This one is difficult to rate. There were some things that had been done well. But also quite a few things that needed another round of beta readers/editing.

This was a pretty standard YA romance. Alternating POVs, a 'falling out' you could see from about 5,000 miles away and a copletely unrealistic ending. It's all the common tropes, but it just didn't work. The enemies to lovers fell apart as soon as they saw each other and felt attraction. From there it was all backpedaling to make up a reason why they couldn't like each other, despite their obvous attraction to each other.

There wasn't enough backstory to what was going on or why. Ali's mom is randomly going to Egypt and Ali is getting shipped off to her hometown. I guess that's okay, but Mom is pretty much non-existant for the entire story. More or less the same thing happened with Max's mom. She has to work a lot and was never home. Absent parents galore. Even Ali's dad is conveniently at work most of the time.

Speaking of Ali's dad, while he was well intentioned, he came across way too uptight about everything. His entire personality boiled down to 'I'm in charge so do what I say' which made him unlikeable, basically because he never showed emotion, which would have helped to justify his feelings. Ali's frustration came through clearly, but because Dad was so stubborn about it it was difficult to feel sympathy for either one of them. Dad bascially said over and over again that playing baseball was too dangerous, and it was too late when he showed that he was scared he would lose Ali.

Ali and Max both had personality changes when we saw their actions from the other's POV. Ali is head-strong, confident and determined (her thought process and actions show this) but when we get a scene from Max's POV she's shy, nervous and seems intimidated.

There were so many scenes that only existed to push the plot forward. And I don't mean that they were key moments. They were literally only happening because the books seems uncertain howt o get from point A to point B without having a Thing happen that seems strange, out of place, or ill-timed.

When Max overhears Ali and her dad fighting (view spoiler) the dialogue between Ali and her dad felt extremely forced. The scene was clearly written to give Max the information he needed, not to convey how a real conversation between Ali and Dad would have played out.

I think the biggest problem was the 'enemies' to lovers aspect of the story. We never really got an insight into why they were enemies in the first place, outside of one story from childhood (or maybe middle school) where they were both mean to eachother. Ali seemed like more of a brat, but they both seemed to have some weird hang up from long ago that hardly mattered anymore. I wish it would have been something bigger, or with more weight, or hurtful. Not just some public name calling. There was also very little resistance to getting over the enemies part of the story. Basically they just started hanging out together and all was forgiven, despite never really addressing their misunderstandings they had about each other.

This was a book where there needed to be more words added. An emotional scene between Ali and Dad where they both show they are vulnerable instead of both of the being hardheaded. A scene or two where Max and Ali had to work together for something school related and we could see more of the enemies part of their relationship.

There were some plot points that got dropped. I'm thinking specifically of the whole 'jealous girl' angle that was strongly hinted at with the girl in astronomy club (I can't remember her name). I expected something to come up at some point but it never did. There was also a lot left unresolved with Max. It seemed like he didn't have any ambitions or goals. He had an intense obsession with astronomy, but we never really knew what he wanted to do with life. Ali had the same problem, aside from wanting to play baseball, she really had no life goals.

The story was easy to read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ann M. Miller, and Sword and Silk Books for a digital ARC of A Heartbeat Away From You.

This books caught my eye right from the start! The female main character is a young girl named Ali, who has dedicated her life to sports, but has a scary moment on the baseball field leading to a heart condition. Her overprotective father makes a decision that affects Ali and her next door neighbor/arch nemesis, Max. The romance is a cute, sweet romance between childhood enemies to lovers that will make your heart melt with happiness and sometimes sadness. The characters have great development along with the plot, and you will enjoy the ending.

For being a YA romance it was a very good love story. Ali suffers cardiac arrest during a softball game and has to use a pacemaker afterwards. Max is her enemy. One thing that makes this book different is the fact that the female lead character is the athlete while the "nerd" is the male. Usually it's the other way around, it's a very popular trope. I like how the two of them fall in love and grow together. Overall it was a great book and I highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Ali and Max. They are both students. Ali’s father pays Max money to try to keep Ali safe. Her father doesn’t want Ali to do anything to might hurt her any kind of sports. But you have heard of opposites attracting, well that’s what happens. They fall in love.

3.5🌟
If you like a good YA story then pick this up. A Heartbeat Away From You follows Ali and Max once friends turned enemies. Ali is forced to move back home with her dad after a life changing injury where she runs into her old enemy Max. The pair start off how they left things but soon develop a friendship and start to open up to each other. This was a really sweet but quite sad story. Some of the storylines really did get me in the feels. I found this book very easy to read and I wanted to know how it would pan out so didn't want to put it down. An enjoyable story.

An enemies-turned-lovers YA sports romance, this book will give you all the feels. It ticked all my romance feels so i thoroughly enjoyed it.

Warm, romantic and different, in the very best way. This author has woven more than a hint of magic through the pages. I absolutely adored it!

"So what if it's like B-type stars? So in-
tense it's bound to fizzle out."

I found this line shaking me to the core because it's both beautiful and cursed at the same time–so I highlighted this particular line for the review.

After reading so many new adult romances and the grown-up problems, I feel so refreshed when I read this one. It's a pretty light and heartwarming YA book of teenagers story that tackles heavy issues, such as heart disease issue and losing someone because of death issue in an honest and beautiful way. It's so easy to follow and getting immersed to this book for me that I can't put it down.

I like the premise of childhood arch nemesis turns friends turned lovers, I love how the characters being written, apart when Ali being so stubborn–though I can understand why she did that. I can found myself in Max (for being uptight and restless) and Ali (for her strong determination after something) that I can relate to. I love how before they're own up their past mistake to each other before their relationship goes further, how they take care of each other and getting influenced by each other. I enjoyed their growth as a person and as a couple, though I was really anxious because they still hide something from each other – and that's why this is so well written, I ached for them both! The dual POVs also really great and fair on telling their stories, what happened in their own lives, problems, interests, their thoughts–really helpful to getting know them better! Both their obsession over baseball and astronomy and some trivial facts mentioned geeking me out!

And obviously when the plot hits the climax, it makes me want to cry because all the things they did and said to each other explicit and implicitly are so pure and meaningful.

Overall, this is an easy book to read, well-suited book to read in fall! Would recommend it to those who love The Fault in Our Star, Five Feet Apart, Me Before You.

TW: heart disease, heart-attack, one dead parent, cancer mentioned.


Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the e-ARC!

I don't know where to start but I particularly could not put the book down.. Argh.
First, I have to say that this book has a very startling cover. I enjoyed it a lot, and I Loved it, I adored it,
Not to exaggerate anything but I'm so in love with how was the story going and the characters development. Of course, I love how was the relationship going between Alicia and Max, they are such a cute couple and I admired both!
Sometimes, I don't know who I think is right, Alicia's dad was too strict with her but there are no reasons He has but for her sake.
I like how the author is competent to illustrate and narrate the story of each of the two characters so that I can know the real circumstance of the two characters and of course I enjoyed this book.

This is my first experience with the Author Ann M. Miller and it won't be the last, I'm looking for other books by her work.

Read if you like:
• YA Sports Romance
• Clean romance (Not very clean, though, there are some scenes more than kissing)
• Childhood Enemies to Lovers
• Highschool drama
• Strong Female Protagonist
• Sexy Nerd Guy

I absolutely adore Ali and Max. This story was great. The progression of feelings throughout, both negative and positive really tug in the heartstrings. I loved the connections, determination, and raw emotions this story portrayed. I am a sucker for a good love story and this one definitely did not disappoint 👏

If you are a fan of enemies to lovers, childhood friends/enemies, strong protagonists, sports romance, or insta love then this just may be the perfect book for you! This book follows Ali a strong-willed girl with some heart problems and a passion for baseball and her hot, nerdy next-door neighbor max, who at one point was one of her best friends but still holds a grudge from six years ago.
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I loved this book for a few different reasons. I loved the sports romance and how present both parents were in this novel without being incredibly overbearing. I loved how much Ali grew as a character, in the beginning, she did have some selfish behaviors which is normal but was slightly annoying to read, but she grew o much as a character becoming more compassionate and kind. I also loved the dual POV and how engaging both POVS were.
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Overall this was such a fun and quick read I easily completed it in one day.
thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Ali and Max are so adorable together. Granted, the beginning of the book felt kinda insta-lovey and the transition from enemies to friends was a little faster than I had wanted, but the rest of the book and the romance definitely made it up for it!

I also enjoyed the disability rep! Even though Ali has bradycardia (so sorry if this is a spoiler), she is still so strong, passionate, and determined, and I love her for it.

Oh, and Max is absolutely the sweetest person. He's so protective and caring to both Ali and his mom. Plus, he's an astronomy nerd? I love him so much.

This is such a short book review because my mind is only thinking about the fact that "We'll Be the Stars" by Sabrina Carpenter, "universe" by thuy, and "Sparks Fly" by Taylor Swift are so perfect for this book.

I was very interested to read this one and acquire this title for our y/a section. I think it’s wonderful to incorporate stories that inspire teens and shoe them about overcoming obstacles and not just teen fluff. Not that their is anything wrong with that , but I love how this book deals with a heart condition. Ali goes into cardiac arrest on the baseball field. Most would be afraid, but Ali is more determined than ever to get her life back to normal or as normal as her father will allow. Enter Max who is her nemesis and supposed to keep an eye on her, but we all know how that goes… slowly he starts falling for her. I loved the writing style, characters, relatable content, and how beautifully the story was written. It would make a gorgeous movie or tv show. The cover is very attractive and will draw readers in as well. The lesson that we all have obstacles and things we must overcome, but if we truly want something we must fight for it will resonate with teens.

I knew when I saw this book that I was going to love it. Firstly the cover - it is beautiful and captures the book so well.

Next, the plot itself. I love plots where someone was or is ill, and it's them figuring out life and how to continue living! Thrown in a bit of teenage romance and its so cute!!!

I loved the characters. I didnt clock that he was a nerd, not that it matters, and I actually really liked the dad. What I did feel here was that the characters did not have enough depth to them, they needed a bit more! More layers, more obstacles, more depth.

However, I still enjoyed it and read it pretty quickly!

I found A Heartbeat Away From Love By Katie Mcgarry on netgalley. The cover caught my eye and when I read the Blurb it sounded amazing, and omg this book blew me away. It was a breathtaking and phenomenal read and I didn't want it to ever end.

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪."

This was the first book I read by Kate Mcgarry and I will certainly be reading more of her books. I loved the writing style, it was so easy flowing. The story had me on an emotional rollercoaster. I totally connected with Ali Benton as, one of the main characters, she has a pacemaker at 17 and it's a life changing situation,her snarky and bubbly attitude and stubborn determination to achieve what she wants to do and not let what she has slow her down. I understand the frustration Ali goes through and, with myself I have a life changing rare blood disorder that I got when I was 20  and now awaiting a transplant. I hate anyone slowing me down and I don't like people pitying me either. I want them to see me as myself and not someone who's breakable. Ali was an incredible character and we sure would have been the best of friends and no doubt got into a lot of trouble together haha. Now Max Delaney omg Max, I loved him so much. He is so charming, a very hot nerd and loyal, though Ali is his childhood nemesis, but as Ali's dad is so over- protection, he makes a secret agreement with Max to keep an eye on Ali, and make sure she stays away from baseball which is her life. But the more time Ali and Max spend together they find there feeling for each other is more than they thought, But now Max is left in a awkward situation, losing Ali trust or protecting and losing heart in more ways than one.

"𝙎𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝘽-𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨? 𝙨𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙯𝙯𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩."

The feels and emotions in this book had my heart melting and full of tears, this was the sweetest and most passionate read. I loved every single minute of it. I was literally glued to the first page to the end. I was on the edge of my seat on some of the chapters. What I loved about this read was that it had both Ali and Max pov’s, so we got both of their life’s inside both of their heads and I loved that  it made it more exciting and made me an emotional wreck of happiness. The ending was perfection and I can't recommend this stunning read enough, trust me this is one read  you do not want to miss.

The YA Sport romance with enemies/lover trope. I'm going to say it's very lovely with a teens story. This book has a lot things to offer as it has an intriguing plot.

It's about Ali, a typical sport girl who has a heart disease that loves baseball and Max a typical smart nerd. I like how Ali here has a strong ground character even she has a heart problem but that doesn't lower her morale meanwhile Max is a shy and soft so the couple is really match to each other.

There wasn't too much drama but I love the develop of this story. it starts as everyone act childish to finally realize all they mistake and become more mature understanding. I also like how parents here very present and we get to see everyone POV.

The only downside for me is the book is somehow kinda bland. I'm not sure if because how calm the story is supposed to or I just don't into the book. It has a great pacing but it just I do sometimes get bored specially for some dialogue

Overall this book I will totally still recommend but I would suggest to read it when you are calmer and want to read something light.

A Heartbeat Away From You by Ann M. Miller is a quick & lovely qyoung adult coming of age story & sports romance involving two teenagers experiencing extremely difficult times & life changes. It’s an opposites attract eventually between the obsessed sports girl meets the nerdy astronomy loving boy next door. It’s dual POV so you get to hear & understand both sides of the story, which I always enjoy.
The baseball girl, Ali, recently went through a traumatic medical event & her father no longer wants her one great love that is the strenuous sport baseball to be her thing. Then, there is Max, who is grieving the lost of his beloved father, managing with his meticulously planned schedule & overtaking more responsibility than a teenager should have trying to help his mom keep their house & finances afloat.
The characters both make mistakes, but there’s definite character growth, which I always appreciate. There was the mention of bullying & not nice nicknames from their younger years, but they mature & it’s a great reminder of the power of words, both good & bad.
Sometimes the conversations felt a tad dramatic in that they reminded me of teen shows on the CW. I love CW shows & have seen a majority of them, so I don’t think that’s a bad thing! Near the ending, obviously something major happens & the characters react in some dramatic ways but once again as they are teenagers dealing with difficult situation, It can work I think.
The mention of one of my favorite bands, Mariana’s Trench, was a pleasant surprise! I never knew anyone else that knew & loved them, so that made me very happy!
I was also restricted from playing a sport I loved as much as the main character as a teenager & so I could empathize so much with this story. Also, now that I am an adult, I can also empathize with the father’s side of the story amid his fear of losing his daughter.
I am always ecstatic when there is any sort of chronic illness or disability as I am grateful for the representation, so thank you to the author for writing this!

Massive thanks to the author, NetGalley & Sword & Silk Books for giving me the opportunity to read an arc in exchange for an honest review:

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains medical emergency, death of a parent, bullying & underage drinking.

I thought this was so incredibly cute!! To be honest, I was a little scared at first. The beginning felt a little cheesy at times to me and I was worried I would be wincing the entire time reading, but as the story and characters developed, I started to love it more and more! It’s always refreshing to read kind of a trope reversal of sorts. Ali was the athletic, headstrong heroine, while our hero, Max, was more shy, subdued, and was a straight up nerd.

There wasn’t too excessive amounts of drama and teen angst like in a lot of YA novels. Both characters were rather mature for their age and I think that also made it a lot easier for me to read. Overall, a heartwarming and touching story!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars

A Heartbeat Away From You is a YA sports romance with dual pov from Max and Ali. It follows Ali through the struggles of having a heart condition paired with an overprotective father who is trying to do everything he can to keep her safe. Even if, by doing so, he is harming his relationship with her by banning her from playing baseball among other things. It also follows Max who has just recently lost his father and who is doing everything he can to avoid him and his mother from having to sell their house.

This book has the perfect mix of going over more heavier topics and romance. Allowing the reading experience to flow as it should. The writing style also contributes the the easy flow of the book. It makes it effortless to read which complements the story so much more and makes the overall enjoyment of the book that much bigger.

Now to the little nit-picky things that didn't appeal to me so much. Near the beginning of the book, Ali came across as extremely entitled. When Ali and Max were younger, Max got bullied and was called 'metal mouth' for two years. All because of Ali, who was the one who called him that first. In retaliation, when Max and Ali were in the same group for a project, when Ali made a simple mistake, Max made a comment about her being 'stupid' but everyone in the class heard and made fun of her for two days. Now, when Max was telling her how he'd been bullied for years her first response was to deny it and then it was to say "you still shouldn't have called me stupid." Like babe, what? You don't get to have it both ways.
That was the main thing that really bothered be about this book but it got better as I continued reading.

Overall, this book was good but not my favourite. I think it would be quite a good read if you're in a reading slump though because it is quite short and is fast paced so you can finish it quite quickly (and that's from someone who's a slow reader). So do with that information what you will.

Ali and Max are complete opposites. While Max is dedicated to his academic studies and obsessive about organizing every aspect of his life, Ali prefers a more spontaneous "live in the moment" lifestyle. Now they are both dealing with grief after Max loses his father to cancer and Ali is forced to give up baseball following a cardiac arrest and having a pacemaker implanted. Forced together by Ali's father, the two neighbors eventually are able to forgive each other for the way they acted in the past. The last thing they expected was to develop feelings for each other. I really enjoyed this young adult novel despite the fact that I am far beyond my own young adult years. Thanks to NetGalley and Sword & Silk Books for the advance copy to read and review.