Overall this was a cute book ant fit YA romance very well. It was great to see a neurodivergent FMC, but I will admit that I needed some patience with her character on more than one occasion. The atmosphere really did pull me in right from the beginning. I felt like I was reading a book that could be easily adapted to a movie.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting! I would definitely recommend this book. I loved the way the characters grew and the storyline. It is one of my favorite troupes!

I received an ARC of this book and though I am dreadfully behind, I enjoyed it! I enjoyed the autism/neurodivergent rep, the storyline of the deal they made, the fun adventures and assignments and fieldwork, the friendships, and the idea that you realize who you are and who builds you up not who is what society might think is right or normal. How talking things through and saying things always clarifies things, and I just enjoyed the quirky banter and love of math and mushrooms! So cute!

This was a cute book. Went into completely blind and actually requested based on the cover!
I felt a little ick when autism was made as like just a quirk. But overall love the representation.

Loved the characters and it was a sweet little romance.

3.5 stars

Marlowe is having a hard time after her boyfriend Josh breaks up with her. When she ends up working with Ash, another classmate, on a project she comes up with a mutually beneficial plan. She will help Ash with his band and he will help her win back Josh.

Marlowe grows a lot as the story progresses and really comes to understand herself better. That felt true to the teenage experience. She and Ash were also well matched despite seeming so different in the beginning. It was interesting seeing how their relationship changed and grew as they got to know one another.

I listened to this book on audio and the narrator was. well cast and did a really nice job bringing the story to life.

The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor is a delightful and heartwarming young adult romance that beautifully blends humor, emotional depth, and the complexities of teenage life. This book is a must-read for fans of slow-burn romances and well-developed characters.

Top 5 Reasons to Read The Calculation of You and Me:

Character Development: Marlowe and Ash are incredibly well-rounded characters. Marlowe's journey from a math-obsessed girl to someone who learns to embrace her emotions is both relatable and inspiring. Ash, with his moody exterior and hidden depths, is the perfect foil to Marlowe's logical mind. Their chemistry is palpable and their interactions are filled with witty banter and heartfelt moments.

Humor and Heart: Serena Kaylor masterfully balances humor with emotional depth. The book is filled with laugh-out-loud moments, especially as Marlowe navigates the world of romance with her analytical mind. At the same time, the story doesn't shy away from exploring deeper themes such as self-discovery, acceptance, and the complexities of relationships.

Unique Premise: The idea of a calculus nerd trying to win back her ex-boyfriend with the help of a rock band frontman is both unique and refreshing. The book's exploration of the intersection between logic and emotion adds an interesting layer to the story.

Supporting Characters: The supporting cast, including Marlowe's best friends Odette and Poppy, add depth and richness to the story. Their unwavering support and encouragement help Marlowe grow and embrace her true self.

Representation: The book features authentically described neurodiverse and LGBTQ+ characters, adding to its inclusivity and relatability. Marlowe's neurodivergence is portrayed with sensitivity and depth, making her journey all the more impactful.

Final Thoughts: The Calculation of You and Me is a charming and emotionally resonant story that will make you laugh, cry, and root for the characters. Serena Kaylor's writing sparkles with wit and honesty, making this a standout contemporary romance. Despite a few minor flaws, it's a book that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.

Recommend to Fans of: Jenny Han, Becky Albertalli, Rainbow Rowell.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Serena Kaylor is one of the best newer authors to come out in the past few years! I love Serena’s first book so I was so anxious is the best way to get her new book. This book did not disappoint. The love interest 😍 omg and the main character is just the best. Please pick up a Serena Kaylor book you will not be disappointed!!

Well if this wasn’t the sweetest book ever then I don’t know what is!

I think Marlowe will go down as one of my favorite FMCs. She’s everything. I loved her journey in this book so much. She was also pretty funny.

Ash. I’m obsessed. He was so attentive and understanding with Marlowe. Also, I love the way he called her Marlowe and not Lo like everyone else. He did a lot of small things for her. One of my favorite things is that he tells her not to apologize. For the things she says or the things she doesn’t understand. It’s a small sentence ‘don’t apologize’ but it was beautiful to say that to someone like Marlowe who is constantly questioning what people are thinking and if she is correctly understanding the things happening around her. I love that the things certain other people found annoying or ‘too much’ about Marlowe were the things he liked the most about her.

Every side character in this book is amazing as well. I’m so happy for the fictional world Marlowe belongs to. She has really great support in those around her.
I absolutely loved the autism rep. I also loved the use of romance books and how they were precious in this book. There’s no making fun of them or diminishing their worth. Loved it!

This was a really good book. This is YA and a slow burn but the banter, the tension, and mutual understanding and growth was perfect. There was never a dull moment in this book for me so I read almost straight through it in one sitting!
🥹 I’ll be rereading this one day soon. 🧡
Thank you to the author, SMP, and netgalley for the arc.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was a sweet YA romance! I always appreciate a romance with a neurospicy main character because I feel like it's not super common in modern romance. And I also felt like Marlowe was written very well. My main hold up with this book is that I just didn't feel the romance was very believable, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

Ohhhhhh this book was so, so swoon worthy. The only thing that could have made this better would be a dual POV where you could see the pining on the end of the MMC. I also wanted to shake the FMC for trying so hard to get that trash dude bro ex of hers when she had the real deal right in front of her the whole time. But, the autism rep and book loving was relatable and the whole thing was so cute and a joy to read.

The Calculation of You and Me is a heartwarming and clever YA novel that blends romance and math. Marlowe, a logical and math-obsessed teen, meets Ash, her emotional and spontaneous opposite, sparking a journey of self-discovery and love. Kaylor’s writing is witty and engaging, and the slow-burn romance feels natural and real. This book thoughtfully explores themes of identity, relationships, and the messiness of life. A smart, sweet, and highly recommended read for fans of contemporary YA.

truly the most perfect book. couldn't put it down. i hope this one gets made into a movie!!! marlowe and ash have my whole heart

THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME by Serena Kaylor (Long Story Short) is a feel-good book whose pace is a little slow, but that all made sense when I read the author's acknowledgment page and realized how difficult the time working in an ICU during COVID had been for Serena Kaylor. Her second novel featuring neurodiverse characters centers on Marlowe Meadows who has been "dumped" for not being romantic enough by manipulative boyfriend Josh at the start of their senior year in high school. Marlowe turns to a new classmate (and her AP English partner) Ashton Hayes to learn about writing romantic letters, reading romance books, and completing "fieldwork" activities in an effort to win back Josh. She is also supported by loyal, but quirky, friends Odette and Poppy. Kaylor includes a great deal of musing by Marlowe as she attempts to understand others whose brains work differently than hers. Along the way, readers become aware of her increasing attraction to Ash (who seems too kind and mature at times) and Marlowe's own growth and maturation: "I could decide that I didn't want to learn to dance, and that would be fine, but I'm capable of doing hard things. Unexpected things. I might even be good at them. Or not, and that would be okay too." And later, "That's what it's all about, right? Figuring out who we are and what we like and trying everything until we find the answers?" THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME received a starred review from Kirkus ("A delightful, richly characterized slow-burn romance about figuring out what you want").

Quick Summary: A high school romance between opposites who are very much similar

My Review: The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor is a fascinating YA novel. It was released in June 2024.

About the Book: A neurodivergent teen, who goes through a rough breakup, is paired up with a goth rocker, who has always existed in her periphery, for a lit assignment. The more time the two spend together, the more they notice what makes them click in that very special way that means mushrooms, hearts, stars, rainbows, and music.

About the Characters:

Marlowe - > A "romance" scheme to get a certain someone to notice her backfires magnificently. Will her well thought out ploy serve to reveal the things that she really needs to see?

Ashton - > The girl he noticed so long ago comes to him for help. Will he be able to keep his feelings to himself?

Josh - > He started out so promising, based on the snippets from the past. Will his arrogance get the best of him?

My Final Say: Wow! That was a good YA. It was refreshingly different.

I loved that the FMC had high functioning ASD. She was captured so perfectly. Even as she tried to navigate within the social scene at school, within her family relationships, within her friend group, within a relationship with a partner, as well as with a new found male friend, she grew. I loved seeing her come to the various points of realization.

I loved how Ashton treated Marlowe. He saw her beyond her diagnosis; he saw her as a person he was genuinely interested in getting to know. I appreciated that he didn't pressure her or push her to answers, rather he patiently waited while she came to an understanding. He was dealing with his own hurts, but he showed a maturity in handling what life threw at him.

I loved Marlowe's friend group. They were true blue. They supported her, despite having their own feelings and thoughts about the ex. They respected her enough to allow her to come to her own conclusions. Still, they told her the hard truths she needed to hear.

I loved that this book was not so neat and tidy. It actually presented age appropriate level challenges. It touched on family life, social drama, dysfunctional and toxic relationships, and more. That made it come across as realistic.

Other: This would make a great YA book club read. There are so many concepts that could be discussed. I could have gone on waxing poetic about what I loved about this book, but I realized that I would likely be given everything away. This is the kind of book that needs to be read and reflected on.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: YA
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Status/Level: 💛💛💛💛
Other: LGBTQIA representation

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. It was an absolute pleasure to read this work. I look forward to reading more from this writer.

Serena Kaylor has absolutely done it again. I loved LONG STORY SHORT, but I might love THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME even more. Kaylor has a real talent for creating stories with endearing, sympathetic characters and satisfying plot arcs. Such wonderful character development, and Marlowe felt so authentic. As much as the romance lessons and transformation of the friendship into romance was great, I also love Kaylor depictions of friendships. The contrast between Ash and Josh was perfect. And a bookstore that ONLY sells romances? Incredible. I look forward to Kaylor's next story. She's an automatic pre-order author for me now.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for a copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Somehow I managed to read this book two times before being able to write a review, and yet I think I enjoyed reading this the second time more than the first. I think Serena Kaylor is now going to be an insta-buy author for me as I have read both books she has written and cannot recommend them highly enough to people. This book follows Marlowe as she tries to learn how to be romantic using tropes and the "bad boy" in her English class. Serena has openly discussed the fact that she is neurodivergent and she writes that into her characters in such a beautiful way. Marlowe is autistic, and really does a great job of representing the struggles that sometimes happen when people don't communicate effectively - the neurotypicals obviously are the problem. This book also discusses other types of neurodivergence, as well as different LGBTQIA+ identities, which I am extremely appreciative of. I have recommended this book to therapy coworkers & friends, and I cannot wait to read anything else Serena writes.

A sweet YA romance. After a hard breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Josh, Marlowe is left feeling like she is not enough. On a mission to prove that she has the emotional depth to be romantic, she enlists the help of Ash, who writes music for his band. As Marlowe develops confidence in herself, she slowly begins to see her life and her relationships more clearly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own. This book was a lot funnier than I thought it would be! It was so cute!

This book is so freaking cute but also very heartwarming! The level of emotional depth made me forget that it is a YA book. Marlowe, Odette and Poppy are such a fun trio and their dynamic had me chuckling often. The neurodivergent representation is fantastic and seamlessly intertwined; I love that it wasn’t Marlowe’s entire personality. The role of romance books in her journey to discovering what love truly is was so unexpected but truly delightful! What makes it even better is Ash’s affinity for romance novels as well! Honestly, you need to read this one now!