Title: In the Orbit of You
Author: Ashley Schumacher
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA, Romance
“In the Orbit of You is a YA story of enduring love from acclaimed author Ashley Schumacher, where a personality test reunites two friends and makes them second guess their careful plans.”

Sam and Nova. Swoon. Childhood friends who make a promise to one day come back together when fate’s hand intervened.

This was definitely a sweet childhood friends to lovers YA. Fate. Kismet. Theses are the makings of this story.
Just to be honest there are a couple trigger warnings: childhood trauma/abuse, love triangle, cheating. I do believe these will dissuade a few people.

A special thank you to NetGalley and SMP/Wednesday Books for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5⭐️

This author never disappoints me. This is her 4th book, and I’ve loved each one in different ways and for different reasons.

This Teen/YA story centers around high schoolers Nova and Sam who serendipitously meet back up 12 years after being neighbors and best friends as 5-year-olds. They have never forgotten each other as they each served a purpose in the other’s childhood…Nova gave Sam a safe place with her friendship as he struggled with abuse, and Sam was a safe stabilizer in Nova’s constantly changing world (her mom moved repeatedly for jobs). As they begin to reconnect, there are still challenges and unknowns to face. Nova will be moving again in 2 months and feels lost and unsure about who she is and what she wants for her future, and Sam doesn’t want to face conflict and change in his current relationships/future plans.

This was such a sweet story about friendship, family and fate. I must admit getting a little peeved with Sam on his handling of one relationship, but he grew and gained courage/confidence to figure it out. The ending was the cutest…loved it.

It would appear that Schumacher is now an auto-buy for me.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing the free early arc of In the Orbit of You for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

In the Orbit of You is one of those books that just kind of sits with you.

If you’ve ever had a relationship with someone who is “your person,” you’ll immediately connect with Nova and Sam. Author Ashley Schumacher captures that connection with such ease, she must have experienced something like it in real life.

Nova and Sam are both complex and believable characters. And their motives, although sometimes misguided, are understandable.

Though In the Orbit of You explores some hard topics (references to child abuse and the recovery from it), the book isn’t dark. It’s hopeful.

In the Orbit of You is a compelling YA sort of romance sort of not that is thoughtful. It may not be a one-sitting read, but it’s definitely one that you want to come back to.

Nova had once been friends with Sam, and didn't understand why he had bruises and cuts he didn't talk about. Before he moved away, they promised to find each other when older. Now they meet again in high school, but Sam has forgotten about that old promise and is now following The Plan set in front of him: get a college football scholarship, date his girlfriend Abigail, and never show that he might want something else. But a schoolwide personality test matches Nova and Sam at 99%, putting them back in each others' orbits.

After an opening where we see the little versions of Nova and Sam, we see their teen selves. Nova has moved around so much due to her mother's job that she's been in multiple high schools and tried on different personas. She's going to be in this particular high school for two months and plans to coast along since she doesn't know what she wants for her future despite increasing pressure at school to figure it out. She recognizes Sam right away, but he has a picture-perfect life. As much as he doesn't enjoy it, he's determined to follow through so that no one thinks he's ungrateful for the opportunities given to him.

Trauma hits people in different ways. Sam was the recipient of physical abuse and did whatever he could to avoid rages by being agreeable, and it carried through into his life afterward. He became what he thought would make other people happy, even if it wasn't a life that he was pleased with. "It looks good on paper" or "I should be happy with this" became his goal, and he avoided any kind of confrontation. His girlfriend Abigail is a sweet girl, and very much not the kind of popular girl that excludes others. She tries to loop Nova into their circle, for however long she'll be there, and tries to get Sam to talk. Sam and Nova both realize that the emotional connection between them could jeopardize his relationship with Abigail and are determined not to do that. Of course, things never go according to plan, with literal acts of nature continuing to push Sam and Nova together.

The book follows many beats of romcoms, but still dealt with serious subject matter and never once downplayed what happened in the book. I liked that they both acknowledged how awkward it was, and that they weren't trying to sneak around and hurt Abigail for their own benefit. Emotions can be sticky, tangled things, but it only hurts people to keep them bottled up. Once everyone was able to speak freely, it allowed them to grow and be who they needed to be.

Oh, my heart. How does Ashley Schumacher do this to me every time? Although this go around I found myself crying without even fully knowing why. I loved these characters so so much. Their pain, their uncertainties, their inevitabilities. They felt so real and raw and teenagery. Nothing was easy and nothing was cliche but it was oh so beautiful.

Ashley Schumacher writes in such a beautiful way that makes me feel everything these characters are feeling. Nova and Sam truly have a pull towards each other in almost a painful way. They can’t work out even though it seems like they have to. They both want to figure out who they are and they don’t know how to do that together.

I love their parents and their friends and their childhood stories. They may be angsty teenagers but they’re the kind that worm their way into your heart.

This book truly feels like magic even though there isn’t actually any there.

Thank you netgalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book and expected to love it. I'm not a big YA reader, but I really enjoy the other Ashley Schumacher book that I've read (Full Flight). Ultimately, this book ended up just being okay for me. I liked it but didn't love it.

The backstory of the friendship between Sam & Nova was really sweet. I appreciated their history together and that they were able to reconnect as teenagers. I myself experienced a situation like this, though it was always a platonic friendship (we are both heterosexual females), so it didn't have the "romance" element to it. But I could still relate to reconnecting with someone that was such an important part of your childhood.

That said, while the book started strong and captured my interest, it felt like the middle of the book slowed to a snail's pace (you'll get the joke there if you've read the book). It's not that it was slow to read, but just that the plot wasn't really moving forward. It felt like a lot of rehashing the same things, especially inside the character's heads. It didn't feel like they were growing or moving in a forward direction.

There was also one particular element of the plot that I really didn't care for. *****THE REST OF THIS PARAGRAPH IS A SPOILER SO JUST SKIP OVER IT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANY SPOILERS***** I was really disappointed in the fact that Sam emotionally cheated on Abigail throughout the book, which culminated in a moment of physical cheating. Abigail absolutely did not deserve that, especially when Sam knew he didn't feel the same for her as she did for him. And even though it wasn't a case of him wanting to "have his cake and eat it too", his fear of letting her down was a lame excuse for what he was doing. I appreciated some of the things Abigail said to him as they were breaking up, particularly about him wanting to explain things away in a way that made him feel better about himself for what he did, but ultimately, the breakup felt a little too easy and neatly tied up. I've been a teenage girl that was in love with a boy who cheated on her (repeatedly, actually). If Abigail really loved Sam, I just don't think it would've been that simple and easy of a conversation for them to have. And while I do understand that cheating is something that goes on far too often in relationships and that this especially makes sense in the case of immature teenagers, it was still a let down to me and hard to reconcile with who Sam was. There was even a point where he said being referred to as a "cheater" was a trigger for him. Add to that the fact that he ended up with Abigail because he felt so bad for her for having been cheated on. And the fact that Nova repeatedly referred to an ex that cheated on her. So why did the plot go there with Sam and Nova doing that to Abigail? It just didn't really make sense to me with who their characters were. Also, Sam's conversation with his parents where he told them he didn't want to play football anymore, was kind of ridiculous. While of course they love him and want what's best for him and want to support him, it almost wasn't a conversation at all. So we had hundreds of pages of buildup of him not wanting to disappoint them and planning to live a life he hated just to keep them happy, to the conversation where he told them about it being almost non-existent. I mean yes, he told them, but they barely reacted at all. Two sentences later, we had moved on. It was just a strange execution to me.
***END OF SPOILERS***

And while I cannot say exactly where I hoped the plot would go. I was left feeling a little unsatisfied with things. I did like the very end of the book, but the last 10-15% felt really rushed. And it was as if some things tied up way too neatly, while other things that were angst filled and the focus of most of the book barely felt addressed.

Despite all of those things that makes it sound as if I didn't enjoy the book, I actually did. I really loved the connection that Sam and Nova shared from their childhood, I appreciated goofy high school characters that were really likeable, and I did understand Sam's and Nova's struggles. I also recognize that as a middle-aged woman, I am not the target market for a YA book, but I do actually think this book will really resonate with teenagers and young adults.

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!*

Ashley Schumacher writes the most beautiful stories of young adults figuring out who they are. I don’t know how she does it, but her books are just magical.

Nova and Sam are such complex and wonderful characters. One is afraid of their past catching up to them, and of disappointing the people in their present. The other doesn’t know what they want, and doesn’t feel like they even know who they really are. These are such relatable problems that we have all dealt with in our adolescence. Seeing the two of them work through these issues in the orbit of each other was tragically beautiful.

I loved this storyline. Two childhood friends finding each other again right on the cusp of major life decisions. *muah chef’s kiss* The friends and significant other in the story were fun and added some nice comedic relief.

Though, I honestly could have done without the romantic will they, won’t they. This is surprising for me, as I’m a huge sucker for romance. But, I felt like this story was strong without the extra complication.

Lovely and bittersweet, this is a beauty of a book. I hope you give it a chance to dazzle you. ❤️

My Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

I gave In the Orbit of You 4.5 Stars!

I’ve read and loved this authors previous titles and In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher was no different.
The way she writes YA romance is just so captivating.
Her new young adult contemporary romance novel is about two teens that were childhood best friends and meet again in high school.
Sam and Nova’s journey is a beautiful one.
A well written story of friendship, love, second chances and discovering who we are.
Orbit of You is completely full of heart and love and the range of emotions that will make it completely unforgettable.

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Ashley Schumacher excels at writing books that tug at my heartstrings, that make me ugly cry. Starting with Amelia Unabridged, which had me full-out sobbing, Schumacher’s YA novels his emotional beats that are authentic and rooted in well-developed, deeply felt characters.

Her newest novel, In the Orbit of You, starts with a childhood friendship between Nova Evans and Sam Jordan. They were neighbors, and best friends, reigning over Snailopolis, an imaginary world that served as an escape from ugliness and abuse. Their friendship brings both of them comfort, until Sam is removed from his home, but they promise solemnly to find each other again, when they’re grown up, when they’re 18.

Flash forward. Nova is . . . well, she’s 17, and it’s her first day at the umpteenth new school she has entered as she follows her mother’s career from one location to the next. This time, Nova promises herself that she won’t fall into whatever persona seems to make things easiest. Instead, she’s going to figure out who she really is, the identity that fits her best.

And then she sees Sam.

Nova recognizes him almost right away. He . . . doesn’t recognize her. He’s got a girlfriend, a best friend, amazing parents, a promising future as a football star. But he’s not happy, and Nova quickly sees that unhappiness.

And then Sam recognizes her.

From there, the book enters a cycle: the promise of reunion, of friendship, and of a new attraction exerts a powerful pull. But Sam has an established life, and Nova knows that they’re moving in just two months, so throwing caution to the wind and entering a state of upheaval and chaos on the off chance that they have something real just doesn’t seem worth it. Or does it?

As with all of Schumacher’s books, In the Orbit of You shows a deep understanding of its characters, and I truly loved both Nova and Sam. I did get a little weary of the cyclical nature of their surrender to their feelings and the subsequent denial of them, but the story is still a powerful one, and Schumacher is still an auto-read author for me.

In the Orbit of You-a standalone

By Ashley Schumacher-never read author

Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publication 3-19-24 Read 3-17-24

📖Format: eBook, 313 pgs.

🙏🏾 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Wednesday Books for this ARC 💙! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

🤷🏾‍♀️What to expect:

✔️ YA (coming of age)
✔️ Contemporary Romance
✔️ Friends to lovers
✔️ Right person-wrong time/Fate

⚠️TW: child abuse, cheating, grief, mental health issues

Summary: Nova Evans and Sam Jordan are neighbors and childhood friends who have created their own world of Snailopolis. In reality Nova notices the bruises and burns on Sam's arms. Quickly Sam tells Nova he is leaving town with his uncle without much explanation, but he promises to find her when they are eighteen. Fast forward several years where Nova is a junior at Tyler high school where she only plans to spend only two months. Her and mother Mara constantly move and she's on her sixth school. She sees Sam and he doesn't acknowledge knowing her because she's from his "before" life. They do a "Crush Test" as a fundraiser to match the most compatible friends, and of course they match 99% .The problem is Sam has a girlfriend and a plan for his life, while Nova doesn't know who she is-never in one place long enough to figure it out.

Overall , this a compelling young adult/ self discovery novel that questions destiny and choice. Sam must reconcile his past trauma, and Nova has to decide what she wants out of life. Their journey is written beautifully and emotionally as they figure out their lives.

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I have read and enjoyed every one of @ashwritesbooks 's books. Most of them will require a whole box (or more) of tissues, but will leave such a lasting impression. This one was only different in that I don't think I shed a tear. But it was still very good and I'll be thinking about it for a while!
When Sam and Nova were young they formed an unbreakable bond through the broken fence. When Sam moved away they promised to find each other again one day. But years later, it seems they meet in an unexpected way. The only issue is Nova isn't part of Sam's carefully laid out plan. But then again, maybe what he needs is a way out of his plan.
This has a lot of depth, a lot of feelings. One thing that surprised me was the maturity of these high schoolers! 😂 Sure they made some stupid choices too, but their depth, understanding, and forgiveness, was more than I see in a lot of adults! I was a little nervous about how it was going to end as I got close. I was afraid she wouldn't be able to have a satisfying/realistic ending, but I shouldn't have doubted Ashley! ☺️
I recommend all of Ashley Schumacher's books, but since this one comes out on Tuesday (19 Mar) you probably don't have time to indulge in many before this one comes out, so start with this one (then move on to Amelia Unabridged, and Full Flight with some tissues close at hand)!
#NetGalley #InTheOrbitOfYou

A sweet, swoony, utterly charming YA love story about Nova and Sammy, two childhood friends torn apart who later find themselves in the same town but circumstances are still working against them being together.

If you like stories about right person, wrong time, mutual pining and star crossed lovers this book will grab you from the start and not let go. One warning, there is a bit of a love triangle and childhood trauma/abuse.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and finished gifted copy in exchange for my honest review. I can wholeheartedly say this is my new favorite from Ashley Schumacher!!

“What isn’t there is just as important as what is. Narrow in the space you know you don’t need, and you’re left with what it is you want.”

When Nova and Sam first met they were just kids. Through a hole in their fence, they bonded, and filled in a real life hole for one another, initiating the kind of friendship you always remember.

So years later, when teenage Nova sees Sam in her new school, she knows it’s him right away. Sam, however, doesn’t have the same instant recognition of Nova. It takes a quirky quiz, and basic geography, to reunite the two. But now that they are once again in each other’s orbit, they quickly realizes that this time around, there will be no circling back.

In the Orbit of You is the latest young adult romance from the amazing, Ashley Schumacher. Not only do her books evoke powerful emotions, they all have equally, if not more, beautiful covers. However, while the first few chapters gave me all the feels, the majority of the story felt a bit elementary for my tastes, even despite touching upon some heavy subject matter. That said,, I still believe young readers will likely connect with this story of first love, intermixed with fate and sweet second chances.

In the Orbit of You is a young adult contemporary romance novel about two teens that were childhood best friends and meet again in high school.

Nova and her mother have been moving back and forth across the country for years and never settling in one place for long. But when she was five her best friend was Sam and they played outside together everyday until he was abruptly removed from his parents and sent to live with his aunt and uncle. Now, a dozen years later Sam and Nova are in the same school together and an online personality test said they are nearly a perfect match. The only problem? Nova is only town for two months and Sam has a girlfriend. Sam and Nova will struggle with their identities, what they want for the future and if they truly belong together or if what they had should remain in the past.

In the Orbit of You is a beautiful love story about two people fated to be together. I love the choices the author made by acknowledging the need for the characters to grow up a little and find their place in the world instead of clinging to each other like anchors. I also appreciate that she didn’t make Sam’s girlfriend Abigail a villain or a nemesis to Nova but instead a whole person instead of a caricature. Also, Sam’s childhood abuse and PTSD was handled in a realistic and thoughtful way instead of making it salacious.

I highly recommend In the Orbit of You to readers that enjoy coming of age stories and romance.

I love a good young adult book and this one was definitely a good one. The main theme that runs throughout is the weight of expectation and finding the ability to voice what you need. The story most definitely has themes that are not easy to read but can also be therapeutic to a reader who doesn't have the ability to find their voice and tell their truths. It has other issues that may throw some readers but I don't personally subscribe to the negative reviews regarding these issues. They are teenagers who trying to find their way and everyone makes mistakes. And having these mistakes and issues in a book have never pushed a negative review out of me because, unfortunately, that is life and all we can do is live the best life we can. Some of the quiz questions were enlightening and I enjoyed the back and forth that Sam and Nova had regarding their thoughts on these questions.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

I am quite literally heartbroken. However, this was clearly the author’s intent which means it is a book well written. The prose in every single chapter and non-chapter alike was so moving. This story was beauty and pain as its finest.

Wow. I just can’t wrap my head around how perfectly the phrase “right person, wrong time” fits this book. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and touching. I adored Adam and Nova and their relationship. Their individual growth and their growth together was so special.

I simultaneously loved and hated the ending, only in that it made me happy but also feels open ended in that I’m worried history would be repeating itself and I wish we could have a second epilogue with another time jump.

Overall, I really enjoyed it! The only other book I’ve read by Schumacher was “Full Flight” so I’ll say if you’ve read that one, this book won’t destroy your heart as much as that one did but had just as beautiful of a friendship dynamic.

I have been a fan of this author since her debut novel. She writes emotional reads that will touch your heart in some way. I couldn’t wait to dive into this one and see how it would go. Unfortunately, this one was a letdown due to one thing in the plot.

The book is told from two point-of-views and they come from Nova and Sam. They were childhood neighbors until Sam had to move away due to his living situation and now he lives with his aunt and uncle. Nova’s mom moves around a lot for her job and eventually fate brings them back together. I don’t know if I have ever read a book like this before, where they are friends as children and something just draws them together. It was cute until all of their interactions bordered on cheating and eventually led to it.

I get it. Teen relationships are messy. I was a teen at one point and had drama myself or witnessed it firsthand, but I don’t like it in my books especially when it involves the main characters. The side characters don’t really seem to catch on besides one either. Everyone kind of just accepts it and even after it happens they still accept it in some way. It just left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

There is one serious topic that takes place and it involves abuse. Sam had to deal with this in his childhood and I don’t think he actually ever dealt with it per say. He does use it as an excuse for his behavior which is common in our own world. It was interesting to see him cope with it in the end.

Overall, this was okay but the cheating aspect really brought it down for me. I just can’t get past it even if there were good conversations happening.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Ashley Schumacher is a master at magical realism! Her unique storylines have a way of capturing your heart and staying with you long after you have turned that last page.

One of my favorite book themes is childhood best friends who become something more. In the Orbit of You starts with young Sam and Nova who have created their own special world in part to block out the traumatic homelife Sam is living. Their friendship is so pure and absolutely beautiful despite the ugliness that surrounds them outside of their innocent inner circle. Until the day Sam moves away (rescued by his uncle) with the promise he will find Nova...fast forward to the high school years.

Nova is living a nomadic life, constantly moving with her mother due to her job. The newest stop places her at the same school as Sam. The connection of their past is still there. The evidence of that bond is conclusive when the two have a 99 percent match through a school personality test. There are obstacles standing in the way of their reunion: Sam's girlfriend, Nova's expiration date of departure, life expectations...there is so much emotion and heart, push and pull as the inevitable magnet draws the two together. The only negative of this book is the relationship situation! Ugh. As much as I longed for our main characters to be together, I do not support cheating emotional or otherwise. I wish the author would have put an end to that obstacle organically with Sam making the choice. I couldn't even dislike Abigail (ow) and she deserved a clean break.

The story weaves a magical thread throughout the book and so many emotional full circle moments. And the ending (I mean, the true end with the epilogue! Thank you for giving us the extension...) was perfection.

4.5 stars

I figured I would give this book a try since I was not familiar with the author. And I absolutely loved it. This is why I read arcs. So I can find treasures like this book. I would never have imagined this cute little love story would steal my heart. The connection between Sam and Nova is so palpable it’s hard to not be in their corner. It’s also nice to see the side characters well fleshed out. Since everyone seems so different from the usual I was curious to see how things would turn out. Of course it became messy but the fallout isn’t what you would expect and made the story so easy to love. The ending was cute and made me eager to check out more from this author. This was one of the best reads of the year so far for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. I loved it!!!!!!