Sloane Heart is in her senior year of college, She is determined to make it the best year yet. But then of course her unexpected tall, mysterious neighbor throws a wrench in things.

I think that this was a cute and fun rom-com style book. It was very forgettable though, and I would recommend it as a pool read.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my e-arc copy.

If you have ever been in a back and forth situation-ship, this book will bring you back. There were times I would be feeling all this girl power energy and rooting for the main character, but then other times I'd be so frustrated and angry with Sloane for going back to Ethan knowing everything she knew. This book serves as a great reminder to not waste your time on someone who doesn’t give you 100% - it is not worth the excitement.

This was a whirlwind of emotions for me. I have never read a book like this one. It is the most accurate representation of a girl's mind, and I cannot stress enough how relatable the plot and writing is. It felt like Derogatis dug into my brain and put my thoughts onto a paper. Situationships are hard, but this novel conveys them perfectly. This is not your typical romance story, but I think that is the beauty of it. This is an ode to finding yourself and knowing your worth.

Let me start by saying that the concept of this book is very intriguing and I would say unique. The whole story being based around the situationship is not something I would usually prefer to read, but this book really made me so curious about that as it's also a dual POV, so you might imagine that one part of that said situationship would annoy you. And guess what? It turned out to be true! I really was annoyed with male main character, Ethan, so much, because of his insufferable behaviour, but also I wasn't rooting for the couple to stay together at all. And i think that's the point of this book, right? That you are not rooting for the couple, that you can see red flags and unlike the main female character you can see how bad and toxic those situationship might be. If you start reading this book with this mindset I think you may love it, because otherwise I feel like it might be a miss.

The story is very toxic and unhealthy, by the end it gets even worse for main characters, but once you get to author's notes you may understand the point of this book better. This is a story about toxicity, about giving your heart to the person who never wanted it in the first place, about falling in love in your twenties and getting heartbroken, about delusions so many girls have when they are in love. It's a story about real life and it may land close to heart for some people, but i think it's great when books do that.

Situationship is not an uncommon thing for most people, and while being in those situationships a person might lose their critical thinking, and this book illustrated that perfectly. I was so annoyed with Sloane, the female main character, that I wanted to shake her and tell her to look at her life. And it reminded me of my friend's behaviour when I was in situationship — she also wanted to shake some sense into me. So yes, I would said that the main point of this book a.k.a the portrayal of toxic situationship was done amazingly!

So, the characters:

I think from the beginning Sloane was following her own delusions about love and by the end, with some character growth and needed therapy, she finally moved on from those unhealthy attachments that she had. I really wish that we got to see more of Sloane's life outside her relationship with Ethan. I really hoped to see more of her friendship with Lauren and Jordan, more of her finally getting to know herself and what she's worth. It's really sad that even her big career storyline is somehow related to her situationship. I wish we saw more of Sloane after that whole fiasco as I feel like the story of healing is also worth telling.

And if I wanted to see more of Sloane, i definitely wanted to see less of Ethan, if you know what I mean. He was just getting on my nerves throughout the whole timeline of the book. He was acting awful towards Sloane and he didn't change at all by the end of the book. His inability to commit and his fear of relationship didn't make me sympathise with him as the reasoning behind them felt really bland for me. I didn't expect him to miraculously get better, but still there was no character development on his part and it was incredibly annoying to read that the character didn't change even for a bit since the very first page of the book.

Sloane and Ethan are the definition of wrong people wrong time. Everything was working against them, even Ethan himself was working against them, and I think it should've been the first bell for Sloane. It's incredibly stupid that Sloane made so many sacrifices and Ethan didn't even do the bare minimum, but again as we're talking about a story that's suppose to show us how the toxic situationships work, how usually people don't think straight when they are in love with wrong person, and how unhealthy some attachments might be. So maybe the relationship between Sloane and Ethan was suppose to feel like that — it was suppose to be very upsetting.

So why am I decreasing the number of stars? For me the story lacked depth, unfortunately. It's like the setting itself was kind of non-existent because the relationship took the prime spot. The background characters were just there, things that happened with them were briefly mentioned and that made the world of this book seem non-organic, crafted. Even the main characters were non-existent out of their relationship and I really felt that lack of connection with them throughout the whole book.

Overall, I think that this book should not be read as a regular romance book as it's quite the opposite. It's a story about delusions, about unhealthy first loves and irritating situationships. It's a story that everybody could see themselves in as no one is insured from the broken heart, from awful attachments and indecisiveness. And if you're willing to read it knowing that it's not a love story, maybe you might enjoy it like I did.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I saw soooo much of myself in this book. From so called half relationships and low self esteem. At first it was hard to read because it was like looking in a mirror, but after reflecting on it more I have really come to like this book. Would definitely recommend it and would tell girls in similar situations it gets better and to invest in yourself!

2.5 rounded up to a 3. (per Goodreads, keeping consistent here)

This was an incredibly easy read, but I think it would have been better as a novella. The same thing happened 3 times, and each time could have easily been the last. There’s no character growth at all and we just watch this back and forth unfold with no resolution.

I am not a huge fan of dual pov’s, and this one was no exception. I don’t think Ethan’s pov was necessary and honestly just made it more confusing.

The beginning was super cringey to read as it relayed all the 2016 throwback aspects and felt a bit forced.

I do like the concept of the book, however. It is so relatable to so many women. I just feel like it got out of hand and could have been portrayed better, or at least actually shown character growth. I feel like this had a lot of personal aspects despite being fiction, but it lacked the necessary format of a book with a conclusion.


*There is a random typo time-hop from 2016 to 2018 as well that is SO confusing. It’s one of the first chapters and it shows 2018 December, which is right around when the end/prologue are based so it didn’t seem like an error at first.

Thank you again NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to rate and review.

4,25⭐️
I went into this book mostly blind and I was pleasantly surprised.
This book is a love letter to everyone that had an “almost relationship”, everyone who had their own Mr. Big.
Honestly I was expecting a love story, which we do get, but more importantly than a love story we get a story about platonic love between friends and self love.
I saw myself a lot in Sloane, a girl that just wants to experience this frantic love even if it’s not the best thing for you, that feeling that a lot of us had that we couldn’t get over our first love. Thank you Sloane, for reminding me that love should never be so hard and frustrating, that it should never hurt that much and especially for reminding me that it does get better.
This book is definitely not for everyone, but, if it happens to be for you, just know that it will teach you an important lesson and that you’ll always remember it.

Call It What You Want by Alissa DeRogatis is a deep dive into the messy world of situationships and almost-love. It really captures the frustrating limbo of not-quite-dating and the chemistry between Sloane and Ethan feels real and tense.
The book centers on Sloane and Ethan, who are stuck in that "almost" phase despite their intense connection. The exploration of their fears, emotional baggage, and commitment issues is spot on for modern dating. It's messy and real, just like relationships today.
However, the story takes a controversial turn when Sloane does *something* while being emotionally involved with Ethan. This might be a turn-off for some readers looking for a cleaner love story. Also, the lack of a clear resolution or traditional happy ending might leave some wanting more closure.
Sloane’s character really hit home. Her optimism and deep love for Ethan, mixed with her struggles with self-worth, felt incredibly real. The timeline of her growth and her supportive group of friends added depth to the story.
The author does a great job articulating the characters’ emotions, even if some found the writing a bit clunky. Personally, I felt it gave Sloane and Ethan’s voices authenticity. Overall, Call It What You Want is a thought-provoking read about modern love, though its moral complexities and unconventional structure might not suit everyone.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me an ARC to this book.

I really wanted to like this book and had quite high hopes but it just wasn't my cup of tea at all.

While Call It What You Want was definitely an easy book to pick up and read, it just was not very memorable for me. The romance between Sloane and Ethan was a bit too simple for me and the characters lacked personality altogether.

I did love how Taylor Swift coded this book was (this was also one of the things that first attracted me to the book), but even as a big Swiftie, this couldn't save the actual story for me.

Whiny FMC with no self-respect who drinks 4 glasses of wine each chapter to cope with her situationship that is a walking red flag. If that sounds like a book for you, this is the one.

It's safe to say that I didn't like this book. It didn't start out bad and I had really high hopes for this to be an enjoyable book. While I thought the conversations were a bit stiff at times, it was actually written quite okay, especially for a debut. So I was really willing to cut some slack.

“Stop losing your mind over someone who doesn’t mind losing you."

If only Sloane would follow her own advice. I get what the book was trying to do and when she started to see the second love interest, the book really picked up in pace and I was excited again. But then she kept going back to Ethan, who wasn't ready far a relationship. And I get it, I get why Ethan is the way he is, but there's also this thing called self reflection which was nowhere to be seen. I was just getting really annoyed with the characters and that made me not enjoy the book.

“It’s easy to remember the good moments when they’re all we want to see.”

Then the book got boring, because it was at least 10 chapters of the same thing just written with different words. Sloane was drinking a lot and I think the author wanted to highlight that because it was a problem for Ethan because of his past, but that wasn't really clear or just not executed well. Overall, this book had a lot of potential, the writing was okay. However, the story became repetitive and I couldn't connect with the main characters so I didn't really enjoy it, but maybe someone else will.

A major thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in exchange of an honest review

First, I want to thank SOURCEBOOKS Landmark Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of "Call It What You Want" by Alissa DeRogatis.

This dual POV novel might be my newest obsession. The nostalgia of going through college in 2016, from pregaming and the songs they listened to, to the Sunday debriefs with your roommate, is vividly captured. The book is an ode to first love and the toxicity that can accompany it.

There were many warning signs that Ethan would break Sloane’s heart, and she had numerous opportunities to walk away. But, as we all do when we think we've found our person, she made excuses and stayed too long.

Alissa DeRogatis wrote this book in a way that makes you root for both main characters, feel their sadness, and understand how heartbreak can happen even without dating.

I couldn’t recommend this book enough. Overall, I would rate it a 5/5.

I overall really enjoyed this book, which follows the situationship between Ethan and Sloan. The characters felt so real, as the book doesn’t hold back diving into their flaws. Alissa does a nice job exploring both the highs and lows of their relationship and how it impact the characters! I love the side characters of Lauren and Graham! Even though Graham was Ethan’s friends first, he still tries his best to support Sloan!

I’d recommend this book who has been a situationship and is trying to find their own closure!

My Instagram post is now linked!

Almost relationships ... something that most of us can relate to from some point in our life. Alissa hit the nail on the head so many times with this “Rom-Traum” which is the perfect way to describe it. I adored this book. It had me thinking back on college, heartbreak, friendships, self-love, and more.
Plus she references T-Swift several times which is always a win in my book!

June 18th will be here soon so make sure to grab your copy! You will not be disappointed with this nostalgic, character-driven novel by debut author Alissa Derogatis.

So much of this book I found myself wanting to highlight...this quote really hit me in the feels. "Unconditional love is someone breaking down the cage of your ribs to get to your heart and you trusting they'll protect it just the same."

@dianaelliotgraham shoutout to you for the perfect description- "Rom-Traum" and I am now eager to read your novels as well!

Thanks to @netgallety, @alissaderogatis, and @sourcebooks for giving me early access to this powerful novel. I just know this first book by Alissa Derogatis is the tip of the iceberg for her literary journey.

[Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.]

This book is the perfect example of therapy being needed to heal traumas caused by people who also needed therapy and don't seek it.

Don't expect a happy ending, because from the beginning the author makes it clear that this is not that kind of story. In fact, the book makes us reflect on how the main character experienced a toxic "almost relationship," how she allowed herself to be carried away by hopes that things would be different in the future. Despite all the red flags, there was always hope that things would change. Through various situations, she shows us how difficult it is to love someone, to feel like you don't occupy the same place in their life, and yet still waste time giving them more chances, making excuses, and waiting for a better moment.

I found it interesting how the author managed to portray the character's pain, exploring the vulnerability of having a broken heart and still having to deal with the invalidation of her feelings.

Ethan makes me angry, really angry. But deep down, he's also a victim of the traumas he went through because of his parents. I don't think this is an excuse, because he's old enough to recognize this and seek help. A trauma doesn't give you a free pass to make others suffer for the rest of your life. But at least we can understand where this behavior comes from.

Sloane also makes me angry sometimes, to be honest, because she gives him way more chances than he deserves. But that’s what happens every day in real life, right? All around the world… Who hasn't forgiven someone unforgivable? It happens...

I liked the book. It’s not a favorite, but I enjoyed it. I think the author did a great job and the timeline of events made a lot of sense. I'm glad there wasn't any miraculous ending with empty promises and last-minute solutions. A realistic ending, showing that sometimes situations aren't as we expect, seemed much better to me.

Sloane had no character development during this entire novel until the last 10 pages. That’s not to saw this was all bad, I still thought it was a light, read but I do wish it wasn’t so repetitive. Reese I’m sorry you were done so wrong.

thank you net galley for the arc

Unfortunately this book is just not for me, the summary and the title was very intriguing but I was disappointed. I was bored by the heteronormativity of the story, too cliché.

Call it What You Want is a story of almost relationships. I was very intrigued by that given we’re in the the age of situationships. However I found it really hard to get into! Perhaps I am just too old (29) but the writing of the characters backstory was very juvenile. I had many jotted notes while I was reading:

- Smirnoff icing
- Teenage passenger of drunk driving, I know I shouldn’t have but hehe I was young and stupid
- Mmc inner thoughts “she gave me physical cues to stop but I could tell she liked it though”
- Wine makes him horny
- SO MUCH ALCOHOL
- why so many hugs..why?

I started liking the book more when it got to present day. It was a hard read, but one of those “oh no how could you do that to yourself” type feelings.

I would strongly caution there are heavy mentions of alcohol in the book and the FMC drinks to excess to cope a lot. Please read with care!

I think this book was very very promising, but just fell flat due to a lack of character/plot development.

A good portion of this book just felt like it kept circling back to the exact same thing with little to no change, which made it difficult for me to really connect with the characters and the plot line. I do think the side characters were very interesting, and I personally enjoyed their characterization.

I discovered Alissa DeRogatis through Diana Elliott Graham after reading When We Were, and I just had to apply for an ARC on NetGalley for Call It What You Want!

This story totally tugged at my heartstrings in so many ways. It felt like I was reading about my own college days. Falling for a "situationship" and wondering if it's "the right person, wrong time" is something so many of us can relate to.

Alissa's writing is raw & honest - it's evident this comes from a place of personal experience. I found myself falling into the same 'traps' and 'patterns' as Sloane. This book is just a beautiful and humble reminder that we are all human wanting to be loved and accepted but sometimes pick the wrong people.

Amazing job for her first debut! I am so excited to see what she comes up with next! ♡

Thank you to Alissa DeRogatis and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for an honest review!!!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The book is titled Call It What You Want, so I’m calling it what I want: A Realistic and Emotional Manifestation of how messy relationships and love can be.

Call It What You Want is about Ethan and Sloane, two complicated people in a complicated relationship.

This book was eye-opening in a way. There were so many moments that were so incredibly relatable that I wondered if the author had peered into my head for a second. This book taught me some things about myself and made me feel justified and validated.

Call It What You Want is a perfect palate cleanser for fantasy readers and a perfect summer read for all readers!

Please be advised that if you just went through a break-up, this book will make you think of your EX several times. At the same time, you might get that closure you need.

The Paperback Edition of Call It What You Want by Alissa DeRogatis releases June 18th! The Kindle Edition was released on June 2nd!

✨️🩷✨️

Some quotes I loved:

“I think we jumped into things extremely fast, and while I have no regrets, I don’t want to keep putting effort into a relationship that I’m not sure about, especially while we’re hundreds of miles apart.”

“Losing someone means you’ll eventually gain someone even better.”

“But if we weren’t meant to last, then the best I can hope for is that you use our time together as a learning experience, a source of wisdom, a reason to change.”

“The most important thing that I’ve learned over the last six months is that you need to show up for yourself.”

“Unconditional love is someone breaking down the cage of your ribs to get your heart and you trusting they’ll protect it just the same.”




This review has been posted to bookstagram and goodreads!