without a doubt one of the best YA Contemporary novels I have ever read and I loved it so much. It is a must read and ended up with me wishing I had grown up in the US so that I could have gone to camp. It sounds like so much fun! Camp Boyfriend has everything, a great heroine, two crazy swoony boys and friendship. It completely blew me away and was so much more awesomesauce than I ever thought possible!

If I had to describe Camp Boyfriend in a few words it would be: emotional, uplifting and awesome. I got so into this book that I felt like I was experiencing everything along with Lauren and really her friends... I wanted to punch them... in the face... preferrably with a chair! Seriously give a girl a break! Geez.

If there is one book you read this summer make sure it is Camp Boyfriend. I loved every moment of this book and then ending was perfect. I can't wait to see what happens with these characters next... Oh... and Seth... I love you!

[Liza Wiemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

CAMP BOYFRIEND is . . .

authentic. Beautifully captures the difficulties of navigating friendships and relationships. So much more than a love triangle. (Don't let that turn you off. It's a huge plus.) This novel is about self-identity, self-worth, self-esteem.
I really want to see this in all middle schools/high schools/libraries.

CAMP BOYFRIEND does an incredible job of portraying the inner turmoil of a girl torn between two really good guys. But it's also so much more. It begs the reader to ask, "What's important to me?" Until that question is answered, it's tough to know the bigger question, "Who am I?"

I am NOT going to summarize this novel. You can read that in the description. Instead, I want to share with you . . .
what I LOVED about CAMP BOYFRIEND.
1. Lauren's a high school student struggling to figure out who she is. Often times we're defined by others and I loved how Lauren decided that SHE needed to figure it out for herself before she could know for certain which boy was best for her.
2. I love that Matt saw that Lauren was worth waiting for and that he didn't overreact and do something rash when another girl was clearly interested in him.
3. I love how Matt used camp as an opportunity to bring out his other fine qualities and talents, giving him the opportunity to shine.
4. I love that Seth is very different from Matt. He's the science/outdoorsy guy. This pulled at Lauren's love for nature, science etc.
5. As Lauren recognized the qualities she liked both Seth and Matt, it brought out her own interests and what qualities she liked within herself. <3
6. I love the dynamics between the girls and the cabins. In my opinion, it was so authentic. The way these girls flip-flopped in loyalty, the way they butted into each other's business, often rashly, the way that other girls stepped up and found their own voices and backbones.
7. I love how these girls began to realize that they didn't need to be with a guy just because they felt an attraction. They looked deeper at themselves and at the guys they were with and decided whether they made a good match.
8. I love how Lauren's relationship with her sister evolved and that they were able to give the very best of themselves.
9. I love that Lauren learned that parents make sacrifices and that it's not always perfect or exactly what they had hoped for, but with courage, things could evolve and change to something so much more.
10. I love how Lauren learned to start honoring all aspects of herself and began to stop worrying about what others would think. She really evolved.
11. I really believe that high school girls will see themselves, their friends, perhaps even their families in this novel. It mimicked real life, and that's why I believe it's an excellent YA contemporary novel.

Definitely recommend for seventh graders and above looking for an authentic YA contemporary novel.

[Princess Bookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts: This was such a cute novel! We are once again introduced to Lauren who stole my heart in Camp Kiss. She’s spent the last two summers as Seth’s girlfriend and the last year at school as Matt’s girlfriend. She’s been questioning her relationship with Matt, so here's her chance to go back to camp and be with Seth again. She plans to make a clean break from Matt. Lauren has really changed. She’s not so nerdy anymore. She’s gained more confidence, lost her braces and done a complete turnaround. But in her heart, she’s still a nerd.

Matt has his own set of problems though so he throws a big surprise at Lauren, and she figures out she won’t be attending camp alone this year. CRAP! CRAP! CRAP!

Lauren has such a big heart. While Matt is going through such major life changes she can’t bear the thought of breaking his heart.

I’m still torn between both Seth and Matt. I liked them both for their own reasons. I liked her relationship with them both throughout this summer. I liked seeing her interact with them and enjoyed seeing how much she grew.

I also liked seeing her camp friends again. They always make me laugh and are such a fun group of friends. I liked getting to know her family again too.

This novel was right up my alley. It had romance, summer camp, and a whole lot of fun. I really wasn't sure who she was going to end up with at the end of the novel but I’m ok with the choice. I would have probably liked it either way so not a let down. This was a nice read for me! I loved it so much! Adorable, sincere, and awesome!

Overall: Perfect summer read! Lots of fun, romance, family, friends, perfect story! Made me want to go swimming or sit by a fire and roast marshmallows! Loved this one!

Cover: So cute! Love it! Love how they are just laying down hanging out. Very very adorable.

What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I must say I had an idea of my mind not of how the book was actually going to go but like a general idea of what I was going to find but Joanne and Karen truly surprised, this was a hard read, full of emotions but oh! so worth it. Because amidst all the drama, the tension and all the other things I can truly say this book is more than a summer reading.

As the blurb says, here we have Lauren, who is anxiously counting the days to go to summer camp and leave her façade as the cheerleading with the jock boyfriend behind, besides things at home had been hard too so she needs an escape, something that’d help her take her mind of things. She longs to be in touch with her geeky side, the girl who dreams of going to space and likes to look at stars, she longs for her friends and most of all she longs for her summer camp boyfriend, Seth. But for that she has to break things up with Matt, who is not willing to accept this, in fact he’s going to camp too, surprising Lauren and risking what she had imagine would be her ideal summer.

That is one complication, but she could have never imagined how things at camp would be like.
Everyone is surprised with her obvious new looks but, she is the same girl they knew, right? The problem is, not all of them seem to think so, her friends at her cabin start questioning her actions and feelings toward Seth and Matt and are being overly judgmental on her image and her new likings… had they always been so prejudiced? but then again, isn’t that the same way she’s been until now at her school and with Matt? Things are not just black and white as she thought and more than defining her feelings about both guys, Lauren is realizing that first she needs to reconcile those two sides of herself, the geeky girl and the popular cheerleader, she need to figure out who she is.

I’m glad I read Camp Kiss first because it gives you more of an insight to the people at camp, like Seth (whom I love and always will) and you can see the dynamics and interactions between them, so I’d totally recommend reading it.
So, about Lauren. I quite liked her, she’s a good girl, caring, compassionate, loving, she has a kind nature but as everyone she makes mistakes. Being not 100% a geek or a popular girl but more of something in between she’s starting to see how easy it is to try and assign labels to people, to assume you know them. Her friends are trying to do that with her and aside the hurt that brings, it opens her eyes to know she hasn’t been much better than that, she has made assumptions on people, like Matt thinking of him as just a jock and nothing else, or the popular girls just being shallow. It all makes her question her feelings and reevaluate her life and her dreams.

I admit there were times I got really mad at her and her decisions but like I said she made mistakes, and is by making mistakes that grew up so that was bound to happen and although one might think “I’m going to hate her if she doesn’t choose this guy, or I’ll hate her if she do this…” I just couldn’t do it, because for starters, the poor girl is suffering so bad being rejected and facing criticism from everyone, the most hurtful from her friends; that you just feel sorry for her and also, she is not a bad person so there’s no reason to hate her. Among women, we are so hash at criticizing each other, if one guy makes a mistake we feel sorry for him and hope he’ll do better next, but if it’s a girl, it gets really nasty. It’s sad and I’m not gonna lie and say I’ve never done it, but yeah I think it’s true. Proof of that is the way the girls act toward Lauren, it’s most likely an inherent thing to women but it certainly makes you think how wrong that is, I know it made me think of it.

About the love triangle. Those are really hard for me, especially since they tend to make me really angry, but this was different. One of the things that bug me with love triangles is that most of the time you see the girl keep kissing both guys and then feeling sorry for herself, on this one I loved that Lauren didn’t do that, and that it came to a point where she realized that before deciding for any of them she had to put herself first, she wasn’t going to be defined by who she was dating but by who she was and I think that is such an important lesson not just for teenagers but for all women. We must first accept and acknowledge who we are before we enter a relationship; we cannot give love to others if that love is tainted by doubts or insecurities.

As to the guys, they are both great and both care so much for Lauren, each could well be her boyfriend but in the end she chooses the one that is the right one for her. I know I said I loved Seth but Matt surprised me so much, behind his apparent perfect life and image is just a regular guy, with hopes and fears. I care deeply for both of these boys. I can say I realized who that guy might be for her around the middle of the book, I thought I’d feel bad for the guy who wasn’t chosen (I did a bit) but I’m certain that he know this is what’s right and that he is ok with it, besides I have faith he’ll find the right person for him too (I volunteer, LOL).

I wish I could have gone to a summer camp, I’ve always been a loner and kind of an outsider so reading about camps, I started wondering how would they have affected my life, but by reading Camp Boyfriend I learned something really important: you can’t be what others expect you to be, or what others want you to be, you can only be happy by being yourself and if that doesn’t follow someone’s standards well, too bad; you can’t live your life wonder how others are going to see you, you have to follow your own path.

This is more than just a book about finding love or being torn between two guys, trust me. This is a story about growing up, friendship, growing up, love and most importantly about self-discovery and being honest to yourself. Joanne and Karen did an amazing job and I look forward to know they have in store for us, because they just got themselves a lifetime fan in me, and surely in everyone who reads this book.

[J.A. Belfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Ever since reading the prequel to this novel, Camp Kiss*, I have been eagerly awaiting the release of Camp Boyfriend. I enjoyed the writing style of J.K. Rock in the short taster, as well as their storytelling ability, so I already suspected Camp Boyfriend wouldn't leave me disappointed.
And it didn't.
Sure, the opening couple of chapters leading up to camp were a little slow—but they were only 2 chapters, and I think they might have seemed as such due to my having read the prequel and wanting Lauren to be in camp already!!!! And, as anticipated, the moment she arrives in camp, things start to get interesting.
Now, I'm not going to dive into a description of what happens and my thoughts on it all, because of spoilers. I will, however, try to explain how this book made me feel, whilst giving as few details as possible.
If you read the blurb, then you'll know there is going to be some kind of love triangle happening in this read. No sense in hiding it or trying to trick you into thinking otherwise. And the love triangle side of the story brought forth a whole lot of frustration, and confusing, and irritation, and quite possibly anger. Because BOTH of the guys in question seemed to want Lauren equally as much, and if I'd been asked at the beginning of the novel, my cheerleading would have swung in an obvious (to me) direction. However, the character development that occurs for one of the males, and maybe even the occasionally surprising behaviour of the other guy, had me questioning my thoughts and feelings quite a lot—and if I, as the reader, was feeling indecisive and confused, then the MC must have been pumping those emotions out from the pages pretty strongly, right? On top of that, though, which led to the irritation and anger, these dudes, in their attempts to be the one to grab her attention, were sometimes very forthright or vibrant (sorry, the word I'm going for is eluding me) in their perseverance, almost to the point I started yelling in my head, "FOR PETE'S SAKE, GET OUT OF HER FACE, ALREADY!!!!!", as well as being on the verge of shaking my book.
Now, this might sound like a bad thing. But it isn't. Because I LOVE a book that gets a great reaction from me due to the content of the story. And Camp Boyfriend definitely achieved that.
Now, with the 'love triangle' mentions out of the way, let me go on to say: Camp Boyfriend is about SO much more than this. Trust me. It's about friendship, forgiveness, break-ups & make-ups, young love, self-development, sexual awareness (but on a pretty subtle level, so it's safe for the younger teens to read, too), kindness, bonding, and most importantly: self-discovery. Who'd have thought there'd be so many lessons to be learned within these pages? I don't know if the authors' teaching connections played a huge part in their ability to connect with the heart and soul of young adults whilst delivering valuable advice in a beautiful package, or if this duo team of lady writers are just this good anyway, but this book is GREAT for any teenager out there to read, and as I'm at the ripe of age of nearing the top of the hill, I'd have to say for most adults out there, too.
Though, those break-ups & make-ups I mentioned? Yeah, those are some of the most frustrating parts of the book—equally as frustrating as the love triangle deal—because I wanted to grab Lauren's friends and bang their freakin' heads together. It shows great strength of character on Lauren's behalf that she still cared enough about them to go to the lengths she did at the end.
And then, right at the very end—and trust me, the authors make the reader wait until the last possible moment to show us Lauren's 'decision'—I was left surprised. But not in a bad way, because whilst I spent the entire book unable to 'call it', I still suspected she'd swing a certain way. I also spent most of the book believing I'd be disappointed if Lauren swung the way she ended up doing so, but oddly, I wasn't—and I came to realise that it's because BOTH guys are great choices, which was what added to the frustration of the book, and the entire way throughout, the decision seemed an impossible one to me even. And yep, I knew I wasn't disappointed in the direction it—Lauren—took when I had some tears in my eyes through that final scene.
This is such a GREAT, WHOLESOME YA book, with a fantastic setting that is brought so vividly to live that even a UKer, with no concept of US summer camps outside of Disney films, can fully grasp and 'experience' it alongside these characters. If you're going to read this one, prepare to be frustrated and confused and sad, and mad, and if you're anything like me, totally blindsided by the ending.
*Although Camp Kiss isn't imperative reading for this novel, I highly recommend checking it out prior to starting Camp Boyfriend. Mostly because, as Lauren and Seth don't actually get as much 'personal airtime' as I expected, the readers of only Camp Boyfriend *might* not fully understand just how important her relationship with him is. Reading Camp Kiss will easily solve that issue, as well as introduce you to the cool writing abilities of this authoring duo and make you want to read Camp Boyfriend all the more—just like it did for me.

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first heard about Camp Boyfriend I doubted I wanted to read it. While it sounded good, the blurb also made it obvious there would be a love triangle and I don't like love triangles in books. After reading Camp Kiss I changed my mind and I decided I had to read Camp Boyfriend. Since then I have been eagerly awaiting the release of Camp Boyfriend and when my paperback copy finally arrived I finished my current read and started reading Camp Boyfriend that same day, because I just had to read this book and I couldn't wait!

I am so glad I picked up this book, I have to say I absolutely love the camp setting and I am so sad I never had the chance to go to camp, because it sounds like an awesome experience and I love being outside surrounded by nature. This book is full of emotions, it is fast paced, original and with a lot of teenage angst and drama. And I really enjoyed all of it. There is so much more to the story and characters than I thought at first. I was totally team Seth starting this book and couldn't wait till they would get together again and I couldn't understand why Lauren had Matt as a boyfriend, but then after reading a lot I actually started to doubt who was the best boy for Lauren. The ending does wrap it all up nicely and I kept quessing who Lauren would end up with and the authors kept me quessing till the last chapter.

The story sometimes has a bit too much drama and sometimes I just wanted everyone to be friends and wished they stopped making such a big deal out of it, but the again being a teenager really is like that. This book remembered me about my own teenage years and while I love reading about teenagers at the same time I am really glad I am not a teenager anymore. There is a lot of time that Lauren tries to figure out her feeling, but that also means there aren't as many sweet romance scenes as I expected. Also some of her friend's actions surprised, both in a good and a bad way, although I did like the way the book ended. This book is not only about romance, it is also about self discovery and friendship.

The characters are another things that really made this book. I really liked Lauren, she is a great character and while she had some big problems in this book and lost herself for a while, at the end I think she is excatly where she is supposed to be. I also liked all the side characters, I felt like they really came to live and each had their own personality. I really liked Emily and there is a great scene with her at the end, but also some of the other side character seriously surprised me. I really liked getting to know Lauren and her camp friends.

To conclude: I really enjoyed Camp Boyfriend, I finished it in a day, because I just couldn't stop reading and wanted to know what would happen next. Sometimes there was a bit too much drama for my taste, but I really did enjoy the story. Also I liked the fact that it wasn't only about romance, but also about self discovery and friendship. I wish I could go to camp and experience camp for myself, but as that isn't possible I am really glad I got to experience camp through the awesome writing of JK Rock. I can't wait to read the next books in this series!

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right so, I struggled a little to start with, but I put that down to me having started a series before this and missing those characters. I was struggling to get into the story and connect with any of the characters in Camp Boyfriend.

I haven't read the prequel to this, so I just jumped straight in to Camp Boyfriend and although I struggled a little for the most part, I liked it as well. I liked the idea of camp. I'm not a fan of love triangles. I was also not a big fan of Lauren, I thought she was a little 'me, me, I, I. I eventually looked past that, and as the story went on and I gave it more of a chance I came to enjoy it a little more. The progression was fine for the story that needed to be told. I did feel that a lot of the characters came off a little younger than 17, so in parts I found bits a little immature for my reading taste. But other than that, it was fine.

With regards to the romance, it seems for a triangle it really turned out not to be one. 1 guy (the guy Lauren ultimately ends up choosing) is more prominent in the book than the other, so it was a little obvious as to who she was going to choose, when writing a love triangle you really need to make both boys present through out the book, not one more than the other. It worked to an extent but, I felt the romance in the end was a little anticlimactic BUT having said that, both boys were wonderful boys, and I guess I could see the hard decision Lauren had to make.

As the story develops so do the characters, and Lauren finds herself and decides to she likes who she is. Matt discovers his new self and likes that part of him, and Seth....well...he sort of stays the same. Overall a neat story.

Overall Camp Boyfriend was a cute read, one good for summer and if you enjoy the protagonist finding herself and picking one of two boy options, then it's probably a book you should read. Will I recommend it? Yeah I guess I would, but only for the reasons above. If you want angst, swoon then probably not the right book for you. Will I read it again? Meh, probably not. I couldn't really stand Lauren as much as I tried, and if a protagonist annoys me then I won't re-read.

I did enjoy it to an extent, but I'm dropping two stars because of Lauren and her selfishness in places, and because it all overall seemed a little younger than I like to care to read. As authors J.K Rock are great and if they branch out in a slightly older field I will read something else of theirs, but as far as their YA stuff goes....it's not for me. Doesn't mean it isn't for you though. Give it a go, and make up your own mind :)

Note: I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

After moving to a new school, Lauren Carlson has hid her inner-geek and made it with the popular kids of the year. Maybe she's getting a bit sick of that crowd because she can't wait to go back to her regular summer camp and see her new friends again – and Seth, her camp boyfriend. Lauren plans to break up with her current jock boyfriend, Matt, thinking that they don't really get each other but Matt's parents suddenly announce that they're separating and so there's no way she can tell him now. Worse – he's spending the summer at the same camp as her! What is Seth going to do when he finds out about Matt and what is Matt going to do when he finds out about Seth? Lauren's summer is suddenly filled with far more drama than she would care to handle.

This was such a cute, fun read! I absolute love the friendships explored. Lauren has changed a lot over the summer - she's now popular and pretty and she has a new boyfriend - and her old camp friends don't know what to make of her. And Lauren's beginning to realise that their old camp enemies, the Divas, aren't are horrible as their camp group presumes them to be. She suddenly feels torn between the two groups. I loved seeing the friendship dynamics play out and was glad that the 'mean' group of girls had more substance to them.

The characters really made this book for me, especially the counselors. Emily, their perky, crazy counselor was absolutely hilarious and I looked forward to her parts in the book. I also loved “Gollum” (his whistle was “his precious”), Bam-Bam and Rob. Their quirkiness was great.

The love triangle actually wasn't annoying and I usually hate love triangles. I liked how Lauren's relationship developed with the two boys and how she was sensible enough to want time by herself before getting into anymore drama. Speaking of Lauren, she was a great, fun main character. I loved her aspirations and how she fought for them. The setting at the camp was also perfect.

So, yes, this is such a cute read! I really enjoyed it. :)

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Wish I Could Go To Summer Camp!

This was such a fun book to read! It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made wish I wasn't too old (and married) to go to summer camp!

Lauren is a fantastic female character who, despite struggling with choices about friends, family and boys, still has a good head on her shoulders which comes in handy when her heart gets caught between two equally swoontastic boys, Seth and Matt. It's obvious both boys care about her and both are definitely worthy of a FCK (First Camp Kiss) but only one will earn Lauren's heart. (And rightfully so for...ALL THE SWOONY REASONS!)

Lauren expected Camp Juniper Point to be it's usual summer full of fun but it's turning out to be a summer full of suck. Her family's issues have followed her to camp, her friends are being major drama llamas and the boys aren't making it easy for her either, what with Seth reminding her of all the summers they've spent together and Matt constantly taking his shirt off or you know, displaying his mad rain dance skills. (Baseball anyone? O.O)

Camp isn't a total loss though, because it's during this time that Lauren finally discovers who she is which is something no boy can give you, regardless of how smart he is or how great he looks without a shirt on. Lauren also learns that people have a way of surprising you and while life is full of tough and unpleasant things, how a person handles those situations is a sign of their true character.

This really is a great read and I loved the characters, the witty writing and how J.K. Rock made Lauren the true hero of this story. They also made me cry (in a good way) because I came into CAMP BOYFRIEND rooting for one boy, fell in love with the other one and ended up waving my giant foam finger for Lauren! Read it!

[Katie (Hiding in the Pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was full of emotion. Once again, it was easy to relate to Lauren. I remember having a boyfriend once and wanted to break up with him, but then he ended up in the hospital with a burst appendix. How do you break up with someone when he's going through such a rough patch? Lauren was completely torn between these two great guys and she was also torn in trying to figure out who she really is. I think most teens go through that dilemma--trying to figure out if you're who you are because that's what's expected of you or because that's who you really are. Unfortunately, Lauren had to deal with all of this while at camp, making it a less than desirable experience.

I had a hard time with deciding which guy to root for in this book. I read the Camp Kiss novella first and totally fell for Seth. He was great!! He seemed to be the whole package--a great friend, a confident guy, and a natural leader. Seth and Lauren have known each other for so long, so how could she not choose him?! There ended up being a lot more to Matt than I had originally thought, so how could she not pick him?! He was awesome!!

Teen girls can be so catty and it was hard to see Lauren having to work through all of these issues, yet I love what she finally realized and figured out. Great lessons were found within the pages of this book.

Content: kissing; some swearing; one scene that pushed the limits a little, but didn't cross the line; talk of being intimate, but deciding to wait (good lesson that I agree with!!).

[Cindy Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! It was fun. It was silly. It was serious. What a good book for young girls trying to find themselves. Girls need to understand that they don't have to have a boyfriend to discover who they are. I'd recommend Camp Boyfriend to anyone, even if they aren't so young anymore.

That being said, this book still had plenty of fun stuff involved! I loved Gollum with his whistle and Emily with her strong, loyal, energetic personality.

Lauren was very easy to relate to. I loved it that she fit in with more than one crowd because that's how I felt in high school, and not everyone seemed to appreciate that. it was really hard for me to figure that part of me out too.

To me it was realistic because it showed that we don't all just fit neatly into the categories that society places puts us in. We're each unique human beings, and it's possible to love high fashion, reading, and be a big video game nerd at the same time. I would know! :)

Finally, the guys. This one was tough for me. I had already fallen for Seth in Camp Kiss, so when I started Camp Boyfriend I wasn't impressed with Matt, but I suspect that was what JK Rock had planned all along. As the book progressed I slowly began realizing how amazing both guys were.

By the end, I was team Matt all the way! He was gorgeous, athletic, popular, charasmatic, troubled, musical, loyal, caring, passionate, and strong.

I can't wait to see what's next!! I will definitely be reading the rest of this series!

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Camp Boyfriend is a book that takes you back to summer camp and your first taste of love. It makes you remember all the good and bad of summer camp and how you couldn't wait to go back the next year! Teenager Lauren is trying to find her way when she realizes she isn't sure if she wants to be with her camp boyfriend or her school boyfriend. Its a definite page turner. If you are an adult read it so you can remember those times. If you are a teenager read it so that you can see you are not the only one who struggles to figure things out. Whether its a boyfriend, what you want to do in the future, or even how to rise above when you are tormented by a group of "mean girls". This book goes through it all! I know I'm now passing this book on to my teenager daughter to read. I know she will enjoy it and get some insight from it as well!! J.K. Rock justed rocked this one out of the ball park! Well done ladies!

[Danielle Rock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a joy to read! The characters are incredibly funny and authentic. Camp Boyfriend strikes the perfect balance between hilarity and depth that can be so hard for writers to achieve. The J.K. Rock team kept me guessing about many of Lauren's choices, not only in her love triangle, but also in regards to her future and her friends. An absolute must read!

[Brooke's Epic Emporium · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the moment I saw this book's blurb, I knew I would have to read it! After all, I was a camper myself and really wanted to see it portrayed in a book. And I was not disappointed at all!

Blurb from Goodreads:The summer of her dreams is about to get a reality check.
They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.
But Matt isn't giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?

I love the concept of this book. Why, you ask? Because I lived it, albeit at a younger age. Yes, I went to sleep away camp. Yes there were cabin rivalries. And, yes, there were crushes and boyfriends at camp. So to relive this awesome time in my life was something I really wanted to see come alive.

When we meet Lauren, she has transformed from what used to be a geek to a popular cheerleader who now runs with the in crowd. She's still got her geekiness about her (after all she has a dream of going to aeronautics camp) but she is different and she's not sure she likes it. She dreams of her camp boyfriend and the fun they will have, but doesn't expect the complication of another guy to even come into play. During the book we watch her grown and learn so much about herself. It's nice to see her come into her own. She battles in her brain, and also with her friends, to grasp a hold of who she has become. She's changed and her friends don't like it. This book follows her on her journey of change and acceptance, of learning who she is and who she is not. It's certainly a summer of discovery and coming to understand that your needs and wants have to come before anyone else's.
It's hard to choose between Seth and Matt. I wanted to pick a team, but to be honest I just could not. Both guys were definitely into Lauren, although for totally different reasons. There is one scene that is quite steamy and that right there had me wanting her to end up with that guy But, in the end I knew I'd be ok with her choice, because she would be the one making it. It felt right and true to me.

J.K. Rock have truly captured in their words what it is like to be away at camp. They show you the freedom that exists, but also the constraints. I loved how the characters interacted withe one another. Each one had their own development and their own true personality which made it so easy to tell them apart from each other. They all have their reasons for having become friends with one another and you can see that they truly care about what happens to one another. There are no rocky bumps during this story, it flows smoothly through Lauren's weeks of summer and you feel the climax of something coming as they near the end of camp.

This story brought me right back to how I felt during summer camp. It hit the nail on the head with their field trips, their dances, cleaning the dining halls, right down to the showers. I truly felt like I was experiencing this time along with Lauren and her friends. And I am sure that is just what J.K. Rock wanted! So well done ladies! I am truly in love with these characters. And what I love best, that there will be THREE books in this series. I cannot wait to see what J.K. Rock come up with to keep me interested. I know it will be spectacular!

[Amy Fournier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a perfect summer read! It was fun, entertaining, and full of that teen drama that you expect from people this age. I had been looking forward to this book since I participated in the cover reveal for it and it was so worth the wait. Though not perfect, it was very realistic, and made me really think of my teen years when things were complicated and seemed so harsh. As much as Lauren annoyed me at times, and so did all of the girls at camp, it was things that I could see really happening. I like when books keep things believable.

Lauren has been going to camp for years. She is super smart, loves science, and loves Seth. He is her camp boyfriend. The only thing is, he breaks it off every year, and now she's at a new school with a new look... and a new boyfriend. A boyfriend who is into sports, a total jock, and super popular. She wants to break it off with Matt before going back to camp so she can try to be with Seth full time, but when she finds out Matt is coming to camp too, that changes things. She has been very superficial about things up until now, and she needs to find a way to balance her old life with her new one. She wants to do the right thing, but she finds that all the lines are beginning to blur. I was so irritated at her about some of her decisions, but I totally got it. She wasn't just trying to figure out who to be with, she was trying to find herself.

So, I need to touch on the friendships. She has been in the same cabin with the same girls year after year. They are all close friends and can depend on each other. Now that Laurel is more like The Divas, then The Munchies, things get tense there too. She is having a hard time with her relationships, and with her friendships. The girls all get super catty at one point or another, give up on their friendships and trust, and struggle with the changes that Lauren has gone through. Yes, it seemed harsh, but I remember being a teenager, and we weren't always nice or logical. Friendship is strong though, and even despite some hard times, you know you can depend on friends. Whether new ones or old ones, friends are there for one another.

Now onto the romance. Or should I say, romances. Yes, there's a love triangle. BUT WAIT!! Before you run away, hear me out. This one makes sense. Seth is Lauren's camp boyfriend. Her first kiss, her first love. Of course she is torn. Matt is her current boyfriend, from her new school, where she is popular. Not a science geek. She thinks he is just a jock and it benefits her to be with the popular boy while at school. She cares about him, but not the way she cares about Seth. That is, until he comes to camp. She sees a different side of him that she never knew. She finds out that she was being as superficial with him as he was with her. They realize that they like the people who they both have hidden underneath. But the question is, will she choose Matt or Seth. She tries to distance herself from both to get her mind in order, but that's easier said than done. Especially with a whole camp in your business.

I thought this was such a great story, and it felt very real. I loved getting to know not only the main characters, but all of the secondary characters too. This was fun and entertaining, but also packed some emotion in there too. I was so torn for a lot of the book on how I wanted things to end, and honestly at the end I had a suspicion that I knew how it would end up, but I really wasn't sure. I felt a connection to the characters, and it made me think of my summers when I was in high school. I definitely recommend this to fans of contemporary. I know that I will be eagerly awaiting then next book in the series.

*An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The teen years can be some of the most confusing and drama filled years of a person’s life. Perfect for an author to create wonderful stories but tricky to pull off in a realistic and enjoyable style. J.K. Rock, to put it in easiest terms, rocks it.

Lauren Carlson cannot wait to go to her favorite summer camp, Camp Juniper Point, when her story begins. A lot has changed since last summer. She has moved across country, has a new look, became a cheerleader and is now part of the “in crowd.” Her new found popularity is tiresome and she really wants to recapture the way it was before all the changes. The biggest thing she wants is to tell Seth her “camp boyfriend” that she wants them to be a couple, full-time. No more breaking up at the end of summer for her! She is positive Seth is perfect for her. He understands the real Lauren unlike her school boyfriend, star quarterback, Matt.

Lauren works up the courage to break up with Matt at the end of the school year only things don’t go as planned. Yikes! His parents surprise him with horrible news and he wants to go to camp with her to escape all the drama! How can she crush him when he’s dealing with a major family crisis? He needs her to be there for him. She understands how hard family drama can hit you since she is dealing with some of her own with her sister’s upcoming wedding and a father who is always working rather than being the dad she used to count on. Now what is she going to do? Hopefully, she’ll be able to explain everything to Seth before he finds out she has brought a boyfriend with her. Will he be cool about waiting for her until she finds the perfect time to break up with Matt? Lauren hopes so! Camp starts all wrong. Her friends aren’t sure about her new look or the fact that she is a cheerleader now. Seth is hurt and confusing things even more by showing interest in another camper but still kissing her. Matt refuses to give up on them once she finally tries to break things off and his kisses confuse her even more. The mean camp girls cause major issues between Lauren and her friends with their not-so-funny pranks. It just isn’t the summer she wished for. Will she ever be able to decide which boy is best for her?

J.K. Rock had her hands full with this one. Lauren’s life has some pretty major changes and her makeover changed how people see her. A situation that is never easy, no matter what age. Camp Boyfriend quickly became a story of self discovery more than anything else. Her characters are likable even the mean girls. Well, most of them anyways. The situation is believable. She keeps the reader turning pages with perfect pacing. She’ll make you laugh. She keeps you guessing right up until the end which boy Lauren will pick. But most of all, Ms. Rock gives her readers hours of reading pleasure with her drama-filled teen romance.


review originally posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble by me.

[Dizneeee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Camp Boyfriend received 4 1/2 stars for my blog post, so that rounds up to a 5 for Goodreads!!!

I have been anticipating Camp Boyfriend for such a long time, it seems. When I finally received a copy, I squealed with delight and immediately began reading. Boy, oh boy, it was so worth the wait!

Camp Boyfriend is the epitome of what a Young Adult Contemporary story should be. It was full of love, self-discovery, roller coaster emotions, humor, decisions, family issues, friendships, and more.

The main focus of this story was Lauren making Seth her boyfriend: not just her camp boyfriend, but her permanent boyfriend. The problem with that was that she was dating a boy, Matt, from her new school in Texas.

While trying to break up with Matt, he revealed a family issue going on with his family and said he would be going to Camp Juniper Point with her. To North Carolina. For four weeks. Womp, womp, woommmpp!

Once they got to camp, and the secret of Seth "the camp boyfriend" and Matt "the home boyfriend" came out, it was straight-up trouble for Lauren. The path of figuring out what and who she wanted was greatly detailed and a hard decision to make. The emotions were so real. I felt for her. I cried for her.

I admired Matt's character to let her have her space and figure out what she wanted. He was definitely not giving up easily.

Lauren also had issues with her friends at camp. Her Munchies cabin friends didn't really care for the new Lauren: her new look, the way she dressed, the jock boyfriend that Matt was... They eventually exiled her and she had nowhere to go but to the Divas' Den. If you read Camp Kiss (you can download it for free here, if not!), you'll know that these two cabins are enemies! Everything they do is a competition and they're so snarky and so typically teenager-y mean to each other, especially the Divas.

The ending of the book and how it all wrapped up was fantastic! It was exactly what I had hoped for. I loved Lauren and the growth she showed. She never gave up on her friends, Matt, or Seth. She had to figure out what it was that she needed and what was best for her. Her decision was brilliant! I wholeheartedly approve!

Joanne and Karen wrote a great cast of characters. From the mean girls, the nerdy girls, the geeky guys, the jocks, the counselors...all of them! They were easily distinguishable and likeable; even the mean girls...eventually.

I can't wait to read the next two books in the Camp Boyfriend series: Camp Payback and Camp Forget-Me-Not. I am very anxious for the summaries of these books! Ahhhh!

I thoroughly enjoyed Camp Boyfriend -- it was almost perfection to me. I am so glad these two ladies are writing together...and writing more!
Camp Boyfriend is definitely a book to purchase and share with all of your friends. It will be a true delight for lovers of YA Contemporary.

[Joli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Camp Boyfriend is fun and entertaining and a great book to kick-off my "summer-themed" reading. It is full of humor and drama (a lot of drama) as Lauren spends the summer deciding who she wants to date and tries to discover who she is and figure out who she wants to be.

One thing that I really like about this story is that there is a love-triangle that really is one at all. Lauren does have feelings for both boys - one, a lifelong friend who in recent summers became her summer boyfriend and the other, a boy who she's dated for the past eight months but is just now beginning to really know. As she tries to understand her feelings, she doesn't pit the boys against each other or run from one guy to the other when things start become even more confusing for her. She considers their feelings and tries to be honest as possible. It does take her a while to get to this point but she does. I probably would have been irritated Lauren went back and forth between the boys giving both of them false hope.

In the midst of all of this "camp boyfriend" drama, Lauren experiences a heavy dose of drama from her friends and bunk mates of Munchies Manor (all the cabins have names). They have a hard time dealing with the new parts of Lauren's popular girl persona that she brought with her to camp and they start to shun her for it because she is not the girl that they remember from years past. What is so heartbreaking about this is that she really didn't change as much they only perceive a huge change in her because she looks a little different. She's always on the ins and outs with her friends and her fun summer at camp isn't anything like she expected it to be.

As if all of the drama at camp isn't enough, she has troubles back home too. She's become her sister's wedding planning minion, her mom's makeover project, and her dad (the one person who knows her the best) is overworked and doesn't have time for her anymore. All of this just adds to the new stress of camp and makes Lauren even more overwhelmed and confused.

The title Camp Boyfriend suggests that this book is only a summer love story. Yes, that is in there, but it also a story of self-love and understanding and acceptance. It's also a story about friendships and growth and independence. I never went to a summer sleep-away camp, but Camp Boyfriend makes me wish that I had. I adored this book and recommend that it be added to all summer readings lists!

Fans of The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller are sure to love this one too.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Spencer Hill Contemporary in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way other than the book provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Paulien · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading the book;

I'm kind of dissapointed in this one, because I liked the prequel better and now it's not as good as I thought it would be. I hope this one gets better. The book has been boring all the while I was reading it until this accident happens, what's up with that? I don't know how I really feel about this one, but I should figure it out by the time I'm finished with it. I'm curious myself... ( I would give this book a 2.7 star rating until now...)

When I was done with the book...;

I liked the start of the book, I didn't know what to expect, I mean I had read the prequel. But even with the prequel it took me a while to get used to the book. For the people who still need to start the book, I would recommend that you first read the prequel. Without it, you missed at least half of the story.

I liked the writing, the chapter weren't long, but neither that short. Just well enough. And the book was light, and how I loved that! I think J.K. Rock did good by chosing this kind of style, love triangles aren't that easy to write about, so she did really well. 4/5

The story went rather slow in the first half of the book, but when I was at 51% everything went so quickly, I think that that part of the book was way better than the first part! 2.5/5

Then the people in the book... There are a lot so I'm only going to talk about the three most important people.
Seth: I liked him better in the first book. I can explain why, although it wasn't that easy to figure out myself. I think Seth isn't really the kind of boy I would like. I mean he's a bit too alternative for me, but either way, that isn't what this is about. I think that he and Lauren were perfect for each other. But Lauren wasn't the same anymore (not at all!) and that's why they weren't that good of fit anymore.
Lauren: I liked her a bit better in the second book, she was less of a child and that, I liked. She changed a lot, but that isn't really a bad thing, I just think she changed into a grown up. And I liked that she learned to be honest in the book. Nice moral changes!
Matt: he was the cute guy of the book, but I have to admit I didn't like him at first. I think he was kind of suffocating in the beginning of the book but everything became better when Lauren told both of them to give her some space.
4.7/5

I thought the story itself wasn't that good, I think the story could've been much shorter but I liked it, didn't love it though. I won't spoil too much, that would be a shame. 3/5

I liked the ending the best, I'm a sucker for good endings and this was a good one! 5/5

My total rating is: 3.84 stars! :)

[Tyler-rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review can be found at www.the-reading-pile.blogspot.co.uk/

I really have no words to describe this book, except for I think this is definitely an essential Summer Read - one that I will definitely re-read over and over again during the summer! (If I'm not so busy with other books!).

I didn't quite know what to expect when I asked to review Camp Boyfriend for this blog tour, but I'm glad I asked. I really, REALLY enjoyed it and don't think I could have loved it anymore than I did. Coming from a UK reader, I'm sure most people wouldn't expect me to understand Camp much, but I work at Summer Camps! So this wasn't a foreign term to me, though UK camps and US camps are very different! I am so jealous of the US camps, and would love to attend one - but sadly, it's not going to happen!

Something I see a lot at the camps I work at are summer romances, awh! And perhaps that's why I was so eager to actually read Camp Boyfriend and review for you guys. My boyfriend has had to literally drag me from this book to get me to do something else since I got it for review because all I've wanted to do was read it. Such a lovely read!

I loved Lauren, and her two boyfriend issue was something that I hadn't seen explored like it was in Camp Boyfriend - she had this issue out of kindness - she couldn't hurt Matt's feelings whilst he was going through so much crap at home already - I can relate! But I also see why her camp mates had such a hard time with it. I didn't really hate anyone at any point in this novel (though Gollum and Hannah annoyed me) and all the characters were all so well written and thought about.

I found myself arguing between Matt and Seth throughout the whole thing, but as soon as we got to the Talent Show, I knew exactly who I was hoping Lauren would choose, and I was happy with the outcome - duh. So obviously, I'm not going to tell you who I wanted her to choose, because then there would be no point in reading the book! Well, you should still read it because it was simply awesome, but still your first time reading it should definitely be without knowing which boy she chooses at the end!

I was warned that I'd absolutely love this book and be a mess by the end of it, and I definitely was!! Like I said, this is a great Summer Read and I recommend it to all you girls!

[Allison Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews at: Book Fixation

It's official guys! I'm in love with this story! I'm in love with Matt, Lauren and Seth! Oh god I just loved it so much! I can't stop thinking about it! It is one of the best YA Contemporaries that I've read.

First we have Lauren. She can't wait to break up with her current boyfriend Matt so she can go spend a whole summer with Seth and hopefully make their relationship year round. Things get complicated when Matt decides to go to camp with her. Things get more complicated when Lauren realizes that his feelings for her may run deeper and that her feelings for him may run deeper too! And with that starts a whole summer of drama!

TEAM MATT! Since the first page he was introduced he captured my heart! Oh Matt! He can come off with the whole image of the hot jock popular guy but he is SO much more! I feel head over heels in love with him! He is definitely one of my favorite book boyfriends.

Now on to Seth. I really like him but for Lauren I wasn't so sure. I loved him in Camp Kiss and before I read Camp Boyfriend I was completely Team Seth but I guess I just loved him for Lauren at that time because he was the only love interest in Camp Kiss.

Now there were some times in the story where no matter how much I loved Matt I couldn't help but think that neither guy should be with her. She just needed some time to herself to figure out who she really wanted and most importantly who she wanted to be. Thank god she did just that.

So there you have it. Two great guys but Matt was the one for me! If you want to know who she ends up with well go pick Camp Boyfriend up NOW!

This is a sweet, fun, awesome, sexy, funny, romantic story that you are not going to want to miss! Trust me! Great story, great characters! J.K. Rock's writing is phenomenal!

P.S. I soooo wish I could go to camp!

His hands cupped my face, his green eyes earnest. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Lauren."

[Moshii Mars · Rating 5 out of 5]

The following book Camp Boyfriend (Camp Boyfriend #1) by J.k. Rock was given to me for review in regards to a good reads giveaway. The following review though is my honest opinion and feelings of the book. Besides getting the book for free, I am in no way shape or form getting paid this review. This disclaimer is made towards FTC guidelines that protect the rights of authors and publishers.

First of all, I wanted to just say that camp Boyfriend is a perfect summer read. Written by J.k. (Joanna and Karen) Rock these two sister and laws bring the issue of a love triangle to life. After reading the prequel Camp Kiss online I was so excited to read this book. There is no denying that I wanted to know how much Lauren the main character has change as it say in the synopsis. I totally loved the whole love triangle aspect of this book. Although I never attended camp, this book made me feel as though it would have been an amazing and not so amazing exprience at the same time. The story will remind people of there first crush or boyfriend and will get people thinking of how to choose the right one when you like two.

Another main character in this story was Matt, I loved seeing how his character would transform in the book. Though at first I was not really found of him after reading the prequel. I guess I just wanted Lauren and Seth to continue to be camp Boyfriend/girlfriend.

The characters are just all different and I love how the authors added twist of girl enemies as well in the book because in life there will always be someone that belittles us as we try to strive and find our inner self.

I'm just totally in love with this collection of books and I so totally can't wait to read the next book. It is certainly a book I would recommend and already a book that I have talked to friends about!

[Paula Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd been waiting a while to read this book. I finally picked it up at the Romance Writer's conference in Atlanta. I'm so glad I did. After reading the prequel, Camp Kiss, I had my ideas of how I wanted the story to go, and who I wanted Lauren Carlson to end up with. I started reading the book with all those preconceived notions in mind, but the actual reading of Camp Boyfriend, really turned things around. It is filled with angst, uncertainty, and insecurity, all palpable emotions experienced by teenagers. Lauren's character grew and changed throughout the novel, and it was great watching her question her motives, self, and friends at Camp Juniper Point. The conflicts she faced were very realistic, and they helped to drive the plot. There were moments of laughter, tears, sadness and joy. I loved the little twist at the end as well.

Camp Boyfriend wasn't so much about having one, but rather realizing that you didn't really need to have one to understand who you were. Lauren discovered through her relationships with both Seth and Matt, that she really didn't know who she was. The confusion of her feelings for both caused her to spiral, until she had to make a critical decision that would change the course of her life. Her relationships with her "friends" also made her realize some things about herself and life in general. The overall message I got from it all was that you don't need to change who you are to fit in with anyone. It's okay to be who and what you are; just be comfortable in your own skin. I loved some of the secondary characters as well, and it was fun watching them grow and changed throughout the course of the book as well. I can't wait to see what J. K. Rock has in store for the next book. I will be recommending this one to my school librarian.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Spencer Hill Press and Netgalley.)
17-year-old Lauren is about to go off to camp for the summer, for the last time, but first she needs to break up with her boyfriend Matt, because her camp-boyfriend Seth will be waiting for her with her first camp kiss when she gets there.
Things don’t go to plan though, and soon Lauren finds herself in a very difficult situation.
Who does Lauren love most though? And should her camp boyfriend be her forever boyfriend?


This was an okay story, but I didn’t really like the ending.

Lauren was an okay character, and I understood why it was so difficult for her to break up with Matt after the bombshell he dropped, but when he asked her point blank if she loved Seth, I really wanted her to have the guts to tell him the truth.

The storyline was okay, although I have to say for the record that the phrase ‘camp boyfriend’ could be taken two ways, and I was glad that it didn’t mean that Seth was ‘camp’! I understood why Lauren intended to break up with Matt, and I also understood why she wasn’t able to, but it didn’t stop me from wishing that she would.
This book was obviously all about the romance/love triangle, and for me Lauren should really have been choosing Seth. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Matt, and I wasn’t impressed when things finally came out, and Matt then told her that he would fight for her! I wanted him to just bow out, but he just didn’t seem to get the hint!
The ending of this also wasn’t really for me, and I didn’t like the way things turned out. I just hope that things change in the second book of the series now.
Overall; okay YA contemporary romance, but I didn’t like the ending,
6.75 out of 10.

[Jivita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Camp Boyfriend. It made me wish I went to summer camp. Lauren was a female protagonist I did not want to slap for being too hysterical or unnecessarily dramatic; and in this day and age it's really hard to find teenage female protagonists that I don't want to slap. Yes, I sometimes want to slap fictional female protagonists for their fictitious hysterics- Lauren wasn't one of them.
There were times where her silence was frustrating, like when she didn't stand up for herself when others were hurling accusations at her, but I don't give her wrong. What was the point of defending herself if others were already sure of her guilt?
And circumstances were against her telling either Seth or Matt what she needed to before it was too late, and that's alright. Because, sometimes, we put off things thinking we'll be able to handle them later, but then time runs out and we have to face consequences and make it up as we go, all the while hoping for the best. Lauren did just that, and no one can fault her. She's human after all... Fictional, but human :)

All in all a good read!