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You Wouldn't Dare
A rom com about trying to have the summer of your life before everything changes - only to realize change might be exactly what you need...
When Juniper Nash Abreheart kissed Graham Isham for the first time, she had no idea it would nearly be the end of their friendship.
More specifically, she had no idea that the terrible, unforgivable thing she did to keep their summer fling a secret wouldn’t just ruin their friendship, but also Graham’s entire life. Now, months since the fallout, Junie and Graham spend most of their time sidestepping conversational landmines on the journey back to normalcy.
Junie is sure the strangeness between her and Graham is her biggest problem - until her mom hires Tallulah, her boyfriend’s surly teenage daughter, to work at their family café, and then announces they’ll all be moving in together at the end of the summer. The only bright spot ahead is Junie’s dad’s upcoming visit, just in time for her community theater production. And then poor turnout soon threatens that.
But when Junie starts to realize the feelings she swore to take care of last summer have lingered, saving her production and managing her hostile relationship with Tallulah might be the least of her problems. Graham isn’t just off limits - their friendship has been mended to barely withstand a breeze, and the gale force of Junie’s feelings could be just what breaks them.
Samantha Markum’s You Wouldn’t Dare is about the risks and triumphs that come with being brave enough to take a chance at what you really want, including love.
When Juniper Nash Abreheart kissed Graham Isham for the first time, she had no idea it would nearly be the end of their friendship.
More specifically, she had no idea that the terrible, unforgivable thing she did to keep their summer fling a secret wouldn’t just ruin their friendship, but also Graham’s entire life. Now, months since the fallout, Junie and Graham spend most of their time sidestepping conversational landmines on the journey back to normalcy.
Junie is sure the strangeness between her and Graham is her biggest problem - until her mom hires Tallulah, her boyfriend’s surly teenage daughter, to work at their family café, and then announces they’ll all be moving in together at the end of the summer. The only bright spot ahead is Junie’s dad’s upcoming visit, just in time for her community theater production. And then poor turnout soon threatens that.
But when Junie starts to realize the feelings she swore to take care of last summer have lingered, saving her production and managing her hostile relationship with Tallulah might be the least of her problems. Graham isn’t just off limits - their friendship has been mended to barely withstand a breeze, and the gale force of Junie’s feelings could be just what breaks them.
Samantha Markum’s You Wouldn’t Dare is about the risks and triumphs that come with being brave enough to take a chance at what you really want, including love.
368 pages
First published March 28, 2023
About the author
Samantha Markum
3 books363 followersSamantha Markum is the USA Today bestselling author of Love, Off the Record, You Wouldn't Dare, and This May End Badly. She was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, where she got her great literary start writing Newsies fan fiction in middle school. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing cozy video games, attempting to revive her half-dead house plants, and getting in bed before sunset. When she is writing, you can find her staring at the wall in search of inspiration. Visit her at samanthamarkum.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 396 reviews
June 8, 2022
This book is my love letter to Florida. It’s about a town that’s a tiny bit magical, a messy drama queen who is late to everything, her incredible friends, all that found family goodness, and a romance with lots of banter and even more baggage. My little writer heart was forged over many Sarah Dessen novels, and I hope this book brings just a fraction of that feeling to anyone who picks it up. It’s summer, it’s fun, it’s a little angsty, and of course, it’s messy as all get out. I love the heck out of it, and I hope you will too.
March 28, 2023
Okay WOW this was so different than This May End Badly but I really liked it!!! Major beach vibes! I wish I read this at the beginning (not the end) of summer. Since I loved This May End Badly so much, I hit request on NetGalley as soon as it dropped. Literally didn’t even read the summary.
So when I finally made the educated decision to figure out what this book was about—after downloading to my kindle—I was like hmmmm am I in the mood for this?? But I will NOT let my NetGalley ratio catch me. No worries though, I really liked this!! Juniper’s voice was so strong and the summery feel made me hate this never-ending heat just a ₗᵢₜₜₗₑ lessᵎ Graham was a tough nut to crack, but he was such a softie. I was definitely most excited to see the bond grow between Junie and Talulah (found family!!).
I did find the way everyone and her mother made her be the bigger person in nearly every scenario where . I stan a petty queen and I absolutely adored when she went all Harper Valley PTA on those bullies at the diner. Air that dirty laundry!! She was flawed but I definitely saw a lot of myself in her.
I also think it was a bit odd to say that she was treating Milo like a boyfriend with no blame being directed his way. He was the one in those relationships and he chose to put Junie first!! Definitely not the most healthy relationship on her end, but that street went both ways. It all worked out in a good way, but I felt bad for Junie, for a while there, she was being dragged at every damn turn.
As for the audiobook, I nearly SCREAMED when I realized Jesss Vilinsky was going to be the narrator. She’s my favorite YA narrator (I found her with Lynn Painter’s Better than the Movies) and I swear she elevates any story she touches. She does a wonderful guy voice is extremely expressive. This would be a lovely audiobook to chill with by the pool/lake/beach if you’re lucky.
Overall, The plot was fun and the second chance kept me guessing for a while there (definitely juicy👀). There were mild Shakespeare and theater kid vibes, so I can see fans of When You Get the Chance and Long Story Short liking You Wouldn’t Dare!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5
Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC and ALC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
So when I finally made the educated decision to figure out what this book was about—after downloading to my kindle—I was like hmmmm am I in the mood for this?? But I will NOT let my NetGalley ratio catch me. No worries though, I really liked this!! Juniper’s voice was so strong and the summery feel made me hate this never-ending heat just a ₗᵢₜₜₗₑ lessᵎ Graham was a tough nut to crack, but he was such a softie. I was definitely most excited to see the bond grow between Junie and Talulah (found family!!).
I did find the way everyone and her mother made her be the bigger person in nearly every scenario where . I stan a petty queen and I absolutely adored when she went all Harper Valley PTA on those bullies at the diner. Air that dirty laundry!! She was flawed but I definitely saw a lot of myself in her.
I also think it was a bit odd to say that she was treating Milo like a boyfriend with no blame being directed his way. He was the one in those relationships and he chose to put Junie first!! Definitely not the most healthy relationship on her end, but that street went both ways. It all worked out in a good way, but I felt bad for Junie, for a while there, she was being dragged at every damn turn.
As for the audiobook, I nearly SCREAMED when I realized Jesss Vilinsky was going to be the narrator. She’s my favorite YA narrator (I found her with Lynn Painter’s Better than the Movies) and I swear she elevates any story she touches. She does a wonderful guy voice is extremely expressive. This would be a lovely audiobook to chill with by the pool/lake/beach if you’re lucky.
Overall, The plot was fun and the second chance kept me guessing for a while there (definitely juicy👀). There were mild Shakespeare and theater kid vibes, so I can see fans of When You Get the Chance and Long Story Short liking You Wouldn’t Dare!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5
Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC and ALC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
January 18, 2023
Honestly I should have just dnf'd this. But I stuck it through. Oh well.
I'll start with good things:
- The writing wasn't bad (except for transitions...which I will expand upon later)
- There were some parts and lines that made me laugh
- There was at least some character development
That be about all I can think of.
Bad things:
- Content, content, content! A lot of it. How is this even a YA book I don't know. It shouldn't be.
Content included but was not limited to: co-habitation before marriage, adultery and helping to hide someone's affair with a married man, lying casually, so much language, underage drinking and smoking, and taking the Lord's name in vain (many times), and lots of making out.
That wasn't the half of it.
- Basically all of the characters, especially Juniper. So immature, dramatic, disrespectful, and irresponsible. At least there were a few parts where apologies happened.
- This stereotype: "even though Tallulah was back in White Coral, she was homeschooled and rarely seen in public."
How many times do I have to say that the majority of homeschoolers are very social, and can you believe it, have friends!! I despise this stereotype about homeschoolers so. much.
- The transitions between chapters and in chapters were not coherent sometimes. It was like things happened 'off screen' at times. Very weird.
Anyways. That'll be it.
Also, all of these are -opinions- of mine, so if you don't agree, that is perfectly fine. We are all unique humans with differing opinions and that's what makes life fun.
1 star
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC.
I'll start with good things:
- The writing wasn't bad (except for transitions...which I will expand upon later)
- There were some parts and lines that made me laugh
- There was at least some character development
That be about all I can think of.
Bad things:
- Content, content, content! A lot of it. How is this even a YA book I don't know. It shouldn't be.
Content included but was not limited to: co-habitation before marriage, adultery and helping to hide someone's affair with a married man, lying casually, so much language, underage drinking and smoking, and taking the Lord's name in vain (many times), and lots of making out.
That wasn't the half of it.
- Basically all of the characters, especially Juniper. So immature, dramatic, disrespectful, and irresponsible. At least there were a few parts where apologies happened.
- This stereotype: "even though Tallulah was back in White Coral, she was homeschooled and rarely seen in public."
How many times do I have to say that the majority of homeschoolers are very social, and can you believe it, have friends!! I despise this stereotype about homeschoolers so. much.
- The transitions between chapters and in chapters were not coherent sometimes. It was like things happened 'off screen' at times. Very weird.
Anyways. That'll be it.
Also, all of these are -opinions- of mine, so if you don't agree, that is perfectly fine. We are all unique humans with differing opinions and that's what makes life fun.
1 star
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC.
February 19, 2023
4.5⭐️
This was so cute! It’s such a heartwarming story about friends, family and love. The friend group was so fun and I loved all the different dynamics between the characters. The cozy beach town setting was perfect and made me so ready for summer.
The book got off to a bit of a slow start for me but once it picked up I was hooked!
The main character, Junie, had so much character growth that I really enjoyed seeing. She learned so much about herself, her friends and even people she thought she’d never get along with. I loved that she came such a long way in her self-discovery, but was also able to grow a lot in her relationships with other people.
The romance was really sweet and the love interest, Graham, was honestly so adorable. I loved the banter between him and Junie even when they weren’t on the best of terms.
This book covered so many different relationship dynamics from friends to dating to parents. It felt like there was a lot going on in the book with so many characters having their own journeys but it never got overwhelming. There was a really great balance between all the plot lines and situations. I also really loved the found family feeling that was present throughout.
I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, summery YA read!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This was so cute! It’s such a heartwarming story about friends, family and love. The friend group was so fun and I loved all the different dynamics between the characters. The cozy beach town setting was perfect and made me so ready for summer.
The book got off to a bit of a slow start for me but once it picked up I was hooked!
The main character, Junie, had so much character growth that I really enjoyed seeing. She learned so much about herself, her friends and even people she thought she’d never get along with. I loved that she came such a long way in her self-discovery, but was also able to grow a lot in her relationships with other people.
The romance was really sweet and the love interest, Graham, was honestly so adorable. I loved the banter between him and Junie even when they weren’t on the best of terms.
This book covered so many different relationship dynamics from friends to dating to parents. It felt like there was a lot going on in the book with so many characters having their own journeys but it never got overwhelming. There was a really great balance between all the plot lines and situations. I also really loved the found family feeling that was present throughout.
I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, summery YA read!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
September 6, 2022
You Wouldn't Dare delivered a full dose of cuteness. Junie and Graham were both so well developed and the challenges of friends to lovers, were really well handled and relatable.
In addition to the romance that I was rooting so hard for, setting and writing style really kept me hooked. This has been so much fun and I wish Samantha Markum the best with this release.
If you enjoy lighthearted, lively YA contemporary, you absolutely need to add this to your TBRs.
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In addition to the romance that I was rooting so hard for, setting and writing style really kept me hooked. This has been so much fun and I wish Samantha Markum the best with this release.
If you enjoy lighthearted, lively YA contemporary, you absolutely need to add this to your TBRs.
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 27, 2023
you wouldn't dare solidifies samantha markum as a new favorite author. i am so obsessed with how samantha markum crafts character relationships!! ♥️♥️
i loved the friendship between milo and junie, it honestly stole the show for me. i loved so much about this. i'm absolutely obsessed with the way markum writes imperfect main characters and the men who love them. i'm obsessed with the communities around the characters. i'm obsessed with the best friend dynamics. i am so obsessed.
i am so in love with the way markum crafts the relationships between characters. in this may end badly it's not enemies to lovers, it's falling for the enemy's cousin. in you wouldn't dare it's not best friends to lovers, it's friend's best friend to lovers. i am so obsessed with these dynamics! this makes more sense if you've read the books, obviously, but it's SO fascinating. i am loving the mild twists to the classic tropes that are popular right now! i compare the relationship in this may end badly to a "best friend's brother" kind of dynamic, and i am tempted to do the same for this book! even though it's a friend group of four and they're both in the friend group, it's DIFFERENT!!!!! trust me.
and BECAUSE of this ^^^^ dynamic being so prevalent you get some very good "jealous" tension between the love interest and the guy that the main character is also somewhat obsessed with. it feels so human. even when you KNOW there's no relationship there, it's not a love triangle, and it never was, but sometimes it feels that way, samantha. you're so good at this particular dynamic.
thank you to st. martin's press and samantha markum for an arc!
i loved the friendship between milo and junie, it honestly stole the show for me. i loved so much about this. i'm absolutely obsessed with the way markum writes imperfect main characters and the men who love them. i'm obsessed with the communities around the characters. i'm obsessed with the best friend dynamics. i am so obsessed.
i am so in love with the way markum crafts the relationships between characters. in this may end badly it's not enemies to lovers, it's falling for the enemy's cousin. in you wouldn't dare it's not best friends to lovers, it's friend's best friend to lovers. i am so obsessed with these dynamics! this makes more sense if you've read the books, obviously, but it's SO fascinating. i am loving the mild twists to the classic tropes that are popular right now! i compare the relationship in this may end badly to a "best friend's brother" kind of dynamic, and i am tempted to do the same for this book! even though it's a friend group of four and they're both in the friend group, it's DIFFERENT!!!!! trust me.
and BECAUSE of this ^^^^ dynamic being so prevalent you get some very good "jealous" tension between the love interest and the guy that the main character is also somewhat obsessed with. it feels so human. even when you KNOW there's no relationship there, it's not a love triangle, and it never was, but sometimes it feels that way, samantha. you're so good at this particular dynamic.
thank you to st. martin's press and samantha markum for an arc!
March 10, 2023
Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!
The first third of this book really ruined the whole thing for me. I feel like the main character is a bully. She's a total mean girl, and I'm just not interested in any character like that, especially because it was the whole time.
Ugh. I was just frustrated by this character the whole book and I really can't get past it.
The first third of this book really ruined the whole thing for me. I feel like the main character is a bully. She's a total mean girl, and I'm just not interested in any character like that, especially because it was the whole time.
Ugh. I was just frustrated by this character the whole book and I really can't get past it.
May 15, 2023
This was a solid YA, but didn't reach the heights of the author's debut for me.
December 5, 2023
✰ 3 stars ✰
“Midsummer Madness”
--- is the perfect way to describe the entire plot of You Wouldn't Dare. I'm always up for a little YA read every now and then, but I wouldn't have dared read this, if I had known beforehand, how utterly exhausting it would have been. There was really just A LOT happening in this one summer, that made it hard for me to actually enjoy it. 😩
But, in all honesty, it doesn't really seem fair for me to criticize it, because teenage life does have a fair amount of angst and pining and family drama that I have no basis for finding fault in. My only criticism is that, despite how well-written it was, there was just too much happening in one summer. From love triangles, to disappointing fathers, to theatrics at the community play, it was hectic and chaotic - it was summer.
“As I watch his retreating form, I get the feeling I don’t need to wait for the grand fireworks show tonight. Because nothing will rival the riot of explosions happening inside my chest.”
And what Samantha Markum excelled at was showing how vibrant and energetic teen spirit can be at this time. The highs and the lows - the friendships and the relationships - everything was portrayed with a very clear-cut image that showed how strong the bonds were between Juniper and her friends.
At first, Juniper really annoyed me - if there ever was an FMC that didn't vibe with me immediately - it would have been her - very controlling, very demanding, very much feeling that only her opinion matters. But, as we learn about all the issues she's having to face - in her school life, personal life, and family life, I started to feel sorry for her - despite, her attitude she obviously knows what's best - you could start the see the moments when she started to change her outlook on certain things and be more willing to change and considerate of others.
“Graham shrugged, not looking up from the box of nail polish. “Do I need a reason?”
I scoffed. “I guess not. But if all you wanted was some girl to say you look hot, I could’ve said it.”
Graham leaned back, tilting his head at me. “I wouldn’t waste a dare on something like that.”
“You wouldn’t have to dare me.”
Juniper and Graham were so very cute - the push and pull between them was adorable, if not tragically painful to see how much pining was happening on both sides, too afraid to cross that bridge again. 🩵 🩵 There certainly is a lot of painful history to their relationship and why they didn't work out, and I appreciated that while it stayed as a reason for their falling-out, it also served as a catalyst to FINALLY bring them back together.
Milo was great - really, just a perfect best friend! I loved how understanding he was of Juniper - so very patient, and still want to be her childhood best friend. How he wasn't afraid to shed light on June's personal issues, how he came to her aide to secure more actors for the play, how he supported her, even if he didn't always agree with her antics. I'm glad that as much as Milo and Graham came off with the strong jealousy vibes for each other, it didn't impact their friendship at all, which I thought was very mature of them. 😊😊
All the side characters were also very well-fleshed out - again, I think the book's only down-side is that there was too much happening - and I still feel bad when I say it, because that is life! 😅 And with what Juniper had to endure with all her relationships - her parents, her friends, her best friend, her classmates, her potential boyfriend - anyone would crumble under that pressure, if not find it difficult to find a perfect balance to it all, but how everything rounded up well at the end, made me feel that my time wasn't a complete waste. ☀️
“Midsummer Madness”
--- is the perfect way to describe the entire plot of You Wouldn't Dare. I'm always up for a little YA read every now and then, but I wouldn't have dared read this, if I had known beforehand, how utterly exhausting it would have been. There was really just A LOT happening in this one summer, that made it hard for me to actually enjoy it. 😩
But, in all honesty, it doesn't really seem fair for me to criticize it, because teenage life does have a fair amount of angst and pining and family drama that I have no basis for finding fault in. My only criticism is that, despite how well-written it was, there was just too much happening in one summer. From love triangles, to disappointing fathers, to theatrics at the community play, it was hectic and chaotic - it was summer.
“As I watch his retreating form, I get the feeling I don’t need to wait for the grand fireworks show tonight. Because nothing will rival the riot of explosions happening inside my chest.”
And what Samantha Markum excelled at was showing how vibrant and energetic teen spirit can be at this time. The highs and the lows - the friendships and the relationships - everything was portrayed with a very clear-cut image that showed how strong the bonds were between Juniper and her friends.
At first, Juniper really annoyed me - if there ever was an FMC that didn't vibe with me immediately - it would have been her - very controlling, very demanding, very much feeling that only her opinion matters. But, as we learn about all the issues she's having to face - in her school life, personal life, and family life, I started to feel sorry for her - despite, her attitude she obviously knows what's best - you could start the see the moments when she started to change her outlook on certain things and be more willing to change and considerate of others.
“Graham shrugged, not looking up from the box of nail polish. “Do I need a reason?”
I scoffed. “I guess not. But if all you wanted was some girl to say you look hot, I could’ve said it.”
Graham leaned back, tilting his head at me. “I wouldn’t waste a dare on something like that.”
“You wouldn’t have to dare me.”
Juniper and Graham were so very cute - the push and pull between them was adorable, if not tragically painful to see how much pining was happening on both sides, too afraid to cross that bridge again. 🩵 🩵 There certainly is a lot of painful history to their relationship and why they didn't work out, and I appreciated that while it stayed as a reason for their falling-out, it also served as a catalyst to FINALLY bring them back together.
Milo was great - really, just a perfect best friend! I loved how understanding he was of Juniper - so very patient, and still want to be her childhood best friend. How he wasn't afraid to shed light on June's personal issues, how he came to her aide to secure more actors for the play, how he supported her, even if he didn't always agree with her antics. I'm glad that as much as Milo and Graham came off with the strong jealousy vibes for each other, it didn't impact their friendship at all, which I thought was very mature of them. 😊😊
All the side characters were also very well-fleshed out - again, I think the book's only down-side is that there was too much happening - and I still feel bad when I say it, because that is life! 😅 And with what Juniper had to endure with all her relationships - her parents, her friends, her best friend, her classmates, her potential boyfriend - anyone would crumble under that pressure, if not find it difficult to find a perfect balance to it all, but how everything rounded up well at the end, made me feel that my time wasn't a complete waste. ☀️
Read
September 4, 2022I tagged this as romance, but that's an aspect of this young adult novel that is also very strongly about friendship, and family.
Though it doesn't come out until March, I couldn't resist taking a peek, as I'd really enjoyed the author's debut novel. Markum writes so strongly about friendship, and that is also the case here. Right off the bat we're given a tapestry of relationships, each one with its own rollercoaster ups and downs. Markum keeps the pace fast as Junie, who is a drama lover (and a bit of a diva) is loudly devastated when her mom's new boyfriend wants the two families to live together preparatory to marriage--which means Junie has to live with Paul's glum, angry daughter, Tallulah.
Junie has just embarked into closer relationships with boys, backing off after a rather awful failure that wasn't her fault. Boys as friends, boys as more than friends, parents, cheating, gay and bi relationships, kids pairing up, all get their innings. (So does underage drinking.) In the center of the tapestry is Shakespear, pulling it all together with a sufficiently dramatic climax.
I really look forward to seeing what this author does next.
Though it doesn't come out until March, I couldn't resist taking a peek, as I'd really enjoyed the author's debut novel. Markum writes so strongly about friendship, and that is also the case here. Right off the bat we're given a tapestry of relationships, each one with its own rollercoaster ups and downs. Markum keeps the pace fast as Junie, who is a drama lover (and a bit of a diva) is loudly devastated when her mom's new boyfriend wants the two families to live together preparatory to marriage--which means Junie has to live with Paul's glum, angry daughter, Tallulah.
Junie has just embarked into closer relationships with boys, backing off after a rather awful failure that wasn't her fault. Boys as friends, boys as more than friends, parents, cheating, gay and bi relationships, kids pairing up, all get their innings. (So does underage drinking.) In the center of the tapestry is Shakespear, pulling it all together with a sufficiently dramatic climax.
I really look forward to seeing what this author does next.
September 29, 2022
There aren't words for how much I loved this book. It is phenomenally written and so heartfelt.
This was the perfect summer coming of age novel. It's the book I wish I had when I was a teenager. You're immediately transported to Florida and feel as if you're actually there. You immediately fall in love with the characters and the setting -- and you can't help but to root for each and every one of her characters. It's enemies to lovers -- but don't be fooled, it's all about the found family along the way. I loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone. 10000/5 stars, would recommend.
Samantha Markum is an instant author buy for me and I can't wait to have this book in my hands.
This was the perfect summer coming of age novel. It's the book I wish I had when I was a teenager. You're immediately transported to Florida and feel as if you're actually there. You immediately fall in love with the characters and the setting -- and you can't help but to root for each and every one of her characters. It's enemies to lovers -- but don't be fooled, it's all about the found family along the way. I loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone. 10000/5 stars, would recommend.
Samantha Markum is an instant author buy for me and I can't wait to have this book in my hands.
March 2, 2023
A cute coming of age story full of typical teenage stuff. The main character faced a lot of change and a lot of battles but really grew as a person through the story. It was fun to see her start out so happy and then have to make it through some pretty tough challenges- which she handled sometimes poorly but they helped shape her too.
🌀Synopsis
Juniper’s mom just announced that they’re going to move in with her boyfriend- on the other side of town with Junie’s nemesis Tallulah. Now, Juniper is determined to solidify her friendships this summer to make sure they last even after she moves.
Juniper is also trying to help the community theatre put on their best show yet, which requires the help of all her friends. One friendship in particular is a minefield of disaster. Her friend Graham. The two have a long history and their once good friendship has been cracked. As they try to repair it they realize that some old feelings are still there and they really like each other. It takes almost losing him for Juniper to really put her feelings out there and commit to the relationship.
🌀Synopsis
Juniper’s mom just announced that they’re going to move in with her boyfriend- on the other side of town with Junie’s nemesis Tallulah. Now, Juniper is determined to solidify her friendships this summer to make sure they last even after she moves.
Juniper is also trying to help the community theatre put on their best show yet, which requires the help of all her friends. One friendship in particular is a minefield of disaster. Her friend Graham. The two have a long history and their once good friendship has been cracked. As they try to repair it they realize that some old feelings are still there and they really like each other. It takes almost losing him for Juniper to really put her feelings out there and commit to the relationship.
April 18, 2023
4/5⭐️
November 6, 2022
Dear publishers: please stop marketing everything as a rom-com. This is a sweet, sincere celebration of community, friends, and found family set during the summer before a teen's last year of high school, when questions about what happens next abound, but the family home is still front and center. It's a coming of age story told with wit and heart and sharp writing and great dialogue and lovable characters who are flawed in real, relatable ways. These are all wonderful things and this book deserves to find the readers who love those things. Not readers who are looking specifically for a rom-com and may find themselves misguided at both the tone and content of the story.
.
Rather than follow a singular, central plot thread, Markham weaves together several subplots--a troubled community theatre project, a contentious race for an important student office, a merging of households as the heroine's mom and her boyfriend plan their cohabitation, an absent and neglectful father, the jealousies that arise when friends form new romantic relationships, seemingly unattainable goals for college, summer job challenges, a past error of judgment to atone for, and an intense animosity to mend between the heroine and her mom's boyfriend's daughter. Amid all of that, there is also a very sweet romance, but it kicks in during the last third of the book and is far from front and center amid all the other goings-on. I really enjoy Markham's sense of character and setting, something I loved in her debut as well, and her dialogue is so crisp, it makes the story whip by. The story feels like the beautiful cover, like that time of life when a great evening with a good friend is everything. I hope the right readers find this one. And I hope they're delighted with what they find.
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Rather than follow a singular, central plot thread, Markham weaves together several subplots--a troubled community theatre project, a contentious race for an important student office, a merging of households as the heroine's mom and her boyfriend plan their cohabitation, an absent and neglectful father, the jealousies that arise when friends form new romantic relationships, seemingly unattainable goals for college, summer job challenges, a past error of judgment to atone for, and an intense animosity to mend between the heroine and her mom's boyfriend's daughter. Amid all of that, there is also a very sweet romance, but it kicks in during the last third of the book and is far from front and center amid all the other goings-on. I really enjoy Markham's sense of character and setting, something I loved in her debut as well, and her dialogue is so crisp, it makes the story whip by. The story feels like the beautiful cover, like that time of life when a great evening with a good friend is everything. I hope the right readers find this one. And I hope they're delighted with what they find.
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September 24, 2022RTC
May 9, 2023
I received this as a part of a Goodreads giveaway. I actually enjoyed this book way more than I expected to. The banter was pretty funny, the step-sister drama was entertaining, and the main character had enough missteps to feel believable. I had a good time reading this and I’d def recommend to my YA girlies!
March 29, 2023
HAPPY PUB WEEK!!
Samantha Markum does it again and has written what could be the best summer YA read for 2023.
I knew from the moment I finished This May End Badly that I would be reading whatever came next from Markum. Her sophomore novel You Wouldn't Dare replicates the same brilliant characterization and emotional depth from her debut and delivers a tender and relatable friends to lovers romance that brought me back to the days I used to devour Sarah Dessen books.
There are two things Markum does exceptionally well in her writing. The first is her ability to create beautifully messy female main characters, that you make you want to cheer for them just as much as cry with them. JN is far from perfect and her flaws are both endearing and frustrating. Her journey in this book was incredibly relatable and had me hooked every step of the way. I will attend the Juniper Nash Cry Fest any day.
Markum also develops the most endearing found family. Both of her novels now have showcased a diverse cast of characters that all bounce off each other and contribute to the plot in a perfect way. The core four friends in You Wouldn't Dare all stood had their own personality that had me wanting to be friends with all of them, and the underlying narrative of family being the people who choose to be there for you really hit home and had me tearing up.
I gasped, I cried, I laughed out loud. This book was perfection from beginning to end. I can't wait to make everyone I know read it and I cannot wait to get my hands on whatever Markum releases next.
Samantha Markum does it again and has written what could be the best summer YA read for 2023.
I knew from the moment I finished This May End Badly that I would be reading whatever came next from Markum. Her sophomore novel You Wouldn't Dare replicates the same brilliant characterization and emotional depth from her debut and delivers a tender and relatable friends to lovers romance that brought me back to the days I used to devour Sarah Dessen books.
There are two things Markum does exceptionally well in her writing. The first is her ability to create beautifully messy female main characters, that you make you want to cheer for them just as much as cry with them. JN is far from perfect and her flaws are both endearing and frustrating. Her journey in this book was incredibly relatable and had me hooked every step of the way. I will attend the Juniper Nash Cry Fest any day.
Markum also develops the most endearing found family. Both of her novels now have showcased a diverse cast of characters that all bounce off each other and contribute to the plot in a perfect way. The core four friends in You Wouldn't Dare all stood had their own personality that had me wanting to be friends with all of them, and the underlying narrative of family being the people who choose to be there for you really hit home and had me tearing up.
I gasped, I cried, I laughed out loud. This book was perfection from beginning to end. I can't wait to make everyone I know read it and I cannot wait to get my hands on whatever Markum releases next.
May 15, 2023
I listened to the audiobook after watching a tiktok that gave this book all sorts of praise. I’m so sorry, it felt like the biggest waste of time.
- Yes, Juniper does have character development, but she’s still so immature and obnoxious.
- Her and Graham have such an annoying journey to get together.
- Her friendships are all meh… she kept telling us that their friend group was amazingly close, but they rarely showed it. They all kept stuff from each other, or at least juniper, and they seemed unnecessarily harsh when having harder discussions or sharing their frustrations with each other.
- Don’t understand why we kept getting sections of the script from the play that honestly wasn’t an important part of the book.
- It seemed like they put a lot of emphasis on her job in the first 30% only for it to barely be mentioned for the other 70%.
- Lastly, it was just generally very dramatic
- Yes, Juniper does have character development, but she’s still so immature and obnoxious.
- Her and Graham have such an annoying journey to get together.
- Her friendships are all meh… she kept telling us that their friend group was amazingly close, but they rarely showed it. They all kept stuff from each other, or at least juniper, and they seemed unnecessarily harsh when having harder discussions or sharing their frustrations with each other.
- Don’t understand why we kept getting sections of the script from the play that honestly wasn’t an important part of the book.
- It seemed like they put a lot of emphasis on her job in the first 30% only for it to barely be mentioned for the other 70%.
- Lastly, it was just generally very dramatic
Want to read
January 12, 2023the cover is giving YA circa 2014 when I got all book recs from tumblr. Can’t wait to read
April 28, 2023
this really really reminded me of the early 00's sarah dessen YA comtemporaries. however, i hate to say it, but it didn't have the same emotional kick as dessen's books :(
May 8, 2023
Juniper will have to move farther from her friends and a whole community she loves. And right at this time, crisis establishes in her tight group of friends, and she may have causes it. Starting from how she had spent the whole previous summer making out with one of them and now they pretend it never happened. And then, people blame her for how another can't keep his girlfriends. Now she needs their help to put a play at the community theater, her last before she has to leave, they need to work together and face their cracks, at the risk of breaking.
I had a problem with this read. It's a nice story if I think of it from afar. Junie has issues, especially caused by how distant her dad has become since he left her mother and moved far from their town, and though she's been shielded from a lot of things not to increase the burden on her, she's growing up and it becomes harder to make sure things are well. I like that she finally needs to face all this, many teenagers will probably identify with it. But damn, Junie is annoying. I could relate to her situation but I had to forget it was her for that. It's not that I thought she deserved any of it, she's not bad, and there is some blaming there that is unfair. Yet, it was very hard. And when it is a YA and you don't like the main character, the story would have had to be super good to hold. It did hold me to the end but this is no supreme plot. If you exclude how dramatic the main character is and the personality traits that irked me out, the plot becomes a little too common. Well, for what the plot was, this was a good book.
I know my opinion on Junie is my own opinion, and you might love her. She does have that Pollyanna? Little Miss Sunshine? thing going on, so even I don't know why it bothered me so. It still did.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
I had a problem with this read. It's a nice story if I think of it from afar. Junie has issues, especially caused by how distant her dad has become since he left her mother and moved far from their town, and though she's been shielded from a lot of things not to increase the burden on her, she's growing up and it becomes harder to make sure things are well. I like that she finally needs to face all this, many teenagers will probably identify with it. But damn, Junie is annoying. I could relate to her situation but I had to forget it was her for that. It's not that I thought she deserved any of it, she's not bad, and there is some blaming there that is unfair. Yet, it was very hard. And when it is a YA and you don't like the main character, the story would have had to be super good to hold. It did hold me to the end but this is no supreme plot. If you exclude how dramatic the main character is and the personality traits that irked me out, the plot becomes a little too common. Well, for what the plot was, this was a good book.
I know my opinion on Junie is my own opinion, and you might love her. She does have that Pollyanna? Little Miss Sunshine? thing going on, so even I don't know why it bothered me so. It still did.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
April 1, 2023
This was a cute YA second chance summer romance with lots of family drama. It's just been Juniper and her mom for a long time but when her mom decides to move in with her boyfriend, suddenly Juniper's life is turned upside down as she has to learn how to get along with Tallulah - the daughter of her mom's boyfriend.
Not only is grumpy Tallulah her new housemate, she's also working at her mom's cafe and seems to always be around. Add in a bit of boy drama and a literal drama as Juniper works on a Shakespeare production and this book did not lack for entertainment.
Perfect for fans of Emma Lord's When you get the chance or KL Walther's Summer of broken rules and good on audio narrated by Jesse Vilinsky. I didn't love this one as much as the author's last book but it was still enjoyable. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
Not only is grumpy Tallulah her new housemate, she's also working at her mom's cafe and seems to always be around. Add in a bit of boy drama and a literal drama as Juniper works on a Shakespeare production and this book did not lack for entertainment.
Perfect for fans of Emma Lord's When you get the chance or KL Walther's Summer of broken rules and good on audio narrated by Jesse Vilinsky. I didn't love this one as much as the author's last book but it was still enjoyable. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
June 26, 2024
The way that this book made me so happy, it hurts my heart to even think about! This book killed me in the best ways and made me feel so many emotions. 😭😭😭
The story was so good, and the characters were even better. Tallulah was one of the best characters, and omg the way junie was so blind to her not so secret secret was so funny, because i found it was so obvious the way she thought about it, but then when she found out it actually clicked and went somewhere.
Samantha Markum will never disappoint her books, characters, writing, covers, and romances will never fail to make me giggle and smile the entire time im reading the book.
She is a literal icon and just amazing for writing this perfect book
The story was so good, and the characters were even better. Tallulah was one of the best characters, and omg the way junie was so blind to her not so secret secret was so funny, because i found it was so obvious the way she thought about it, but then when she found out it actually clicked and went somewhere.
Samantha Markum will never disappoint her books, characters, writing, covers, and romances will never fail to make me giggle and smile the entire time im reading the book.
She is a literal icon and just amazing for writing this perfect book
November 7, 2023
I liked the author's first book better, though this one seemed really similar to me? The main character was just as fixated and hard-headed and manipulative and prone to miscommunication/jumping to conclusions. Good friend group/side characters, but it just didn't keep me as entertained as This May End Badly.
May 22, 2023
When I think of what YA should be, what it should include and who it should speak to, this is the kind of book I envision. A coming of age story chock full of representation and honest conversations about sexuality, parental divorce and feelings of parental abandonment, this book speaks to the struggles of being a teenager and the concept of finding your people.
I really connected with the MC, Juniper, and her teenage struggles and angst. She showed enormous emotional growth from beginning to end and I think many adolescents and young adults will connect with her and what she goes through, even if they have not been through it themselves.
The found family in this story is one of the highlights for me. A core group of friends, they face the normal wear and tear of friendships (well minus the pretty dramatic issue between Junie and Graham) and come out stronger on the other side. I loved getting to know each of them, and had a lot of fun reading about their experience putting on the Shakespeare inspired community theater production, which was a significant focus of the story.
I listened to this one primarily on audio and have to give a major shoutout to Jesse Vilinksy who nailed it not only as Juniper, but every other character as well. She managed to convey a ton of emotion in her narration of our MC, but also kept each and every character wholly unique.
I am so impressed with Samantha Markum’s sophomore novel, and I cannot wait to read more from her backlist and future work.
Read if you like:
•friends to lovers
•second chance
•lgbtq rep
•drama club
•found family
Thank you to Samantha Markum, Wednesday Books, and OrangeSky Audio for my advanced copies and ALC in exchange for my honest review.
I really connected with the MC, Juniper, and her teenage struggles and angst. She showed enormous emotional growth from beginning to end and I think many adolescents and young adults will connect with her and what she goes through, even if they have not been through it themselves.
The found family in this story is one of the highlights for me. A core group of friends, they face the normal wear and tear of friendships (well minus the pretty dramatic issue between Junie and Graham) and come out stronger on the other side. I loved getting to know each of them, and had a lot of fun reading about their experience putting on the Shakespeare inspired community theater production, which was a significant focus of the story.
I listened to this one primarily on audio and have to give a major shoutout to Jesse Vilinksy who nailed it not only as Juniper, but every other character as well. She managed to convey a ton of emotion in her narration of our MC, but also kept each and every character wholly unique.
I am so impressed with Samantha Markum’s sophomore novel, and I cannot wait to read more from her backlist and future work.
Read if you like:
•friends to lovers
•second chance
•lgbtq rep
•drama club
•found family
Thank you to Samantha Markum, Wednesday Books, and OrangeSky Audio for my advanced copies and ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Read
August 3, 2022Samantha Markum continues write books that make my heart explode. Encompassing the feel of the heat of Florida in the summer, the true chaos that comes from theatre kids in community theatre, and the way feelings get twisted when best friends start kissing.
Listen, if acts of service is your love language, THIS IS YOUR BOOK MY HEART IS HOLDING SO MANY EMOTIONS. There is also a BOY who PAINTS HIS NAILS because he LIKES TO DO SO. I am A PUDDLE.
Listen, if acts of service is your love language, THIS IS YOUR BOOK MY HEART IS HOLDING SO MANY EMOTIONS. There is also a BOY who PAINTS HIS NAILS because he LIKES TO DO SO. I am A PUDDLE.
July 7, 2023
not bad kinda confusing cuz so many plots and characters but cute
June 1, 2023
The characters in this book felt real to me. This is a mix of heavy and light. Juniper Nash isn’t perfect, she is flaws, she has made some questionable choices, but she has a good heart. And she has a cool mom, a quirky beachside town, and the best friends she could ask for.
Juniper is planning to really make the most of this summer. It’s the summer before senior year. Her and her lifelong best friends all live my each other and Juniper knows they may be further apart when college starts. So, this summer has to count, it has to be great, cause this is the year before everything changes.
Except everything starts changing early.
First there’s the lingering drama in her friend group.
She has her best friend Milo, and her other lifelong friends Graham and Lucy.
But last summer, Graham and Juniper had a secret relationship. And Juniper did something majorly questionable to keep people from finding out about them before she was ready. And that bad decision resulted in something way more explosive than she could have expected.
And that “explosion” hit Graham directly.
I’ll be honest, the reveal completely shocked me. Wow! I wouldn’t have ever guessed.
And second there is Juniper’s mom’s relationship.
Juniper is absolutely fine with her mom’s boyfriend. He seems like a great guy. But she doesn’t get along with his teenager daughter Talulah. And her mom drops a bomb on her, they will be moving in with her boyfriend and his daughter in a few months.
This devastates Juniper. She loves her town. She loves her best friends. She doesn’t want to be 4 miles away from them (yes, 4, it’s not a big move. But they practically live in each other’s back yards right now).
Juniper is going to learn that sometimes you can’t fight changes. Sometimes you have to learn to live with them.
Her relationships with her friends and Talulah all evolve.
I enjoyed this story. It wasn’t always light. But it was always summery.
I loved this group of friends. I thought the teenage boys were written as very sensitive and lovable characters. And I loved their history and cute little traditions. I loved “the Juniper Nash cry fest” and the tradition of bartering favors with each other.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!
Juniper is planning to really make the most of this summer. It’s the summer before senior year. Her and her lifelong best friends all live my each other and Juniper knows they may be further apart when college starts. So, this summer has to count, it has to be great, cause this is the year before everything changes.
Except everything starts changing early.
First there’s the lingering drama in her friend group.
She has her best friend Milo, and her other lifelong friends Graham and Lucy.
But last summer, Graham and Juniper had a secret relationship. And Juniper did something majorly questionable to keep people from finding out about them before she was ready. And that bad decision resulted in something way more explosive than she could have expected.
And that “explosion” hit Graham directly.
I’ll be honest, the reveal completely shocked me. Wow! I wouldn’t have ever guessed.
And second there is Juniper’s mom’s relationship.
Juniper is absolutely fine with her mom’s boyfriend. He seems like a great guy. But she doesn’t get along with his teenager daughter Talulah. And her mom drops a bomb on her, they will be moving in with her boyfriend and his daughter in a few months.
This devastates Juniper. She loves her town. She loves her best friends. She doesn’t want to be 4 miles away from them (yes, 4, it’s not a big move. But they practically live in each other’s back yards right now).
Juniper is going to learn that sometimes you can’t fight changes. Sometimes you have to learn to live with them.
Her relationships with her friends and Talulah all evolve.
I enjoyed this story. It wasn’t always light. But it was always summery.
I loved this group of friends. I thought the teenage boys were written as very sensitive and lovable characters. And I loved their history and cute little traditions. I loved “the Juniper Nash cry fest” and the tradition of bartering favors with each other.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!
April 1, 2023
“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.”
Juniper “Junie” Nash is a typical teen, living in a small town with her single mom, working and hanging out with her lifelong friends. But there are growing pains aplenty when her mom wants to them to move in with her boyfriend on the other side of town, making her high school nemesis, Tallulah her new roommate, and quite possibly, her sister one day.
As if this change wasn’t taxing enough, Juniper’s feelings towards her close friend, Graham have changed, too. Not wanting to risk their friendship, the teens struggle with their growing attraction for one another, and what it would mean to their friend group dynamic. Oh and did I mention Juniper’s absentee dad is slated to visit just in time for Junie’s community theater performance?
I seem to be in the minority, but I liked, yet didn’t love this book. Maybe it’s just like the used to say in the old action movies of the 80s and I really am too old for this shit. I just didn’t find anything particularly relatable or memorable about the story. Also, I found Junie to be a bit self centered and annoying, only seeing things from her whiny perspective. She spent a lot of time complaining about Tallulah, but I actually found her to be the less grating of the two girls.
One final footnote. I read this as an audiobook, so maybe that’s why some redundancy stood out. For example, the author used the term “shot him a flat look” a
A LOT. This, along with what often times felt like unnecessary angst, left You Wouldn’t Dare feel not so daring, truthfully.
Juniper “Junie” Nash is a typical teen, living in a small town with her single mom, working and hanging out with her lifelong friends. But there are growing pains aplenty when her mom wants to them to move in with her boyfriend on the other side of town, making her high school nemesis, Tallulah her new roommate, and quite possibly, her sister one day.
As if this change wasn’t taxing enough, Juniper’s feelings towards her close friend, Graham have changed, too. Not wanting to risk their friendship, the teens struggle with their growing attraction for one another, and what it would mean to their friend group dynamic. Oh and did I mention Juniper’s absentee dad is slated to visit just in time for Junie’s community theater performance?
I seem to be in the minority, but I liked, yet didn’t love this book. Maybe it’s just like the used to say in the old action movies of the 80s and I really am too old for this shit. I just didn’t find anything particularly relatable or memorable about the story. Also, I found Junie to be a bit self centered and annoying, only seeing things from her whiny perspective. She spent a lot of time complaining about Tallulah, but I actually found her to be the less grating of the two girls.
One final footnote. I read this as an audiobook, so maybe that’s why some redundancy stood out. For example, the author used the term “shot him a flat look” a
A LOT. This, along with what often times felt like unnecessary angst, left You Wouldn’t Dare feel not so daring, truthfully.
March 12, 2023
I wasn't too sure that I would like this story. I don't read a lot of young adult fiction anymore, but the synopsis interested me.
Juniper Nash is sixteen years old and it's the summer before her senior year of high school. She is working at her mom's cafe and participating in the summer theater production. She doesn't like to think about her mom's boyfriend or his daughter, Tallulah, who is a year younger than her. The two girls don't get along and have nothing in common. Junie wants to hang with her friends and hope things get back to normal with Graham. Their friendship was tested last year, and things have been off between them since.
This started out slow for me. I didn't know where the story was going to go. The more I listened, the more it grew on me. The best part of this story, for me, was Junie's relationship with her friends and their strong bond. Juniper, Graham, Milo, Lucy...and even Tallulah. I love that Junie came to realize that her friends are her family and that she doesn't deserve to be treated the way her biological father is treating her.
Overall, an enjoyable story. I listened to an advanced listener copy and the narrator, Jesse Vilinsky, is so good. I could listen to her narrate all day long. I usually like at least two narrators, but her male voice is so good that it didn't seem like it was just one narrator.
Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Wednesday Books for my advance listener copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Juniper Nash is sixteen years old and it's the summer before her senior year of high school. She is working at her mom's cafe and participating in the summer theater production. She doesn't like to think about her mom's boyfriend or his daughter, Tallulah, who is a year younger than her. The two girls don't get along and have nothing in common. Junie wants to hang with her friends and hope things get back to normal with Graham. Their friendship was tested last year, and things have been off between them since.
This started out slow for me. I didn't know where the story was going to go. The more I listened, the more it grew on me. The best part of this story, for me, was Junie's relationship with her friends and their strong bond. Juniper, Graham, Milo, Lucy...and even Tallulah. I love that Junie came to realize that her friends are her family and that she doesn't deserve to be treated the way her biological father is treating her.
Overall, an enjoyable story. I listened to an advanced listener copy and the narrator, Jesse Vilinsky, is so good. I could listen to her narrate all day long. I usually like at least two narrators, but her male voice is so good that it didn't seem like it was just one narrator.
Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Wednesday Books for my advance listener copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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