Ciera Burch really won me over with this one. Something Kindred didn’t really win me over, but I saw a lot of potential, and was excited to pick up another book from Burch. Out of Step, Into You was ABSOLUTELY the proof of improvement with a sophomore novel. These characters are dynamic and interesting, and the world they’re involved in is complex and wonderful. Even though I was never in cross country, I was easily able to slip myself into this and understand what was happening. Even though the two main characters were absolutely flawed individuals, I was enamored with them and rooting for them every second. My only real critique is that there’s all those dogs on the cover, but they only come into play in the second half! More dogs!

Ciera Burch’s sweet second-chance romance has a lot of grit and a lot of heart. You’ll be rooting for not only the romance, but for the Jefferson team to qualify for the Ring, an important cross-country championship. The perfect summertime read.

Out of Step, Into You was fantastic! One of my favorite tropes is friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, and this story did it flawlessly. I was frustrated by the stress and miscommunication, but that’s also the intention for stories like this, making Taylor and Marianna’s reunion more satisfying.

I ran cross country in high school, which also drew me into this story, and I can never get enough sapphic romance. All in all, I think Burch did it well. Will recommend this book and would read more from this author!

Thank you to Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers / Macmillan for a chance to read an arc this book! 🖤

3⭐️ the beef was real and angsty! | tropes: black fmcs, friends to rivals to lovers, angst, sports romance | digital

Overall Thoughts 💭:
This book surprised me with the depth and care that went into growing these characters and their connection. Mari and Taylor were childhood best friends from different economic backgrounds dealing with their familial issues, later using track/cross country as a way to deal with those issues. It was easy to feel empathetic towards Mari. She is a parent-fifed child balancing work, school, track, and watching her younger siblings. Though she made mistakes, I understood and loved her character. I understood Taylor, she's dealing with a lot of insecurities and her father's illness, but I struggled to empathize with her character at times because of how she projected and lashed out at others. Her character development in the later half of the book was satisfying and I liked the direction the book went with that. The pacing of this book was frustrating at times. They had a lot of hurdles to jump through and there was a lot of push and pull. The romance aspect was very slow burn and the tone was more angsty than I imagined it being.

I live for friends to enemies to lovers, and this book did not disappoint. Each and every time, the characters realize their misunderstandings and each and every time I lap it up. This book was adorable and I loved seeing the story play out, and the dogs just made it infinitely better!

I enjoyed this sapphic friends to lovers book with a rekindling of a friendship that turns into more. Set against the backdrop of cross country, i thought it was cute. Maybe needed a bit more plot development but a good start IMO

Anytime a book is about rekindling a lost friendship, it immediately piques my interest. Make it gay and i’m so there. Out Of Step, Into You was a gorgeous and insanely fun read about love, platonic, romantic and familial love. Taylor and Mari were such fun and I loved the dual POV.

This book was so cute! I related a lot more to Mari than Taylor but I enjoyed both of their arcs. I especially loved the little doggy trouble makers. With Mari and Taylor, I loved that they solved their issues?”, grew their friendship, then decided to be more than friends instead of just a love to hate to love.

I wasn’t sure I would like this story, because I wasn’t especially fond of Marianna or Taylor initially. As the details of their current lives and past friendship emerged, I became increasingly invested and I ended up liking and rooting for them both. I enjoyed the pacing, the dual POVs, and the glimpses into the past. I didn’t love the way third act controversy/conflict played out. It felt out of place and didn’t have a great payoff. Other than that, I liked this YA story.


#OutofStepintoYou
#NetGalley

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

i loved this book!!! loveee running!! very very sweet and a nice sapphic book to read anytime!!! loved the writing and would read again!!

Out of Step, Into You by Ciera Burch 🏃‍♀️💨🐶

Adorable, heartfelt, and set in New Jersey—Out of Step, Into You had me cheering for Taylor and Mari every step of the way!

This second-chance romance is built on a beautifully messy foundation: two former best friends who shared a tender, exploratory kiss at 14 but drifted apart after a painful falling out. Now rivals on opposing cross-country teams, they’re thrown back together as the fastest runners now that Mari transfers back to Jefferson. Both are harboring deep wounds, unresolved feelings, and grudges from their past.

Taylor’s journey is deeply emotional—her father’s serious illness weighs heavily on her, and her struggles with anxiety and insomnia feel painfully real. I found her mom’s attempts to shelter her both protective and stifling. On the other hand, Mari faces a mountain of responsibilities, from essentially raising her twin siblings to helping her mother make ends meet. Despite all this, Mari remains fiercely determined to pursue her running dreams and hopes for college, which I found incredibly inspiring.
Coach Greer is a fantastic character, balancing tough love with compassion. I couldn’t help but think of my favorite coach growing up! Taylor’s dad’s unwavering optimism shines as a beautiful reminder of resilience, especially as the family anxiously awaits a kidney transplant.

The animal shelter subplot was such a delight. Watching Taylor and Mari reluctantly walk shelter dogs together on weekends broke the tension between them and brought much-needed levity and charm to their story. (Plus, as someone who recently adopted two kittens from a shelter, I loved this detail!)
The interludes flashing back to Taylor and Mari’s past friendship added so much context and depth to their relationship. Their growing closeness was a joy to witness, even as they navigated unresolved pain and very real personal challenges. While I wasn’t a fan of Mari’s subplot with Sarita—it felt like unnecessary drama—it did bring an interesting complexity to the story.

This is a wonderful exploration of growing up, friendship, forgiveness, and learning to move forward, even when life feels overwhelming. The ending was a bit low-key for my taste, but it fits the sweet, understated nature of Taylor and Mari’s romance.

If you love YA romances filled with emotional depth, relatable challenges, and plenty of doggo cameos, this book is a must-read!

4.5 ⭐️ I say this too much and I’m probably wrong st this point, but I usually don’t like YA, especially YA romance, but Out of Step, into You had me rethinking that. Yes there’s no spice because it’s YA but the relationship is believable and doesn’t give me the whole “teens thinking they know what love is.” It’s hard for an almost thirty year old to relate to teenagers in high school, but I did feel like I could in some ways.

My only critique is that I felt like the ending was rushed. The pacing throughout the book was great, but before I knew it was 95% done and I felt like I lot was still left to wrap up and there was still a little to wrap up at the ending as well!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC!

Sports, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Cross Country, and Sapphic? This book was a fun and lighthearted read. I enjoyed the characters and how their relationship wasn’t too straightforward and generic. I did find the pacing of the book a little slow at times but I finished the book in one day. I do wish that the relationship between the characters after they made up was dug into a little further it felt.. unfinished I guess? Overall a quick and enjoyable read.

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

I think I'm just not the audience for this one. I picked it up because I absolutely love the cover and it's sapphic, but I just didn't find myself caring about anything happening in this book.

YESS THIS WAS FANTASTIC AND JUST SUCH A FUN TIME. I laughed and swooned and just had a joyous time reading this

This Sapphic romantic comedy about two cross country runners with a complicated past and uncertain futures is messy, thoughtful, and entertaining. A diverse cast provides plenty of PoC and LGBTQ representation, as well as some interesting socio-economic interactions. As the leads are forced to interact and work out their feelings for one another, they both discover more about what they really want. Thoroughly enjoyable.

This was fine, but I did feel like it probably could have used a couple more drafts. Many aspects of the plot felt a bit underdeveloped, including the dissolution of Taylor and Mari's friendship and the rebuilding of it. I also found their voices to be too similar in a way that made the dual POV jarring sometimes.