A sweet love story that buds from a friendship, which is the best kind. Loss and chaos at home are never ideal, especially when it involves things out of your control, and that's the case for these two teens. Both find themselves every other weekend in each other's presence, both enduring a chaotic life with their families and find love when they weren't looking showing that love can be found in chaos.

This was a poignant, emotionally gripping read. While there were some sweet moments, to be sure, the tone was pretty heavy overall. I loved that the story dealt with some serious topics, divorce, separation, grief, loneliness, abuse, and more. Be sure to check for trigger warnings if there are issues that you don't want to read about.

Thanks NetGalley and Harlequin TEEN for a free advanced copy of the ebook. All opinions are my own.

This is one of those rare books that is exceptionally executed and incredibly profound. Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson is one of the top books I read this year. I loved every minute of this book because it was just so effortless. Her characters feel so real so you feel what they feel. I was laughing and I was crying. I highly recommend this book! This is a not to be missed book!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was YA book that hadxa variety of themes in it like divorce, rape, grief, and falling in love. The author did a great job getting idea home that each of us is important and cared for. I liked the story as told from Jolene and Adams perspectives in alternating chapters. I found myself dying to know if they would ever kiss. Great writing and would read more by this author.

Dysfunctioning families is at the heart of the story. It's sad—for those kids—and hopeful, but they're quick-witted so it works very well. I hate to compare books as much as comparing siblings, like which one is your favorite, but I must say I liked EVEN IF I FALL a lot more. That said, I'm sure EVERY OTHER WEEKEND will speak volumes to thousands of teens in the same situation. Nice characters and a cute love story.

This feels like a book ready-made to become a teen dramedy. There's sweet friendship, developing romance, and plenty of family issues - oh my, the family issues. The writing didn't feel particularly elevated, but the characters were interesting and the story moved along well. Some small quibbles - it was a little longer than necessary, the Adam and Jeremy's conversations during the first half of the book felt like they were almost word for word the same, the Guy plotline was introduced somewhat late considering the impact that it had, the final scenes had a bit of a trailing off quality rather than an entirely firm resolution (although there's something to be said about a realistic depiction of family situations which don't entirely resolve) - but overall an interesting new read.

It is no secret that Abigail Johnson is one of my all-time favourite authors. And she did not disappoint with her newest release, Every Other Weekend. So many teens are impacted by their parents’ divorces, so I know this will be a relatable novel for many young people. Johnson captures all the devastation, hope, guilt and grief involved in family breakdown. All too real emotions, push and pull romance, heartbreaking family circumstances and authentic voices, this book will be another YA contemporary favourite.

Adam and Jolene. Two teens forced to spend every other weekend at a rundown apartment block due to their parents’ separations. But their family situations couldn’t be more different. Adam knows it won’t be long until his family is back together, if only Adam’s father would realise he should be there for his mother as they all grieve the death of Adam’s eldest brother. Jolene knows her parents are never getting back together and quite frankly she’s okay with that. She hates the melodrama her mother puts on every time she leaves for a weekend stay at her father’s empty apartment - empty except for her father’s way-too-young girlfriend. Adam and Jolene forge a strong friendship over the weekends they share. But will that friendship last if their family circumstances change?

Told in alternating first person chapters, Adam and Jolene’s voices leap from the page. Both unique characters, I quickly fell in love with the both of them. Adam is adorably charming. He is grieving the loss of his much-loved brother, hurting for his mother, fighting with his remaining older brother and determined to show his father just how wrong he is to have left. It makes for some awkward family weekends. I hurt so much for Jolene. Torn apart by her family, she doubts her self-worth. Having Adam as her person is a first in her life. But it isn’t easy, especially when their friendship is first challenged by his relationship with another girl and then the improvement in his family circumstances, while her’s remains the constant horror it always was. I loved that true, authentic friendship is the basis of their relationship. As they struggle through their growing feelings and pain of their family situations, the strength of their friendship and commitment to each other remains.

Johnson has a way of exposing the best and worst of family in her books and Every Other Weekend is no different. Full of emotions and strong teen romance, it is as easy to read as it is to love.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Jolene's parents are hostile towards one another. Neither her mother or her father understand her or her needs. Does that really matter to them? She has very few people in her circle of trust. Not only that, she also has to spend two weekends a month at her "dad's" but he is never there.

Adam's father recently has moved out and changed the home dynamics his family has always had. Adam doesnt really understand why but he reluctantly goes along with his brother to visit twice a month.

Every Other Weekend is a beautiful story of Adam and Jolene finding solace in their own tragic and dramatic lives, by becoming close friends with one another. The story is beautifully written. We get the perspectives of both Adam and Jolene throughout. There are a few triggering concepts covered such as death and assault. It is quite a relief that the novel is very clean in language and very little sexual details are present. I throughly enjoyed this read.

Thank you Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this story. All opinions are solely my own.

… And I know you’re gonna break my heart at some point, I might even break yours. I pressed her hand firmly against my chest. “But it’s yours to break and mend and hopefully not break again.”

I finished the book two days ago, and I’m still trying to find the best words to describe how much this story made me feel.
So here, this is me trying:
The first thing I need to say is this book hit close home. I’m a divorced parents’ child, I was little when it happened and with the time, I learned to lock the memories far, far away. Also, like the characters in this book, I felt lost and with the need for belonging, I think every person in this world has felt in that way at some point in their life, and stories like this, remain us that we aren’t alone.
Every other weekend goes beyond greatness. It’s magical, full of melancholy, sweetness, and hope. Form the beginning and I mean ‘the dedication’ as the very beginning, this story promises a journey for the soul, all the way until the acknowledgment's last word.
As always, the author fills the pages with power and strength, with cuteness and smiles. The narrative is excellent, hypnotic and heartfelt.
The plot is brilliant. It goes around all kinds of abuse and the reminder that it’s something real. I’d rather have a little more emphasis in therapy (I can’t say more without spoil) but that’s my belief not necessary somebody has to agree with that. However, the author handles every difficult situation told in the story like a pro.
The characters are well done portrayed, I’m happy for some twist and sad for the honesty in some realities I guess that’s part of the story… to show us that ‘happy ever after’ not necessarily means perfection.
Jolene and Adam are one of those kind couples you will remember forever. Their complement and mend each other. I love their chemistry, their passion, their innocence. And I love that despite all the awfulness in their life, they have found each other.
Finally, this book deserves five stars, not just because of the craft but for every emotion that emanates from the pages.
100% recommended

Every Other Weekend is the story of Jo and Adam who meet as Adam is moving into his newly separated father's apartment. Adam and his brother, Jeremy,aren't happy leaving their mother and their comfortable, family farm house in the country. Adam is worried about her being alone and Jeremy, the older brother, is just trying to survive the weekend. Neither relishes spending time with each other and Adam is furious at his Dad. Jo lives across the hall in the shabby apartment complex with her father's mistress, Shelly. Even though it's her father's apartment, Jo hasn't seen him in about a year. She's not a happy girl, having been told at every turn that she's not worth the trouble of either her mother or father., both narcissistic, self-obsessed wealthy adults. Adam and Jo meet and begin to help each other through these awful times. Adam talks Jo into posing for a selfie to send to his mom. He's hoping that will keep his mother's mind off being alone . Their friendship grows and they learn more about each other. Neither is at all happy with their lives but they're soon happy together until it looks like Adam's folks are going to reunite. Jo is sure Adam is going to leave her just like everyone else has because she so unlovable (according to her) so she pulls away and starts hanging out with a young movie critic who lives on their floor. Things get more and more complicated and someone is going to have to deal honestly with the situation before these hurt souls can heal.

Abigail Johnson writes with sensitivity and humor and explores the issues in an honest, real way. I enjoyed reading this book and I loved the ending. Teens will gravitate toward the story - and find someone to identify with. As an adult I enjoyed this book very much and will happily recommend it.

Every Other Weekend has reminded me that realistic fiction and romance are not overrated. I generally don't read this genre of books since I like to be far away from reality when I read but this one sounded interesting and I'm glad I gave it a shot.

Every Other Weekend follows two teens, Adam and Jolene, with complicated family issues who spend every other weekend together at a shady, run-down apartment complex. Despite seeing each other twice a month, their friendship leads to healing and finding a sense of belonging. It sounds like a cheesy Hallmark movie but this book gets you in the feels. Johnson does such a fantastic job discussing loss, mental health, messy relationships, and finding redemption and hope in dark times. This was so engrossing and such a lovely, bittersweet novel.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin TEEN publishers for providing a free ARC

This is the story of two teenagers from broken homes, forced to spend every other weekend at a shady apartment complex that neither one wants to spend time in. Adam’s family is falling apart. After the death of his oldest brother, his mother can’t let go and his dad leaves them when they need him the most. So he and his brother have to spend every other weekend at his new apartment. There, he meets Jolene, who has to suffer the same crummy building two weekends a month. Her parents have been divorced for a couple years and they are constantly trying to hurt each other via their lawyers, while Jolene is caught in the middle, reaping none of the benefits. There was so much emotion in this book. It was a little on the long side but I enjoyed every sweet, sad, painstaking moment of it! Abigail Johnson did a wonderful job of maneuvering through the pain of a family going through losing an integral member, as well as the exhausting loneliness of someone who isn’t wanted by anyone in their family. I cried quite a bit through this book. She covers loss of loved ones, terrible parents, sexual abuse, the understanding that it’s okay to ask for help and the knowledge of recognizing that you cannot be the sole person responsible for someone else’s happiness. It was moving and uplifting and so so so good!!!

This was a lot darker and less enjoyable than I expected. I didn't expect it to be all rainbows and sunshine, but I didn't expect the overall tone to be this depressing. These two teens are both very bitter, petty, and spiteful. I'm not saying that's entirely unrealistic, and clearly this book is striking a chord a with people. I just personally would have preferred a little bit more lightness for balance. It's well written and not entirely unrealistic. But I also didn't personally enjoy it.

Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson, 432 pages.
Inkyard Press, 2020. $19.
Language: R (31 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Separated parents means mandatory time with each of them in two different homes. When Adam shows up, less than thrilled, at his dad’s new apartment for the weekend, he meets Jolene who lives next door—but only every other weekend. Escaping from their family drama together makes the weekends they spend at the rundown apartment complex the best weekends but ignoring their family problems only makes the problems worse.
Life is messy, and we all have problems. I love how Johnson doesn’t only talk about the struggles faced by the main characters. Johnson also shows the ups and downs of those closest to Adam and Jolene, illustrating how all of our choices impact each other—even when they aren’t intended to. I think this aspect of the story is what really brought Every Other Weekend to life for me. All of the characters feel real, and I wanted all of them to become the heroes in their own lives—as much as each of us deserve to be the hero in the lives we lead—and Johnson did a great job of helping everything come together in a natural ending that feels satisfactory without being cheesy. The mature content rating is for sexual assault, and the violence rating is for domestic violence.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I loved this book! Jolene and Adam are such likeable characters! This is a wonderful book for teens going through these same challenges with their families. A quick easy read! loved this book!

"It was a love story. Not romantic exactly, but the kind of love that maybe lasts beyond passion and heartache. It was a story of friendship, with all its possibilities laid out in front of it."

What a powerful story of love that enflames between two teens in a hopeless world. What can I tell you about Abigail's writing? It's gut wrenching, inspiring, beautiful, and absolutely well worth every page. This is the third book that I've read from Abigail and she continues to impress with with her flawless story telling.

Abigail once again created unforgettable characters of Adam and Jolene. This is the story of two teens that come from backgrounds that have been broken and they connect with one another through the pain, love, friendship, and healing. There is a lot of heavy content that is discussed in this novel but Abigail writes with ease and love through every single page.

Oh my gosh... did my heart break for both Adam and Jolene. Do you ever wonder how sometimes in this messed up and f...ed up world we find love? With all the heartache that surrounds us in this so called beautiful thing we call life? Well.. let me tell you right here ladies and gentleman between Adam and Jolene love does exist.

This was an unforgettable novel and can't give Abigail enough praise!!!

Highly highly recommend my friends!!

5/5 stars.

And... YES this hardly every happens for me. I've giving a book 5 stars... so RUN to pre order this.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harlequin/Inkyard Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 1/7/20
Published to GR: 10/19/19

This was an absolute masterpiece! I wanted to insert so many quote-worthy passages from this extremely well-written novel, but I decided to let you discover the beauty of Abigail Johnson's prose for yourself. (I also want to use words like "stunning, highly intelligent, topical and relevant - A MUST READ!!!)

Abigail Johnson has created such endearingly unforgettable characters in Jolene and Adam. Jolene will crack you up with her wicked wit, her bravado and dramatic self-deprecating ways. She has had to create a bullet-proof shell around her heart in order to endure the war-zone that was her childhood. Jolene is a filmmaker by necessity, escaping into the world of movies, rewriting the awful script that real life has handed her. What a gutsy girl!

Jolene and Adam are angry, messed up kids who meet one another during their bi-weekly visits with their respective separated parents, who happen to live in the same apartment building. Their rage and discontent jumped out at you from the written page. It was almost impossible to stop reading this story.

Adam is so decent and adorable. He falls instantly under Jolene's spell, even though she fights to keep their relationship in the "friend zone" - because love is never anything anyone has ever freely given her before. (Her parents are selfish monsters!) The dialogue is fast-paced and often quite hilarious. I don't know if I have ever laughed (and sniffled!) so much during a YA before. Well done!

Jolene and Adam's slow burn relationship has its anxious moments, but the satisfyingly realistic ending will leave you crying happy tears. They don't know what the future will truly bring for these two, but we know the scenario that they HOPE will be what the Fates have in store for them. The scene where Jolene and Adam predict their joint Oscar acceptance speeches - his for the adapted screenplay of his first novel, hers for filming and directing that very same first novel - had me in stitches. Adorable! (Something tells me that they may very well make it - those are two very strong-willed, passionate young adults!!)

HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. A 10 out of 5 stars!
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book a great deal. I thought the characters, Adam and Jolene, were great, witty, and really had an amazing friendship that built throughout this story. However I had two issues that sort of stuck with me. The first of which was that this book seemed to touch upon too many conflicts or issues, which ended up making some moments feel rushed. I think that if the author had chosen one or two to focus on, they would've been fleshed out a bit better. Also, I had trouble believing the romance aspects between Adam and Jolene. I almost wish this book leaned more heavily on friendship, as the romance was a little rushed and tumultuous.

This book is full of drama. It hits on important issues, but maybe should have focused on one or two instead of trying to tackle everything. The book was overlong in my opinion and had a tendency to be repetitive. The amount of tears shed by characters in the book could fill the ocean. I know teenage years are tumultuous, but not nearly at this level.

This is a hard book to rate or review, because though I loved the concept and the writing style, I couldn't connect properly with the characters.

But let's start with what I did like.
And the different backgrounds from where these two kids come from was something I enjoyed - the difference between them being the thing that actually made them interact. The family dynamics were somehow complementary - while Adam should feel the warmth in his broken family, for Jo there is a lot of coldness that hardness her heart even more.

I liked that Jo stands on her own, I liked her sarcastic tone (even though she was at times intentionally mean). I also liked how Adam is the heart of the equation, the one that diffuses some situations, I even liked his awkwardness.

(Though I did not agree with them most times, I could still understand their frustrations and aches when it comes to their respective families. I won't lie, being an adult I see things in another light, but young readers might interpret things accordingly to their own beliefs and might agree with their choices more. )

There are also some very hard topics touched here, like grief, divorce, harassment, manipulation. They were beautifully woven into the storyline such that they mixed with the fun and entertaining moments. And they added several layers of depth to the story.

But then we get to their actual relationship of sorts.
And this is the part I did not enjoy that much. It seemed forced, it was a bit too much trouble, if you ask me, and I would have liked for the focus to be set on something else. I get that they are young and confused, in the yes-but-no-wait-yes-again kind of phase, but the situation was for me even more confusing because 1. I did not feel the chemistry between them to begin with and 2. I did not get to root for them the way I wanted. So I felt like there was some unnecessary drama that could have been easily avoided.

Also the pacing was a bit off. There were many slow parts when nothing seemed to happen and only their banter kept me moving. After a while my interest simply started to wither.