To Be With You is an esquistly written New Adult story about first love and second chances. Victoria (Tori) is the daughter of a wealthy businessman while Leah’s family is just getting by in life. The high school ecosystem would never allow Leah and Tori to move in the same circles until serendipity played its part.

This is O’Shea’s second novel yet she writes as a seasoned veteran. There is a mature patience to both the construction of the storyline and the writing style which holds the reader firmly in its grasp. We are taken deeply into both of Leah’s and Tori’s lives, motivations and hardships and live every bit of it with them.

To Be With You is the book you have been waiting to read this year. It will not disappoint.

I received a free advance review copy from Bella Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Leah Vasquez and Victoria Lockwood attend the same school but live very different lives. When they run into each other unexpectedly after a disasterous prom they become very close very quickly during their last summer before going off to college. There are too many issues for them to overcome with them still being so young but when they meet again 5 years later circumstances have changed but they still have many issues to resolve.
I loved O'Shea's first book and this was just as good. The writing and plot here are phenomenal. It is more of a YA/NA story that may not appeal to everyone but I really liked this book. I saw a couple of minor plot holes but this was a very entertaining read. The two MCs were both likable in their own unique ways and their chemistry together was amazing. I loved Leah's parents, they made up for the terrible person Victoria's mom turned out to be. I liked that Victoria had her own cheerleaders in her brothers and that they supported her so much. Riley was awesome too and I'd love to read her story in he future once she matures a bit too. This was a great book that will go back in my TBR pile to be reread at some point the future for sure.

This is a story about Leah Vasquez who is the daughter of poor Mexican immigrant Hector and his wife Loretta. Leah is raised by a loving family in the poorer part of town. Her father is an auto mechanic and owns his own repair shop. Leah adores her father and has learned to be an auto mechanic herself at a very young age. Leah is also super smart and came out to her family and school mates at age 11

Victoria Lockwood is the middle child of two white parents who are very wealthy and own their own corporation and have a great deal of influence in the small New Jersey town they live in. “Tori” is the most popular girl in school and is friends with all the other rich kids in town. She has an older and a younger brother that are both close to her. Her mother, Cassandra, is a totally controlling mother who demands her children do exactly as she says.

This book is told in two parts with Leah and Tori’s high school years taking up the majority of the book. They circle around each other as teens and eventually hook up only to break up when they each head off to college. Then later at 22 they meet up again and start to rekindle their relationship.

This was my first O’Shea book and I really enjoyed the story and her writing style. She did a fantastic job in developing both MCs and also all the supporting people in the book. I especially liked both fathers and Tori’s brothers Vic and her friend Riley.

This book is filled with angst and melancholy and a was very good read. I highly recommend it.

ARC received from Net Galley for an honest and voluntary review.

Earlier this year I read TJ O’Shea’s first foray into romance novels (Beyond the Blue) and it was such an amazing book I jumped at the chance of reading another one by this author.
What I didn’t get from the blurb, and that’s mostly my fault, that this is very much a YA/NA story.

Leah and Victoria had a bit of a summer romance their senior year of high school, it was doomed from the start. Leah was out and proud, from “the wrong side of the track”, stubborn and unapologetically herself. Victoria was trying to live up to her mom’s extremely high standards, the family has more money than they know what to do with, not ready/ afraid to come out and just a little lost. They couldn’t work, they shouldn’t, but they do. Leah is patient and understanding with Tori, Tori gets to be herself for once in her live. All their differences make them a perfect pair.
That’s until they aren’t. Que the second part of the story, the second chance romance.

This story is set in the early 00’s. Being a teenager myself in those days, although slightly younger than our mains, I understand their anguish in the time period. It seems so different from how teens are about sexuality these days, although I would still prefer the early 00’s over being a teen now. Way too much opportunities for bullying and just being mean, kids are just mean in general, the platform was just a lot smaller back in the day.

I think the summer romance, the teen lust, takes a bit too much space in the book. I would have liked to see more of the second chance romance, why Leah is back in town, how everything came about. A bit more of their lives apart and together in the present instead of the past. I’m not the biggest fan of YA/NA romance, but O’Shea knows how to write and keep me captivated. This coming of age, coming out, second chance romance has everything you could ask for. I especially liked the dialogue between Leah and Tori, their banter is *chef’s kiss*.
TJ O’Shea is definitely becoming a must-ready author for me.

To Be With You is one of the best books I've read in a very, very long time. I love it and can not recommend it enough. The chemistry between Tori and Leah is off the charts. The dialogue is well written the supporting characters are developed and fit seamlessly into the plot.
I hated to see this one end and even after finishing up a couple of days ago it is still on my mind. I will definitely be re-reading this book - probably multiple times.

To Be With You is a YA book that pretty much ticked all the boxes for me. Though kept in each other’s peripheral since middle school; at seventeen, both Leah and Tori took a chance and unknowingly gave their hearts away in a summer romance. What came after was a five years‘ gap of mutual longing and a kind of love that neither could really let go of.

This is a book that will give you all the feels. It has your rich/poor, second chance and enduring love all wrapped up in one. For Tori, even with her upper class status, she was uncertain and doubtful of herself and was drawn to Leah’s confidence and mojo. I love that she was a different person when she was with Leah and when the second chance came around, she found the Tori that Leah knew. As for Leah, she knew that she could not afford feelings for Tori but it was a gamble she took and one that though initially backfired, ended with a glorious finish. Even though the disintegration of their relationship was difficult to read, a great love requires an emphatic fist bumping end so thank you TJ O’Shea for adding the updates for the well loved ladies in the closing.

I just reviewed To Be With You by TJ O’Shea. Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books for the ARC.

Beautifully written. A mix coming of age romance with a second chance romance in one novel. Half the story is set in 2000 when Leah Vasquez and Victoria Lockwood are nearly finished with their senior year. Tori is popular, wealthy and lives on the rich side of town. Leah is smart, hispanic, lesbian and works in her father’s garage and delivering pizzas. One rainy night Leah rescues Tori while she is walking along the road way. Tori has never questioned being straight but is attracted to the Leah. So friendship gives way to a summer of first love before they are heading off to their futures at Harvard and MIT respectively. But Tori can’t come out to her parents or friends and she feels nothing is in her control.

The second half of the novel is five years later as Tori returns to town with her fiancee Ben. She is surprised to find Leah working in her dad’s garage in the town she was desperate to leave. Tori is still expected to fulfill her family obligations and mother’s expectations but she is still drawn to Leah. I like that it is only five years later and they haven’t wasted decades apart. Of course they can’t pick up where they left off and it is up to Tori to fight for Leah.

Both characters have depth and you feel for them. That doesn’t mean they always make the choices I want them to make. I appreciate the author is careful to not have them physically cheat as they navigate their complex situations. And I thought the second half went on a little too long. But I was cheering for them to work out issues and tears came to my eyes reading the last paragraph. I loved the authors Beyond the Blue from earlier this year and recommend this novel even more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The main characters are Leah and Victoria. It reminds me a it of Pretty in Pink premise, but with women. Two people on two sides of the track are drawn to each other, even though they fight it.
They have a relationship in high school that ends up not like they expected.
Fast forward 5 years and Victoria is back in their hometown with a fiance and their car breaks down. They have it towed to the nearest garage. Victoria is shocked to see that their mechanic is none other than Leah. It appears that Leah never left. However, that is the furthest from the truth. Wbat is also furthest from the truth is that either woman has been able to forget the other.
They begin spending time together and realize the truth. There are many things standing in the way of them getting back together. Read to find out if they do!
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I quite liked this book but felt the first half was a bit long. It told of teenage Leah’s and Tori’s love affair during the summer before they left for college. The second half, when they meet again 5 years later, was more interesting. Tori returns with a fiancé, Ben, and Leah has a friend with benefits, Riley, who was Tori’s BFF at school. There was a point where I was hoping Leah would stay with Riley as Tori’s hesitance to admit that she was gay and her waffling around was becoming annoying. I did think Leah would be better off without her. However they did resolve most everything in the end.

Ooh this book gave me chills! It's a coming of age, second chance romance that's beautifully written. Though lots of second chance books dip into the past throughout the book, slowly revealing the first romance while the second unfolds, this book gives us both in full. We see the entire beautiful love story from the past and then the present. There's lots of chest-clutching angst, but it's all appropriate to the story - no frustrating miscommunication - it's all a logical, heartbreaking, bittersweet, part of their love story. The only thing that slightly bothered me was poor Ben. The chemistry between Tori and Leah is so strong though, and so rewarding. Add to that TJ's beautiful prose and flawless metaphors, and you've got a perfect romance. Highly recommend.

Short summary: When Tori returns home with fiancé in tow, the last person she expects to see is Leah, and the flood of memories and emotions that comes with that reintroduction. The two couldn’t be more different, yet they are drawn to each other. Can it be enough?

Thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderful love story. Victoria and Leah were lovely characters from two quite different families Leah's was very supportive when she came out on the other hand Leah's mother was so very different even blackmailing her. If only she had known how supportive her father would have been. It was very sad at times knowing these young women wanted to be together but unable to because of Victoria's mother. Several years later they met again and it was lovely to read their story about how they came together and were able to live happily. A very powerful read which was beautifully written.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


Leah and Tori comes from different parts of town who goes to the same school but somehow fall for each other. We get a glimpse of present day but the story is mainly in the past of how they get together and what cause them to break up then we back in the present where they get a second chance at their love but will they take it. I thought the author did great job being insightful about status etc… and loving bravely.

4.5. I deducted some points because of the dramatics at the end of the story, involving a final speech. I loved this story because it gave an in-depth account of a second chance romance. I was glad the back story was not an hasty rehash of a story and you got to see, feel and learn the past of both characters. I usually roll my eyes at second chance romances but, I enjoyed the length of this one. Enjoyed both characters because it wasn’t the usual rich/poor girl storyline. I feel like both characters were matched all around except for wealth. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow wow wow. Loved this book from start to finish. What a love story! I could not put this book down and had to force myself to get some sleep.

Second-chance romances are wonderful, but I recall them usually switching back and forth between the past and present day, but this does not. We see a little glimpse of the present-day at the beginning and then we're immediately sucked into the start of their romance, giving us their full story as teens before going back to them in adulthood. Another great move was the time period this takes place, starting from 2000. Loved all the references.

This is a must-read for anyone that loves a good romance, especially top-tier lesfic. It's also my first book by the author, so I'm going to now go read "Beyond the Blue" and eagerly await her next title while also suggesting this book to other lesfic lovers!

A solid 5 out of 5 stars.

'Arc provided bi both NetGalley and The Publisher (Bella Books) in exchange for a honest review'

**'Sometimes when a writer is describing any character in their stories, they try to explain their complexities in few words; as timid, vain, pompous, brash, charming, introvert -- and so on..'

Remarkable read!
With 'TO BE WITH YOU' Ms. O'Shea has capture the essence of kindred soulmates with empathy, insight, intimacy, complication, condescension, cultural relativism, status, snobbery etc.. -- in this endearingly sweet love story between two love-struck teenagers and now adults -- each coming from different parts of town (wealthy & poor). The storytelling is vibrantly mesmerizing, not rushed, has no dullness, heartfelt at times with this charming premise and this intricately spin of reciprocal love even if there were hurt feelings.
When i read O'Shea's previous book 'BEYOND THE BLUE,' i could not get enough of it because it was so good -- so the minute that i saw there was a new book (TO BE WITH YOU) coming out, I had to get it hoping that i would not be let down but it's not the case. No disappointment at all plus after getting to the ending I still never wanted the story to end.
Honestly, i like when writers try not to tell the same story over & over, again & again while being praised for being effortless in penning really good stories and also just being amazing writers. I think T.J. O'Shea is at the cusp of this distinguishable feat.
Furthermore, if you as an interested reader enjoys a writer telling a sumptuous love story with exhilaratingly good chemistry between her many characters, also lay out that alluring rawness of her characters, be in-depth while developing each character, be steadfast and entertaining with her dialogues then 'TO BE WITH YOU' is just that book --- and is that story that will stay with you after you get to the last sentence.
A highly recommended book!

I absolutely loved everything about this book. Leah and Tori are high school seniors when their relationship is altered and they become more that 2 kids going to the same school. Their story is beautifully written and the epilogue is quite different than the usual, a much needed glimpse into the future, especially when we’re looking at such young MCs. This is TJ O’Shea’s second book and it’s already close to perfection, very excited to see more from this author.
Free ARC via NetGalley