#The Summer Love Strategy

[aroaessidhe]

ace books: f/f YA

the romance is a subplot in most of these!

Arden Grey - contemporary, ace lebsian MC

You Don't Have A Shot - contemporary, queer ace MC

Forward March - contemporary, ace lesbian MC

The Summer Love Strategy - contemporary, demi-aroace LI

Earthbound Hearts - contemporary + a little sff, ace lesbian MC

The Facts and Legends of Callie Catwell - contemporary + a little sff, sapphic ace MC

The Art of Saving The World - sci-fi, ace lesbian MC

Belle Révolte - high fantasy - 1/2 MCs is bi ace

Queen of Coin and Whispers - 1/2 MCs is a demi-coded lesbian

Six Angry Girls - contemporary, 1/2 MCs is sapphic ace

#aspec books / aspec database / tumblr masterpost

[lgbtqreads]

Happy (Upcoming) Trans Day of Visibility 2024!

March 31st is Trans Day of Visibility, and we’re celebrating as we do by highlighting a whole bunch of wonderful trans books! For even more recs, check out previous years’ posts.  Books to Read Now Middle Grade Magical Princess Harriet by Leiah Moser “To put it simply, Harris Baumgartner was late to school on the first day of the seventh grade because something he saw in the abandoned lot at the…

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

if you liked Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee, try The Summer Love Strategy by Ray Stoeve

they both include:

queer teens grappling with the idea of romance versus the reality of romance

transgender love interests

characters at the young end of the YA age range

[transbookoftheday]

The Summer Love Strategy by Ray Stoeve

A sweet and swoony YA rom-com about two friends making a pact to find summer romance like they’ve seen in the movies—and finding love where they least expect it along the way!

Hayley always has a crush. The problem is, her crushes never like her back. After her latest unrequited love—a girl from her basketball team—gets a boyfriend, she decides she’s done falling for girls who are unavailable. Her best friend, Talia, wants romance too, but rarely gets crushes on anyone, and she’s tired of watching Hayley get her heart stomped on over and over. So the two girls make a pact: they’ll help each other find summer love by putting themselves in situations that always lead to romance in movies.

To help carry out their summer love strategy, they make a list of all the places they could find their real-life rom-com: the beach, the Pride parade, the pool, a MUNA concert, and a party. But as they go to each place and try to find the one, it seems like they just can’t catch a break—they don’t know how to talk to cute strangers, someone mistakes Hayley as straight, and Hayley does a truly unfortunate DIY haircut (that she cannot be held responsible for––it was a crisis!). But when Talia and Hayley finally manage to score dates, will they be able to get out of their own way and really dive into the romances they deserve? Or is summer love not as far off as Hayley thought?

[the-final-sentence]

I’m so glad it’s Talia.

Ray Stoeve, from The Summer Love Strategy

[satureja13]

The next day. While Saiwa still tries to convince Jack that it's not possible to throw Greg in the dungeons of the castle without proper evidence and investigations, they suddenly heard an alarm going off ö.ö

Jeb: "Jack, Kiyoshi - quick! Let's get out of here!"

It wasn't hard to locate the source of the noise, it came from their TTT (Teleporting TukTuk)! They turned the alarm off. Despite the lock on its wheel, it must have moved out of the garage by itself.

Saiwa: "But why the alarm?" Vlad checked his calendar: "Erm, I guess over Jack's death, we've forgotten that it's Summer Solstice today..." Saiwa: "What? Already one and a half month have passed since then?" Time flies! And they'd already forgotten Beltane, the last festival in the wheel of the year... Today is the beginning of summer and the longest day of the year. Until Winter Solstice on December 21, the days are getting shorter again from tomorrow on.

Jack: "Maybe it wants us to board and it'll take us somewhere, like last time at Beltane when we found ourselves at Tartosa..." And so they squeezed themselves into the tiny teleporting TukTuk... Puppy Jack is already excited, as always: "I wonder where we are going this time!"

The TTT ported them away from Tomarang through the Otherworld... Well, this place looks familiar. It's Henford! Where Sai, Jack, Vlad and Ji Ho had spent their first weekend trip together almost two years ago! And where Jeb showed up and we saw his face for the first time (that was before he joined them).

But it's also the place where Jack's Heidi nightmare took place. Which lead to his breakdown - and his breakup with Kiyoshi... and the beginning of his pain. Saiwa: "Are you ok, Jack? Come, let's leave again." Jack: "What? No! It's Summer Solstice! We should celebrate. I'm fine. We deserve a little time out. Remember? The old Jack is dead and the new, better Jack is going to prosper!" Sometimes Saiwa wishes he had a tiny bit of Jack's optimism. How can he be so positive to be able to vercome his hardships after he wanted to throw Greg in the dungeons just a few minutes ago? Saiwa sighed. (This actually happened to me a few years ago. I had been working so hard on myself to overcome my hardships and prosper. I'd thought I'd come so far already and I had been utterly sure I'd made huge steps. But then something happened that showed me I wasn't as stable as I thought I was and it threw me back so far omg. Let's hope Jack will do better than me - with a little help of his friends.)

Also, Jack never forgot that Vlad wanted to come back to Henford with Ji Ho. That had been one of his last wishes before he died (after he drank Ji Ho's poisonous blood to claim him back from Genji...) So leaving is not an option for Jack. Everything happens for a reason.

Sai was not completely convinced that Jack is really ok but the show must go on: "Well then - let's change into something comfortable and hope that TTT brought some stuff with him."

And since they are in the Otherworld and the TTT is a magical vehicle, there was actually a lot the tiny TukTuk brought with him - and to set up :3 There is even a tent that looks like Barfolomews holy Star Wars tent Jack had destroyed on their weekend trip (Ji Ho worked at the Diner de los Muertos to pay for the repair - where he met Luci...) Of course Vlad and Jack will sleep in the Star Wars tent. And Kiyoshi and Jeb will share a tent (Kiyoshi is still not back to his old self since he came back after spending decades in the tree / becoming a diety) and Saiwa and Ji Ho the other. Even the Little Goats joined them!

Saiwa is worried about Jack, no matter how much he claims to be ok. Jack is Saiwa's oldest friend, he'll talk to him later when everything is set up and the goats and the Boys are fed.

And while the others set up the tents and stuff, Jeb prepared the meals. The sun was just setting when they started to eat. What a wonderful world. They deserve a peaceful festival after all they went through.

'I see skies of blue and clouds of white The bright blessed day the dark sacred night And I think to myself what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky Are also on the faces of people going by I see friends shaking hands saying, "How do you do?" They're really saying I love you'

Louis Armstrong - What a wonderful World

The way Sai looks at Jeb when he looks in another direction <3

And then his face fell when he looked back at Jack.

When they finished their meal, Sai and walked a bit together. Just until they saw the Mansion from afar. Greg had brought toddler Jack to the Mansion after he rescued him from the Lab and he grew up here with 'Uncle' Stefan (Stefan is not his real Uncle). And here also the worst part of his Heidi Nightmare took place... Saiwa: "Let's leave, we'll find another place, hm?"

Jack: "I won't run away anymore. I've come so far and my pain is almost gone. Maybe I died ingame so I can prove that the therapy works? That I can carry over what I've learned ingame to my real life? It will be painful and hard. And I miss Lou so much. But it will be worth it in the end. I'll start a new life. You will help me, won't you? Push me when I fall back in my old, crazy habits." Sai: "Of course I will help you. I'm just not sure if I can push you. I'm worried you're going too fast."

But then a Summer Solstice Wonder happened! A flock of cute birds were flying in circles around Jack! With sparkles and singing and everything! As if they wanted to reassure him that he's on the right path! Jack: "What? ... See?!" Saiwa: "How did you do that? You are really something else ^^'"

Sai: "I hope I can find a kind of balance between pushing you and keeping you safe. But I'm always there for you. Just talk to me, hm? And we still have Vlad." Jack: "Promised. I love you." Saiwa sighed but he said it anyway: "I know." (Saiwa is not much into Star Wars, that's more a Jack/Vlad thing. But he knows it makes Jack happy when he answers with 'I know' ^^')

to be continued...

The Boys had quite the event on last year's Summer Solstice ö.ö Let's hope this year's is quieter.

The Therapy Game Master Post with the sessions and places so far is -> here

From the Beginning  ~  Underwater Love ~  Latest Current Chapter: 'Who killed Jack?' from the beginning ▶️ here Last Chapter: 🕹️ 'The One' from the beginning ▶️ here 📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 17-22 ~ 23-28

[gogethelp123]

McLaren fucked it up today, there’s no doubt about that. To give the driver in p2 preferential stops and then act shocked that the undercut that almost always works, worked, is insane. And with such an insane strategy blunder, they put themselves in a lose lose situation.

Oscars say back whilst Lando gets the preferred strategy on multiple occasions and never pushed it or questioned it. Maybe he would’ve asked to swap places back had McLaren never mentioned it, but it would seem out of character.

Let Lando win the race and they’d have tons of people calling them out for blatant favouritism and saying they robbed Oscar of his first win. Let Oscar win and you’ve got the current situation.

Oscar has shown immense consistency and incredible performance for a driver who’s only in his second season, the fact he is that close to Lando and is capable of winning races is a testament to his skill and talent. Don’t let McLaren’s mistakes distract from the incredible driving we witnessed from both of them today. Both drivers are Grand Prix winners, both drivers are capable of maximising points and if they continue like this there’s a genuine shot at the constructors, but maximising points relies on both drivers trusting each other and trusting the team around them.

McLaren fucked up, don’t use that to take away from the drivers.

[abirddogmoment]

Rory got to practice swimming! Look at her little all wheel drive skills!

[edge-oftheworld]

the sheer amount of exasperation and vindicated spite behind old me (song) really keeps me going

[sharkneto]

Finally reading Nona the Ninth and it's a crime that I don't have this one on audiobook as I have to work today so I can't just sit and read all day 😔

[aroaessidhe]

Demisexual YA Contemporary Books

Main characters

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet - demisexual girl, m/f

Two Can Play That Game - demisexual-coded girl, m/f

Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller - demisexual girl, m/f, novella

Technically You Started It - demisexual girl, m/f

Bad At Love - demisexual boy, m/f

Read With Pride - demisexual girl, f/f (younger-YA)

Side characters

The Summer Love Strategy - love interest is demi-aroace (f/f)

Radio Silence - major side character is demisexual (m/m, the MC has no romantic subplot)

Belly Up - love interest is a demisexual boy (also grey-ace best friend)

#aspec books / aspec database / tumblr masterpost

[lgbtqreads]

New Releases: May 7, 2024

Picture Books It’s Pride, Baby! by Allen R. Wells (text) and Dia Valle (illustration) Lift your soul to the sky. Like summer sunbeams― Don’t live behind clouds. You shine! It’s Black Gay Pride Day in Washington, DC, and two gay parents are getting their child ready for a day at the National Mall. From cheerful neighbors to colorful outfits to fireworks, the vast LGBTQIA+ community is represented…

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Review: The Summer Love Strategy by Ray Stoeve Rating: 5/5

Ray Stoeve has done it again! This was a delightful summer romance. Most of the characters are queer and/or neurodivergent and I loved that they were only 15 or 16 -- we need more YA at the younger end of the scale. I did find the characters used a bit too much therapy-speak sometimes but I'm willing to overlook it for the measured way they all solved their interpersonal conflicts. A lovely, light read for anyone in need of a pick-me-up.

[cashewally-sarcastic]

Kokomi fascinates me not in the way I think hoyo intended cause like, every time I see her im like "oh its Kokomi. she is sure there! " . I think she would call herself an introvert (needing to recharge energy), but even then i go back to the idea of her having a quest that's more focused her wanting to get some alone time. Perhaps she reads and reads cause thats what her family used to do. She looks like she would enjoy romance stories out of an urge to form a connection cause ya know. no fam

Yeah kokomi is like. Sure is an entity.

Even her vision story is very ???? to me. Her entire profile is very dedicated to like “she’s an influence in watasumi. she does not want to be. she likes military books.” And doesn’t talk about her life or her family or anything tbh. I mean it says she doesn’t like seafood i guess. Her mom is mentioned exactly one (1) time in a voiceline.

And while it’s probably just a writing thing since Inazuma seemed like a hit-or-miss nation overall from community reception, it also feels like it could be intentional if played right. It probably won’t be, but ya know.

[ableism]

I know i’m functionally a gay DARE officer at this point but I do in fact feel some sort of way about Cocaine being back in vogue. Surely I sound like a square + narc and I’ll concede ok do whatever you want, nobody can materially stop another person from using drugs if they really want to 🤷🏻 I don’t really care that it’s hip to do party drugs, moreso I want to articulate a general level of caution and concern that I never see a sidecar of harm reduction and safe using practices along with the commonplace clips of people straight up snorting coke I’ve seen for “brat summer!!!1!!”

You 🫵 are not immune to ingesting fentanyl or any number of other additives. Do you think drugs at the gay club are different than the drugs people are taking under bridges and in gutters? I promise they’re not! So if you want to use drugs and continue being alive, do your part to be safe. Protecting yourself protects others and your community.

Do not accept drugs from strangers. Test your drugs with fentanyl test strips. Carry narcan and know how to administer it. Never use alone. Have an exit strategy if you’re using drugs in a public space. Know the contact information for your local harm reduction groups, overdose emergency hotline, and if you need/want it, addiction treatment orgs. This is all the bare minimum for community care if you intend to be out in the world using drugs. Mainly I encourage you all to be buzzkills if it means you don’t have to die of an accidental overdose. Overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans under 40. I have a whole lot of social workers in my network and however bad you think the synthetic opioid crisis is, it’s worse. The war stories I’ve heard from my people on the ground are… The shit of nightmares. Don’t let it be you or anybody you love.

If you live in the state of Georgia, DM me for a longer list of resources.

Fentanyl information (harm reduction.org)

Get Narcan

How to use fentanyl test strips

Call 311 to find out where to get Narcan in your community at no cost to you

[satureja13]

Summer Solstice - Part 2 It starts -> here

After Jack and Sai returned from their walk, they all gathered around the fire and Jack, Jeb and Ji Ho played a few songs. No Siren's Songs this time to influence the feelings of his friends so they are able spend time together - despite their quarrels.

Jeb sang 'Fast Car' (for Saiwa obviously)

'So, I remember when we were driving, driving in your car Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk City lights lay out before us And your arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder And I, I, I had a feeling that I belonged I, I, I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone'

Ji Ho feels they will have a great evening without the Siren's Songs and it's too dangerous anyway until they find out how to protect themselves, should the Council and Ji Ho's grandfather try something. It's better they do without them. They'll have to learn to live all together again anyway. Jack sang 'Ring of Fire' (links leads to the version from Blondie (from one of my favourite movies of all time, Roadie)) He would never admit that he sings it for Kiyoshi so we don't dive any deeper in that ö.ö

'The chase of love is sweet, when hearts like ours meet I felt for you like a child, oh my heart went wild

I fell into a burning ring of fire I went down down down the flames they went higher and it burns burns burns that ring of fire, that ring of fire, that ring of fire'

The cute birds are back again too! That's such a sweet interaction <3

And Ji Ho sang 'Livin' on a Prayer' for Vlad. They're almost there.

'We've gotta hold on to what we've got It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not We've got each other and that's a lot for love We'll give it a shot

Whoa, we're half way there Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer Take my hand, we'll make it I swear Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer Livin' on a prayer'

Aouwww

Ji Ho was right, they managed to have a nice evening together without his spells. They were grilling and telling stories and having a good time. Somehow their therapies seem to work. There'd been no great aha effects, but they already prospered a lot. (I think that's important too, not to expect too much too early from a therapy/healing. It needs time and it goes slowly. Healing and prospering needs time. But when you look back from a distance, you'll notice the little steps you've made and you'll see the difference.) And time also heals. Saiwa is relieved. He'd feared much worse because he'd been so upset about Jeb and Kiyoshi - and his own stupidity that he agreed to have a fake relationship to bring Kiyoshi fully back after he'd spent decades into that tree. Over the last months they'd been apart from each other, Saiwa not only calmed down but also came to the conclusion that it had been not really anyones fault. And each of them would do exactly the same again to help each other. There are no excuses to be made and there's no real reason to be angry or jealous. But he still is. He's jealous that Jeb and Kiyoshi live together now even tough he rejected to move in with Jeb when he asked him. And angry at the universe that they have to go through all these crazy madnesses all the time! And what Saiwa just still doesn't know: Is it possible to have a relationship under these circumstances? Will he ever be able to be the leader of the Boys and a worthy partner for Jeb? How will they deal with it when such things happen again? Even though they live in solitude in the Otherworld now, there is still so much going on. Jack even died during his Therapy Game! One day, they will have to return to the Muggle World and then they'll have the Council at their heels again...

Here, Kumo told Bunny the story how Kiyoshi became a diety and how Kiri, Little Goat and him watched over Kiyoshi all the decades he'd spend in the tree. Bunny listened with big eyes Ö.Ö Little Goat was already sleeping, he'd heard this story a million times before ^^'

They soon all got tired and went to their tents. Ji Ho and Vlad first, since teleporting the TukTuk around is draining them. But not as much as last time when they had to port two times to Tartosa and back plus Noxee and Greg to Tomarang and back home to Moonwood Mill.

It's so cute with all the wildlife around, even the birds stayed after their songs ended 🐦

Early next morning, Jeb dragged Vlad and Kiyoshi out to go for a run. Jeb goes jogging almost every morning and he even kept on doing this all the months while Ji Ho, Saiwa and Jack left to live at the Beach House after Saiwa's breakdown. Despite his heartache. It helped him to stay sane. Just running without thinking and worrying too much.

The little ones were already awake too and chatting with the Bunnies. Henford gossip holds a lot of new ideas and inspiration for their stories and the game! ^^'

True story! (I found out about the following last November when Lavina asked Francine's (Jeb's grandmother's) boyfriend out for a date 'casual friend time' and never posted it lol) Who said life in the countryside is boring?

Such a wonderful morning!

Before they return back to the campsite, they took a short break. Henford is just so beautiful. Jeb to Vlad: "You noticed too that Kiyoshi feels so much better since Jack is back, did you?" Vlad sighed. Yes, he noticed it. Kiyoshi is still far from his old self and doesn't talk much because he's absent and far away in his divine/demonic/whatever spheres his mind roams, but there is a significant improvement. There is a deeper connection between Jack and Kiyoshi, even though Jack declines it - and never felt it. But what are they supposed to do? Jack and Kiyoshi tried to be together but it just didn't work out and Jack almost died (twice) because he worked himself up during their (secret) relationship. They'd all promised to not keep any secrets from each other anymore. So they'll have to talk to Saiwa about this. Which will make him angry again because he's worried about Jack and he still hasn't fully recovered from his own breakdown... Jeb and Vlad sighed from the depths of their souls.

to be continued...

The Therapy Game Master Post with the sessions and places so far is -> here

From the Beginning  ~  Underwater Love ~  Latest Current Chapter: 'Who killed Jack?' from the beginning ▶️ here Last Chapter: 🕹️ 'The One' from the beginning ▶️ here 📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 17-22 ~ 23-28