I could not get into this book. I did try and I did push through but I felt his story was all over the place. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I wanted to like this book. I love coming-of-age novels that explore the complexities of friendship and romance, but unfortunately, this one missed the mark. The narrative felt disjointed, more like a series of loosely connected stories than a cohesive whole. Because of the lack of character development, I struggled to connect with the protagonist and never felt truly invested in her journey. Her abrupt transition from a decade-long relationship to an immediate affair with her boss felt random and unconvincing, with no real groundwork to explain her choices. Ultimately, I couldn’t bring myself to finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little A for the eARC.

An absolute trainwreck of a main character. Hard to root for her when she just sabotages herself at every turn,

** spoiler alert ** *** I received this book from Netgalley and publisher for an honest review.

In this book we follow Ari at a very challenging time in her life. She went from having a plan and a very defined life with her best friends and boyfriend for it to change and no longer be. This felt relatable up to this point. We get the POV of Morgan, Ari's now former fiancé, have his own reasons for ending their 10-year-relationship. After this, we see Ari just make one terrible decision after another while basically ruining her chances at improving her situation. She begins this very superficial but extremely entangled relationship with her boss and later on befriending his widow. The worst part is that you see the train wreck and you can't stop it. This was truly enmeshment and trauma-bonding at the worst degree. Ari has internalized everything and acts like a people-pleaser but, in my opinion, she was just extremely selfish while using everyone else's "need for her" as an excuse to do the crappy things she did. Her friends really tried to continue being her friends. I liked that Summer did not hold back and kind of got tired of Ari's b.s. Ultimately, for two years nothing evolved to a better place for Ari. She never recognized to address her family issues and remained in limbo building relationships with fake intimacy. I only liked Summer and Luke and that guy Soren. Anyway, one thing I can say is that I wanted to see how this would finish and it is what kept me going. The end was worst than I thought it was going to be as we got NOTHING!

You've been warned... this is not for everyone.

I ended up enjoying this a lot more than I expected! It's really well written and is definitely a new sort of sad girl, mid twenties coming of age book that I think a lot of people will like. I do want to mention that I had some issues with it, mostly that it really falls into the cliché of girl-and-guy break up and then girl gets so lost in herself and can't remember who she is while guy gets into new relationship and sleeps around which felt really juxtaposed by the rest of the book. Especially because we start in Morgan's POV and we learn early on that he's struggling I just felt like going this easy route with his character post break was really dull and really made me lose all momentum with how much I was enjoying it at the end.

This was so wordy. A chapter felt so long with nothing really happening. I struggled a lot w/ this but was intrigued what would happen. Might just be based on reader’s writing style they prefer

Thanks to NetGalley and Little A for the advanced reader copy.

It's hard to believe that JUST WANT YOU HERE is a debut novel. It's so well paced and filled with characters that I wanted to continue living with long after I finished the book (that's my one biggest gripe--I wanted to see more of what happens with Ari after the wedding!). Ari was infuriating, as a character who couldn't always see her own worth. Turits is a skilled writer who had me running back to the book with any free time I had just to get a few more pages in. This book guts you in the best possible way--a reminder of how the choices we make (and the ones we don't) can have wide ripples into other people's lives.

I will eagerly await what comes next from this author.

Just Want You Here is out March 11, 2025

When Ari’s ten year relationship ends, she knows it’s the right thing when though Morgan is all she’s ever known as a young adult. She throws herself into her new job as an assistant, but becomes entangled in a fiery romance with her boss.

I absolutely loved this one! Ari was such a real and deep character. Despite her morally grey choices, I felt for her and truly understood her. The book was an emotional ride that took me up and down. I couldn’t stand her best friend, Summer, and this aligned me with Ari even more. The ending was heartbreaking but also thoughtful in how it circled around. Highly recommend!

“She doesn’t know what counts as a good decision anymore, what a good decision even means.”

Just Want You Here comes out 3/11.

This book started strong. Ari’s ten-year engagement falls apart, she’s picking up the pieces, and I was totally rooting for her. But then she makes a choice I couldn’t get past. She starts an affair with her married boss. And not just a mistake, but a whole situation. I wanted to see her grow from it, but I struggled to stay on her side. The writing is solid, and the emotions feel real, but this is one of those books where your enjoyment hinges on whether you can roll with the main character’s decisions. If you’re into slow, introspective stories about messy people making messy choices, this might work for you.

The plot seemed intriguing and the beginning was really interesting, mainly because of the writing, which was slow yet very engaging. But then it became really slow. The female protagonist turned annoying and I left the book unfinished. (I must admit that I am an impatient reader
Thank you for the copy, sorry it didn't work for me.

It was Ari and Morgan and Morgan and Ari. On the first page of this novel Morgan breaks up though - engaged for quite some time neither had seemed to want to get married.
As an ARC reader, you never know what you’re in for, and so initially I assumed this would be about Morgan managing his depression (which he’s kept from Ari) and them getting back together. But we follow 28 year old Ari when this is just the beginning of her life falling apart - or did it come crashing down that many years ago when her father left them for another woman, another family? Her mother never quite got over that.
And so Ari WILL get over this. She will. She must.
She accepts a job, working as PA for a British CEO of a start-up. As always, she excels in taking care of someone else, putting someone else’s needs at the centre. Her boss falls for her, hard and fast, despite being a devoted husband to his wife Leah, and father.

The style/ voice felt initially cold, detached, like an observer reporting. This works really good for Morgan (given he’s depressed) and also Ari: it oftentimes feels she’s just some actor in this thing called “her life”. There were pages where I wanted to rip Ari out of the book and give her a firm shake (luckily, she’s got an AMAZING friend in Summer, to do just that) but never does the book feel outrageous or impossible.

So then, I assumed, this would be a story about Ari finding herself, reinventing who she is when she’s on her own. That, too, I had to abandon, as Ari - traumatised by her father’s leaving, and with some serious abandonment issues- cannot be alone.

No spoilers, but Ari and Leah grow close. REALLY close, Leah needing Ari and Ari always happy when she’s needed, even though it’s initially awkward and ever more difficult.
Well well, I thought, look at that, this surely is about Ari realising her sexuality…?

Meanwhile, Summer IS getting married, and getting annoyed with all the ways her best friend messes up, and who knows she might be a bit jealous, too. Not wanting to wait for the phone to ring anymore, Ari’s old friends coming back into her life.

A plot twist or two at the end, and I can safely say this book had me hooked first page to the last. It really manages to portray so many different ways people leave, and the grief and/ or sense of abandonment that causes, whilst at the same time show humans are a messy bunch of illogical, emotion-driven beings. I loved that in this book.

Highly recommend and a heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy in return for my honest opinion.

3 ⭐️

This was such an interesting and twisty coming of age novel. The FMC was so frustrating at times but also the internal struggles she faced? I found myself being able to relate. While her choices weren’t the best, they certainly kept the story interesting and me flipping pages to see how everything would play out.

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC!

Just Want You Here is a relationship and character study of a woman struggling to find her place in the world. Although you sometimes want to reach into the book and yank Ari right out before she makes another decision that will hurt her in the long run, the journey shows the realistic way that someone can develop through making mistakes and what can happen when you have to work through the difference between true friendship and codependence.

I have included my review on Storygraph below and will be having Meredith on my Podcast, Books with Betsy. I did discuss the book on a recent episode which is linked below.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Just Want You Here by Meredith Turits. This novel is an intimate, reflective exploration of love, ambition, and the choices that shape us. Turits' writing is tender and insightful, capturing the complexities of modern relationships with authenticity. The protagonist’s emotional journey feels raw and relatable, though at times, the pacing slows, making certain sections drag. Some secondary characters could have been more developed to add further depth to the story. That said, the novel’s introspective nature and poignant moments make it a compelling read for those who enjoy thoughtful, character-driven narratives about love, loss, and self-discovery.

This is a fresh, if sometimes frustrating, take on the traditional affair novel. Very coming of age, finding yourself story.

Meredith Turits’ debut novel, *Just Want You Here*, is an elegant exploration of love, longing, and the delicate complexities of modern relationships. This poignant and introspective work navigates the challenges of balancing ambition, vulnerability, and the enduring desire for connection.

The story centers on Jane, a young woman living in New York City who is struggling with her career ambitions, societal expectations, and a long-distance relationship. Turits creates a protagonist who is deeply relatable; Jane's internal conflicts, self-doubt, and longing for fulfillment resonate with readers who have faced similar challenges in reconciling their personal and professional lives.

*Just Want You Here* is a beautifully written and emotionally impactful debut. Turits demonstrates a keen understanding of the human experience, and her exploration of love and ambition is both thought-provoking and heartfelt. For readers who appreciate character-driven narratives and introspective storytelling, this novel provides a deeply satisfying experience.

Infuriating. Emotional. Confusing. Sad.

I am always drawn to characters who continuously make wrong decisions and keep finding themselves in tricky situations. Lucky for me, Ari is the perfect flawed character to follow as she finds herself in an affair with her new boss. Ari is trying to cope with the end of her decades long relationship and its aftermath as it complicates the lives of her ex, and best friends.

Turits painted such a clear picture in my head of who each of these characters were and how deeply interwoven they were. I just wish we got to explore certain relationships more thoroughly.

I think the ending might be divisive, but I couldn't imagine it any other way. I know this story is going to be living in my head for a while. Ari, especially.

Ari has her life all planned out. Finish school, marry her high school sweet heart, have children. Happily ever after. Until one day, her plan is flipped upside down and her secure and comfortable future is gone. After a decade of perpetual double dating with her best friend and her boyfriend, she does not know where to turn. Ari is forced to navigate being 20-something and starting over, having made sacrifices for her first love that did not pay off when she finds herself deeply in love with the wrong person, and once again trying to heal. This story kept me interested for sure although equally as infuriated. I felt that each situation Ari found herself in I was not privy to the entire story. When she finally falls into Leah, I was pretty convinced it was going to rapidly turn into a queer erotica and was not sure what to expect. Finally, when I was at 95% completion it started to become obvious I was not going to get any of the answers I was looking for. I felt like the ending was obvs a repeating of a very Ari pattern, but I sort of felt like it ended abruptly and after creating such a complex emotional tie to Leah I found it odd to just abort mission and suddenly we're at the wedding with a vague Morgan interaction to wrap it all up. Over all I kept reading for sure, but felt like I did't get any resolution to anything, but maybe thats the point. I would give this 3.5 stars, but I can't on this platform.

I’m not usually much of a romance reader but this one intrigued me. It's less of a traditional love story and more of a coming of age, finding yourself story. When Morgan breaks off his engagement with Ari, she feels as if her world is coming to an end. He’s all she’s ever known, her high school sweetheart turned adult life fiancé. After floundering around for a bit, she makes some big changes. New city, new apartment, new job…new love interest. But this one comes with big strings attached. Even though she knows she shouldn’t, she finds herself entangled in a love affair that she can’t imagine ending. Although yes, this does sound like a romance, it’s really more about Ari trying to make the right decisions for herself and realizing that everything isn’t as easy as it seems. With lots of mistakes along the way, she tries to forge her own path to happiness. An enjoyable read!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Just Want You Here by Meredith Turits.

I have SOOO many feelings about this book, I honestly don't know how to rate it. Instead of stars, can there be a WTF option??

I'm really not a fan of reading about infidelity, especially when it's romanticized, but in this case, it's the driving element that leads to the heart of the story. I really can't say more than that without spoiling it. And I'd love to be able to discuss it with someone!

Five stars for being very easy to read, 3 stars for being really morally gray...like, dark gray. But it's also kind of sweet...mostly sad. Ugh, this book.