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The Calculation of You and Me
A calculus nerd enlists her surly classmate’s help to win back her ex-boyfriend, but when sparks start to fly, she realizes there’s no algorithm for falling in love.
Marlowe Thompson understands a lot of things. She understands that calculus isn’t overwhelmingly beautiful to everyone, and that it typically kills the mood when you try to talk Python coding over beer pong. She understands people were surprised when golden boy Josh asked her out and she went from weird, math-obsessed Marlowe to half of their school’s couple goals. Unfortunately, Marlowe was surprised when Josh dumped her because he’d prefer a girlfriend who was more romantic. One with emotional depth.
But Marlowe has never failed anything in her life, and she isn’t about to start now. When she’s paired with Ashton Hayes for an English project, his black clothing and moody eyeliner cause a bit of a systems overload, and the dissonant sounds of his rock band make her brain itch. But when she discovers Ash's hidden stash of love songs, Marlowe makes a desperate deal to unleash her inner romantic heroine: if Ash will agree to help her write some love letters, she’ll calculate the perfect data analytics formula to make Ash's band go viral.
As the semester heats up with yearning love notes and late nights spent with a boy who escapes any box her brain tries to put him in, Marlowe starts to question if there’s really a set solution to love. Could a girl who has never met a problem she couldn’t solve have gotten the math so massively wrong?
Marlowe Thompson understands a lot of things. She understands that calculus isn’t overwhelmingly beautiful to everyone, and that it typically kills the mood when you try to talk Python coding over beer pong. She understands people were surprised when golden boy Josh asked her out and she went from weird, math-obsessed Marlowe to half of their school’s couple goals. Unfortunately, Marlowe was surprised when Josh dumped her because he’d prefer a girlfriend who was more romantic. One with emotional depth.
But Marlowe has never failed anything in her life, and she isn’t about to start now. When she’s paired with Ashton Hayes for an English project, his black clothing and moody eyeliner cause a bit of a systems overload, and the dissonant sounds of his rock band make her brain itch. But when she discovers Ash's hidden stash of love songs, Marlowe makes a desperate deal to unleash her inner romantic heroine: if Ash will agree to help her write some love letters, she’ll calculate the perfect data analytics formula to make Ash's band go viral.
As the semester heats up with yearning love notes and late nights spent with a boy who escapes any box her brain tries to put him in, Marlowe starts to question if there’s really a set solution to love. Could a girl who has never met a problem she couldn’t solve have gotten the math so massively wrong?
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2024
65 people are currently reading
12.7k people want to read
About the author
Serena Kaylor
2books223followersThirty-something-year-old with a love of all things sparkly, over-dramatic, and pizza-related. Serena writes books about awkward teens, the chaotic world of theater, found families, Shakespeare himself, and a sprinkle of kisses.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 493 reviews
August 19, 2024
It was good!
- Autistic FMC
- Musician MMC; He's so cute
- YA
- Need a bit of patience for the FMC
- Books are basically a character
- Love the sister moment
- Love the mom moment
- 🍄
(I do think that the cover is doing this book a bit of a disservice but that is my opinion)
--------------------------------
Trying a recommendation from my sister
- Autistic FMC
- Musician MMC; He's so cute
- YA
- Need a bit of patience for the FMC
- Books are basically a character
- Love the sister moment
- Love the mom moment
- 🍄
(I do think that the cover is doing this book a bit of a disservice but that is my opinion)
--------------------------------
Trying a recommendation from my sister
June 26, 2024
thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review
3 stars - it was ok
spoiler free!
genre: YA romance
age rating: 13+
spice: none
tropes
good girl, bad boy
boy is actually a sweetheart once you know him
'i've secretly liked you for years'
NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP
I literally can't think of any others
girly's name is marlow meadows and her sister is bluebell 😭
let's talk about the main issue I had
marlowe has autism. that's not where the problem lies. it was displayed as a 'quirky' trait and the author never expanded on it. it had so much potential to be great because of the little bit of expansion we got, but it just wasn't.I completely forgot she even had autism until it was sprung on randomly.
"'Autism, amirite?'"
it wasn't completely awful, I think it could've been written better or not been in the story at all
what I did like
the writing was very fast-paced and fun to follow! the plot is also such a fun idea and a lot of the conflicts and flaws are well-written. it's just a cute YA novel
marlowe meadows
i'M nOt LiKe OThEr GiRlS
"I wasn't very popular. I was weird Marlowe. Marlowe who was too honest, too literal...'"
you can imagine the rest.
for the most part, she was a sweet character and I enjoyed my time with her. she is flawed, and her flaws are written well! sometimes I wish more stuff was expanded on, though. she has a lot of character development in the short amount of time we have with her :)
ashton hayes
he's in a band and reads romance novels. he's sweet and I did love him but he wasn’t super memorable
"'There's nothing broken about you."
I don’t think these characters had a lot of chemistry but it was fun to see their story
marlowe's grandmother
if the author wasn't high while writing marlowe's grandmother's ghost, I'm very concerned. I'm pretty sure this was just supposed to be a fun quirk about the story but in reality, I'm terrified. it lasted like one chapter and was never brought up again.
"the door flings open and crashes into the wall. my framed national honor society certificate flies off and into my dirty laundry basket. I sigh. 'thanks meemaw.'"
overall
this was a cute book and I had a good time. when I read this I went in mostly blind and it was so fun! if you're looking for a fun book to read, this is the one for you!
quotes
"Chocolate wants us to be happy. How can we not adore a food that cares so much about our well-being?"
"I want every scrap he's willing to share until I have enough clues to piece together the entirety of him."
"'That's okay," he says and the lack of judgment feels like a hand in the dark."
"'But I see him now. I know him. I want him, and I want there to be no doubt in his mind or anybody else's.'"
I don't want to lose the books or teasing or weird adventures. I can't lose him."
"I want him to know me, and I want the people I love to know him."
"'And I know that every moment with you feels more important than the one before. I want them all. Every laugh, every chaotic thought that runs through your brain, and every facial expression you have-even the one you make where you try to pretend I'm not hilarious. They all just make me want you more.'"
pre-read:
got approved for the arc! I’m so excited to read this!
3 stars - it was ok
spoiler free!
genre: YA romance
age rating: 13+
spice: none
tropes
good girl, bad boy
boy is actually a sweetheart once you know him
'i've secretly liked you for years'
NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP
I literally can't think of any others
let's talk about the main issue I had
marlowe has autism. that's not where the problem lies. it was displayed as a 'quirky' trait and the author never expanded on it. it had so much potential to be great because of the little bit of expansion we got, but it just wasn't.
"'Autism, amirite?'"
it wasn't completely awful, I think it could've been written better or not been in the story at all
what I did like
the writing was very fast-paced and fun to follow! the plot is also such a fun idea and a lot of the conflicts and flaws are well-written. it's just a cute YA novel
marlowe meadows
i'M nOt LiKe OThEr GiRlS
"I wasn't very popular. I was weird Marlowe. Marlowe who was too honest, too literal...'"
you can imagine the rest.
for the most part, she was a sweet character and I enjoyed my time with her. she is flawed, and her flaws are written well! sometimes I wish more stuff was expanded on, though. she has a lot of character development in the short amount of time we have with her :)
ashton hayes
he's in a band and reads romance novels. he's sweet and I did love him but he wasn’t super memorable
"'There's nothing broken about you."
I don’t think these characters had a lot of chemistry but it was fun to see their story
marlowe's grandmother
if the author wasn't high while writing marlowe's grandmother's ghost, I'm very concerned. I'm pretty sure this was just supposed to be a fun quirk about the story but in reality, I'm terrified. it lasted like one chapter and was never brought up again.
"the door flings open and crashes into the wall. my framed national honor society certificate flies off and into my dirty laundry basket. I sigh. 'thanks meemaw.'"
overall
this was a cute book and I had a good time. when I read this I went in mostly blind and it was so fun! if you're looking for a fun book to read, this is the one for you!
quotes
"Chocolate wants us to be happy. How can we not adore a food that cares so much about our well-being?"
"I want every scrap he's willing to share until I have enough clues to piece together the entirety of him."
"'That's okay," he says and the lack of judgment feels like a hand in the dark."
"'But I see him now. I know him. I want him, and I want there to be no doubt in his mind or anybody else's.'"
I don't want to lose the books or teasing or weird adventures. I can't lose him."
"I want him to know me, and I want the people I love to know him."
"'And I know that every moment with you feels more important than the one before. I want them all. Every laugh, every chaotic thought that runs through your brain, and every facial expression you have-even the one you make where you try to pretend I'm not hilarious. They all just make me want you more.'"
pre-read:
got approved for the arc! I’m so excited to read this!
June 18, 2024
This is a really well done YA romance book. I don't typically go for YA but decided to give this one a shot based off the synopsis and I'm glad. I also appreciated that there was neurodivergent inclusion in this book. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Lynn Painter and I think if you are on the fence about reading YA, then give this one a shot. It is so sweet and delightful.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and Serena Kaylor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 6/18/24
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and Serena Kaylor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 6/18/24
July 19, 2024
This book was a good read and audiobook. Some good humor. The hot guy was in a band and he wears eyeliner and lip ring. Gothic look because he always wear black. The main character was Marlowe. She has autism and wanting to know a lay out plan before it happened. Even at a kissing scene where she wanted to know how he felt about tongue! The characters in this book love romance books.
A good lesson from this book was the ending. That we don't have to settle for what we had or hold on to it. We should open for new opportunities.
In this story, Marlowe was dumped at the start of the school year. She spent a lot of time figuring out for ways to win him back. She persuaded her classmate Ash to help her, teach her how to be romantic. At first he said no so she turned to romance books for tips. What happened in stories had gone smoother than what happened in real life when Marlowe put the tips to use. Ash came to her rescue and that began their contract of helping each other out. She returned his favor by helping him with his band's social media presence.
Loved the happy endings! Though I would love to have more of their swoon moments than to spend time on Josh. One thing missing from this book was the calculation of you and me. I thought there would be math involved in the calculation of Ash and Marlowe but it was only mentioned that Marlowe loves math. I don't know how to calculate love but the title gave me that impression.
Thank you Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review. Thank you Librofm for the complimentary audiobook!
A good lesson from this book was the ending. That we don't have to settle for what we had or hold on to it. We should open for new opportunities.
In this story, Marlowe was dumped at the start of the school year. She spent a lot of time figuring out for ways to win him back. She persuaded her classmate Ash to help her, teach her how to be romantic. At first he said no so she turned to romance books for tips. What happened in stories had gone smoother than what happened in real life when Marlowe put the tips to use. Ash came to her rescue and that began their contract of helping each other out. She returned his favor by helping him with his band's social media presence.
Loved the happy endings! Though I would love to have more of their swoon moments than to spend time on Josh. One thing missing from this book was the calculation of you and me. I thought there would be math involved in the calculation of Ash and Marlowe but it was only mentioned that Marlowe loves math. I don't know how to calculate love but the title gave me that impression.
Thank you Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review. Thank you Librofm for the complimentary audiobook!
June 12, 2024
1 Sentence Summary: When Marlowe’s boyfriend dumps her because she isn’t romantic enough, she’s determined to prove that she can be good at love & that she’s more than the weird math-obsessed girl everyone sees her as; so when she’s paired up for a school project with Ashton, who dresses in all black, wears eyeliner, and writes love songs, Marlowe proposes a deal: Ash will help her write love letters and in return she will help with his band’s marketing.
My Thoughts: THIS BOOK MADE ME BELIEVE IN LOVE AGAIN!!! It was seriously so freaking cute I was dying, and made me wish I had my own romantic relationship.
The characters and relationships were phenomenal. I love Marlowe! And I love Ash! And I love them together! And I love all of their friends, too! And Marlowe’s family, especially her relationship with her younger sister! Okay, that was way too many exclamation marks, but there was so much great character development in this.
Also, Marlowe has autism and the representation of it was so well done. It was an important part of her identity and was talked about throughout the book, but it wasn’t the whole point of the book, which is what I feel like sometimes happens in books with neurodivergent characters; like, the authors forget that their character is a person, not just Character With Autism. People with autism deserve to have fun & cute romcoms written about them without their autism being the whole focus of the story! Anyway, suffice it to say I loved Marlowe’s character, and Serena Kaylor is autistic herself and wrote Marlowe so well.
Another thing: I’m obsessed with Ash!!! He’s like my emo, eyeliner-wearing, nails-painted, singing-in-a-band child and I want to protect him from the world. Also, despite all the traits I just listed seeming very stereotypical, Ash’s character did not feel stereotypical at all. And I loved so much how Ash was bisexual (or at least had dated both girls and boys) and it wasn’t a thing. He never had to say anything, no one else ever said anything, it was just him, and accepted. :�)
Anyway, I do wish we had gotten some more interactions with the other band members, but I loved Marlowe’s friends, Poppy and Odette, and I loved how everyone was bonding over romance novels haha.
Highly recommend reading this!! It was so sweet with such lovable characters who make you want to keep reading. (And I mean that literally: last night I got in bed and was like, I’m just gonna read a few chapters before I go to sleep. But then I couldn’t stop reading and stayed up way too late and ended up finishing the entire book because it was too good LOL.)
Recommend to: People who enjoy super cute YA romances with neurodivergent representation.
(Warnings: swearing; underage drinking; divorce)
***
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review
My Thoughts: THIS BOOK MADE ME BELIEVE IN LOVE AGAIN!!! It was seriously so freaking cute I was dying, and made me wish I had my own romantic relationship.
The characters and relationships were phenomenal. I love Marlowe! And I love Ash! And I love them together! And I love all of their friends, too! And Marlowe’s family, especially her relationship with her younger sister! Okay, that was way too many exclamation marks, but there was so much great character development in this.
Also, Marlowe has autism and the representation of it was so well done. It was an important part of her identity and was talked about throughout the book, but it wasn’t the whole point of the book, which is what I feel like sometimes happens in books with neurodivergent characters; like, the authors forget that their character is a person, not just Character With Autism. People with autism deserve to have fun & cute romcoms written about them without their autism being the whole focus of the story! Anyway, suffice it to say I loved Marlowe’s character, and Serena Kaylor is autistic herself and wrote Marlowe so well.
Another thing: I’m obsessed with Ash!!! He’s like my emo, eyeliner-wearing, nails-painted, singing-in-a-band child and I want to protect him from the world. Also, despite all the traits I just listed seeming very stereotypical, Ash’s character did not feel stereotypical at all. And I loved so much how Ash was bisexual (or at least had dated both girls and boys) and it wasn’t a thing. He never had to say anything, no one else ever said anything, it was just him, and accepted. :�)
Anyway, I do wish we had gotten some more interactions with the other band members, but I loved Marlowe’s friends, Poppy and Odette, and I loved how everyone was bonding over romance novels haha.
Highly recommend reading this!! It was so sweet with such lovable characters who make you want to keep reading. (And I mean that literally: last night I got in bed and was like, I’m just gonna read a few chapters before I go to sleep. But then I couldn’t stop reading and stayed up way too late and ended up finishing the entire book because it was too good LOL.)
Recommend to: People who enjoy super cute YA romances with neurodivergent representation.
(Warnings: swearing; underage drinking; divorce)
***
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review
November 27, 2024
3 �
i loved the cuteness of this book but i ultimately didn't feel a connection to any characters.
this book reminds me of enchanted by taylor swift and now its stuck in my head lol
--
need a cute little read so here we go ❤️
i loved the cuteness of this book but i ultimately didn't feel a connection to any characters.
this book reminds me of enchanted by taylor swift and now its stuck in my head lol
--
need a cute little read so here we go ❤️
January 14, 2024
Officially love with Serena Kaylor books. The Calculation of You and Me excels at its young adult romance. The author did amazing job at developing characters that you fall in love with in like twenty pages.
They were slow-burn and filled with sweet yearning, and the payoff was incredibly adorable.
Overall, this book solidified Serena Kaylor as an auto-buy author for me.
A special thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
They were slow-burn and filled with sweet yearning, and the payoff was incredibly adorable.
Overall, this book solidified Serena Kaylor as an auto-buy author for me.
A special thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2024
I have complicated feelings about this book, but that's appropriate, as our main character, Marlowe, is a complicated person. One of the best things about Serena Kaylor's books is that she writes nuanced characters with various dimensions, and she doesn't shy away from depicting neurodivergent personalities.
I was slow to warm to THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME and even considered not finishing it, due to Marlowe's singular focus on her ex, Josh, who breaks up with her at the end of the summer, but leaves enough glimmer of hope (in Marlowe's eyes) so that she pines for him all summer. When he truly ends it (in the chemistry lab, no less) on the first day back at school, she's devastated. Around Josh, Marlowe could feel "normal"--she had friends, she went out on dates and to parties, and she was part of the typical high school experience, much to her parents' relief. Without Josh, she's just weird Marlowe, autistic teen. Even worse, when Josh breaks up with her, he tells her she's not romantic enough, only solidifying her internal monologue that she's not like other girls.
Marlowe turns to fellow student Ash, a loner with whom she's been recently paired on an English project, to teach her about romance. Ash works at a romance bookstore (this town has a bookstore dedicated solely to romance books, which sounds so, so amazing) and while he's reluctant to help, citing pure hatred of Josh, Marlowe wins him over, especially when she helps publicize his band.
What follows is a very touching neurodiverse love story with an exploration of teen autism. It's an ode to romance, as Ash teaches Marlowe about the genre via various novels and then romance experiences (aka dates). One of the best things about the book is the focus on Marlowe's relationship with her friends, who are cute, quirky, and not afraid to be different. There's a diverse cast with queer characters--always appreciated.
While focusing on one thing (or person) is, in fact, a part of Marlowe's autism, her focus on Josh went on too long and the book would have been far more engaging with more Ash. It took 20% of the story to even get to her pact with Ash to learn about romance; with that early 20% focused almost solely on opining about Josh. (And I think it's fair to say that Josh is not worth opining over.) It would have been nice to see Marlowe reach her revelation about Josh's true character a bit earlier, so we could have more Marlowe/Ash time. Any part of the story that looked into Marlowe's relationship with her friends, her family, or her banter with Ash was far more interesting.
The story doesn't always feel deep or substantial, but its exploration of neurodivergence is excellent. This tale would be very appropriate and a good fit for its YA audience. 3.5 stars for me.
I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
I was slow to warm to THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME and even considered not finishing it, due to Marlowe's singular focus on her ex, Josh, who breaks up with her at the end of the summer, but leaves enough glimmer of hope (in Marlowe's eyes) so that she pines for him all summer. When he truly ends it (in the chemistry lab, no less) on the first day back at school, she's devastated. Around Josh, Marlowe could feel "normal"--she had friends, she went out on dates and to parties, and she was part of the typical high school experience, much to her parents' relief. Without Josh, she's just weird Marlowe, autistic teen. Even worse, when Josh breaks up with her, he tells her she's not romantic enough, only solidifying her internal monologue that she's not like other girls.
Marlowe turns to fellow student Ash, a loner with whom she's been recently paired on an English project, to teach her about romance. Ash works at a romance bookstore (this town has a bookstore dedicated solely to romance books, which sounds so, so amazing) and while he's reluctant to help, citing pure hatred of Josh, Marlowe wins him over, especially when she helps publicize his band.
What follows is a very touching neurodiverse love story with an exploration of teen autism. It's an ode to romance, as Ash teaches Marlowe about the genre via various novels and then romance experiences (aka dates). One of the best things about the book is the focus on Marlowe's relationship with her friends, who are cute, quirky, and not afraid to be different. There's a diverse cast with queer characters--always appreciated.
While focusing on one thing (or person) is, in fact, a part of Marlowe's autism, her focus on Josh went on too long and the book would have been far more engaging with more Ash. It took 20% of the story to even get to her pact with Ash to learn about romance; with that early 20% focused almost solely on opining about Josh. (And I think it's fair to say that Josh is not worth opining over.) It would have been nice to see Marlowe reach her revelation about Josh's true character a bit earlier, so we could have more Marlowe/Ash time. Any part of the story that looked into Marlowe's relationship with her friends, her family, or her banter with Ash was far more interesting.
The story doesn't always feel deep or substantial, but its exploration of neurodivergence is excellent. This tale would be very appropriate and a good fit for its YA audience. 3.5 stars for me.
I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
April 30, 2024
While I loved Serena Kaylor's debut novel, Long Story Short, sadly, I just didn't connect with this one. I thought there were some very cute romantic moments, and I loved all the representation presented in this story, but several others areas fell short for me. The pacing felt very stilted. The start of the book was quite slow, and I wish there were more moments between the main characters falling in love instead of time spent with all the side characters. There was also some dialogue that felt quite juvenile, even for a young adult novel. Overall, I liked many elements of this story, but I had issues with the writing style. I'd still recommend it to other Young Adult readers though, as the style may work for them.
Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
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June 23, 2024Marlowe, neurodivergent and uncertain of herself in social situations, is told by her boyfriend Josh that they need a break. According to Josh the jack wagon, she doesn’t know how to love someone or even what love is.
She decides she needs a little help, and here we have an English class studying classics, plus a tall, hot musician who offers to help her write letters to get Josh back.
In the course of this letter writing, plus working on a project for English class, Marlowe begins to see that maybe she is not the one who knows nothing of love. But she's learning fast--and not with the stinker Josh.
There were so many funny moments, great characters, and terrific discussions about love. I loved the lead to the end more than I liked the denouement as I'm not really convinced that confessions of love ought to be performance art, but that might be my age. The rest of the book was a delight
She decides she needs a little help, and here we have an English class studying classics, plus a tall, hot musician who offers to help her write letters to get Josh back.
In the course of this letter writing, plus working on a project for English class, Marlowe begins to see that maybe she is not the one who knows nothing of love. But she's learning fast--and not with the stinker Josh.
There were so many funny moments, great characters, and terrific discussions about love. I loved the lead to the end more than I liked the denouement as I'm not really convinced that confessions of love ought to be performance art, but that might be my age. The rest of the book was a delight
March 31, 2024
The calculation of me recommending this book to you is: YES. 1000000% YES! Listen, I am a 35 year old mother of three and I still (let’s be real…will always) love YA. This book quickly became a favorite for me and will be for years to come!
Marlowe and Ash are just, chefs kiss! It’s a slow burning fire but the end result will leave you kicking your feet and squealing in delight.
This was my first read from Serena Kaylor and she is now an automatic buy for me. The way she writes her characters truly draws you in. From Marlowe’s highest of highs and lowest of lows, you’re right there with her through it all. Did I mention she’s neurodivergent (specifically: autistic) and Serena nailed it with that!
Also, don’t even get me started on Ash. He was such a treat! He’s broody, emo and in a band which already wins major book boyfriend points. But don’t let that steal you away from what really made me fall for him. His patience, respect and overall love for our main girl Marlowe will have you swooning and cradling each page. He’s truly a gem.
This book shows the reader the importance of not only finding your true self but also realizing your own worth. YA or not, you’re never too old for this reminder and I definitely needed it.
Read this book. That’s it, that’s the sentence. Just read it, you’ll love it.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for this arc. All opinions are my own.
Marlowe and Ash are just, chefs kiss! It’s a slow burning fire but the end result will leave you kicking your feet and squealing in delight.
This was my first read from Serena Kaylor and she is now an automatic buy for me. The way she writes her characters truly draws you in. From Marlowe’s highest of highs and lowest of lows, you’re right there with her through it all. Did I mention she’s neurodivergent (specifically: autistic) and Serena nailed it with that!
Also, don’t even get me started on Ash. He was such a treat! He’s broody, emo and in a band which already wins major book boyfriend points. But don’t let that steal you away from what really made me fall for him. His patience, respect and overall love for our main girl Marlowe will have you swooning and cradling each page. He’s truly a gem.
This book shows the reader the importance of not only finding your true self but also realizing your own worth. YA or not, you’re never too old for this reminder and I definitely needed it.
Read this book. That’s it, that’s the sentence. Just read it, you’ll love it.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for this arc. All opinions are my own.
January 26, 2025
Pov: you just had your hopes crushed by the book you had your eye on for the longest time.
It's not really a bad book so much as it is juvenile. I thought we moved past girls trying to win back dumb exes, 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘪𝘴.
I LOVED the author's debut - Long Story Short, so imagine my surprise when her new book absolutely tarnished the excitement. I may be being a little harsh but in my defence, I was SO hyped for this.
The ending irked me for it was too rushed when for the last 95% she was still chasing pavements after said dumb ex.
The plot has so much potential for the cutest YA romance with the swooniest possible goth/sunshine trope and all the romance learning the protagonist did but it was not matched.
But I'll give credit where it's due, I liked the support Marlowe had from her friends but Ashton deserves better imo than a too neatly packed ending within five pages. And so does Marlowe, girl needs to take some time for herself.
- ~ -
3.87 / 5�
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
It's not really a bad book so much as it is juvenile. I thought we moved past girls trying to win back dumb exes, 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘪𝘴.
I LOVED the author's debut - Long Story Short, so imagine my surprise when her new book absolutely tarnished the excitement. I may be being a little harsh but in my defence, I was SO hyped for this.
The ending irked me for it was too rushed when for the last 95% she was still chasing pavements after said dumb ex.
The plot has so much potential for the cutest YA romance with the swooniest possible goth/sunshine trope and all the romance learning the protagonist did but it was not matched.
But I'll give credit where it's due, I liked the support Marlowe had from her friends but Ashton deserves better imo than a too neatly packed ending within five pages. And so does Marlowe, girl needs to take some time for herself.
- ~ -
3.87 / 5�
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
February 12, 2024
huge thank you to wednesday books for the arc!
100% a serena kaylor fan now.
i ATE this book up omg� and there were so many things to love about it?!
the book stars marlowe who’s a redheaded nerd who has autism (yay! neurodivergent rep is always a plus!) and her trying to get her ex boyfriend back after he dumped her. to do so, she teams up with her classmate and english project partner ash (who is an emo bookworm who works at the local romance bookstore and he’s also in a band?! honestly what more could you want?) and they have their own little romantic journey together!
the characters in this novel were SO lovable. marlowe, ash, and marlowe’s friends poppy and odette were all a JOY to read about! the other minor characters (except josh, lord i despised him so much) were too. i DESPERATELY need to go to the bookstore with sloane. everyone seems so well thought out and developed!
my favorite part of the book were ash and marlowe themselves. it’s been sooo long since i’ve been this smitten with a couple! but AH the little fieldwork “dates� they went on were SO CUTE. i was definitely kicking my feet over them. and they both compliment each other so well? ash is so patient and marlowe is great too!
i didn’t expect to like this book as much as i did but it was soooo unbelievably sweet and i truly enjoyed every moment. marlowe’s development was great to read and the whole thing made me so giddy <3 there’s so much i can say but honestly you should just read it. i recommend this book to anyone who wants a lighthearted read and loves ya romance! it’s definitely a new favorite for me!
—Ĕ�
prereview: maybe it’s because of my insane attraction to rodrick, johnnie guilbert, and sdv sebastian but the emo lover in me ATE THIS UP
100% a serena kaylor fan now.
i ATE this book up omg� and there were so many things to love about it?!
the book stars marlowe who’s a redheaded nerd who has autism (yay! neurodivergent rep is always a plus!) and her trying to get her ex boyfriend back after he dumped her. to do so, she teams up with her classmate and english project partner ash (who is an emo bookworm who works at the local romance bookstore and he’s also in a band?! honestly what more could you want?) and they have their own little romantic journey together!
the characters in this novel were SO lovable. marlowe, ash, and marlowe’s friends poppy and odette were all a JOY to read about! the other minor characters (except josh, lord i despised him so much) were too. i DESPERATELY need to go to the bookstore with sloane. everyone seems so well thought out and developed!
my favorite part of the book were ash and marlowe themselves. it’s been sooo long since i’ve been this smitten with a couple! but AH the little fieldwork “dates� they went on were SO CUTE. i was definitely kicking my feet over them. and they both compliment each other so well? ash is so patient and marlowe is great too!
i didn’t expect to like this book as much as i did but it was soooo unbelievably sweet and i truly enjoyed every moment. marlowe’s development was great to read and the whole thing made me so giddy <3 there’s so much i can say but honestly you should just read it. i recommend this book to anyone who wants a lighthearted read and loves ya romance! it’s definitely a new favorite for me!
—Ĕ�
prereview: maybe it’s because of my insane attraction to rodrick, johnnie guilbert, and sdv sebastian but the emo lover in me ATE THIS UP
June 25, 2024
This was so good! It was almost a five star, but I wish the main couple had gotten more time to spend together. RTC
June 16, 2024
This was such a great YA romance read!! I enjoyed the neurodivergence rep (Marlowe is autistic) and the whole forced proximity plot involving a goth bisexual boy who Marlowe begs to help her win her ex back when he dumps her for not being romantic enough. The chemistry between Ash and Marlowe was exceptional! I loved their banter and the fact that Ash had to school Marlowe in romance by giving her a list of books to read. There was also an excellent cast of secondary characters from her sister Bluebelle to Ash's bandmates. Great on audio narrated by Stephanie Willing and a must read for fans of authors like Jackie Khalilieh and Jen Wilde. Many thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an early digital and finished copy in exchange for my honest review and to Librofm for the ALC!
Fav quotes:
"Chocolate wants us to be happy. How can we not adore a food that cares so much about our well-being?"
"...I'm capable of doing hard things. Unexpected things. I might even be good at them. Or not, and that would be okay too."
Fav quotes:
"Chocolate wants us to be happy. How can we not adore a food that cares so much about our well-being?"
"...I'm capable of doing hard things. Unexpected things. I might even be good at them. Or not, and that would be okay too."
Want to read
October 19, 2022MORE SERENA KAYLOR I AM GOING TO BE COMPLETELY INSUFFERABLE ABOUT THIS BOOK.
June 8, 2024
3,5 stars
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In this book, we're following Marlowe as she goes through her first-ever breakup. Her ex-boyfriend doesn't think that she's very good at love, but she can prove him wrong. All she wants is to gethimback so she enlists the help of the class musician, Ash, so she can learn to be more 'romantic'. In return, she will help his band go viral by improving their online presence. This sounds terrific on paper, a win-win situation until Marlowe has to face the very pressing question: what does she *actually* want? And is it her ex?
The writing was easy to follow and funny. The plot didn't drag and was well-paced. But my favourite thing about this book was the main character, Marlowe. I like that it de-stigmatizes those on the spectrum. Marlowe is autistic and that doesn't make her unrelatable or quirky. She's simply a teen navigating complex emotions. I love this type of representation where it is acknowledged that neurodivergent people face problems others don't, but they're still just human.
On top of that, I really related to Marlowe's arc. As a people-pleaser, I too struggled in high school with not conforming to other people's ideals. It is always hard to let go of first loves, and also hard to spot toxic dynamics (no matter the age, I fear). But she starts to learn what healthy relationships look like as she goes deep into her romance reader era.
Ash was a fun love interest to read about, but I wish we would've gotten to know more about him. As it is, while I found him kind, patient, and funny, I was still unsure of his personality by the end of the book. However, to be fair, the story wasn't about him so there's also that.
All in all, I think this was a very entertaining, wholesome YA romance read. Perfect if you want to indulge in nostalgic feelings and memories (if you're old like me), or if you want to escape your current school experience by reading someone else's who might be going through similar things.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In this book, we're following Marlowe as she goes through her first-ever breakup. Her ex-boyfriend doesn't think that she's very good at love, but she can prove him wrong. All she wants is to gethimback so she enlists the help of the class musician, Ash, so she can learn to be more 'romantic'. In return, she will help his band go viral by improving their online presence. This sounds terrific on paper, a win-win situation until Marlowe has to face the very pressing question: what does she *actually* want? And is it her ex?
The writing was easy to follow and funny. The plot didn't drag and was well-paced. But my favourite thing about this book was the main character, Marlowe. I like that it de-stigmatizes those on the spectrum. Marlowe is autistic and that doesn't make her unrelatable or quirky. She's simply a teen navigating complex emotions. I love this type of representation where it is acknowledged that neurodivergent people face problems others don't, but they're still just human.
On top of that, I really related to Marlowe's arc. As a people-pleaser, I too struggled in high school with not conforming to other people's ideals. It is always hard to let go of first loves, and also hard to spot toxic dynamics (no matter the age, I fear). But she starts to learn what healthy relationships look like as she goes deep into her romance reader era.
Ash was a fun love interest to read about, but I wish we would've gotten to know more about him. As it is, while I found him kind, patient, and funny, I was still unsure of his personality by the end of the book. However, to be fair, the story wasn't about him so there's also that.
All in all, I think this was a very entertaining, wholesome YA romance read. Perfect if you want to indulge in nostalgic feelings and memories (if you're old like me), or if you want to escape your current school experience by reading someone else's who might be going through similar things.
November 22, 2024
Well if this wasn’t the sweetest book ever then I don’t know what is!
I think Marlowe will go down as one of my favorite FMCs. She’s everything. I loved her journey in this book so much. She was also pretty funny.
Ash. I’m obsessed. He was so attentive and understanding with Marlowe. Also, I love the way he called her Marlowe and not Lo like everyone else. He did a lot of small things for her. One of my favorite things is that he tells her not to apologize. For the things she says or the things she doesn’t understand. It’s a small sentence ‘don’t apologize� but it was beautiful to say that to someone like Marlowe who is constantly questioning what people are thinking and if she is correctly understanding the things happening around her. I love that the things certain other people found annoying or ‘too much� about Marlowe were the things he liked the most about her.
Every side character in this book is amazing as well. I’m so happy for the fictional world Marlowe belongs to. She has really great support in those around her.
I absolutely loved the autism rep. I also loved the use of romance books and how they were precious in this book. There’s no making fun of them or diminishing their worth. Loved it!
This was a really good book. This is YA and a slow burn but the banter, the tension, and mutual understanding and growth was perfect. There was never a dull moment in this book for me so I read almost straight through it in one sitting!
🥹 I’ll be rereading this one day soon. 🧡
Thank you to the author, SMP, and netgalley for the arc.
I think Marlowe will go down as one of my favorite FMCs. She’s everything. I loved her journey in this book so much. She was also pretty funny.
Ash. I’m obsessed. He was so attentive and understanding with Marlowe. Also, I love the way he called her Marlowe and not Lo like everyone else. He did a lot of small things for her. One of my favorite things is that he tells her not to apologize. For the things she says or the things she doesn’t understand. It’s a small sentence ‘don’t apologize� but it was beautiful to say that to someone like Marlowe who is constantly questioning what people are thinking and if she is correctly understanding the things happening around her. I love that the things certain other people found annoying or ‘too much� about Marlowe were the things he liked the most about her.
Every side character in this book is amazing as well. I’m so happy for the fictional world Marlowe belongs to. She has really great support in those around her.
I absolutely loved the autism rep. I also loved the use of romance books and how they were precious in this book. There’s no making fun of them or diminishing their worth. Loved it!
This was a really good book. This is YA and a slow burn but the banter, the tension, and mutual understanding and growth was perfect. There was never a dull moment in this book for me so I read almost straight through it in one sitting!
🥹 I’ll be rereading this one day soon. 🧡
Thank you to the author, SMP, and netgalley for the arc.
February 13, 2025
Extremely disappointing sophomore effort, after a wonderful, debut, YA novel
Marlowe's narcissistic, arrogant boyfriend of two years, Josh, dumps her at the beginning of their senior year, because he claims she isn't "romantic" enough. She sets out on a psychological journey to learn how to be romantic in a way that judgmental Josh would approve of, so she can win him back. She enlists a fellow senior, Ash, who is a handsome, goth musician, to assist her in her quest.
Marlow spends the entire novel on this humiliating, self-destructive story goal until the very end of the novel when, at long last, she wakes up and realizes that Josh is a jerk, their relationship was dysfunctional, and not worth trying to retrieve.
This story is wrongly marketed as a romance. It is YA chick lit. It is written from the sole, first-person, present-tense POV of Marlowe. It focuses on her psychological issues and her growth journey to overcome them. Her actually getting together with Ash as a romantic partner, as is typical with all chick lit, occurs only near the end of the novel, as a reward for good behavior. That is, evolving from a pathetic doormat at the beck and call of a misogynistic boy, into a liberated young woman, who places primary focus on important female relationships, and who can very easily survive without a male partner. In contrast, an actual romance novel focuses, as the primary plot, on the courtship between two people, and we are allowed to equally get to know both of them via the perspective of both of their POVs.
Here are the things that do not exist in this book that made the author's first book, Long Story Short (LSS), so special:
1. A lively, believable premise. I had major difficulty accepting the foundational premise of this novel, that Marlowe, whom, we are informed over and over again, is on the autism spectrum, and socially awkward to the point that it causes her to lack confidence, would have had any relationship whatsoever with Josh, as he is described throughout this novel. He is a cliche, wealthy, WASPishly handsome, popular, teen bully. (The prototype for this one-dimensional, stock character is James Spader, as the spoiled, rich bully, Steff McKee, in the 1986 John Hughes teen movie, Pretty in Pink.) I could not suspend disbelief, due to Josh's casually cruel, narcissistic personality, and his emphasis on being popular, that he would have chosen Marlowe as a girlfriend for two minutes, let alone two whole years.
2. A "show, don't tell" presentation of the FMC as being on the autism spectrum. In LSS, the FMC is never outright labeled as on the spectrum; her neurodivergent characteristics are allowed to speak for themselves. This book goes to the opposite extreme, with repetitive, "tell don't show" reminders throughout the book that Marlowe is on the autism spectrum. It is never made clear exactly the extent of Marlowe's autism traits, because she goes in and out, in her presentation in this novel, between having classic traits and barely any traits at all--entirely at the authorial convenience of whatever scene is being enacted onstage. It is also unfortunate that, as a neurodivergent individual on medication, Marlowe is presented as routinely drinking alcohol at raucous teen parties, which is a highly dangerous combination for any of the drugs that might be prescribed to someone on the spectrum. Not to mention that it is entirely unbelievable that Marlowe, with the personality attributed to her throughout this novel, ever feeling anything but miserable at drunken-teen revelries, even if she joins in on the rampant, underage boozing.
3. An innovative and fascinating setting. LSS offers the unique setting of a Shakespeare-focussed, residential, summer camp. This story takes place in a generic, tiny, southern town, in an unnamed state, with very little description of the town, other than the generic high school and a highly improbable bookstore, which sells only romance novels. (Even a standard indie bookstore, selling every kind of genre of book, in a small town anywhere in the USA, would go broke, but one catering entirely to romance is enormously likely to never even get off the ground.)
4. A realistic and intriguing differentiation between the personality of the FMC and her mother. In LSS, the mother of the FMC is described as colorfully outgoing, and she dresses to match her personality. The introverted FMC is described as someone who wears the same, nondescript, beige clothing day after day, year after year. In this story, we are informed that all southern women, including Marlowe's mother and sister, are supposedly the same--charming, eternally polite, "bless your heart" individuals--and that Marlowe has, with eager compliance, allowed herself to be molded into this cliche, Hallmark-channel-esque, feminine persona.
5. A believably celibate FMC at the center of a G-rated novel. Given that the FMC of LSS is neurodivergent and doesn't like to be touched, has never dated or been kissed, it is perfectly believable that she is a virgin, and that there won't be any sex in the novel. In contrast, in a disappointing cop-out, we are indirectly, in anything but an open, direct, "sex positive" manner, informed that Marlowe has been sexually active with her boyfriend of two years via this euphemistic phrase: "Josh was my first kiss. My first everything...." It is difficult for me to accept that Marlowe would have been anything but utterly repelled by having sex with an insensitive clod like Josh. I can't believe that he would be the guy that would help her to not only overcome her innate aversion, as a neurodivergent individual, to being touched in any manner, but actually inspire her to not just tolerate intercourse with him, but to some degree enjoy it.
6. Well motivated, carefree inclusivity, in which teen characters who are LGBTQ and/or people of color have clearly never experienced a moment of persecution. In LSS, all of the characters are from either upperclass or wealthy backgrounds, who live in urban settings. I can easily suspend disbelief that, during their well-cushioned lives, they have avoided the bigoted persecution that is so tragically rampant in our country. I could *not* suspend disbelief that the teen characters in this novel, who are out-and-proud LGBTQ and/or people of color, as well as someone neurodivergent like Marlowe, have never suffered a moment of persecution living in a tiny, conservative, southern town.
This novel is mainstream published and is *not* available through KU on Amazon. However, the audiobook version is available through Hoopla.
Marlowe's narcissistic, arrogant boyfriend of two years, Josh, dumps her at the beginning of their senior year, because he claims she isn't "romantic" enough. She sets out on a psychological journey to learn how to be romantic in a way that judgmental Josh would approve of, so she can win him back. She enlists a fellow senior, Ash, who is a handsome, goth musician, to assist her in her quest.
Marlow spends the entire novel on this humiliating, self-destructive story goal until the very end of the novel when, at long last, she wakes up and realizes that Josh is a jerk, their relationship was dysfunctional, and not worth trying to retrieve.
This story is wrongly marketed as a romance. It is YA chick lit. It is written from the sole, first-person, present-tense POV of Marlowe. It focuses on her psychological issues and her growth journey to overcome them. Her actually getting together with Ash as a romantic partner, as is typical with all chick lit, occurs only near the end of the novel, as a reward for good behavior. That is, evolving from a pathetic doormat at the beck and call of a misogynistic boy, into a liberated young woman, who places primary focus on important female relationships, and who can very easily survive without a male partner. In contrast, an actual romance novel focuses, as the primary plot, on the courtship between two people, and we are allowed to equally get to know both of them via the perspective of both of their POVs.
Here are the things that do not exist in this book that made the author's first book, Long Story Short (LSS), so special:
1. A lively, believable premise. I had major difficulty accepting the foundational premise of this novel, that Marlowe, whom, we are informed over and over again, is on the autism spectrum, and socially awkward to the point that it causes her to lack confidence, would have had any relationship whatsoever with Josh, as he is described throughout this novel. He is a cliche, wealthy, WASPishly handsome, popular, teen bully. (The prototype for this one-dimensional, stock character is James Spader, as the spoiled, rich bully, Steff McKee, in the 1986 John Hughes teen movie, Pretty in Pink.) I could not suspend disbelief, due to Josh's casually cruel, narcissistic personality, and his emphasis on being popular, that he would have chosen Marlowe as a girlfriend for two minutes, let alone two whole years.
2. A "show, don't tell" presentation of the FMC as being on the autism spectrum. In LSS, the FMC is never outright labeled as on the spectrum; her neurodivergent characteristics are allowed to speak for themselves. This book goes to the opposite extreme, with repetitive, "tell don't show" reminders throughout the book that Marlowe is on the autism spectrum. It is never made clear exactly the extent of Marlowe's autism traits, because she goes in and out, in her presentation in this novel, between having classic traits and barely any traits at all--entirely at the authorial convenience of whatever scene is being enacted onstage. It is also unfortunate that, as a neurodivergent individual on medication, Marlowe is presented as routinely drinking alcohol at raucous teen parties, which is a highly dangerous combination for any of the drugs that might be prescribed to someone on the spectrum. Not to mention that it is entirely unbelievable that Marlowe, with the personality attributed to her throughout this novel, ever feeling anything but miserable at drunken-teen revelries, even if she joins in on the rampant, underage boozing.
3. An innovative and fascinating setting. LSS offers the unique setting of a Shakespeare-focussed, residential, summer camp. This story takes place in a generic, tiny, southern town, in an unnamed state, with very little description of the town, other than the generic high school and a highly improbable bookstore, which sells only romance novels. (Even a standard indie bookstore, selling every kind of genre of book, in a small town anywhere in the USA, would go broke, but one catering entirely to romance is enormously likely to never even get off the ground.)
4. A realistic and intriguing differentiation between the personality of the FMC and her mother. In LSS, the mother of the FMC is described as colorfully outgoing, and she dresses to match her personality. The introverted FMC is described as someone who wears the same, nondescript, beige clothing day after day, year after year. In this story, we are informed that all southern women, including Marlowe's mother and sister, are supposedly the same--charming, eternally polite, "bless your heart" individuals--and that Marlowe has, with eager compliance, allowed herself to be molded into this cliche, Hallmark-channel-esque, feminine persona.
5. A believably celibate FMC at the center of a G-rated novel. Given that the FMC of LSS is neurodivergent and doesn't like to be touched, has never dated or been kissed, it is perfectly believable that she is a virgin, and that there won't be any sex in the novel. In contrast, in a disappointing cop-out, we are indirectly, in anything but an open, direct, "sex positive" manner, informed that Marlowe has been sexually active with her boyfriend of two years via this euphemistic phrase: "Josh was my first kiss. My first everything...." It is difficult for me to accept that Marlowe would have been anything but utterly repelled by having sex with an insensitive clod like Josh. I can't believe that he would be the guy that would help her to not only overcome her innate aversion, as a neurodivergent individual, to being touched in any manner, but actually inspire her to not just tolerate intercourse with him, but to some degree enjoy it.
6. Well motivated, carefree inclusivity, in which teen characters who are LGBTQ and/or people of color have clearly never experienced a moment of persecution. In LSS, all of the characters are from either upperclass or wealthy backgrounds, who live in urban settings. I can easily suspend disbelief that, during their well-cushioned lives, they have avoided the bigoted persecution that is so tragically rampant in our country. I could *not* suspend disbelief that the teen characters in this novel, who are out-and-proud LGBTQ and/or people of color, as well as someone neurodivergent like Marlowe, have never suffered a moment of persecution living in a tiny, conservative, southern town.
This novel is mainstream published and is *not* available through KU on Amazon. However, the audiobook version is available through Hoopla.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2024
some cute nerdy romance with predictable swooning? hand it over, no questions asked.
also funny how, the older i get, the more i can enjoy high school romances again—maybe enough time has passed that i can pretend high school times were cute (and ignore the cringe).
also funny how, the older i get, the more i can enjoy high school romances again—maybe enough time has passed that i can pretend high school times were cute (and ignore the cringe).
February 23, 2024
not enough math
June 23, 2024
What a fantastic YA romance book!! Marlowe Thompson had been dating Josh but Josh dumped her out of nowhere. He told her that she didn’t love him the way he wanted her to, he wanted her to be more romantic. Determined to win him back, after Marlowe is paired with Ashton in English class for a project, she makes a deal with him wherein he helps her learn about being more romantic. But what does Marlowe really want?
I really loved this book. It is such a well written YA romance novel. There isn’t a dull moment at all, and I really enjoyed seeing Marlowe’s growth. Marlowe goes from being obsessed with getting Josh back to realizing that maybe he wasn’t who she thought he was. Ash does that for her. Ash is a singer in an emo band, wearing black, with a lip ring, and wears eyeliner (so really every guy I liked when I was a teenager haha).
Marlowe is also autistic. Josh doesn’t seem to be understanding of that, but Ash is thoughtful. He also doesn’t treat Marlowe as “a person with autism,� he treats her as a person. It’s really beautiful. Ashton is thoughtful, and caring. He takes a step back for Marlowe. I love Ashton and Marlowe together. He made her open her eyes to what a relationship was really like, a healthy relationship.
The ONLY thing I wish.. was that I got more after the end! I wanted to see more of Ash and Marlowe together. They will be living rent free in my head for a while.
This is a MUST read for any fans of romance books.
I really loved this book. It is such a well written YA romance novel. There isn’t a dull moment at all, and I really enjoyed seeing Marlowe’s growth. Marlowe goes from being obsessed with getting Josh back to realizing that maybe he wasn’t who she thought he was. Ash does that for her. Ash is a singer in an emo band, wearing black, with a lip ring, and wears eyeliner (so really every guy I liked when I was a teenager haha).
Marlowe is also autistic. Josh doesn’t seem to be understanding of that, but Ash is thoughtful. He also doesn’t treat Marlowe as “a person with autism,� he treats her as a person. It’s really beautiful. Ashton is thoughtful, and caring. He takes a step back for Marlowe. I love Ashton and Marlowe together. He made her open her eyes to what a relationship was really like, a healthy relationship.
The ONLY thing I wish.. was that I got more after the end! I wanted to see more of Ash and Marlowe together. They will be living rent free in my head for a while.
This is a MUST read for any fans of romance books.
July 3, 2024
Thank you net galley for this arc! This is more a 3.5 then a four but I rounded up. A sweet YA romance that’s got some great neurodivergency rep, a non toxic hero and some genuinely fun quirks (her grandmas ghost). This book is not one that rises above other examples in its genre but it’s a good, breezy read that makes you feel good, and sometimes that’s enough.
February 29, 2024
� ˚｡⋆3.5 stars 🍄୨୧˚
� I desperately miss Liz and Wes ‹�
This book reminded me of Better Than Movies in the best way possible �
okay yall i am giving the recipe of this book.
Take "Better Than Movies" switch the rom-com with romance books and add a hyper fixation for mushrooms and change the guy with a hot goth metal head.
Debating if I should give it 4 stars or 3!
To be honest.. I wanted to give a 4. But some but the story was evolving a little too slowly for my liking but they were so cute not to have my heart melted.
♍️ "I think it's hard for everyone, darlin'" "You know what I mean. For us" "Virgos?" "Dad."♍️
okay my guilt is that i never noticed she was autistic until someone yelled it but i have to admit the humor in this book is unmatched
🍄 This is gross. Are we cute yet. 🍄
Ashton Hayes. You are one damn of a man😫. The way he didn't treat her differently because of her condition and saw her as a normal person has my heart. And I love myself a tall goth hot boy🤭
🧮 "Okay what is the least romantic school subject?" "Math." "Ash Augustus Hayes! How dare you say that to my face." 🧮
I had my favorite parts about the book all through out the story but if I had to pick a fave's I would say everything contains Odette and her humor so I give you a compilation of
✨My Favorite Odette Quotes�
� "People were dicks in the 1800s."
� "Exhibit B, he can be scary. Apparently, Devon Black asked him to borrow a pen once, Mary Beth swears he growled at him."
� "Were there spicy parts?"
˚� the romance 𓍢ִ❤️�
I love my romance books and my romance-coms and I definitely love a girl who loves them. And we also love a thoughtful boy🥹. People, he watched a mushroom documentary and listened to her talk about mushrooms on the phone. The bar is so high. The first message he sent her when he got her number was a mushroom emoji🍄 Do I have to explain more?
₊˚⊹ to conclude 𓍢ִ໋�
It was a cute cozy quick romance read. I have to admit there was times I was giggling, all red, swinging my feet stupidly while reading🤭🤭 so the romance was just🤌🏻🤌🏻 The only flaw (a personal flaw) was that the events happening too slowly and yet it didn't stop me from enjoying this book.
happy reading lovelies 🎀
� I desperately miss Liz and Wes ‹�
This book reminded me of Better Than Movies in the best way possible �
okay yall i am giving the recipe of this book.
Take "Better Than Movies" switch the rom-com with romance books and add a hyper fixation for mushrooms and change the guy with a hot goth metal head.
Debating if I should give it 4 stars or 3!
To be honest.. I wanted to give a 4. But some but the story was evolving a little too slowly for my liking but they were so cute not to have my heart melted.
♍️ "I think it's hard for everyone, darlin'" "You know what I mean. For us" "Virgos?" "Dad."♍️
okay my guilt is that i never noticed she was autistic until someone yelled it but i have to admit the humor in this book is unmatched
🍄 This is gross. Are we cute yet. 🍄
Ashton Hayes. You are one damn of a man😫. The way he didn't treat her differently because of her condition and saw her as a normal person has my heart. And I love myself a tall goth hot boy🤭
🧮 "Okay what is the least romantic school subject?" "Math." "Ash Augustus Hayes! How dare you say that to my face." 🧮
I had my favorite parts about the book all through out the story but if I had to pick a fave's I would say everything contains Odette and her humor so I give you a compilation of
✨My Favorite Odette Quotes�
� "People were dicks in the 1800s."
� "Exhibit B, he can be scary. Apparently, Devon Black asked him to borrow a pen once, Mary Beth swears he growled at him."
� "Were there spicy parts?"
˚� the romance 𓍢ִ❤️�
I love my romance books and my romance-coms and I definitely love a girl who loves them. And we also love a thoughtful boy🥹. People, he watched a mushroom documentary and listened to her talk about mushrooms on the phone. The bar is so high. The first message he sent her when he got her number was a mushroom emoji🍄 Do I have to explain more?
₊˚⊹ to conclude 𓍢ִ໋�
It was a cute cozy quick romance read. I have to admit there was times I was giggling, all red, swinging my feet stupidly while reading🤭🤭 so the romance was just🤌🏻🤌🏻 The only flaw (a personal flaw) was that the events happening too slowly and yet it didn't stop me from enjoying this book.
happy reading lovelies 🎀
April 13, 2024
This book was ok. I felt like there was a lot of potential for a super cute YA Romance between two misfits, but ultimately it did not live up to my expectations.
What I liked about the book:
1. I loved that the FMC was autistic and she totally owned it. Here is one of my favorite excerpts:
- Love it. Totally makes sense.
2. I loved how much Marlowe loved math! As a fellow woman in STEM, I love seeing other women who have genuine love for these fields. My little nerd heart flutters!
-YES! Oh, the beauty of math 😊
3. I enjoyed how Marlowe found herself and her need to make herself happy instead of trying to live to make someone else happy through the use of romance novels. Frequently, romance novels are written off as either silly little stories at their most innocent or porn at their most crude, however, there are many romance novels and ideas within novels that highlight the independence of women and finding your own worth. Throughout this book, we saw Marlowe go from being a side character to the main character in her own life as she read more and more of these romance books. I was happy to see this represented as a key point to the story.
4. I loved the support from Marlowe’s mother and Sloane when she realized that her ex wasn’t really great.
From Sloane, we got this gem:
- PREACH!!!
What I wasn’t a fan of:
1. Overall, something was missing. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the MCs, and everyone was a real surface level character, besides maybe her friend Odette. The main point of a YA romance should be the chemistry between the MCs and a stellar group of side characters, but we didn’t get that in this one. They were all fine, but nothing spectacular.
2. While Ash wasn’t super convincing as having pined for Marlowe, he did deserve a lot better than a wrap up in the last five minutes of the book. I felt the ending was rushed and thus not super satisfactory. Yes, we got our HEA, but I felt he deserved more, especially given the fact that he was never chosen first by anyone in his life. It should have been her big gesture (like she wanted), instead of him (yet again) trying to earn someone’s affection.
3. I'm kind of over the whole contract thing in YA romances. I understand it creates a give-and-take relationship and a business-like formality to the interactions between the characters (so the *gasp* LOVE, comes out of nowhere) but is a contract necessary?
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and Serena Kaylor for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
What I liked about the book:
1. I loved that the FMC was autistic and she totally owned it. Here is one of my favorite excerpts:
"There it is again, rearing up like a scarlet A that brands me as different. I appreciate him trying to be thoughtful, but I would also like everyone to mind their own business and just let me navigate things myself. Unless it’s something surprising or overwhelming, in which case I would like a heads-up.
But also not, if that makes sense?
I want it both ways, and for them to read my mind so we can avoid these conversations. Or maybe a different brain. Or maybe for everyone else to have a brain like mine."
- Love it. Totally makes sense.
2. I loved how much Marlowe loved math! As a fellow woman in STEM, I love seeing other women who have genuine love for these fields. My little nerd heart flutters!
"Math is elegant, beautiful in its complexity, and it doesn’t matter if you take a million different approaches, there’s a finite answer. No gray zone or wiggle room."
-YES! Oh, the beauty of math 😊
3. I enjoyed how Marlowe found herself and her need to make herself happy instead of trying to live to make someone else happy through the use of romance novels. Frequently, romance novels are written off as either silly little stories at their most innocent or porn at their most crude, however, there are many romance novels and ideas within novels that highlight the independence of women and finding your own worth. Throughout this book, we saw Marlowe go from being a side character to the main character in her own life as she read more and more of these romance books. I was happy to see this represented as a key point to the story.
4. I loved the support from Marlowe’s mother and Sloane when she realized that her ex wasn’t really great.
From Sloane, we got this gem:
"Nobody is inherently bad at love. Sure, people have different communication styles and love languages, and we might not all be on the same page at all times. Those challenges can require work, sometimes professional work, but your instincts aren’t wrong just because they’re not his instincts. And anybody who would make you think or feel that way is not someone worth fighting for."
- PREACH!!!
What I wasn’t a fan of:
1. Overall, something was missing. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the MCs, and everyone was a real surface level character, besides maybe her friend Odette. The main point of a YA romance should be the chemistry between the MCs and a stellar group of side characters, but we didn’t get that in this one. They were all fine, but nothing spectacular.
2. While Ash wasn’t super convincing as having pined for Marlowe, he did deserve a lot better than a wrap up in the last five minutes of the book. I felt the ending was rushed and thus not super satisfactory. Yes, we got our HEA, but I felt he deserved more, especially given the fact that he was never chosen first by anyone in his life. It should have been her big gesture (like she wanted), instead of him (yet again) trying to earn someone’s affection.
3. I'm kind of over the whole contract thing in YA romances. I understand it creates a give-and-take relationship and a business-like formality to the interactions between the characters (so the *gasp* LOVE, comes out of nowhere) but is a contract necessary?
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and Serena Kaylor for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
June 17, 2024
A couple of years ago Serena Kaylor published her debut novel, Long Story Short and I wrote that it was sparkling. Guess what? Her newest novel, The Calculation of You and Me, is as well. I enjoyed reading every moment of it, and sparkle it did!
Marlow Meadows is a mathematics nerd. Math is about order. There are no surprises in math unlike the one that her no ex-boyfriend, Josh, has dumped on her. While Marlow thought everything was going so well, Josh said it wasn’t working because she wasn’t romantic enough. Not one to ever drop a challenge, Marlow is intent on learning how to be romantic enough so she can win Josh back and things can return to normal. However, when she is partnered for an English AP assignment with Ash, a goth-looking seeming-loner, nothing will ever go back to being normal again.
Serena Kaylor has taken what would simply be a run-of-the-mill ya romance and made it into something special, and it’s mostly do to her creation of charming, unique characters that make the story a joy. Besides Marlow, who is on the spectrum, there are her best friends, Poppy and Odette. Odette is described as looking like a doll, but her straight-forwardness and saying exactly what is on her mind are definitely not doll-like. She rocked with her ability to say the unexpected. Poppy is probably the more rational and thoughtful (as in thinking and being organized) friend, who balances the trio of girls. And, Ash defies categorization. Why would anyone want to go for the typical sports hero when a studious, caring, soon-to-be rock god is around?
The story has energy, wit, and some angst that kept me reading–happily. But mostly it was adorable and just made me smile.
I hope Serena Kaylor’s books continue to sparkle!
Many thanks to Wednesday Books for sending me a copy.
Marlow Meadows is a mathematics nerd. Math is about order. There are no surprises in math unlike the one that her no ex-boyfriend, Josh, has dumped on her. While Marlow thought everything was going so well, Josh said it wasn’t working because she wasn’t romantic enough. Not one to ever drop a challenge, Marlow is intent on learning how to be romantic enough so she can win Josh back and things can return to normal. However, when she is partnered for an English AP assignment with Ash, a goth-looking seeming-loner, nothing will ever go back to being normal again.
Serena Kaylor has taken what would simply be a run-of-the-mill ya romance and made it into something special, and it’s mostly do to her creation of charming, unique characters that make the story a joy. Besides Marlow, who is on the spectrum, there are her best friends, Poppy and Odette. Odette is described as looking like a doll, but her straight-forwardness and saying exactly what is on her mind are definitely not doll-like. She rocked with her ability to say the unexpected. Poppy is probably the more rational and thoughtful (as in thinking and being organized) friend, who balances the trio of girls. And, Ash defies categorization. Why would anyone want to go for the typical sports hero when a studious, caring, soon-to-be rock god is around?
The story has energy, wit, and some angst that kept me reading–happily. But mostly it was adorable and just made me smile.
I hope Serena Kaylor’s books continue to sparkle!
Many thanks to Wednesday Books for sending me a copy.
June 17, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced review copy!
The premise for this sounded fun, but unfortunately, it fell so flat for me.
First, the good. I enjoyed Ash’s character for the most part and really loved that he valued Marlowe, which was needed for her in this story. I also liked Marlowe’s love of math and how she viewed the world through that lens.
However, I otherwise didn’t love Marlowe’s character or find her endearing. I found it really frustrating that she spent the majority of the book pining after someone who obviously didn’t care about her.
Additionally, for a book that felt so long, there wasn’t a huge chunk of time spent on the actual romance. And the ending was super rushed!
I’m going to just go with the viewpoint that I’m not the target audience for this one. There are lots of positive reviews, so take this one with a grain of salt.
The premise for this sounded fun, but unfortunately, it fell so flat for me.
First, the good. I enjoyed Ash’s character for the most part and really loved that he valued Marlowe, which was needed for her in this story. I also liked Marlowe’s love of math and how she viewed the world through that lens.
However, I otherwise didn’t love Marlowe’s character or find her endearing. I found it really frustrating that she spent the majority of the book pining after someone who obviously didn’t care about her.
Additionally, for a book that felt so long, there wasn’t a huge chunk of time spent on the actual romance. And the ending was super rushed!
I’m going to just go with the viewpoint that I’m not the target audience for this one. There are lots of positive reviews, so take this one with a grain of salt.
May 5, 2024
I devoured this read! I haven’t read a romance book in so long, and honestly.. I don’t why I did that to myself. I NEED more romance books in my life. If I’m honest this is probably more like a 4.75⭐️ but it was really good. The end had a cringe moment for me, but I think that’s just part of the romance category: to have some cringe. I loved the characters so much. Marlowe, Odette, and Poppy sound like the friend group I would have wanted to be a part of in high school. I loved how brilliant and real they all were. I loved their dynamic and connection. The STEM/math/science/comp sci vibes were amazing, and I am here for it! I liked that the male lead wasn’t your “typical� love interest. He had so many layers and was so gentle and sweet despite his appearance and what one might infer/assume from that. I loved that the main character was neurodivergent! Like yes, please! I love how it was subtle throughout the book though because she is just a regular teen, but one who might have more difficulties in social situations and navigating certain things. I liked how her disability was included as a part of her story, but it wasn’t the spotlight. It just added so much more dimension to her character and made me love her even more! I also really enjoyed the Wuthering Heights parts. I read that book earlier this year, so that was really cool for me to see if referenced in this book and to draw from my own knowledge of reading that classic. Overall, this was quick, light-hearted read. Def would recommend. I’m so thankful this book reignited me to read more romance!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for this irresistibly sunny and sweet ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for this irresistibly sunny and sweet ARC!
June 25, 2024
⭐️⭐️💫
There was much less calculus than I hoped for.
RTC
There was much less calculus than I hoped for.
RTC
October 18, 2024
ashton hayes i love you i need you
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