Thank you to PRHAudio and Penguin Young Readers for the ALC and finished copy of this book!

This is a really cute YA book about relationships, specifically long distance relationships. It’s about finding yourself before you’re able to be in a healthy relationship with someone else.

Was really looking forward to this book written by this duo but sadly it fell short. It was scattered and I was unable to really follow along. It was a struggle to finish.

This story contained bits of nostalgia, as I took a stroll down memory lane parallel to Siena and Patrick,. Their young, first love was so relatable (long distance is hard!), sweet, and at times frustrating, because they were both so young. I enjoyed their story because of how it reminded me of my choices and what I would do differently, if given a second chance. Living vicariously through characters can be fun and riding along, as they both struggle to navigate between doing what’s right for them and for their relationship, was a joy to witness.

For an honest review, I did DNF this book. The writing style is really good but the character needs a bit more potential and not just being the "annoying MC." But the capturing of the long distance romance and those struggles was designed in a great detail

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC of With and Without You in exchange for an honest review

I have mixed feelings on this book. I almost DNF this a few times. I found the MC Siena to be extremely annoying. The only reason I kept reading was because the writing style was so good.

The story wasn’t what I was expecting either. Siena spent so long trying to figure out if she should dump her boyfriend, I was so bored. I would have liked a dual POV and I thought that often throughout the book.
Also really hated that she was set on convincing her boyfriend that med school couldn’t really be his dream. I saw red. Honestly I could have thrown my book!

Unfortunately I didn’t really like this one. I plan to read something else by these authors since I loved the writing style.

I have mixed reviews about this book. On one hand, it was great to be reading another story by this amazing duo, but on the other hand the story itself felt.... scattered. I had a very difficult time connecting with and cheering on the MC when she was all over the place. First she wants to break up with her boyfriend for *reasons*, then chickens out, then starts to develop feelings for him *again* only because he is far away and has become a popular kid, then she gets mad at him for NOT wanting to sleep with her, then picks fights for selfish reasons, calls it off, then realizes she really *does* love him and wants to get back together with him. I was getting whiplash with all of the back and forth. I felt more for Patrick than Siena. I found myself wanting to give Patrick a hug to let him know everything would be okay.

This was a quick read but it was not my favorite story by these authors. The story had its sweet moments but I felt the story needed more work, more development to make it flow a little better. Also, it needed work to make me not dislike Siena so much.

As someone who has gone though a long term relationship, I felt this book definitely captured the struggles of not being able to see your SO every day. Well done!

I read Emily & Austin’s contemporary romance, The Roughest Draft, and fell in love with their writing. I immediately requested an ARC of With and Without You and it did not disappoint. Of course, this one is YA so there are differences, but their way with words is what has won me over as auto-buy authors.
As someone who endured 10 months of a long distance relationship my senior year of college, I completely understand how difficult and emotional it can be. I also related with the MC, Sienna, who is always in her head, overthinking and over analyzing. 🙋🏻‍♀️ In her senior year of high school, she is trying to figure out who she is and what hobby/activity/interest defines her, trying to find her gift. Same, girl. Even now as an adult, I often find myself trying to discover new projects to fill my creative needs. (Thank you Bookstagram). I think it’s a theme that readers of all ages can connect with.
The story takes place in Phoenix and also partly in Austin, Texas, one of my favorite cities. You know the writing is authentic when a book that takes place in Austin includes a discussion about “the legacy of Texas breakfast tacos”. There is actually quite a rivalry between Austin, San Antonio, and my hometown Corpus Christi, when it comes to who has the best breakfast tacos. With and Without You is a wonderful read and the audiobook is great too.

Thank you to @penguinteen for my free digital ARC and #gifted finished copy and to @PRHAudio for the free audiobook. All thoughts expressed are my own.

This is my--I believe--third Emily and Austin book, and my second YA of theirs. Emily and Austin seem to be at their best when crafting banter and barbs between enemies, so this change of pace of following an already-couple's journey through long distance is a departure from what I've come to know and love from them. And while it is definitely good, it's not the same level of greatness without the tension Emily and Austin are so great at creating. But it is an enjoyable read and certainly a unique story arc that I appreciated as a change of pace.

In this story, we see Siena debating breaking up with her long-time high school boyfriend, Patrick, only to find out he's moving halfway across the country. Thinking some distance might be just what the doctor ordered, she decides to stay with him. And in their time apart, Siena discovers herself and what she loved about Patrick.

Thanks to Penguin Teen for my eARC and finished copy!

4 stars - 8/10

This was a really interesting romance about navigating a long term high school relationship, finding yourself and long distance. All these topics made for a unique YA romance. Love this writing duo!

Quick Stats
Age Rating: 14+
Over All: 4.5 stars
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5

Special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.

I absolutely adore Wibbroka. Anything they write, I will read. Plus, there’s just something about a spousal author duo that I’m obsessed with.

Siena feels trapped by her relationship and intends to break up with her long-time boyfriend, Patrick. But before she can tell him, he announces that he’s moving away. They agree to try long distance, and check in at Thanksgiving to see where they’re at. Siena thinks this is perfect. She’ll have space to find out who she is outside of her relationship, and the excuse of the distance will give her a way to break up with Patrick without hurting him too much. But as it turns out, instead of their relationship growing apart, Siena starts to fall in love with him all over again.

It was cute. It was sweet. It was angsty. It was everything I wanted it to be. I’ve been in an LDR, so I connected to a lot of aspects of Siena and Patrick’s relationship in that sense. The hardships they faced while separated were real, and raw, and resonated with me deeply. Siena’s quarter life crisis also felt very earnest. I didn’t like everything she did because of her spiraling, but I understood where she was coming from. I was rooting for her even as I wanted to yell at her. I felt her pain and confusion, and it made the victory of her beginning to find herself and her place all the more sweet. I loved watching Siena and Patrick grow as their own people.
And of course, I loved the cameo from Alison and Ethan.
I enjoy every Wibbroka book more than the last, and this is no exception. I definitely recommend this book. LDRs are rare in YA romance, and I think that’s an oversight considering the fact that so many high school relationships do turn long distance once one or both people head off to college.
This wasa great book, and I can’t wait to see what the authors come out with next.

High School seniors, Siena & Patrick, have dated for three years. With a move in the future, college on the horizon and self-discovery in the wings, this book is fun and quintessential YA. I enjoyed the character development, coming of age storyline and of course, young love.

Rom-com gods Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka return to bless us with their newest novel, With and Without You. This sweet, bright long distance romance is a perfect spring read, although I must confess it left me wanting.

A bold opening
Where most romances start with a meet cute, this novel opens on a break-up. Siena feels bored with her life—tired of the same routines. With college on the horizon, she wants to find herself. What is she passionate about? Is she Cooking Siena? Activist Siena? Vet Siena?

In her mind, her boyfriend Patrick is holding her back. Yes, he’s a sweet guy, but as long as they’re together, she’ll always be “PatrickandSiena,” never simply “Siena.” As she’s about to break it to him, though, he drops a bomb: he’s moving away.

Immediately, Siena pivots. Maybe she doesn’t have to break Patrick’s heart. Maybe she can let the relationship slowly fizzle out, as long distance relationships usually do.

Except… surprise! They don’t break up! (You shouldn’t be surprised). Instead, over the course of a year, Siena finds herself falling in love all over again.

Masters of craft
Of course, Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka’s writing never disappoints. The well developed characters and witty banter kept me glued to the page—I read this in three days, flouting all my other responsibilities. They fill their books with siblings and parents and friends who each have their own quirks and personality, and it’s so fun to explore. Their prose is gorgeous as well. What’s not to love about that?

Too much telling
I usually rave about every book by this duo that I can get my hands on. But if I’m being honest, this one wasn’t my favorite. While I loved the characters and loved the concept, I felt like the execution left something to be desired.

Although this is a romance, the true focus is supposed to be Siena’s journey to find herself. After all, that’s the impetus behind her break-up plan. And by the end of the novel, she’s achieved her goal—but it all happens off-screen. The novel covers a year’s worth of ground, but focuses intensely on three visits between these two: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break. This seems logical, because it is their love story, so we want to see them together, right?

Unfortunately, this means that all of the time between is skipped, and all of Siena’s growth in the meantime is explained to us, instead of giving us a front seat. For example, my biggest annoyance was the period between Christmas and spring break. During this time, Siena falls in love with improv and makes a whole new group of friends. I love this for her, but since I didn’t see any of it happen, I felt absolutely no connection.

The swoon is real
Despite my gripes with Siena’s growth as a character, I did really enjoy the scenes between Siena and Patrick. I fell in love with him from his first page. He is one of the sweetest cinnamon rolls I have ever met in a romance novel. They also had real, tangible chemistry and I was rooting for those crazy kids!

Overall, this isn’t my favorite Wibbroka novel to date. It’s probably the one I’m least likely to pick up and reread in the future. But it still bursts with charm nonetheless. I have high hopes for their next novel. If you’re looking for a long distance romance, I recommend this one.

A very realistic take on young love and how it can develop. I highly enjoyed Siena’s personality and desire to find herself. I found it admirable that she tried new things even when she failed. Really like the concept of a second chance romance for two people who are already a couple. Super fun YA read. *I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC of With and Without You in exchange for an honest review!

I'm going to be upfront with you & tell you that I almost DNF'ed this a couple of times. I found Siena to be extremely annoying. However, as I kept reading, I started to appreciate some of the aspects of this book & honestly, With and Without You is a must-read for young adults.

Siena & Patrick have spent their entire high school experience together & Siena believes it's time to discover life without Patrick, but when she goes to break up with him, Patrick tells her the news -- he's moving out of state. So, instead of breaking up, Siena decides to let the long-distance fizzle out their relationship.

Of course, fizzling out is not what happens & instead, through a series of visits, Siena begins to re-fall in love with her boyfriend.

This is a second chance romance; it took a bit for me to actually care about the romance, but once I was in I was in. However, it's not the romance that made me enjoy With and Without You, but instead watching as both Siena & Patrick learned to live separately & really discover who they are without each other. The message of knowing who you are & not just who you are with someone is so important!! & because of that I definitely recommend this one!

SienaandPatrick have been SienaandPatrick forever. So long, in fact, that Siena's no longer sure who she is on her own. She plans to break up with Patrick, but then he throws her a curveball of his own: His parents are moving him to another state for his senior year. Siena thinks that this may give her the space she needs, so she agrees to a long-distance relationship.

This had a different tone and pace than what I had come to expect from this team of authors. Instead of a snarky teen girl narrating, this heroine was sweet and independent. This relationship built slowly too, as we meet them after they've been together for three years but facing the challenges of long-distance and growing up together while staying a couple. Instead of a whirlwind meet-cute, the reader watches a long-time relationship ebb and flow, through break-ups and almost break-ups.

The strength of Siena and Patrick's relationship was the highlight of the book. Siena says at one point, "Patrick was part of my every day, in hundreds, thousands of ways. He wasn't one piece of my world - he was part of the materials in every piece." However, sometimes I wanted more things to happen. I realize this was based on the authors' real-life romance, but I think a few more curve balls would have helped.

Overall though, it was still a really sweet story.

I love the stories Emily and her fiancé weave. They take place in high school, but always have real subjects that may or may not be experienced.

Siena and Patrick have been dating for three years, so a good chunk of high school, and Siena feels it’s time to break up. She wants to experience things on her own, but once she gets the nerve to go about it Patrick tells her he’s moving. She thinks what a great opportunity to let the long distance help them separate. But things happen along the way that complicate her life and decisions.

Personally I didn’t like Siena, she does grow as a character, but the way she went about things was childish at times. I do like that she wanted to take the time to find herself and not be relationship dependent.

It was a second chance romance that I was rooting for.

With and Without You is another YA contemporary that does tackles an interesting romance narrative that is not rarely seen in YA. However, other than the aforementioned pro, With and Without You is a middle of the road read that is somewhat enjoyable.

Unfortunately, this fell a little flat for me. I wasn't expecting so much of this to be Siena wondering if she should break up with Patrick. I know long-distance relationships are challenging, I just think this felt boring. I think it would have benefited from dual POV or something to get me more invested.

When Sienna decides it’s time to part with long-term boyfriend Patrick, she somehow talks herself out of it when Patrick tells her he’s moving to Austin just prior to their senior year. Navigating through a long distance relationship has its challenges, but could this be what tethers them to each other? To be closer and stronger than they were before?

Wibbroka never ceases to amaze me with the way they craft a story, and I am a fan of their YA contemporaries. This one embodied how being in a long-term relationship can hinder growth as an individual, and that was what Sienna wanted. To be her own person. To not be identified as half of a whole. To explore new things, interests, opportunities to express herself. It was really endearing to see her open up and make new friends all the while maintaining and strengthening a connection with Patrick. It was an enjoyable and bingeworthy read for the YA romance readers.