Andrea and Jace have a fateful meeting in the park and quickly form an unlikely bond. Jace has had a rough life in the Bronx, struggling to survive after his parents death, with his brothers and their band. Andrea has money, privilege, and a life of luxury on the Upper East Side. Their young romance is tested when life threatens to tear them apart. Their love story will bring you on an emotional rollercoaster that you won’t want to put down.

This is my second Sarah Ready book, and I was not disappointed. Andrea and Jace’s love story had it’s ups and downs, as well as complex relatable issues. It did feel a bit insta-lovey, but I found myself rooting for them, even when life got in the way.

I was emotionally invested in all of the characters; they had flaws, depth, and I felt I could understand their motives. Small details and large reveals were beautifully crafted to give backstory to all side characters. Dual POV added to gain insight to Andi and Jace’s feelings.

The Space Between delivers a love story for the ages with found-family, generational trauma, betrayal, hope, friendship, and love.

I am personally not a huge fan of insta-love; falling to hard, to fast just doesn't seem realistic to me. However, that aside the novel was incredibly cute. I think if someone were looking for a light read this would be the perfect book. Andi and Jace live two very different lives but this book works through love, grief and the family dynamics. Andi's childhood nemesis Reid plays a pivotal role in her life and you see her relationships develop with the story.

I LOVED this book and the narrators were great! The characters developed as the story progressed and I loved the main characters! This is a story about two young people falling in love but they are from two different walks of life. They meet by chance in Central Park and the connection is there from the beginning.

This book had it all- love, happiness, sorry, devastation, hope and closure throughout the entire book. This is my first book by the author and I will definitely be reading more! I have found a new author!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow this book was an unexpected emotional rollercoaster. I was expecting a romance, but this book explores grief, family dynamics, love, and so much more.

Andi and Jace come from two opposite worlds - her family in the top class of New York society and him from a poor family in the Bronx. One fateful day these two young lovebird meet in Central Park and quickly fall in into a whirlwind romance. Much to the dismay of both families. Andi chooses to leave her life behind and follow Jace and his musician brothers on the road. But the bliss doesn't last long as miscommunication and tragedy result in two broken hearts. Years later, a chance encounter reignites old feelings. Will they get a second chance when they run into each other again years later?

I will try to explain myself spoiler free here. I was really drawn into Andi and Jace's stories. In part 1 we got insight into their personal lives, family drama, and romance. I think the young love was portrayed realistically with the insta-love between two characters searching for someone who understands them in the world. The fateful night that drove these two apart had me stressed. I was excited for the eventual reunion.

In part 2, we jump ahead a few years. A certain character makes a reappearance. And wow, the author did an incredible job making this earlier villain a sympathetic and loved character. Although, I will say, while this redemption arc was so well done in part 2, it cheapened the connection between Jace and Andi for me in the end. I wish Andi and this character would've stayed platonic friends. I didn't feel the same pull between Jace and Andi in the second half because we got more chapters of Andi and this other character. Maybe if we had some of Jace's POV from their time apart. Overall, I was kind of frustrated with how everything played out in the end as I wanted to scream at the characters to just talk. I didn't understand why they had to keep Jace in the dark and then why it took so long after for them to reconnect. I am happy they got their happy ending!

4.5 rounded to 5

“You don’t have to do anything to make me love you, I’m already gone.”

“You used to be fire, not ice.”

This novel is a little different from any other Sarah Ready book that I’ve read. For one, it was pretty long BUT that’s because there were so many layers to the story. I really think that the longer novel suited this story. There was love, loss, despair, hope, betrayal, forgiveness, understanding and closure in so many ways. It sort of had some elements that reminded me of Aladdin (Jasmine) and Frozen (ice queen anyone?)

I felt like I truly knew every character in this book. Sarah really packed a lot of character development into this novel and what’s even more impressive is that she did it with NUMEROUS characters without “doing too much.” Everything flowed so well in

Usually I shy away from longer books but I’m going through Sarah Ready’s entire catalog so I was committed to trying this one and I’m so glad I did.

The first proposal that Andrea gets was so cute. I could just see it as playing out in my head.

The celebration at the hotel when the band got their big break had me sooooo stressed out. I wanted to scream!

Paul’s backstory was something I never expected. I love how good of a friend he was to Jace and his brothers. He was the level headed person in the group.

I initially got frustrated with Andrea’s mom and was worried that part of the story wouldn’t be wrapped up, but I trusted the process and got what I needed.

I just love Sarah Ready…her work never fails to capture my heart, so it’s no surprise that I adored this book too. Well done.

I absolutely recommend this for book clubs because there is so much to discuss.

I really enjoyed the audio narrators too

I’m typically not a big fan of a love triangle, but this one was beautiful. The way Andi discovers the different ways in which she loves different people is simply stunning. And the narrators brought the whole thing to life in just the most incredible way.

The plot took place over a 13-year span of time. Had I known that from the start, I probably wouldn’t have gotten so disillusioned with the ending of part one, which literally broke me. I was so devastated that I couldn’t pick this book back up for a full week. Watch out, people. But it gets so much better. Like, hearts in my eyes, “I think I just fell in love with a fictional character” better.

So I felt like the characters were really strong in this book. Sarah Ready gave us character growth for basically every major player in the story. And that felt so refreshing. So rewarding. The payoff is so good because we’ve seen so much growth literally everywhere. Also, I will love Reid forever. That’s all.

Overall, this book made me laugh and also made me sob. I didn’t know my heart could squeeze so much while reading a book. Thank you, Sarah Ready, W.W. Crown, and NetGalley for this ARC. I loved it.

I like Sarah Ready, I always know seeing something new from her that it will be worth my time.

Admittedly I wasn’t super drawn to the initial premise and unfortunately this did up end up being just so-so for me. But, I’m putting that down to the fact that second chance/ torn apart by circumstance does nothing for me as a trope. This book really is a little more melodrama than romance at times which just isn’t my vibe. Still I ended up getting through this pretty quickly and did enjoy it.

All said, I’ll be putting this one right in the middle. Not a new fave but it’s definitely a good read.

If you’re more into dramatic romances and have the patience for a slow burn, misunderstandings, and waiting for the right time relationship you’ll likely enjoy this a lot more than I did! The characters and their relationship was well done and didn’t bother me at all, it just wasn’t my speed. I think I was just in the wrong headspace for the particular type of slice of life this was.

Audio - 4/5 Great narration, it’s always my preference to have 2 narrators for a dual POV and both in this case did a great job!

"The Space Between" by Sarah Ready

I would like to begin by extending my gratitude to both Netgalley and W. W. Crown for providing me with an advanced copy of "The Space Between" by Sarah Ready. I'm always eager to sink my teeth into new works of literature, and the opportunity to do so before their public release is always exciting.

"The Space Between" is a novel that radiates with potential. Unfortunately, for me, that potential wasn't fully realized. I invested considerable time into the narrative, making it halfway through the book before reaching the difficult decision to set it aside. It's a decision I rarely make, but I believe life is too short to read books that don't fully engage us.

The genre was listed as women's fiction, with a touch of literary fiction, but personally, I felt that the book skewed more towards a young adult tone. It possesses a certain juvenile flavor that could very well appeal to a younger demographic, but for more mature audiences, this might lead to a disconnection.

One aspect that struck me as problematic was the heavy emphasis on physical descriptions of characters. While an important part of character-building, it's a balancing act. Excessive descriptions can detract from the development of a character's internal world and intellectual complexities. In "The Space Between", these descriptions often felt like they were on the verge of overshadowing the storyline itself. It is possible that others might find this attention to detail immersive, but for me, it was a bit excessive.

The prose, while undeniably packed with sentiment, frequently bordered on the saccharine. It was like consuming an overly sweet dessert; there's a point when it's simply too much. The prose felt insipid and, at times, cloying, resulting in a mild, metaphorical jaw ache from trying to chew through it.

In conclusion, while "The Space Between" wasn't quite to my taste, I am sure it could find its niche among younger readers or those who enjoy highly descriptive and emotive narratives. Literature, after all, is subjective, and what doesn't resonate with one person may well strike a chord with another. I encourage readers to try "The Space Between" for themselves and form their own opinion.

Thank you again to Netgalley and W. W. Crown for the opportunity to read and review this book. It's always a privilege to contribute to the literary conversation, even when a book doesn't completely capture my interest.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I went into it knowing that there would be a happy ending, with a lot of suffering before we would get there. Andi and Jace truly were ships passing in the night for the majority of this book. This should have raised the tension, but I think I’ve nailed down one crucial issue that needed to be fixed before any of that could have been achieved: the insta-love.

It seemed like Jace only caught one glimpse of Andi and he was smitten. They only went on a couple of dates before they exchanged confessions of eternal love. I just couldn’t bring myself to suspend my disbelief for long enough to buy it, unfortunately. The progression of their relationship was so rushed that it spoiled my ability to fully root for them because I couldn’t believe in why they loved each other.

I get that Ready had lofty goals with the timeline of the book, so she couldn’t linger too long on the teenage portion of their love affair, but perhaps a complete restructuring could have salvaged it. Give us 26-year-old Andi in the present day, with flashbacks of her teenage romance with the now-famous singer Jace. Then slowly build up the romance in small scenes in between her reintroduction to Reed and the plan to marry him. This might have achieved both the aspirational timeline and a slower-burn romance woven in flashbacks, thereby anchoring the story into a stronger foundation by the time Andi and Jace see each other again after all those years have passed.

Onto Reed, he seemed to stand as the terminally ill male version of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. It reminded me a bit of Me Before You, where the male love interest pushed the female main character to be a better version of herself before ultimately dying. I don’t think Reed’s intentions were bad, rather it came across in the narrative like Ready was using him more as a plot device than actually fleshing him out to be his own character. Some of this was salvaged by his reasoning for proposing marriage to Andi, thereby asserting that he did have motivations of his own to benefit him and his family behind the decision to marry her.

Still, I would have liked to see less of him propping up Andi all the time and more of him having his own struggles, with Andi helping him through them. While his terminal cancer wasn’t specifically named, I also will say, as someone who recently lost a close relative to late-stage cancer, that advanced cancers are tragic and tormenting to the dying person and their loved ones. There are many complications that weren’t even touched on here, aside from the fatigue, weight loss, and the briefest mention of pain that wasn’t spoken of again. This depiction felt sterilized and fantastical, rather than true-to-life and believable. I think Ready had an opportunity here to really draw attention to the impact of late-stage cancer on the dying and their family, and the opportunity was wasted in the end.

Critiques aside, I found myself really loving where the story went once Andi and Reed found their futures entangled. The interactions between Reed and Andi, between the two of them and Reed’s parents, and then between Andi and her mother, were really well done and gut-wrenching. The briefest nod was made to depression and suicidal ideation in one of these interactions and it shed light on one of the central inner conflicts Andi faced throughout the novel. This truly drove home how mental health struggles have a domino affect on everyone, including the one suffering and their loved ones. Additionally, the parallel between Andi and her mother in this moment was heart-breaking and touching all at once.

The novel wrapped up pretty neatly and left me satisfied with where the different characters’ arcs went. I just wish the romance, which was ultimately the foundation on which everything else in the story was built, had been stronger.

On the note of the audiobook narration, this one had two narrators - one for each point of view. I thoroughly enjoyed the performances from both and really found the female narrator’s voice to be particularly nice to listen to. She has a clear, bright quality that, strangely enough, reminded me a lot of Cameron Diaz’s voice.

3 stars!

This is my second audiobook form Sarah Ready and OMG I'm even more in love with her writing. My first audiobook was French Holiday and if you haven't listened to that one grab it! So when I was allowed to listen to another book I was ecstatic. This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions while listening. Like her other books, I found this book to be heartwarming, heartbreaking, emotional, riveting, and sweet. The narrators were wonderful. I HIGHLY recommend this audiobook!

Thank you NetGalley and W. W. Crown, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks for allowing me to listen to this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

The space between by Sarah Ready this audiobook was narrated by James Fouhey & Rachel F. Hirsch. This book will be publish the 25 of July of 2023. I need start this review thanking NetGalley and W.W Crown for give me access to this audiobook. In general this is a very easy to hear and enjoy book, it got hint of romance and difficulty in a relationship since we got the POV from both of the characters it make it easy understand the trauma, love, loss, dramas, and in the end the strength to battle adversity. Is a light book that normally I call like a literary snacks because they are perfect when you feel block or when you need to read something that is good but isn’t to complex. For me is a perfect reading and a good book.

I was sad for this book to end. This book pulled at my heart strings several times throughout the story. Both narrators added to the story by conveying the deep emotions felt by the characters. This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Ready, but it will not be the last. I highly recommend this book.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

My 2nd Sarah Ready book of the year and this one was exponentially better than the last. It’s tricky to write a love story that spans years but Ready has done a pretty good job of it here. The story felt organic and natural: missed communication is by far my least favorite trope and while some of the issues here were outright lies, they definitely could’ve used a straightforward conversation or two to find out where the relationship stands.

Andi and Jace are interesting characters that are fleshed out and wholly formed: the supporting characters as well felt unique and didn’t blend into each other like many contemporary romances. Can’t speak to Ready’s influences here but definitely noticed some of the Greasers’ dynamic from The Outsiders between Jace and his siblings (hell, one of them is even named Dallas).

Overall, this was a cute weekend read and I’m glad that Ready’s writing has improved.

Thank you to NetGalley, W.W. Crown, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an epic love story, that almost feels like a fairy tale. We have struggling musician Jace who is trying to fulfil his late father's dream of making music that will bring joy to the world and Andrea who is an heiress and feels she's more like a pawn in her father's empire than a loved family member. They form an instant connection when they meet as teenagers. What follows is journey filled with many twists and turns before they reach their happily every after.
The audiobook was wonderful. Narrators James Fouhey and Rachel F. Hirsch were wonderful to listen to and added so much emotion.
Thank-you to Netgalley and Member's audio for the advanced listener copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Space Between is a thought-provoking book that encourages readers to embrace a life without regrets.

💕I enjoyed French Holiday and Josh and Gemma so I was excited to read this new one by Sarah Ready. And..WOW 💕

A fateful night in Central Park leads Andrea and Jace to one life-changing conclusion-they're meant to be. Andrea Leighton-Hughes is no stranger to wealth-she's the daughter of one of the richest men in Manhattan. Jace Morgan is no stranger to hardship-he lost his parents at a young age, and he and his brothers struggle every day to get by. Andrea defies her family and promises Jace forever. Jace defies his brothers and promises Andrea always. But sometimes always doesn't mean forever, and forever doesn't mean always.

This love story follows Jace and Andi (Andrea)’s struggle to stay together - and prove that love defeats all obstacles - but life tries to prove them wrong. There are so many frustrating, gut-wrenching obstacles.

There are few readers that can relate to Andrea’s immense wealth or Jace’s music stardom BUT there are many who can relate to the obstacles they face. Love and loss, family bonds and commitments, betrayal, and - most importantly - the courage of staying true to oneself.

The story reminded me that love and pain sometimes go hand in hand but they are not equally bound. Love doesn’t fade, but pain does. I was emotionally captivated as I followed Andrea and Jace’s rollercoaster - as they tried to overcome life’s challenges to live a life that is true to themselves and to make choices that align with their personal values and desires.

🎧📚I read and listened to this book and found that the narration enhanced my enjoyment. Dual narration is a favorite of mine. Each of the narrators in this telling infused just the right amount of emotion without overshadowing the narrative.

Thank you @netgalley and @ibpalovesindies for the chance to read and listen to the advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Space Between
By Sarah Ready
Narrated by James Fouhey & Rachel F. Hirsch
Pub Date 25 Jul 2023
W.W. Crown, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles

#thespacebetween #sarahready #netgalley #ibpa #bookreview #recommend #ibpa #socialbutterfly_PR #romancebooks #igreaders #secondchanceromance #emotionalreads

Rachel and James are a perfect fit for this emotional roller-coaster of a book. They did a wonderful job of putting emotions of the scenes into their voices to really immerse you into the story.

The Space Between is a story filled with love, laughter, and gut-wrenching heart aches. It follows Andi and Jace as they navigate through life, loss, and success. Their intense love for each other never fades when they are apart for years.

I don't give 5 stars unless a book really moves me with emotions. Sarah, Rachel, and James took me from soaring laughter filled highs to sobbing ocean deep lows. I never once felt bored.
Thank you to Sarah and the perfectly picked narrators for telling a love story that will stick with me forever.

This is my favorite read of 2023 so far. I hybrid read the book while listening to the audio.

I laughed, I was angry, I cried (a lot), and I fell in love with the journey of these characters. Like many books in this genre, there are absolutley areas where you have to suspend your disbelief, but I felt that was easy in this novel. Sarah Ready did an excellent job developing life circumstances and character development that let those more unbelievable situations have a modicum of belief.

I loved every minute of this, even the parts where I was sobbing. This is an excellent exploration of different types of love, bonds between family, and long journeys that get us where we were always supposed to be. RUN to get this as soon as it is available.

Both audiobook narrators did an excellent job conveying the emotions and shifts in the characters throughout the story.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are mine.

After meeting each other as teenagers Jace and Andi fall in love instantly, they try to make their relationship work but due to family interference and a difference in social class, it doesn't work out. After years of not seeing each other the only question to ask is will they finally end up together.

This is by far my favorite Sarah Ready book (I've read four so far), it had me in tears and rooting for Andi and Jace to overcome the obstecals they faced in their relationship. The vioce actor were also great

It seems I’m seriously in the minority with this one. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, I was drawn by the characters, particularly Andi. From an upper east side family and the expectations to match. I got quite lost somewhere along the line, and never did quite get to the bottom of the why? Toward the middle it really did drag a bit for me, and while I didn’t want to lose interest I really did. Particularly satisfying ending that definitely picked the whole thing back up, and definitely merited a 3 star review. I can’t help but feel like I missed something along the way though as some of the reviews I’ve read make it sound wonderful. Maybe I’m a cynical old bag 🫣 The writing is great, the premise not particularly new but great and the narration was excellent, I’d still not hesitate to recommend it to the right audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and W W Crown for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

The Space Between by Sarah Ready

Can love overcome obstacles, misunderstandings, loss, and wealth differentials. In this beautifully written story, we meet Andrea a young girl who comes from a wealthy family and is expected to act a certain way. In comes Jace a young boy who loses his parents at a young age and is raised by his two brothers oh and let's not forget he is a musical prodigy. Jace and Andi meet in central park the sparks fly and the connection is made. After they both graduate high school Jace and his brothers want to go on tour and Jace wants Andi to come along. She gives up her family's money to do this with Jace.

The story is told from Andi's point of view and Jace's point of view. There is so many heartbreaking moments for both of them in this story. You feel for them deeply. Will they both be able to overcome the many obstacles to be together?

I found myself so invested in Andi's part of the story. I felt her pain and her broken heart. She was as cold as ice even her home was like a prison cell with no bed. This was one of the best contemporary romances I have ever read. The story takes some unexpected turns and suffering ensues.

Narrated by James Fouhey and Rachel F. Hirsch it was so easy to listen too. I loved the narration, and both made Jace and Andi come to life. This is a five-star read for me. It gave me all the feels and it is still running through my mind what I read. The love Andi and Jace shared is what we all want it can be messy, complicated, full of obstacles and take years to fully develop. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a deeply rich character driven contemporary romance. if this is your jam this one will be for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and W.W. Crown Independent Book Publishers Association for a free audio copy of The Space Between for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions written in this review are my own.