Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

When I bumped into this book on NetGalley, I was immediately sold. The plot sounded promising and I was surely expecting a cute story about two best friends, their last year before going to university and their discovery of love. And I wasn’t disappointed. Anyway, I also found some things that didn’t quite convinced me.
If We Were Us by K. L. Walther is an entertaining book that revolves around Sage Morgan and Charlie Carmichael. These two have been best friends since forever and here we can definitely see that they care very deeply about each other. Their friendship is one of the best aspects of this novel because they always try to be there for each other, no matter what. Sage and Charlie are really an adorable duo! And that’s something I really appreciated.
I liked the writing style and I think it was perfect for this novel. However, I wasn’t a fan of the two points of view here employed. To me, it felt like they were pretty much the same. At times, I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to read whose actually POV I was currently reading about because I kept getting confused.

What I didn't like is that a character was kind of forced into coming out because he wasn't ready to do it, but he does so in order to not lose the loved one. I think this kind of message is not okay, not even a little. Especially because young people could read this book and get the wrong idea. Everyone should come out on their own terms and when they feel like it’s the right time. The decision is up to them and not to anyone else.

Overall, If We Were Us is an enjoyable and light read. If you love reading about true friendship and the discovery of love, then it’ll definitely be your cup of tea.

ARC provided by SOURCEBOOKS Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t like this book at all. Most of the characters were very inconsiderate towards each other and barely had any development. It wasn’t even a fluent read. The story felt too short and too long simultaneously: conversations between characters weren’t written down, but they were referenced later by another character. So, they were important, but not enough to be communicated on paper. The character I first thought was the best, namely Luke, resulted being as bad as the others. Breaking up with Charlie, because in the three months they were together he didn’t come out to freaking everyone. What. The. Hell. Also, in the beginning, the author kept reminding the reader that Luke looked fourteen…

As Tatianna would say “Choices…”

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This took me by surprise oh my god. I expected this to be a fun fluffy contemporary, and it was but it was also so much more than that. The characters did this for me. The four main characters Sage, Charlie, Nick, and Luke are SO amazing, I love them with everything I've got. The plot wasn't really strong but that wasn't necessary because these characters made this book such fun. Just reading about their lives made me incredibly happy.

There were some flaws in this book but they honestly didn't really bother me. I just wished we got a little less rushed ending, but I guess what we got now is also pretty amazing. I just want to read about these characters for forever, even if it's just them doing the groceries or something. My love for them is THAT big.

So needless to say, I can't recommend this book enough.

3.5/5 Stars

Let's start this review by saying that I enjoyed this book, even though there are some things that I wish were different.
But first, let's talk about what I liked. What made me like this book very much was the characters, I found them enjoyable and I loved the two main couples. I liked how they were all connected and friends and also how deeply they cared for each other, I especially liked Sage and Charlie's friendship. This is a very character-driven narrative, in the sense that not much happens apart from the lives and the relationships these characters are involved in. I guess this might be a deal-breaker for some people, but I'm usually one that enjoys character-driven books and this one was no exception.
I also really enjoyed how the theme of the boarding school was dealt with, it was fun and I also think it was depicted in a pretty realistic way.

Now to the things I didn't particularly liked. The first thing is the double point of view. We get to read the story from Charlie and Sage's perspectives, but the two of them don't sound different at all. I enjoyed them, don't get me wrong, but they just felt like the same person.
The thing that I disliked the most was how a certain "trope" was used. At one point a character breaks up with another because they feel like they cannot be together if the other's not out. I think this event kind of forced the coming out of said character and this was something I definitely did not appreciate since I believe everyone should come out when and if they are ready. I think this particular plot line kind of sends off a bad message and so I just want to point this out so that you're aware this is something that happens in this novel.

In the end this was an enjoyable read and even though I don't agree with some things that happened, I do still recommend it.

I loved the book. It was heart warming and heart breaking. I loved these main characters so much. I love Bexley. Boarding school! Childhood friends! Swoon love stories! This book had it all.

I got an ARC of this book.

I saw total rom com potential in this book. I saw so much hope for a light and fluffy read that would leave my heart happy. I was ready for something light and fun. This book wasn’t light and fun.

Instead it was full of half formed angst that didn’t really make any sense. The plot line for Sage was just really half baked. The reasoning why she couldn’t be in a relationship was barely mentioned. I saw no real reason why that plot existed except to make the boy/boy romance have more weight. It just felt like it was thrown in. Add in that it was implied that Sage slept with guys, but didn’t date. This was then thrown out so she could lose her virginity to her “true love” and equate having sex with being in love. I just didn’t believe they were in love. I also didn’t vibe with the seeing them as married with kids when they were 17/18 during the scene it was brought up. I needed more to see them as long term potential.

The boy/boy plot has already been done so much, but this one had a bit more One was mildly out and one was just coming to terms with being gay in reality. The bit more in this case was the support for being a secret, though it didn’t last. I knew it wouldn’t. The plot was always destined to be “come out or lose me” that is how these plots go. I was disappointed. I though there was going to be more depth to this than some tired cliche plot that even Grey’s Anatomy had. I shipped the boys at least. I thought they made a cute couple.

The weird family dynamic plot with an aunt made no sense to me. Why was she making comments? What was even the point of those interactions? It just felt like it was adding angst, when it was just adding to my annoyance. The coming out scene was great, except for one character. It felt forced and then awkward. Like the author lost control of the scene, but didn’t want to follow through.

The epilogue also bugged me. It was too close to the timeline of the story to really give me closure. I wanted to see them meeting up for summer or winter break during college or maybe after college. I wanted to have a happier ending or at least one that didn’t feel like it was tacked on. I didn’t care that they graduated, I had no doubts they would. The speech was underwhelming.

Overall, I was just let down. I was hoping for more. I wanted more cute, I wanted more romance, I wanted more realistic angst.

I liked this well enough and I think teens will too - they'll enjoy the school dynamics and relationships, making this a worthwhile purchase for YA collections. And yes, while I liked it, I didn't love it and it's not because of the writing or anything like that. Really, what it boils down to is that it tried to do too much through the dual perspectives. Honestly, I felt way more invested in Charlie and Luke's storyline than Sage and Nick's and lot of that has to do with the fact that I didn't know anything about Nick, beyond him being Charlie's brother. His character was never developed and I never really understood his relationship with Sage or how the feelings really started. Sure, there were a couple flashback moments, but nothing that justified a whole narrative. Also, I found myself just trying to get through Sage's chapters so I could get back to Charlie's perspective. I think this had a lot to do with my indifference towards Nick, which led to indifference to his relationship with Sage beyond how it impacted Charlie and Luke. Once again, I didn't dislike Nick or Sage, I thought they were fine, I was just more interested in Charlie and Luke because their narrative and character development were stronger and I feel like I got to know Luke better than I got to know Nick.

That said - this is still a sweet love story, one that will appeal to teens and romance readers.

I didn't connect with this book. It was a quick read, but I was annoyed with the actions of the characters most of the time. I didn't feel a connection with the characters. We are told Sage and Charlie are best friends who attend a private boarding high school.up Charlie has a twin, Nick, who Sage is secretly dating. Then there is the new boy, Luke. I didn't feel like his character was developed enough to understand why everyone loved him. He's a senior who looks like a freshman and he's shy, but everyone is falling for him. It felt very unrealistic. The story unfolds through alternating POV from Charlie and Sage. The voice from each didn't seem that distinct. It annoyed me that the boys (Nick and Charlie) would date other girls to make people jealous. Sage is afraid to fall in love because her parents met and married young and then divorced so she's sure she will have the same experience if she lets herself get too attached to any guy in high school. Then she feels like she has to hide her relationship so no one will find out Charlie is gay. The whole story felt like it was from the 1950s and not present day. There was too much telling and not enough showing in the story. I wanted a deeper development of the characters. This felt like a second or third book in a series instead of a stand alone novel. It felt like the reader was supposed to have already known things about the characters. I wanted a little more depth.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest, I didn't realize that this book was multiple perspectives when I requested it. Normally, I do not request books like this because they tend to confuse me and I don't find it as compelling to read because I don't get a deep understanding of the characters. I do appreciate the opportunity to read this book, but I will not be finishing it and will not be giving a full review as this book just wasn't for me.

At their boarding school, best friends Charlie and Sage have always been the talk as being “more than best friends,” that they’re in love with each other, that they should be together. Turns out, they like different boys. How do their individual journeys in finding love affect their friendship, but most importantly, their relationships?

Oh my heart! This was such a loving story about loving the guy, loving your best friend, and loving yourself. I felt so much more for Charlie! And, as for Sage, what a strong best friend. This book took coming of age to another level, and it was such a joy to read. Full disclosure: one of the final chapters definitely made me cry.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I don't usually go in for love triangles (or squares, in this case), but this was a cute read.

I don't really have too much to say about this one, other than it was cute and fun. It was written well, the characters were likable. Your average YA cutesy romance with a twist.

(There is a bit of a problematic angle on the gay side, but it's definitely not the worst I've read. And despite the two relationships in this book, I was surprised it didn't get too "high school" for this adult reader.)

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of "If We Were Us" by K.L. Walther. This book was so adorable. The boarding school setting, since I didn't go to boarding school (I'm super not as posh as the people in this book), actually gave me a lot of nostalgia for my freshman year of college when I lived in the dorms. That was really pleasant for me.
I will say that it took me about 20-30% of the book to really get into it. In the beginning, there were a lot of names being thrown around, a lot of details that were apparently nostalgic for the author who did attend boarding school but that felt really needless to me that early on when I wasn't invested. It just took me a minute to get hooked into the story and the characters; the setup just didn't connect with me for some reason.
But, once the romances really got going, I was in it and I flew through the rest of the book. The romances were sweet and heartfelt and brought me back to how intense first loves can be in high school in a real, vivid way. The best part, though, was that there were several deep, beautiful relationships at the heart of this story that went beyond romance into family, parent-child, sibling, and best friend relationships. It made the changes these character had to go through a lot more meaningful—and they did go through changes and their development really pulled me through to the end. I'd definitely recommend this sweet, lovely book.

If We Were Us started off fluffy and light, but got deep towards the end. Sage, Nick, and Charlie are in their senior year at the prestigious Bexley School. For as long as they can remember they have been friends, and everyone thinks Sage and Charlie are perfect for each other. When Luke, a new student, arrives at Bexley things are shaken up. As it turns out, Sage and Charlie might not actually be so perfect for each other, and in order to find love, they will have to question who they really are. This book could have been a cute, cheesy romance, If We Were US is so much more. The characters grow tremendously throughout the book, and the ending was wonderful. I did get a little frustrated by some of the behavior that the characters exhibited, but I think that was because of how genuine the characters seemed. They were high schoolers and they acted like it. A great book that gets all the feels and shows the reader the importance of being honest about yourself.

I really wanted to love this book! The premise sounded amazing and I had high Hope's but sadly I ended up dnf-ing this book.

I found myself not caring for the main characters or the plot. I also struggled with the writing style a little bit. This book just wasnt for me and I'm gutted.

Please dont let my review put you off. So many people have enjoyed this book and you may too!

I loved this book and it made me feel so much. I was in love, I was heartbroken, I was happy, jealous- I was a teenager again. Once I started reading I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to read more, to see what happens next to the characters. I connected so much with all of them and I was sucked into the story which I totally love when that happens.
The story follows two best friends Sage and Charlie. Everyone at their school thinks they are in love and Charlie lets them believe that, as he is afraid they will discover his secret that he has been trying to hide by dating different girls. But that just messes up with Sage's relationship with his twin brother Nick, who like the rest of the school, thinks Charlie and Sage are secretly in love. Sage will never betray her best friend even if that means losing the person she loves.
But everything changes when Luke comes to school.
It is a beautiful contemporary YA romance that I am so happy I got to read.

I was so invested in this book. I couldn't love Charlie more if I tried. Its a pure story about coming of age and all the things that come with growing up.

There were so many feelings with this book. I loved EVERY character which is a testament to the author. K.L Walther brought these kids to life. They jumped out of the page and I became attached to them!

So Sage and Charlie are best friends who everyone feels is meant to be together (oh I remember those days) until Luke comes to their school. There is an instant undeniable chemistry between Charlie and Luke. It actually leaves Charlie confused, and excited all at the same time. Although he feels torn and at times hates how he feels, he does come to terms with it.
Meanwhile, Sage has fallen for Nick, who just happens to be Charlie's twin brother. So its a lot of self discovery. Both Charlie and Sage know what people think of them. (they would be the most perfect couple!) but they need to find themselves first.
This was a great book about first love, realization, and even standing up for yourself!

Thank you so much to #Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A lot of things about this book really irked me. Going in, you should know this is not own voices, and its obvious it isn't, The gay characters are very stereotyped. This book follows two couples, one straight and one gay, falling in love and hiding their relationships. Which are absolutely not comparable situations. One is worried about discrimination and coming out, and the other,,,,, I honestly have no idea why the straight couple was hiding their relationship, it just seemed to be for drama. Also this book really pressured and bullied the gay MC into coming out, which I didn't like at all, coming out is no ones business but there own. Also, while I am all for anyone writing LGBT characters, I think there's some topics non own voices authors should stay away from and coming out is one of them, since its such a stressful, often traumatic, experience that only LGBT people have to go through.
Also, moving on from the content issues, the writing itself felt very flat, and none of the characters seemed unique. Also both of the narrators voices were exactly the same and I often times got confused of whose POV I was reading. Characters and situations were introduced without context and we were just expected to know what was going on.

I received an advanced copy of If We Were Us from Netgalley, so that I can share my review with you! Out of five stars, I would give this book a two, for reasons I will explain later in the review.

Bexley Academy gossip has long held that Sage and Charlie are meant to end up together. That their close friendship is a guise for their love for each other, and that it’s only a matter of time until they start dating. At the start of the school year, Luke, a new senior, arrives on campus and immediately begins to stir up the careful balance of the Bexley student dating pool. Charlie is immediately drawn to Luke by an undeniable chemistry, and the two rapidly grow close. While Charlie is otherwise occupied, Sage begins to spend more time with Charlie’s twin brother, Nick. Romance sparks between the two pairs, but it’s only a matter of time before the secrets start to spill.

As I mentioned earlier, I was not a particularly big fan of If We Were Us, for several reasons. First, the book was told in dual perspective, but the two narrators’ voices were indistinguishable from each other. I was constantly struggling to remember who’s chapter I was supposed to be reading, because the narrators did not feel like individual characters. Additionally, I didn’t feel particularly invested in either of the love stories, as the emotional relationships felt lacking and superficial. I was very excited by the concept of this book, but unfortunately the execution left me quite disappointed.

My Recommendation-
Although I wasn’t a fan of If We Were Us, that doesn’t mean that some may not enjoy it. If you are considering picking up If We Were Us, I would recommend reading a sample first, to form your own opinions on the characters and story. If you find the issues I previously mentioned to be irritating to you while reading, I would recommend skipping this one!

This book should have been a DNF. The writing felt stilted and was just poorly done in general. Characters and situations were introduced without context as though we were supposed to know things that the author never mentioned (so much so that I had to check and see if I was reading a sequel). There are these odd time jumps that skip important scenes and conversations and there is so much telling instead of showing. This book is written in first person, alternating between Charlie and Sage's perspectives but neither character felt fleshed out. Everyone felt like tropes rather than real people and it made it difficult to care about them and their relationships. Especially the relationship between Sage and Nick -- there's no lead up, they're just... making out all of a sudden? And we're supposed to believe they're in love with each other? Even though she treats him like crap and blames it on other people? It was not good. Aside from all of that I had a major issue with the LGBT content. Aside from it also feeling just as tropey as the rest of the book, I was super not okay with how the other characters claimed to be allies but continued to basically bully the MC into coming out? It didn't feel like it was coming from a place of love, and largely felt self-serving. I could kind of understand Luke's perspective to an extent, but the whole situation didn't feel like it was handled well at all.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3333184676

So sweet and charming, a real page turner ! And so much diversity ! Okay, it was a very good book, the characters just questioning themself about who they are, and who they want to be.
On last thing, it takes place in a... Boarding school and I love it, you have a real good feel of what is to be a student in a boarding school, A cute, quick romance, perfect for someone who want to change one's mind.