The Other Side by Sarah Hocut is amazing. I had picked this book for a fun read since I enjoy the YA section of books, I wasn't expecting to fall in love with this book. I really loved the characters of this book. I love how it brought me back to when I was a teenager having all sorts of boy problems. This book made me think about how even if you don't do well with change its ok, sometimes change happens for a reason and there is no stopping that change.

I would recommend this book to anybody looking for a very sweet romance.

I mainly chose to read "The Other Side" for its delightful cover, however, once I started to read the story I found it to be a beautifully written romance. It was a gorgeous read about first love, finding yourself, heartbreak, working out those things that really matter in life and understanding what is important.

I recommend this pleasant and wholesome read.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my own request from the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is a great YA romance for middle school. A sweet romance and a great summer book for students. I enjoyed the main character and her willingness to make a difference and DO something.

The Other Side by Sarah Hocut is a cute young adult summer love story. Sadie has the summer after high school all planned out, until her boyfriend of three years dumps her, and she finds out he has been cheating on her. Sadie has worked at Gigi's Dairy Bar for years, and she is worried about an ice cream franchise being built right across the street. Sadie tries to save the Dairy Bar, while falling for someone she shouldn't, but everything is not what it seems. What a delightful, sweet book about growing up, with a romance thrown in. I recommend this perfect summer read book.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

i found that the romance between sadie and eric was adorable — the “will they/won’t they” was pretty intriguing, especially since we know sadie is trying to recover from her recent break-up.

overall, though, there weren’t any conflicts or “drama” present throughout. i left the book with a lot of questions, such as why did paul break up with sadie like that? we don’t ever get any flashbacks with how paul was with sadie but it’s implied that they were actually quite cute, even though he was actually a jerk. i guess i’m just wondering how he even stayed with her for 3 whole years if he didn’t ever really like her to begin with? even though i hated paul, i think this would’ve been a great story where we get some insight into sadie’s relationship with him so the reader isn’t in the dark and we just have to blindly hate this guy (which, don’t get me wrong, i totally do — he’s A JERK). but, context is always nice.

i also thought there was going to be more interactions between eric’s dad and sadie, because nothing says “forbidden love” like going head-to-head with your crush’s father!! i think it would’ve been interesting to have that dynamic to add another layer to eric and sadie’s romance. they flirt over text and hang out once and suddenly they’re in love, which was a little “insta-lovey,” but if i’m being honest, that first time when eric gave her the coffee and pastry, i, too fell in love with him.

all in all, this was a sweet and easy read for younger teens looking for a ya contemporary!

Sadie has just graduated high school and is working for the summer at Gigi's Dairy Bar. Sadie and Josh have been together a long time 3 whole years when he just drops her without a care in the world. What was suppose to be Sadie's greatest summer yet might not be. Until she meets Eric a new guy in town, who seems kind, smart and genuine. The only problem his dad wants to tear down a local house and build a big fancy ice cream shop which will probably but Gigi's out of business. What will Sadie do? Will her summer turn out to be the best ever after all?

I loved Sadie, she was your typical teenage girl going through her first break up, first heart break and she just seemed kind, and genuine. The book made me feel like I was there with Sadie, feeling how she felt. It was a light, easy read and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The book was very descriptive, well written and I would read the authors work again.


This book was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

(3.5) I see the merit in this, and the writing was great, but it wasn't for me. I could feel the words being written by an adult, if that makes sense; an odd thought, but I think people who like "Gilmore Girls" would be into this.

When I started this book, I didn’t have much expectation. I just wanted an easy YA read to finish quickly. The beginning didn’t grab me that much, even though the break up rang true to me - I remember being 18 and feeling like the world was over when a boy ended things. I felt like Sadie acted just like I remember! But the more we got to know the characters, the further I started falling for this book. I really loved Madison and Eric in particular, but to be honest, all of the characters were delightful.

I wouldn’t have given this 5 stars if it wasn’t for the ending. It didn’t stop with the perfect kiss or when two characters finally realised their love for each other. Oh no. Sadie managed to prove her worth as a main character and DAMN I loved it.

I received an ARC of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

The Other Side is a cute, sweet, perfect summer read for teens. It has an engaging story of the effects of a breakup and of finding new love with the pains and troubles that plague teens who are learning to live life.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Other Side by Sarah Hocut

Read: 04/15-04/16

“I think we should break up.”

Those six little words mean the summer after high school is not starting off the way Sadie Wills had planned. When her boyfriend of three years dumps her the day after graduation, she’s suddenly unsure of what the future will hold.

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.

Complications arise when she meets Eric and serious sparks start flying. The problem? Eric’s dad owns the company responsible for demolishing the old flower shop, and Eric is working for him over the summer. Even though she tells herself not to fall for him – he’s going to help run Gigi’s out of business after all, and besides, it’s too soon after her break-up to even think about giving her heart to someone else – Eric has other plans.

Torn by the arguments between her head and her heart, Sadie becomes very good at running over the summer. Running from her past. Running from her feelings. Running from love.

As the summer wears on, Eric slowly slips more and more into her life, and Sadie eventually realizes that she can’t run forever. But can she risk giving her heart to someone else?

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What I Liked:

This was a really sweet (no pun intended) summer romance book. I am a sucker for a good YA summer romance and this had a lot of key parts of that. I enjoyed Gigi’s Dairy Bar as a setting, and found myself easily becoming invested in the outcome. Sadie was a good main character for this story and it was nice to see her growth. However, the character that truly stood out to me the most was Eric. He was such an excellent character. I loved him.

What I Didn’t Like:

The plot went pretty quickly and ended up being a little anti-climactic. I would have liked the book to be slightly longer with more relationship building between Sadie and Eric. It was hard to be fully invested in their relationship at the end of the book because there was so little of it developed in the story. A main portion of the plot seemed to revolve around Sadie trying to save Gigi’s but then that part kind of disappeared. It would have been nicer to see Sadie put more of her time and effort into instead of just being told that she had worked really hard on it.

Overall, this was a light and fun summer romance to read that will be perfect for a day at the beach.

Rating: 6/10

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Sadie had it all planned out. She has graduated high school with her boyfriend of three years and they are going to the same college in the fall. She has her job at the best ice cream stand in the world. And she has her best friend by her side for one final, fun-filled summer.

Until her boyfriend breaks up with her and starts a new relationship less than two hours later.

Then the empty building across from the ice cream stand suddenly has a sign announcing a new store for a national ice cream chain is coming soon.

And now she meets a boy who is the complete opposite of her ex-boyfriend, who just happens to be the son of the guy who bought the storefront and will be installing her stand's competition.

Summer plans are now up in smoke.

Sadie's got some new plans to make, some thinking to do, and a future that must be decided.

Final thoughts: This is cotton candy and has some good points to it. Sadie's constant internal battles and imagined confrontations are very realistic and kind of fun to watch from the outside. However, there is a perfect ending point about 75% in that could have been it and then Hocut keeps going. Granted, she does seal up some plot points that could have been holes if they had been left alone, but it just feels out of order. That perfect ending should be at the end, not the three-quarter mark. It's not horrible, but it does come off a little odd when you think you're done and then find out the final act hasn't even started yet.

Rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I wanted to love this book. I am truly a fan of romantic YA books and I felt like this book had all the potential for a good one. A girl is cruelly dumped by her boyfriend right after high school graduation. She meets someone new within weeks and of course his dad is the one who threatens to put her friend and employer out of business.
Unfortunately the story was pretty predictable from the very beginning. I think it will fit well in any library's YA collection, but I don't think it will stand out.

I really loved this book! 1st of all, as a book cover junkie, the cover is just adorable! Once you get past that and jump into the plot it's perfect. Sadie graduates from high school expecting to enjoy a killer summer but life has other plans when Paul dumps her. I really felt for her, and the author did a good job of making seem so sudden and unexpected. I mean, 3 years is a long time in high school years right?! Sadie's broken heart get's distracted when she meets Eric, but a Romeo & Juliet theme arises when it turns out his dad is behind the company that will demolish the old house, and her place of work, Gigi's. I don't want to spoil the ending, but it's worth checking out for sure.
Another aspect I really loved about the book is that Sadie had Madison in her corner, the friendship was really well written and it reminded me of some of my high school relationships. Overall, this was a cute, and quick read, perfect for the YA Reader. This would also make a great Netflix movie. I feel like it could be the next "To All the Boys I've Loved Before".

Main character Sadie's boyfriend of three years dumps her right after graduation, and all the sudden her summer after high school is just not going as she had planned.......and Sadie is not sure what she is going to do. Quick, cute read about Sadie and her summer job serving up ice cream at Gigi's Dairy Bar. All is well until an ice cream franchise is going to be put in across the street from where she spends her free time. Sadie decides to get involved and try to stop the future franchise from becoming a reality and she meets Eric whose Dad is involved in demolishing the old house where the new place will be built. Super cute love story follows, as sparks fly between Eric and Sadie even with a few bumps in the road of course, as expected & Sadie learns a few life lessons in the process. Quick teen romance read! Thanks for the ARC!!

“Remember, when things end, that just means there’s a beginning somewhere nearby.”

I read this ARC thanks to NetGalley and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. Some parts were your typical teen romance and some parts really tugged at my heartstrings. This was a quick read and I'm glad I discovered it. Also, I really loved Frankie and Sophia!

Wasn’t sure about this at first, but I quickly found myself falling for it. The protagonist and love-interest were very likeable, not to mention everyone else that lived in the small town. It was a fun, short read that I would have enjoyed at any time of the year, no matter what mood I was in!
Also want to add that I LOVED the relationships between the protagonist and the older members of the town - so cute!!

The Other Side is about Sadie Wills, a girl who had just experienced a breakup from her boyfriend of 3 years. Sadie wonders how things turned this way when the week before, they were both taking cute selfies together. To make matters worse they broke up the day after high school graduation, and it seems like the ex already has a new girl. Then we meet the cute guy working across the street at a flower’s shop, Eric. Feelings arise and sparks fly, but the problem is Eric’s Dad is behind the company who’s planning to demolish the old flower shop, which Sadie was planning to save, and will probably be steering customers away from the ice cream shop where she is currently working.

“Torn by the arguments between her head and her heart, Sadie becomes very good at running over the summer. Running from her past. Running from her feelings. Running from love.”

First of all, this book cover is so cute. I love book covers that actually relate to the content of the actual book. From the cover alone you can probably tell that this novel is a Young Adult contemporary romance. I don’t usually reach for contemporary romances, but these days I’ve been needing my fill on cliche romances and swoon-worthy-boy-next-doors. This book gave me some of that.

It was definitely cliche. There wasn't an instant-love trope but it was weird how it was only the second time that they've met and the girl's already wondering if Eric is like her ex Paul- texting some other girl while she's sitting right next to him. Then, she's on this whole swooning fest about his "messy but perfect hair". As for the swoon-worthy-boy-next-door, it definitely was not Eric.

This is more of a personal thing, but something I don't like in books is when the character is subconsciously talking to him/herself in their head-inner speech- and the thoughts are written in italics. I find it really cringy at times, especially in this book.


46% into the book and she already thinks she loves him.

The plot was kind of all over the place and the writing style did not really work for me. At times I felt like some scenes were just fillers and the book could make do without them. Because of those fillers scenes, I found myself getting quite bored and was reluctant to continue reading. The author's writing style does not seem to be quite descriptive, and because I'm the type of reader who wants to be immersed in the book, the writing style did not appeal to me.


*spoiler* after she tells Eric that she's falling for him and he confesses too, she runs. Instead of maybe trying to move on, she runs. Sadie kept comparing Paul to Eric all throughout, so it's obvious that she's not over the breakup- but it's kind of getting annoying. The last 20% of the book was basically the falling action of the novel. After Eric and Sadie got together nothing else was happening so I didn't really see the point of the last couple of pages.

On a more positive note, I liked the friendship dynamic between Sadie and her best friend Madison. I liked that Madison was there for Sadie when she needed her and really did try to cheer her best friend up. We got to see Sadie's little sister Sophie, who is the cutest and silliest little thing, set her sister and Eric up.

I would only recommend this to very specific people. I'd recommend this to someone who is starting out with YA contemporary romances for the romance aspect and not the plot.

2 stars

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of ‘The Other Side’ by Sarah Hocut.

I really enjoyed this book and was a book I couldn't put down. It really resonated with me and I believe it will with others. Sadie is someone we can all relate to, we all have had our hearts broken one time or another and felt everything she did. I loved her turning moment and was fist pumping in the air for her.

I was looking for a breezy, light read and this book did the trick. I enjoy YA books due to their easy reading quality. However, this one was definitely a REALLY young, YA book. Nevertheless the characters were likeable, as was the story line and it gave my mind a break from the twisted thrillers I usually read.

A great summer read.
It’s an ideal book to relax with
Thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review