What Is This Feeling? by Robby Weber is a delightful, heartwarming exploration of high school life, self-discovery, and romance, all set against the backdrop of a quirky musical theatre production. Nolan and Jared's slow burning romance is beautifully done, capturing the vulnerability and excitement of young love, while the nods to musical theatre (including some memorable references and cameos) make it feel like a love letter to fans of Broadway. The diverse representation is a breath of fresh air, showcasing characters with different identities and backgrounds in a way that feels natural and inclusive.

I was a little late getting to this one, as I missed the release date and only now just finished the book.

It was a cute story about. a very dramatic 18 year old boy going on a trip to New York with his drama club, but when his best friend gets in-school-suspension the drama is turned up to 100 as his trip is "ruined."

I like the "What is This Feeling" talks about being lost at 18, and having no idea what your future will look like. There is so much pressure to have it all figured out by high school graduation that it was nice to see not everyone is there in this fictional tale.
I think Sebastian is my favorite character. I really enjoyed getting to know him and watching him grow up in such a short time.

This was a cute read, but nothing mind blowing or transformative. I would recommend if you're looking for a quick and cute little gay romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy of this book!
.
If a book synopsis mentions theatre kids, especially those in tech, I am going to pick it up. Teddy has been looking forward to the senior year drama club trip to NYC for years, and plans to win the annual scavenger hunt to win the chance to meet his music idol. But all of that was based on being partnered with his best friend, Annie, and when she has to drop out last minute, Teddy is forced to work with the new backstage kid, Sebastian. The two couldn’t be more different, but in order to win they have to find a way to work together.
.
I really enjoyed the banter between Teddy and Sebastian as they navigated friendship, feelings, and the strange world of New York City. It was definitely interesting to hear about the City from an outside perspective, and there are a few places they visited that are now on my list despite the fact that I live here. I loved that all of the chapter titles are songs from musicals (and one movie musical), which is a fun Easter egg for the former theatre kids.

The feelings Teddy has in this book are so realistic and are somethings I went through myself when I was younger so it really felt close to home for me. The romance was cute and I loved the scavenger hunt.

I think it was a cute story overall. Although I would be lying if I didn’t say that this story didn’t really capture my heart too much because I could find it predictable at times.

This was such a cute book. The drama club/theatre kid aspect is what initially drew me in, but this ended up being a lot more than just a theatre kid romance.

I was absolutely obsessed with the New York backdrop of this story, and Robby Weber did one of my favorite things, which is making the city feel like its own character. The scavenger hunt was so fun! And as a fangirl myself, I can't help but love Teddy's obsession with meeting Benji Keaton.

These feeling that Teddy is dealing with in this book are so real for someone his age and it felt so realistic. the feeling of being separated from your best friend for the first time, and realizing that this might be what life looks like more often in the near future is so scary and hard to deal with. All of that on top of realizing he might have feelings for someone he never expected to think about in that way is a lot, especially for someone like Teddy who is always so in his head about everything.

Also, the first kiss scene?? Sooo cute. Enough said.

This book did such a great job with dealing with all of those feelings that we've all felt at one point no matter how long ago it was, and was such a great example of what keeps me coming back to the YA genre.

Did Not Finish at 17%, sorry. The writing and themes were okay, but I found Teddy was just too annoying for me to persevere.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

A cute sweet story.

In 'High School Musical' fashion, it may be intended for a YA audience, but it is written much younger.

"People can have screwed-up families and still be happy, I think."

This joyful romp from Robby Weber, perfect for fans of Jason June and Morgan Matson, follows a boy who will do anything to win his drama club's scavenger hunt in New York City, even if it means teaming up with a tech crew loner…and discovering unexpected sparks between them.

I wasn't the biggest fan of this one because it felt a little slow for me as though the author was prolonging the book. It was still sweet and by the end I was rooting for the couple to be together but in the middle of the book, I grew a little restless.

I rated this 2.5 stars.

This was a fun coming of age queer YA friends to lovers romance that takes place on school trip to NYC. The forced proximity, NYC scavenger hunt and TONS of T Swift inspired fandom in the form of their fictional hero, Benji completely did it for me. Teddy is struggling to figure out what his post-high school life will look like and getting paired with Sebastian has him discovering he may just want to pursue something more. Good on audio and great for fans of authors like Jason June or Becky Albertalli. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a cute YA rom com, two acquaintances to friends to lovers in NYC on a school trip trying to finish a scavenger hunt where the prize access to a Broadway show after party and a chance to meet Benji Keaton, a pop star turned Broadway star and Teddy’s idol.

While cute and very YA, and I usually love YA rom coms, this was very one note. The story moves along very quickly, which is fine, but we don’t really get to know the characters that well. And they don’t really grow that move throughout the novel. Things happen to them, everything is always just sort of fine, I didn’t really feel the intensity of the rivalry between Teddy and his classmate. There’s a happy ending and then it ends and that’s that.

Overall, this was just okay. I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. Just an okay book to listen to for me. If you’re looking for something low stakes, and a quick read you could pick this one up.

Robby Weber just keeps getting better and better. I have loved every single book they have ever wrote. I now want to go back and reread the other two books they have wrote because I loved them that much.

I received this as an ARC from Robby.

I really enjoyed this book and it was a cutesy YA coming of story. I think the main character Teddy perfectly encapsulates a drama kid who’s trying to figure out who he is and what matters most (with all the stereotypical mannerisms a theater kid has). Sebastian was a great little grumpy antithesis to Teddy and it was really easy to revisit that high school/coming of age angst that comes with not being overly open and vulnerable with people. And this makes Teddy and Sebastian such easily loveable characters.

The overall story was sweet and endearing while also feeling a bit nostalgic - transporting you back (for us older folks) back to that high school feeling where all you’ve known for four years is about to come to an end at graduation. And Teddy is big on his superstitiousness and luck giving friendship bracelets. He’s determine to get what he wants by winning the scavenger hunt to meet his celebrity idol. But throughout that journey he gets to team up with Sebastian.

What do you do when you’re a young gay teen and haven’t had the same romantic relationships or experiences as other people? And how do you understand or relate to people who are different than you? What does it mean when you’re trying to figure out yourself, what matters, and what to fight for? What are these feelings that you may have no matter how big or small?

‘What Is This Feeling’ is full of teenage angst and dramatics, but also full of heart-stopping and deeply emotional moments. Our characters each have their own journey within this magical trip to New York that has relatively low stakes as a reader, but is really the highest stakes imaginable for our characters where they are at in their lives. Without any spoilers this was a solid 4.5 star read for me.

If you have read ‘My Fair Brady’ by Brian D Kennedy or ‘What If It’s Us’ by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera - this is a fun and enjoyable mix of the two but Robby makes this book stand out in its unique and special way.

this book was a joy to read. teddy's journey through nyc was an exciting romp. and i loved how optimistic and dramatic he was. the imagery of him having his head in the clouds really worked for how whimsical he approaches life.

but there were deeper layers to him, and i love how Robby explored his insecurities and fears. there's a lot of great stuff in here about finding your own path, letting your walls down, and not being afraid to just try.

the romance with sebastian was a nice touch, too. the chemistry and banter were wonderful.

really enjoyed this. it's sweet, uplifting, and hopefully. it captures the magic of your dreams coming true.

I had an amazing time reading this book! The characters are interesting to follow through this adventure as we get to know more about them bit by bit. Each character starts out as a caricature and is fleshed out over time to become more of a real person, something the main character Teddy comments on as an actor. A role starts out one-dimensional and needs to be given depth to be more convincing as an individual. We as readers get to experience that in a really well-done way here.
Teddy's pure audacity is probably my favorite thing for reasons that reading the book will make obvious. As we get further into the story and learn more about who he is on the inside, that level of confidence and boldness takes on a whole new light.
This book is fun. It's outlandish. It's friendly. It's an exciting little adventure in a love letter to New York City.
The main reason I'm not rating it higher is that there's an overabundance of references. It's a lot of info-dumping, and while it does add to the story to an extent, it's A LOT. There's a ton of information on New York City specifically, but also big pockets of info or references to other stuff, on top of all the universe-specific stuff. It takes up a big portion of the book and was an overload for me (especially as someone who reads a book in 1-2 sittings), and that's the only real reason it's not 5 stars for me.

Thank you to Harper Collins for the eARC.

I admit this one was a DNF. I didn't like either main character. I think it was less their young age and maturity level, and more not liking their basic personalities. The storyline wasn't enough to keep my interest and my mind kept wandering while reading—not a good sign for continuing. Thus, another DNF for the year.

*3.5

This isn't bad, I was just bored. I think it would have been better as dual pov, I don't feel liek we really knew Sebastian at all.

I received an arc through netgalley.

A fun NYC romp, but there's just something about Weber's writing and plotting that doesn't hit home for me. A solid 3.5/5.

What Is This Feeling? is a super cute romcom focusing on Teddy during his drama club trip to NYC. Overall, I thought this one was really fun. It is definitely lighthearted & the scavenger hunt through NYC, was a fun touch. The characters definitely sounded young, they were supposed to be 18, but there were times I thought they were more 14-15. But that was ok! Lots of 18 year olds don't know what they are doing, I'm just used to them being aged up in YA books.

I loved all of the musical theater references! Overall, a fun and quick read! Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Robby Weber for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own.

What Is This Feeling? by Robby Weber is such a fun, feel-good read! Benjamin and Alden, total opposites, are thrown together as summer camp counselors, and watching their chemistry grow was both hilarious and heartwarming. I loved how Weber balanced the laughs with moments of genuine self-discovery and acceptance—perfect for a cozy weekend escape.