Gracious thanks to NetGalley, as always, for this opportunity of an advance read.......but I'd say with or without the glowing reviews this book's sure to garner, it's destined for surefire bestsellerdom..
The story's instantly familiar. Young love......first love. That once-in-lifetime love that quickly burns at white hot temperature because it's the first for a seemingly mismatched young couple. - the strictly supervised good girl and the community's notorious 'bad boy' who's shunned, misunderstood, even feared.
It shouldn't surprise any reader that Weston, the so-called 'bad boy' is nothing of the sort. Wounded deeply by his parents' divorce and falsely rumored to have vandalized a town landmark, it doesn't take long for the 'good girl', Anna, to uncover his sensitivity, humanity, humor, and, most importantly, the instant chemistry they share together.
Thrown together to rehearse and perform a duet in their high school's championship marching band, Weston and Anna's initial prickly meetings quickly turn to a quirky friendship and then way beyond what either of them could imagine.
And here's where author Ashley Schumacher truly excels. With absolute fearless abandon, she charts the head-over-heels emotions of two young people so enraptured with each other, they can barely contain themselves., a love that's almost as painful to experience and endure as it is joyous.
And anyone who's ever encountered or read different versions of this familiar story may of course see it's conclusion coming way, way ahead of time.
But it's a tribute to Schumacher's skill that she brings an unabashed passion and freshness to the final pages that I didn't think was possible in crafting such a well worn tale. And in doing so, she leaves a reader completely at her mercy.......so prepare yourselves. Enough said. It's a 5 star heart-wrencher for sure.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I snapped up this book because I loved Amelia Unabridged so, so much. Maybe I should have read the synopsis before diving in because I was not prepared for the pain and heartbreak I encountered. Yep. There was ugly crying.

Don’t get me wrong, I really liked this book. It was beautifully written, and Schumacher did an incredible job of making me feel the profound loneliness, as well as the gooey heart-eyes love that Weston and Anna were experiencing. She made me understand their need for connection and someone to “see” them. But, all that came at a price. Was it worth it? Sure was.

This book was about band kids. I taught high school for over a decade, and I know the dedication and passion each one of those kids has. Many scenes are set around the all encompassing marching band way of life, and I found it interesting, as well as a nice nod to all those who participate. The band-geek quote below had me rolling on the floor, but honestly, I really enjoyed being immersed in that world.

"Piano bros before piccolos, dude."

This book was about first love. Anna was the girl who always got friend-zoned. Weston’s interest in her came as quite a surprise, but not to me. Anna was bright and vibrant. I could understand being drawn into her orbit, and darn it! These two were precious. They both carried so much baggage, but their hearts were wide open to each other.

This book was about the pain of loneliness and being accepted. Part of me felt that Weston and Anna were drawn to each other because they understood that empty feeling and that longing to have that space filled. Anna challenged people to get to know Weston, her Weston. He had been the victim of small town gossip and snap judgements. But, Anna saw him in all his imperfect perfection.

There was this really lovely thread that ran through the story related to the last Kauaʻi ʻōʻō bird. Each mention of the bird made perfect sense, but where Schumacher went with it at the end of the book – perfection. It was so touching. 😭

Overall: Tragically beautiful.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

First let me say I am not the target audience for this book. I can officially say I've outgrown YA romance.

I had high expectations for this book after really enjoying Amelia Unabridged. Unfortunately, I was really let down. I didn't enjoy the story. This was too much of the stereotypical "misunderstood not an actual bad boy who falls for the perfect girl who also falls for him until her parents find out" trope. There wasn't anything in here that made it stand out for me.

If you are a fan of YA romance and enjoy the bad boy, good girl trope you will probably enjoy this book more than I did.

⭐️4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Full Flight. This is a book you should definitely add to your TBR and pre-order/order (depending on when you see this review).

Full Flight was an incredibly beautiful book. It was a tear jerker - I started crying in AP German when I finished the book. I enjoyed the writing style, characters, and the whole setup of the book. It is because of Full Flight that I felt like I really missed out since I didn't do Marching Band in high school.

The relationship between the two main characters was incredibly cute, and just cheesy enough. It will give you butterflies in your stomach. I would also say the romance isn't exaggerated. Both Anna and Weston act like regular teenagers with stupid crushes.

The book is set in a small town in Texas, and I definitely got the small town vibes. The way people communicated with each-other, the size of the school, etc. Both characters' backstories are interesting, and the way grief is discussed is accurate to how people deal with it. I did see the plot-twist coming, but not in the way it did, and kept trying to convince myself it wasn't actually true.

It's so hard to write a spoiler-free review, but there it is. This book is like a big comforting hug.

playlist i made for this book -> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1yqFWypua1oRPeK1PwJgNF?si=a4fe14889bd94958

Anna lives in the small town of Enfield, Texas where everyone knows each other. This could be good or bad but certainly bad for Weston, whose parents divorced and all eyes are on them during his marching band games.

Anna and Weston are assigned to be duet partners, Anna hoping she can prove herself as a musician, despite joining band in her freshman year. With Weston's help, the two move onwards towards their goals, but a spark between them is also lit.

Although Anna was warned away from Weston, she can't help but feel the attraction between them. When things start to finally come together, it may be a small fraction of a minute that rips it all apart.

The author did it once again! I love Ashley Schumacher's writing; it's so beautiful and gorgeous as it flows right across the pages.

The ending left me shocked but not shocked. Part of it I felt was because the synopsis gave it away but I still felt the emotion. I felt as if I was standing in the living room with the others watching it all happen before my eyes.

Overall, I still loved Full Flight though I was hoping it would make me cry more; Amelia Unabridged completely destroyed me. The author's way of telling the story is just so so special, and I'm so looking forward to her other books!

Review posted closer to publication date!

Well damn Ashley Schumacher did NOT need to make me cry that much. This book is beautifully written, haunting and lyrical, and ripped my heart into a thousand tiny pieces. I have approximately no experience with marching band, and I still devoured this story. Stop reading reviews now - the less info you have going into it, the better.

Thank you Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and the author for the eARC in exchange for my review.

this book did NOT need to make me cry the way it did but i’m not mad about it! i don’t want to spoil too much of the book because i think it’s best enjoyed if you go in blind but i loved it! the writing was absolutely beautiful and really helped me connect with the characters. the story is heartbreaking, incredibly gorgeous, and moving. i loved it!!!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for inviting me to read this beautiful tale of first love-- the kind that leaves a handprint on your heart for the rest of your life, be it for better or for worse. Ashley has a penchant for writing prose that will absolutely rip your beating heart out of your chest, as shown by the powerful debut of Amelia Unabridged, and she has not broken her streak here. Full Flight is a Happening. It is a four-wheeler ride on a country road. It is a call-and-answer duet where readers will hear the plaintive song of Anna and Weston, and add their song to the melody.

We find ourselves caught up in the life of the band kids in Enfield, Texas. It is rife with high school drama; be it failing grades, rumors, or new kids. In the midst of it all is Anna James. She has been given the opportunity of a lifetime-- a standout duet with her saxophone, accompanied by the mellophone prowess of one Weston Ryan. He is Enfield's 'bad boy': divorced parents, leather jacket, and the mouth of a sailor. Anna is the only one who isn't deterred by the whispers surrounding him, and as such, she asks him to help her nail the duet. Through this interaction, Anna and Weston both find something in the other that they've been missing. They become each other's safe space, even if Anna has to lie to her parents in order to continue seeing him. However, the truth always prevails, and as their love story seems to be rushing to a rapid ending, the pair change for the better.

There are themes in this novel of loneliness, grief, and self-discovery that I think readers of all ages can relate to. I for one have been drowning in the former for a long time now, and Anna's musings in her journal as well as out loud to Weston made me feel like I had found a buoy of safety in the vast ocean I was lost in. It is also very obvious how much of herself that Ashley pours into her work-- both Anna and Amelia have her lifeblood running through them-- and in Anna's escape into capturing her positive memories so that they can chase the shadows away, I see her creator. As such, it is a raw and genuine tale that will pull you in, hold you close, and remind you that we're all under the same sky. It is as comforting and exhilarating as hearing the long extinct tune of someone just like you.

WOW, this book left me speechless. It is simply incredible and beautifully written.

I was actually a bit nervous to read Full Flight because I adored Amelia Unabridged and came into this with very high hopes. But this honestly blew me away.

It's a book about small towns, marching band and young love. DO NOT READ THE SYNOPSIS, go into it totally blind like I did and get your world rocked. Go back and reread the moment this book changes with your jaw on the floor and a tissue box by your side. This is a movie that someone needs to buy the rights to.

Ashley Schumacher is so beyond talented in the way she creates characters and weaves threads throughout her stories. It's just magic as a reader to experience.

Cannot gush about this one enough! So thankful to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this gem prior to its release. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was devastating in a way that I was not prepared for and usually I love stories that break my heart but I also want them to put it back together by the end and this one didn’t quite do that for me.

This story is poetic where the authors writing flows effortlessly like a set of music notes playing a beautiful song. Every line has meaning and every word carries an emotion that the reader feels deep down in their heart. From the simplest scene to the most heartbreaking, this author used her talent to convey an imaginative experience through meaning and emotion. It’s so eloquent which is sometimes hard to come by with YA books.

Though this is a YA book, it’s topic, emotions, and characters are relatable to anyone at any age. I have never been in band and some of the situations were things I didn’t go through at their age, but I felt as if I understood the pain and pressures of Anna and Weston. These characters truly capture everyday teenagers with Weston and Anna. The author didn’t overly mature them or make them feel older than they should, but she also didn’t make their actions or dialogue immature either. The whole time I was reading this book, I kept thinking this is exactly how I was at their age.

Anna and Westin are beyond adorable. Their little moments are cute and reminiscent of the sweetness of falling in love for the first time. This was a beautiful story that will capture any reader and resonate well after they finished this book. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC

I feel like I was stabbed in the heart but want it to happen again and again. Ashley Schumacher is a genius at sucking me in, at comforting me through my relatable teenagery angst, and then twisting my heartstrings and creating unstoppable waterworks. I currently have tears in my eyes as I write these nonsensical thoughts.
Amelia Unabridged is on my YA pedestal. Ashley hits hard and fast with grief and the aftermath of collecting oneself in the ruins. Full Flight - on the other hand - is like a sleeper cell. You almost get too comfortable before the punch to the gut. You know it's coming, you know it will hurt. While devastating to my heart and eyeballs - I don't know when they've leaked quite this much - the entirety is simply too beautiful to miss.
I refused to read reviews or spoilers heading into this read. I knew it would require tissues and a comfort blanket but I didn't know why. Throughout reading, I had my guesses but I was all over the map with how and when it would happen. And then it did and just WOW.
I love Ashley, I love her writing, and I can't wait for her to give me all the feels again. Full Flight is completely full of heart and love and the range of emotions that will make it completely unforgettable.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Book: Full Flight
Author: Ashley Schumacher
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

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

I loved Amelia Unabridged and consider it to be one of the my favourite reads of 2021. When the publisher reached out with the chance to read Ashley’s second novel, I knew that I just had to pick it up. I believe you can see the rating. I don’t know what happened, but this one just did not live up the expectations that I had going into it. I suppose that I should have went into it with none-that way I didn’t end up getting disappointed.

For those of you who don’t know, Amelia Unabridged was such a hard hitting and well thought out read. It hit me in all the right places and, I don’t know, I just got attached. I thought that was going to happen here. Right away, I had a really difficult time connecting to the characters and what was going on in their lives. Still, I kept reading. I thought that maybe there was going to be some more depth to the story instead of it being about a girl who wants to date a boy that her parents don’t approve of. Maybe I’m missing the mark on that one, but I thought there was going to be something more to it than that.

I really loved Anna as a lead. She’s sweet, caring, and sees the best in people-even when everyone is looking for a reason not to give them a chance. She is the type who always does what she’s supposed to. She is in band, she makes good grades, and follows the rules. She’s the type of person who you know you should be friends with, but you never pay attention to. She’s just that person who is always hovering in the background. I would have liked to have seen more of her. I thought she was, overall, a pretty solid character.

Then, we meet Weston. He’s parents are divorced and he’s the bad boy. He’s the type of boy who Anna is not supposed to fall in love with. He fails his classes and has his label. I’m going to be honest about his character: I didn’t like it. There I said it. I did not enjoy his character. Unlike Anna, we really don’t see that much depth to Weston. His “bad boy” label is never really explained nor do we really see that side of him. I just see a normal teenage boy, so I really don’t understand it. He’s also supposed to be an outcast, but I don’t see it. People do actually like him, but his inner voice about being an outcast has actually made him an outcast. It just doesn’t make any sense to me.

Now, I thought the ending was a strong finish. I know that a lot people hated the ending, but the ending was what I was looking for when I picked up this book. I do think that if the book had been written like the ending, then this, for sure, would have been a five star read for me. Ashely is one of the few authors out there who can write about grief and loss in a way that just hits you in all of the right places.

Even though this one was a miss for me, I do fully intend to pick up more of this author’s works. I just think that this one was really missing some things to drive it home.

This books comes out on February 22, 2022.

It absolutely breaks my heart to say this book was a dnf for me. I ADORED Amelia Unabridged and was so excited for this book, but it just fell short. I think it felt a little too young adult if that makes sense, it almost felt more middle grade? I wasn’t invested in any of the characters or the story at all.

Oh my heart. This one stung. The writing was absolutely gorgeous. There are lines that will stay with me forever.

But…and yall I hate that there is a but.

…the story itself isn’t great. I was 30% into the book before I even got the base on what was going on and what was going to happen.

It was not until the last 25% did things really even move in the story then everything happened at once. The twist was well executed and drove the story/characters. I wanted more of that.

As this is a story about kids in a marching band – some of the marching band parts were not accurate. This has nothing to do with the plot but Oboe players do not march. Oboes are for concert band season.

The story waivers between calling the MC a mellophone player, a french horn player, and at one point a trumpet….I get they are all band horns but they are not the same band horn.

I know it’s weird to say the writing was beautiful but the story was flat but that’s how it worked out for me.

You would think that I would learn by now that reading books by Ashley Schumacher will destroy your emotionally. This book is no exception. The only difference is that your don't see your utter destruction coming. Such an incredibly emotional book.

I'm beginning to suspect that crying comes with the territory of reading an Ashley Schumacher book. Yes, I can say this with confidence even after only having read two of them. Full Flight was just as beautiful, haunting, and heartrending as Amelia Unabridged.

This book will break your heart. But it should also show you that we can recover from loss and heartbreak, and love is worth it every time.

I adored Anna and Weston instantly. I'm here for all of the band romances, even when they end. Full Flight had me riveted from the first page. Character-driven with a wonderful band-contest plot full of the marching band and high school drama, I loved everything about this book. I can't get enough of Schumacher's deft, poetic writing, and I can't wait to see where she takes us next.

Ashley Schumacher has a way of sucking you in with her stunning writing. Texas is known for football, but this story focuses on the 43 member marching band.
Anna needs some help with her duet and she turns to Weston. She is drawn to him, even if it means sneaking around.
Equal parts breathtaking and heartbreaking Schumacher knows how to navigate all the feelings of life.
Thank you @StMartinsPress and @NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

3.5
Full Flight is a love story depicting a blossoming heartfelt romance between two teenagers. This tale is going to make any reader remember their own high school crushes and romances. The band and music elements in the story is geeky, charming and slightly poetic at times. The comparison of the plot and the character to the theme of birds is breathtaking and truly brought the emotional punch out of me.

Has much as this book as many good attributes, I wasn't a fan of the ending since it spiraled me to an unexpected whirl of emotions and I couldn't comprehend everyone's dislike over Weston's personalities. Like wearing leather jacket's in the generation doesn't really mean delinquent anymore.

Overall, entertaining story and a beautiful usage of the bird theme but the ending really destroyed some of the charm of this book.

Thank you NetGalley, St.Martin's Press and Ashley Schumacher for the arc.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of FULL FLIGHT by Ashley Schumacher. I thought the writing in this book was really beautiful, and for the first 3/4s was really loving it. It felt like a sweet coming of age romance with lots of self-discovery. I especially enjoyed all the nostalgic band geek stuff as someone who was a musician in high school. Then, toward the end, suddenly everything turned and it became this tragic story that I had not been expecting. I literally had to put the book down for a day, then only skimmed to the end when I picked it back up. I have to admit that I just wasn't prepared. I wanted a lovely, escapist story. I wasn't ready for a story about grief, and I'm not in a place to really sit with that. I don't know if there's some way that could have been more hinted at. I know it was a personal story for the author, and that the abruptness of death is true to life, but as a reader it was something I wanted to be prepared for and not suddenly slapped in the face with. That was just my personal reaction.