Yes No Maybe by Jessica Sherry is an irresistible contemporary romance that is equal parts heartfelt and humorous. The story follows Rowan Mackey, a teacher who has spent years hiding from the world and avoiding romance after experiencing emotional scars from her past. When she buys a house next to Jack Graham, a charming yet troubled bestselling romance author with a penchant for partying, sparks fly—and not always in a good way. Their initial clashes turn into a compelling and slow-burn romance as they both challenge each other to open up and confront their pasts.

One of the standout elements of Yes No Maybe is its emotional depth. Rowan’s journey toward self-acceptance and healing is relatable and inspiring. Her evolution from a guarded, emotionally wounded woman to someone willing to take risks in love is both empowering and satisfying to read. Jack, with his own vulnerabilities and creative struggles, adds complexity to their dynamic, making their romance feel genuine and earned.

The tension between them is palpable, but it’s the emotional growth—both personal and relational—that makes this novel truly shine. Sherry’s writing combines the perfect balance of humor and poignant moments, and her characters are well-crafted with layers that go beyond surface-level attraction. The book explores themes like vulnerability, self-worth, and the importance of embracing imperfections.

Yes No Maybe is a wonderful read for fans of contemporary romance with a rich emotional core. It offers a refreshing take on the opposites-attract trope, with endearing characters and an uplifting message. If you're looking for a romance that feels both real and hopeful, this book is a must-read​.

This is everything it promises to be! This is at once light-hearted and still discusses serious topics. This is a romance of insta-annoy to eventual true love. I couldn't put this down! Rowan and Jack are stunning and their banter and eventual soft touch with one a other is breathtaking.

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.

I strongly recommend this book to all romance enthusiasts.

What I expected to be a cute, sweet story took me on an unexpected journey. The characters were well-developed, and their personalities really came to life. I became invested in their story and found myself cheering for their happy ending.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Teacher and fix-it queen Rowan Mackey avoids attention. Afflicted with serious burns as a teenager, she gets too many unwanted stares already. Consequently, her difficult dating history has taught her to dislike romance, too. So, it’s no surprise when her boyfriend’s extravagant public proposal goes sideways.

Longing for a safe, quiet life with Dean and believing his “independent together” arrangement is her best hope for companionship and a family, Rowan buys the perfect little house to fix things.

Problem is… she shares a property line with Jack Graham, a bestselling romance writer and party-centric playboy, who quickly becomes her next door nemesis. He makes it very clear—he doesn’t want a new neighbor. But when clashes with Rowan end his year-long writer’s block, he must explore his creative fascination with his reluctant muse under atypical Neighbor. Engaged. Off-limits.

These opposites attract, forging a surprise connection. Boundaries vanish as tension rises between them, and they face emotionally charged choices.

Thought that this was an interesting read. Cannot wait to read more from the author. Will recommend to others.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.

These guys are so cute. I loved it.

This heartfelt romance follows Jack Graham and Rowan Mackey. Rowan is a high school teacher who is struggling with her traumatic past. She finds safety in her routine (albeit boring and stagnant). Enters Jack, a romance novelist who moves next door to Rowan. Both work through their insecurities and finding new possibilities in each other.

This book had more emotional depth than I thought was possible in a rom-com book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook.

Run don’t walk. This book is a breath of fresh air and so much love !! I love watching the growth in this book by both main characters and so thankful it played out the way it did!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

Slow burns really are a hit or miss for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one so much! The main characters feel real, like I might actually run into them in the real world. Our side characters have just the right amount of depth, even though I was left wanting just a little bit more from them, I liked them a lot. Rowan buys the cutest house that she loves and plans on fixing up, as she is a fixer by nature. However, her neighbor, Jack, has made it ABUNDANTLY clear that he doesn't want to live next door to her...even though tensions slowly rise between the two creating a surprise connection between the two of them.
Jack and Rowan's love story from the beginning is so beautiful, that I was definitely crying on more than one occasion while reading this. Okay maybe like 20 times?!!?! I definitely had a feeling Rowan had a thing for Jack almost instantly, even though she was with Dean.
This book is so incredibly well-written, the pacing is perfect, the characters are literally everything, and the story feels so real and authentic! Which I definitely always enjoy in a book. I am not a fan of found family, but for this book, I feel like it really worked.
It also had my favorite tropes in it:
grumpy playboy/neighbor
he falls first
off-limits
enemies to lovers
forced proximity

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. this was a cute lil romcom! i didn't think i would love this so much, i'll definitely be recommending to friends. i appreciated the problems the characters had on their own and with each other were deeper than the usual tropes. i loved that they were able to clearly communicate their feelings with each other and were able to have a bond like you would in real life

This book was so great! It was an enemies to lovers book that I really enjoyed. It was not completely predictable which I really enjoyed!

This book was so precious. I’m a sucker for a cat on the cover and was extremely satisfied with the story! This book was so cute, as someone that is an avid reader, I love that it was an English teacher and a Writer. The story is caring and complex and had me absolutely hooked. I literally finished it within 24 hours. I highly recommend.

I really like how well-written and dynamic the characters are, and I also like how the neighborhood as a whole feels like a family. Compared to other romances I've read, this one felt a little different. I will absolutely read more from Jessica Sherry.

Thank you Author Jessica Sherry, and NetGalley for sending me this e-ARC.

A very interesting story that I enjoyed reading and although the romance was different from the classic type of romances that I usually read, I liked that the MC is from a romcom author, it seems like he wrote the story he tells.

✨ARC Review ✨

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Yes No Maybe by Jessica Sherry is everything a romance reader would want from a book. It's raw, intense, toe-curling romance, that can make anyone impossible not to fall in love with it!

So the good parts... I think this book has that only... Be it the plot, the characters, the story... Everything about this book is good only! (1) The characters... Rowan and Jack felt so unique that it was refreshing. The depth they had made it more original ! And the supporting characters, they all were unique too... Making it impossible to not recognise at least one of them later on the story! (2) The story... I admit it was a rough start for me, I even doubted my decision for requesting this book. But once I eased into it, I couldn't help myself from falling in love with this! It was surprising, in a very good way! (3) Books... Whenever there are books in a book, it is so difficult to ignore that story then... It's the ultimate gift for any reader! (4) The way the story travelled through traumas, recovery, and moving on is just great ... Upgrading it from just a romance to many things more!

Now for the not so good parts... As much as thought at the start, there isn't any actually! It's flawless from my POV!

5/5 stars for me, because I truly, madly in love with this book! The cries I had while reading was the testament for my love!!!

And if these tropes excite you,
📚 Dual POV
📚 English Teacher × Romance Author
📚 Enemies to Friends to Lovers
📚 Slow Burn
📚 Past Trauma
📚 Found Family
📚 Nosy Neighbours
📚 Grumpy × Sunshine

Then definitely try this.

Thank you Author Jessica Sherry, and NetGalley for sending me this ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is such a good story, and i love how it slides in with the first book in the series. It deals with battle scars so well, and tbh i just read the bonus epilogue as well and it makes me emotional. This book goes into the serious stuff, while also making sure theres lots to squeel and laugh about. The characters are so dynamic and wellwritten, and i love the added aspect of a whole neighbourhood that feels like family.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read Yes No Maybe!

I wish I would have had the tissues around when I began this since I did not realize how emotional this was going to make me. The disability representation was written beautifully and our MMC speaks so wonderfully (maybe because he is a romance author). If you like enemies to lovers, slow burn, disability representation and found family, this is the perfect emotional read for you!

Teacher and fix-it queen Rowan avoids attention. Afflicted with serious burns as a teenager, she gets too many unwanted stares already. Consequently, her difficult dating history has taught her to dislike romance, too. So, it’s no surprise when her boyfriend’s extravagant public proposal goes sideways. Longing for a safe, quiet life with Dean and believing his “independent together” arrangement is her best hope for companionship and a family, Rowan buys the perfect little house to fix things. Problem is… she shares a property line with Jack, a bestselling romance writer and party-centric playboy, who quickly becomes her next door nemesis. He makes it very clear—he doesn’t want a new neighbor. But when clashes with Rowan end his year-long writer’s block, he must explore his creative fascination with his reluctant muse under atypical Neighbor. Engaged. Off-limits. These opposites attract, forging a surprise connection. Boundaries vanish as tension rises between them, and they face emotionally charged choices. Will Rowan risk her safe life with Dean for a chance with the grumpy playboy next door? And will Jack change everything to find the inspiration he craves with the one woman he shouldn’t?

Yes No Maybe is a delightfully cute and heartwarming book. The chemistry between Rowan and Dean is great, and it made me feels all the emotions. I laughed, I cried and got mad and went back to being happy. These are great and strong characters with really adorable busy body neighbors. I loved the whole thing in its entirety.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was great in a lot of ways--after a horrible reading slump this was a perfect book to keep me engaged and turning pages. But it ultimately ended up feeling a little long for me. The hero and heroine go through a stopping-and-starting routine enough times that it eventually gets quite stale, and same with her being determined to have such a low opinion of him for such a long time. There are also dozens of little editing flaws that shouldn't have made it through. But overall I did enjoy it and would recommend it.