This was so fun! I smiled my way through this whole book. It's a little silly and definitely far fetched at times, but it felt like being a little kid and watching a DCOM again. Teddy's insecurities around graduation and pursuing his hobbies is all too familiar even close to a decade out of high school. Sebastian is the sweetest little nerd. I loved their adventures through the city and how the boys were allowed even the most far fetched of happy endings.

An earnest, sweet book about a theater kid falling in love with New York City and simply falling in love for the first time. Excellent for readers who can't get enough romance, especially middle schoolers on the younger side.

Based on the cover, I thought the boys were around 13, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were actually seniors in high school.

Teddy has been looking forward to this trip and the scavenger hunt for years, so it’s a sharp disappointment when he finds out that not only is his best friend not going, but that he’ll be paired with the brooding Sebastian.

So the setup here is great: there’s an Odd Couple vibe here with overeager Teddy determined to win the scavenger hunt and then Sebastian, who just wants to see the city on his own terms without the strict limits of the contest.

As would be expected, the boys learn from each other. Teddy learns to appreciate the small things and take in the here-and-now, and Sebastian learns that maybe the contest isn’t a silly waste of time. The boys also learn more about each other– they bond over Benji Keaton. And of course, there is even a little bit of romance to be found.

Teddy is the only narrator, which works well because there are several points in which Sebastian has gone off to do his own thing and it’s more impactful that the reader finds out what Sebastian is going at the same time as Teddy.

I would absolutely recommend What is This Feeling? This was a sweet coming of age story paired with a queer romance. I am definitely going to look for more books by Weber in the future!


I received a digital ARC of this book from HarperCollins/NetGalley.

What Is This Feeling? is an adorable quick paced YA romcom about two theater boys figuring out how to believe in themselves at the precipice of heading out into the real world after they graduate high school. The mood is lighthearted and funny, and even the heavier, deeper moments seem to carry hope through them. Teddy’s thought processes and dramatics while occasionally annoying were so very real to me considering I’m exactly the same way. I loved seeing songs from musicals as the chapter titles and often found myself singing and humming them to myself while I read or playing a game to see how quickly I could name what musical it was from. Overall, this book was cute and delightful to read. It was quick and fun and I recommend it if you need some of that endless positivity and hope that Teddy has in your life.

GUYS! It’s the big scavenger hunt in NYC for the senior theater kids and this year’s prize is a party where you might get to meet Benji Keaton - huge pop star!

And Teddy cannot wait! He and best friend, Annie, have been preparing for weeks. And not only will they win and get to meet their idol, they’ll also crush self appointed school it girl, Eden.

Until Annie gets suspended. Until Annie can’t go. Until Teddy gets paired up with tech crew nerd and all around cranky nerd Sebastian.

And so Teddy is forced to drag Sebastian from location to location - both partners need to be in each photo along the way on the hunt of course - while the two slowly, grudgingly get to know each other.

There’s a mystery here, too, with the buttoned up, serious Sebastian who, unlike Teddy, has experienced heartbreak. As Teddy pushes, trying to get to know his scavenger hunt partner, Sebastian sometimes shares, sometimes pulls inward. Both reactions force Teddy to question his beliefs, future, and blind adoration of a pop star.

But as the hunt comes to a close, Teddy will get not one, not two, but three surprises that turn his life upside down.

Overall I enjoyed it. The writing is smart and clean, the characters feel authentic to high school kids - Teddy can be a bit much with his obnoxious enthusiasm, but he never felt like a caricature. I had an issue with the NYC trip in which there seemed to be no supervision, which felt unrealistic, but was easy enough to overlook for what I did love.

It’s refreshing to read YA in which being queer is a fact accepted by friends and family, and while this doesn’t have the kind of depth as a book like the incandescent Imogene, Obviously, it was fun and sweet and is easily a book I could see middle and high schoolers enjoying.

Teddy McGuire, the long-time star of his high school's theater program, has been looking forward to the end-of-the-year theater program to New York for years. The trip features a scavenger hunt, and this year the prize is an opportunity to meet singer Benji Keaton, Teddy's all-time favorite musician.

Teddy has long planned to do the scavenger hunt with his best friend, Annie. But at the last minute Annie is prevented from going on the trip, and Teddy is forced to partner with Sebastian, a member of the tech crew who mostly keeps to himself. Sebastian seems largely uninterested in the scavenger hunt and instead seems to have a secret plan in New York all his own. But as Teddy and Sebastian spend more time with each other, Teddy discovers there may be more to Sebastian -- and to himself -- than he first thought.

This is a touching and funny story about trusting yourself, being open to new experiences, and what you may miss out on when making assumptions about other people.

Highly recommended!

This was a beautiful coming of age story! Robby Weber brilliantly captures the feeling of not knowing what comes next after high school, as his protagonist, Teddy, is trying to maximize his last hurrah during the school trip to New York City. Growing up in Citrus Heights, Florida, Teddy has never been to NYC before, and the city's magic comes through his eager eyes. Unfortunately, Teddy's best friend Annie has gotten in-school suspension, so she was unable to be his partner for the trip and school scavenger hunt. Teddy is paired with Sebastian, one of the tech kids that he does not know much about. Teddy's goal is simple, win the scavenger hunt AND the prize, a ticket to the after party of Versailles, the Broadway musical that the kids are going to see. His idol, Benji Keaton, is likely to be at the party, and Teddy is dying to meet him and get Annie's friendship bracelet signed. Readers will thoroughly enjoy Teddy's reluctant friendship with Sebastian, heartfelt trek through NYC, and journey to grow up, just a little. As Teddy and Sebastian bond through Benji Keaton, signed playbills, and salt and pepper shakers, Teddy learns that some prizes mean more than an afterparty. I was wholeheartedly rooting for Teddy throughout, and I think readers will enjoy following along on Teddy and Sebastian's NYC adventure.

Oh gosh, this story was so sweet! What Is This Feeling is an excellent coming of age story that examines the breadth of adult feelings and changing circumstances for a high school senior all against the backdrop of a New York City scavenger hunt. I loved all of the shenanigans that Teddy and Sebastian get up to, and while their slow burn romance is definitely not the focus of the story, it's very swoony when it does. Such a fun YA romcom!

Even though Teddy could be a little (ok, sometimes A LOT) extra, he's incredibly endearing and I really loved his character. He's so introspective on this trip of a lifetime, trying to figure out how to navigate being separated from his best friend after graduation, his own career path, and his growing feelings for Sebastian. The book is told entirely from Teddy's POV, so it took a while to kind of figure out Sebastian, but I ended up loving him too. In addition to the MCs, New York City itself is basically a major side character in the story. You really can feel the magic of the city in the descriptions and picture all the major tourist stops the guys hit during their scavenger hunt, and Teddy's wide-eyed marvel is really cute.

I was so thoroughly entertained by Teddy's constant fangirling of Taylor Swift-esque mega star Benji Keaton. Teddy uses Benji's songs and life story as a kind of framework for analyzing what he's going through, and it was really interesting to see how that worked out.

While this book is listed as young adult, I could see it appealing just as much to even middle grade readers. It's fast paced and easy to interpret, definitely relatable to younger readers. I really appreciate Robby Weber reaching out to me to read this one! I've been trying to get out of my niche a little bit more recently, and I've really enjoyed dipping my toes back into YA romance.

This was really sweet.

Teddy is on his way to a trip he has been anticipating for so long, a trip to NYC with his school’s theater team. The one problem, his best friend, the one who has been planning this trip with him, can’t go. They were supposed to see their beloved idol, Benji Keaton.

Now, he is adrift without his other half, and then more so when he is paired up with the last person he expected, Sebastian. In order to meet Benji, Teddy must win the annual scavenger hunt and he is scared that Sebastian won’t be an active participant.

As the two begin to work together they begin to learn about one another, forming a bond. The relationship between these two was such a sweet, wholesome thing. They also learn about themselves while their friendship grows. This was a fun romp through NYC, with extravagant and relatable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is a perfect book for middle grade and young adult audiences. It talks about learning how to move on as life passes you by, friendships and relationships and learning things about yourself. It’s very coming of age, but I am past that. It doesn’t mean I don’t think others will enjoy it.

I loved “Like Me Better” by Weber, but this reminded me more of “If You Change Your Mind” which I didn’t like as much. If you like that one then you will probably like this. I think I would have liked this more if it was set in Florida more and not New York because I like the beach way better than the big city vibe. This reminded me a lot of my school band trip to New York City, so that was cool.

His characters are always so quirky but loveable. I thought the relationship with Sebastian was cute. I thought it was built up really nicely and didn’t happen too quickly, but I wish I felt more of a spark between the characters. Usually Weber’s writing has a lot more banter, but this one didn’t have as much. Maybe that was part of why I didn’t like it as much as “Like Me Better.” It was a little more serious as Teddy was upset a lot about what was happening in his life and what life would look like moving forward after he graduated.

It’s fine Annie wanted to move on with her life, but she was not being a very good friend in my opinion. She was barely in it, and I know she wasn’t the main point of the story, but you would think they would have talked more than they did. I guess it was only a few days, so I shouldn’t judge their entire friendship based off of that, but I felt Teddy’s pain when he got upset over what she did or didn’t do.

I really liked Dean and his sibling dynamic, I thought Dean was going to be the mean older brother but he was really sweet! That was really touching to see him be there for Teddy as much as he was. Their conversations were some of my favorite parts of the book!

A lot of the things that happened were pretty unrealistic. It was a little too much of a “everything is going perfectly for these characters even though it would never go that smoothly in real life.” For example, the chaperones just let a bunch of teenagers walk around NYC without any supervision. Even if the parents OK’d it and a lot of them were 18, there’s still no way that would happen at a school sanctioned event. But it’s fine, it’s a fictional novel, so I can suspend my disbelief.

I would still read Robby Weber’s other books! I know his audience is not for me, so I don’t fault the book or his writing for me not enjoying it as much because I am not a teenager anymore. I still think the messages he writes and the characters he has in his novels are still worth reading! Especially if you are in high school or about to graduate.

Absolutely loved this one! Robby has a way with words and this book is just as good as his others
I finished in one day

I was looking forward to this one since the idea of a scavenger hunt around New York sounds like so much fun. While I enjoyed the concept, all the challenges felt too easy to me as any problems the main characters encounter are pretty much immediately solved in overly convenient ways, and I got a bit sick of this after it happened so many times. That said, I still liked the setting, and the book is an entertaining read.

Having read all of Robby Weber’s, this is probably his best yet! His growth as a writer really shows in this novel. I love that it is still set in the same universe as his first two novels so we get a sense of familiarity without a complete new setting.

There are some plot devices that fall a little short for me, but they helped the main character grow and I guess that’s what really matters. To expand on this, Eden’s character and growth felt more like a need to push Teddy into the after party than genuine growth. The scene when Teddy and Benji finally meet is wonderful, but lacked in something I just can’t place my finger on.

Otherwise, well done Robby!

Thank you NetGalley, Robby Weber, and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

What is This Feeling? by Robby Weber releases September 17, 2024!

Robby Weber's latest novel, What is This Feeling, is a heartwarming and hilarious tale of friendship, self-discovery, and the pursuit of dreams. The story follows Teddy McGuire, a theater-loving teen who is eagerly anticipating his dream trip to New York City.

The author's ability to capture the excitement and energy of a teenage adventure is evident throughout the book. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the plot is filled with twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. The unexpected pairing of Teddy and Sebastian, the tech crew loner, creates a dynamic that is both humorous and heartwarming.  

The book's exploration of friendship, self-discovery, and the importance of chasing one's dreams is a powerful message that resonates with readers of all ages. Weber's writing is witty and engaging, making the story a delightful escape.

If you're looking for a fun and uplifting read that will leave you smiling, What is this Feeling is a must-read. It's a perfect choice for fans of contemporary YA fiction and anyone who loves a good coming-of-age story.

Eh, this one was just okay for me. An easy, quick read, with plenty of musical theater references that I appreciated as a former theatre kid. On that front, I really enjoyed the chapter titles being showtunes - it was a cute idea that I found rather charming. The romance was sweet enough. It's fine as a YA romcom, but it never pushes into anything more.

The plot is fairly straight-forward: Teddy desperately wants to win a scavenger hunt through NYC to meet his pop star idol, but his plans are altered when his best friend can't attend, replaced by broody mysterious techy Sebastian. From there, it pretty much hits all the beats you'd expect. There are a few detours (each more outlandish and unlikely than the last), but Weber never really sinks into anything beyond this. None of these moments, which could be over-the-top ridiculous and fun, are allowed to reach their potential. Teddy impersonates an intern at a fancy gala, what hi-jinks may ensue? Very few, as it turns out. Teddy sneaks onto a film set with a movie star, with no idea what he's doing - where could this go? Well, he just does a short scene and gets what he came for. In and out. The premise will be set for a true romcom moment, but never reach the promise of said premise. It's disappointing, but the story zips on fast enough that you don't have time to linger on it.

More feels unexplored than just these moments, however. The story's attempts to add depth and conflict - Teddy's bff Annie not really caring about the trip and missing his calls, Sebastian's family drama - never go anywhere. They're ignored in the case of the former, and resolved quickly off-page in the case of the latter. These conflicts don't ultimately add anything to the story because they're entirely superficial. Even Teddy's struggles with songwriting and questions about how he and Sebastian could be together are glossed over by the end. The themes of "don't wait on some day when you can live in the present" and "you'll figure it out when it comes" are messily intertwined by the end.

And the characters feel this struggle most of all. Teddy is dramatic and an overthinker, obsessed with Benji to a ridiculous degree. Seriously, I don't think he has a single conversation that doesn't involve Benji. "When Benji wrote..." "There's a Benji lyric..." "Benji said..." It feels like a crutch in his character design. It also just gets old after a while, frankly. Sebastian doesn't have much of a character either, just sort of blandly nice and vaguely nerdy. He pushes back on some things Teddy wants, but never meaningfully. Eden and her mother do little in the story, and never really get a resolution or an arc. Annie exists almost entirely in text form, and, as mentioned previously, is as much a source of conflict as the story requires at any given moment, but never earns a resolution. Teddy's older brother is a generic accepting older sibling. (Which reminds me, it is kind of crazy that Teddy has 2 friends, Annie and his brother, and that's kind of it. He's on a trip with the theater club that he's been a part of for 4 years and only interacts with Sebastian, Eden, and Eden's mom. It's a weird choice.)

Overall, a big meh. I'm not angry I read it, but it's not something I would go out of my way to recommend.

What Is This Feeling? is for people who deeply understand fangirl culture, who love someone else’s work so much that they don’t know who they are without it. I have never felt this, so I struggled to understand our main character Teddy and his fascination with fictional popstar Benji Keaton.

Even though I didn’t connect with Teddy, I loved seeing New York City through his eyes. Teddy is having so much fun exploring the city. His enthusiasm is contagious.

As a whole though, the relationships seemed underdeveloped, especially when it comes to Teddy & Annie and Sebastian & his father. Drama is introduced then almost too easily resolved.

Actually, all of the challenges presented in this book have some miraculous solution. In this sense, What Is This Feeling? is the perfect book to read before saying goodbye to summer. It’s cute and lighthearted and there’s *no homophobia*.

Bottom line: Considering it’s already September, this is my last summery read of the year.

Books like this sometimes make me question my love for the YA genre. Sometimes I wish I could outgrow and leave it, but other times, books like these are also the reason I end up coming back. So yeah, I’m a bit conflicted.

For my first Robby Webber book, it really wasn’t that bad! However, it definitely could’ve gone better.

I loved the aspect of being young and not knowing what you want in life. He was undecided for his college major and decided on going to community college, which was awesome to see. I think too often people think you need to have your major and life decided after finishing high school, which is pretty insane to me as I’m almost 24 and I’m still confused on this whole “dream career” thing. Robby’s addition of this was awesome, because it can bring awareness but also make it more realistic to show that yeah, it’s pretty damn normal and understandable to be 18, graduate high school, and not know what you want in life. Enjoy it while you can and if you can. Not everything needs to have a solution right away, and you really don’t need to have everything figured out when you’re barely becoming an adult.

The romance between Teddy and Sebastian was pretty cute overall. It’s not my favorite YA romance, but it had enough elements of what I like to see in these stories. The development worked well, and I thought the progress of it (for two teens aged 18) was accurate. Sebastian was more of an enigma, and we don’t really learn about him to give us a big perspective of who he is, but there’s enough information to get an idea of his character. We get brief information and glimpses into his life that offer something new and more depth. One thing I didn’t like about him was how pushy he felt about Teddy writing lyrics. It came off as a little hypocritical about how he wouldn’t allow Teddy on his business, which Teddy actually learned, yet Sebastian felt like he was continuously nagging Teddy about his songwriting and how he should pursue it as a goal. That was something for Teddy to decide and agree on, but for many moments it felt like Sebastian kept pushing and pushing him about it. I wasn’t a fan. Don’t tell someone to mind their own business while you keep interfering in theirs. That being said, Sebastian was a lovely character. He’s more mysterious than Teddy, much more reserved, and becomes an unexpected close friend (later boyfriend) to Teddy, which was adorable to witness.

There are a lot of moments in this YA romance to root for the relationship. The forced proximity of being roommates and having to complete the scavenger hunt together provided a lot of physical interactions, moments to learn about each other, and of course, develop feelings for one another. The New York setting is incredibly vibrant throughout the whole book. I only visited NYC for the first time last year, and could easily envision this story as my trip not only because I had the visuals personally, but because the author did a fantastic job of providing many details and descriptions for the reader to envision the city. It’s easy to imagine you’re with these two young boys completing the scavenger hunt with them. We also see some mature moments between the two, and it pleases me to say that there was, shockingly so, no third act conflict despite this being a teen romance. Yeah, it was pretty cool to see that, as we see it enough in adult romances that never make sense. Pretty awesome that these two teens finishing high school soon were able to communicate and sort out their feelings way better than some adults can’t.

That being said, I had enough moments that were not enjoyable or likable. Teddy was a difficult character to like. He was annoying at the beginning, had this awesome character development in the middle, and somehow made his way back to square one in the end. I felt like his character development was underdeveloped after making some progress. His personality revolved around the scavenger hunt and meeting Benji Keaton the entire time, which became pretty annoying and obnoxious to continue reading about. I was hoping he would embrace his school trip a little more. His development towards the middle, as he realizes there really is more than just the hunt and Benji, was giving me a little bit of hope, but as we neared the end more and more, it all shattered. And honestly, that’s a bit dramatic to say but Teddy was actually insanely dramatic. He did not come across as an 18-year-old to me at all, and instead he felt like he was on the brink of a young adulthood, near 15-years-old or something, barely getting an idea of your youth.

In addition, sometimes it felt like Teddy not knowing what he wanted in life felt like an excuse, as if his whole infatuation with Benji was his only means of life and meant everything to him. It was tiring, honestly. I was hoping he would offer something new after spending the majority of the book making his entire personality trait Benji and winning the scavenger hunt. There were even moments when I thought he would grow a pair or two and realize what more there is to life than just this artist he looks up to so much, and just when I think he is getting somewhere, he falls behind. It would’ve been better if he had gotten some sort of inspiration from his trip, or taken something out of it that didn’t just happen near the end. Again, the character development was progressing, until it wasn’t. I don’t know why the author decided to make progress and then stop towards the 75%. Or at least that’s how it felt to me. Adding on to that, I did not like how the author decided to make Eden redeemable. It’s as if every character in this story had to be likable, or at least forgiving, because that’s just how the author wanted to make the world? And then giving up her spot to Teddy so he can meet Benji? Again, this would’ve been so much better had Teddy not met Benji, and I’m saying that because it would’ve added to his growth. All the growth being made throughout the whole story related to the scavenger hunt and starting to see that not everything was about Benji felt irrelevant. It’s as if the whole goal was meeting Benji, instead of a traditional coming of age story where the main character realizes there really is more to life.

Overall, not the worst, but not the best. A bit disappointing, and it really did take me until the 45% or so mark to start enjoying the story. Then we hit the 75% mark and I started getting a little bored, skimmed some scenes, did not care about where the story was going, and felt conflicted with the whole thing.

4.5/5. This book was so cute! I don't typically read YA, so this one really surprised me. First of all, the nostalgia. I mean, I was a drama kid who went on the school drama trip to New York with my best friend so already this gave me all the feels. But aside from that, it was just a genuinely sweet, cute story. I loved these characters. Teddy was dramatic, optimistic, and had his head in the clouds. I was immediately obsessed. The man lives in delusion and I am so here for it. He's a delight and he feels things so hard (relatable). Sebastian is the exact opposite. He's closed off, much more realistic, and he can tend to look at the negative. Teddy loves upbeat pop and mainstream things while Sebastian definitely does not. However, I love how Sebastian doesn't make fun of Teddy or try to change him. In fact, it's clear early on that Sebastian likes Teddy. A lot. I love seeing these little glimpses into Sebastian's feelings while Teddy remains oblivious.

I enjoyed their adventures through New York. Each scavenger hunt item led to a fun, exciting adventure or it brought the two of them closer together. I enjoyed learning more about Sebastian as he slowly opened up and I really liked seeing Teddy learn to include a little bit of reality into his life without dulling his shine. I loved watching Teddy realize his feelings for Sebastian and seeing him navigate that while thinking Sebastian had a secret boyfriend. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, sweet, charming, and full of adventures.

this was so cute and lovely!! i could feel the author's love for nyc through how they described the settings, the scenes, the sights. sebastian & teddy were so adorable together, too! i loved seeing teddy's growth from being this happy-go-lucky guy to someone more self-assured in what he's going to in his life.

What Is This Feeling is a delightful whirlwind of theater dreams, NYC adventures, and unexpected romance. Teddy McGuire, the drama club’s shining star, sets out on a scavenger hunt for popstar glory, but instead finds himself tangled up with Sebastian, the brooding techie who’s more into circuits than spotlights.
What starts as a forced pairing turns into a hilariously chaotic journey through the city that never sleeps, complete with dino-sized challenges and a masquerade mix-up. The real surprise, though, is the sparks that fly between Teddy and Sebastian, making their adventure far more than just a hunt for autographs.
The author masterfully captures the magic of New York City and the thrill of first love, blending them into a story that’s as heartwarming as it is fun. If you’re a fan of rom-coms with a twist of Broadway flair, this book will have you cheering for Teddy and Sebastian from the first act to the final curtain call!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!