*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: February 13, 2024

This is an adorable YA queer coming of age romcom. I read this in one day because I couldn’t put it down. This has great rep and will have you racing with these characters through NYC toward a HEA!

This Day Changes Everything is a fun, sweet story that I hope reaches many young readers, queer and straight. The only reason it wasn't a five-star read for me is there were a few plot points that I felt were unnecessary and/or forced. But the characters are well-formed and their romance is a delight.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital copy in advance of publication.

A very cute YA queer story perfect for fans of Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist and Ferris Buellers Day Off. Leo and Abby are their own worst enemies, and simultaneously so loveable. There’s so much adventure packed into a book that takes place within a day and a half. It’s an epic scavenger hunt, a journey of self-love and self-discovery, a front row seat to watching two teens slowly fall in love, a grand gesture, and a lovely look at the importance of being seen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I loved the author’s first book so I really was looking forward to this book and it didn’t disappoint. It had me at the fact it’s queer and about marching band. I enjoyed the whole cast of characters and the premise of it happening all over a day. Highly recommend!

4 stars for Edward Underhill's sophomore novel, This Day Changes Everything. This LGBTQ+ YA Comtemporary Romance novel is set in New York City featuring Abby and Leo. They are on two different marching bands that have been selected to be in the Thanksgiving Macy's Parade and while Abby believes this is going to be the best magical trip with her best friend and crush Kat, Leo wishes he wasn't here at all because his family is about to implode with his being trans about to be on national TV. But when Kat and Leo both get on the wrong train, their entire day is derailed and becomes an enemies to lovers adventure through Manhattan. Very well written but a little bit too much was thrown at the reader without being explored. Kat's last minute admission was unnecessary in my opinion - we don't need everything and the kitchen sink. I loved both Kat and Leo, and them getting to explore who they are in the big city.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC!

Leo and Abby are one the trip of a lifetime, marching with their band in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. When their bands are sightseeing, both of them end up on the wrong train together. They spend the day trying to get back to their bands.

Once you get past the disbelief that two kids could run around NYC without their chaperones noticing, this is a cute book. My teenage self would have loved to see kids in marching band in a book. The story itself is sweet and wholesome.

While I’m not a fan of most insta-love stories, I did very much enjoy this one between Abby and Leo and getting to read about them fall in love over the course of a day full of adventure in New York City. After getting off on the wrong foot, or should I say wrong subway, Abby and Leo don’t seem like the best partners to travel through New York together. After that initial meeting they set their sights on a new idea and a way to hopefully repair their initial animosity, they journey through the city collecting items for Abby to woo her crush and tell her that she loves her. But over the course of the day Abby and Leo start to fall in love with each other and the magic of New York City.

Overall, this was a cute queer ya romance and I recommend!

Read if you like…
•hate to love
•queer YA romance
•nyc adventure
•insta-love

Fabulous representation with distinct and lovable characters. I've never read anything by this author before but I will certainly read more of his work now! A pull-at-your-hearstrings novel, and I loved every moment of it. This book is not afraid to talk about deep, hard-hitting topics and it's stronger for it. Would definitely recommend for anyone in the mood for a cute YA romance!

When I saw Edward Underhill was writing another YA book, I knew it was a must-read following his debut, Always the Almost. However, This Day Changes Everything didn't appeal to me as much for a few reasons. Some of those were personal: I have mixed feelings about 24-hour romances and this one just didn't do it for me, and, part of what I loved about Always the Almost was the setting in Wisconsin—while both main characters here, Abby and Leo, come from small towns, the book is really about New York, which I tend to find less interesting. But I also felt that this lacked the strong characterization that was in Always the Almost, perhaps, in part, due to the 24-hour romance nature of the plot.

That being said, I do really enjoy Underhill's writing. I think the trans representation here is so important, as well as both main characters' inner monologues (and occasional dialogue) navigating their identities and what those identities mean to them when interacting with their families, friends, and the greater world. I will definitely be reading Underhill's next book. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Abby and Leo were really great characters. I loved their frantic exploration of New York City while (somewhat) unintentionally ditching their band field trip.

The comp for this was Dash and Lily, and This Day Changes Everything absolutely has those vibes! I loved this story of two Midwest teens in New York City in order to play in their high school bands at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade who get separated from their respective schools and find a friendship (and more!) together.

This Day Changes Everything is a joyous queer romp through New York City.

This is one of those books that makes me so happy for the modern YA audience. There’s so much more representation available now and stories like this are just so full of queer and trans joy that fills your heart with all the warm and fuzzies. It feels like everything great about an 80’s high school movie but in a modern setting.

We follow two teens who happen to get separated from their respective school’s tour groups. They have to find their way back to their friends, but there’s a lot of self-actualization to do along the way. There’s unrequited love, grumpy/sunshine, and a whole bunch of fate. I really thought both MCs had great stories and were well fleshed out. These are teens that feel like teens and there was

This Day Changes Everything is a wonderful coming of age story full of wit and hope. I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading!

This was so CUTE! Such an enjoyable read with a lovable cast of characters and a super fun premise. Pacing was perfect and it made me laugh a few times. Both lighthearted and emotional. Just all around a great read. I think young readers will adore it.

Really cute story aimed for a younger audience. Solid 3.5/5. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is a really sweet coming of age in a day story that takes place in New York City. A little odd for a Thanksgiving Day Parade book to release in February, but the parade is just what brings out protagonists to the city.

I absolutely loved watching Leo and Abby start to come to terms with their queerness and identities. I wish I could do a bookstore scavenger hunt! It really hit home how important it is for young people to have role models and examples of queerness around them so they don't feel like an "other."

However, I was not as impressed with the romance subplot. I appreciate how Leo made Abby really look closely at her feelings, but for her to go from loving one person for weeks to loving Leo in a day was a bit of a stretch for me. Maybe this is just the ace in me, but I almost would've loved to see their friendship grow rather than their romance.

Overall very cute and soft book.

I have thoughts and feelings about this book, but you won't hear them. Not yet. And it's a pity, because I really wish I could openly support this queer, BIPOC author. Unfortunately, St. Martin's Press has yet to address the issue surrounding the issues surrounding their boycott. My full review will be posted with an accurate star rating when the demands of the boycott have been met. Until then, my review will hold at one star.

The demands are:

1) Address and denounce the Islamophobia/racism from their employee.

2) Offer tangible steps for how they're going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.

3) Address how, moving forward, they will support and protect their Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab readers, influencers, and authors in addition to their BIPOC readers, influencers, and authors.

For more information on the boycott, visit the Reader for Accountability website: https://r4a.carrd.co/

This second YA novel from Edward Underhill is an excellent read!

Abby and Leo have both recently arrived in New York City where their high school marching bands are to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They’ve put in years of practice and ridden for many hours on a long bus ride (IYKYK). Suddenly, an ill-timed FaceTime and some dog poop alter the course of their days as they both get on the wrong subway train. Was this truly an accident or did the universe help bring Leo and Abby together?

I absolutely loved the adventures that Abby and Leo went on throughout the city as both characters learned so much about themselves.

I wish this book was out now so that you could get all of the awesome Thanksgiving vibes. For now, you should definitely preorder this one and devour it as soon as it arrives in February.

Edward is now an auto-buy author for me. I’ve absolutely loved each of his first two novels which are filled with music and trans joy. Thank you, Edward, for your beautiful stories!

I really enjoyed Edward Underhill's debut novel so I was super excited to pick up this one as an ARC! And let me say, it did not disappoint. I haven't loved a YA book like this in a long time and it was so refreshing to read. Being a former high school band geek myself, I absolutely love that Underhill's books feature characters in marching band.

i loved getting to know Abby and Leo and following their trek through New York City. their grumpy x sunshine dynamic was so fun and is one of my favorite romance tropes. although i will say, i wasn't entirely expecting them to end up together? it felt kind of like it was added to the story randomly toward the end, but at the same time, i think it worked out okay. it was definitely weird to have them say "i love you" after knowing each other for literally one day, but i'm glad that ridiculousness was acknowledged and then justified by the characters themselves lol

i especially loved the message that not everyone needs labels and that's perfectly okay. some people have lgbtq+ labels that they identify very strongly with, and some people never find a label that fits them well enough.

anyway, there's so many things i loved about this book. i hope every queer band geek gets to read this because it's something i would have loved to read when i was a teenager.

Wow. This has some depth to it that I wasn't at all prepared for. If you enjoyed "On Earth We're Briefly Beautiful." Then you're going to love this. Underhill crafted such a story that I was left in shock for hours later.

Edward Underhill crafts characters that inspire you and make you feel so deeply! I couldn't put it down because I was rooting so hard for Abby and Leo. The description of a queer Dash & Lily meets Ferris Bueller was so apt and now I also have such a burning desire to do a bookstore scavenger hunt. I would describe it as more of a Christmas/holiday book than a Valentine's read but its a love story that works for any time of year!

This book was so beautiful. I loved seeing what it was like to see NYC for the first time through these characters. The representation (queer and trans main characters) was so great and I loved the journey that Leo and Abby went on. Of, course they were still teenagers and I thought all the inner thoughts and questions about both of their identities were so impactful. I also loved how many other LGBTQ+ characters were in the story. The scavenger hunt may have been one of my favorite parts and the vulnerable conversations had me emotional. Being a teenager is hard for anyone, but Underhill brought these two people together and it was magical, if you will. I also loved that they were both in marching band. I feel like that is such a niche part of the high school experience and it was really cool to see that brought to life. I loved all the little classic NYC things and it felt like home to me. I would have loved an epilogue for Abby and Leo only because I loved their journey so much. Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for providing me with an e-ARC to read and review!