Member Reviews
I was first introduced to Amelia Diane Coombs with her book Keep My Heart in San Francisco, which revolves around the daughter of a bowling alley entering late night bowling competitions in order to earn enough money to save her father's alley. I rather enjoyed the book but while I liked the writing it wasn't a new favorite. So when I saw All Alone With You up on NetGalley, I recognized the name, read the synopsis, and put in my request. A grumpy sunshine book from the perspective of a loner girl with anxiety? I felt like it was calling to teenage me. The story follows Eloise, who wants so badly to move to California after high school but is forced to volunteer with an agency that assists lonely seniors in order to beef up her USC application. When working the phone lines leads to disastrous results, she's paired with Austin, sunshine incarnate, to make house visits to Marianne an keep her company. Through weeks of watching their interactions, and having a few of her own, Eloise begins to realize that maybe it's not the worst thing in the world to let people into your world, and let them get to know the real you instead of the facade you've carefully constructed. This is a book I wish I'd had when I was a teenager growing up in a space where I felt that it was better to keep everyone at a distance. I related so much to Eloise in her moments of frustration and anxiety, but also with Austin and his ability to see the best in almost every situation. I hope to see more from Amelia Diane Coombs, because I feel like her books are perfect for the teenage market. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an electronic ARC of this book.
I really liked this story. It was cute in a way that only teen rom coms can be. The grumpy-sunshine trope was well developed, and I love that both characters had back stories. The growth of the relationship being set in an environment of an incredibly sassy old woman was ridiculously funny. The way that Eloise learns to love the older woman and go to her for advice is the sweetest which is odd cause neither of them is sweet. 😂 I also appreciate the way Eloise’s struggles were depicted. It seemed like an accurate representation of the anxiety, but also Eloise’s mum was apart of the process and aware of the situation, and I think that is good modeling for the reader.
What I didn’t love was the amount of language in a teen book. 🤷🏻♀️ I mean, not a huge deal, but I just wish there was less!
This book was such a quick and fun read! I lived for the banter between the MC’s Eloise and Austin. The chemistry was palpable and I just adored the grumpy/sunshine dynamic of their relationship. Now don’t get me wrong, while this was an easy read, it dealt with some heavy issues that teenagers (well everyone really) are facing these days. The author doesn’t shy away from the topics of depression, anxiety, teenage angst, navigating relationships, and death. There were times that the characters were very raw in their feelings and emotions. Being a teenager and learning how to navigate these big, possible life debilitating issues isn’t easy. Eloise makes mistakes along the way but ends up owning up to them. She has a pleasant character arc and by the end of the book I was rooting for her. The love interest Austin is just a golden retriever in book form and no one can change my mind!
Eloise and Austin’s story is helped along by Marianne, an old rockstar, who is a breath of fresh air if that air was laced with tabaco and vodka. She is snarky, straightforward and honestly the best side character. I wouldn’t mind a book featuring her storyline!
So if you’re needing a contemporary YA romance, pick this one up. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how you enjoy it and how often you find yourself smiling like an idiot while you read it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
This book was so good and also really sweet. I read it last year but forgot to leave a review so let's see what I remember lol.
I saw myself a lot in Eloise. She was really real and I understood what she went through (as I went through something similar). I related to her a lot. I thought the depression and anxiety rep was greatly executed too! (which I´m glad about because I was not a fan of how she handled it in her first book).
Austin was a cutie, too. He was the sweetest and I loved how he treated Eloise and understood her. Their dynamic was *chef kiss*.
The music aspect of the book was great too!! Marianne and their friends, and everything.
If you're looking for a great ya romance, this one is for you.
The only thing Eloise hates more than socializing with other people is her own struggle with anxiety and depression. When she is encouraged to participate in community service to help appear well-rounded on her college applications, she gets paired with Austin- Mr. Positive himself. One of them will have to win the personality war, or everything will end in disaster.
Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Want a grumpy-sunshine trope and excellent anxiety rep? Look no further than "All Alone with You!"
This was such a fun read! While I don't love books with heaps of pop references or video-game tropes, the characters and romance in this was heartfelt enough that I didn't mind it. Amelia Coombs truly has a gift and such an endearing way of portraying characters.
"All Alone with You" is a YA romcom that dedicates most of its prose to the main character, Lou, and her anxiety. While she's not a typically like-able character with her avoidant persona and self-loathing perspective, she's written in a way that's is interesting and in some ways understandable. Enter Austin. Austin is such a cute character and love interest - literally the personification of sunshine. I adored how their dynamic was written and fleshed out, even if the "I hate everyone but you" trope felt a bit forced and unhealthy at moments. Overall an easy and quick read that I enjoyed!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.
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I loved this book! Although Eloise was made out to be an unlikeable character she is such a relatable character and I found myself rooting for her the whole time.
This was an unexpectedly delightful book because it not only had a wonderfully grumpy main character -- I loved flawed, seemingly unlovable/unlikeable protagonists who are actually very relatable and real -- but also because the focus of the story was as much on the teen romance as it was on the relationship between the MC and the older woman she's volunteering to help. Each of the three characters were so carefully and well drawn and had their own sets of flaws and perks that complemented one another and helped drive the narrative. Character-driven, instead of plot-driven, narratives in this genre aren't common, at least not done well, and this one is an exception to that.
Amelia Diane Coombs is freaking brilliant and the way she makes her characters come alive and jump off the page is something we’re all lucky to experience. Loved it.
this book was a time machine back to my high school days lol
to some eloise might be an unlikable character, but i found her very relatable. snarky, driven, and a self-proclaimed loner, eloise simply wants to get into college and go far, far away from a life where she feels she's stuck and doesn't belong, which hello? super relatable. i loved her character and growth through the book; she deserves the world!
the sunshine to eloise's grumpiness is austin, who's just the cutest ever! he was so sweet and i absolutely adored him !!
i also enjoyed marianne's character and i thought having her in the plot was a unique aspect; her rockstar life was so interesting! reminded me of <i> daisy jones and the six </i> lol.
i thought the author did a fantastic job of illustrating what depression and anxiety can look like in teens, and i loved how she presented three different kinds of loneliness through three different characters, and showcased how essential social connection and companionship is for humans, no matter how much we may think we like being alone.
I enjoyed this so much!! I loved the characters. I loved how Eloise, Austin and Marianne were each in a situation where they didn’t have many (if any) friends, and yet they were all wonderful people (Austin especially lol), so it really took the stigma out of it. Sometimes that’s just the situation you find yourself in because you haven’t found your people and it’s not your fault, nor does it say anything bad about you.
Thanks Netgalley for the arc of this book.
I was really interested in the cover since it sooo gorgeous. However the story is also cute. It was enjoyable a Contemporary YA that brought anxiety issues. I am happy during reading this as I watch the female character growth throughout the story.
3.5/5 stars! I picked this book to read solely on its beautiful cover. The premise sounded good but not unique, but the cover drew me in. I found myself carrying these feelings through the entire story. The writing was good, but not excellent. Pacing was fine but not perfect Characters were likeable but not special. It was an average story. I think people that like women fiction or literary fiction, would enjoy this more than fans of contemporary romance.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review
All Alone With You has been one of my favorite reads this year! Eloise, the ultimate grumpy high school senior is told by her guidance counselor she needs more volunteer hours if she wants to get into her dream school. The solution is to volunteer at a social group for seniors that are lonely by speaking on the phone with them.
After a few failed attempts to connect on the phone Austin, another volunteer and a ray of sunshine invites her to tag along with him on a house call to a former lead singer.
I laughed, I cried and I felt a lot reading with book. I genuinely loved all the characters and their relationships with each other. I look forward to reading this one again and can't wait for more from this author!
This was an enjoyable Contemporary YA that delved into struggles with anxiety. It was satisfying to watch the female MC grow throughout the book and I am always a fan of the unconventional but true friendships. I think fans of Jenn Bennett, Sarah Dessen, and Jenny Han would enjoy this.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an E-arc in exchange for my honest review.
A very cute and easy to read YA contemporary!! I loved the romance and the musical elements. It was a bit heavy on the language for a YA novel, but otherwise a cute and enjoyable read
While trying to add to her college resume, Eloise volunteers at a helpline that that offers support for lonely seniors. This is the last thing that Eloise wants to be doing because her anxiety makes it difficult. While volunteering she meets Austin, who the is the sunshine to her grumpy. Once she starts to befriend him and the senior they are working with, she finds that she is actually enjoying what she is doing.
Moving the story forward relied heavily on the characters. The female mc was extremely unlikable, which I know was part of the point with her struggles but it just kept me from believing they had chemistry. I really liked the author’s other books so I’ll definitely keep reading any of her others despite not digging this one.
I absolutely loved this. Such a great young adult contemporary, highly recommend for fans of Morgan Matson, Jenny Han, and Sarah Dessen.