The Other Side takes readers on a nostalgic journey through the ups and downs of teenage romance. Following Sadie Wills as she navigates her post-graduation heartbreak, this book beautifully captures that turbulent summer of uncertainty and self-discovery. I appreciated the vivid setting of Abbyville and the charming backdrop of Gigi’s Dairy Bar, which really brings the story to life. The themes of change and resilience resonate throughout, reminding us that sometimes unexpected shifts can lead to growth.

However, while I wanted to fall in love with Sadie’s journey, I found myself struggling to connect with her character. Her intense emotional responses felt a bit overdone at times, and I rolled my eyes at some of her dramatic moments. The rivalry between Gigi's and the new ice cream shop had potential, but it didn’t quite grab my attention as much as I hoped. Overall, *Running from Love* is a cute read that younger audiences might enjoy, but I wish it had more depth beyond the central romance. I’m giving it 2.5 stars, rounding up because of the lovely writing style and nostalgic vibe, but it fell short of my expectations.

This was really cute and fun! I love a sweet summer read, and my students really enjoy lighthearted stuff like this - lots of Jenny Han fans in the house. Really nice stuff.

A cute read, albeit it a little cheesy. I had a harder time picking up this book and struggled at times to get through certain parts. Overall good idea, but just don’t think this one was form personally.

DNF, This book felt too wordy and I couldn't clearly understand the plot. I ended up losing interest.

The Other Side archived before I was able to download it. I was not able to read and review it because of that.

The Other Side is a fun romantic novel that is sweet.

Serving up ice cream at Gigi’s Dairy Bar in downtown Abbyville proves to be a nice distraction. That is, until she finds out the old house across the street, which used to be the town’s flower shop, is being torn down to put up an ice cream franchise. Convinced the new store will put Gigi’s out of business, Sadie comes up with a plan. Her newfound summer resolution? Save that house and save Gigi’s.

The characters are lovable and the setting is just perfect. Love this book and can’t wait for more from this author.

I wasn’t able to get into this book. I tried multiple times but couldn’t connect. This is why I originally did not give any feedback.

Look at that cute cover! I love the combination of the ice cream cones and the flowers. It gives off a very summery vibe and fits the story perfectly. The cover got me pretty excited for the story. And this story starts with Sadie getting dumped by her boyfriend off three years Paul. This summer she'll have to try and get over him, try to save the ice cream shop she works at and not fall for the son of the competition that's building a big ice cream company across the street. Sounds like good ingredients for a fun contemporary right?

Unfortunately I was quite bored for most of the story. The main plot was very cliche. This doesn't have to be a problem, I don't mind a predictable story as long as I care about the characters. Unfortunately I didn't really care about most of the characters. And that made this a hard story for me to enjoy. If this wasn't a review book and such a short one, I probably would've DNF'd it to be honest. 

The writing style was okay, but it was pretty simple. But what annoyed me most was that a lot of things were overexplained. I think the audience is smarter than they are given credit for, there is no reason to spell everything out for us. There was also a lot of telling instead of showing and that's such a shame. I don't really believe in the story if you just tell me something is the case. Show it to me! The pacing felt a bit off with the main plot being resolved with quite some chapters to go. 

However, those last chapters were my favorite! I liked those side plots a lot better than the main plot. Same with the characters, I really liked Paulette and Gigi but they had small roles in the book. I did not like Sadie, she was pretty annoying actually. Her inner monologue bothered me a lot, she jumped to conclusion and in my opinion the 'I think I love you' came wayyyyy to fast. Eric was a pretty enjoyable character but he didn't bring anything new to the table and went a bit fast as well. I liked Sadie's best friend Madison!

All in all I was just disappointed by this one. I was hoping for a fun and cute contemporary but I was bored and had to read about characters I didn't care about. Unfortunately this was not the one for me and I gave it 2,5 stars.

What a cute read. I loved the relationship Sadie has with her sister and parents. What a close family. It was great to see them interacting in a wholesome very loving way. Most of the books I read, the family has issues, so it was a nice change to read a book with a stable, loving, close-knit family.

This was a fun read and ideal for young adult or older teen readers.
I read it over about a week and enjoyed spending a few more chapters with Sadie whenever I had chance.

I recommend this book to readers aged 14+ and young adults who want a heart warming read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Honestly, this read was pretty nice. It was a very nice from my normal reading of fantasy. It also seems like its a very underrated series. Will definitely be suggesting it more.

I was given an advanced copy by NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This is a cute, light-hearted little summer romance story with some realism to it. Sadie, the main 1st person character, lives with her parents (librarian mother and cop father) and her little sister, Sophia the summer between high school and college and works at the local ice cream bar, Gigi's. Shortly after graduating, her high school boyfriend breaks up with her and blocks her from his social media. She's afraid to trust again when she meets Eric; his father is tearing down a beloved ex-flower shop to make room for a Creamery King. Throughout the summer, she learns how to deal with a lot of changes in her life and may assess what's good for her.

I really enjoyed this story. It's a good stand-alone story that I feel doesn't need more information to understand or like, and doesn't need any sequels to figure out what goes on. It doesn't have any gimmicks, which is nice. I really enjoyed reading this book, and at times was hungry for ice cream because of it.

Young Adult Romance fans...you won't be disappointed.

I was given an advanced copy by NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This is a cute, light-hearted little summer romance story with some realism to it. Sadie, the main 1st person character, lives with her parents (librarian mother and cop father) and her little sister, Sophia the summer between high school and college and works at the local ice cream bar, Gigi's. Shortly after graduating, her high school boyfriend breaks up with her and blocks her from his social media. She's afraid to trust again when she meets Eric; his father is tearing down a beloved ex-flower shop to make room for a Creamery King. Throughout the summer, she learns how to deal with a lot of changes in her life and may assess what's good for her.

I really enjoyed this story. It's a good stand-alone story that I feel doesn't need more information to understand or like, and doesn't need any sequels to figure out what goes on. It doesn't have any gimmicks, which is nice. I really enjoyed reading this book, and at times was hungry for ice cream because of it.

Young Adult Romance fans...you won't be disappointed.

On the first day of summer, Sadie's boyfriend breaks up with her out of the blue. She's heartbroken. All she has is her best friend Madison and her job at Gigi's ice cream stand to keep her distracted. That is until a new ice cream shop is set to open across the street threatening Gigi's. Sadie makes it her mission to save Gigi's. Enter Eric, the charming new guy, and the summer turn out far better than expected.

I loved this book and read it in one sitting. It's super cute and exactly what I want to read on a summer's day in the garden. I was so invested in Sadie's mission to save Gigi's and the blossoming relationship between Sadie and Eric. I'll be recommending this to everyone I know! Thanks NetGalley.

DNF-

I tried to read this book. I've been trying for months. It seems cute and I am interested in how it ends; however, it does not hold my attention long enough for me to want to finish it. Maybe I just haven't been trying to read it at the right time for me, but for now, I am DNFing it.

This is a fab YA romance. A cute romance and a great summer book!
I loved the main character and her willingness to fight for what she believes in.

This is a good summer read. So cute, light, and just enough romance to make you curl up and want to read all day. I was, however, very annoyed with the boy obsession by Sadie. She was never self-sufficient unless she had the attention of or was interested in a male. I found myself rolling my eyes at quite a few passages because here we have a young woman about to go off to college and she's either crying to the point of throwing up, or about to give herself an anxiety attack because of a crush. For that, I can't possibly rate this for more than two stars. I wish the book had more meat to it that didn't revolve around male attention.

My honest review was given in exchange for an eARC provided by NetGalley.

Another ya summer romance books! Well I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for this teen romance book. The characters were delightful,the plot somewhat convincing but my favourite part is the chemistry between these two and the story of first love and hate at first sight( almost). Its not a great read but a good one for me. If you want a lighthearted summer romance,go for it!

This is a cute book that's definitely a good recommendation for younger readers. I feel, however, that I couldn't get into the book as much as I'd hoped. The summary sounded very lovely and perfect for summer, but I struggled to relate to the protagonist. I lost interest in her 'woe is me' pining of her ex-boyfriend very fast and the idea around Gigi's vs the new ice cream shop rival didn't intrigue me as much as I'd hoped.
The setting was great and I liked the writing style, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The Other Side is simple and sweet, just like your favorite ice cream in a crunchy cone on a perfect summer’s day. Sometimes love happens and it’s not complicated. Two people meet and through normal circumstances fall head over heels for each other. The Other Side deals with heartbreak and new relationships in a way that feels very authentic to the average teenager, contrary to what many YA books try to stereotype. Sometimes it’s nice to just read a heartwarming novel that doesn’t rely on controversy or gimmicks.

Do not read this story if you’re looking for anything that isn’t endearing and sweet. The Other Side is a quick read that let’s you escape for a little while to a small town with charming characters, a little conflict, and a perfectly adorable ending.