| Title | : | Melt With You |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Audiobook |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published May 17, 2022 |
Fallon and Chloe used to be best friends, but last summer they hooked up right before Chloe left for college, and after a series of misunderstandings they are now not speaking to one another. A year later, Chloe’s back home from school, and Fallon is doing everything in her power to avoid her--which is especially difficult because their moms own a business together, a gourmet ice cream truck where both girls work.
When their moms have the opportunity to make a presentation to some venture capitalists in Texas--something that could seriously expand their business and solve all their money problems to boot--it's up to Fallon to work a series of food truck festivals across the country. But she can't do it alone, and Chloe is the only one available to help. As tensions heat up again between the two, will Fallon be able to keep her cool?
Melt With You Reviews
-
*sighs*
Where to start.
The narrator, Fallon, makes comments directly to us as Readers. One of them was something along the lines of 'I know you are thinking all of this could be sorted if I just tell Chloe exactly why I am upset and how I feel'. And I answered her...out loud...in the mall... 'YOU THINK!'
I detest miscommunication/no communication stories that drag on and on. This one lasted the entire novel. That's 9 hours of my life filled with 'but she doesn't understand how hurt I am', and 'I have no idea what she is thinking but I will make assumptions based on no information other than what I have concocted in my head'. The pain. Why did I continue? Morbid curiosity. How long would the whinging and woe last. 9 hours as it turns out.
Confession.
It was more like 4 1/4 because after the first few minutes I knew nothing but double speed would get me through this.
I enjoyed Hotdog Girl, so so far I am 50/50 on this author. -
if chloe and fallon would've had ONE conversation consisting of like FIVE WORDS there wouldn't have been a book because all the conflict would be gone. reading this book got me so frustrated and i'm so :') disappointed...
-
4.5 ⭐
deliciously dramatic and addictively adorable. i could read about these two arguing literally all day long. -
This was a love letter to miscommunication. For 97% of this book the characters refused to talk about anything relevant.
Fallon, the mc, also talks to the reader throughout and that doesn’t work for me. -
Around the 20-30% mark, after several dnf attempts, I started to skip most descriptions and mainly read the dialogue. Mind you, I still understood everything perfectly.
The writing style did nothing for me, I honestly didn't feel any chemistry between the girls, plus Chloe really annoyed me.
The end was okay. -
“i'll stop the world and melt with you, you've seen the difference and it's getting better all the time, there's nothing you and i won't do, i'll stop the world and melt with you” (from the hit 80s song i melt with you by modern english)
so i read one of my least favorite books in a while, but at least i had the privilege of reading it with @the.naomi.chronicles! no but i was quite let down by this book, especially because i’ve loved other books by dugan? and an ice cream truck road trip got me so excited. alas, and naomi can attest for me, this book was not remotely well done. if anything, buddy reading made it so much better, but it wasn’t redeemable.
quick plot summary for reference: fallon is always a planner, cares a lot, etc., and after she hooked up with her childhood best friend chloe last summer she’s been upset/overthinking it/etc, because she thinks chloe, flighty as always, doesn’t care. (she really doesn’t, calls it “just sex” which is a whole other complaint but-) so fallon and chloe’s moms are bffs too and they own a gourmet ice cream truck called love at first bite. when they both need to be at an investor meeting during one of their biggest festivals, fallon steps up to take the truck to the festival, but her only option for a copilot? chloe.
i feel icky writing negative reviews honestly, so let’s start with my favorite things. the concept! no matter how well executed, i’m still a sucker for road trip books. the fun stops, road trip snacks, and driving stress had the best road trip vibes. also, the ice cream puns! even the ice cream flavors for fallon and chloe’s moms’ truck were all funny, one being history huh-ney comb- i love the red white and royal blue reference! other things,,, the characters had potential. they just,,, weren’t well done.
okay, so as naomi can attest for, one of my biggest complaints about this book was the utter lack of development in the characters. their relationship was supposed to be evolving over the book, right? except by the end, nothing had changed. they hooked up again, lacked any communication whatsoever, and made up. i need some sort of change to appreciate a book! sadly, this lacked that. i just,,, i wish there was chemistry between fal and chloe. another complaint was the utter reliance on sex as a plot point, and the allonormativity of that? just the focus on virginity had me rolling my eyes. finally, fallon kept addressing the readers in the most annoying ways possible. no, i don’t care “what you forgot to tell me”. this style can be well done! it was not.
what’s most disappointing was that this book title (i’m assuming) is a play on the song i melt with you, which is a good ass song. this is not a good ass book.
content warnings: none -
This is a sapphic YA romance with an ice cream truck road trip, and if that doesn’t intrigue you, we have very different tastes in books. To be more specific, it’s a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies?-to-lovers? ice cream truck road trip sapphic YA romance.
It’s hard to imagine a better premise for a sapphic summer read! I didn’t love this quite as much as I hoped, but I think that I might have to face that YA romances just aren’t clicking with me lately, so I think that’s a me problem. We’re firmly inside Fallon’s head for the narration, and I found her directly addressing the audience (“I know what you’re thinking, but…”) a little akward.
Also, this book is dominated by miscommunication. Fallon even addresses that she knows everyone will think they just need to talk, but she’s sure she knows what Chloe is thinking and that it’s not worth talking about. This made the middle chunk of the book drag for me, because despite road trip hijinks, the dynamic between Chloe and Fallon is stuck in this dynamic, which made it feel like there wasn’t any progression in the core story.
Still, it delivers on the promise of the description, and it was a quick, light read. If the premise appeals to you and you don’t mind a miscommunication-based plot, toss this one in your tote bag for your beach reading this summer!
Full review at
the Lesbrary. -
nothing i hate more than the miscommunication trope my GOD but this was cute tbh if this wasnt a wlw the rating wouldve been lower but it IS a wlw! 3 stars feels right
-
Ah miscommunication trope. We meet again.
-
There's definitely a lot to like here. I appreciate how the miscommunication was handled here. I liked how even though it took the characters a while to actually address the cause of the wedge between them it wasn't because of random plot conveniences, but rather character traits that had to do with their own stubbornness. It felt realistic to how people actually communicate in reality when they want to stick to their own perception of an event and have stood their ground on it.
I liked how the moms were used in the story and how their absence was part of the plot in a way that turned out to be layered and added some nuance to the situation that I didn't see coming.
The biggest issue was that I wanted a little more. The epilogue was nice, but I felt that the third act felt a little short changed. I wanted it to be able to breathe a little more. It felt more like the ending you get in a movie because we're approaching the ending runtime and not a book if that makes any sense. Overall though I thought it was cute, I definitely had a fun time.
This is another one of those YA books that feels like it's written with some crossover appeal in mind, and due to the actual plot it makes more sense for the characters to be the ages they are, but it's also a book that I think readers at the younger end of the YA market could connect with more and when so many conversations these days are about pushing those readers out I'm happy that they can have something as cute as this was.
More thoughts found in my reading vlog. -
The third YA LGBTQI book finished today, this one by Jennifer Dugan, who also wrote the excellent Hot Dog Girl and Some Girls Do, both of which I enjoyed. Here we have our narrator Fallon, who has just finished high school and her former best friend Chloe, who has been away at University for her freshman year. Seems the two hooked up the last day of last summer and have not talked since then, but as their mums are best friends and run an ice cream truck that both sometimes work for, drama ensues. A forced road trip brings the two into a difficult situation, many in fact.
I liked this one less than Ms Dugan's previous two I read, but still well done in the end.
3.5 rounded up. -
In Melt With You, Fallon would love to spend the rest of her life never seeing her ex (best friend) Chloe again after one fateful, steamy night. But alas, they end up having to go on a week-long road trip with each other to save their mothers' ice cream truck business. Miscommunication, drama, and oh-god-there's-only-one-bed shenanigans ensue.
The premise of this book is absolutely adorable, and I found myself craving ice cream for pretty much my entire read-through. The chemistry between the girls is good enough, and I love love love that both of them are bisexual. The mc, Fallon, is bi with a preference for girls (which I LOVED), and her love interest Chloe is bi with no preference, at least none stated to the reader. The relationship between Fallon and her best friends, Jami and Prisha, is also so adorable and the absolute definition of healthy friendship. But, there were some things I didn't like about this book.
**BEWARE, SPOILERS AHEAD**
The whole deal between Fallon and Chloe is that they hooked up one night at Chloe's going away bonfire, and then Chloe ghosted the next day. This, understandably, made Fallon feel horrible, and Fallon proceeded to ignore Chloe's attempts at reaching out. So far, so good. The problems arise when Fallon and Chloe finally start talking it out: they don't actually talk about it. Fallon doesn't actually tell Chloe why she was so hurt after Chloe left, and Chloe actually ends up making Fallon the bad guy! Chloe gets super mad when Fallon says that their hookup was her first time, which I just. Don't understand. We never learn why Chloe is mad that she was Fallon's first time (other than some cut-off lines resembling "I would've made it better for you" which, fine, I guess) but everyone in the book is somehow in agreement that Fallon not telling Chloe she was a virgin was a big mistake. Maybe it's because I'm aspec, but I don't understand why this would be such a big deal, enough to detract from the previous issue of Chloe ghosting her! The assumption that a first time is something that needs to be carefully delineated is– I don't know, archaic? To me? It would be okay if Fallon and Chloe actually talked about what a first time meant to both of them, but we never see that. The book just assumes that we also think that first times are a big huge deal.
Another issue, that kind of ties in with the last one, is that the miscommunication between Fallon and Chloe is not resolved well. They never get an actual conversation where they delineate what happened that night and what it meant to them. Instead, they skip over that and somehow end up in a fulfilling relationship. I am *all* for a good angsty confrontation scene, but that never happened here, and I really wish it did.
Overall, Melt With You was a cute read. Fallon and Chloe are super sweet even though I hoped that their relationship would be handled better. Nevertheless, I can appreciate this story for what it is: an adorable summer read that made me wish for a bowl of ice cream.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review! -
Ok wow I'm really sad I finished this book. I already loved Some girls do by the same author but this one is even better, the characters are really endearing, the romance was perfect, and yet I'm not a fan of the second chance trope. I 100% recommend you to read this romance if you want to discover a touching, realistic and very cute story
-
Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC and physical ARC in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.
Ahhh I really enjoyed this one! Also had such a craving for ice cream while reading this so be prepared!!
Melt With You follows Fallon as she must navigate a road trip with her ex-best friend, Chloe. The two were inseparable before they hooked up and Chloe left for college. Now, they don't talk. But when Fallon's mom needs her to drive their ice cream truck to an important event while her mom goes off to talk to investors about their next steps. Fallon reluctantly agrees because helping her mom is more important than icing out Chloe.
This book made me hungry. I did get some ice cream while reading the end and it was even sweeter! I really enjoyed this story. At times I struggled with Fallon's unwillingness to talk, but feelings and talking about them is hard. It made her relatable and flawed more than anything. Though I swear I spent too much time yelling at these two to just talk already (and to kiss)!
I'm living for queer books that involve food somehow and this one was no exception. I definitely had the urge to go start an ice cream truck or something similar. I loved seeing Fallon and Chloe navigate this chaos road trip and the fancy food event they go to.
This one and
Some Girls Do are my current faves from this author!
Rep white bi cis female MC (most likely poly or omnisexual), white sapphic cis female side character, South Asian cishet female side character, white cishet female side character, white French Canadian cishet male side character, side WLW couple, brief mention of a family with two moms.
CWs: Moderate: Sexual content, vandalism. Minor: Car Accident, abandonment. -
This was the most unpleasant reading experience I’ve had in a long time. It makes me wish i didn’t know how to read. I know that sounds dramatic, but that’s because I’m dramatic. Nothing about this book made sense. The characters were all so horrible, the plot barely made any sense, and everything was so painfully and slowly contrived that I slapped my hand on the table and fought back tears of joy when this book finally mercilessly ended. I’ve divided my thoughts into a list of the things I hated the most, which unfortunately is every single thing. Strap in.
-
Melt with you by Jennifer Dugan is a YA Contemporary novel that has a f/f releationship! I really enjoyed this book! Idk why it took me forever to read this one because I loved it!!!
-
I REALLY enjoyed this YA second chance summer romance between two former best friends who are forced to work together on their mom's ice cream truck. The audio narration by Jeremy Carlisle Parker for this one was so great. I kind of wished we got Chloe's perspective and not just Fallon's but wanting to know what happened to ruin their friendship was a great driving force behind the book. Perfect for the summer, who can resist a great f/f teen romance with homemade ice cream thrown in and an epic road trip adventure to boot?? Definitely not me!! This was one of my most anticipated YA reads of the summer and it did not disappoint!
-
I wanted to listen to this book again to see if I still like it as much as 2022 when I first read it. I'm glad to say that yes, I still enjoy it immensely and Jeremy Carlisle Parker's audio narration is amazing. I could feel all of Fallon's (the main character) emotions.
The story is full of miscommunication and misunderstandings and although I normally don't like these tropes it was so well written here that it didn't bother me as much as in
Some Girls Do or
Playing for Keeps. Miscommunication seems to be a big part of the plot in all of Jennifer Dugan's books.
There's also a lot of drama and arguing between the two main characters and it can be frustrating at times, but to be honest I could listen to Fallon and Chloe arguing for days. They are so cute and there is so much tension and chemistry between them.
I love Fallon's inner monologue. She's such a complex and interesting character. She's a bit of a drama queen and an anxious overthinker, but she's aware of this and working on it. There was a good amount of character growth for both Fallon and Chloe in this book.
I'm sure this isn't the last time I've listened to this super adorable slow burn romance. -
i could go for some animal crackers
-
generic but let’s go lesbians
-
3 stars. Sold by the title, to be honest. Main character is a little ragey and I hoped for more banter and tension rather than uncomfortable agony, but still a good story and it makes you really want to drive across the country in an ice cream truck.
-
I liked this enough to finish the book, it had some cute moments and I liked the gay old ladies they meet on the trip, but Omg the amount of miscommunication between the girls and the stubbornness in our MC was driving me mad. This plot defs wasn’t for me but teenagers may soak up this sort of drama though.
-
3.5/5 (rounded up)
I wasn't sure what I was going to get when I started
Melt With You by
Jennifer Dugan but I was hoping for a sweet but complicated YA romcom and that's exactly what I got. I actually wasn't a huge fan of the miscommunication trope in this book, but I was here for all of the rest. I love books that include food trucks and an ice cream truck? even better. I'm not positive that I actually liked Fallon all that much but that could also be because I wanted her to just talk to Chloe already and stop just icing her out. But I feel like that could easily happen when you are younger, and this definitely felt like a true YA storyline.
The audiobook narrator Jeremy Carlisle Parker did a really fantastic job with it, and I have no idea how she managed to sound so young, but she did, and she nailed it. I could really FEEL her as Fallon and that added a lot to the story for me and my listening experience as well. Melt With You didn't really give me the humor I was looking for, but it was cute and addictive so that's gotta count for something! Fallon is a very dramatic girl that’s for sure, and I loved the way Carlisle Parker changed her voice to get this across in the audio. The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful, and I loved the road trip aspect and the way that Dugan had Fallon talking to the reader directly at times. It is a style that I really like, and I thought it worked nicely in this novel. After all is said and done, I would definitely read this author again.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. -
4.5 ⭐️
The only thing that really annoyed me was the way that Fallon confessed to Chloe. I was waiting for the “I’ve loved you for years” monologue, but we got the “all or nothing” chase sequence through the festival thingy where Fallon ran buck wild trying to get to Chloe, which was still cute. But it would have been so much more satisfying if before that, Fallon had actually admitted to Chloe, (perhaps when they were still on the road trip) that the reason her leaving hurt so bad was not just because it was her first time but because she had loved her for so long. Besides that, this was still a really cute read. -
So some other have hated this book and complained that the whole story is based on miscommunication and a lot of it..well they are right. if it was not for that there would not be much of a story. But the road trip and the story of how things are sorted is still worth it in my opinion and I love this Author so I am still giving it a 4..I liked it!
-
Thank you to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for the e-galley!
This book has three things I love in YA contemporary novels:
1. Romance
2. Food Trucks
3. Road trips
My husband and I would go on many road trips before we had our kiddo. We drove from Seattle to Boston and back like six times. We also did the southern route from Seattle to Boston. We stopped at all the tourist traps (no shame), so I loved those aspects of this novel. Our family recently has gone through a loss in the family, and after a few nights of crying myself to sleep, I decided to queue this galley up. I needed something fun, light-hearted, and sweet and I got all of that!
This book is chock-full of miscommunications. I remember being a teen and all the assumptions and anger and bitterness. A lot of teens don't know how to communicate-how to be people. A lot of hearts get broken over things said and unsaid. Fallon has one night with her best friend before Chloe leaves for college and they sleep together. Fallon spends the next year feeling hurt and shutting Chloe out. When Chloe comes back to help out with her mother's ice-cream truck (also owned by Fallon's mom) they embark on a road trip together where emotions run high. Fallon doesn't understand why Chloe is so nonchalant about what had happened the last time they'd been together and Chloe doesn't understand Fallon's saltiness toward her. Fallon's inability to express her feelings and her stubbornness lead to some crazy situations.
Overall, this was a fun, quick read that my heart needed. Now I need some ice cream. -
rating: 3.5 stars
TWs:
https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/a...
i read this book back when i was on vacation at the beach and it was definitely a great beach read being a super light, fun, and enjoyable read! i enjoyed the romance even though fallon, really annoyed me at times and it took sooooo long for fallon and chloe to communicate with each other. i can't say that i like the use of the second person point-of-view. since it is used so rarely i feel like it was jarring and didn't make sense. this book had some good vibes and themes too but personally, i'd recommend
jennifer dugan's other sapphic romance novel,
some girls do, over this one! -
nothing like a piping second helping of sweet and salty sapphic angst with a side of petty humour for the soul. did it get a little too angsty towards the end? maybe. but it made it all that much sweeter when these idiots finally sorted out their issues and admitted they were in love with each other :) all in all my heart feels truly nourished (and hungry. so hungry).
oh and also i read the entirety of this book on a road trip (to the hospital and back, which, granted, isn't all that romantic but nonetheless) which really made it that much better of an experience -
I always love her covers!!
However, I did not enjoy this. It was super boring and felt very YA, which then lead to me dragging the book out days. The characters were childish. Communication could have solved all problems. Also just seems crazy to let two teen girls handle the business that could make or break their life. The story felt naive a lot of the time.
I did like to food truck aspect. I love a story with food elements, plus a bonus for traveling also! -
ok now where's my cute girlfriend and romance-themed ice cream truck and summer road trip filled with shitty tourist traps then?? my patience is wearing thin @ universe 😠
