Member Reviews

Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally is a sweet and fun young adult contemporary romance. I love this genre, even though I am far from a YA. There is something so innocent about first loves. Lulu and Alex started out as enemies, but they became friends on their Freshman field trip. They reconnect every field trip through their senior year. I found this book to be a quick read, but not my favorite Miranda Kenneally book, to me it was just OK.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Was this review helpful?

I wanted to give this four stars, but the alternating timelines kinda dinged it a bit. There is the annual May field trip timeline, and the overall school year timeline. Both focus on Alex and LuLu and their friends. And a current field trip (always marked "today") can be broken up into any number of segments around the events of that school year. It's a gimmick that doesn't quite work. I know it's supposed to create some sort of suspense (wait, they're dating now? Broke up? Back together? What the heck happened?), but I found myself re-reading passages afterwards, trying to focus solely on a particular field trip, or solely on the events of the year, just so I could get the details straight.
It's hard being in love in a small town when you both know leaving can improve your own life so much--hence the events that drive them apart sophomore year. It's also hard when the best option might take someone out of your life completely. Alex and LuLu are both too young for the HEA--we all know for lovers this young, it's HFN. Only time will tell.

Was this review helpful?

This book was a really cute YA contemporary. I really appreciated the character growth of the main character throughout the book, along with her boyfriend. We get to see them every year on their class trip at the end of the year - so it was cool to see their growth from freshman to senior year. I’m not sure I was always really into the relationship, but the set-up was interesting, and all in all it was a feel good book which I enjoyed!

Was this review helpful?

I liked this book!! Good story!! Received this book from sourcebooks fire from netgally!! I liked that they did field trips instead of chapters!!

Was this review helpful?

A nice light, cute read in the middle of a pandemic is just what I needed. Plus, The enemies-to-lovers trope is my catnip! I can’t resist!

This takes place over their four years of high school, with an emphasis on the end-of-year class trips. I liked the format of the class trips being the focus, but also getting significant events that led up to them. I also enjoyed the characters. Not only were Lulu & Alex entertaining, the little group of friends are, too.

Was this review helpful?

Four Days of You and Me had such a great premise- I loved seeing Lulu and Alex's relationship play our over four years, focusing on the same day each year. I did find the pacing a bit odd- after starting each new year, the story would go back and do several flashbacks that took place over the last year. It was a bit hard to follow until I got used to it. I read another reviewer say they were bothered by the immaturity of the characters, but to be honest, it was perfectly reflective of their age. These characters are high schoolers, and I myself certainly remember my high school days and making lots of mistakes and misjudgements as I grew and learned. The story felt very authentic to me and I really enjoyed seeing them mature as I read each year.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this!!

I read it in one sitting. I thought the main characters’ relationship seemed pretty realistic to high school. I really like how the friend group few over the years. I would have loved to be a part of it.

Kenneally’s books are always enjoyable to me. This is a solid addition to any public library YA collection.

Was this review helpful?

Please note that the link below is only the first of many posts on Instagram about this book, and that the review will be included in a monthly book roundup for Sahar's Blog.

Was this review helpful?

Four Days of You and Me
by: Miranda Kenneally @mirandakenneally
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
.
I was lucky enjoy to receive and ARC of Four Days of You and Me from @netgalley. It came out on Cinco de Mayo, so you can get it now!
The book is about Lulu and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Alex and their high school field trips. (I was slightly disappoint it was set at Thousand Oaks high school.😉) The book is told with flashbacks of the school year, but the bulk of the book happens on May 7th for four consecutive years. I liked the love story between Lulu (an aspiring graphic novelist) and Alex (class president, baseball player, and hardworker in his family’s restaurant). The supporting characters were strong - and I was invested in their love lives too.
This was definitely a departure from Miranda Kenneally’s other books, and I loved it! She has such a great young adult writing style, and I’m a big fan. This was an afternoon read for me, so if you like quirky high school love stories, this is the perfect quick read for you.

Was this review helpful?

It’s hard to hid the fact that I’m a huge fan of Miranda Kenneally. Since reading Catching Jordan in 2012 I have been hooked on her books. There is something so refreshing and fun about her stories. So when Four Days of You and Me was announced I was beyond excited. I loved the idea of two teens going through 4 years of high school and having something happen roughly the same time every May. It seems liked a fun idea and Miranda nailed it. Four Days of You and Me was exactly what I needed and when I needed it.

Four Days of You and Me is the story of Lulu and Alex. These two high school students start as rivals in their freshman year of high school. When they go on the school field trip they find themselves stuck together completely changing the course of their relationship. Over the next 4 years Lulu and Alex (and a handful of friends) navigate what it means to be a teen in a relationship and all the feelings and heartbreak that come with it. With every year and every May field trip Alex and Lulu deal with being together and being broken up and what comes with the in-between. In the end they have to figure out what is worth it and what isn’t.

I loved Lulu and Alex so much. Even in their terrible teenage angst there was something special about them. They had a natural chemistry and genuinely had feelings for one another even if they didn’t know how to deal with them. At times they were both immature and completely overwhelmed by teenage tendencies, but I loved them even with their imperfections. Even when they weren’t together they were their for each other and that was what I really loved about them. In the end they were just perfect together.

In the end, Four Days of You and Me was exactly what I expected to come from the mind of Kenneally. It was funny and charming and a fantastic story about teenage love and heartbreak. And it was completely worth the wait. Definitely pick this one up. Can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!

Was this review helpful?

This was absolutely adorable. I loved it so much. I'll admit the back and forth pacing threw me a little bit, but I got used to it after a while. I loved the way these two characters had chemistry together, but they were also completely realistic. I think that also partly why I enjoyed it so much. There were somethings that happened that felt very realistic and that just made me feel more connected. I completely recommend this book, it was a cute and easy read!

Was this review helpful?

Publisher's description: Are they meant to be, or better apart?

Every May 7th, the students at Coffee County High School take a class trip. And every year, Lulu's relationship with Alex Rouvelis gets a little more complicated. Freshman year they went from sworn enemies to more than friends after a close encounter in an escape room. It's been hard for Lulu to quit Alex ever since.

Through break-ups, make-ups, and dating other people, each year's trip class brings the pair back together and forces them to confront their undeniable connection. From the science museum to Six Flags; New York City to London, Lulu learns one thing is for sure: love is the biggest trip of all.
************
Miranda Kenneally's "Four Days of You and Me" is a sweet high school romance in the vein of Ross and Rachel on "Friends." We see more of their stories apart than we do together, but somehow you just know they're meant for each other. The voices of the characters are realistic for high school. It's been a long time since I was a high school freshman, but the teenage drama in this brought it all back.

I loved the tie-in of the school trip for every year. It was a great way to timebox each part of Lulu and Alex's relationship and their movement between enemies, friendship, and high school sweethearts. I also appreciated that Kenneally dealt with the fallout to their friend group when things went sideways. Teenagers tend to have a group of people they hang with, and when a relationship gets rocky, it's just like when adults get divorced. Being together but not together is awkward, and everyone is uncomfortable.

All in all, this was a nice YA read. I knocked it down to 4 stars because the timeline of the chapters in the beginning was VERY confusing and choppy until I figured out the pattern. Even once I figured it out, it still felt choppy. The other thing (and this is kind of huge) is the glaring math error in the first chapter. The chapter is a single sentence in which Lulu tells us that their first kiss was exactly four years ago today. I know the book covers all four years of high school, but May 7 of freshman year to May 7 of senior year is actually only three years, not four.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really am not sure how to go about this one.

I was sent this to review from the FIRE Reads team for its release day, and I'd heard it was a fun and enjoyable read. I open to page one, and as my ten-year-old brother put it, "you look like you just saw someone throw up."

I'm not being picky when I'm saying this, I'm being honest, but the writing style was god-awful. Seriously! Just a few paragraphs in and I was annoyed. It was like reading a Wattpad-book you thought might've had a chance, only to realize you've been tricked and it's just as you were skeptical of.

I immediately put it down after that.

Because of this experience, I don't think I'm planning on reading anything else from Kenneally in the future.

Was this review helpful?

My Thoughts:

Four Days of You and Me was a spectacular story, and confirmed why Miranda Kenneally is one of my absolute favorite young adult contemporary romance authors. In this book, we are gifted a beautiful love story, that encompasses so much more than I could have expected or wished for. Kenneally delivers on themes of love, and friendship; as well as the challenges of growing up, and becoming an adult.

Every year, the students take a class field trip in May. Four Days of You and Me is told through the eyes of Lulu Wells. This story is formatted by painting a story of what takes place between Lulu and Alex Rouvelis every year on the school trip, as well as giving us the major highlights of what took place between our main characters during the school year.

Lulu and Alex are an opposites attract scenario. She is a strict vegetarian. Lulu marches to the beat of her own drum, and I loved her strong sense of self. She doesn't have any friends except for her best friend Max, and her cousin Grace, (who she gets closer to after freshman year. She is referred to as "weird," and "a hippie" by her classmates. Lulu loves graphic novels, works hard on creating her own, and hopes to one day make a living by doing what she is so passionate about.

In contrast, Alex is an extremely popular baseball player. He works hard at his family's pizzeria, and is very diligent in honing his baseball skills, because he needs to earn a scholarship if he wants to attend college after graduation. Lulu and Alex aren't off to the best start when they both decide to run for freshman class president.

However, after getting locked in an escape room during their freshman class field trip at a science museum, things become complicated between these two. As they navigate four years of high school, readers get a front row seat to first love, breakups and makeups, as well as the two of them going out with other people. However, through it all, there is never a doubt that these two are meant to be together.

Four Days of You and Me was fast paced, highly entertaining, and gave me a ton of "feels." I was completely invested in Lulu and Alex's story, and didn't want it to end. It was an excellent reading escape, and now I'm suffering from a major book hangover. I can't recommend this story enough! Romance readers are in for a real treat, as this story is going on my favorites shelf!

Was this review helpful?

While I'm not one for YA Contemp, I usually like MK's books, and this one was no exception. I flew through this book and loved every minute of it. She really drew me in with Alex and Lulu's love story. There were times I thought they really shouldn't be together, but Mk did an amazing job with their relationship progression, both the ups and the downs, as well as their growth as individuals. No matter what though, it was obvious these two people loved each other.

My one complaint would be I wish we would've gotten more of the main couple through the rest of the years. Yes, I get the premise is based on this particular date, but I felt like I needed just a little bit more of their interactions outside of that date in order to really connect with them as a couple. I still rooted for them nonetheless, even when they were both acting like immature, albeit typical, teenagers. And that ending?! Man, way to leave me wanting more!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the publisher for a free copy in exchange for a review. This is between a 3-4 star. I’ve been a fan of this author for several years. I appreciate the author emphasizing consent several times in the novel.

The story is cute and realistic for high school relationships. I do think it read a bit young YA but the topics and a story seem better for older teens. At times, the constant jumping timeline felt a bit choppy.

The characters were cute and the story had good pacing. I enjoyed the settings of their school trips. I will continue to read future books from this author.

Was this review helpful?

This book follows Lulu and Alex on the same day every year, throughout High School. Every year on May 7th the students go in a class field trip. Lulu and Alex go from high school enemies, to friends to lovers. Throughout high school, they go from being close friends, to enemies, and then back again. What’s going to happen to the two of them when high school ends?

By the end of this book, I really enjoyed it! At the beginning I was a little confused. It jumped all over the place, from past to present. But once I figured out what was going on, I really enjoyed it! I loved the banter between Alex and Lulu, and watching them grow through the years. I also really enjoyed the dual POV in this book! I would highly recommend this one!

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Four Days of You and Me was sweet and heart-warming!

Lulu and Alex have a complicated relationship that we watch play out over four years (and four all-class school trips.) As freshmen, the two are at odds over the fact that she wants their school to plant a garden in the same spot that he wants a spot for batting practice. But then on their class trip to a science machine, they accidentally get caught in an escape room together and decide that maybe they’re not as bitter of enemies as they think.

At first I wasn’t sure about the trip format, but I came to like the way that the book was able to show this teenage relationship play out over four years. And I really liked the way that time span let the book look at the issues that come up in any long-term relationship: balancing romance with friendships, family dynamics, gender roles and expectations, and conflicting goals and dreams.

I really enjoyed this one! It was not the typical YA romance and I appreciated that it took a deeper dive into a relationship while still having Miranda Kenneally’s trademark humor and heart.

Was this review helpful?

As much as I've loved Miranda Kenneally books in the past, this one was not for me. I could make no connection with the characters. Also, I felt no connection BETWEEN the characters. I don't know if it was the hopping around the timeline or what, but this one just wasn't for me.

Was this review helpful?

It's a cute story of two people who can't seem to stay away from each other for very long. Engaging and endearing it's an entertaining book. Definitely worth a look. Don't pass it up. Happy reading!

Was this review helpful?