it wasn't for me. i tried multiple times but i had to give up on this one . the plot wasn't convincing enough and i was starting to get irritated by the pace

The Secret Year
by Jennifer Hubbard
A brief warning of life choices. The romantic entanglement of Julia and Colt shows the heady nature of romance. How feelings can overwhelm logic, and emotions overwhelm best practices. The brief romance entangles and endangers both their lives.

The Secret Year just wasn’t it for me. I get that it’s YA, but the drama felt so high school in a way that didn’t pull me in—it just made me roll my eyes a little. The emotions were there, and I can see how it would hit for readers who love that super intense, secret-romance-turned-grief kind of vibe, but I never fully connected with Colt or felt invested in what was happening. It wasn’t bad, the writing was fine, but overall it left me kind of meh. Definitely one of those “not for me, but I see the appeal” reads.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and author for an advanced copy of this book.
The Secret Year was a quick read. The plot sounded intriguing to me but I don’t think it was executed as well as it could have been. I didn’t really feel the connection Colt had with Julia or Kirby for that matter. I didn’t feel like there was any depth to the characters either. That being said I didn’t dislike the book, I just felt there was something missing.
3⭐️

Ok book but very lacking.
I found it lacked an emotional connection. I kinda figured it would have been a tear jerking but it wasn’t. The characters lacked depth. Very basic run of the mill.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

Young love and growing up are both hard to do. Colt is from the flats and secretly seeing Julia. She has a boyfriend and always claims they are breaking up…. But never does so the affair continues. Julia has died in a horrible auto accident, Leaving Cole with his emotions. Great YA except I didn’t like the ending.

Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead, and that's how Jennifer Hubbard begins her reflective short young adult fiction, “The Secret Year,” about two star-crossed high school lovers from different economic backgrounds who have been clandestinely meeting for passionate trysts and successfully fooling all of their peers until a diary of their affair is found post mortum.

A high-society Black Mountain girl, Julia, runs in country club circles. From a working-class family, Colton lives in the Flats at the bottom of the mountain and enjoys nothing better than getting his feet muddy in the local Willis River, which he does almost every night. Stars aligned on one fateful evening when Julia waded into Colton’s favorite watering hole, and their inauspicious romance began.

This thought-provoking story presents a unique look at tragedy and the expressions of grief and loss seen in friendships and intimate relationships. Those shown are often handled inappropriately: by the use of anger, acting out, avoidance tactics, denial, and by entering into casual intimate relationships.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks Netgalley, Author Jennifer R. Hubbard, and Publishers: Penguin Group, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Viking Books for Young Readers for early access to this Advanced Reader’s Electronic Edition for Review. “The Secret Year” will be available to the general public on January 7, 2025.
https://www.goodreads.com/joyreadergirl1

This is a powerful book about love, loss and
the class divides that still exist to this day. I would read more books by this author.

I tried so hard to make it through this book, but literally nothing was happening. My first DNF of the year.

I love the premise of a secret romance, it started all good but as you keep reading I was hoping it would come out as another thing..
secret romance, loss and grief are some of the aspects of this book .. overall a good reading a little bit slow but gets better at the half

Thanks to the Author, NetGalley, Penguin group Penguin young readers group and Viking books for this arc

Book Review: If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin
For fans of deeply romantic novels, Laura Nowlin's If Only I Had Told Her is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of grief. The story revolves around Colt and Julia, who share a secret love over the course of a year, hidden from the world due to their differing social circles. Julia thrives within the elegant confines of her country club life on Black Mountain, while Colt navigates the vibrant energy of the flats. Their clandestine meetings by the river are filled with electric chemistry, making their connection all the more intoxicating.
However, the narrative takes a heartbreaking turn when Julia tragically dies in a car accident. This devastating event catapults Colt into a whirlwind of memories, particularly a fight they had on their last night together, leaving him to grapple with unresolved feelings.
The discovery of Julia's diary becomes a pivotal moment for Colt. It offers him a glimpse into her innermost thoughts and secrets she never had the chance to share. As he delves into her words, he finds himself on a journey that may heal his broken heart or unravel a tangled web of secrets that could change everything.
Nowlin’s writing beautifully captures the raw emotions of young love and the pain of loss, inviting readers to reflect on the importance of communication and understanding in relationships. If Only I Had Told Her is not just a love story; it's a moving tribute to the power of memories and the unbreakable bonds that endure even after tragedy strikes. This novel is a must-read for anyone who appreciates a heartfelt narrative that lingers long after the last page is turned. #netgalley

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I liked the premise of a secret romance, but that fizzled once the accident occured. I thought the secret journal was a cool idea, but I didn't buy that Colt didn't read that cover to cover the night he's given it. The rich girl matched up with the less fortunate young man was also an interesting part of the story that just didn't pack the punch it could have in this story. I had high hopes but unfortunately, it did not hit the mark for me. I wanted more out of this story. Your mileage may vary as they say.

The Secret Year was a quick read. It was confusing at times with the way it skipped around in time. The writing itself wasn’t terrible but I struggled to finish it.

Colt obviously loves Julia and how wonderful she is when they are alone yet she treats him like he doesn’t exist around everyone else. Add in the cheating aspect and I just couldn’t stand either of them. Though I do recognize that since their relationship was secret, Colt couldn’t mourn in public which caused problems for him in his relationships with other people.

It would have been nice to see Colt have his own voice and not just follow what his friends did. However, what we got was a story where it seems like he would be stuck not processing his feelings ever.

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for an early cop of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one sitting. This was a story of lovers from different sides of the track. I loved the characters and the storyline. I would definitely recommend this book.

THE SECRET YEAR – by Jennifer R. Hubbard - Rerelease

‘Colt and Julia were secretly together for a year, and no one ever knew, not even Julia's boyfriend. Why would they-they were from two different crowds. Julia lived in her country club world and Colt . . . didn't. Then Julia dies in a car accident. Colt is devastated but can't mourn openly, and he's tormented that he may have played a part in her death.’

Growing up as a teen in the 80s, there is a film that comes to mind as I read this Book—one of my favorites at the time—‘Pretty In Pink’ wherein classism takes center stage amid a budding relationship.

As a parent, I have difficulty recommending this book, that is until I reflect on my teenage years, and can’t help but recall the recent use of the phrase ‘Back In My Day’ when talking to my now adult children. I shudder to think how soon I start to utter phrases like, ‘Get Off My Lawn! and ‘You Call That Music!’

*sigh*

I digress.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to you youngin’s out there. ;)

Thank you, NetGalley and Viking Publishing (Penguin Random House LLC.), for providing me with an eBook of THE SECRET YEAR at the request of an honest review.

Age range: 14 up
Grades: 9 - 12

I absolutely loved this book.
Such a great read and the first I’ve read by this author but I’ll be looking for more.

I have so many questions.

It looks like this was first published in 2010 and has recently been re-released. I’m not sure when the story is supposed to take place. I think only the Black Mountain (wealthy neighborhood) kids have cell phones, so I assume maybe this was supposed to happen during the late 1990s when cell phones first became widely available. There’s no mention of texting, just calling. There are a couple of mentions of email, which could still track with the late 1990s timing. I don’t think the narrative specifies.

The story’s tone has a little bit of a Holden Caulfield vibe. Colt isn’t trying to be particularly likable. Neither is Julia, honestly. And that was fine. I mostly appreciated their frankness. After someone comes out as gay, Colt does a couple of things that are not great. I get that his reaction is realistic, but I wish the narrative had at least weighed in on his thoughts as negative.

Julia’s letters to Colt interrupt the scenes periodically, and sometimes, I got confused at the bouncing back and forth between her letters and Colt’s perspective. I also felt like the back cover copy implies that the story has a lot more suspense than it does. Colt does remember details about a fight he had with Julia. He does read letters she wrote to him. But I didn’t feel a sense of suspense about any of that. This isn’t a story about uncovering secret reasons for her death. This is the story of a boy who’s experiencing complicated grief because his relationship with a girl was a secret, and he can’t grieve publicly.

I found the story of his grief compelling, but it wasn’t really what I expected the book to be about.

For me, the uncertainty of the timeline (which could have contextualized some of the characters’ behavior) and the confusion over the genre of the story made this one a weird read. I read the book pretty quickly, so I’d say the writing is compelling. Readers who like books by Matthew Quick might enjoy this one.

"Nothing stays secret forever" that is a lie if I ever saw or heard one! This is a rich girl from the right side of the train tracks and poor boy from the wrong side of the train tracks type of story and the way everything played out kinda gave me the ick at times, especially because they were so young. I guess I need to stop going in to some of the books blind. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

The characters were kind of flat and despite it being a fairly short story, it started to fizzle about mid way through. That being said, its one you can read in a sitting, so it has that going for it. I don't mean to say that its not good by any stretch, but it's nothing memorable.