Together For Never by Marilyn Kaye is a new to me book. I picked out the book to read based on the cover and the description. I think they did an excellent job describing the characters and I felt the pacing was very good as well. I think this book is perfect for ages 13 and up and I look forward to sharing this author with my teens.

Two girls from different social circles being forced to share a vacation and confront their differences intrigued me from the start. Marilyn does a commendable job of capturing the nuances of adolescent relationships and the complexities of navigating middle school social hierarchies.

Charlotte's portrayal as the popular queen bee and Lily as the aspiring writer with a loner disposition adds depth to the story. Their evolving relationship is both believable and engaging, as they navigate misunderstandings, jealousy, and ultimately, acceptance.

While I appreciated the exploration of friendship and personal growth, I found certain aspects of the plot to be somewhat predictable. The "Parent Trap meets Mean Girls" comparison sets high expectations, but the story doesn't fully deliver on the promise of high-stakes drama and unexpected twists.

Additionally, some of the character development felt rushed, particularly towards the resolution of the novel. I would have liked to see more depth and complexity in the characters' motivations and relationships, especially given the rich potential of the premise.

Overall, "Every teen girl’s nightmare becomes an entertaining, surprising, and heartfelt story in the hands of seasoned middle-grade pro Marilyn" is a solid read with moments of humor, heart, and relatability. While it may not have exceeded my expectations, it still offers an enjoyable journey through the ups and downs of adolescence.

This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions formed are my own. Thank you again Netgalley for giving me a chance to review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

This book is more of a lunch time read with only 160+ pages and an easy read without having to use much of our brains. The plot is predictable and moves very quickly; but it also doesn’t seem to have any highlight in the storyline - I tried recalling any parts that is the most memorable to me and I couldn’t, and this is coming from someone who has just finished the entire book. The ending felt very rushed and abrupt as well.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it and we have to leave a star rating.

Two girls are forced to vacation together. Charlotte and Lily's divorced parents are now dating each other. They all decide to take a vacation to a beach house. The girls are dreading the vacation and begin to be separated. The book is reminiscent of The Parent Trap. Recommended for grades 6-8

I liked this book, it shows how girls in school can be mean to other girls who are different and that is the unfortunate truth. Also this doesn't resonate with me, but for families that are blended the two girls, Charlotte and Lily meeting and trying to get along for their parents sake is a normal thing nowadays. You first meet Charlotte who is a mean girl at school always talking badly about other girls or boys who are different or not as well off financially as her family is, etc. Then you meet Lily, Lily is different. She dresses a little more casual and doesn't wear makeup or have friends that do. The parents of the two girls get together and Charlotte and Lily really don't like each other, so they are trying to break them up. A light hearted read with a happy ending for all involved;)

Charlotte is the queen bee of her 8th grade class--popular, confident, always wearing the trendiest clothes--and judging others for what they wear. Lily is a loner who dreams of becoming a writer--and she wants nothing to do with Charlotte and her snobby crowd.

Then Charlotte's divorced father starts dating Lily's single mother. Neither one of the girls even notices--until the day they learn that they are going on vacation together. Worse than that, they'll have to share a small bedroom for two whole weeks.

When The Parent Trap meets Mean Girls, can two girls ever make peace, or will they drag their vacations--and their parents' romance--into disaster? Every teen girl's nightmare becomes an entertaining, surprising and heartfelt story in the hands of seasoned middle grade pro Marilyn Kaye.

Loved it. Will recommend this story to others.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this book and I think many middle school children will too. The is a character to appeal to different personalities and I think that's fun. The language and way of thinking is very age appropriate and comes across as very relatable.

Together For Never by Marilyn Kaye



Charlotte and Lily are forced to spend a vacation with their mom and dad who are dating.
Neither girl likes the other at all. Charlotte desperately wants her parents reunited and that can't happen with him dating Lily's mom. Lily just wants distance from Charlotte.
Charlotte is a girly girl, fashion, make up and boys are what she likes. Lily is more bookish and writes in her notebook often. How will they coexist together?
So will they split their parents up? Will Charlotte's parents reunite? And will the girls continue not liking each other or will they learn to coexist and get along, maybe like each other?
y'all have to read the book to find out.

I enjoyed the story as the author has written good books in the past, this is no exception. I will be looking for more of her books of course.

Middle graders will enjoy this quick read.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher.

3 1/2 ***

Two girls spend a beach holiday wanting to split their parents up. They are vastly different. Charlotte likes boys and clothes while lily writes stories.

A quick read that will attract middle grade readers.


Thank you herbalist for the e arc for my honest review.

This really had the possibility to be so amazing. The characters could have been so much more developed and the relationship between them could have gone deeper. This felt rushed and like the author wanted to finish the story ASAP. I was very disappointed.

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

This book started out strongly. I was excited to see how these two seemingly opposite girls share a room in a beach house and see how they got along. As the plot progressed, each girl went on their own path and didn't really grow closer until closer to the end of the book.
As that ending came closer, they started to tolerate the other in an attempt to separate their parents. Although that plot point seemed like it would be a main factor of the book, it really didn't feel that way because nothing really happened until the last thirty percent of the book. And after that point, the plot went by really fast and all of a sudden the book was over.
Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for an eARC of this book.

Two girls who are polar opposites in personality are forced together when their parents began dating and rent a beach house for the summer. Will they all make it through alive and intact?
This was a good read that would be very relatable for middle-grade and Y.A. readers. It was rather short, and the ending seemed to be set up for a sequel.

*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

2.75 - eARC from Netgalley

this book was fun. i easily guessed all the plot points as soon as anything about them was introduced, but this is a middle grade book, so i suppose its okay.

high schoolers making fun of a middle schooler to their face, especially about how they dress, is very unrealistic imo. people dont care about that stuff.

i liked charlotte but she was pretty infuriating and almost always in the wrong. i wish she had had some more redeemable qualities.

other than that, everything else was good (characters, writing, plot, setting).

also, i love martin 🫶🫶

also also, was this book referring to pretty little liars? please tell me it was. charlotte was definitely a little alison dilaurentis.

I really enjoyed this book. Characters were super cute and I enjoyed the characters of the parents.
It really depicted how young people would feel if put in that situation. I would recommend it to anyone who would like a fast pace quick read.
I feel it would begood for middlegrade readers because they could understand the characters. I enjoyed the setting and it was easy to follow.

I received a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Lily and Charlotte don’t like each other at all. Lily likes fantasy stories and worlds. Charlotte likes fashion and makeup. Unfortunately, their parents like each other. A lot. When the girls decide the only thing they can agree on is that they need to break their parents up…well…

This is a relatable book that many tweens will see themselves in. While the conclusion is expected, it is nevertheless deserved. While this isn’t an “assign to an entire class book”, it deserves a spot on library and classroom collection shelves.

Together For Never by Marilyn Kaye was so much better than I expected!
I loved the writing style and the character relationships.
The story was a lot of fun and drew me in.
I believe a lot of Jr High girls will relate a lot to Charlotte and Lily.
Overall, a quick, fun, easy read. And one I enjoyed tremendously!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.