Becky Albertalli once again delivers a poignant coming-of-age story, and it feels especially special this time as there's so much of her in this story. It's very special to see her evolve as an author!

Unfortunately, this one wasn't really for me. I didn't feel like I could connect with any of the characters or the story itself, and I found it a little too predictable. However, I'm sure that lots of people will love it.

Becky Albertalli has once again managed to write a book that feels honest, genuine, messy, carefree and absolutely delightful.

The friendship between Kate and Andy was so real - their history of being unshakable friends and the situation they find themselves in clashing together was so good to read, while also breaking my heart a little bit at the same time.

Becky’s writing is always fresh and fun, her character voices are unique and so strong and this was no different. From the very first page you understand the character, learning to love her (and her chaos) more and more as the book continues, rooting for her the entire time.

I'm always a fan of what Becky Abertalli writing from Simon Vs onwards and I was very pleased to read this one. While I have been growing out of YA in the last couple of years, I really enjoyed Kate in Waiting. From the musical references to the friendship groups, I really loved a lot of the story and can't wait to read her next one. I highly recommend for those who have not read it!

I absolutely loved every second of this book, the characters were so accurate for high school drama kids, and I thought the little love triangle (or rather love 'V' because it wasn't a triangle) was written really well. This was very nostalgic for me because this is about theatre kids in school, and I was one of the theatre/drama kids in my school. Reading this brought back all the memories of taking part in the productions in school, and all the teenage drama with having a crush on someone. Like a lot of YA books this was predictable, (and that's not a bad thing) but even though I knew who was going to end up with who, and what was going to happen, I still gasped when there was a revelation about something, which not many authors can do that for me. Becky Albertalli has been an auto buy author for me for years now and with books like this, she'll stay as an auto-buy author.

Kate in Waiting was not for me. I DNF at 23% unfortunately.
I was looking forward to the musical theatre element but found the characters tedious and the dialogue far too basic which made Kate and Andy seem very two dimensional. I think if they had been built on a bit more as characters I could have really enjoyed this book but as it is I just didn't like it.

Kate Garfield & Anderson Walker are the bestest of friends, soul mates I’d rather say. They know each others’ secrets, carpool to school, have common communal crushes & share their feelings about it as well. When Matt Olsson from their summer camp join Rosewell Hill High School & their crush materializes, things are about change. Both develop feelings for him, but can a “Matt” cause any kind of drift between a friendship like that of Kate & Andy’s?

The plot is not just about romantic relationships it’s much about friendship as well. The bond Kate & Andy share is just so intimate & swoon-worthy. The acceptance of each other “as it is”, the guilt by just the thought of hurting each other & the over all co-dependance was more beautiful than any romantic relationship. The fact that they were both trying really really hard to not let the whole lets-see-who-Matt-chooses thing affect their bond simply showed how much they valued each other in their lives. The plot line is about who eventually gets Matt & what happens to the other’s heart but the journey to reach there is entertaining & full of anticipation.

Albertalli has given the readers a plethora of characters – Kate straight, Andy gay, Raina trans, Brandie not disclosed & Matt to be explored while reading. The bond that the squad shares is amazing; supportive & boosting. I also enjoyed every scene that had Noah in it, those were the scenes that mostly cracked me up. Can I just say I loved Noah’s character?

This book is a YA that follows the story of two best friends who fall for the same guy. Despite not being a huge romcom fan, I rather enjoyed this book as the characters were funny - especially in relation to the other kids at their school. Overall the story was about friendship. Another great element of this book was the diverse character range - including Jewish, gay, black, trans and disabled. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book.

Best friends Kate and Anderson consult each other on every decision including the same boy crushes. But when they both fall for the same boy ‘Matt’, their friendship is tested to the limit. Set in high school during the musical season, will the curtain come down on their friendship?
There was an over use of the words ‘f-boy’ which got so repetitive. It took a while to get into the book but the second half was much more pleasurable to read. Secondary characters and the school staff seemed interesting and would have liked to have delved deeper into their backgrounds.

The roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crown. This is the type of story I wish I had of had when I was younger.......it was pure entertainment from start to the finish. The characters were extra and living their best life and I was here for each and every minute.

Kate in Waiting is a refreshing and soft read, a palate cleanser in the middle of my usually darker reads. Comforting and warm, basically.

It has a simple premise. Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker are both theatre nerds, somewhat co-dependent, always there for each other and occasionally pine for the same man. Turns out, shared crushes aren't fun when real feelings are involved.

As you can guess, one of the main themes is friendship (as well as the bond between siblings.) I always say there should be more books about friendships. Especially well-written friendships. The way Kate and Anderson are always there for each other warms my heart.

Albertalli clearly knows how to write teenagers and how they speak, and the romance is refreshingly believable.

Her characters are fleshed out, flawed yet loveable. Is Kate In Waiting somewhat predictable? Of course, but that's not why I read this book!

Recommended to fans of YA romance, especially musical theatre fans.

Becky Albertalli is a brilliant writer and has stolen millions of readers' hearts with her brilliant stories, most notably Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda. This probably isn't my favourite from her but still great.

I loved this book! The plot appealed to me so much as I love all things relating to the theatre. I really liked the main character, Kate and could relate well to her. This is my first book by this author but it definitely won’t be the last.

I have loved the other Albertalli books I have read, but unfortunately this one just fell flat for me! I found the main character really unlikeable and her attitude just grated on me. The way she dismisses everyone she dislikes or is different to her was so frustrating and unnecessary. The pacing also felt off to me, sometimes slow and other times too fast, it made it difficult to stay in the story. I think this might just be a book not for me, rather than a bad book, and I will definitely consider picking up more of her books in the future.

I didn't like this book at all. I realised around half way through that this book wasn't for me. I didn't like the way it was written but also I found it really boring. I've kinda come to the realisation that this wasn't the book for me. Ended up not finishing this book.

Once again Becky Albertalli has written a fantastic book. I loved the theatre setting and Kate was a great character to read about.

Thank you to The Write Reads for organizing and inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Thank you, Penguin Platform and Net Galley, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Becky Albertalli is one of my favourite YA authors, and I’m happy to say that this book did not disappoint. Kate in Waiting is about Kate Garfield and her best friend, Anderson Walker, who share everything, including crushes. When they both start to develop feelings for Matt Olsson, it causes some tension with their friendship, and they begin to realize the problem with sharing everything.

The first thing I want to say about this book is that it was super cute! Becky Albertalli is known for writing cute books, and this one was extra adorable. I loved the friendship between Kate and Anderson, and I loved that this book was more about friendship than romantic relationships. I loved Kate and Anderson, and the dynamic between them, and watching their friendship go through its ups and downs. I also loved the bigger squad, and I loved the friendship between Brandie and Raina, and I hope that one day we get a book that focuses on them. I loved the relationship between Kate and her brother Ryan, and I thought they had a lot of great sibling moments. Finally, I thought Noah and Matt were cinnamon rolls, and I love a good cinnamon roll character.

I loved that this book focused on a bunch of theatre kids and how excited they were about the school production of Once Upon a Mattress. I loved how supportive the characters were of each other and how they hyped each other up. I loved that they encouraged each other and that they were genuinely happy for each other. I also loved seeing the behind-the-scenes things for the musical’s production, like the staging, tech week, and the chaos leading up to the performance.

The other thing that I loved about this book was how diverse the cast of characters are and the rep in this book. Kate is Jewish, and I loved the moments that were mentioned when she was younger at Temple or when her family was celebrating a Jewish holiday in their own way. Anderson is black and gay, Raina is transgender and bisexual, and Brandie hasn’t told any of her friends how she identifies. Kate and Ryan’s parents are divorced, and I liked seeing co-parenting and Kate and Ryan having a residency schedule and living with both parents.

I also liked that this book dealt with some bigger issues like bullying, specifically cyberbullying, and anxiety.

One last thing that I want to talk about is the swearing in this book. Kate and her group of friends refer to the jocks as “f-boys” or “f-girls,” and I’ve seen a lot of people mention that they didn’t like the continued use of the f-word. I can see why this would turn people off, but personally, it didn’t bother me. In my experience, high school kids swear, and I didn’t find the language to be unrealistic. I’m also not turned off by swearing in general, so this wasn’t a problem for me.

The story revolves around the BFFs Kate and Anderson. They both have a really strong bond of friendship between them. Their friendship is tested when they both start having feelings for the Matt, the new guy in their school. They need to find a way to protect their friendship. But, when all three of them are cast in the school musical, things get chaotic and complicated. What will happen to the bond of friendship between Kate and Anderson?

Having read all the previous works by Becky Albertalli, I had super expectations from this book. And I am glad that my expectations did not go in vain. This book definitely stood up to my expectations.

I loved how the author explored different relationships between the characters throughout the book. I loved how she focused on platonic relationships rather than romantic ones. These platonic relationships convey the importance of friends and siblings in one’s life.

Read my full review on my blog: https://damselinthebookland.wordpress.com/2021/05/02/review-kate-in-waiting-by-becky-albertalli/

I have mixed feelings about this one because Kate was really judgemental and outright mean, and despite being called out for it, she had zero remorse. She spends the whole book calling literally everyone she profiles as a jock...a "fuckboy" (or fuckgirl if they so happen to play sport). And then if she decides they're actually a nice person, she just excludes them from that label. Despite her brother (a jock) genuinely being worried for Kate's safety because she's calling his friends problematic (she has to admit they haven't done anything but she is literally policing his friends because she doesn't like ...i don't know?! sport??) Another of these "fuckboys" is revealed to have social anxiety later. Does Kate every think: hey maybe I shouldn't snap-judge people maliciously because it openly hurts them. Yeah...no. She also calls them sluts too. I just.

I'm just going to put this out there. I love Becky Albertalli. I just love her. Her writing is amazing and her insight into the teenage brain is brilliant. She is one of the leading voices in writing YA fiction and her latest offering Kate in Waiting shows just how good a writer she is.

Best friends Kate and Anderson are notorious for falling for the same person and their latest crush Matt is no different. As Kate and Anderson traverse the tricky halls of high school and hormones they also have to figure out a way of not letting their feelings for Matt ruin their friendship.

Kate in Waiting is the charming will-they-won't-they story of the year but the will-they-won't-they in question is Kate and Anderson.

Kate in Waiting is perfect for the theatre geek inside.

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli is available now.

For more information regarding Becky Albertalli (@beckyalbertalli) please visit www.beckyalbertalli.com.

For more information regarding Penguin Random House (@PenguinUKBooks) please visit www.penguin.co.uk.