This book was a series of short stories following some meet cute's and other love stories based on the current COVID-19 pandemic. I wasn't sure what to go into this as, so I went in blind, and thoroughly enjoyed every story that was in this anthology and thought it was really well done! I can't pinpoint any one specific thing that caused me to dislike anything, and with it being an anthology I can't rate this as one whole thing since I liked some stories more than others. However, given that this is was a light-hearted anthology that was an easy read (especially since so many people are struggling to read anything because of the amount of horrible things happening in the world at the moment), I thought this was a great read.

If you are looking for a short anthology, a light-hearted book, or just something that is easy to get into and doesn't take a ton of mental energy to read, I would definitely say to give this one a shot.

4.5 stars = I loved it! Would re-read.

This was SO fun! Sure, there were some stories I loved more than others - that is true for me in every short story collection I read. But all of them were good. There's a nice mix of race as well as sexual identity/orientation in the characters. The pandemic plays a role in every story, but the timing (spring/early on vs later on into the distancing and masking practices) and degree of impact varies with the stories. This is an excellent collection - don't miss this one!

(Language in really only one story, TW for "The Socially Distant Dog-Walking Brigade" which mentions cutting. TW for "Stuck with Her" for a difficult coming out story.)

2020 has brought us COVID, quarantine, lockdowns, mainstream mask wearing, and a timely YA meet cute anthology - Together, Apart. Together, Apart combines the talents of several young adult authors to share nine short stories set in the time of COVID. Anyone looking for some light and enjoyable reading that is still relevant to the times will love this collection. When everyone must stay six feet apart and facial expressions are literally masked, finding love has never been harder, but Together, Apart shows us that it is still indeed possible.

Together, Apart covers a wide variety of scenarios and includes several stories spotlighting diverse characters and relationships. Topics include falling for the pizza boy; finding love on a dog walk; discovering you might just have a thing for the guy on the opposite balcony; flirting with and impressing your crush on TikTok; obsessing over the guy next door; cooking up love and fortune in the kitchen; bonding over some friendly competition; learning you may just have a thing for your roommate; and falling in love through an app.

This collection of stories keeps the COVID references light and in the background, and shows the challenges that youth face in this time of crisis. From missing school friends, to skipping prom, to falling in love from a distance, Together, Apart is just the book teens need to show that they are not alone; that we are all in this together, albeit, apart.

I'm enjoying COVID-19 stories more than I ever expected to. These stories are cute and hopeful (although I am definitely thankful that I don't have to worry about finding love in the middle of a pandemic).

Pretty good short stories to read during quarantine, all of them are unique and cute. My favorites are: Love delivery, One day, The boy next door, The green thumb war and masked.

I really should know better than to read short stories. They always leave me wanting more. Always. I can't say I had high hopes for Together, Apart because I didn't. But there were quite a few things that just didn't sit right with me.

First off, I think maybe it's too soon to be reading about COVID in books. Yes, I know it's a contemporary and that it will be talked about in books that reference 2020. However, this was just too soon. We have all of these meet-cutes that were really really cute. Don't get me wrong there. It just took away from the stories that it was during a pandemic.

Secondly, short stories. I wanted more. Especially with particular stories. I think this is another me thing, though. I've never been a fan of short stories.

Now that those two things were addressed. There were a couple stories that I completely skipped because they just didn't draw me in. On the other hand, of course, there were stories I absolutely loved and would love reading a full story version if there was one. My favorite is probably the starter, Love, Delivered.

I finished this book late into the night and near immediately shouted into the void about how much I loved it. In truth, I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did, having found <em>Meet Cute</em> to be somewhat mediocre. I've also never been a massive fan of anthologies since I prefer to really get to know characters rather than experience brief snapshots of their lives. But I'll give the authors of this book this much: their characters are incredible. It's also thoroughly impressive how none of the stories turned out to be insta-love.

<b>Near, Afar</b>

There were a lot of people involved in the making of this book. From Erin A. Craig to Jennifer Yen, you've got a lot of excellent authors collaborating together to bring you some of the most amazing stories. I definitely have my own personal preferences among them, as I'm sure you will, too. But I must at least admit the story that really blew it out of the water for me was the final one, written by Erin Hahn. I was so engaged reading this particular story that I could, unquestionably, see myself reading a full novel with the same plot.

<b>Love, Delivered - #6</b>

Honestly, I was skeptical, at first. The whole concept behind this book is that you have to find a way for people to meet and fall in love during a pandemic. As someone who has been, more or less, cooped up since February, this seemed like a fairly tall order. Well, speaking of orders, how about the pizza delivery guy? Erin A. Craig's <em>Love, Delivered</em> is incredibly cute. And it made me realize, there are a number of ways people could meet during a pandemic. Socially distanced love is an interesting concept, for sure, and I adored the way this relationship grew.

<b>The Socially Distant Dog-Walking Brigade - #8</b>

I'll be honest, I didn't love Bill Konigsberg's dog-walking romance. I think, in theory, it was an interesting idea, but I was anxious the entire time I read it. Like, just how socially distanced are these teenagers? I know it's just fiction, but I kept picturing them far too close to each other than I would've felt comfortable with. Also, this story was just a little bit all over the place for me. There were definitely some amusing moments, namely a dog's decision being the most humorous, but this story just didn't quite do it for me. The idea was good, but the execution just didn't quite measure up.

<b>One Day - #5</b>

Oh my gosh, I <em>loved</em> this one. Sajni Patel's quarantine story is definitely in my top five favorites for this book. Not quite what I'd call a 'hate-to-love,' story but it was definitely an 'annoyance-to-love' story. There's a lot of cute hidden in this gem of a story and I was particularly fond of not only how the relationship evolved, but also how the story wrapped up quite nicely. You definitely feel like you're not getting everything, though. And in a weird way, this particular one felt very unfinished. Still, I am here for the messages across the balcony!

<b>The Rules of Comedy - #7</b>

Despite my thinking that the original video that is supposed to have gone viral is...dumb, for lack of a better word, this was probably one of the most well done and adorable stories here. Auriane Desombre does a pretty phenomenal job of setting up and whisking us through her tale. It's definitely very easy to connect with the main character and you find yourself rooting for her and her crush very early on. You're even somewhat enamored with the sibling relationship. And I was actually pretty surprised by the degree of character development present in such a short story.

<b>The Boy Next Door - #1</b>

Natasha Preston, oh my gosh, how you managed to make me fall so head over heels for these characters, I have no idea. But <em>damn</em>, was this the most adorable story ever. Honestly, I'm realizing now that I'm sitting down to think about it, this is probably my favorite story. And, really, it largely comes down to how the tree was incorporated into the slow-burn. Ahk, I just cannot believe how beautiful it was.

<b>Love With a Side of Fortune - #4</b>

Jennifer Yen's quarantine story makes me giggle, a lot. Now, I'm not religious or superstitious so I find the whole superstitious mom going mental over a fortune telling thoroughly amusing. It's the kind of thing I could never really take seriously, but I'll admit that it does make for a cute quarantine story. Also, the family restaurant aspect was adorable. Yen does what's honestly a brilliant job with this one. Definitely top five material.

<b>The Green Thumb War - #3</b>

The BET in this story. Oh my <em>skies</em>. I don't want to give too much away on this one, cause Brittany Morris' one of the cutest in the bunch. But I will say, if you read only a few stories out of this book, please make sure this is one of them. It's got crazy cats, accidental injuries, plant raising, soap, and home-cooked meals. And it's utterly adorable. Hands down, this is one I wouldn't mind reading more of.

<b>Stuck with Her - #9</b>

I'm sorry, but this one actually pissed me off. Of all the stories in this anthology, Rachel Lippincott's was the worst. I hated it, hated it, hated it. Like, I'm sorry...but purposefully interrupting your roommate's sleep when you know she has important things to do in the morning just because you want to spend time with her is <em><strong>not</strong></em> cute. There's nothing cute about it. I don't care how much you enjoy spending time with her. I don't care that you think she's cute. And I sure as fuck don't care that you don't know how to tell her you like her. DO NOT deprive your crush of sleep <em>every</em> bloody night just so she'll come out of her room to yell at you. UGH.

<b>Masked - #2</b>

Erin Han's story, the last of the bunch, really hit me in the feels. I think the most important thing to note about this one is just how adorable the story was. And, ultimately, I wish this had been a fully fleshed out novel, because it would have been so much fun to read. You definitely feel as though you're missing out on some stuff with it being just a short story, which is a shame. But, all in all, it was pretty wonderful.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

I'm so glad I picked up TOGETHER, APART. I enjoyed the varied stories and relationships, from two feuding teens enacting a full-scale competition involving their balcony gardens to two boys who meet during their socially distanced dog-walking brigade to two roommates realizing their shared feelings by being stuck together during quarantine to other amazing stories, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this anthology. However, my top three favorite stories are: 1) “One Day” by Sajni Patel; 2) “Love, Delivered” by Erin A. Craig; and 3) “Masked” by Erin Hahn. Let’s break them down.

Sajni Patel’s fantastic story “One Day” revolves around two teens on different balconies. Our protagonist, Bobby, is a stressed teenage girl whose house is too loud and too chaotic with multiple zoom meetings and classes. To take a break from the noise, she escapes to her balcony, but there she discovers a teenage boy on another balcony playing his guitar. In an effort to stop him and finally get some peace and quiet, she throws her shoe. While the shoe doesn’t hit him, it does launch a campaign for him to get her number that soon involves the neighbors—and her heart.

I related the most to this story because of the descriptions of the sheer chaos the pandemic has inspired inside individual homes. As someone on Zoom for quite a few hours a day, I understand the need for quiet to cure a stabbing headache. I also thought this story had a good structure, and the romance was fun. I too am relying on the hope that “one day,” I’ll be able to meet people face-to-face again, but until that day, Zoom will have to do.

In “Love, Delivered” by Erin A. Craig, teenager Millie’s family moves from Tennessee to Michigan during the pandemic so her pathologist parents can help out at the local hospital. Alone in the house with only moving boxes and disconnected Wi-Fi to keep her company, Millie befriends the cute pizza delivery boy. As they bond over their love of the horror genre and delicious cake, Millie realizes that living in her new town might not be so bad after all.

This is the first story in the anthology, and I thought it was a great way to start. I related to Millie’s experience with moving and starting over in a new town with no friends as I’ve had to do that a couple of times myself...although not in a pandemic, which is definitely harder. Her struggle with different elements of the virus was also relatable and gave me a glimpse of life with two parents working in a hospital during these rough times. Millie’s character came to life on the page with justifiable frustration, and it was fun watching her friendship with Luka bloom. I would love to read what happens next between these two characters!

Finally, Erin Hahn’s story “Masked” is a fun look at how an idea for what to do with a prom dress can turn into a relationship with a guy. When teenager Gray, lover of White Christmas and seamstress extraordinaire, realizes that she can’t wear her perfect dress to prom because it was cancelled due to the pandemic, she decides to cut it up and sew masks out of the material instead. While advertising the masks on her neighborhood’s app, Gray meets Jude whose uncle needs masks for his business. The two teens begin messaging back and forth, but when Gray starts to discover the truth about Jude’s identity, she has to decide if their relationship will be too much to handle or if she’s alright stepping out from backstage and into the spotlight.

With all the prom cancellations this past spring, this story is ideal for anyone who didn’t get a chance to use their perfect outfit. The romance is really fun in this story, and I loved the twist at the end. The dual narration of the story helped develop both characters and bring them to life. Even though I didn’t face the struggle with prom being cancelled, I enjoyed the creativity that this story offered.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this anthology and getting ideas for how I too might be able to find love during this pandemic. The three stories mentioned above, as well as the other six, were fun to dive into, especially because they all take place during this historic moment that we’re living through. I now know that love can prevail even through our darkest times and that we can still be together even when we’re apart.

I would like to thank Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Together, Apart in exchange for an honest review.

When COVID-19 hit the United States, no one truly prepared themselves for the months that would follow the official lock-down. For months, family and friends were kept apart and lives were completely shifted to meet a "new normal." During the lock-down, life has continued on for many and this collection was a pleasant reminder of that.

Together, Apart is a beautiful collection of stories told during the time of lockdown. I adored the stories of families and meet cutes. My favorite stories included One Day by Sajni Patel, The Rules of Comedy by Auriane Desombre, and Masked by Erin Hahn. While every short story put a smile on my face and truly captured a memory from lock-down, these three stories left me wanting a longer story!

Overall, this was a pleasant read and I admired the idea that something beautiful can come from such a dark time. It was a nice reminder that we really are all in this together, even when we are forced to be apart. I have already picked up a physical copy and will be purchasing for my friends as well!

A cute compilation of why an international pandemic doesn't mean the end of your love life. "Together, Apart" is almost too sickeningly cute, with its' feel-good stories of teens finding connections despite not being at least six feet apart. What I enjoy most of all is the mild lessons running throughout the stories about taking the pandemic seriously - while I missed the kisses and touches that normally come with YA romances, it would have felt weirder to still include those in a pandemic-focused anthology. Definitely read for a good fluff session!

As with all anthologies, there are hits and misses. Sadly this one was largely misses. The highest rated story for me in this was 3 stars, but most were 1 or DNF. They all just felt so bland and unrealistic

These stories provide brief, diverse peeks into the lives of the characters!

Please consider before reading if you can handle depictions of life during the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety, grief, homophobia, and other topics!

These stories were cute, well-written, and at times quite insightful. It was difficult for me to enjoy this anthology though because I do not normally read short stories, at all, and so this was something new for me. I stepped out of my comfort zone and was not prepared for how reading about life and romance during this pandemic would impact me.

So, overall a good anthology--just not to my particular taste at the moment! :)

This is a very cute collection of short stories set during quarantine. I mostly enjoyed every story but there were a few that are weaker than the others. The ones that I liked the most were One Day, Love with a Side of Fortune, and The Green Thumb War. With an honorable shoutout to Masked because I think that story might have worked better as a full length novel.

Together, Apart is a cute and diverse collection of YA romance short stories set during the Covid-19 pandemic. Admittedly, when I began reading, I realized I was not ready to read pandemic stories, but I pushed through my discomfort. And I'm glad I did.

There were hits and misses, as is to be expected. A couple of them felt rushed and underdeveloped, and a couple felt contrived. But I appreciate that the collection features diversity on multiple levels, and most of the stories tackle the complex feelings that teens (and frankly all of us) are trying to manage during this pandemic.

Having this collection is interesting historically too. Even now while we're still in the throes of the pandemic, these stories were clearly written near the beginning of the experience. We see characters taking strong precautions, which serve as good examples to follow, and spending time in strict lockdowns. A few of the stories end with jarring expressions of hope that the pandemic will be over soon. It's an optimism that might have instilled hope at the time the stories were written but now seem naive, even tragic.

Each individual will have to assess for themselves whether they're ready to read a collection like this. There is certainly value here in connecting with the characters and the way they process their situations and feelings. There's solid writing, fun characters, and sweet moments. But for some, the reading experience might be too close to home. I will be interested to see how this collection ages!

DNF. In general I'm not a short stories fan. I thought this would interest me, to read happy ending-stories set during COVID times, but tbh it put me off. To each their own!

Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

I'm on the fence about this one! Certain ones were adorable, because I absolutely loved Erin A. Craig and Natasha Preston's stories, but others were hit and miss for me. I was hesitant in the beginning to request a copy of this, because of the fact that we still are in the middle of the pandemic and it felt a bit distasteful in my opinion to write 'cute' stories about it, but I'm glad I did. A few of the stories didn't feel genuine, and a few I felt just weren't for me, but it didn't take away from the ones I did enjoy! Overall, I'm going to give this one 3 stars because it was average.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review.

This review is being published after the release date (October 20th, 2020)


Content/Trigger Warnings: Talk of pandemic (covid-19), grief, anxiety (The Rules of Comedy), talk of homophobia (Socially Distant Dog-Walking & Stuck with Her), mentions of death, brief allusions to racism (The Boy Next Door), depictions of panic attacks (Stuck with Her)



An anthology that normalizes feelings and social situations during the current pandemic of 2020? I think this is brilliant! If I’m being honest, when I got approved for this arc, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t read the synopsis because I like to go into some anthologies without knowing too much. I’m pleasantly surprised! I really enjoyed this and a lot of pre-reading thoughts I had were cast away immediately (like thinking I was going to be overwhelmed).

This wasn’t exactly a perfect read though. I think one of my biggest issues with anthologies, in general, is some of the stories are too short when I really want more. That’s been on of the biggest, most consistent factors when I read any anthology. And that was definitely the case while reading this anthology. There were some stories in this anthology that I really wanted more details or just one or two more pages. To be honest, I think this anthology could have been a bit longer than it was. Despite that, there were some real gems in this book that I loved and felt my heart swell with warmth.

I will also say that this book is very diverse. Not only are the authors diverse, but a lot of the stories in this book are diverse. There’s ownvoices stories such as queer rep, Asian rep, Indian rep, Black rep, etc… all the way to showing different situations during the pandemic, different family dynamics and living situations, and how we never truly know what’s happening in someone’s life. I really loved and appreciated all of this representation in this book, and I think there’s going to be many readers who are going to pick this book up and see themselves within these pages. I know I sure did and the amount of validation for a lot of the feelings I’ve been feeling since this pandemic started, all found within these pages. Truly, this book is going help many readers.

Of course, with all anthologies, bind-ups, etc… that find their way into my library, I like to do a break down with a mini review for each story that shares my thoughts and feelings!


➸ Love, Delivered by Erin A. Craig ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I won’t lie, this one probably hit the closest to my heart out of all the stories in this anthology. For starters, this is short story is by Erin A Craig, who’s writing I absolutely fell in love with right around this time last year. Erin just has a way of writing that hooks my attention and makes me feel all of the feelings. And it was no surprise that I her short story left me feeling super soft and sappy. Our main character of this short story is trying to navigate life, not just from the pandemic, but from moving into a new house and having two parents who are barely around, but also doctors working the frontlines during the pandemic. With her parents constantly gone and with everyone still trying to get everything set up from the move, Millie orders pizza and soon meets the cute pizza delivery boy, Luke, and suddenly, Millie doesn’t feel so alone in the world. My heart! This hit me in all the soft spots of my soul. Family is everything to me and seeing another person who has parents on the frontline during the pandemic, it was a critical hit. And adding the family own pizza business into this story? *chef’s kiss* Truly, this story kicked this book off in an amazing direction and just stole my heart immediately.

➸ The Socially Distant Dog-Walking Brigade by Bill Konigsberg ⭐⭐⭐
This is one of those stories that I wish we would have gotten a page or two more. I thought I was going to love this more than I did (mostly due to the dogs), but I definitely didn’t enjoy it as much. I think the reason for this is due to wanting just a little more details or having that extra page or two. We follow two dog walkers, Kaz and Daxton, as they walk their dogs every day together and the conversations they have together. Among this short story is the bigger discussion of homophobia and how sometimes the people we care about most, can be the ones who hurt us the most painful way. Along with this story being so short, I also wanted to see a little more from these characters. I think this would have really hit the nail on the head if we saw them have a conversation about how one of them stood up to their parents to correct them on their homophobic ways. Despite the shortness and some missing details, I did enjoy this. I just wanted to see a little more from these two quirky, queer boys!

“I felt the slightest jolt of joy, imagining more conversations with the cute, queer boy who said not Normal things.”

➸ One Day by Sajni Patel ⭐⭐⭐
I debated about my feelings for this short story for so long and I think my biggest want for this story was to laugh a little more or feel a swoon towards these characters. And though my heart strings weren’t pulled too much, this is a very cute short story that many readers will love. When Bobby is looking for an escape for some peace and quiet, and crawls out onto her balcony, that quiet becomes disrupted when the boy across the way won’t stop playing his guitar. Before Bobby knows it, she’s throwing her shoe and soon becomes sucked into a mission of reclaiming their shoe. As I said, this is very cute, but I really wanted to laugh a little more or feel connected to the characters just a little bit more. But I loved the writing of this short story and the story line was the cutest. I was pleasantly surprised and overall enjoyed this short story.

““One day” couldn’t come soon enough, but it would come.
I couldn’t wait for our “one day.””


➸ The Rules of Comedy by Auriane Desombre ⭐⭐⭐
Harper is starting a new high school and has social anxiety, but the biggest thing Harper is dealing with is a crush on her classmate, Alyssa. But things change when Harper watches Alyssa’s coming out TikTok and soon she realizes she might have a chance at dating her. This is probably one of the weaker short stories throughout this anthology. While I enjoyed the social anxiety rep and queer rep, it felt like the romance was pushed off to the side to focus on the sibling relationship more. And while I love sibling relationships, it felt like that relationship and the conflict that happens within that bond draws most of the reader’s attention. Also, the romance in this story felt… off. I don’t know if it was from the romance being instant love or if it was from a lack of bond/connection between the two characters, but I just had no interest in the main character and love interest.


➸ The New Boy Next Door by Natasha Preston ⭐⭐⭐
Quinn has been given a mission: talk to the new boy, Archer, who just moved into her neighborhood. As this pair begin to talk to one another, a friendship begins to bloom and maybe into something a little more. For starters, I love when extrovert personalities bring out the socialness in an introvert and we see plenty of that in this short story. However, this is the other weakest story in this entire book. The biggest flaw, the countless Twilight references. I’m not the biggest fan of Twilight, I try to avoid it whenever I can when reading and this short story killed a lot of the mood for me with those references. This is a cute story, it just would have been a better reading experience if there weren’t so many Twilight references.


➸ Love with a Side of Fortune by Jennifer Yen ⭐⭐⭐⭐
When her superstitious mother drags her off to have her fortune told on her birthday, Michelle just wants it to be done and over with especially since she doesn’t believe in any of it. However, when Evan Kwon walks into her family’s restaurant, Michelle can’t help feeling the sparks fly. I absolutely loved this short story! Another gem within this anthology. I laughed, I swooned, and just really enjoyed my time reading this short story. I also love how Michelle’s best friend helped her sneak out of the house so she could go on a date with Evan. This was just a really fantastic read! However, I do think many readers will end up being annoyed by the mother in this story and if I’m being honest, the mother was definitely a bit much at times for me too.


➸ The Green Thumb War by Brittney Morris ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. I definitely think this story is going to be overlooked and if I’m being honest, this is a true gem of a short story. This short story is about two people becoming friends with one another and I was living my best life reading this book. We need books with more platonic friendships! I also want to point out that this book normalizes therapy. Often times when I’m reading books, there’s a stigma around therapy and I’m really glad the author included the talk of therapy in this book. With the pandemic happening, I don’t think many people have considered therapy and I think this was an excellent way to say, “Hey! It’s okay to seek help in these hard times.” I just really appreciated this book.


➸ Stuck with Her by Rachel Lippincott ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is another one of my favorite stories. It might be my most favorite of this whole collection of short stories. We follow Allie who stayed in the dorms instead of going home when quarantine hit. Unfortunately for Allie, every night her roommate, Mia blasts music and can be found snacking on Allie’s pop tarts. I loved this one so, so much. I do have to warn there are anxiety and panic attack depictions in this short story, but I loved the way the author had the roommate instantly be right there, willing to do anything to help Allie. There’s also the hard discussion of homophobia and how not all families are accepting of those who are lgbtqiap+. Also, even though this is a roommates to lovers kind of story, I loved how the sound speaker was used as such an important device on bringing the two main characters together. Truly, this is the cutest and I love it! This was just an all around great short story and truly, I wish we had just a little bit more because I flew through this one too quickly.

“And… the second thought is, as her arms tighten around me, my eyelids slowly closing, that… I don’t hate it. I don’t hate sitting here, my face pressed into Mia’s warm, sandalwood-smelling shoulder. I don’t hate the way her hand feels in mine, and the way she always knows, good or bad, exactly what to say. I don’t hate her.”


➸ Masked by Erin Hahn ⭐⭐⭐
Out of all the stories, this one seems like the most unlikely thing to happen. While most of the stories have been more realistic, this one definitely feels like a one and billion chance of happening. Our story follows Gray, who decided if she can’t attend prom then she’s going to put her dress to good use by making masks from her dress. That’s where Jude comes in. Jude’s uncle needs masks at his store and Gray is happy to help out. Thus, the friendship between Gray and Jude sparks, but Jude has a pretty big secret and Gray is determined to find out the truth. Honestly, I wanted this story to be a little more realistic. I’m not saying this situation couldn’t happen, but it definitely through me off compared to the rest of the short stories. However, there were some really cute moments in this story and I really enjoyed Gray’s determination. Also, the Romeo and Juliet reference was so, so good!


Overall, I gave Together, Apart three stars because out of a possible 45 stars (5 stars possible for each of the 9 stories) this collection accumulated 31 stars (69%)! But, if half stars were a thing, I would totally give this 3.5 stars, because it is almost exactly that when you tally all the stars up!


The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Together, Apart was a quick read full of contemporary romance stories set in quarantine. I think this is the sort of book that readers will either love or hate: some readers may find it very comforting & cathartic to read hopeful meet-cutes set in quarantine, but other readers may not be emotionally ready to read something like this and may find it upsetting or triggering. As a librarian, I'll recommend this to teen readers with caution--for example, I would likely not recommend it to a teen who has been personally impacted by a COVID-related death or who is experiencing anxiety or depression due to the pandemic.

That being said, this book had some cute, heart-warming stories that romance readers will enjoy! As with any anthology, there were some stories that stood out more than others. My favorite, by far, was Brittney Morris's story of two teens competing to grow the best balcony garden. This one was so cute and was definitely an example of enemies-to-lovers done right. I also enjoyed Rachael Lippincott's f/f story of two roommates falling for each other--though that one does lean towards New Adult rather than YA since the main character is a sophomore in college and living on her own.

I must admit one of the stories gives me great pause about recommending this anthology to teens. The third story, by Sajni Patel, utilized a trope I find deeply troubling: guy asks girl for her number, girl declines, guy proceeds to relentlessly ask again and again until he "wears her down" and she finally gives him her number. This trope makes me very uncomfortable as it romanticizes harassment--it tells boys that even if a girl rejects them they should keep pursuing her until she gives in, and it tells girls that this behavior is cute or romantic. Any time I read this trope, I am mildly horrified, but when it's in a story written for teens, I find it deeply troubling. This story had some cute elements aside from this part, but as a teen librarian, this content makes me hesitate before recommending this to a teen.

Full of heartwarming and diverse stories during a time of uncertainty, Together, Apart, tells nine stories of life as a teen during quarantine. The stories cover character from different sexual orientations and backgrounds. All of the stories accurately depict what it is like to be living in a time of a pandemic and quarantine. From the fear of family contracting Covid-19 and uncertainty of when things will go back to normal, to the sadness and anger about everything the teens are missing out on. The characters do not let that stop them though. They continue to find romance and hope whether it is with the cute pizza delivery boy, communication through windows, a viral TikTok, or other cute and unexpected ways (all while staying socially distanced of course). Every one of the authors created such brilliant characters that you cannot help but to root for them and their happiness. This will really resonate with todays teens that are struggling with the world that we are currently living in and hopefully give them something to look forward to. Whether that be a quarantine romance or things going back to normal, or a new normal at least. Each story, relevant and real, tells of the ingenuity and resilience of youths during an unprecedented time.

This book was exactly the fun, lovely, delightful thing we need after so many months in a pandemic and no end in sight. These stories flow together so well and make the perfect collection. I found myself grinning from ear to ear from start to finish. I love how the book bookends with the stories by the Erins, they are honestly the perfect stories to start and end this collection.

This book would make the perfect holiday, or anytime, gift for yourself or someone you love. Maybe even throw in a cute matching mask.