“I sound like a damsel, like a princess after the knight saves her from the dragon. And I know I’m empowered and can fight my own dragons, but is it so wrong to want him here kissing my hand in the dark?”

This one was hard to rate. Ashley Schumacher’s writing is so easy to read. I flew through this and wanted to find out where the story was leading. However, neither of the main characters were particularly like-able because of the choices they were making. Sam’s people pleasing was off the charts and Nova put way too much pressure on herself to figure out the course of her life during her junior year in high school. I had a lot of empathy for both characters due to their childhood experiences, but I still wanted them to make better choices in the story.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Read if you like:
Second chance friendships
Adoption stories
YA angst

I absolutely loved Ashley Schumacher’s debut, Amelia Unabridged, and then I enjoyed her second book too. After that I don’t know if I’ve just “outgrown” them, but they are definitely more teen/YA driven. And while I do enjoy a good YA from time to time these just aren’t hitting the spot for me.

I would still recommend it as I’m sure for the right crowd it would be well received - it might just be time for me to move on.

3.5. This is the type of book I would have devoured as a teenager, so in that respect I think it works for its intended audience. But there's a healthy amount of emotional cheating (that turns into physical cheating at one point), and that's a real sticking point for me. Still, the whole angsty "fated mates" aspect makes sense here and leads to a (somewhat) realistic ending.

This is a beautiful story of love, loss, trauma and finding your way back to your true self. The author does a great job of telling this story through both characters. When it comes to child trauma the one thing, we do remember is what was good and sometimes it is one person who made your horrible situation bearable. That person for Sam was Nova, she was one good thing he could count on and when he had to leave her, they made a promise to find each other when they are older.

What neither of expect is a personality test they both take, and they are match. Nova is used to new schools as her mom's jobs have them moving all the time. But this move is different, when she sees Sam she knows right away and he does not, so she thinks he has forgotten her. But when he sees her name on the test it all comes back to him, the past the trauma and that one true friend. Suddenly everything they thought they wanted is changing, and that all-consuming. Can they move forward outside the orbit the built.?

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for copy of this book for my honest review.

This story follows the unfolding love story of Nora and Sam. The story begins when they were kids and neighbors and bonded through a hole in the fence. One day Sam reveals he is moving away and they make a promise to find each other in the future. Years go by and they end up in the same high school. Sam is a star football player and has a girlfriend. Meanwhile, Nora had been moved around from place to place, never finding a stable home environment with her mother. Once there is a realization that they have found each other again, their connection picks right back up where it left off.

This was a friend’s to lovers trope folded into a coming of age story. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t say much, but there is cheating involved in the story and that was a bit off putting for me. So, if that’s a trigger or dislike for you - this may not be a book for you. The characters choices were not the best at times, and I personally found that to get in the way of me fully enjoying the story as well. With that being said it was an interesting read, so I'm rating it 3 stars.

Thank you to Wednesday Books + NetGalley for the copy of this book.*

Ashley Schumacher has a way of pulling at my heart strings with each book I read and it's never a disappointment. Nova and Sam's worlds combine after many years apart. Their chemistry is undeniable. Their self-discovert is beautiful and the ending is absolute perfection.

No one can evoke an emotional response like Ashley can. Her books will forever be some of the most evocative in the genre.

This book is Ashley's best work since Amelia Unabridged. I absolutely loved it (I couldn't get enough) and it was incredibly wholesome and heartwarming. This book reminded me why I adore the childhood friends to lovers trope - it's the best one I've ever read.

In the novel In the Orbit of You, Ashley maintains her exceptional writing streak by portraying a young woman who constantly relocates with her single mother, preventing her from establishing roots or forming meaningful friendships. Nova, currently a high school junior, has explored various personalities and interests throughout her educational journey. Now, as she confronts a new school and contemplates her true identity, she is surprised to encounter Sam, her childhood best friend and next-door neighbor. They spent time together outside and vowed to locate each other after he moved.

Whenever he encounters Nova, he's filled with fear about reconnecting with his past, but he can't resist the irresistible connection to his dear friend.

Nova and Sam revisit their friendship, only to find that there are complicated feelings involved. And each of them has things to figure out about themselves. How can they possibly move forward with it?

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I loved the characters and the storyline! I read it in one day. I would definitely recommend this book.

Let's start with the obvious - this is a teen romance so the general thrust of the plot is going to be obvious. And it hangs on a lot of coincidence. Old friends who meet up again in their teens and are immediately entranced with one another. A personality test puts them on each other's radar. The reconnection forces them to address truths about their lives. And if that's all this book was it would be pretty eye-roll inducing. But it doesn't shy away from asking difficult questions and forcing characters to deal with the consequences of their decisions. It manages to achieve what a lot of romances aim for - more depth.

I love Ashley Schumacher's work and this is another winner. My favorite thing about Ashley Schumacher's books is that it's not just a romance -- in this novel, you witness the growth and self-discovery of Sam and Nova as their orbits circle and occasionally collide. It is a sweet romance and a coming-of-age story. Highly recommended.

3.75 stars

This was incredibly easy to fall into, the story is sweet and sad and overall pretty emotional. When childhood friends Sam and Nova reunite more than a decade later in high school, they've both changed so much and aren't necessarily where they hoped they would be. The teens immediately reconnect and remember how easily they click, but will they be able to stay together this time?

I thought this was a good coming of age book and had some cute moments between the two leads. I did think this could have benefitted from a bit more plot and I disliked how Sam treated his girlfriend and that things were just glossed over. Maybe not my favorite Schumacher read, but still pretty good.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this copy.

When they were younger, Nova and Sam were best friends, but Sam had to move away. Years later, Nova unexpectedly enrolls into the same high school when her mom has a temporary assignment in the town Sam lives in. Nova arrives just in time for a compatibility test fundraiser, and according to the test, Nova and Sam are a near perfect match.

Nova and Sam's relationship tugged at me. I was rooting for them, but both have some growing up to do before they can be together. Their maturity in understanding this shines through. Nova is still trying to discover who she is and wants to be while Sam needs to continue to work through his past trauma and find his voice so he can live the life he wants (rather than the life he thinks he should want). It's the pains of growing up and figuring out what's next further complicated by having found someone who seems to be your other half. This snapshot into their lives is compelling due to their shared history and chemistry. I wanted them to be happy, especially with each other.

While a touching story, their indecisiveness is frustrating. Their reluctance to be together and inability to stay apart is understandable, feeding well into their narrative, but it becomes repetitive. I might have been more disappointed with the story had it not been for the epilogue.

Overall, it was a good read. Schumacher has always been able to pull me into her novels and make me care about the characters. I didn't expect any less here. While I wanted good things for these two, they were also infuriating in many ways. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

Thanks #NetGalley and #WednesdayBooks for the ARC EBOOK.

In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher"s latest book is a brilliant read. Schumacher's crafts her characters and takes care with their personal journeys. I am moved as I read these characters' stories. It's the perfect mix of everything that you would want in a friends to lovers romance, but hits on important topics to open even an adult readers eyes. I recommend this book to those who enjoy fated stories.

Reasons to read:
- Coming of Age story
- Soul Mates
- Good writing

My Thoughts:

A True YA, In Orbit of You, follows the lives of Nova and Sam, from an innocent, but impactful, childhood friendship to a faithful meeting as teens, now trying to figure out what they want from life.

I loved the emotions explored in this novel and the very special connection shared between Nova and Sam. No matter how hard they tried to remain apart, they would collide. I also liked the themes of family, friendship, and addressing a difficult past and uncertain future. Nova and Sam seemed different in every way at first, their shared history gave them an understanding of each other, at times more so than they understood themselves during the story. I loved the idea that a soulmate doesn’t always have to be romantic, sometimes, they can just be a friend.

It must be said, that while I did not care for the cheating (or even implied cheating) plot, and having the main character not break up with his girlfriend while having a very clear connection with the female main character, I did enjoy the writing style and characters enough to be excited to read the rest of Ashley Schumacher’s backlist. The writing style in itself was engaging and kept me invested in the story and the outcomes of the character's decisions. I found the ending fitting and left in a way that made me hopeful, though I was scared for a moment there.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭
Clean Romance (kissing only), Strong language
Trigger Warning: Childhood Abuse, anxiety/panic attacks, Fire, Cheating

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This is exactly the kind of book I would have loved as a teen. It was sweet and quiet in the best of ways, The central relationship was not only believably deep, but by the end, I felt attached to them and their outcomes. I also really enjoyed the exploration of how friendships ebb and flow, as well as how Ashley Schumacher touch on PTSD and the effects of trauma.

I'd definitely recommend this title to a certain type of reader.

Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Content Warning: heavily implied and on-page talks about physical child abuse, PTSD, cheating on a significant other (both in the past and main feature in the book), a few on-page swears, a few thoughts, and insinuations about sexual content, a make-out (but, most are just quick pecks or kisses on the palm).


In the Orbit of You is my second experience with Ashley Schumacher’s writing. And just like last time; she smashed it! The way she writes is so moving. It is not like every other coming-of-age YA book, it’s real and broken and I appreciate that she creates stories with imperfect characters.

The older I get the harder it is to relate to YA contemporary novels (which is totally normal), but I always know with Ashley’s books I can find something that anyone can relate to or that will be relevant for a lot of young adults out there. Like I was saying earlier, she writes broken imperfect characters. Because that’s our reality. There is no perfect person. We all live with the befores of our pasts; the beauty of seeing that physically on a page is overwhelming in the best of ways.

This story was beautiful and heartbreaking. It scrapes together all the joy and pain that comes with growing up and figuring out your place in the world. The hardest thing about the story for me was the cheating (emotional and physical) that was a huge part of the story. I do not enjoy reading any plots with cheating, so nothing against this one in particular (just not my thing!) I will say I did enjoy the way it was resolved.

In the Orbit of You is perfect for fans of Ashley Schumacher’s other books (Especially, Amelia Unabridged). Other recs would be The Rest of The Story by Sarah Dessen (Figuring out yourself/childhood best friends). You’ve reached Sam by Dustin Thao (Sad Second Chance). I Loved You in Another Life by David Arnold (Very similar vibes, but make it historical).

Ashley Schumacher's previous books became some of my favorites and hit me right in feels, but In the Orbit of You didn't pack the same kind of emotional punch. The characters were a little lackluster and the plot was just average. The book was a disappointment.

Thank you Wednesday books for the digital ARC & gifted book. Ashley Schumacher is one of my favorite authors. Her books are always beautiful and authentic, especially in the way she writes young characters. A couple of them have made me sob, but also hug the book at the end.
In the Orbit of You is a sweet story of friendship and connection that had me captivated up until the last page. There are some moments in this book that are so incredibly precious and I absolutely loved the way Ashley wrote the ending. Nova has moved around a lot, way more than most, and as a result she's feeling like she doesn't know who she is or who she wants to be. Sam was rescued from an abusive situation by his uncle and aunt when he was very young and now feels like he'll seem ungrateful if he doesn't follow the plan they expect of him. He's perfect on paper: a football player with college football potential, dating a cheerleader. When Nova shows up, Sam is reminded of his childhood and their friendship. Both Nova and Sam struggle to figure out their relationship in the present. The resulting conflict and emotions take the reader on a wonderful journey. 🐌

Oh this story really tugged at my heartstrings. When you think about a child who was being abused and had to leave everything he knew to start over in a safe place, it's heartbreaking. When you think about his best friend not really fully comprehending what he went through at home, it's heartbreaking. When they meet up again years later and he doesn't seem to remember her - - it's heartbreaking.

This story about two friends who had a bond that lasted years was a beautiful story about broken people who are doing to absolute best that they can. Nova and her mom have been moving around almost constantly for years because Nova's mother takes temporary accounting positions, fixes problems there and moves on to the next job. Nova has never told her mother that she doesn't like it because her mother seems happy with the lifestyle, but secretly she's miserable. When she finds her friend Sam lives in the latest town they've moved to, she's initially thrilled until she sees he has a very full life without her. Sam moved when they were young to live with his aunt and uncle where he'd be safe and Nova never saw or heard from him after that. Now here he is and he doesn't seem to remember her. But she remembers him and everything they shared as children. Sam has made a conscious choice not to look back to his painful past. His aunt and uncle have treated him like a son and his only goal is to never let them down. In doing so, he finds its easier to move forward and live only in the life they've provided for him.

When they two lives collide, Sam has to make choices on how to live his life in the "now" and Nova has to acknowledge that her life and all the moving around aren't conducive to her building relationships. Will working through their issues be something they can do together or will it be something that will further separate them?

This was a really unique and well written book. The character development felt real and emotional. Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy.