As someone who was involved in a situationship in high school and college, this book felt personal. Despite the fact that I was pissed off the majority of the time, I really resonated with the FMC. I used to settle and make excuses when the guy would treat me like the scum of the earth. Leaving him was the best thing I could have ever done for myself. As painful as it was to give up on him, I applaud myself for doing what is in my best interest.

'Call It What You Want' is het debuut van Alissa DeRogatis en biedt een eerlijke blik op de complexiteit van moderne relaties, met name 'situationships'. Het verhaal volgt Sloane Hart, een laatstejaarsstudente die vastbesloten is haar diploma te halen en haar droom na te jagen om schrijfster te worden in New York City. Haar plannen worden echter gecompliceerd wanneer ze Ethan Brady ontmoet, haar mysterieuze bovenbuurman met een gesloten verleden. Hun relatie, zonder duidelijke labels, ontwikkelt zich tot een intense band die zowel opwindend als verwarrend is. ​

DeRogatis slaagt erin de emotionele achtbaan van een 'bijna-relatie' vast te leggen, waarbij de chemie tussen Sloane en Ethan zowel meeslepend als frustrerend is. De afwisseling tussen de perspectieven van beide hoofdpersonen biedt een diepgaand inzicht in hun gedachten en gevoelens, waardoor de lezer begrip krijgt voor hun keuzes en onzekerheden. ​

Toch heeft het boek gemengde reacties ontvangen. Sommige lezers prijzen de herkenbaarheid en emotionele diepgang, terwijl anderen kritiek hebben op de herhalende plot en het gebrek aan karakterontwikkeling. Zo merkt een recensent op dat het verhaal soms repetitief en oppervlakkig aanvoelt, wat de betrokkenheid bij de personages vermindert. ​

Al met al is 'Call It What You Want' een gedurfde verkenning van de grijze gebieden in moderne relaties. Het boek biedt een rauwe en eerlijke weergave van liefde en zelfontdekking, wat het tot een waardevolle leeservaring maakt voor degenen die de complexiteit van menselijke connecties willen begrijpen.

This book had potential, but ultimately fell flat. While it realistically portrayed the toxicity of Sloane and Ethan’s on-again, off-again situationship, it lacked depth, chemistry, and engaging storytelling. The writing felt surface-level, with minimal inner monologue or emotional exploration, making it hard to connect with the characters. The constant repetition of breakups, hookups, and excessive drinking made the story feel stagnant. Additionally, the dual POV often rehashed the same scenes without adding much insight.

On the positive side, Lauren was a standout character, and the Taylor Swift references were fun. However, the book’s normalization of unhealthy behaviors and lack of a compelling plot made it a frustrating read.

⭐️⭐️/5 – Wouldn’t recommend.

I just could not get into this book. I really wanted to like it. I don’t know if I can recall a book that I just could not get into like this book. That’s a bummer to say but it’s the reality. I don’t even know if I’d go back to try to finish.

I did not enjoy this book for various reasons. First, it is NOT a romance. It reads more like journal entries, and I don't mean that as a positive. The alcohol consumption and descriptions of what the characters are drinking is shocking. I have been a college girl, I have drank my far share of drinks in solo red cups. This work glorified overconsumption of alcohol and the need for alcohol to have a good time. I could have cared less about Ethan and Sloane. Be together, don't, I don't care.

I had a tough time getting into this one. The plot felt a bit repetitive and the main characters lacked development and growth. I wasn't able to finish this one...

What I liked: The author didn’t stick to the same old romance tropes. Instead it’s about a woman who can’t let go of a one-sided relationship.

What I disliked: Not much of a plot and very repetitive.

Call It Wat You Want is NOT a cutesy romance. It is, however, a good February read. Our lead gal pal Sloane Hart meets Ethan Brady her senior of college in 2016 because they are neighbors. The connection is instant, but try as she might, Sloane can't make Ethan settle down with her. At the end of the day, they never advance from sex to boyfriend and girlfriend. Still, Ethan is her first love: the man she can never get out of her head even when she moves to a different city. Even when she finds a boyfriend who loves her more than anything. Sloane's heart is Ethan's, but will his ever be hers? Before I get mean to Sloane in my review, the author Alissa DeRogatis herself has said that this book is inspired by her own situationship in college. To that, I say that I am sorry and guys can truly suck.


Alright. The thing about on again/off again romances in books is that they make me want to hit the MC over the head a million times over. Sloane is no exception. She keeps crawling back to Ethan and accepting terrible treatment. He says she ruins good nights by asking to be more. He strings her along. He gives his number to other girls. She accepts it every time. When she finally gets a boyfriend that treats her well, she knows it. She says in her narrative that this guy is the one she should be with. Does that stop her treating him badly? God, no. Because she has been treated poorly, she now treats this poor schmuck badly, and it is all because of some loser who will never commit to her. Sloane needs to take a break from dating and be single. It is okay to be alone. You should be comfortable with yourself. Of course, she lives in a book and needs a character arc that shows transformation from the beginning to the end, so she does have to be flawed.


Something I truly liked about DeRogatis's writing is that it did feel true to life because of the details she employed to date the story. Some people hate when books date themselves, but I love it because they feel real. The characters are graduating in 2016. They listen to The Chainsmokers and wear chokers. It feels like 2016 in the most cringey way possible. We were all there. We all lived through it. Now we get to read about it. That is so fun! Then, we get to see the music and background change as time goes on. Great.


Overall, I liked this book and it is a quick read. My favorite? No. If she were with me right now, I'd tell Sloane to sit down and watch He's Just Not That Into You. It's a great movie with a good lesson. You need to know your worth to find the love you deserve and have the courage to leave when you are not loved.

Call It What You Want is a gripping, emotional rollercoaster about love, mistakes, and second chances. DeRogatis crafts a compelling story with complex characters you can’t help but root for.

⭐⭐⭐ (2.5/5 stars)
🌶️ (Low spice)

Tropes:
💔 Situationship
🎭 Damaged hero
✍️ Aspiring writer FMC
🎵 Taylor Swift references
🚩 Red flags everywhere

Quick Take:
A raw, honest look at modern situationships that will have you screaming "GIRL, RUN!" at the pages. While the story perfectly captures the frustration of wanting someone to be "the one" who just won't commit, the repetitive narrative and underdeveloped backstories hold it back from being a higher rated read.

Why You Might Pick This Up:
- Painfully realistic portrayal of toxic almost-relationships
- Perfect for processing your own messy dating experiences
- Strong Taylor Swift vibes
- Quick read that hits close to home
- Sometimes you need a book that chooses reality over romance

Best for recovering delulu girlies and anyone healing from a situationship. Not every love story needs a happy ending to be worth telling! 💭

*If you're looking for a book that validates rather than romanticizes modern dating struggles, this might be your read.*

I know that this is an author debut... but oh my gosh this was insufferable.

Sloane and Ethan are two of the worst people you could ever read about, and the fact that this book is supposed to make me feel anything for either of them is wild. I picked this up because of a pretty cover and a Taylor Swift song reference, and all I got was 280 pages of two horrible people who make each other miserable.

I don't know how either of them had friends because they were only interested in each other, and even then all Ethan wants to do is make Sloane consider ending it all when he leaves her every single time. I understand that this is supposed to be for anyone who has been in a situationship and maybe since I've never had one, I can't truly understand. But holy cow, it does NOT make for a good book. Maybe if Sloane was a better person, I would have cared about her having her heart broken. But instead, all I said was "welp... you deserved that".

Don't pick this one up unless you want to have a horrible reading experience.

I appreciated the sentiment of this book and do believe that it will resonate with a good amount of people. I just found it hard to root for the main character. I felt like it was a bit repetitive and the plot seemed cyclical. When she finally decided to break the cycle, I felt like I had checked out much earlier in the book.

Call It What You Want by Alissa DeRogatis is a poignant exploration of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery set against the backdrop of a college senior’s turbulent final year. Sloane Hart is focused on her future, but when she meets Ethan, her magnetic and mysterious neighbor, she finds herself caught in a complicated and intense connection. As their bond deepens, Sloane must navigate the push and pull of unspoken emotions and unresolved pasts. DeRogatis weaves a heartfelt story of growth, vulnerability, and the messy nature of relationships, offering a captivating read for fans of slow-burn romance and emotional complexity.

This book was real, messy, and also addicting. I actually really enjoyed myself here and found that even though we did not end up with an HEA it was realistic and I like that. I would still recommend giving this book a try if it interests you.

Loved this one! The characters were fun and felt very realistic. It was almost a throw back to college for me. It’s also quite enjoyable to have a tall dark and handsome MMC.

There’s something about college romances that feel nostalgic. But seeing the constant emotions and the feel of intense relationships is definitely a college trademark and this book showcases it well.

This book was packed with angst, heartbreak, heartache, and the emotions of messy love.

Sloane and Ethan met in college and had a fling, neither believing in love. But Sloane fell, and Ethan…well, he did too, but he struggled to let his walls down.

These two were very on and off again, and I really don’t like when the main characters are with other people during a “break up.” I guess it’s not cheating since they’re broken up, but still. And Ethan and Sloane weren’t technically together, since they had no labels. But it was obvious they loved each other.

<spoiler>And fine, Ethan slept with another girl. And I hated that. But at least it wasn’t detailed. And later, Sloane started dating someone else after her “official break up” with Ethan. But then she cheated on that guy, who was amazing, with Ethan. Like girl, what the f*ck.”</spoiler>.

Sloane really loved Ethan, and he obviously had feelings for her. They couldn’t stay away from each other. And my heart broke for Sloane because she tried so hard, but Ethan just couldn’t get past his hang-ups. He loved her, but…it wasn’t enough.

I didn’t like this book because of the cheating, and the no HEA for the couple. But I also couldn’t stop reading it. It was messy, it was emotional, and it’s real.

Ended up DNFing this one around 40%. It was just way too New Adult college, first love, toxic relationship, angsty for me. The FMC can't move on from Ethan who is her first college crush but who continually treats her like dirt and won't let her move on the one time she actually tries. Too much drama for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I love the story behind why this book was written and the message Alissa DeRogatis wanted to share with readers. However, for that reason, I just didn’t enjoy reading it.

This is like reading my own journal but it's well written and funny. In the most relatable way, DeRogatis outlines the absurdity that is being in a situationship in your 20s in NYC. It happens to all of us, but this is the only way it's fun. She knocked it out of the park with this.

I have been waiting for this book for so long and I felt so seen. it hurts me but it was so good... I felt like Alissa was in my brain because I actually went to a spiral and made me think about my situation too. books like this is what the girls (me) want