When I started this book I immediately liked Rowan. She had a devastating past and still dealt with her scars to the best of her ability. She learned to live with her traumas and never let it stop her from living her own life - that is, until we're talking about romance.

I think the author managed to show really well how frustrating and hard it was to date for someone like Rowan. That is, until the last few chapters. I can understand Rowan being afraid to let go of people who hurt her because she doesn't think she'll ever find someone else who'll like her, but sometimes it felt like the book wasn't going forward because Rowan wasn't able to make a clear decision about what she wanted and/or needed.
I also have to mention the chapter where she lost her mind over seeing Jack talking to a woman. It was a very out of character, unjustifiable moment that didn't even get solved in a satisfying way. It felt as if she only became quite mean so there could be a conflict to solve. It felt both unnecessary and out of place, in my opinion.

Overall, I thought this was a nice book, and I would've given it 4 stars if not for those last chapters where things felt a little messy and dispensable.

I read this over two days - and loved it. Initially I wanted to read this because my arms, hands, and legs are covered in scars from being hit by a car as a pedestrian when I was a teenager and the dozen-plus subsequent surgeries I had after. When I was younger, I was highly insecure about my appearance and it made me feel lesser than.

I adored Rowan and Jack, the Little House, and the neighborhood and Edgar Allan Poe (we have our own black cat - our little panther).

Jack and Rowan both grow and evolve over the course of the story and it adds a wonderful depth. The secondary characters add so much.

I enjoyed this one very much.


*I am curious as to exactly where Rowan teaches high school in North Carolina that she’s able to afford to keep a bunch of always hungry teenagers stocked up with snacks.

*Being given an ARC always feels like an honor to me as well ❤️



Thank you to Jessica Sherry and NetGalley for the DRC

I really enjoyed this book. It is a slow burn, and I wasn't overly impressed with Jack at the start, but he stopped acting like a (Jack)*ss eventually.

I related to Rowan's insistence that reading romance wasn't for her as this is a stance I previously held as well. If you'd told me two or three years ago that I'd be willingly reading romance novels and enjoying them I would've laughed, but there is a lot of depth to these stories that aren't in a lot of other genres. She realizes this as well, and I enjoyed the discussions about moving away from only reading books written by long deceased, straight white men. Jack being the romance writer was a nice change, because it's generally the other way around and the woman has to defend her choice to write "fluff" or whatever they decide to call it until the man has an epiphany that the stories aren't just for women.

The side characters were lovely. Rowan already had a decent support system in place, but she found an entire neighborhood of friends and supporters. Sara was also a nice addition. It's actually hard to believe SO MUCH was packed into this book, but I think that's largely because the relationship building was subtle and played a long game despite their shift from enemies to friends being rather quick.

Rowan's insecurity was persistent and prevalent throughout the book, and it was disheartening to see how many people only viewed her as a scarred person. Dean was a shallow person, but also a very shallow character. It was hard to get a read on him as a result, and his behavior once he came back from his summer of acting didn't seem in line with the way he'd behaved through the other 70% of the book.

I also loved the cats named after literary figures, the fact Jack was covered in tattoos tied to books, and the way Rowan interacted with her English students.

I'd suggest Yes No May to fans of Emily Henry, Ashley Poston, and Katherine Center.


4.5 ⭐️

Rowan's definitely a woman who's insecure about her physical appearance (her burns, namely), and is settling for a person who she thinks is her best option (despite, imo, some very red flags). In many ways, she was very relatable and I understood her insecurities. I'm really happy she was able to find someone who makes her feel confident about herself and properly loved. I Loved the neighbors: a rowdy, eclectic bunch of people who take of their own and were like a second family to each other. Jack started off rough for me, but he slowly grew on me. He definitely has a way with words and I was pleasantly surprised by his sweetness! I swooned at his references/quotes from various works of literature. It was great to see how their shared love of books drew them closer together. Jessica Sherry's writing was humorous and flowed really well. I teared up a few times because I was rooting for Jack and Rowan so much!

A touching romance for the bookworms out there. This was the first book I've read from Jessica Sherry, but definitely not the last!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely adored this book! I was rooting for Jack and Rowan the entire time and I loved reading about their story together as well as their stories as individuals.

This was an adorable story that had me hooked from the very start and I would definitely read from this author again!

loved this romance between a teacher and writer who end up being neighbors. loved the other neighbors and how they ended together. I loved that they worked out their issues and she was able to love again. I loved that jack was able to talk to his brother and rowan helped a teen. I liked that she was figuring things out with her relationships. I stayed up way to late reading this book and enjoyed it. loved jack .

This book is my favorite of this month for sure. The story is so well written. Once I started it, I couldn’t stop reading. I cried half of the book. Rowan and Jack story is so beautiful, both of them learning what love really could be like. The bound that keeps all the neighbours together. It is one of those contemporary romcom I will recommend to anyone who will listen. I will definitely check other works by this author.

While I gave this four stars, it's really a 3.75. This book is so sweet and easy to get lost in. It was absolutely perfect for reading on a stormy day. I loved all the characters and banter. I really liked Rowan and thought she was very down-to-earth and believable. Jack's f-boi persona was a little harder to buy. The explanation for his behavior and past relationships didn't really make sense. However, I still think Rowan and Jack were very sweet together. This book definitely made me realize how much I loved small-town/found family romances.

At its heart, this is a book about loving and, more importantly, allowing yourself to be loved.
 
Jack and Rowan might initially seem like opposites, but in truth, they have far more in common than they realize - both are shaped by their pasts, choosing to close themselves off to the possibility of love. Sometimes it takes meeting the right person to strip you of your insecurities and break down your walls.
 
Rowan’s seemingly delicate exterior belies her inner strength, something she doesn’t quite see in herself, but something that Jack recognizes from the moment he first lays eyes on her. A traumatic injury has left her feeling inherently unlovable, willing to settle for the first nice guy that pays her any attention, a fellow teacher named Dean, her (maybe) fiancé.
 
Jack is the other side of the coin – on the exterior he’s gruff and cocky, with a playboy reputation. As Rowan and Jack get to know one another, she begins to see the kind, caring man hiding underneath and he comes to realize that his tragic past has left him with a fear of true intimacy.
 
This may seem a little out of left field, but allow yourself to love flawed characters – neither Jack nor Rowan are perfect. In fact, there are aspects of both of their personalities that are downright unlikable at first. I often find myself annoyed at readers who complain about a character’s flaws but fail to acknowledge their growth. Jack and Rowan bring out the best in one another, which is sort of the whole point of love, right? Finding a person who brings out the best in you? They make each other better people. They grow and evolve, as people should. Even Dean has some redeemable qualities in the end.
 
As for the book’s plot and pacing, I found both to be very satisfying. The quirky neighbors are a fun addition, bringing some much-needed levity. Given the aforementioned past traumas and tragedies, be aware that there are some serious aspects to this story, but it never feels heavy or weighted down by those aspects. Trigger warning for the death of a sibling, cancer, fostering, child abuse, and assault.
 
A couple of things kept this from being a five-star read, in my opinion. For one, I found the whole fostering process to be overly simplified. It wouldn’t have taken much to explain that Rowan was already qualified to be a foster parent or to add a home visit, both things that would have been necessary for her to take in Sara. It’s a small nitpick, but valid just the same. And, while I enjoyed this book, I didn’t find myself consumed by it. (That’s the difference between four stars and five, in my opinion.) The author definitely has that potential, based on the quality of her writing, but this book didn’t quite resonate in that way for me. I very much look forward to reading more of her work.
 
Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced reader copy of this book.

I read this book in about a day and a half, it sucked me in right from the beginning. At first I thought it was going to be a more traditional neighbors to lovers kind of story, but it was so much more than that. It was emotional but also heart warming. The characters felt like they could have been real people, and I loved all of the extra side characters that were integral parts of the story. I would recommend this to anyone, an easy read but it still sticks with you afterwards.

I really enjoyed reading this and Jack was so sweet even if he sometimes acted like a douche. A slow burn enemies to friends to lovers if you're into that like me.

Contemporary rom com with a bit of spice. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The writing and story line hooked me right away. Though it lost some steam for me near the end; overall it was really good. The quirky characters were a lot of fun, the female lead's choices felt reasonable, and the male lead's character growth was believable. There were heart tugging moments, amusing situations, and great banter.
I would definitely read more from this author.

It is truly a statement of a book when you read it within two days. While I gave this book four stars, it's really 3.5. I wanted to connect with Rowan, I really did, but for someone written as confident and independent, I got tired of her hand wringing when she was faced with a big or difficult decision. I understand she is cautious considering her past both in her life and with romantic relationships, but something just felt off. Jack's turn around from f*ck boi to man of the house worked but barely. The story that his relationship with Evie caused his behaviour of having extremely casual relationships (no attachment) but per Jack's own words, he never felt anything for Evie other than a quick bang. Maybe I'm missing something here.

I will say the relationship with Sara and Rowan, and later with Adam felt real as well as Rowan's interaction with Dean. I would have liked a more realised character of Mira and Jane. It felt like Sherry was knocking off a check list of diversity. Also, more with Rowan and her mom would have been good.

Despite my misgivings, and complaints, it was overall a solid story. Sherry is new to me and it has piqued my interest to read more of her work.

Yes No Maybe by Jessica Sherry is such a lovely story!
Rowan, a high school English teacher, navigates life keeping everyone - including her boyfriend - an arms length away. At 15, she was burned by boiling water, and the physical scars that remain on her face, neck, and arm are not her only scars from the incident. After a school play her students put on, her boyfriend Dean proposes to her. Even knowing she hates eyes on her, he still drags her onto the stage. When nerves take over and she fumbles her answer, Dean is embarrassed and mad. He needs space and is going to spend the summer pursuing his acting career.. without Rowan. After he leaves, Rowan is moving into her new house when she meets her obnoxious, party- boy neighbor, Jack. Despite their first impressions, it turns out they have quite a bit in common. Will her new connection with Jack bring her the confidence she needs to stand up for the life she wants? Or will she settle...?
I loved Rowan as a character! She's sweet, down to earth, and a touch spicy when needed!
Thank you #NetGalley and Jessica Sherry for an advanced readers copy of Yes No Maybe in exchange for an honest review. It was so good, and it got me through a rough day. Thank you!