Review by Gabrielle

Absolutely delightful, See You At the Summit is a fun read.

Favourite Quote:

She took a step closer and locked eyes with Ryan. His olive green toque made the matching bursts of color at the center of his irises that much more remarkable, but Simone refused to be flustered. Certainly not by his handsomeness. “You know what?” she fired back. “I think you kind of like it.”

“Like what?”

“When I ruin your day with my oh-so-irritating chipperness.”

“Why would I enjoy that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you’re one of those people who secretly loves to suffer.” 

Book Synopsis:

Girl comes out as bi. Girl falls for a straight guy.

Simone Whittaker has spent the first three decades of her life pretending to be straight. But when the girl she never dared call her girlfriend walks away, she decides she’s done living in fear. Her uptight parents don’t take the news well, but a viral coming-out post and a new job at Toronto’s Rainbow Museum offer a fresh start—and a crash course in queer adulthood.

That is, until her first day of work, when Simone ruins a project designed by Ryan Foley—the museum’s gruff and annoyingly hot carpenter—earning her the top spot on his enemies list. When they’re forced to take a work trip to the Whistler Pride and Ski Festival together, Simone vows not to let a grumpy straight guy ruin her first Pride. But Ryan keeps surprising her—thoughtful, vulnerable, and impossible to ignore. As sparks fly on chairlifts and by crackling fires, one snowstorm—and one bed—changes everything.

Back in Toronto, however, reality sets in. Dating a guy—and being mistaken for straight—weren’t exactly part of Simone’s coming-out plan. As the pressure builds between the identity she’s just beginning to explore and the relationship that wasn’t supposed to happen, she starts to wonder…What if claiming one part of herself means erasing the other?

Review:

This might be Jordyn Taylor’s adult debut (she’s got plenty of experience in YA), but she really knows how to please a romance reader. This book is jam-packed with all your favourite tropes. We’ve got a grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, workplace romance here that also includes a trip which becomes snowed into a one bed situation. Phew! It’s a lot of tropes, and they are all so well done. Unpopular opinion, but enemies to lovers is not actually one of my favourite tropes (I know! I’m sorry), but here I really enjoyed it. 

I really liked Simone. Specifically, I really liked Simone’s character growth over the course of the book. She goes from being apologetic for basically existing to claiming her space with pride. Ryan is a bit harder to get to know, as we don’t get chapters from his perspective, but I loved how he served as a catalyst for Simone’s growth throughout the book. And not because she changed FOR him, but despite him. And also sort of alongside him. Ryan is hard to like at first because he’s so miserable, but as Simone peels back his layers and brings out different sides to him, we find he is wonderful. I loved how their relationship developed. Although it is mentioned immediately that Ryan is attractive, there isn’t the insta-lust thing happening here. They get to know each other more slowly, and their relationship develops at a more realistic pace. Once they get there, though, things get pretty spicy! 

Bonus points for this Canadian reader, as the book takes place in Toronto and Whistler. I always love reading a book set in Canada.

And of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t comment on the queerness of this book. I absolutely loved all of it. Bisexuality isn’t often explored in 2SLGBTQIA+ romance, and I’m so grateful we’re starting to see more books like this. The fact that it’s so uniquely tied to the whole premise of the book is beyond wonderful. For bisexual readers, Simone’s journey will feel infinitely relatable. I could definitely see myself in a lot of her thoughts and feelings. As a reader? That’s a good feeling. I also loved that Simone came to her identity later in life, as is the case with so many on the rainbow spectrum. We need more books that tell these stories, please. I already can’t wait for Jordyn’s next book.

See You At the Summit is a terrific read.

Thank you, Gallery Books, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.