Pretty fun read. I usually don't like too many ya romances so went in with some trepidation but this was good. A bit childish at points but overall, A solid read

This was a very cute YA romance. It follows Marlowe (a girl on the spectrum who loves mushrooms) and Ash (a hot goth singer in a rock band). Ash is tutoring Marlowe on how to be romantic after her ex boyfriend breaks up with her because she’s “not romantic enough” (Josh is trash). They work together throughout the semester on winning Josh back but maybe fall in love a bit themselves?

I would die for Poppy who was probably my favorite character. While I loved to watch relationship develop between Ash and Marlow I wish we had gotten to experience more of it on the page. Overall, a nice light little YA romance with some added mushroom and jellyfish facts. Would recommend!

A BIT OF A LETDOWN.

I loved the authors previous book and it had made me all the more excited to pick this one up, and I’m not quite sure what to do about my thoughts.

My biggest issue was that for 90% of the book it was focused on the FMC getting back together with her ex. This left very little room for the new relationship to form and for a spark of true chemistry to be there. I was so tired of the constant focus on her ex. What I got of the romance was so sweet and I needed more.

I did like the general themes. I loved the acknowledgment of the power of romance books and how we can all love in our own ways and how important that part of our selves is. I liked the tight friendship group for Marlowe and a realistic family life too.

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary Romance
Language: low
Romance: kisses

I thoroughly enjoyed this super cute YA novel by Serena Kaylor that is Abby Jiminez-esque. I was sucked in from the first chapter and while it was predictable (what love story isn't), I couldn't help but root for Marlowe and her quest for romance. I loved that Math was involved and enjoyed the autism portrayal of Marlowe. I will absolutely read more books by Serena Kaylor! Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet trope-y YA rom com with a good neurodivergent character in Marlowe and a cool male lead in Ash. I liked this for the characters and the reference to romance novels. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Perfect for the younger YA crowd.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books.

The main character of Marlowe was tough to connect with. She came across as being neurodivergent (though that isn't specified in the story), but didn't have a lot of vulnerability that made me want to root for her.

This would be a better read for a younger audience, which is fitting given that it’s YA. But I as a twenty six year old had a hard time not rolling my eyes at some of the dialogue.

There’s a lot of character development with the side characters in this one, almost more so than with the love interest. I would’ve liked more of a focus on their story than the overall story world. It was a bit slow, so I was glad to have it on audio also so I could just mindlessly listen to portions which weren’t keeping me entertained.

Overall, would recommend for ages 13-17 but I don’t know that anyone who is older would enjoy the story.

I devoured this book in one night, unable to put it down. It had me giggling and kicking my feet the entire time.

What I adored about this book:
- The portrayal of a beautifully complex autistic female main character, Marlowe, was captivating. I found her journey incredibly sweet and nuanced.
- The character Ash was written in a way that left me awestruck. He was the ultimate grumpy, quiet boy who falls first, and I became completely obsessed with him.
- The book's in-depth examination of reflecting on a past relationship and realizing its unhealthy nature struck a chord with me. Having been in a toxic relationship during high school without realizing it at the time, I deeply related to this aspect of the story.
- The emphasis on the importance of true friendships was heartwarming and resonated with me on a personal level.

What I didn't love as much
-It ended. That's it. I loved it

The second I ended it, I wanted to start it again. If it was 2am, I probably would have.

I give The Calculation of You and me 4.5 Starts (adjusted to 5 for Goodreads and NetGalley)

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Serena Kaylor, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Calculation of You and Me in exhcange for my review

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc.

Unfortunately, it just didn’t hit the spot for me.
2-2.5/5 ⭐️

This book had so much potential but it fell a bit short for me. The beginning was rough and took me forever to get into, I probably put this book down and restarted at least five times. There was nothing captivating about the first chapter at all. Finally grabbed my attention and I needed to finish once I hit about 65%, and then was sadly disappointed by the very short and abrupt ending. Marlowe and Ashton deserved more time! I love the autistic representation in this book, but was not the biggest fan of Marlowe and found her character to be a bit boring. I was more drawn to Ashton and Odette.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad book and I see it has many glowing reviews, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor is a delightful romantic comedy that can be enjoyed in one sitting. This novel is filled with heartfelt moments and clever sarcasm, making it a truly engaging read.

If you love Ali Hazelwood, you will absolutely adore this romance! I absolutely loved every second of it. It’s smart, funny, and an addicting read. Once you pick it up, you won’t want to put it down!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc of this book for an honest review.

I don’t even know where to begin with this story. I absolutely loved it! I was engrossed within a couple chapters and I couldn’t put it down!

I loved the autism representation as well as the LGBTQ+ representation in the this book! Marlowe was such a wonderful character and I loved watching her grow and learn her self worth throughout the story. I loved her family and I was absolutely obsessed with her friends, Poppy and Odette! Honestly, there wasn’t a single character in this book that I didn’t like except for Josh, but I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to hate him 🤣 Also, Ash is absolutely one of my new favorite MMCs! He was adorable and he treated Marlowe so well.

I loved how big of a role romance books played in this story! I also loved that it included the romance lesson trope. I’m a sucker for when a boy is supposed to help a girl get another guy and then they fall in love with each other instead.

I did get slightly frustrated with how long it took for Marlowe to see that Josh was bad news, but that is the danger of reading a YA book when you’re an adult. I’ve already lived through everything the characters in the book were going through so I saw the red flags immediately 🤣 this fact didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story at all though!

If you love a good sweet romance with a HEA and awesome characters and representation then please get this book when it comes out on June 18th!!

This book was so good!!! It's another YA romance to recommend!

Marlowe & Ash are unexpectedly paired together on a project, and neither of them seems happy about it.

What comes next, along with Odette & Poppy (love them both) is a delightful look at young love. All the ins & outs, ups & downs.

Marlowe being autistic is secondary to the story but so important to read about. I think many people, autistic or not, can appreciate the struggles she has and how she gets through them.

I could see this book as a movie, for sure!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. It’s felt like a mash up of all my fave 90s/2000s teen rom-coms, but with more care, nuance, and neurodiversity. I can’t even pinpoint my favorite thing about it because it’s all the little pieces (Marlowe’s great friends, her surprisingly amazing parents and relationship with her sister) that add up in a glorious way.

This is such a cute, inclusive YA romance, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Emma Lord. Loved the representation of neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ characters, and the celebration of the romance genre as part of the narrative. I did have a hard time buying into why she ever liked Josh; his character is supremely unlikeable.

This books feels like an homage to rom coms and iconic teen movies like A Cinderella Story, She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You. It's a fun summer read!

I absolutely adored this book! It's funny, quirky, sweet, and has amazing representation. Marlowe has a solid couple of friends that always have her back, unlike the group she used to hang with when she was dating Josh who now ignore her existence. When Marlowe and her ex Josh are paired up for an English project, an unlikely hero in the form of Ashton Hayes steps in and offers to be her partner. Cue the cuteness and yes, some angst, and Marlow discovering what she really wants. Spoiler, it's not Josh. The sibling rivalry was dead on, Poppy and Odette were the best friends any one could hope to have. Ash was perfection, he was moody and grumpy, but had such a soft spot for Marlowe, he treated her with respect, kindness and patience, even though it was killing him watching her try to win Josh back. Highly recommend, it's low drama and will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling.

The Calculation of Me and You is an addictive YA read that had me hooked from the first page! I devoured it in one sitting, staying up way past my bedtime. The angst-filled journey from enemies to lovers had my heart racing and rooting for the characters. A must-read for fans of YA romance!

Thanks netgalley and the publisher for this eARC

DNF @ 15%.

There’s YA that anyone can enjoy, and YA that reads very young. I’m disappointed that this was the latter. I was hoping this would give me that same feeling as “Better Than The Movies” by Lynn Painter did. Unfortunately, it felt somewhat immature.

She’s pining after her mean ex who talks down to her? In 2024. Also, it feels like the word “Momma” appears at least once a page. That’s kind of what pushed me over the DNF edge.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

This was a YA romance about a girl who is autistic and is dumped because she doesn't show her love. Que the sexy English partner to teacher her how to be romantic with close proximity, and all the feels. This was so perfect and reminded me of a YA version of the kiss quotient. Definitely enjoyed this and would recommend.

3.5

This took me a bit to get into, but I ended up enjoying it in the end. After Marlowe gets dumped by her boyfriend, she concocts a way to get him back by having a moody songwriter help her write romantic letters. Marlowe's problem, according to her ex, is she isn't romantic enough. Marlowe also happens to be autistic, which I think the author was using as part of the reason she wasn't romantic enough for Josh. She doesn't always pick up on social cues and is obsessed with mushrooms and math. She describes herself as the weird and unpopular girl who can't understand why she gets asked out by Josh in the first place and can't understand why he dumps her. The confusion continues when Ashton volunteers to be her partner for a class project, which is where she discovers his songwriting abilities and his romantic side.

The characters in this were all well-written, including the side characters. It showed that you can't always judge someone by the way they dress or talk, and people can surprise us in many ways. It was easy to get frustrated at times because Ashton so very obviously had a thing for Marlowe, but she was still too obsessed with trying to get back Josh to notice. Of course, I'm sure we've all been there before in our lives. I know I have. It's easy to get caught up in something you think you want, even if you know deep down it isn't good for you.

There were lots of cute moments throughout the book, and I really enjoyed the ending. Recommended for those who enjoy YA contemporary romances without a lot of spice.