The premise is so deep and I really tried hard with this book but I admit to not getting all the way through it. It’s a teen romance that started sweet and ended with the main character in therapy with severe abandonment issues. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood to be reminded how much I cling to my partner? That’s a fair point. Most people don’t take into account how massive the emotional gap between a 14 and Ann 18 year old is and certainly it’s less cringy than the premise for All the Ugly Beautiful Things but still , this goes pretty dark with statuary rape, mental health crisis, etc. it’s not lighthearted or gentle to the characters or the reader in the least. And that’s despite Matt seeming to be a really nice guy, not overly pushy or using his age to pressure Brooke into physical relations, but still, he should have known better. She’s 14, for gosh sakes! And he doesn’t really even get a slap on the wrist for it. It’s just kind of like…the characters are hard to like even if you pty them but they also take little responsibility for their actions and how is that helpful? It seems like this story should have been more of a “ this is why we have age limits and why people with age gaps , especially teens no matter how mature they think they are, shouldn’t do this!” Warning instead of literally sort of…converging around the concept of forbidden romance and Romeo and Juliet. Who casts kids that far appart to be romantic in a play anyway? How did adults allow that?! Ofcourse the 14 year old is going to fall in love after kissing the 17 year old but it’s the adults job to step in and say NO.

Overall I am not sure about my feelings for this book. I don't think it really worked for me I couldn't really get into the story or connect to any of the characters. I do believe there is an audience for this book out there but personally I don't feel like it was for me. The story-line moved a bit too slowly

A contemporary YA romance novel exploring sexual consent, mental health, and co-dependency. When 14 year old Brooke and 17 year old Matt are cast as romantic leads in their drama group's performance of Romeo and Juliet, they didn't mean to actually fall in love. Brooke considers secrets and lies a small price to pay for a relationship with an older guy, until she discovers that Matt's role in taking their relationship to the next level one night was illegal. When her anxiety reaches breaking point, she makes a decision that changes her life forever. Years later and now adults, Matt is reunited with Brooke, desperately seeking redemption. Can they both find the strength to forgive one other, or is it too late? Told in three acts this captivating debut reveals a young woman’s journey for independence as she strays away from everything she has ever known to navigate her traumatic past.

★★★.5

This Is Me Trying by Jenna Adams is an emotionally charged and thought provoking read that dives deep into the messy and complex experiences of adolescence. While I ultimately enjoyed the book, it was a heavy read: raw, heartbreaking, and at times confronting. It stirred up memories of my own teenage years, making the story all the more personal and reflective.

The pacing felt slightly uneven. I typically enjoy reading in long, immersive sittings, but I found myself needing to take breaks from this one. Whether that was due to the intensity of the narrative or its structure, it occasionally disrupted my engagement with the story.

That said, the book did spark some meaningful conversations in my household, particularly around themes of age gap relationships, something I can relate to as an adult. Overall, this novel offers a powerful exploration of growing up, vulnerability, and identity, even if it doesn't always land with perfect execution.

Unfortunately not something for me,
I found it fell very flat and just wasnt enjoyable for me some of the language and wording wasn’t the best, but I can see why others would like it it’s just not for me

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I can really appreciate what it was going for, but it just fell flat for me in a lot of places. I I thought the book was pretty slow. It took me awhile to get into. I also didn't really like Brooke and Matt. They were very two dimensional, and I honestly wasn't routing for either one. I was thrown off by Matt and his inability to move on as well. I also expected more from the ending.

I received "This Is Me Trying" by Jenna Adams for free in exchange for my honest review through NetGalley. Let me start off by saying that there are definitely several formatting errors that need to be addressed and some gramatical/editing that needs to occur. Normally these types of issues irritate me so much that I cannot go more than a few chapters into a story, however, this story kept me engaged and struggling through them. There are places where it is difficult to follows who has said what and when the point of view has shifted due to the formatting. That being said, I stayed up until 4 Am reading until I could not keep my eyes open any longer after starting it yesterday. **spoiler alert**

This follows a 14 year old girl who gets into a relationship with an 18 year old boy that becomes sexual. Their lives seem to spiral from there. There are issues regarding consent, statutory rape, how virginity should be handled, and co-dependency, depression, therapy, and abandonment. This is not a light, easy romance. It is not your normal happily ever after. I was very drawn in to how things would resolve. In fact, I am still somewhat not appeased with the ending that we were given. Parts of this story hit very close to home for me and were very eye opening.

I highly recommend this story. It will stay with you. I

A complex, delicate story of growing up with a painfully authentic portrayal of teenage depression and the struggles of crushing pressures that force themselves onto young girls.

This Is Me Trying is a poignant and deeply resonant read that explores the messy, often overlooked aspects of personal growth and self-discovery. The book centers on a FMC who feels adrift and unsure of her path, grappling with past mistakes and the daunting task of figuring out who she's meant to be. What truly stands out in Adams' writing is her raw honesty and the vulnerability with which she tackles universal themes of imperfection, mental health, and the courage it takes to simply keep going. The narrative is insightful, making you feel seen, especially if you've ever felt like you're "just trying" in a world that often demands perfection. This isn't a story with grand, sweeping gestures, but rather a quiet, introspective journey filled with small victories and relatable struggles. Adams has a knack for crafting characters that feel incredibly real, and her prose is both beautiful and accessible. If you're in search of a book that offers comfort, understanding, and a gentle reminder that it's okay not to have all the answers, This Is Me Trying is a truly impactful choice.

4.5⭐️
If I were to describe this book in one word, it’d be “inspiring”

This book cover some incredibly important and difficult topics, like Mental Health, Consent, and Self Worth.

Brooke is a character that you just want to hug and protect her from the world. Her character ARC and her growth broom the little 14 year old girl to the incredible and healing 23 year old woman was such a hard but beautiful journey to go on.

Matt is interesting. I get that he was technically still a teen but it’s so true when it’s said in the book that he should have been more responsible, since he was in the position where he knew what was going on more than Brooke.

The plot was very addictive, I just wanted to keep going and find out what was going to happen. The side characters were so good. I love Charlie and Marie and how they helped Brooke so much.

Thank you to Jenna Adam's and NetGalley for the Arc copy for a honest review of this book.

4* This was a very cleverly written story of two children who meet aged 14 and 17... who then develop a more mature relationship while she is still under the age of consent and he is legally now an adult.

The two main characters were written so well that you really felt what it was like to be them and the decisions they made. I actually read a lot of this story with my 11 year old who was interested in it and brought up some questions. She in the end thought it was very sad, how the book didnt end the way she thought it might, but then I reminded her that even being in your 20s is still very young and they had their whole lives ahead of them.

There was a lot in the story I resonated with, clubs at school, mixing with friends of different ages, fancying the older boys and wishing things would happen, being upset when they got girlfriends etc. It also made me think about my first time and how I was underage but he was 17 and actually how close that was to being a similar situation if only for a few months...

I thought how the FMCs depression was portrayed was incredible and how it had affected her personality and decision making.

It really reminds you that being a teenager and coping with hormones and change is actually bloody hard, and feels so much bigger at the time.

I couldn't put it down and I was desperate for a HEA but like with true life it ends more realistically.

This book would be fantastic for discussing at a book club and I actually wish I was able to portray how important I think this book is - especially to younger readers of a similar age to the characters.

Fantastic writing from the Author. Not my typical Romantasy genre read at all - very contemporary, raw and heartbreaking in so many ways. The message is very carefully and considerately portrayed.

I would easily rate the authors skill as 5* however I personally prefer a different genre and a book that doesn't make me want to cry into my pillow after and worry more about my teenage son and daughters in the world today 😩

2 stars

( thankyou netgalley for the arc )
( published july 17th)

well....that was certainly something , the first 100 pages were so hard to get into i was on the verge of dnfing but i decided to keep going and it did progress ( well brooke certainley did , matt you can piss off you arsewhole )
the charctor of brooke felt very real and relatable in ways and her coverstions with sanjay i could picture so well and i think that made the book so much better .
however matt youre personailty for 6 years should not be obsessing over a girl that very FUCKING clearley does not like you and i do agree with the other member of stage fright you shouldnt have been teaching there ... he was such an annoying toxic twatty perv x

This was a powerful and emotional read. Not always easy, but really worth it. I liked how honest the story was. Brooke was a very well written character, and I felt close to her feelings and struggles. I could see how she changed through the story, and it felt real. With Matt I had mixed feelings. Sometimes I felt sorry for him, but most of the time I was frustrated. He felt selfish and not always aware of the damage he caused. But that’s part of what made the book feel realistic. No one was just good or bad, just human. The writing style was clear and emotional, and I really liked the structure with acts and scenes. It made the story feel different and fit well with the theater theme. This is not a light story, and please check the content warnings before reading. I give it 4 stars because a few parts felt a bit slow for me, and I wanted a bit more closure for some characters, especially Matt. But overall, it’s a very strong and important book. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I tried to get into this on two separate occasions, and unfortunately, could not get past the first 20 percent.

Human relations in this book were portrayed in such a raw and believable way that made the writing rare and unsettling in the best way possible. This is an informative read just as much as it is entertaining and touching. I loved and hated the characters while understanding every single one of their actions and reactions.
However I did wish we were given some kind of epilogue, since Matt’s and Brooke’s stories didn’t feel completed in a way…
But 4.75 ⭐️ regardless!!

Thank you Unbound for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own!

Very much a neccessary and soaring story. I deeply enjoyed the structure and how we follow Brooke beyond young adulthood and how the butterfly effects of her younger selfs actions impact her in adulthood. I loved (hated) the portrayal of Matt as a manipulative immature young man who grows to be trapped and stuck in this cycle of immaturity and inflicting harm upon others without him becoming a comical big bad villain, this realism was unsettling. I know that Brooke laughed and cried when couldve wouldve shouldve by taylor swift dropped. Whilst I think that labelling this book as a YA coming of age story can in some ways be misleading, I think that the trigger warnings are clear and this IS a coming of age story- one that will hopefully warn and embolden young girls into an understanding of agency and their self-worth.

such a powerful story and important conversation on consent and mental illness. i really enjoyed this book and found myself thinking about it when i wasn’t reading it.

the topics in this book are very heavy and i recommend checking the content warnings before reading

i really liked how this book was set up with the acts and the scenes, and as a theatre fan i really enjoyed the underlying theatre theme of the book, especially early on. i also really liked the chapter lengths!

i think it was clever, and important, that there was a constant reminder of brooke and matt’s ages within the chapter titles and even just throughout the writing in general. also seeing them both grow up really puts everything at the start into perspective even more

i felt a lot of sympathy for brooke throughout the whole book, and i found myself really worrying about her and even relating to some of her struggles at times. she was a very well written character. i feel very conflicted about matt, and there were times early on when i could feel sympathy for him too and i do think he had his struggles too and maybe wasn’t always aware of the gravity of his actions but ultimately i do believe that he is quite self involved and selfish, and while i think he did truly care about brooke i do also think he put himself first in instances when he really shouldn’t have and i think he was very selfish. even at the end i don’t think he was fully aware of how bad his actions were.

the ending was beautiful, the perfect ending for brooke and that last chapter and last line just felt like the perfect conclusion and very needed after everything she’d gone through

the title is also very fitting for brooke and for her story, i personally link the title to the taylor swift song of the same name and that song itself feels very fitting for brooke. it really is all about her trying.

this was a beautiful, powerful and important story and i really recommend it but i also think if you read it you should be prepared for how heavy it is, there are moments that were hard to read. i also feel like i learnt a lot especially about codependency which was interesting.

thank you so much to netgalley and unbound for this arc!!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (5/5 stars)

Raw, powerful, and deeply affecting—this is not your typical YA romance, but a brave and unforgettable coming-of-age story that hits hard and lingers long after the final page. 🎭💔🕊️

When Brooke and Matt are cast as Romeo and Juliet, they never expect the lines between stage and reality to blur so dangerously. What begins as an exciting, secret romance with an older boy quickly unravels into something far more complex and emotionally devastating. As Brooke struggles to process what’s happened, the novel navigates anxiety, blurred consent, and the long road to healing with unflinching honesty. 🩶📖⚖️

Told with emotional depth and lyrical clarity, this debut captures the heartache of growing up too fast, the weight of silence, and the courage it takes to reclaim your voice. Brooke’s journey is messy, real, and ultimately empowering—a story of pain, resilience, and self-discovery. ✨🫀🧠

This is a must-read for fans of contemporary YA that doesn’t shy away from hard truths. Honest, thought-provoking, and beautifully written—this story doesn’t flinch, and neither will you. 💬🌹📚

This was such an emotional rollercoaster, and I was so impressed with the writing. I felt very emotional at certain points in the story, though I felt as though maybe the story ended unfairly on Matt’s part. I love YA when it’s as thought provoking as this one! 5 stars!!

This book wasn't it for me.
I felt really uncomfortable while reading it. I was shocked when there was an in detail description of a really heavy, emotional and for some people maybe also triggering action that the female main character did and I was also disgusted by some of the things mentioned.
I definitely would not portray this book as for young adult readers nor would I recommend it to people who read ya. There should have been atleast a trigger warning list mentioning the subjects that are described in detail in this book. So the reader knows what they are getting into..

I don't like to leave one star reviews, but I received this book as an arc via Netgalley so I had to leave some kind of review. I also wanted to warn people that they must know what they're getting into before starting this book. When you're in doubt, please search for triggerwarnings if they are available for this book