This book follow 2 friends on a road trip/ history tour in memory of their best friend who passed away. This book tackles grief and the different dynamics in a friend group. I enjoyed the historical aspect of the Jewish community and seeing multiracial racial characters within this community. There was Black, Jewish & Queer representation throughout the book. So the book started off extremely slow, so much so that I almost DNF the book. The switching of the POV made it very difficult to differentiate between the characters especially Nia & Jade. I am glad I stuck with it in the end because I love a friends to lovers romance. Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

This book was beautiful. The prose was gorgeous and I loved everything about this sapphic romance.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my early arc copy of this!

Nia and Jade grew up in a best friend threesome with Michal. They didn’t count on Michal dying of cancer three years previously. Michal wanted them to take a Jewish history road trip to the South before they all turned 30. And although Nia and Jade had a falling out they are willing to take the trip to honor their friend. Jonah, who was Michal’s boyfriend when she died, and is Jade’s twin, also comes on the trip.

This is a slow-burn romance and I would put it in more of a general fiction category as much of the story is taken up with the road trip. The threesome are still dealing with grief as well. I was intrigued with the Jewish history covered as part of the visits. I’ve lived in Georgia and vacationed in Savannah and Charleston and was unaware of Jewish history in the areas. It is extra intriguing as the characters are people of color. It takes getting into the story before learning the background of the characters and the cause of their falling out. Nia and Jade love each other because they have for most of their lives. But realizing they could be in love is a more dramatic step. And everything feels very weighty and angsty.

This is Katz’s second book and first f/f romance. It is very much worth reading but it covers some heavy things. Also I didn’t care for Jonah. I get why he is added into the story, but that didn’t make me like his character.

I had the pleasure of reading Whenever You're Ready by Rachel Runya Katz as an ARC, thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, and I’m so glad I did! This sapphic, friends-to-lovers contemporary romance exceeded my expectations in so many ways.

The story revolves around three childhood best friends—Nia, Jade, and Michal—who had been inseparable since they were 10. However, Michal tragically passed away from cancer a few years before the novel begins. Now at 29, Nia and Jade, along with Jade’s twin brother, Jonah (who was dating Michal before she died), set out on a Southern Jewish history road trip to honor Michal’s memory and explore their roots—a trip they had all planned to take together.

What makes the journey so compelling is the tension among the three characters. Nia and Jade had a huge falling out in the weeks after Michal’s death, and both Jonah and Jade are dealing with unresolved issues related to their loss. Despite the emotional distance, their shared grief and the close bond they once had bring them back together in a beautiful way. As the road trip unfolds, so do their hidden feelings and long-buried secrets, setting the stage for drama and romance.

One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the diversity, especially Nia, who is Chinese Jamaican. It’s rare to see that kind of representation in books, and it resonated deeply with me, as my wife is Chinese Jamaican. Seeing a character like Nia felt truly special.

While the cover initially caught my attention—its vibrant colors and sapphic vibes, the story inside held so much depth. Yes, the romance is a central theme, but this book also delves into family dynamics, grief, identity, and history, making it a rich and emotional read.

I’m giving Whenever You’re Ready 4 ½ stars (rounded up to 5). It’s a beautiful story with layers of heart and meaning, and I’d highly recommend picking it up if this sounds like your kind of read.

Thank you t St Martin's Press for this eARC! Yeesh this one hurt me. As someone who lost my best friend very young to cancer, and scattered her ashes at Disney World, this one hit pretty close to home. But the joy and love and light that Michal radiated in all of the flashbacks and through her letters also warmed my heart and reminded me of that very same friend. I don't know what it is like to be Black or Jewish or Black and Jewish but that didn't stop me from feeling the pain that Jade and Jonah were feeling on those trips because it came through so clearly and powerfully. And the chemistry and love between Jade and Nia was so strong and so palpable it kept me hooked page after page. And we love open communication and respecting boundaries and CHOOSING to be together despite, and stronger for the bad times. Just an absolutely remarkable, heartbreaking, loving, warm read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Whenever You're Ready follows friends Nia and Jade who embark on a road trip together in the wake of their friend Michal's death.

Whenever You're Ready was such a lovely read! I loved the road trip plot, and I thought the relationship between Nia and Jade was one I could read about forever. There's richness and nuance there, and their elaborate dynamic is masterfully executed. As characters, they are spectacularly well-realized, and it was so fun getting to hang out with them.

My one gripe was the pacing, only because the book got off to a slower start than felt necessary, but ultimately I think this is a fantastic and high-quality contemporary queer romance that I will definitely be recommending to anyone looking for a superb road trip read.

Three years later, Nia and Jade still deeply mourn the loss of their best friend Michal to cancer. Michal had left them letters to read on their birthdays and the letters this year are reminding them to go on the Southern Jewish History tour that they had planned to go on together before turning 30. Jada’s twin Jonah joins them on the trip. This is not quite what I normally read and I was still drawn in to the story and hoping that it all worked out in the end. This was the first that I heard about the Southern synagogues and the history surrounding them.

really cute and sweet friends to loverss sapphic rom com. really obsessed with these characters and enjoyed it an insane amount

Jade and Nia have been friends since childhood when a mutual friend introduced them. They have been inseparable since then until a terrible tragedy strikes their trio. Jade and her twin brother Jonah have a strained relationship, but they are still pretty close. Jade and Nia are not as close anymore, so taking the trip that they had promised their friend Michal doesn't seem ideal at first. They still decide to go on the trip, and Jonah also decides to join. It's a trip that helps them reconnect with their heritage and helps them deal with complicated feelings of being mixed race. There is also unspoken tension between Jade and Nia, although they care deeply about each other. Throughout the story, the characters experience growth and the opportunity to explore their feelings in depth. For many years, Jade and Nia have held some deeper feelings for each other but have been hesitant to make a move. This trip finally allows them to explore those feelings, though not without hesitation.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-arc!

Nia, Jade, and Jade’s twin brother Jonas all embark on a Southern Jewish road trip that they where suppose to go with Michal before he died of cancer. Now a letter has come that asks them to do so. The story is well written with an engaging storyline that held my interest throughout. This is a new Author to me. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Rom-traum is right! I had a little difficulty getting into this one because it’s so incredibly devastating a topic?? But I’m so glad to have read it.

As someone who is still best friends with her childhood friends, Michal, Jade and Nia’s relationship got me. I wouldn’t be able to function if I lost a friend to such a cruel disease so young.

The road trip aspect reminded me a lot of Here We Go Again (which I loved), but heavier. I really respect the conversation on Southern Jewish Heritage, and the guides not pretending the members of the synagogues were necessarily on the right side of history. It was refreshing to have such an honest and difficult discussion in a romance book.

The dynamic between the girls and Jonah (in flashbacks and present) is one of the more realistic representations of best friendship / siblings I’ve read lately. The complete honesty the characters have with each other, ugly or not, was so real. I would also lose my shit if my family all treated me differently from my twin!

Meanwhile I can’t wrap my head around Nia and Jade having mutual crushes for 20 years and never letting it slip or acting on it?? At that point I would never risk my friendship for a romantic relationship, but that’s just me!

As always, Rachel Runya Katz hits the spot! A delightfully queer romance that had me kicking my feet and giggling!

(discreetly crying coz I'm in a cab, which was preceded by me discreetly crying on a flight)

So, trope details - it's a longtime/childhood best friends to lovers, slow-burn, road trip romance, also second chance because the two friends had a fight/friendship breakup after their other mutual best friend died of cancer and they've had a hesitant truce for years from then till the road trip in the present

It took me quite a few chapters to really get into this book, ONLY BECAUSE I was impatient and wanted the friendship breakup details asap.. I took a couple days off from this book to calm that down, and it was the best decision coz this book deserves to be read patiently and cried happy and sad tears too. I went to the author's IG and saw that this book was described as a rom-traum-com and that is absolutely right.

The emotions in this book were so raw and well-written and complex, I'm speechless at them! And the third act grand gesture + hea epilogue was SO wholesome okay, I feel like crying again when I think about them

TWs - death of a mutual best friend of the MCs due to cancer (this is a major TW), grief regarding the same, cheating by an ex, friendship breakup, trauma at learning the crimes committed by your ancestors

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I loved Thank You for Sharing. So of course I had to try and read Whenever You're Ready by Rachel Runya Katz.
A gorgeous slow-burn sapphic romance that held me captive till the very end.
Rachel Runya Katz has crafted a highly enjoyable, incredibly compelling story about identity, grief, growth, and love.

The book starts out right in the middle of things with little explanation so it is a bit confusing to figure out what is going on at first. However, afterward, it turns into a mostly nice story about love, friendship, and reconciling the past with the future. Nia and Jade's relationship is extremely slow burning considering how long they've known each other. Plus, the things that keep them apart are mostly the typical annoying misunderstandings that occur in books because people keep things to themselves instead of talking to each other and resolving their issues. When they get together, it is sweet though.

Jonah seems like more of a jerk than a loving caring supportive brother. If he really cared about Jade, he would never say anything so deliberately hurtful like he does near the end of the book no matter how mad and/or jealous he was. There is a line you just do not cross if you really care about someone, and he crosses it. Plus, even though he was the one dating Michel, he seems the least affected by her death. Even if you move on from trauma, it never really leaves you and he barely seems like he was affected by the trauma of her death at all.

The fact that they embark on their trip because their late friend wanted them to makes sense, and does bring them together after a period of estrangement. However, the trip itself doesn't make sense because it seems to be mostly related to tracing some of the trauma suffered by their racial and religious ancestors, including slavery and the death of Leo Frank. It doesn't make sense why they would purposely want to subject themselves to a trip like that you would think it would be as triggering for them as it would probably for many readers of similar backgrounds.

Accordingly, unless you don't mind any extremely slow-burning romance, and you are not bothered by books dealing with grief, racism, and antisemitism, you might want to skip this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Jade and Nia, best friends who grew apart shortly after the death of their shared best friend, Michal, are coming back together (three years later) to go on the Southern US Jewish history road trip that they'd always talked about. Michal left birthday letters, and for Nia's 29th, she's told her that she needs to convince Jade, grab her twin brother Jonah, and make it happen. It won't be an easy trip, but the tension between Nia and Jade surely isn't making it easier.

There was a lot to like about this book: the queer rep, the normalizing of therapy, the dive into difficult but important history, the racial/ethnic mixed rep, and a lot of moments that just felt good. Nia and Jade were complex and difficult, but honestly, they're 29 and have a LOT going on - it feels reasonable, even though some of their conflict can feel frustrating. Also loved Jonah!

CW: mentions of death/cancer, antisemitism, sexual content

This book was such a Beautiful way to touch on hard topics while still feeling the love and growth of the characters in different ways. I appreciated how we got to see the two of them become friends and how life happened to them as to make them who they are now. Their love was beautiful to see grow and blossom into what it became.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars, rounded up.

I’ll be honest, this one was a slow starter for me and struggled to get into in the first half. But I really enjoyed the second. It was a great slow burn romance with a great backstory that is deeply moving. I also love that the book was very pro-mental health and pro-therapy in it’s approach to the characters and their issues.

Be advised, this is not a rom-com. Some of the material is quite heavy. Be sure to read the author’s content warning.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

Whenever You’re Ready is the heartwarming kind of sad that makes you feel. Nia, Jade, and Jade’s twin brother Jonas all embark on a Southern Jewish road trip that they had initially planned to attend with their other best friend, Michal, before her death. It’s been three years since they last were together in person and it’s finally time.

Honestly, Whenever You’re Ready was about so many things. Grief, antisemitism, racism, and the joy of platonic soulmates and friendship.

There were so many moments of misunderstandings, but they felt so realistic. Two queer women who have been best friends for nearly their entire lives; I can imagine how scary it feels to risk the best friendship of your life by changing the relationship by wanting more.

I laughed, smiled, and cried throughout this read. I was entranced and couldn’t put it down. I am hoping (SO MUCH) for Jonas to get a story of his own and I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

I have been anxiously awaiting Rachel’s sophomore novel ever since reading Thank You for Sharing in 2023, my favorite debut of the year.

Katz returns with a tender and emotional Sapphic romance as 2 estranged childhood best friends come back together to finish their deceased best friends bucket list 3 years after her death and their estrangement.

Through heartbreaking and vulnerable moments, Jade and Nia learn to reconnect with each other while remembering Michal and grappling with their continued grief. Their feelings that have been buried for years come back to life. But is it work the risk of losing each other once more after finally finding their way back to each other?

My thoughts:
I adore Rachel’s writing. She explores the impact of grief in such a raw and thoughtful way. Through the experiences of Jade and Nia, Katz challenges how society weighs condolences and toxic judgements about grief via the “just a friend” mentality. Jade, Nia and Michal have the most beautiful friendship, the definition of platonic soul mates. However, the depth of their grief isn’t recognized since they weren’t romantically involved with Michal like Jonah.

“I bet it feels amazing to finally be with your person. Actually, I know it does, because for me it was the two of you. Not in the same way, but just as big.”
Brb, sobbing

I love a road trip romance… the forced proximity of being in a car for long periods of time, the domesticity of traveling together and sharing meals and space and the way the romance develops as the trip is progressing. The combination of tropes and the potential is unparalleled. In WYR, Jade and Nia end up sharing a bed and the tension builds with escalating touches while they both silently challenge each other to make the next move and take it further. While the romance develops quickly (the road trip is only 1 week), it worked as they have been secretly pining for years and have a strong foundation through their friendship.

Whenever You’re Ready also confronts painful moments in Jewish American history. During their road trip, Jade and Jonah experience the “intersections of anti-Black racism and antisemitism in the American South.” (author note is a must read) I’ve really enjoyed learning about Jewish culture in Rachel’s books. TYFS details Jewish traditions surrounding grief, while this book dives further into history.

This book is a romance but also a love letter to life changing friendships. It is full of hope and heartbreak, nostalgic moments and dreams for the future, pain and joy… much like life. Rachel has quickly become an auto-buy author for me; I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Tropes & Things
• Dual POV, dual timeline via flashbacks
• Sapphic, childhood friends to lovers
• Road trip/ forced proximity
• Grappling with grief
• Southern US/ US Jewish history
• Complicated family dynamics
• Unrequited crush, or is it?
• Long time pining
• Letters from Michal
• Theres only one bed

Trigger warnings- cancer, death of a close friend to cancer, racism, antisemitism- author has a full list of trigger warnings listed in introduction

Favorite quotes:
But now, after almost three years away, everything about her is either an obvious change or carries a memory.

Like discovering her queerness almost entirely because she was discovering Jade (she probably should’ve known based on her reaction to Lindsay Lohan in Herbie: Fully Loaded, but still).

Thank you to SMP Romance for an e-ARC of this title; all thoughts are my own.