This is so sweet and an absolute dream for any YA lover who is obsessed with musical theatre (as I am...). Funny and heartwarming, I loved the main characters, the side characters, the coffee politics and the romances. A lovely read.

I absolutely loved this book, I have read a both these authors previous books and found that I enjoyed this one the best of both their books. Its that good. TH
They wrote beautiful story about falling in love that somehow that is a little cliché but also adorable, interesting and completely worth the read. I cannot wait to read more from these authors and hope they collaborate on another story someday.

What If It's Us: The Showstopping Contemporary Romance!
*Received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

If you’re looking for a sweet contemporary romance, what’s better than a book by Becky Albertalli or a book by Adam Silvera? Well, *put your hands together* because here’s a book by both Albertalli and Silvera!

What I love about both authors is their ability to make me feel all the *feels*- and this book achieved that by the bucketload. From the promised meet cute, I got the impression that this story was going to be super, well, cute. Nay- ADORABLE! There was so many aww moments in this story I couldn’t keep count. All the way through, it made my insides squeeze cos of how sweet it was.

I also loved how quirky and funny it was. The quippy sense of humour and wit had me laughing out loud. And I appreciated the conversational writing style and particularity of the descriptions. It was so fun to get inside each of the main character’s heads.

Of course, this was super character led. Ben and Arthur were so well written that I felt like I was addressing them in my notes as if they were real people. Ben was a little bruised in the romance department, imaginative and somewhat oversensitive. Art- well, he was a little melodramatic, but as one of life’s melodramatic people, I related to him way too much. Actually, I also liked his slightly hyper personality, his spunk, his romantic nature and even got his immaturity. I swear that if Art were real, we’d be best friends 😉

What I liked about the story was how it dealt with romance after the two guys had come out. This wasn’t just another coming out and falling in love story- this was so much more than that. In fact, as previously mentioned, Ben had already been stung before. But that didn’t stop *the universe* bringing the characters together- and tearing them apart. What I liked was that both boys were looking for each other (which drew the line between it feeling stalkery on one side). And the detective work was fun (of course by the end of it I was squealing with glee- see what I meant about being overdramatic 😉 ) Ultimately, though, there were times when the relationship felt a little too tumultuous. And that brings us into the spoilery section…

While the falling in love part was done so well, I did feel like it felt too rocky, which made it hard for me to root for them throughout. As much as I loved the characters, it felt like they were both throwing unnecessary spanners in the works for the sake of drama. That said, what was great was that it didn’t give the typical ending. I spent a huge amount of time worrying that if they simply ended up together it wouldn’t feel totally right and if they didn’t the book would feel like a wasted opportunity… Somehow Albertalli and Silvera struck the perfect balance. The open ending was a stroke of brilliance, since it fitted with the theme of second chances and new beginnings. I liked that they got to throw destiny out of the equation and make their own story.

Okay, spoilers over. What was most surprising about the book was when Art’s friends got together, cos it felt a little out of place. And on the other end of the spectrum, I will admit that Dylan and his future wife did steal the show at some points. There were other “love interests”, like NY, Hamilton, Harry Potter and countless other pop culture references, which I was all over and really added a cool dimension to the story.

Overall, I was completely absorbed with this fun and romantic story- which is why I gave it:

Rating: 4/5 bananas

Now I am actually a little late with this review, cos I thought it might be fun to share the fact that I went to a book talk at the Southbank Centre for this and got a signed copy!!

It was so fun to hear how collaborative the project was- and I especially loved hearing how Becky Albertalli wrote Arthur and Adam Silvera wrote Ben (I guessed correctly!) I really liked hearing how much of them was in each character, particularly cos I’d spent a lot of the book speculating about that!

Also exciting news, this has been optioned to be a movie!! Let’s hope Lin-Manuel Miranda gets to do the soundtrack (one can live and dream, right 😉 )

Arthur is in New York but only for the Summer. Arthur loves Broadway and if it has taught him anything it is that the universe can gift you with a show-stopping romance when you least expect it. Ben believes the universe needs to keep its nose out of his business. If the universe cared about Ben, he wouldn’t be on the way to the post office with a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things. When Ben and Arthur meet-cute at the post office, what it is that the universe has in store for them?

When I found out that Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli were writing a book together I was ecstatic. I had read all of Adam and Becky’s work previously and adored them all. The idea of two of my favourite authors coming together to write a book made me incredibly happy and I was so excited for this book to me released. It is easily my most anticipated release of 2018.

I went into reading this book not knowing what to expect. I was terrified I wouldn’t enjoy the story and would come out of reading it being disappointed. I was not disappointed at all; this book was extraordinary!

Arthur and Ben are adorable and I formed a love for them both whilst I was reading this book. Arthur and his love for Broadway made me so happy. Ben was a lot more chilled out than Arthur and I loved that about him, he is just adorable all the way throughout the book. I loved all the other characters in What If It’s Us as well. This book incorporates family and friendship in such an amazing way. I loved Arthur and Ben’s family and enjoy every time they were a part of the story. Friendship also plays a big part in this story. Both Ben and Arthur’s friends were excellent additions to the story. Dylan, who is Ben’s best friend was easily my favourite of the friends. Dylan’s input in the story were always hilarious and fun, even when the issues being tackled were serious issues.

Becky and Adam’s writing in this book is incredible. When I first started this book, I was worried that the book and its chapters wouldn’t flow very well and the voices from the different authors would clash. I was so wrong to think this. The writing flowed so well between characters and chapters. The voices of the characters are different but aren’t took different to clash with one another. They still manage to make the character’s flow together and be unique at the same time. Adam and Becky have done an excellent job of writing such a wonderful, unique and lovely young adult contemporary book.

I loved all the pop-culture references throughout the book. Especially the references to Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen. I can see thought how these references could be annoying to those who don’t enjoy pop culture. I loved all the references and feel they added something to the story.

I enjoyed the storyline overall. Although it does seem to me that their relationship moves incredibly quickly and becomes serious incredibly quickly. This didn’t stop me enjoying this book and its story though.

Overall, I loved this book. I cannot recommend it enough. It shares the joy of LGBTQ+ stories and the happiness the can bring. I have my fingers crossed that Adam and Becky will write together again in the future. This book is extraordinary and I loved it so much!

The story is told in multiple pov's and that makes it even more enjoyable. The characters are just amazing, written with so much care and detail, I loved everyone of them. A perfect story, not just for teens and the perfect Christmas gift.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK!

A heartwarming love story, What If It's Us? captured me and didn't let go. Set in New York, Ben is at the Post Office with a box of his ex-boyfriends stuff, Arthur is only in NY for the summer but does the universe have a grand romance in store for him? Ben and Arthur have an electric first meeting, but don't get each others details. What if they never see each other again? What if they do and it doesn't work out?
I loved the premise of the book and the characters jumped off the page. Ben and Arthur, plus side characters Dylan (a joy), Samantha, Jessie and Ethan are all excellently written and their witty banter and tender relationships made me want to keep reading. Loved it.

This was the cutest, loveliest book I’ve read in a while, and I honestly felt head over heels for all the characters in this and all the love stories being told. I did not want to put this book down and I absolutely flew through it, enjoying every moment of my reading experience with it.
Love.

Arthur and Ben are both great in different ways - at first I felt like I liked Arthur better (he definitely reminded me a lot of Simon Spier, and I hope Becky somehow makes them related to one another), but gradually I found myself really falling for Ben and how on the outside he seemed like this hot, tough, cool dude but he was really a massive nerd on the inside who wrote fan fiction and played the Sims (when he made an Arthur Sim, I almost lost it, I swear).

One of my favourite characters in this book was actually Dylan. Just his general demeanour had me laughing out loud so many times, and I loved his easy, acceptable friendship with Ben which definitely bordered more on brotherhood than just friendship. It was honestly so lovely to read. Both boys had really wonderful relationships with their parents and they were all open and honest with one another which I so appreciate because I think for many average teenagers, that is the type of relationship they have with their parents. Not everything is cagey all the time.

Even though this was very cheesy romantic at times, I do think it had a wonderful dose of reality put into it that helps the reader think that stories like this could happen in real life, and not everything also has to have a clear cut ending.

This book made me laugh, it made me aww, it almost made me cry and it made me warm with fluttering butterflies for Arthur and Ben. I loved it.

I was quite excited to read this book because I really enjoyed Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli and I’d heard lots of good things about Adam Silvera’s books. My expectations were pretty high which may have been the reason What If It’s Us fell just a little flat for me. I certainly didn’t hate it, it was an enjoyable read, but I found myself not feeling particularly attached to any of the characters. I really wanted to love it and unfortunately I just didn’t.

The story follows Arthur and Ben through the many stages of their relationship but by the end I wasn’t that invested in their romance. I liked them both as characters but I also found them a tad moany and annoying at times. I do feel like I’m perhaps being a little harsh because cutesy romance is so not my thing unless it’s unbelievably well done so I’m not an easy person to win over in this specific genre. To be fair, there were also things I did really like about What If It’s Us. I loved all the references to Harry Potter and pop culture in general even if they were maybe a little too frequent. I also liked the fact that friendship was just as important as romance in the lives of these characters - that felt real and provided a break from the romantic hurdles. 

Overall I think a lot of people will love this book even though it wasn’t quite my cup of tea. The melodrama and teenage angst just got a bit much for me personally but there was enough I liked about it that I definitely don’t regret reading it. If you are a fan of young adult or romance then I think it’s worth giving What If It’s Us a shot.

What if it's us is not the first Albertalli book I have read but the first time I have read anything from Adam Silvera and I completely fell in love with it!

Albertalli has a knack for writing positive upbeat characters that believe in love and normally everything is alright in the end. Arthur was sweet and innocence and the perfect picture of first love, Ben however was completely the opposite, jaded feeling that nothing would go well for him.

What if it's us has a lot more to it than just a romance, the friendship dynamics are fantastic and the families of both Ben and Arthur support them positively throughout their journey. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it for anyone who is looking for a contemporary.

This was a  beautiful lgbt romance. Funny and heart wrenching. Real! The aspects of friends dating and the change in dynamics was great to read and definitely relatable for many young people, the Long distance aspect was also refreshing especially due to the relationship afterwards. Ben and Dylans humorous and jealous personalities pulled the reader in and i couldnt put it down. i particularly Liked how it wasnt the typical ending for Arthur and Ben. Not only did we get a true sense of character for Ben and Arthur but also for Dylan Harriet Jessie Hudson ect and it felt as if they were also important characters who as a reader i was invested in. The Use of technology brought it to the 21st century making young adults want to read. Also for me theatre being a key part was fab as i love musicals.I thouroughly enjoyed the fast pace and that alot of things were happening.

From the very first page I knew I was going to love this book. The pairing of Albertalli and Silvera is just perfect and while you can tell their writing apart, their styles complement each other perfectly.

I am an absolute sucker for YA romances set in New York so there was always a fair chance I was going to love this. It is however the sweetest and funniest romance I’ve read since Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares. I loved the meet-cute at the start, I loved watching Ben and Arthur trying to find each other again and I loved the way their relationship developed. I thought it was wonderful how realistic their relationship was. They have this epic, incredibly romantic start but it’s not all smooth sailing. They each have their own issues and insecurities, they both make mistakes and everything seems to go wrong for them. It keeps you wondering whether they can make it work or if they’re just too different.

Character wise I loved both Ben and Arthur but have to confess of the two it was Arthur who made me the happiest. He’s just so earnest and enthusiastic and gosh darn likeable. I feel like I really need an Arthur in my life, he’s just a little ball of sunshine, but possibly not as the office intern. Ben was a little harder to love, he’s quite negative and closed off, but once he starts to open up he’s kind of adorable too. They really are a great match and I was totally rooting for them to make it.

The secondary characters are also wonderful. Dylan in particular, pretty much stole the book, as he had me laughing in pretty much every scene he was in. (Can he be my best friend?) I also loved the diversity in the characters – Ben is part Puerto Rican, Arthur is Jewish and takes medication for ADHD and Dylan has a heart condition – it’s fantastic to see so much representation in such a natural way.

The writing is as brilliant as you would expect, the pacing is spot on and the story is packed full of feels. I was supposed to be packing to move house and instead I binge read this in a day, I just didn’t want to put it down.

Overall, if you haven’t figured it out, I loved this book and would recommend to anyone looking for a feel good contemporary romance.

Essentially this book is best described as a modern day gay Sleepless in Seattle and it was an absolute joy to read from beginning to end. Throw in tons of references to Hamilton, Dear Evan Hanson and fantasy novels and I was in heaven.

If you know me you know how partial I am to a love story set in New York and I was heavily invested in Arthur and Ben's relationship from the beginning of their meet cute right to the end of the book. Arthur was like an adorable puppy dog and I honestly LOVE him, whereas Ben was a little more guarded and standoffish. I like both of them but at times I was annoyed at Ben for hurting my poor baby Arthur. I really enjoyed the fact that they had to work at their relationship but they were prepared to do so.

In addition to Ben and Arthur, their friends were also wonderful to read. Dylan is my second favourite character (after Arthur), I loved his friendship with Ben, his slightly crazy approach to his own relationships and his general outlook on the world.

I'm so sad I've finished reading this book, I really wasn't ready to leave their little gang. I foresee a lot of rereads in my future.

My Thoughts On...
...The Plot

Arthur believes in signs from the universe; when he has an instant connection with a cute boy at the post office and doesn't even get his name, let alone his number, he believes if it was meant to be the universe will help him find Ben again, with a little help from social media that is. Ben is supposed to be posting his ex's things back after their break up; he leaves the post office having failed to do just that, but he can't forget the boy he met while waiting in line, so when the universe, and Arthur, finds him he responds.

Individually Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera are two of my favourite authors, so What If It's Us was one of my most anticipated releases for this year. This book is a perfect blend of both of their styles; each chapter switches between both Arthur's and Ben's POVs, with Becky writing Arthur and Adam writing Ben, but the story flows really well. It didn't feel choppy, or consciously like I was reading something written by two different people.

Arthur's and Ben's first date is a disaster but it doesn't stop them from attempting a do-over, a second chance at a first date, and then another one, and as many as it takes to get this thing between them right. But Arthur is only in New York for the summer, and Ben is still dealing with a lot of complicated feelings over his ex, and it seems like Arthur's and Ben's is doomed from the start.

What If It's Us is a cute YA contemporary story, which I've come to expect from Becky Albertalli, but with a touch of realism added to keep the plot from being too fluffy, which I've come to expect from Adam Silvera. A lot of reviews I've read have talked about the ending, how it was slightly disappointing, however I loved the way this book ended. The story and the future of all the characters was left open but it felt true to Ben and Arthur's relationship and their development throughout What If It's Us.

...The Characters

Arthur is a big believer in fate and the power of the universe, he's an idealist and although I loved both the main characters Arthur was my favourite. He's intoxicated by New York, by the fact that he gets to live and work in this incredible city, and seeing it through his eyes was like being there again myself. Arthur wants his relationship with Ben to be perfect, something worthy of the epic start their love story had, however the reality of dating someone isn't quite what Arthur thought.

Although What If It's Us is Arthur's and Ben's story there were some incredible secondary characters, and I loved the glimpses we got into Arthur's family and friends. After coming out to his two best friends Arthur worries he may be losing one of them, uncomfortable with his sexuality, and with his parents constantly fighting about his dad's lack of work he fears they may end up divorcing before the summer is over. It weighs on Arthur, but he doesn't say anything, trying to hold things together and pretend everything is normal.

Ben also believes in the whole 'if it's meant to be it will be' thing, but his belief has been knocked down by his recent break-up. Hudson was a huge part of Ben's life, a close friend before he became something more, and Ben's having trouble letting go despite knowing their relationship is over. Ben's heritage is a big part of his character, and it was interesting reading his struggles with people not seeing him as Puerto Rican enough because of how light his skin is.

Like Arthur Ben has an incredible relationship with his best friend, but there was a lot more development in the friendship between Ben and Dylan, as well as the broken friendships that used to exist between Ben, Dylan, Harriett and Hudson, than there was between Arthur and his friends. Dylan and Ben are like brothers and they've stood by one another through it all; summer school and health scares, Ben's coming out and Dylan's many break-ups.

I loved seeing the relationship between Arthur and Ben develop. From the beginning Arthur puts more effort into whatever it is that's growing between them than Ben, a result of his idealistic personality and the fact that this is his first relationship, but that doesn't mean Ben doesn't care and doesn't want them to work out. Both characters have things which get in the way of their relationship, but they always bounce back. No matter how many disastrous first dates they have they're not willing to give up on each other when the universe seemed determined to make them meet.

What If It's Us ended up being everything I wanted, and everything I hoped, it would be. Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera are an incredible writing duo (not that I had any doubt they would be) and I would love to read more books written by the both of them. Until then though I'll just have to wait for the film adaptation of What If It's Us to experience this incredible story all over again.

Publishing Date: 9th October 2018 (USA) 18th October 2018 (UK)

Author: Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera 

Goodreads rating: 4.24

My Rating: 4 stars



I received an ARC of this book via netgalley/Simon&Shuster children’s UK in exchange for an honest review, all opinions in this review are true and one hundred percent my own.

Okay, before I get into this review properly I just wanted to wish Becky and Adam a happy uk book release day! Congratulations to you both!

I have never read any of Adam Silvera’s books before. I keep meaning to buy them but I just haven’t gotten round to it yet. But I’ve heard incredible things about them so I had high expectations for this book anyway. I have however read Becky Albertalli’s books in the past and loved every minute of reading her work. I was definitely excited and extremely curious about this book. Getting the opportunity to read an arc means the world to me. (I’m definitely getting myself a physical copy of the book as soon as possible for a reread!)

I loved this book. It’s one of those books that you just know is going to translate easily from book to screen, so it’s a relief to know that it was optioned for a movie before the book was even released! I’m not even dreading the idea of a book to movie adaptation either because reading it felt like I was watching a movie already. 

This book is super cheesy but also very real and relatable. Its clever, constantly asking all sorts of what if’s that we probably all ask and rarely get an answer too. It’s about two boys trying to navigate through the confusing world of love, be it a boyfriend/boyfriend relationship or the relationship between friends and family etc. It’s a story that isn’t afraid to show just how messy life and love of all kinds can be. And personally I love that. Ben and Arthur make so many mistakes throughout this book, they’re constantly putting their foot in it with each other one way or another, it’s awkwardly relatable, your lying your butt off if you say you’ve never experienced that moment where your stomach drops because you realised you’ve said or done the wrong thing at the wrong time. No body is perfect, we all make mistakes and that is what this story is about for me.  That’s one of the main things I took from this book. 

I will say there are themes of cheating, divorce, panic attacks, homophobia, racism, but again they’re all important and relevant topics in the real world today, and I’m so glad they’re included!

The ending of this book is going to be a controversial one. Kinda like marmite. You either love it or hate it. Personally I loved it and found it refreshing! It definitely isn’t what I was expecting but damn! I was so happy with it! Good job I’m a fan of marmite! Seriously though I really respect the authors decision to end Ben and Arthur’s story the way they did. It’s the most realistic ending I have ever read in a ya novel!

This is the perfect blend of an exciting, beautiful love story and the more realistic portrait of how hard relationships can actually be. It's a romance to gush over with Arthur and Ben seeming to be so, so perfect for one another; meeting through a twist of fate; finding one another again against all odds, but it doesn't shy away from the fact that dating is hard. Dates can go wrong easily, the stuff you planned can be something the other person isn't good with, the restaurant you picked can be all wrong and in the end, there may be compatibility issues that need to be worked out. But despite showing all the roadblocks that can come between two people starting a relationship, What If It's Us continues to keep a hopeful feel to it that one day, these two wonderful boys can work it all out! 

 I loved Arthur and Ben so much. Their individual lives and family and friends were so well built up around them. It added so much to the story to see what their lives were like. Sometimes in books like this I find that the characters can be whisked very quickly from their home lives or have vague friends and family who are never really built up. I loved the fact that not only did Arthur and Ben have such well built up families, they spent time with them, they informed their characters, it showed exactly where they came from and the differences between them. 

I loved the ending. I can't go into why I loved it without spoiling it and I don't know how happy other people are with it, because it could have disappointed some people, but personally I thought it was brilliant and completely in  keeping with the whole style of the book. 

This is definitely the big LGBT release of the year and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did (though we need more LGBT books about girls!!!!!).

I received a free ebook version of this through Netgalley. Thankyou to both Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the chance to read this! My review is still honest.

So, I like Becky Albertalli’s stuff. They’re all feel good, happy reads that I can be sure I’ll at least have a good time reading. Adam Silvera is an author I’m less familiar with, and as far as I can tell, his books are a little more on the sad side of contemporary. I can’t speak for if this is like Adam’s other works, but this was nothing like Becky’s and I ultimately am finding myself ambivalent.
What I think worked well with these two authors collaborating is that I only learned about 20% in that they split the chapters by POV-Adam wrote Ben and Becky wrote Arthur. I didn’t notice the distinction at all and was surprised when I found out, so they definitely gel well together. I think there were some cool discussions about healthy relationships.I really loved the inclusion of Dylan. He’s the epitome of what a supportive ally should be! This is how all straight friends should react to their queer friends. He’s my favourite character by far. I thought Arthur was adorable, and there were some really cute moments in this book. I did like the diversity and I am always on board with more gay relationships in YA. This one was different to anything I’ve read before.
So, I think the issue with having 2 authors is that there are two sets of ideas crammed into one book, and it was too much. There were things in this that I would have liked to be explored more-the discussion of the diverse elements was limited and could definitely have been utilised more, I wanted more of Hudson’s underlying issues and Ben’s issues. It was a little too long for a contemporary of this nature for me and I found some of the conflict just ended up being exasperating and didn’t really add anything to the story. I also found a lot of Ben and Arthur’s time together to be uncomfortable. They weren’t a natural fit, they really had to work for it, and I guess if that’s a point the authors were trying to make, fantastic, but their dates and moments could be awkward and I ended up not really shipping them. I didn’t think they worked that well together, and so I wasn’t really that into it. 
I suppose my problems boil down to that I wanted an easy romance. I don’t mind a little conflict, but there were more awkward times than good times in this one, and that’s not what I personally read contemporary for. I expected a really fun read I could fly through and feel great about at the end, and this book is something entirely different. A victim of my expectations, unfortunately, but that doesn't mean I won't read everything Becky Albertalli writes!

I wanted to wait for my physical copy, but NetGalley gave me an ARC and I couldn’t resist...so now I’ll get to read it again, soon.
This did not go where I wanted to, it didn’t do a lot of the things I hoped it would but I still fell for it hook, line and sinker.
When Arthur and Ben meet one day in New York, the chances of them seeing each other again are pretty slim. But where would the fun be in that?
Through a varied range of ingenious actions they find each other and have a date. It doesn’t work brilliantly, so they try again...and again. There’s lots of other factors impacting on their attempt to have a relationship, but they keep trying. Even when things are clearly heading into car-crash territory these two come out of things smelling of roses.
Every character in the story sparkles on the page, and this was a gooey lovely thing. For the most part. Not always - because nobody’s life could be that amazing - but it came fairly close.
Even the ending - which totally goes against what part of me really wanted to happen - was perfect.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an Arc in exchange for an honest review!

4 Stars!

I cannot handle this what so ever. I literally loved it, I as grinning the majority of the way through this and the dual perspective was everything! You could tell which author wrote Ben and which one wrote Arthur and honestly they were both just such lovable characters, like I would want to do anything for them both.

We see a lot being brought up; Social Classes, Homophobia and what it means to Ben being Puerto Rican. I can’t really talk on behalf of this, but it was in the sense of speaking up about the topic and it was so well done!

Some Minor spoilers aheads but only the sense of one teeny tiny bit.

Arthur has only recently come out as gay, and has gone to New York to take part as an Intern. He adores all things Hamilton, will literally go above and beyond for anyone. Literally he loves to do little things to make someone happy, and this is just so ridiculously cute. The boy has No Chill, like zero. Which is brought up multiple times. I loved him as a character, BUT I cannot stand jealousy and Arthur was so jealous it was kind of frustrating because he wouldn’t listen to any sense of explanation.

Then we have Ben who is Puerto Rican and has this sense that he isn’t good enough (due to a number of reasons), Hen has recently split up from his boyfriend and is trying to move on but he has to see him in summer school. We see him create something really special to him, playing The Sims and he’s such a Harry Potter!

The two characters contrast quite a lot, we get a sense that Arthur is very rich, he’s never had a boyfriend and doesn’t know when to stop talking. Ben on the other hand doesn’t have as much money, had a boyfriend and often holds back on a lot of things. I really enjoyed the two trying to make things work. The sense of the “do-overs” and finding out what worked and what didn’t. With this you get such a strong sense of when you first start a relationship and try to make everything as perfect as possible, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out.

On another note, I kind of low key loved both parents along with Dylan and Samantha. The parents were just so open and welcoming and tried to do what was best for them both. They both knew about the others love interest and figuring out what to do for them. Just the sense of support from them both made me so happy! Then Dylan with his names for Ben were just too funny, and just how warm and welcoming Samantha was made me slightly happy. Arthur has two best friends at home Ethan and Jessie but for me, they didn’t really add anything to the story and were just kind of there I guess.

I’m also going to broach on the topic of sex here. Like in books when it’s someones first time it can be soon unrealistic and it kind of bothers me. But this, there’s a moment where things are getting heated and Ben keeps on asking Arthur if he’s okay, and when he says no he’s super chill about it, and literally just hugs him to make sure he’s okay. Even in later chapters he’s like it would of been nice, but what’s more important is that he’s ready. THIS WAS EVERYTHING

Now this is where I’m very very bitter. That ending. Guys. I cannot believe that ending. I am so unbelievably dissatisfied with it. I know it was the more realistic way things would of gone, but meh, not here for it.

Overall I really did enjoy this, slightly cheesy, the ending MEH but it was SO CUTE and it broached some thought provoking topics. I really really needed this in my life because although it has some tough subjects it’s still kind of soft a fluffy.

*I was provided with an ARC of this book through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. All quotes included may be subject to change upon publication.

I’ve never read anything by either of these authors, but I had such high hopes for this book, because both authors are very highly regarded in the YA community. However, this book didn’t work for me, like at all, unfortunately. I didn’t like the writing, the story or the main characters enough, so that’s the reason for such a low rating. And after the initial excitement of Arthur and Ben trying to find each other, my interest declined massively, and I really wanted to DNF at times. I was just so disinterested in the story and it didn’t help that there was little plot in the first place, after they find each other, the rest of the book is literally them just trying to make it work between them, which became a bit tedious after a while. It truly felt like there were a thousand things going wrong for them and I was like, you’ve only just met, how do you have so many problems already. I can’t even remember what went wrong if I’m honest, but I think it was mainly them finding issues with each other or the dates they went on, and so it felt like there wasn’t any progress, to the point where I was like, why are you guys even trying.

I wouldn’t even label this book as a romance, because I felt like there wasn’t actually a romance. The characters had to have three do over first dates, and then things just kept coming between them and not in a romantic, star crossed lovers way, but in a frustratingly annoying kind of way. The whole relationship just felt really forced, rushed, and one sided, so you can imagine my surprise when after two weeks, the L word was being thrown around. If there was a montage of their relationship, there would be far more downs than ups, I don’t know what there could of been to fall in love with. What bothered me the most about this ‘romance’, was that it felt like Arthur was way more into Ben, and it didn’t help that Ben was actually quite mean to, and about Arthur. Ben just seemed really cold towards him at times, which Arthur initially picked up on, “I look way happier than you. It’s cool if you want to call this quits. If you’re still caught up on your ex, I get it. Well, I don’t get it. But I can imagine”. It is understandable at first, because his breakup is quite fresh, but after a while, it was weird, even later on when Ben did sweet things, I found myself not really buying it. And he kept comparing Arthur to his ex-boyfriend, which was pretty crappy.  I personally didn’t feel any chemistry between them, at all, if anything, it was as if Arthur mostly annoyed Ben.

We also have another case of secondary characters being better than the main characters. I actually quite liked Arthur, I thought he was honest, really sweet and generally lovable. But Ben on the other hand, I heavily disliked, he seriously wasn’t a nice dude. Ben is selfish beyond reason and has a really hard time, making his actions and words reflect that he cares for people and just says really hurtful things. He constantly says to Arthur that he has ‘no chill’, which Arthur agrees with, but Arthur has ADHD, which I think is why he behaved in a certain way, and I felt like Ben tried to make him feel bad about how he is, and it’s always on his mind. He also makes Arthur feel bad for having money, even though he isn’t flashy at all about it, and for being smart, which isn’t cool. And then when he messes up with Arthur he goes after his best friend’s relationship, which was really nasty of him “You’re hyping up this relationship like last time, and you’re just going to disappoint Samantha like you did Harriet”. He’s such a hypocrite, he’s literally known Arthur for a shorter time than Dylan has known Samantha, and yet he says to him “You have no idea what i’m going through right now.” Samantha and Dylan were much more likeable characters and I would love a story about them, Dylan in particular was hilarious and such a good friend. I also really loved Ben and Arthur’s parents, as both sets were so supportive of their sons, which was really heartwarming.

The writing in this, just wasn’t great! I think that the authors tried to make the book too modern and ‘relatable’, but it ended up making it quite cringey. There were a lot of references to Harry Potter, Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton, which were okay, until there became so many of them, that it disrupted the flow of the book so heavily. It was as if I could tell how the authors tried to squeeze each reference in, and it became a bit frustrating, and I’d imagine even more so, if you’re not familiar with or apart of these fandoms. My main issue with the writing though, was that through the whole book, I kept getting confused about whether I was reading from Arthur’s point of view or Ben’s,  because they weren’t distinct enough and it wasn’t done that well. This aspect, paired with all the text messages and Instagram talk, made me enjoy the book considerably less. I really don’t enjoy this type of YA contemporary, as it feels too young and underdeveloped, in my personal opinion, for people in their late teens or older to enjoy.

The main positive about this book, was that it had characters from different backgrounds. Arthur is Jewish, gay and has ADHD, and Ben is Puerto Rican and gay. Ben’s identity was explored a bit more than Arthur’s though, as Ben talks about how it feels to be white passing and his love for his culture, which was great. Arthur’s identity wasn’t explored as much, although we do learn that his family eat pork, his ADHD wasn’t really highlighted though. Arthur constantly refers to himself as being ‘extra’ and ‘having no chill’ and only mentions having ADHD in passing at the start, and I’d forgotten to be honest, until near the end of the book when Ben brings it up. I don’t have ADHD, so I don’t have any personal experience, but it felt to me like, the way that Arthur was, was portrayed and received quite negatively, especially by Ben. I don’t think it’s fair to just label him as ‘having no chill’ and being ‘extra’, but I’d love to know what people with ADHD think about it. To conclude, I don’t think I could recommend this book, because I really didn’t enjoy it.

"What if it's us" is the tender story of Ben and Arthur, two teenage boys living their best summer in NYC, and finding themselves over and over again. Is it destiny, is it fate, or is it just them? Is it just love?

 I have come into it with ZERO expectations but I found this book to be entartaining, hilarious, sweet, and even very profound at times. I did NOT have a little bit of hope, as I said, but THIS PROVED ME WRONG. Mea culpa and all that jazz.
The two main characters were two very lovely guys /even though Arthur and his jealousy sometimes really bothered me.

I still found them enjoyable though, and I was rooting for them really hard. I think they had a good chemistry, and I really enjoyed the fact that they learned to fall in love along the way, and that they even made some mistakes. It felt more realistic that some insta-lovey-dovey stuff.

The side characters were really good, I really enjoyed Dylan, but I could NOT stand Hudson and her friend whose name I do not remember but she was just unsufferable.
The ending left me with a bittersweet taste. But I expected it. They silvera'd it with a touch of Becky's magic. And I think for one time I'm okay with that, I really am.
I have hope. 

Okay, I'm done writing and tearing up about this book, I'm really glad I've read it, stupid me for judging things way too fast.