This really wasn’t for me 😭 I tried. I really liked Rowan’s character and all of neighbors. I felt like there was maybe too much going on for me with Dean, the neighborhood, Jack’s mood swings, Sara moving in, Rowan’s project.. idk I couldn’t tell where the story was going and I couldn’t get invested in Rowan and Jack together. Jack’s character confused me. I hated reading about his hook ups with other women 🙃

4.5 stars
This is an entertaining, fun, powerful story. Jack and Rowen are interesting, wounded, complex, intriguing, entertaining, intriguing, relatable characters. Their romance is sweet and entertaining to read with its twists and turns. I enjoyed them as a couple and individually. Their growth throughout the course of the story is one of my favourite things about this book. Sherry manages to tell a story with some very dark elements but in such a way that is easy to read and gives the story that much more. The secondary characters – especially the quirky neighbours – add to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into. For me, at its core this story is about people and how they survive and get strong from the events that life throws at them – it’s powerful and really well done with a depth hand.

TW: loss of a family member; child abuse (off page but discussed)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was absolutely so tender and heartfelt. Rowan and Jack were such rich characters written with such care. What I also adored was that this romance felt real. There were missteps from both characters and squabbles born from previous trauma and insecurities but each time, there was an active effort made by Rowan and by Jack to learn and love and appreciate each other. I can only hope I have a relationship one day with the respect that these two pay each other.

Thank you NetGalley and Jessica Sherry for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There is a book you could read before this but I didn’t and it was fine as a standalone.

Rowan is proposed to on stage - her nightmare - and she response in a panic with “yes, no, maybe”. Her fiancée is hurt and embarrassed and leaves for the summer to chase his acting dreams. Rowan buys a house next to a grumpy handsome author, Jack. The neighbors are a close group and immediately adopt Rowan into their group.

Rowan and Jack find themselves drawn to each other, helping each other while being annoyed with the other.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were enjoyable- relatable, flawed - I especially enjoyed when Rowan got sassy! Even the neighbors and family members were great additions to the book but not distracting.

I enjoyed the glimpse into teaching and writing (no idea how realistic it is but was interesting for me anyway!).

Found family, enemies to lovers, dual POV, he falls first.

Thank you NetGalley and Jessica Sherry for the early access copy of Yes No Maybe.

Yes No Maybe follows Rowan and Jack in a Dual POV story. Rowan, a high school English teacher who wears her heart on her sleeve, was seriously burned as a teen and prefers to not be in the spotlight due to the looks and comments. But when her boyfriend Dean puts her in the spotlight with a very public failed marriage proposal, her life is turned upside down. Taking the perceived rejection hard, Dean leaves for the summer so the two can “live independently.” That is when Rowan chooses to buy her dream home. In doing so, she is introduced to her new neighbor, Jack. Jack is a best-selling romance author, who is suffering from a year-long writers block, and has no interest in having a new neighbor. But, after a clash with Rowan, Jack is suddenly out of his writers block. Thus beginning an intriguing and layered friendship.

The character development is beautifully written. As the story progresses and more layers are removed from the characters, it’s hard not to fall in love with them. Both leads have bookish interests, so the story has literary references woven throughout in such a natural way. The secondary characters are the perfect description of a found family and loving support system. This book will be a great fit for you if you are a fan of:

Found family
Dual POV
Enemies-to-lovers
He falls first
Just-as-I-am love

Trigger warnings: Topics of assault, illness, and death.

I could not put this book down and am going to miss reading this story. It will easily become a book to reread when you are missing a sense of home.

Absolutely amazing book, and a beautiful journey from start to finish. Very well written, I enjoyed it immensely even though there were some rocky spots that made me nervous. I loved it, honestly, and definitely recommend reading if you’re a lover of girl/boy next door, bookish MCs, cats with amazing names, and super cute HEA endings. There’s so many more tropes that I adore that were included in this book, which sucked me in and kept me longing for the next one throughout. Overall, 100% will be buying a physical copy!

Yes, No, Maybe, was a book I stayed wayyy past my bedtime to finish, but it was so worth it! From page one I was hooked and invested in the two lives of Jack and Rowan. They are both neighbors and homeowners to houses that mean much more than their structural foundation. Rowan is an army brat turned High School English teacher who deeply loves her job, her students, and the good found in others and in books. She will read anything, but not the romance genre because it’s forced and absolutely fake. She transfers this theme of love on her own personal lovelife where we see her settle for okay = vanilla boy Dean because he’s simple and he doesn't go overboard for her. Just average, plain, and routine. Yup, sounds like a dreamboat there and absolutely no red flags whatsoever… 😬😬😬😬
As much as I wanted Rowan to come to grips with the truth bombs her mom and sister were always sharing about Dean, I can see why she just accepts him and “his space”. Dean’s proposal in front of the entire school for the play was just down right messy and I understand why Rowan backtracks her answer. She’s a character you want to be friend’s with and you just know she will always have your back. She is so much more than the scars that she carries both physically as being a burn victim and psychologically. She does everything in her power to stay under the radar of attention, from putting her hair down, wearing a scarf to minimizing her burn story to putting others' needs first.
The one person who sees right through Rowan’s facade is the next door, grumpy, famous romance writer, Jack Graham. Not gonna lie, Jack seemed just like a huge jerk and started off on the wrong foot for me and Rowan too. But despite bad first impressions Jack is kind, caring, as much of a book nerd as Rowan.
I really enjoyed this story so much! Reading and watching Rowan and Jack’s friendship blossom was heartwarming. There was legit trauma that Rowan and Jack endured as teens and as adults that has shaped who they are. They both help each other out and grow to be the best versions of themselves. Despite their chemistry, this wasn’t a typical romcom book. It definitely wasn’t love at first sight and for that I am so appreciative!!!
Yes, No, Maybe is quickly becoming my favorite book this month and the first book I’ve read from Jessica Sherry, but it will definitely not be the last! Finally a book worth 4.5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
**Many thanks to Netgalley and Jessica Sherry for the ARC exchange for an honest review!**

👫 Dual POV
🎭 Grumpy/ Sunshine
🏡 Found Family
🐈‍⬛❤️ Cat Lovers
📚 Book Lovers
💞 Opposites Attract
🌶️ out of 5

Rowen is a high school English teacher who has had enough negative attention in her life. So when her colleague, and boyfriend, plans an over the top proposal that puts her (literally) in the spotlight, Rowen is caught off guard and answers with “yes, no, maybe.”

When her boyfriend immediately leaves for the summer, Rowen settles into her new home next to none other than famous romance author and playboy, Jack Graham.

Rowen is determined to fix everything, her new home, her in-limbo relationship, her new foster child, and her grumpy next door neighbor.

Rowen never expected to want anything more than a safe, quiet relationship, and Jack never expected to find a muse in his new neighbor, let alone the possibility of something more.

This dual POV allowed for learning more about how Rowen and Jack’s past traumas have led them to their no-romance lifestyles and have them fighting against all odds of the possibility for something more, together.

I really enjoyed this story. It was frustrating at times to see how much Rowen really doubted her value but was beautiful to watch Jack help build her confidence and show her how much more she was worth, especially to him. I don’t typically like love triangle stories but Dean was so annoying (to me) absent that it worked.

4.25/5 ⭐️

Neighbors to lovers
Dual POV
Book nerds
Quirky, nosey, lovable neighbors

After a high school English teacher moves in next to a handsome charismatic best selling romance author, her current relationship with her yes, no, maybe Fiance becomes even more uncertain. Does she stay with her safe Fiance who off traveling without her or take a chance with her cute neighbor who can get the attention of any female?

I loved this story, it was deep and shows what a good true relationship should be and what it shouldn’t be. There were twists and sad moments as Rowan, the main female character opens up about her past and traumas. I couldn’t put the book down, wanting to know what was going to happen next. You can really see both the characters development through the story as well as their relationships with each other. I also loved the neighborhood family that was created and the love they have for each other and their town. This was a great great book!


Thank you to Netgally and Jessica Sherry for the ARC!

2.5/5

I loved Rowan as a character and enjoyed reading her story. She was smart, confident, respectful, and logical. I enjoyed her chapters a lot because she truly felt genuine. I loved seeing how she handled so many situations and her rationale behind each. The decisions she made were well informed and realistic, and her emotions were so strong and vivid. I thought she was so well written, and I enjoyed reading the dynamic she had with each character in the book. By far my favorite character and the reason I liked this book as much as I did.

Jack, however, is a strangely written character to me. I didn’t like his chapters and felt like it wasn’t a realistic depiction of how a man thinks—in the sense that it was just all over the place and inconsistent. His behavior and demeanor throughout the book was so confusing and off-putting to me. One moment he’s infatuated with Rowan, and then the next he’s lashing out at her. He felt extremely immature to me throughout the book, and I believed there should’ve been more groveling done on his end.

That being said, the pacing of the story was also a bit too fast for me . Sometimes there was too much dialogue from just the side characters without a word from Rowan or Jack. It also felt rushed to me how conflicts were resolved immediately but in a convenient but unsatisfying way. Overall, I did like this book and thought Rowan was a lovely, compelling character. Thank you to NetGalley and Jessica Sherry for the opportunity to read this!

It was ok but not my type of romance.. Found the relationships too complicated and was missing some comedy, even though I know it's not a romcom. Still a few more laughs wouldn't have hurt...

Wow this book?

I didn’t really know what to expect when I started reading but I was expecting something light hearted and funny, this book was not that, it was emotional and a torturous slow burn that was more than worth it in the end!

Did I fall hard for Jack Graham? 100%
I loved the found family in the neighbourhood and how they were so nosy and involved but not in an annoying and overbearing way!

Jack and Rowan were meant to be, and I loved every single second of reading this book.


Thank you so much for the opportunity!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️

05/05

ARC from NetGalley

I can't put into words how much I loved reading this book. It kept me up at night. I loved Jack and Rowan's personnalities, their differencies and finally their relationship. It felt different and at the same time the most normal relationship ever. I loved how they had to work for real for this relationship.
I like seeing through the book the references to classicals.
It's really well-written and the plot line keep surprising us.

This is the first book by this author I have read, but it won't be the last.

Rowan is a school teacher who is also a massive book nerd. She also has a burn scar which she is self conscious about, especially because of the tragic circumstances that created it.

When she moves into her dream home and meets her grumpy, novelist next door neighbour, they don't hit it off straight away. Even though Jack is a romance novelist (a famous one) he is carrying his own tragedy inside him. And because of they recognise each other's vulnerability, they finally become close.

But there are some obstacles in the way - most of all their inability to love themselves and embrace the loss in their own lives before they can love one another.

This is a very sweet and soulful book, funny in parts and dotted with literary references that book nerds will like but it's also a sensitive story about two people who need to see the value in themselves.

I liked the writing and the characters, particularly the sub plot of Rowan fostering Sara, but I did think there was a lot going on and maybe it went on for a bit longer than it needed to.

It's obvious to me that the author loves her characters and this really brings them off the page.

A very enjoyable contemporary romance.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A tale of two neighbors

This book had me laughing during serious heartfelt moments, and I love that in a novel. This book dealt with social anxiety mixed with self-consciousness due to a facial burn, degrading yourself, and not knowing your self-worth. There were so many elements to this story that were beautiful written. This was my first time reading this author, and based on this read, I'll be on the lookout for her next novels. And the adorable well-meaning nosy neighborhood? You can't help but love them and their quirks. Also, dual POV in a romance novel is a top tier need for me. Capturing the thoughts from both points of view just adds depth to the story. My only negative thoughts on this book were that the cover could use some work, and the description drew me in more than the cover. Even with that miniscule thing, easy 5/5 stars.

Yes No Maybe was a quick and adorable read. Rowan’s character journey and learning to not settle was moving. Jack’s transformation to a warm-hearted male lead made me root for him quickly. I honestly can say that I would be genuinely interested in reading Jack’s books based off of the descriptions that were given. I enjoyed that romance was slowly built up and it wasn’t an immediate love at first sight becuase it allowed up to fall in love with the main characters as they fell in love with each other. An enjoyable read overall,

Thanks to Netgalley and Jessica Sherry for the ARC!

This was a perfectly paced and delightful read-- I needed something lighthearted and fun, and this hit the nail right on the head! Rowan's journey of learning how to accept herself and allowing herself to believe others could like her, scars and all was inspiring and beautifully written. It made me laugh and want to cry, and I couldn't put it down (read it almost in one sitting!!) Jack was the perfect MMC (don't even get me started on the tattoos and being a cat person) and the small loving group of neighbors were just a sweet cherry on top to this read.

WOW! I have so many words for this story. It pulled on my heart strings, made me laugh, made me cry, made me mad, and made me so happy. It was beautiful. I don't want to give away any hints because you truly need to read this story. You will do the same; laugh, cry, get angry, and be happy. Rowan and Jack are great. Both such strong characters, both adding strength to the story. All the side characters are wonderful as well, well maybe not a few. Being neighbors at first Rowan and Jack don't like each other. But as they grow so does the story.
You will not regret reading this, I couldn't put it down! So emotional and heartwarming!

This was a great book! If you are looking for a great neighborhoods to lovers this book is for you. I really loved the message of this book also. The romance was so cute!

Plot: Rowan, who has literal scars inside and out, finds it difficult to face the public. Her boyfriend decides to propose in an extravagant fashion that quickly becomes a nightmare for Rowan. Enters in, Jack, who quickly becomes her next door nemesis. I think we all know where this story is going....

Lighthearted and filled with romance that makes your heart swell. Not the spicy kind, but the cute romantic little hearts kind. I found myself smiling several times throughout and before I knew it, it was over. The ending was sweet and fulfilling.