A trans main character in a queer love story with a diverse ensemble of characters? Amazing, love it-- but all that and the amount of DRAMA that happens? I devoured this book in a day. I had to.

The story is centered around queer, trans, piano player Miles who is trying to win his ex-boyfriend back and beat his rival in the upcoming piano competition he always places second in. He has everything planned out, that is until a new kid comes to his school. We follow Miles learning how to love himself, love others, make mistakes, and find the joy in his trans identity.

This was such a great balance of romance and angst-- and this is coming from someone who doesn't like angst. As a nonbinary person, this was such an amazing read that really connects with the struggles that gender non-conforming people face everyday. While Miles' experience is realistic, it doesn't take away from the joy and he gets to experiences.

The romance was such a great part of this novel, from the main relationship to the confusion that Miles feels with his emotions. I will say, though, if you are not a big fan of cheating tropes (I am Soundly not) maybe stay away from this book.

Overall, a very sweet soap opera of a queer romance book featuring a trans main character. If you want to read about queer joy in a unique way while also finding tropes only straight people usually get to experience, Always the Almost is for you! The perfect rainy day read for all the queerdos out there.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for this book!!

I would like to thank the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the ARC of this book. I read an advanced copy of this book, so the final edition of the book might be slightly different. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I love that we’re getting more and more queer YA fiction with each passing year, but it does mean a few slip through the cracks when it comes to me learning about them. This was one of them, and it wasn’t even on my radar until I got an email inviting me to read an early copy. I’m honestly so glad for it, because I really ended up enjoying this.

This book was soft and sweet and so full of queer joy, even alongside the pain and hardship that often comes with belonging to a marginalized community. This is most present in Miles’ piano playing, where so much of it is centered in finding who he is and what music he wants to play, and how much joy can come from playing music that means something to you while fully being yourself. It led to some really beautiful moments, and I loved how his music blended with some other plots in the story.

I also really enjoyed how this book looked at Miles’ parents, and the parents of some of his queer friends, and seemed to show a range of varying levels of acceptance. Miles especially struggled with his parents, but in entirely different ways. It was interesting to see and led to some heartfelt moments at the end, and honestly some of these final scenes had me in tears.

This book also had a few plot lines that I almost always dislike, and I was worried when I first saw them appearing in this book. While I’m still not overall a fan, and it made me quite anxious at certain points, I do love the perspective that these plot lines brought to the story. It forced us to look at and analyze certain things about being queer/coming out that not many LGBTQ+ stories necessarily touch on, at least not to this extent. It made this book stand out a bit more for me, and I love that we’re getting more and more LGBTQ+ characters that sometimes make mistakes and make the wrong decisions, but grow from them and try to fix them.

Overall, this book was exactly what I wanted it to be, and what I needed right now. It was amazing, and a fantastic break from some of the heavier, more intense books I’ve been reading!

This book was fun! I felt for Miles and his struggles with identity throughout the book. I felt the dialogue was a little stale and cliche, and some of the language/thoughts Miles had about his own identity or friends felt a little transphobic and anti-Semitic at times. Despite this, this is a wonderful rom-com to suggest to younger readers who are just starting to read books for teens, and won’t be bothered by more familiar plot lines.

Always the Almost is a cute little sorry following Miles, a boy who has recently identified as trans. This is a refreshingly fast and enjoyable read that I would highly recommend. If you are questioning your identity, already have or are/will/might be transitioning, or if you’d just like to read a book that toys with your heartstrings, then this is definitely for you. Whether you choose to read or not, definitely check out any content warnings beforehand before you decide.

The MC is Miles, a boy who has to deal with the usually teen high school drama but now additionally has to survive the transphobes, homophobes, and bullies. This book reads like one of the classic high school coming of age movies from like the late 90s to early 2000s. What I mean by this is that you’ve got the classic coming of age teen movies and this cements itself as a great coming of age novel.

From his ex-boyfriend only wanting girlfriends to his parents seeing him as the son he is to his best friends sticking by his side throughout everything, this story covers a lot of bases that are either often not talked about or glanced over in other books with trans main characters. While these topics may be covered in a different way than another book would, it provides another sort of reality that could occur for anyone questioning themselves to think about and it filled a niche that it didn’t realize was empty.

honestly i’m like 70 percent through but i couldn’t finish this. it wasn’t bad, the rep was really good and after reading the description i thought i was going to enjoy this but my main issue that made me dnf was the drama in the book. it was just so annoying at times and when the climax started hitting and everything was falling apart i was just so bothered. i stopped like two days ago, after getting really bored and annoyed. when i got the ARC I was so excited to read because it was one of my most anticipated for the year but i ended up just not liking it. honestly i believe it’s just me though, and i would still recommend it if your looking for a new book :)

thank you netgalley and st. martins press for the ARC!

A sweeping and magical debut! This sweet story hits all the right notes (sorry, had to!) with a swoon worthy love interest and a well-developed cast of characters that will stay in your mind long after you finish reading. Can't recommend this enough!

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, for allowing me to read Always the Almost early!

Edward Underhill wrote an amazingly moving debut starring a trans pianist set on getting back with his ex and defeating his nemesis. Different hardships obstacle him with his plans, but one silver lining, which takes the form a cute cartoonist make him feel finally enough.

I’ve been dying to get my hands on this book for months, and I am happy to report that it’s absolutely precious. Truly.

Reading this book just made me feel lighter, and made me long for the fond memories of my teenage years (and let’s be real, there weren’t many to long for haha). I don’t even know how to describe it, Underhill just writes with such a lightness and happiness that I found myself smiling at the page for Miles and Eric without even noticing.

Miles is possibly one of the most likable characters I’ve ever read. He still does some stupid shit- he *is* a teenage boy, but even then, I found myself wanting to fix everything for him and make it all better. I just wanted good things for Miles and I’m thrilled with where he ended.

Also, Eric and Nina? Absolutely mine now. I will defend them to the ends of the Earth. So wholesome.

I loved this.

I loved this book about not only coming out as trans, but also trying to get ready for a young pianists contest. Miles, the newly out trans boy has chosen Tchaikovky’s piano concerto no. 1 the first movement. It is not totally necessary to know what that sounds like, and I have to admit I did not look it up until the end, but once I did, I realized I would have appreciated some of the thoughts he has about the chords and the peddling.

One of the themes of this novel, about young love, and teenage communication and queerness, and oh, yes, a pianist contest, is that you are inventing yourself. Finding out who you are. This is something that Mile’s piano teacher keeps trying to get across. To know himself, and know what the music means to him.

And it is very much a YA type book, with misunderstandings, and fake dating, and all the things that YA is known for, but it is also a sweet, budding romance.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday books for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

YA isn't typically my vibe but this cover drew me in. I loved the trans representation and the writing style was easy to read. It was a quick read that kept me hooked and rooting for the couple!

I absolutely loved this one. In the author’s note, they talk about how important it is to have stories of trans joy, that the point here was to show that there are spaces for trans folks and that the journey of our main character was really to just learn to accept himself. There were instances of transphobia, but we got to see Miles learn how to love himself in a way that the opinions of others became a background thing instead of his main focus. So much piano, so many joyful moments, I truly loved it and recommend this one to all of my queer pals, and even non queer pals who want to read some queer joy with a happily ever after.

I read this all in one sitting, and had an overall great time. I absolutely loved how the side characters were more fleshed out during the second half, although I wish they had gotten more depth in the first half; I especially wished for more depth with Eric, the love interest, because his backstory seemed very compelling and interesting and it feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity to not dive deeper into it. Still, I really loved the main character of this book as well as the plot structure, and think fans of I Wish You All the Best will totally love this book!!

This book made my heart feel warm. It made me feel seen and surrounded by understanding and hope even as it confronted the hardest parts of Miles’ story. It made me HEAR the music he was playing and feel what he was feeling when he was playing it. I am overjoyed to have experienced this story and I am honored to have been given the chance.

I actually adored this book and everything about it. It's complex, heartfelt, and joyful. In times when there is so much to be frustrated about in the world, stories of joy are more important than ever and Always the Almost makes sure that hope and happiness is ever-present.

Miles is such a great character to live in the head of. He's dealing with his transition and struggling with how to join together his life before and his life afterwards. At first, it's easy to want to shake Miles and tell him to stop obsessing over his ex-boyfriend, Shane, but the more the big delves into what Miles is feeling and why his previous relationship was so important to him, it becomes clear and your heart breaks for him a little. I also loved Eric, who comes into Miles' life and is one of the sweetest and loveliest characters in YA that I've read recently. Rachel and Paige are also great secondary characters who have their own drama that they are dealing with.

The focus on Miles' piano playing is also a great plot to propel the story forward with. How Miles feels when playing piano and the emphasis his teacher, Stefania, places on joy and embracing the possibility of optimism instead of defeatism was so lovely, and it goes hand in hand with how Miles feels about himself.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely tore through this sweet confection of a novel, which tells the charming story of a trans boy who is navigating how the parts of his life fit into this new understanding of his identity. Miles shows readers how the familiar can become unfamiliar as we grow and change. The romance is this book is makes you swoon, and I can only hope to see more love interests like Miles and Eric grace the pages of literature for all ages!

Really wasn't a fan of the whole cheating/miscommunication tropes in this book but besides for that it was amazing. I read it all in one sitting, I really liked the main character's POV and the music aspects as well as the LGBT+ rep!

Fake dating? Friends-to-lovers? Academic rival? I was instantly interested in this one after reading the synopsis and I was not disappointed. There was a few angsty moments, but for the most part this one was so cute. At the beginning of the novel, Miles and his ex-boyfriend Shane have just run into each other for the first time since breaking up two weeks ago. Miles is determined to win back Shane but gets a bit distracted when there is a new kid at school, Eric. Eric and Miles have an instant connection and Eric is the first person to ever ask Miles what his pronouns are.

Overall, this is a cute, YA romance. I really enjoyed the story and the characters.

This was such a sweet and heartfelt book! It does have it's darker moments, so be sure to check out the content warnings if you think you might need them, but wow! The way the book describes music made me think about it in a whole new way, and Miles is a character you'll fall for immediately! It's both messy and joyful in the best ways, and I binged this book in one sitting! Check it out if you're looking for a YA romance!

Thanks Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book so much I couldn’t put it down and finished in a day! After Miles announced that he was trans his boyfriend Shane dumped him. His dad has had difficulty accepting Miles and his mom has accepted he’s a boy just fine, she just wants him to be straight. On top of this he’s trying to win a piano competition that he’s always come in second place for. On New Years Eve he makes a resolution to win the competition and to win his ex-boyfriend back. After all he’s the same person and Shane will see that he still loves Miles, nothings changed. When he meets Eric things are different, Eric sees him for him. Can he move on from his ex? Is there something more going on with Eric? Can he win the competition? I love Miles persistence in learning who he is! I feel like he has an idea of who he is and spends the book becoming that person in spite of the people who might not see him that way or be able to see him that way yet! I loved Eric’s genuineness! I loved that he saw Miles exactly how Miles wanted to be seen. Things would be better if we could all just see others that way! I also liked Miles journey with his piano playing and I loved how Stefania always pushed him to find his connected to the music! I think Edward Underhill captured a persons persistence to become who they are very well! I think this book will be helpful to many and everyone should read it! Can’t wait to read it again in February!

In this YA rom-com,a trans classical pianist resolves to spend his junior year winning back his ex-boyfriend and defeating his arch-nemesis at the biggest piano competition of the year. This is such an deeply emotional story.The plot is exactly what you think it's going to be and that is fine because it's fun to read.
To conclude, Always the Almost is a awesome book. The writing is good, the romance is pretty cute. If you're up for some queer ya, you can't go wrong with this.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.