What a wonderful and heartwarming story about friendship, resilience, first loves, grief, and family.
Sarah Sprinz really hit the nail on the head. First of all, a story set in Edinburgh? Sign. Me. UP! I absolutely love nothing more than the idea of an academia based story being set in Scotland. One of my absolute favourite countries.

We meet Emma - a student from Germany who is about to spend a year abroad at Dunbridge Academy, following in the steps of her parents, but also trying to track down her father, who upped and left her and her mum when she was just eleven.

Emma’s character is incredibly strong and her development was phenomenal. She was so resilient, kind and caring and only wants the absolute best for people.
Then, we meet our love interest, Henry, who is the school captain and quite possibly the heart-throb of Dunbridge Academy.

Through an accidental run in at the airport as the pair are on their way to Scotland, Emma and Henry’s friendship blooms.

I thought Sprinz’s approach on tackling the topic of grief and family loss was so heartfelt and beautiful. Her approach to the subject was sensitive, and didn’t actually delve too deeply into the implications of what one individual might feel, because grief is personal, and not everyone grieves the same way.

This story also briefly mentioned substance abuse, very very lightly, but regardless was approached quickly and elegantly for the reader to not be distracted.

I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. An absolute must if you like academia novels, based in a beautiful country like Scotland, and love stories about friendship and resilience.

Thank you to NetGalley UK and Quercus for this opportunity to read this wonderful story as an advanced reader copy.

The first book in the Dunbridge Academy series that tells Emma and Henry's story. Emma is from Frankfurt but has decided to spend a year studying abroad at the same boarding school her parents went to in Scotland. While on her way through the airport, she runs into Henry, who is also a student at Dunbridge and is returning to school after spending the summer in Nairobi with his parents.

The two have a connection from the start, but Henry has a girlfriend, Grace, who he has been with for a few years but things between them have changed and they've been growing apart for awhile. Henry realises that meeting Emma has shown him what a relationship should be like and he breaks up with Grace to be with Emma. They both handle the break up incredibly well and they're both very mature about it.

This book reminds me so much of Harry Potter but without the magic - we have a boarding school in a castle in Scotland, a teacher who hates Emma as soon as he sees her (Professor Snape) due to something her father did to him when they were at school together, a very understanding head teacher who while supposedly is very strict but kind, lets students bend the rules slightly when circumstances allow, and finally - rugby! The whole school gets behind the team just like at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter aside, the book was really good and it dealt with the loss of a family member really well. I think Henry's grief was written really well and he was relatable. Emma was a really kind person, and allowed Henry to feel how he needed to feel without trying to push him into talking about things or to get over it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Anywhere by Sarah Sprinz starts off with a bang, instantly drawing me in with its captivating beginning. The setting and atmosphere are beautifully crafted, immersing the reader in the story’s world. Sprinz’s writing struck the perfect balance, painting vivid scenes without dragging on.

Henry came across as too polished and perfect, lacking the depth I hoped to see in his character. There was something essential missing that would have made him more relatable and genuine.

The chemistry between Emma and Henry has its moments of genuine connection.

Overall, while the book has its flaws, it also has potential. The engaging start and the strong setting lay a solid foundation.

I was sent this one by the publisher and thought "sure, why not". I clearly needed to do my research, because I didn't realise it was YA or that it was translated text

An academy where you feel at home and welcome - that's what the "Dunbridge Academy" has become for me after reading its pages. It's Sarah's writing style, the perfect blend of realistic teenage dialogue and poetic expressions, that ensures a smooth reading experience and brings the story and the Academy itself to life. With Emma by my side, I explored the setting and felt as if I were sneaking through the old walls, attending classes, and partying in the greenhouse at midnight. The characters are complex due to their unique quirks, especially the fact that they're not perfect, make mistakes, and reflect on them, which makes them particularly relatable to me. I'm especially excited for the stories that will be told in the upcoming books. In terms of plot, it was a good mix of feel-good moments and suspense, without too much artificially staged drama. Overall, I can only recommend the book - it hit the spot for me! 😍

I really wanted to like this book but I really don’t like the cheating trope, it just wasn't for me unfortunately

I had high hopes for this book as it had all the ingredients that I enjoy in a romance however it unfortunately fell short. It took too long for Henry to break up with Grace in order to pursue things with Emma and so it was hard to get on his character's side. The storyline with Emma's father seemed to be resolved and handled quite early in the story considering its length which meant the second half just seemed a bit wayward. The Maeve storyline, the exam cheating, the injury; none of it really seemed necessary.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style either, it made it seem quite juvenile which didn't have to be the case just because they were in sixth form. Also I found the way the school operated weird. It didn't seem to make sense if it was following the English school system which also made things seems jarring for me.

Overall, not what I expected.

After literally running into each other in the airport, Emma and Henry find out they’re both heading to the same boarding school in Scotland and begin falling for each other. But Henry has a girlfriend and Emma is only planning on staying for a year - so they’re left battling their feelings for each other.

I do agree with a lot of reviews about how they hate the cheating trope. I think Henry should’ve ended things with Grace (who is amazing) a lot sooner, but I’ll also cut him slack cause he’s basically a child.

This book was a good YA boarding school romance with some interesting plot points that kept me hooked.

Thanks Quercus for the ARC.

I had really high expectations for this book, but it really disappointed me for some reason. Don't judge a book by its cover but the other way around!

If there's one thing I can't stand it the cheating trope. Maybe by accident with feelings and emotions and such but not the blatant way Henry tries to have his cake and eat it too. No thiank you.

What a wild and unexpected ride this book was!
After a heart-break, Emma, who is from Frankfurt, decides to study abroad for a year at Dunbridge Academy, in Scotland. But heart-break isn‘t the only reason why she leaves for Scotland. Emma wants to find her father, who has left her and her mother years ago. At the airport she meets Henry, who coincidentally is school captain of DA and so her adventure begins.

I have to admit, my expectations were very low after reading the first few chapters. I couldn‘t warm up to Henry after his questionable regarding his relationship with Grace, his girlfriend and everything with Emma felt like insta-love, which I didn‘t vibe with. For the first half of the book I didn‘t quite know what the point of the book was and what direction this would take but then I was positively surprised by the dive the plot took into deeper, more serious topics. I did not see it coming and quite enjoyed the last few chapters. Siblings finding their way back to each other and friends who offer unconditional support through very rough times, it was heart warming to read. The side characters were interesting enough that I might consider reading the rest of the series.

I would recommend the book to a younger audience, say 17-19 year olds. For older readers the book might not be as relatable.

Special shoutout to Grace, who is doing her name absolute justice and is the definition of a girl‘s girl. A kind heart through and through and her gracefulness will stay with me for a long time. I wish she had gotten her own book, I‘d have 100% read that.

Thank you to the Quercus Fiction Team for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

It was a quick YA read - I liked the characters and the setting, however it was a bit more YA than I expected.

Thanks Netgalley for the copy!

The first half of this book was really enjoyable. But, then there was cheating. I really don’t like reading about cheating. The first half was so so good, but the cheating is what has brought my rating down. It has annoyed me that the cheating was not in the trigger warnings. It needs a better updated trigger warning. It was an okay story but leaves you with a meh feeling when you read about how the mmc cheated. Than you for the ARC in exchange of my honest opinions

I liked this book, but I didn't love it enough to give it 5 stars. Anywhere is really well planned out, well written and the characters are really enjoyable to read. They both go through Grief and struggles throughout the book. I feel like I would have enjoyed Anywhere a lot more if I were a few years younger, it has a very nostalgic feeling to it.

A slow start but ok once it got going. I loved the academic setting but the characters just didn’t appeal to me sadly. Thanks for the read.

This was such an amazing fun read, i absolutely enjoyed many aspects of it however the cheating trope is not my cup of tea but this was so beautifully written i enjoyed so much about it the family dynamics, the prep school setting, the romance and of course the drama this was a really really fun read

Magical writing, well-planned out story line and characters that will make a permanent place in your heart. I absolutely loved reading this one.

I don't usually enjoy high school/college romances, but this story was different and I really enjoyed it. Aside from being extremely well written, the character and plot development were great and deep. I found myself staying up way too late to read, just one more chapter, and just one more chapter... Grief was something the FMC and MMC both dealt with in this story and it was portrayed really well in this book. This is the first in a series of books set at Dunbridge Academy, so expect to see more of these characters and their friends across the other installments.

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Finding her father - that is Emma's greatest wish when she is accepted for a year abroad at the Scottish DUNBRIDGE ACADEMY. At the boarding school in Edinburgh she follows in his footsteps. She doesn't need the distraction of new friendships, but head boy Henry condemns her plan to failure. On nightly walks through the old walls of the school, he shows her for the first time what it means to have arrived and to have a family - until he loses his...

There's a sort of vintage feel in this book, sort of book I could have read when I was a teen and somehow I enjoyed it.
Emma is very naif and Henry a bit of a bad boy and a two timers.
3.5*
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

1,5/5⭐
This book would be enjoyable read up to 50%, quick, no brainer, typical ya school romance, EXCEPT THE GUY IS A CHEATER, this really enraged me, cus since the literal beginning of the book he liked the new girl, while having a girlfriend and guess what??? He didn't break up with her, even tho he repeatedly thought to himself that they're not the same, they changed, he doesn't feel for her what he felt before etc and why didn't he break up with her? BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE HER 🙃 BRO YOU'RE TOTALLY NOT LOSING HER WHEN YOU'RE SLEEPING IN BED WITH OTHER GIRL LIKE??? LOGIC HAS LEFT THE CHAT, this really lowered my serotonin levels and also their friends, who saw what's happening, that he likes other girl, but except for Olive, nobody said anything or maybe told him bro it's time to break up or remember you have a girlfriend or something??? And the second part of the book was even more ridiculous, it was like one drama running after another and the first one is really dramatic, but then there's big separation because of the cheating on ONE test??? BE SO FR RN PLS I even checked when this book was published and it's 2022, like seriously??? We all know what happened on online teaching during pandemic and you're creating big drama, cus of cheating ONE TIME??? BFFR