Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Float

Rate this book
A heartfelt summer read for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han about holding on and letting go.

Waverly Lyons has been caught in the middle of her parents’ divorce for as long as she can remember. This summer, the battle rages over who she’ll spend her vacation with, and when Waverly’s options are shot down, it’s bye-bye Fairbanks, Alaska and hello Holden, Florida to stay with her aunt.

Coming from the tundra of the north, the beach culture isn’t exactly Waverly’s forte. The sun may just be her mortal enemy, and her vibe is decidedly not chill. To top it off? Her ability to swim? Nonexistent.

>Enter Blake, the (superhot) boy next door. Charming and sweet, he welcomes Waverly into his circle. For the first time in her life, Waverly has friends, a social life, and soon enough, feelings . . . for Blake. As the two grow closer, Waverly’s fortunes begin to look up. But every summer must come to an end, and letting go is hardest when you’ve finally found where you belong.

376 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 2022

405 people are currently reading
35509 people want to read

About the author

Kate Marchant

7 books345 followers
Kate Marchant is an author of Young Adult and New Adult contemporary fiction. She holds a bachelor's degree in creative writing from the University of Southern California and lives and writes in San Francisco. Her debut novel, FLOAT, is being turned into a feature film.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
3,806 (30%)
4 stars
4,893 (38%)
3 stars
2,994 (23%)
2 stars
697 (5%)
1 star
168 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,099 reviews
Profile Image for April (catching up).
135 reviews282 followers
September 16, 2024
3 Stars ★

"We’re here for you. We have your back. We’re a family— messy and disjointed and glorious."



It took me a bit to get into this as I couldn't stop thinking about my previous read. Once it had my attention, it was cute and enjoyable, though it did read like Wattpad.

Float is a YA, friends to lovers standalone that has some flirting, banter, discovering friendships, and moments that had me laughing a loud. There were some things that bothered me and that were predictable, but it still gave me the summer vibes I was seeking.

Waverly was sent from Alaska for the summer to spend it with her aunt in Holden, Florida, by her parents. She's nervous to be somewhere new, by the ocean, and doesn't know how to swim. A near drowning experience leads to her aunt's neighbor Blake teaching her how to swim. Will their swim lessons lead to more than a friendship?


Waverly Lyons is quirky, quiet, and not always sure of herself. She is trying to find herself and where she belongs. Not always feeling wanted by her parents, she just wants to feel that someone loves her for her. She at times got on my nerves as she tends to be a bit childish but, on the other hand, had me laughing at her random thoughts. I did enjoy watching her find herself and find friends and a place where she felt she belonged.

"I’d started my summer wanting to become someone else. Someone cooler. Someone braver. But I hadn’t become someone else— I’d become myself, but better."


Blake Hamilton
the boy next door that is sweet, charming, and popular. Underneath it all, he struggles with the loss of a parent and adjusting to his home life. I did like him and how much he cares about others and will protect them. I enjoyed watching him when he finally came to terms with his home life and accepted it.

“Some jerk elbowed me in the—” “Who?” Blake demanded, voice deathly low. “Who did this to you?”


Waverly and Blake fall into a friendship with one another after an awkward first introduction to one another. They slowly develop more feelings for one another as they spend more time alone with him, teaching her how to swim. They were cute and at times a bit over the top with their reactions, but it is expected as they are young. I enjoyed the way they helped one another with what they were going through and stood by the other side no matter what.

“I have your back and you have mine. That’s how it works.” “How what works?” “Love!”


The friendships that were made were cute and became a tight found family. It was sweet to watch as Waverly had never had friends before.

For the most part, this ended up being cute. It's not something that I would have normally picked up, but it was recommended to me for a summer read for my vacation. If you're looking for a summer read that is YA, then this is for you.


Favorite quote and moments

"I’ve never really had real friends. And my parents would never come to something like this."

"The wave of anxiety I felt was so intense it nearly knocked my feet out from under me. And maybe, if it’d happened at the beginning of the summer, I would’ve let it. Maybe I would’ve allowed the roaring in my head to drag me under and drown me. But not now. Not when I knew how to float."

"I'd found my people."


~~~~~~

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Pre-read

I'm in the mood for a cute summer read for my upcoming vacation this week, and this was recommended to me. Please give me all of the sunmer vibes☀️🩷
Profile Image for emma ⚘.
207 reviews824 followers
July 8, 2024
★★★★★ - 5 stars

i might lower it later but i don’t care. this was SO good. it was the perfect summer read!! it felt nostalgic and almost like a movie. it’s a new favorite for sure. i now live and breathe summer romances.

at first i was dreading how long it was but now i am sobbing because i want it to be longer!! the little found family trope thrown in there was PERFECT. i love a book that leaves you wanting more at the end. that’s how i knew it’d be a 5 star.

the wattpad thing on the front means nothing. it was written like your typical romance novel. i don’t remember ever cringing about anything. the writing was good! and dare i say, almost like sarah adams.

the plot was full of good vibes. there was ice cream, pool dates, parties, surfing, and so many fun moments. i was hooked! i binged this in a day. i thought about it the entire time i was at cheer practice and eating dinner. hours flew by like nothing reading this! i finally remember why i love reading summer books. i am getting flashbacks to when i read the summer of broken rules, and at the moment…i might love this book more…

the main character was so relatable! reading about a character that is just like me was amazing. i could not help but love Waverly (even if her name gives off major gen-Z vibes). i’m so happy she was able to find her place.

Blake was hot too!! he wasn’t the book boyfriend of the century but that didn’t stop me from blushing and obsessing over him. every scene with him made me giddy. it’s the best feeling!

overall, this book did NOT disappoint. if you’re looking for an easily-bingeable summer romance, this is the one.

quotes

Blake must’ve heard the fear in my voice, too, because he reached out and grabbed my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Trust me,” he said, his voice rumbling straight through his fingers and into my bones. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I’d found my people.

The wave of anxiety I felt was so intense it nearly knocked my feet out from under me. And maybe, if it’d happened at the beginning of the summer, I would’ve let it. But not now.
Not when I knew how to float.
Profile Image for eden ⊹.
138 reviews132 followers
December 12, 2023
⊹ ꒰ 🌅🐚🌺 ꒱ ⊹ float !

i thoroughly enjoyed this book. i will admit, the big and bold "wattpad books" label made me a bit nervous about the actual quality of the writing (especially given the fact that a fifteen-year-old kate marchant wrote the first half) however, float pulled through. the wattpad author stereotypes didn't even come close to the actual reality of her writing.

although the plot itself was not all that riveting (alaska girl goes on vacation to florida, finds summer friends and a summer fling, and then she has to go back) the characters pull this entire work together. from waverly, to blake, to jesse, to lena, and even to alissa these characters had such unique personalities that blended perfectly together. the chaos of jesse and alissa were easily leveled by the order of lena, waverly and alissa were practically two peas in a pod, and so on and so forth.

personally, jesse and blake carried this book for me. i loved their friendship and their ability to bounce off of each others' energy. in some ways, they reminded me of jeremiah fisher and steven conklin from the summer i turned pretty. two witty teenage boys who perfectly balance each others energies. i absolutely adore their dynamic and their individual comments made me laugh much harder than i was expecting. those two have definitely made their way to my comfort characters list.

initially, i was not expecting the characters to have as much depth as they did (i will admit, it's not loads and loads of depth but for a short standalone novel, it was a bit more that i was expecting.) float's characters ultimately had reasons to act in the individual ways they do. when starting this book i thought waverly was terribly bland and mediocre as the main character, however, as the story unfolds, it's clear to the reader why she acts so plainly. the same thought process applies to blake, lena, jesse, and alissa, there are reasons for their behaviours and it simultaneously implies a lesson to not judge somebody before truly getting to know them for they could be a better person than you originally thought.

i really enjoyed the summer vibe this book radiated. the beach trips, to the sunscreen debacles, to the family barbeques, it truly felt like i had found myself in the middle of august instead of the beginning of april. i would absolutely love to re-read this book in the summer or while out at the beach.

this book was surprisingly charming, the beginning was a bit boring and i found myself starting to doubt my decisions, however, it quickly changed as the pacing got relatively faster.

float is definitely a short, sweet, and summery book i'd recommend if you're looking for a book that fits that summer feel you're searching for.
Profile Image for abigailscupoftea.
283 reviews2,040 followers
April 23, 2023
“we’re here for you. we have your back. we’re a family—messy and disjointed and glorious.” 🥲💗🌊🏄🏽‍♂️

this was light and fluffy, and it would be the perfect story to read at the beach or by the pool! i recommend to anyone who loves YA books with a sweet romance, a strong friendship group, and found family.
Profile Image for avi ౨ৎ.
257 reviews63 followers
July 23, 2024
Now Playing [𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘺 𝘛𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘵]
0:26 ———♡——— 3:50
◁◁ ▐ ▌ ▷▷

『𝙵𝚕𝚘𝚊𝚝 𝙱𝚢 𝙺𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚝』
𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨:★★★★★★
𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘦:𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦
𝘈𝘨𝘦: +14
𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦: 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘠𝘈

🌊 𝘞𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘓𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘴
We love Waves!! I love her she literally is the funniest and amazing FMC I have ever read in a summer YA book. I love everything and how she can be sooooo relatable. I related to so much about her. She is amazing and ahhhh I wish I had her as a best friend. She made me kicking and laughing so hard all day. I love her attitude in the book. It didn't remind me of Belly from tsitp. I really was scared that this book would be a copy of it but it wasn't it more was like a, The Summer of Broken Rules, Love and Gelato, Never Vacation with your ex kinda book. Love everything about her she is honestly girl boss.

🌊 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘰𝘯
WE LOVE BLAKE HAMILTON!!!! I love him so much he literally is my favorite! He is so funny and is also so caring at the same time. Okay at first when I met him I was hesitant cause like idk. And I thought the summary about him was a lie. Well I was not trick he is a care freeing loving teenage boy. He is honestly such a vibe. If you ever read The Summer of Broken Rules, Love and Gelato, and Love and Olives. Then you will see that he is like Ren, Wit, and Leo!! Love this character so much.

🌊 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦
Let start off with Alissa. Okay at first I thought she was an annoying daddy's girl who parents are mess up and she just do whatever she wants. But once we got deeper and all I felt more connected towards her. Especially when we meet her parents. I come to love her in some way. we have a love hate relationship going on. And Jesse oh my gosh. He is like your amazing side Character MMC Best friend. He is just ahhhhhhhh amazing!! We love him. Also the suprise at the end about him OMG!!

🌊 𝘓𝘦𝘯𝘢
WE LOVE LENA SO MUCH!!!!! I love her. She is honestly the best Best friend of the FMC character I have ever seen. And for me that iis so hard because sometimes the author can never get enough of the like spark in the character and focus's way too much on the FMC. Anyways love her she is Queen!!

🌊 𝘙𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭
Rachel is such a vibe honestly. I love her she is a painter and very creative. And she loves Romance books. I love that about her! But sadly she owns the ugly covers with the half naked men. But.... besides that I fell in love with her so much. She is honestly such a role model and reminds me of my Grandma so much.

𓏲🐋 ๋࣭ ࣪𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴 𓏲🐋 ๋࣭ ࣪
࿐࿔ 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
࿐࿔ 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧
࿐࿔𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵

✎ Triggers
✩𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦
✩𝘕𝘦𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥
✩𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨

✎ 𝘔𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴
I honestly needed this book so badly. I just got it today and was like uh I need something summery.This is honestly perfect. The best book I have ever read yet this year. For me it is hard for me to find good 5 star books. I can really connect with Waverly because every spring break I got to my grandparents apartment in Florida. I love when She and Rachel interacted just by themselves it reminded me so much of me and my grandparents. also I sadly at first judge and bought this book by the cover. But I am happy I got it! I could also relate to her fear and lack of knowledge on swimming. i hate swimming so I really never learned. But anyways this book was perfect I love it so much!!

𓆉 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬
𓇼 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘉𝘺 𝘒.𝘓 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𓇼 𝘓𝘰𝘷��� & 𝘎𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘺 𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘌𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘩
𓇼 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 & 𝘖𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘉𝘺 𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘌𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘩
𓇼 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘌𝘹 𝘉𝘺 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘪𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘥-𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘺

❀ 𝘘𝘶𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴

🐚We're Here for you.
We have your back.
We're a family-messy and disjointed and glorious


🐚 Two Words: Romance. Novels
We're talking a gross abundance of male torsos.
And not a single one was wearing a shirt.
𝘐𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦, 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭? Was my first thought.
The Second was, 𝘐𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦, 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘖𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘯.


🐚 "wait a Second-"
I lunged for it, but Blake somersaulted off the bed and beat me to it.
"-what is this."
"Nothing," I blurted out. "It's nothing."
The corner of Blake's lips twitched.
"Well, I had no idea I was interrupting your-uh reading time."

࿔*:・゚ 𝚆𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚢+𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚔𝚎'𝚜 𝙿𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝࿔*:・゚
🧉 Falling By Harry Styles
🧉Getaway Car By Taylor Swift
🧉Riptide By Vance Joy
🧉Shut Up and Dance with Me By Walk on the Moon
🧉 Rollercoaster By Jonas Brothers
🧉 Malibu By Miley Cyrus
🧉 Cruel Summer By Taylor Swift
🧉 American Teen By Khalid
🧉NEVER GET OVER YOU By MIKOLAS
🧉 Our Song By Taylor Swift
🧉Daylight By Taylor Swift
🧉 Just the Way You Are By Bruno Mars
🧉 More than Friends By Aiden Basset
🧉 Beauty and A Beast By Justin Beaber, Nicki Minaj

I hope you enjoyed this review please like and comment!!
Profile Image for Jenna.
135 reviews943 followers
February 18, 2022
Heartfelt summer read. If you love summer, next door neighbor romances and found family this is the one for you.

This is a YA romance > no spice you people.

Enemies to lovers
Next door neighbors
Found family
YA romance
Light read
Profile Image for Anne.
75 reviews
July 8, 2022
this is the type of summer i want
Profile Image for sumi ୨ৎ.
168 reviews172 followers
May 12, 2024
⋆౨ৎ 4.5★˚⟡˖ ࣪
↳ spice rating: 0/5

"we're a family-messy and disjointed and glorious."

⋆.˚➛ oh my GOD. i did not expect to fall in love with float as much as i did, but it was truly amazing! reading this book felt like nostalgia and being wrapped in a big, warm hug. 💌

- typically, i’m not a fan of the writing in romance novels because it lacks depth and includes way too many pop culture references; however, it was the exact opposite with this book! i very rarely felt the need to set the book down and walk away from it because of the dialogue or descriptions. because of this, i enjoyed float 10x more! not to mention, the pacing is also great!

"maybe i would've allowed the roaring in my head to drag me under and drown me. but not now. not when i knew how to float."

- this book is definitely characters > plot, so if you don’t enjoy stories where characters are the center focus, you may not enjoy this one as much! for me, i found the characters to be the most compelling part of this book. unexpectedly, i really loved waverly! she is such a relatable, wholesome character who also has flaws and struggles. i found myself laughing at her humor constantly. the found family in float is immaculate. i genuinely cannot pick a favorite character because they’re all so amazing! though jesse and lena mean so much to me. <3

- my one small critique is that the romance was a bit fast-paced in the beginning. it was the typical: “he’s so hot, i’ve never seen a guy as hot as him before.” nonetheless, i really loved waverly and blake’s relationship! they were so aware of each other’s feelings and needs, it was the cutest thing ever! honestly, i just thought they were so sweet and wholesome together, and i enjoyed the romance aspect of this book more than i thought i would!

⋆.˚➛ like i said previously, i enjoyed float way more than i thought i would! the season hasn’t even started yet, but i think i already found my favorite summer romance. i definitely recommend this book to lovers of found family, coming-of-age stories, and small-town romance!

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁
Profile Image for em!.
134 reviews6 followers
April 1, 2024
This book was such a throwback for me, wow! I first read this when it was still being written on Wattpad (around 2013-2014 I believe) and I really loved it! I can definitely say that re-reading this book in its entirety made me so happy!

To start with the things I enjoyed: I thought that there was a nice build-up to the romance! The author kept some of my favorite scenes that have stuck with me all these years. (Post-concussion scrabble is one of my favorite scenes ever written honestly!) I love a good slow-burn & this book really delivers just that.

However, I will say that this book fell flat in a number of ways. The story felt a bit rushed and there were times when I couldn’t remember if the author told us something or if we were just supposed to assume. Like when did she actually learn to swim? We never see that…

Overall, I give this a solid 3/5 stars because these characters still hold a place in my heart. I believe my reading style has also changed as I’ve grown, so I can’t be too hard on this book. I also feel proud of Kate Marchant for getting published! She’s living her dreams and that’s fantastic!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book before release!

(E-Arc provided by Wattpad Books via NetGalley)
Profile Image for Eloise Hampson.
111 reviews2,272 followers
July 24, 2023
I feel like it kind of lacked in plot, especially in the last half. It's a fun summer book but definitely predictable with not much keeping you hooked. Tbh I only bought it cuz of the cover😭 but I'd recommend if you just want a fun summer read with a cute teen romance
Profile Image for Angel.
65 reviews1 follower
July 28, 2022
no. just no. i struggled to finish this one…. it was so CORNYY and overly dramatic like girl okay you can’t swim SO WHAT?!!! what was that plot😭😭. smh
Profile Image for alysh.
163 reviews167 followers
September 19, 2023
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ float | 4.25 ★
by kate marchant

"we're a family—messy and disjointed and wonderful.

🪸🌊🐚

note: i read the wattpad original version cause there is no way in hell i'm paying £9.99 MONTHLY. to read the wattpad books edition.

i absolutely loved this book, the perfect book to read by the beach/pool. i was skeptical at first with the big 'wattpad books' on the cover. however, i'm glad i read it despite that.

i loved the friend group, i ate every crumb when the whole group was in a scene. i'm a sucker for the found family trope.

i'm obsessed with blake and waverly. their relationship is the definition of a green flag.

if you're looking for a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud, cute summer read, then this is definitely your cup of tea.

with love,
al
Profile Image for ♡ Amanda Love ♡.
342 reviews671 followers
April 1, 2024
My first wattpad read and I really enjoyed it! I loved all of these characters and could easily picture them and there summer! Such a perfect light read with YA romance, family drama and a found family! The ending was a little rushed but it was still entertaining. I know I would have loved this even more if I read it when I was younger!
Profile Image for liza·˚ ༘.
64 reviews
July 27, 2025
4.5⭐️🎀

aweee this was so cuteee🥹 like the summer vibes ughh can’t get enough bc now i want another book exactly like this and i kept getting butterflies like my stomach kept twisting every time they would interact 😭

alsoo it’s so interesting that this author started writing this at 15!! and years later published it like my mind can’t even think of this 👏🏼👏🏼
Profile Image for Kyleigh ୨୧.
124 reviews
May 29, 2025
my bestie recommended and I'm so happy she did!!! I think this got me out of my slump!!!
Profile Image for shannon✨.
1,681 reviews49 followers
August 19, 2022
I kind of liked this book, but for me it really lacked a plot. I do think it had so much potential, it could have had some more backstory on the characters and their relationship with their parents. There was a lot going on there for most of the characters. As for the plot, well, there wasn’t really a plot? Most of it was based on a secret that was a secret for no reason and besides that, nothing really happened.
Profile Image for Lilian♡.
175 reviews9 followers
May 5, 2025
ugh, I loved this. why did it end😭

this was the perfect summer romance book! the best one I have ever read!

no miscommunication, no third act conflict, just perfection!

Waverly and Blake are the cutest thing. I love how awkward/clumsy Waverly is. (kinda like me, lol) And I love how caring and sweet Blake is.

THE VIBES! The vibes of this book were AMAZING! It was like I really was in Florida, laying on the beach, eating ice cream, surfing, working in a bookshop, and experiencing my first love💗

nothing better☀️🌴🏄‍♂️👙🏖🌊🫶
Profile Image for ☾.
259 reviews1 follower
June 28, 2023
3.7 stars? i was hesitant to read because… y’know… wattpad published… and those books don’t tend to work out for me. but for a book from wattpad, it was surprisingly written way better than a good amount of other published books i’ve read!
Profile Image for graceee.
95 reviews36 followers
August 4, 2025
post re-read: not sure what i was on last year but the swearing isn’t actually that bad?? loll

❝𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲— 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐲, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬.❞

This book was ADORABLE! So stinkin cute!! The vibes were immaculate— small Florida town (SAY NO MORE), found family (AGAIN, SAY LESS), creative yet down to earth and super fun aunt, colorful beach houses, small town book stores.
PERFECTION.

Also, I am not going to lie, despite the encouragement from my best friend and her cousin to have me read this, the unmissable wattpad label threw me off. No seriously, why does it have to be that big? Anyways, I was expecting extremely mediocre, cringe, and… well… Wattpad quality (Granted, I’ve literally never read a Wattpad story before, but I’ve heard some things…). I was so wrong!! It was funny, it was cute, and it made me feel so immersed in the story! Now don’t go in expecting Leigh Bardugo or anything like that, but also don’t expect 12 year old Wattpad fanfic either. She has the romcom style down pat! GOOO KATE!! This book truly had soo many perfect romcom elements, and you could tell Kate knew what she was doing and had her target audience in mind.

Also, something I really appreciated, was how Blake and Waverly’s friendship didn’t involve any “you’re the first person to treat me like this/you’re the only one who doesn’t look at me like I’m broken/no one talks to me like you do: real.” Can I get a THANK GOODNESS? I’m SO tired of that trope. It can be cute, but it’s sooo overdone!! Thanks again, Kate. You slayed fr!

BUT…., the amount of cursing in this book aggravated me so much. Like guys? Come on? We don’t need to drop the f-bomb every time we’re inconvenienced. It’s really just quite unnecessary. LIKE COME ON GUYS!! Sigh. I’m fine. I’m good. It definitely didn’t annoy me at all. ::slight glaring at Kate::


ˏˋ°•*⁀༄ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧: (with song lyrics 🤭)

➷ 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝘆𝗼𝗻𝘀
𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴

Name: Waverly
Age: 17
Status: single pringle
Facts: mediocre queen
Mantra: I am fierce. I am independent. I am Beyoncé.

What’s that??? Finally a romcom main character who doesn’t make me want to pull my hair out from annoyance (::cough:: Belly Conklin ::cough::)?? Waverly was awesome!! She was funny, kind, thoughtful of others and ::gasp:: SELF AWARE?! I know. Wild. Plus, she was tall. I know! A main character of a romance who was almost six feet! Personally, I’m not that tall, but some girlies I love very much are tall and I’m happy to see representation for them 💪😂
Being in Waverly’s head was honestly so much fun!! Her internal monologue was hilarious, her internal conflict even better, and I related to her SO much! The sort of lacking self discipline/motivation, the always being mediocre at things, the sunburning easily, her love of food (especially chocolate milkshakes). I felt like I could finally relate to a main character!! She wasn’t widely introverted, but she wasn’t an extrovert either. Again, KATE, WERE YOU WRITING ABOUT ME??? The only thing annoying about her narration was all the swearing. It was genuinely annoying, and I’m not usually sensitive to swearing. It was THAT often!! But anyways, I loved Waverly! Minus the fact that her name makes me think of the Disney show, she was the best. Hear hear for a likable main character!!

➷ 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗼𝗻
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵

That lyric… iykyk. Bro. This boy was so cute!! Like for real. I really appreciate the fact that Kate gave him personality!! He wasn’t just a scowling brooder, but he wasn’t just comedic relief either. He’s a ridiculous high school boy who’s gone through some crap, which is surprisingly deep for a romcom. He had me giggling every once in a while I’m not gonna lie 🤭 PLUS HE’S SO FINE LETS BE REAL??!! And he’s tall?! Forget about it. Where do I order one on Amazon? My only peeve was that I didn’t really… know what his goals were? Like what was his motivation, you know? But overall, he’s such a cutie! He is literally a lovely comforter, a funny friend, and is so darn precious when he’s vulnerable. Chapter 23 anyone?? BECAUSE CHAPTER 23 AHHH! It had me almost a little teary, not gonna lie. Soooo yeah, overall, Blake slayed. I didn’t love him in the beginning, if I’m going to be fully honest, but he grew on me. I guess like an acquired taste? Like COFFEE?? Yeah. Blake Hamilton is like coffee. So he’s not a top book boyfriend, but he’s in a potential position of being around the top romcom boyfriend list. ILY BLAKE!

➷ 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝗮 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯

YESSSS LENA! I adore her!! I love how kind she was to Waverly when she first got there, taking her under her wing. And instead of being all snobby and rude to Waverly when she tried to fit it/hang out, Lena just accepted it and basically made her apart of the group! Not only was she HILARIOUS, but she was Waverly’s first true friend, and that was awesome. Plus she’s really sporty while also being fashionable and loves to read.
She also definitely shows what it’s like to have a brother: super annoying, but you’d give them a kidney. (Don’t worry: no kidney transplants happened during this book)


➷ 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿
𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵, 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴

CUTIE PATOOTIE!! Like this man is literally adorable, in so many ways.
1) he’s good with kids. TALK ABOUT A SLAY!!! When he was playing with Isabel during the barbecue, I think butterflies erupted in my stomach.
2) he’s so tall and lanky but loves to give hugs, even if it’s a little awkward.
3) HE LIKES TO READ???
4) idk he’s just so precious and cuuuuute like?? Golden retriever?!? Australian shepherd?? I’m not sure, but I loved him!!
He’s obviously a main part of the friend group, but he’s not a huge main character, so we don’t get much internal conflict, which would have been amazing because Jesse is the man. But it’s a summer romcom… I wasn’t here for depth 😂 Jesse Fletcher 10/10

➷ 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮
𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦

Her internal conflict slayed!! AND HER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT?? Forget about it!! I love how she came off as a snobby snotwaffle, but really had layers and a kind heart, despite all the crap life has thrown at her. Her mom is on her seventh husband, cut the girl some slack. And I love how, like I said, she came OFF as a snotwaffle, on the inside, she never rely hated Waverly.
LOVE YOU ALISSA!! ………… and your Range Rover…

ˏˋ°•*⁀༄ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:
Lots of swearing (b*ch, f-bombs frequently ugh, a**, dam*, sh*t), two or three innuendos (nothing major, except one, but the one confused me at first so there’s a chance it could go over your head?? lol), some underage drinking (but it’s not particularly glorified or looked down upon either. The parents don’t support it, and the kids being drunk leads to consequences soooo…?), kissing (fairly passionate, but it doesn’t lead to anything!), there is a house party where a lot of people are making out and one girl gets drunk and passes out. This is all making it sound worse than it is!! I promise, the worst thing about this book is the swearing.
Profile Image for Kenzie Wilcox.
31 reviews
July 17, 2022
I couldn’t guys. I really wanted to like this book but it was insanely cringe for me
Profile Image for ava !!.
108 reviews
September 7, 2023
oh to be a teenager who lives at the beach with a summer romance.
this book was exactly what I needed! I’ll admit, the whole wattpad label had me a little bit conflicted on my expectations with this book, but it most certainly passed my expectations.
first off, I love the cover! the little surfer doodles and the color theme is sooo cute omfg.
besides that I truly loved the plot! following waverly on her journey from alaska to florida, finding her people and herself all within a summer break was so enjoyable. I truly felt like I was apart of her friend group. this book was very much targeted towards teens and not in an overly immature way, but more so a relatable way. the talk about how hard it can be to find yourself and find your people is most certainly a relatable topic, so when you do find your people and your best self, you need to hold onto that.
I loved all the characters in this book, literally every single one! the main friend group were so cute and dorky, I envied them irl! the development with waverly and blake was quite realistic for teenagers, not quite “insta-love” but not quite a “slow burn.” they had plenty of sweet moments with a simple brush of the knuckles that had me giggling so bad lol.
the book dealt with some heavier topics regarding death of a parent, uninvolved parents, feeling alone etc. but I think the book did a great job of executing those feelings within the mind of a teenager. like teenagers put up a tough front at times, but are truly just looking for someone to listen and talk to.
I did have some very minor like “icks” about the book, but nothing that made me physically revolt which is why I didn’t give this a perfect 5/5 stars lol.
overall float is a super short and cute read if you’re looking for a teenager beach romance, with a found family, while on the search for your true self and your people, then this is perfect for you! :D
4.25/5 stars!

“For the first time in my life, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.” ╥﹏╥
Profile Image for Muffinsandbooks.
1,650 reviews1,244 followers
August 14, 2022
L’ambiance était sympa, mais j’ai eu vraiment du mal à m’attacher aux personnages, tout allait trop vite et je ne m’attendais pas à un truc aussi « teen movie » aux sentiments un peu trop culcul. Ce n’était pas une lecture pour moi 🤗
Profile Image for kinley.
26 reviews423 followers
Read
October 22, 2024
hi guys, so sorry for the ABRUPT um leave... i had something personal come up and it took some time to recover from it. but i'm back now!! kinda getting back into the routine of life lol. but i missed u guys 🤍
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,099 reviews

Join the discussion

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.