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.

Yeah fine, I'll accept that I loved this so much more than I expected, even if Sage's chapters bored me and I just wanted to get back to Charlie and Luke.

Also, well, this made me flat-out sob and not really in a "it's sad" way, although it is, but more in a "I feel far too seen and this reminded me of all of the messy, broken things in my life" kind of way. I'm not as strong as Charlie and Luke are, but I wish I were.

I didn't love the parts with Sage, mostly because her back and forth with Nick was so typical of a YA book. Once I understood that she was protecting Charlie, I appreciated their sneaking around more, but I think it's so dumb for a couple that has nothing to lose to lie to each other. But whatever. That aside, I also didn't love some of Sage's actions regarding Charlie's sexuality; it's not fair of her to tell him when and where to come out and to act like she's held hostage by his secrecy. But in fairness, I did see her perspective as well; I just think she was being a tad selfish (and I suppose that was kind of the point).

Anyway, I really appreciated the discussion of how hard it is to come out and I absolutely adored Charlie. I don't love when books pull the "I don't want us to be together in secret, so you have to come out" card, but I think it worked better with this book than it has in other ones. Charlie still did it on his terms and his time and more as a result of realizing the importance of his relationship with Nick than emotional blackmail. I do wish the book had discussed that it's unfair of someone to expect someone else to come out <i>for them</i> but I also realize that there's a level of honesty someone would like in a relationship and I don't think Charlie was fair to Nick at many points either.

So yeah, this book isn't perfect, but it captivated me, I read most of it today, and the writing is really good. I ended up being swept into their drama, their lives, their loves, and I would absolutely die for Luke and Charlie. The cutest. The sweetest. The best.

-Book Hugger

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! This is no way impacted my review/rating of the book.

Cute YA romance set at a boarding school featuring childhood best friends, one's brother, and the new guy at school.

Content warnings include: casual homophobic jokes, internalized homophobia, unacknowledged eating disorder and weight loss, breakups, off-page sex between teenagers; mentions of mild violence.

This kind of felt like a typical American high school romcom, except also not. There was the big cast of popular characters, the tons of parties, everyone knowing everyone, so much drama around relationships, supposedly a ton of homework except everyone is always hanging out and doing activities together literally all the time... and yet it didn't annoy me in the same way those shows usually do.
I liked that there was no bullying or cliques, no nerd/jock/art kids/goths separation, no real unecessary jealousy drama, no forced or involuntary outing, blackmail, inappropriate teacher/student relationships or similar things.

There was a storyline about a gay couple with one of them out while the other isn't, and the tension around them was focussed on the closeted one struggling with the idea of coming out, but it was handled respectfully, with both characters being fully in their right and without actively pressuring each other.

The two protagonists, Sage and Charlie, are best friends, but I found their friendship less of a big deal as the book's description made me believe. Instead, Sage and Luke, the new guy at school, had a friendship that at least to me was in the foreground a lot.

The one thing I couldn't quite wrap my head around was Sage and her hang-up around high school romantic relationships. The drama and heartbreak that caused had no relation to the reasoning she named and could have been solved had she just spoken up earlier, and when she does she gives in immediately anyways without any big discussion or character development.

Generally I had some issues with the timeline - I couldn't always tell which parts were described as having happened in the past and which were happening at present. Other events only happened during the POV of a non-present character, so the reader only learns about them second hand, which I found a weird choice since it's switching POVs anyways?

My biggest issue was probably all the names - there is a huge cast of not only all the people at the boarding school, but also their extended families, all the different buildings each had a name, as well as several locations at the protagonist's homes, and at no point was it explained who was who or what was what or where, and that was just super annoying. Even now that I'm finished there are several names that I couldn't tell you who or what they are.

Overall still a fun read that passes the time.

Yesss another debut novel that pulled my heart-strings in the best way possible! 💕
I am a sucker for friendship and love stories. Push a boarding school into the storyline, and you've the perfect recipe to make me happy! 😁
If We Were Us is basically sunshine in book form. ( I modified a quote from the book to fit my review, that's how much I loved it 😌) Not only does this book talk about friendship and love, but also shows how young people struggle to accept their own identities in the ever-changing world.
Charlie and Sage, who've been best friends since their childhood, will make you dream for a friendship like theirs. Their relationship was so heart-warming and perfect. You know how they say, "The world is a better place if you have the right friend by your side. " ? Sage and Charlie showed me that it's true.
The development of romance betn Sage & Nick and Luke & Charlie was wonderfully written too. The right amount of banter and humor was also thrown into the storyline. Aaanddd don't even get me started on the boarding school life & fun! AAAHH ALL OF THEM FEELS. 😭
While reading books from a specific POV, I've felt a lot of times that the book missed the depth it needed because of not having the POVs of characters vital to the plot. If We Were Us completely changed that aspect for me. Even though the POVs change between Charlie and Sage only, the author did an amazing job of including Luke and Nick's contribution to the story too.
I loved how If We Were Us portrayed the fact that we can become the best versions of ourselves by choosing to be true to our own hearts before anything else. This book will definitely stay with me for a long time. I want more! 😩
I can't wait to read K.L Walther's upcoming books, given how wonderful her debut novel is!
Thanks to the publisher and author for the e-arc 🧡

There was absolutely nothing wrong with this story, I just really lost interest the more I read. I was so excited to see a story with a platonic soulmate in it - and I loved the relationship between Sage and Charlie, but even really liking the idea of the relationship, I didn't quite connect with the characters the way I wanted too. The characters never felt real to me -there was an exaggerated outlandishness that made the story feel unattainable. And even my love of boarding school books didn't help because it all just felt so out of reach. I only started to see the relationship develop between Charlie and Luke and Sage and Nick respectively, and while I liked them they weren't enough to keep me going.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If We Were Us is a story told from the perspective of two best friends, Charlie and Sage, during their senior year of high school at an elite boarding school. I will break down this book into what I think worked and what I think didn't work because I am very on the fence about it.

What didn't work:
1. The narrators. I was not invested in either Charlie or Sage. I would have much preferred the narrators to be Nick and Luke, as I thought they were more interesting characters. Charlie and Sage seemed flat to me, and it didn't feel like their chapters had a separate voice.
2. The plot. I was not a fan of the "we must hide our love" trope in either of the storylines. It felt a bit cliche and I didn't think it was handled deftly enough. I also don't think Luke or Nick's reaction worked because it sets up conflicts that seem a bit unnecessary.

What did work:
1. The setting. I loved the idea of it at a boarding school. Some of my favorite novels I read in my teen years (yes, including Harry Potter!) take place at a boarding school. I love the vibe that puts off, especially in the ways in which the author built that space.
2. The writing. I did like the writing and though overall it was well-written. The problem for me was plotting and character building, but the writing itself was good.