Drew and Shane have been closer than brothers since elementary school. Drew’s dad is a music producer and spends more time away from home than with the family. Recently he has moved out to live with his assistant. Shane’s dad died suddenly years ago and when either is upset, they comfort each other. Stevie moves around a lot because her father is a quarterback coach for professional teams. Stevie mourns the loss of her friends and does not see the point in bothering to make new ones. When Stevie comes to town, both Drew and Shane are interested in asking her out, so they do what they always do when both want the same thing, they flip a coin. This is a great book that looks at divorce, death, love, friendship, parent conflicts and a disabled sibling. There is also the interaction of the football team vs. the band. All the issues are looked at realistically. Through Shane's insights, Drew and Stevie learn that living in the moment is the only way to live.
There are no promises. The story is told from different points of view and the end of the story is told from both results of the coin, heads and tails.

Meh at best. A teenager love triangle that could go either way, and this book explores both ways it could have gone. However, it was just full of annoying teens who get drunk at parties, bully each other, and don't tell each other the one thing that could save the day (She's All That, anyone? Same premise of a hidden secret that could change everything). This is not a great one, sadly.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an arc of Where It All Lands in exchange for an honest review.

I had a lot of problems with this book that led to me ultimately being unable to finish it.

This book reads more like a first draft of a novel rather than what should be one of the final drafts. It should be noted that I read an arc, not a final copy, but it should still have been more polished than it was. The writing itself is really basic. It's direct and prefers to tell the reader what's going on, and there's very little "showing" or description of any kind, which makes for a very boring read.

The "main character" Stevie is extremely passive and has no agency at all--everything in her life is something that's happened TO her, and she doesn't make any of her own choices, which makes for a very boring character who whines about her life and is impossible to root for. She's also pretty entitled, which doesn't make it any easier to read her POV. And the synopsis of the story being about two guys flipping a coin to ask her out doesn't help with her lack of agency.

The whole premise of the book is based on two longtime best friends meeting the ~quirky new girl~ who's not like other girls. After one conversation with her, they're both falling in love with her and decide to flip a coin about who can ask her out. Supposedly the rest of the book will follow what would happen if Shane won and what would happen if Drew won. I can't say I enjoy the sexism of that, so I didn't continue too much past that point.

When I first read the synopsis, it sounded like it could be an interesting story, but it ultimately just fell flat for me.

I received this book "Where It All Lands" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. I thought that this was an interesting idea for a book. The guys flip a coin to see who would ask the girl out since they both like her. The story then goes on so you see what happened when Drew won and then what happened when Shane won. It was a bit confusing for a while. I did not like the ending. This may be a good book for YA because they can relate more.

This story starts with best friends meeting the new girl at band practice. Drew and Shane have been friends since childhood and don't want a girl to come between them, so they decide to flip a coin and whoever wins gets to ask the girl out. There are obvious issues with this method, but the two possible outcomes create two timelines, one heads and one tails. The book explores both outcomes and the idea of fate and letting things play out as they're meant to.

I liked the juxtaposition of the timelines and that we learned more about the characters as we see both play out. Drew is struggling after his dad left his mom and him for a younger woman. Drew feels like he never comes first to anyone and is excited when he and Stevie have an instant connection. They have good chemistry, but is that enough to last? Shane is always in Drew's shadow, he's not popular and is bullied. He loves music though and he and Stevie seem to connect on a deeper level.

There is some tragedy in both timelines and I hate that it was unavoidable. I just wanted Stevie to be with Shane and Drew with Ray. The ending is a bit open to interpretation, but I like that we had hope for everyone to be happy.

I have voluntarily chosen to read and review an advance copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

New girl - Stevie, best friends - Drew and Shane, make 1 best friend, the other your love. Who do you choose?

My thoughts: I love the idea for the story. The concept and story is very interesting overall. I think that the dialogue and overall writing felt a little too forced and the fluidity was lacking. I felt that some things were over explained and some under. The although we got perspectives of all three characters, I felt the emotional dialogue was lacking. And overall, the concept of dual timelines was very intriguing. I found it a little confusing to follow initially. And the end, it was not concrete. Overall, a good one time read, especially for middle-high school grades!

TW: death, accident

PUBLISHING: July 6, 2021

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my advanced reader’s e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

Book: Where It All Lands
Author: Jennie Wexler
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC.

This one was a very tricky one to rate. The beginning and ending were very strong, but I felt like the middle was drawn out for too long. Had the whole book been as solid as the beginning and ending, I am sure that this would have been a five star read. The way that Jennie writes and the realness of the characters had me sold on the book. I really wanted to see what happened and found myself fully invested in the world and the characters.

This is one of those books that hits you in all the right places. I am going to be honest with you: there is a love triangle. Now, don’t walk away from this one. We see two best friends, Shane and Drew, fall in love with the new girl, Stevie. Shane and Drew have been there for each other their whole lives, through both the good and the bad. I really love their friendship; I actually wish that Jennie had exploded this more. While I do like having some romance in my books, give me a good friendship over it any day. So, the two boys decide to flip a coin and use that to decide who gets to date Stevie. They didn’t even think about how this could turn on the both of them. It’s one of those deals where good intentions comes back to bit you.

This sets up the whole book.

I know, I know…I said this was a hard hitting book and it is. While the romance is the main focus of the book, we get to explore other things. We get to see some rough homelives and how that affects our characters. There is also a marching band competition that our characters are involved in. We also get to see the desire to belong and to be accepted as they are. Many of the characters in the book are looking for that sense of belonging and acceptance. The idea of being accepted and belonging is what really drives the book. Plus, we also get to see one of the characters put up a wall to keep people because her family moves around so much and she doesn’t want to have to say goodbye. All of these things that the characters are going through is very real and very relatable. This is what I loved about this book. This whole idea of having characters who are going through real human things and having to deal with them. This is what I think readers will latch onto in this book. If you want people to live your book, you have to make characters that people can relate to and Jennie nails it.

The writing was just amazing. It gave me all of the feels. I do feel like the beginning and ending were strong. I was hooked right from the first word and the ending just left me stunned. I felt so much while reading this. I was just sucked into the story and I had to know what was going to happen. I just couldn’t get away. To me, this is the mark of a great writer. This ability to make me feel so much for what was going on and to make me want to find out what was going to happen to the characters, just, yeah, there’s no other way to put it other than that is some amazing writing.

So, anyway, if you enjoy books that make you feel all the feelings, then I highly recommend this book.

This book comes out on July 6, 2021.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/f8eb0Q4GI0c

Where It All Lands is the story of a new girl in town, Stevie, getting caught up in a love triangle with two best friends, and the story of how something as simple as a coin toss can change your future. This book has it all. Hot popular boy who all the girls are crushing on but somehow is instantly drawn to the new girl? Check. Hot popular boy’s cute friend who’s a major sweetie and always has a shoulder to cry on? Double check. All the drama of high school crushes and real life problems? You got it, baby. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives the author gave, it was fun being able to see inside each character’s head. This book was enjoyable as it really makes you question your choices (in a good way!) and what decisions led to who you are today.

Where It All Lands is a page-turner from the get-go. Someone has died, but we don’t know who. Then the backstory begins. Likable, easy-to-relate-to characters draw us into their story, alternately narrated first by two of the characters and then by a different pair. If you prefer clear answers to all possibilities and a solid conclusion, you won’t find them here, but in the end it doesn’t really matter. The writing is so good and the ending satisfying enough, that reading this book just feels like a worthy investment of time and energy.

One choice. One coin toss. Two outcomes.

In Jennie Wexler’s Where It All Lands, Stevie is once again the new girl, and she’s not happy about it. When she meets best friends Shane and Drew, she feels a tiny bit less like an outcast. But Shane and Drew both want to ask Stevie out. As best friends, they hate fighting. Their go to solution for solving disputes? Flip a coin. This coin flip carries more weight than any other, and Shane isn’t comfortable with it. But Drew flips the coin anyway.

This novel looks at how one moment in time can lead to various outcomes. The first two parts of the novel are divided into heads and tails, telling what happens with each potential outcome. The last third of the book is told in alternating timelines, with potentially heartbreaking outcomes.

This book pulled me in right away. It’s the kind of book you don’t want to put down, the kind that transports you to the character’s world the moment you reopen the cover. The characters are all well developed, flawed yet relatable. Each chapter is told in one of their voices; the voices are so well established if you miss a chapter heading, you still know who is speaking. They each have their own internal struggles to process while the outward battle rages, giving the reader plenty to think about.

Music is a character unto itself, with all three main characters not only being musically inclined but processing the world through music. Though I only have a very basic and rudimentary grasp on the music world, it’s explained in such a relatable way that I innately understood the importance of it to the characters and how they used it to understand their own lives.

This is an iceberg book; one where the plot seems simple: two boys like a girl, conflict ensues. But there’s much more below the surface, that you only see by diving in. Grief, loss, friendship, parental strife, bullies, parental disappointment- these are all issues that arise in their lives while they’re also dealing with social contention and navigating school and life. These characters have to learn to see the world in a non-ego-centric way, to recognize things are rarely one sided.

One coin flip. Two outcomes. Where will it all lead?

Jennie Wexler’s Where It All Lands will be available from St. Martin’s Press July 6, 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this novel such that I could write this review. All views are my own.

The concept of this novel was incredible; two best friends who fall for the same girl and flip a coin on who asks her out. We dive into how this coin toss alters the fate of all three characters: Drew, Shane and Stevie.

Stevie is the new girl in town (once again) all because of her fathers career as a football coach. She has been in this position several times before and does not expect much to come out moving to New Jersey, and then she meets Drew and Shane. Both boys instantly felt a connection with new girl Stevie and flipped a coin to see who would be asking her out.

Over the course of the novel, Wexler shows us how the simple flip of a coin toss can change ones fate. She explores the outcome of both sides of the coin, exploring the question of "what if". It was very interesting to see the alternating POVs and get a sense for all three characters. You truly get to comprehend their thought process, their personalities and their reasoning for each decision made along the course of the novel. This novel also did a great job at exploring what a first love truly is; and more importantly the idea of "what if this happened instead?" I truly cannot wait to see what Wexler has for us next.

Do you ever find yourself questioning how every little decisions we make impacts not just our lives but those around us?

Where It All Lands by @jenniewexler starts with a simple coin toss between two best friends. However it soon ends up taking readers down the parallel storylines of how their lives would unfold depending on who won. For those who always wonder “what if”, this captures The Butterfly Effect perfectly.


#WhereItAllLands is Available for retail July, 2021!


A special thanks to everyone at NetGalley , macmillanusa and wednesdaybooks for this arc.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book really has it all and I was hooked from the very beginning. You won't be able to put this one down as you find out what happens with the flip of a coin!

Stevie is new to town and over the fact that her famous father's job has them moving all the time. She doesn't expect much from her new High School, until she meets best friends, Drew & Shane. All three are trying to navigate the teen years, are gifted in various forms of music and have more than enough family drama and teen angst to work through.

Wildly different Drew & Shane have been best friends forever and are more like brothers. They both immediately fall for the new girl and flip a coin to determine who gets to ask her out. Throughout this exceptionally well written story, the reader finds out what happens in both the "heads" and "tails" scenario of that coin toss. What follows is the test of friendship, a love triangle and plenty of "what ifs".

I loved getting to know this trio and was impressed with how well the characters were developed. This book has all the feels of first love, finding your "people", figuring out who you are, and living without regrets. This book transcends the YA genre and left me wanting to read more by this talented author.

Trigger warnings: Divorce, mild underage drinking, some swearing, parent death, car accident.

WHERE IT ALL LANDS is an ambitious, thoughtful YA contemporary love triangle that plays with the idea of how small acts can have enormous, unintended consequences. The novel’s strength is in the development of its characters, primarily Stevie, Drew, and Shane, all of whom have musical talent and promising futures, but who suffer from difficult family circumstances involving neglectful, absent or deceased fathers.

This unconventional narrative which offers alternative endings to a single story, may not sit well with readers who want the expected contemporary romance. Prepare for a surprise midway through as we see the other possible outcome to the story. However, there is a lot to commend Jennie Wexler’s approach. She gives us a solid, well developed love triangle, while at the same time subverting it, playing with the idea of multiple outcomes for teenagers’ lives.

Literally, the two boys flip a coin to decide who will have the chance to ask the new girl at school, Stevie, out on a date. Settling a dispute of this sort (or rather, preventing a dispute between friends) causes complications in both of the different paths the story might take, putting into play two major possible outcomes, one of which is far more grave than the other.


eenagers are asked all the time to take risks that might have huge consequences in their lives., anything from what after-school clubs they join, what friends they make, what jobs their parents take (and where), and what college they go to. Each small decision adds up to a lifetime eventually, and Wexler really drives home the pressure that teens are under to do the “right” thing for their futures. If they open one door, it closes another. If they open the second door, will they regret losing out on the first?

Brilliantly drawn characters (why were boys not as nice when I was in high school?), a refusal to make any one person “the bad guy” (some nice subtleties here regarding Brent) and enough tension to keep me reading at a clip, I loved the book. Those who love alternative endings, unusual story structure, and the notion of fate, are going to love WHERE IT ALL LANDS.

Where It All Lands is told as two alternate timelines between 3 characters-the first timeline, Stevie and Drew, the second, Stevie and Shane-all because of the two potential outcomes of a coin flip. What-ifs are such a prominent thing in my own head, and this book gave me a great line for when those thoughts become too much: "There are no what-ifs, only what is." This whole book really hits on the importance of living a full life and not wasting time, so it resonated with me big-time.

Drew and Shane are best friends, and when a new girl, Stevie, moves to town and joins the band they're in, they both want to ask her out. They decide who gets to with something they've always done to settle their arguments-flipping a coin. Meanwhile, Stevie struggles with the process of making new friends and dealing with a father whose job continues to move them all over, and keeps him fairly absent during her crucial moments.

When the timelines flip, you're left in the middle of a big turn of events and wanting to know what happens, then you're given another whole section where you fall in love again with the characters and are nervous of what might happen here. The ending might be the best part, and of course, I can't tell you why that is.
If you love YA novels, teen romance, love triangles, and having your heart broken a little bit, then you should give this book a go!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, but found the dueling timelines to be more irritating than fun. So sorry but this one just wasn't for me.

Where it All Lands was a sweet YA romance that explores what would happen if one choice in your life was different.

Shane and Drew have been friends most of their lives and have long ago decided that instead of fighting, anytime they disagree they will flip a coin and accept the outcome. Then Stevie comes into their lives, and they flip a coin to decide who should ask her out. How would the story end if the coin was heads? What about tails?

I really liked the story for most of the book. I thought the characters were all acting their age and were relatable. Stevie I had a soft spot for, since we have the same favorite band (Pearl Jam!!!). I liked how many of the same situations happened after the coin flip, but the characters reacted differently in each timeline.

The big reason that I gave it only 4 stars though, is that the ending leaves everything up in the air! I wasn’t sure which timeline was ‘real’ and that thoroughly frustrated me.

Overall, a really nice book about young love in a group of music loving teenagers.

Where It All Lands, a riveting YA novel, keeps the reader on edge to reach a suspenseful conclusion. It is a novel of new beginnings, dreams, and the choices that define us.

A coin toss between two friends, Drew and Shane, to decide who will date the new girl in town changes everything. Stevie moves from Seattle to the small town of Millbrook due to her father’s transfer, leaving behind memories and friends. She must start over once again and joins the school band, hopefully, to earn her way into a top-notch college music program. There she meets best friends, Drew and Shane, who both are attracted to her. The story takes a turn for the worse when a terrible accident occurs.

Author Jennie Wexler cleverly switches from each character’s point of view and internal conflicts to give us the full story. The novel follows the characters through the typical high school pressures of fitting in, popularity, bullying, and how far friends will go for friends. I thought it was a brilliant approach with a different take on the typical love triangle story of two friends competing for the same girl’s attention. Where It All Lands by Jennie Wexler. #NetGalley #YA #romance #teenreads

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Where It All Lands will introduce you to a little love triangle - Stevie, Shane and Drew. Shane and Drew are best friends and lean on each other whenever times are tough. Which is a lot of the time if I'm being honest. Then there's Stevie, who is the new girl in town and the apple of their eyes. Yes, these two best friends had a crush on the same person without even really knowing her.

So what do these two idiots do? Flip a damn penny for her.

Well, maybe I should back it up just a little bit. They flip a penny for every damn thing in their lives. Games, movies, and such - you name it, they flip for it. Weirdest duo ever but I was here for it all. The penny was their fate and I'm just tagging along for the ride.

What a wild ride it was.

Honestly, I didn't really care for the romance. Maybe it's the possibility of a love triangle (which annoys me) or maybe it's just because I saw them all being just friends. Yeah, a crush might be there - lingering and such - but a crush can remain a crush. Ya know?

I'm probably in the minority about the romance though. All I'm saying is that the drama that unfolded throughout this book would be nonexistent if they were friends. Just saying people.

That being said, I devoured this book. All the drama kept this a page turner because I wanted to see how the penny could unfold their lives. It was pretty interesting to see the same end result but in different ways. The only thing that would've made it better was if I actually liked all of them.

Where It All Lands probably has the most unique premise I've ever read in a book, and I love the idea of weaving together two completely different stories into one larger one. From the first chapter, you know that someone dies, so you are immediately invested in learning who that person might be. The story then shifts back in time to when Drew and Shane, two best friends in high school, both want to ask the new girl, Stevie, out. They decide to settle the matter in a way they often do--by flipping a coin. The title and cover quickly made sense after I learned this.

In the first third of the book, we get the version of the story that occurs if the coin toss lands one way. In the second third, we get the story version resulting from the other side of the coin toss. Then, part three alternates between both possible realities. Again, I was quite impressed with this style storytelling, and I was also surprised by the both possible outcomes.

Where It All Lands is fun and serious at the same time, showing that all actions have echoing consequences, but overall, love always wins.