NAV'S FOOLPROOF GUIDE TO FALLING IN LOVE

A lesbian who doesn’t believe in love plays dating coach.

Naveah has never had “an official girlfriend”—she’s against dating on principle; relationships are too “messy.” Instead, Nav keeps things casual and fun, unlike her bisexual best friend, Hallie (both girls are Black). Hallie is constantly getting her heart broken. After Hallie’s latest boyfriend turns out to be a cheater, Nav is determined to fix things for her. The problem is that Hallie is headed to an academic summer camp Nav didn’t get into. Then Italian and Mexican American new girl Gia, who has social anxiety and whose mom is a sponsor for Hallie’s camp, asks Nav for help getting Hallie’s attention. Nav agrees to teach Gia how to win over Hallie in exchange for the spot at camp that Gia’s planning to give up. Since Nav is good at flirting, this should be simple—but after Gia’s anxiety ruins her first date with Hallie, Nav has to go back to basics with her romance lessons. When Nav starts to have feelings for Gia, she panics. Nav hates change—and now she has to decide whether her perfect summer plan is more important than taking a chance on love. The highly relatable characters make cringeworthy mistakes while also showing their vulnerability. This book is about more than just romantic love: Lewis balances family trauma and complicated relationships with depictions of strong support systems.

Funny, serious, and adorably awkward in all the best ways.