In this article I’ve decided to rank KL Walther’s books just because I felt like it. She’s honestly a great rom-com writer so if you’re looking for some rom-com recs, you’ll definitely enjoy this.
I became obsessed with KL Walther after reading The Summer of Broken Rules the summer I graduated high school. If you haven’t read this book - go read it right now. It’s a PERFECT summer read, with island-beach vibes and loveable characters.
After reading this book, I soon realized that KL Walther had other novels that were related to it. Intrigued, I started reading these other books, and I’m always so excited when another one comes out for me to read. Each of these author’s novels are instantly added to my TBR, no questions asked.
KL Walther manages to create relatable characters and hilarious friend and family shenanigans in all of her novels. And yes, I definitely love some of her books more than others. But I love how all of her stories are connected - it’s like a fun puzzle trying to figure out how characters from different novels know each other. Sometimes characters are mentioned in passing (as in a character from one novel overhears a character from a different novel’s conversation on the street) and other times, characters are cousins or best friends with characters from other books.
So far KL Walther has written seven books, so here’s my ranking of each of them. To be completely honest, I definitely wrote a lot more for some books than others! I had to re-read / skim over some of the books that I haven’t read in a while, but I hope that each description is able to give you a synopsis of the book while also explaining why I loved/didn’t love it.
This is gonna be a long one, so I’m sorry about that! But KL Walther is an automatic read for me, no matter what she writes, and I randomly felt like discussing each of her books one day. Anyways, I hope you have fun reading this. Enjoy!
In first place: The Summer of Broken Rules
I absolutely LOVED this book from the moment I first read it. It’s a perfect summer rom com with lovable characters, entertaining plot lines, a beach setting, and deep messages and emotions. But before I get into explaining why exactly I love this book so much, let me first explain what its about.
Meredith Fox usually comes to Martha’s Vineyard with her family every summer to spend time with her grandparents, but nothing’s been the same since her sister Claire died in a drunk driving accident. Claire was Meredith’s older sister and best friend, and Meredith has yet to come back to Martha’s Vineyard without her. But the impending wedding of her cousin Sarah brings her family back to the island. As the wedding guests embark on an intense game of Assassin, Meredith is determined to win in her sister’s honor, even if it means striking an alliance with a cute groomsman, Wit. Throughout a week of wedding festivities, The Summer of Broken Rules follows Meredith’s journey of healing and summer love, with strong themes of family and friendship.
I honestly loved the Assassin plot line and the setting of Martha’s Vineyard. It’s clear that KL Walther knows the island very well, and even though I’ve never set foot on the Vineyard, the setting was very realistic and somehow felt nostalgic as well. It’s the perfect summer beach vibe, complete with bike rides, secret beach trips, and dinners on picnic tables outside. It was really entertaining to hear about the shenanigans Meredith’s large family gets involved in for the sake of winning Assassin. I laughed out loud multiple times as characters climbed onto roofs, stalked their victims, and carefully selected their weapons (various water guns, most usually) in order to spray their target with water. In the book, I felt that I got to understand the members of this large family through the small details the author gives. For example, I really loved Meredith’s dad’s relationship with his older brother Brad. I think their ultimate brotherly duo is mentioned about 4 times throughout the whole book, but I absolutely loved it. I have no idea how KL Walther was able to get me invested in the dynamics of all these side characters, but she somehow accomplished this amazingly well, and it made me feel totally immersed in the Fox family shenanigans. Also, I just generally love when a rom-com either includes or takes place at a wedding of one of the main character’s close friends or family. I really love watching side characters find happiness and the usual wedding events and dynamics - speeches, girl talk, vows, dances - it’s always amazing. I absolutely loved the wedding aspect of The Summer of Broken Rules! I was really rooting for Sarah and her fiancee, and their wedding was a perfect backdrop and setting for the book.
Now getting to the romance aspect of this novel - I really loved the main couple.
Meredith is an interesting character and I enjoyed getting to know her. It’s clear how much she loves her older sister Claire and her grief felt realistic to me. Her character flaw of relying too heavily on her high school boyfriend and pushing away her friends and family in her grief was an interesting choice by the author, especially because it forces her character to grow as she deals with her budding feelings for Wit. I really enjoyed the arc of Meredith’s healing journey - it felt realistic and it was emotional in the best way.
Wit is such a golden retriever MMC and I loved him so much. I enjoyed his dedication to the game of Assassin and I think he was a very calming, positive presence for all of the novel’s characters. We don’t get too much into his backstory, but from the snippets we do get it’s clear how he’s grown from his past self. I love how he approaches his relationship and connection with Meredith too. But I do need to ask my man Wit one question - what’s up with the orange shampoo, bro? I’m sorry Mer, but I don’t understand how orange shampoo’s scent can be sexy.
KL Walther did say that she based Wit’s character off of a Taylor Swift song (read the book to find out which one!) and I can say that he fits the song perfectly. He’s such a lovable and fun MMC!
Also - they have such an iconic meet cute and I loved it! Their Assassin alliance was amazing and I loved how they got to know each other. I feel that they develop a real emotional connection within the book’s short time span, and I was rooting for them the whole time. I loved that Meredith started to rediscover herself and the things that she’d loved as she became closer with Wit, and I liked how Wit was really understanding and gentle with her. They have fun together while also having serious conversations and getting to know each other deeper than surface-level. I just really enjoyed their friendship in addition to their growing romance. They also have the cutest nicknames for each other.
The one thing I didn’t love about this book was that their romance felt a bit rushed. The entire novel takes place in the span of one week, so Wit and Mer go from strangers to being totally in love within seven days. If there’s one thing you should know about me and rom-coms, it’s that I hate insta-love. It just feels so unrealistic and ingenuine that people can get to know each other so well and fall in love so quickly. So while it did bother me a bit that Wit and Mer got together so quickly, I could at least tell that they had a genuine connection and understanding of each other. I was rooting for them the whole time.
Also, for all the Taylor Swift lovers out there - this book has the perfect amount of Taylor Swift references. It’s not overly done but you don’t have to be a level-13 Swiftie to understand them. Think Fearless vibes meets “Cruel Summer”.
Read this book if you’re in the mood for a summer rom-com with a couple that’s impossible not to root for, filled with beach vibes and family shenanigans. I give The Summer of Broken Rules a solid 9/10.
In second place, we have A First Time for Everything.
I loved this book so much! I really love the messages it contains and I empathized deeply with literally every single character. I read this book in about one sitting, and it made me cry at some points, not gonna lie.
This book follows the story of Madeline Fisher-Michaels, an incoming high school senior in Pennsylvania. She’s a serious field-hockey player hoping to be recruited for a college team, which doesn’t leave her much time for socialization. She’s really close with her older brother Austin and her best friend and next-door neighbor Connor. And there’s also Marco Alvarez, a friend from school who Madeline always seems to run into. When her brother announces his engagement to his long-time girlfriend Katie, Madeline is less than pleased. She and Katie aren’t very close, and Madeline has had a hard time getting to know and like her in the five years Katie’s been dating her brother. When Katie asks her to be a bridesmaid, Madeline warily accepts the offer, hoping for a chance to connect with her future sister-in-law. As Madeline gets to know the other bridesmaids and confesses that she’s never kissed, let alone dated, anybody yet, the bridesmaids decide to help Madeline find a date for Katie and Austin’s wedding. And hence Ready, Set, Date! commences. With the help of the bridesmaids and Katie, Madeline finds herself getting set up with different guys in the hopes of finding a connection. Soon, she finds herself torn between her best friend and boy-next-door Connor and her inexplicable connection with Marco.
Some of the things I loved about this book:
The wedding! You already know I love a good wedding in a rom-com, and I enjoyed watching Madeline get involved in wedding festivities and support Katie in her journey to becoming a bride. I also loved getting to know the bridesmaids - they have such a great dynamic, and their characters feel fresh and exciting. And one of the bridesmaids may or may not be a character from a different KL Walther novel…
The first-date stories and mishaps. Madeline finds herself in a variety of situations as she goes on different dates - some good, some bad, and some that are just plain awkward. Yet I loved seeing how Madeline handled each scenario. I liked how Madeline slowly begins to discover who she is and what she wants in a relationship, and the book does a great job of taking the reader on this journey with her. Madeline’s character growth is great, and I loved how she begins to find new friends and connections throughout the novel.
The timeline. Most of KL Walther’s books take place over the span of a day, a week, or maybe a month or two. Yet this novel takes place throughout an entire year - starting with Austin and Katie’s engagement and ending with their wedding. I liked this slower pace because it allows for more character growth and makes for more developed relationships and connections. Madeline is given sufficient time to explore various possible boyfriends and get to know herself better.
The characters! My absolute favorite thing about this book BY FAR. I related to each and every character in this novel (except for a few side characters who obviously aren’t meant to be understood or liked). Madeline is strong, passionate, and loyal to her friends and family. I feel like her struggles are understandable and relatable, and I loved getting to know her character. Her best friend Connor is also a great guy with total golden-retriever vibes. He’s very kind, funny, and supportive - although, as Madeline likes to say, a serial-monogamist. He falls fast and enjoys being in a relationship, yet his relationships never tend to last very long. Yet he and Madeline’s friendship is adorable and I love how he’s always there for her. Marco Alvarez is also a great character. He has a ton of character growth, which I appreciate. He’s very honest, funny, and introspective - I love his intellect and the ways that he and Madeline connect, and while he definitely has his flaws, he works hard to become a better person from them.
But I think that my favorite character was actually Katie. I LOVED her character’s growth and development through the novel. As a socially awkward introvert myself, I relate so much to her shyness, feelings of inadequacy, and the way that she’s always felt intimidated by such a close and loud family. When the book first begins, Katie is cold, reserved, and misunderstood by Madeline and her family. Yet as the novel goes on, Katie has vulnerable moments that show her true character and feelings. It’s one of these vulnerable moments that actually made me cry the first time I read this book. As Madeline (and the reader) gets to really know Katie, we’re able to see through her flaws to get to know the wonderful person beneath them. Katie’s extremely protective of her loved ones and always shows up for the people she cares about. She’s very loyal and supportive, and when she lets down her guard she’s actually really adventurous and fun. I do think that she could be in better control of her emotions and explain how she’s feeling rather than shutting down. But overall I absolutely loved her character. I know that this book is a rom-com about Madeline and the boy she chooses to end up with, but I’d argue that Madeline and Katie’s relationship is just as well developed and is crucial to the plot.
The messages of this book were also super deep. Mainly, I loved the idea about being with your favorite person, and the twist on the best-friends-to-lovers trope. This book does a great job of showing that just because someone is your best friend, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re your favorite person and the one you’re supposed to be with. This is especially shown with Austin, who dated his childhood best friend for years before they broke up and he met Katie. I feel like romance novels nowadays are obsessed with best friends becoming more (don’t get me wrong, I love the trope), but I feel that in many cases a guy and girl are JUST meant to be friends and nothing more. I really appreciated that this book showed that. However, the book makes it seem like you need to date your best friend to answer the question of whether you see them in a romantic way or not, which I don’t necessarily agree with. Also, sometimes this book took the best-friends-not-dating thing to a bit of an extreme level. I believe that you can have platonic friends of the opposite gender when you’re in a serious relationship, and I’d even argue that that’s healthy to a certain extent. And in some cases, I think it’s not an issue if you’re friends with an ex. But this novel took this a bit too far in my opinion with Austin’s friendship with his ex - the fact that he and his ex are still hanging out one-on-one a lot and even spend the night in the same room together (separate beds, thankfully) just doesn’t sit right with me. However, Austin’s love for Katie is evident in this novel, and when he explains how Katie is his favorite person who became his best friend I was definitely crying.
Overall, this book is a great rom-com choice that I’d recommend to anyone who is in the mood for a light rom-com that also has some deeper messages and amazing characters. I’d give this book a solid 9/10 stars.
Next on, to my third-favorite book, The Summer of Second Chances.
This book also takes place in Martha’s Vineyard over the summer. I loved this setting and the perfect summer rom-com vibes it gives. I liked the MMC and the FMC and the messages about family and friendship were really nice. However, I felt that it was missing something. I can’t explain what it was, but the book just felt a bit bland to me. But it was still a great book with a great story, hence its third place ranking.
First, let me explain what the book’s about.
Oliva Lupo is taking a gap year after high school so that she can spend more time with her grandmother, who suffers from severe dementia. Feeling left behind by her friends gone off to college but scared of losing her grandmother, Olivia’s been working at the bookshop and visiting the nursing home whenever she has the chance. When her stepmother Erica asks her to spend three weeks on Martha’s Vineyard for her family’s reunion, Olivia is reluctant to go. But when Olivia discovers a box of old photographs of her grandmother on the Vineyard, she decides to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps, hoping to re-create her grandmother’s photographs. Arriving at Erica’s family’s house, she runs into Connor McCallister, a boy she met at camp years ago. As Olivia chases her grandmother’s photographs around the island, engages in Erica’s family’s silly traditions, and inevitably grows closer to Connor, she can’t shake the feeling that her magical time on the island is coming to an end. And when she leaves the island, what memories, and people, will she have to leave behind?
As you already know, I really enjoy the setting of Martha’s Vineyard. Unlike The Summer of Broken Rules, where we view the island through the perspective of someone who’s been coming to the island for years, Olivia’s never been to the Vineyard before. So I loved getting to see everything from her fresh perspective. The setting gives total summer beach vibes - we have Fourth of July barbecues, camping, walks along the beach - making it a perfect light summer read.
I also loved the complex family dynamics shown throughout the novel. While it’s clear that Erica’s family is very close and full of love, you also get to see some of the less-pretty parts of the family, such as the ways that Erica’s family views her job as a social media influencer. I appreciated these messier family dynamics because it made the family feel a bit more realistic and helps the reader understand the characters at a deeper level. I also loved how this opened up a lot of character growth for Erica. One of my favorite parts of this book was the evolution of Olivia and Erica’s relationship, and I think that seeing Erica’s vulnerability when she’s at her family reunion helps the reader connect with her character and gives Olivia and Erica the chance to bond.
I also loved the main characters of this rom-com - Connor is very much a sunshine golden retriever boy, which matches well with Olivia’s black cat energy. He’s amazing with little kids, is positive and uplifting, and is really understanding and supportive of Olivia while also not being afraid to be honest with her. Olivia has a unique vulnerability and toughness to her, and I really liked seeing her grow as she lets her guard down with Connor throughout the weeks at the Vineyard. The main conflict of “what do we do when our magical time on this island is over” is a bit predictable and cliché, but it makes sense with the novel and its more light-hearted vibes. However, since this book takes place in the span of two weeks, everything is a bit more fast-paced than I’d like it to be. But despite feeling a bit rushed, I did love watching their friendship and relationship blossom while they’re at Martha’s Vineyard though. I love their first kiss scene too ahhh! I’m not sure how I felt about their childhood-camp connection. To me, it felt a little forced - like these two kids meet when they’re ten and years later they still remember each other and have feelings for each other? Personally, I don’t think that was truly necessary - I’d rather prefer they meet as strangers or share another connection instead of having met at camp years ago.
I’m also not sure how I felt about Olivia’s grandmother’s connection to the island. The book presents it as a mystery Olivia’s trying to solve - why did her grandmother never once mention the Vineyard to her, despite it being clear that she loved all the time that she spent there as a child? The actual solution to the mystery wasn’t as big of a reveal as I would have liked. It just felt like a very simplistic solution without that much conflict or mystery as I would have liked. If the book had centered more around this mystery rather than Olivia trying to relive her grandmother’s memories through re-creating her photographs, the mystery aspect might have been greater and hence more enticing. However, with the book’s current state, the mystery just seems kind of thrown-in-there.
Overall, though, I genuinely enjoyed this book and its characters. It’s light, it’s cute, the main characters are likeable and have genuine growth and connections that the reader gets pulled into. Yet it has this inexplicable feeling that it’s missing something, and I can’t exactly explain what it is. Don’t take this the wrong way, but the book feels almost…forgetable. Like I really enjoyed reading it and it’s a great book, but a week after finishing it a lot of the details leave your mind. I hadn’t re-read The Summer of Broken Rules or A First Time For Everything in about a year before I started writing this blog post, but they struck a deeper note in my mind that I still remembered them vividly no matter how much time had passed. I don’t know why The Summer of Second Chances didn’t hit this same emotional note, sadly. But if you’re looking for a light summer read and want to meet some of your favorite characters from other KL Walther books, I’d highly recommend this. You definitely won’t regret reading it. I’d give this book a solid 7/10 stars.
Coming up fourth, we have We’re a Bad Idea, Right?
I recently read this book when binging KL Walther’s rom-coms, and I really enjoyed it. The main character was fun and the plot line was pretty interesting. It's about friends-to-lovers who start fake dating, which is honestly one of my favorite rom-com tropes. However, there were a few things that irked me about the main couple that brought it to fourth on the list.
This book focuses on Audrey Barbour, a senior one month away from graduating high school. She’s gotten into UPenn’s Wharton Business School, but she dreams of pursuing her passion for glassblowing through a prestigious glassblowing fellowship. When her parents go on a three-week vacation in France, Audrey gets drunk after hanging out with her friends and decides to pay the $10,000 tuition for her glassblowing fellowship using her parent’s emergency debit card. Together, Audrey and her friends decide to put up her parent’s carriage house on a homestay website (think Airbnb vibes) to make up the $10,000 expense before her parents return. And for the romance aspect? Audrey’s best friend, Henry Chen, suffers a sudden breakup with his girlfriend of two years, Ellie, when she leaves him for someone else. Heartbroken, Henry asks Audrey to fake-date him so he could get Ellie’s attention back and Audrey could catch the eye of her longtime crush Griff.
My favorite part of this book was Audrey’s crazy money-making stunt of running a homestay in her parent’s carriage house. There were so many aspects of a homestay that I never would have thought of, and Audrey’s creativity and dedication really shined as she slowly became a 5-star hostess on the Here-To-Stay website. She gets into some interesting situations with her various guests, and some of them made me laugh out loud while reading. I also loved how all of her friends came together to support her and her scheme - preparing the carriage house for guests, cleaning, promoting her house, and more. Her friends felt like a real teenage friend group as they threw parties and met up at restaurants in town to discuss their plans, but they were also super supportive and sweet as they came together to help Audrey out.
I also got to know a decent amount about glassblowing. I had no idea how it worked at all before reading about it, and I really enjoyed learning how glassblowers mold glass to make glass pieces and objects.
The main thing I didn’t like about this book was actually the romance between Audrey and Henry. Honestly, I liked them as friends better than boyfriend and girlfriend. Henry manages Audrey’s Etsy business selling her glassblowing pieces and they have inside jokes and common interests, so I really loved their connection. But their journey from friends to lovers felt rushed and incomplete. I feel like there wasn’t a clear emotional turning point when they realize how they feel about each other. I did love Audrey and Henry’s characters - I think they’re relatable and perfectly flawed, and I feel like I genuinely understand them. But as a couple they just didn’t click for me.
One of the reasons why this is the case is because of Henry’s relationship with Ellie. Henry is absolutely devastated when Ellie breaks up with him and he asks Audrey to fake-date him right away, but Audrey makes him wait for a month until he asks her again. I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with mourning a relationship and that this doesn’t mean that you can’t find love again - I honestly believe that you need to mourn a relationship in order to move on and let go of your feelings. But Henry goes from a two-year relationship with Ellie to falling for Audrey a month later, and that felt too fast for me. Henry also makes certain comments hinting that he’s still in love with Ellie and even goes to dinner at Ellie’s family’s house after they break up, which makes it hard for me to believe he’s over her. If I were Audrey in this scenario, I would have been super hesitant to fall for Henry because I would feel that he was still hung up on his ex. I also hate the “fake dating just to get my ex back” trope. Fake dating to try and get your crush’s attention is totally different from trying to get the attention of someone you used to be with - in the former, you’re trying to snag someone who you don’t really know and don’t really love, while in the latter, you want to get back with someone who you truly understood and loved. And that just feels wrong.
On a more random note, this book does contain some Olivia Rodrigo references (as you probably assumed from the title). Honestly I don’t know a ton of Olivia Rodrigo songs beyond her super popular ones, but I was still able to understand a decent amount of the references. It also wasn’t totally overkill which I appreciated.
Overall, I loved the scheming of this book’s plotline as Audrey tries to make $10,000 before her parents can find out. The strong friendships and friend group dynamics were very heartwarming, but I just didn’t love the actual romance aspect of this book. For this reason, I gave it a rating of 7/10.
Next up in fifth place is What Happens After Midnight.
This book had a really fun premise and I loved the setting, the romance just didn’t sell it for me.
What Happens After Midnight takes place at Ames School, which is a boarding school in New England. And Ames School has one big tradition - the Senior Prank. Each year, one senior is chosen to be the Jester and mastermind an elaborate prank on the senior class. Lily Hopper, a senior at Ames, has a goody-two-shoes reputation that she’s eager to break out of. When she receives an anonymous letter for the Jester recruiting her to participate in the Prank, she’s excited to break free. That is, until she realizes that the Jester is none other than Taggart Swell, her ex-boyfriend who Lily definitely still has feelings for. As she and the other seniors recruited into the Prank spend an elaborate night stealing the class yearbooks, sparks fly and events of the past simmer to the surface. And what will be left after the night is over?
Personally, my favorite thing about this book was probably the boarding school setting. Lily is what they call a fac brat (her mother is a teacher at Ames) so the reader gets to experience both the student aspect of Ames while also getting some of the inside scoop and gossip on the teachers and staff. The school’s many traditions, restaurants, lawns, and buildings seem fun and I felt totally immersed in Ames’s campus. I loved all of the characters we meet - especially Josh the diner owner and Tag’s friend Alex - and the community aspect at Ames was so heartwarming.
I also loved the Senior Prank plotline. Following these teenagers as they snuck around their boarding school at night was exciting and I felt that I was right along with them, which made everything more thrilling. I also loved that I got to experience this through Lily’s perspective. She’s a goody-two-shoes, a planner, and a worrier, which I relate to very well, so watching as she breaks out of her shell to go on a midnight adventure was really exciting.
Personally, I felt that the previous ending of Lily and Tag’s relationship could have been easily avoided. And watching Lily and Tag reconnect during their midnight prank was fun. But, similar to While We’re Young, I wanted the initial romantic development rather than just rehashing the past. Don’t get me wrong, I can enjoy a second chance romance, but only when I get to experience the initial feelings and romance instead of the main characters picking up the pieces in the end.
I don’t know why exactly I didn’t love this book - I don’t think its an exact thing that I can pinpoint. I know that I enjoyed the setting, plotline, and characters. But I think that the romance aspect was a bit rushed. I read this book really quickly, and I just felt that something was missing. But in general, I think it was well-written and a really fun read.
If you want some boarding school shenanigans and a second-chance romance, this book is definitely for you. I think it makes a great addition to the KL Walther universe! It just isn’t my favorite. I give What Happens After Midnight 7/10 stars.
In sixth place we have While We’re Young.
I liked the premise of this book a lot and the growth in character relationships that occur, but it just felt a bit rushed and also had some incredibly messy friend group dynamics.
This book takes place in the span of 24 hours and is told through four different perspectives, so it’s got a lot going on. James, Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be best friends. That was, at least before the great Freshman Year Fracture, when Everett abruptly broke up with Isa and ended their closely knit friend group. Now it’s a month before graduation, and their friend group is still broken. Grace and James Barbour, siblings born just 10 months apart, found themselves pulled into different social crowds at school and hardly talk anymore. While Grace and Isa are close as ever, Isa still hasn’t forgiven Everett for their breakup, and Grace has stood by her in solidarity. But with graduation looming, Grace decides that she wants one last day with her friends, leading her to plan an elaborate day in the city on a school day. After faking being sick for her parents and brother, Grace convinces Isa to help her pull Everett out of school so that the three of them can have a day hanging out just like they used to. As Grace, Isa, and Everett head out to the city, James is covering for Grace’s fake sickness while wondering what mischief his sister is up to. Yet everyone has a secret - despite telling Isa that she’s cut contact with Everett, Grace and Everett have been hanging out by themselves for a while...and those hangouts may or may not include some romantic tension. On the other hand, Isa and James have been secretly dating for the past six months, and Isa’s finally feeling ready to tell Grace about it. As the day goes on, the friends find themselves in both hilarious, awkward, and emotional situations as secrets spill and they face the events that led to the end of their friendship.
My favorite thing about this book is the shenanigans that three teenagers get themselves into. Watching Grace, Isa, and Everett run around the city trying to re-create their childhood memories was endearing and exciting. I also loved getting to explore Philly with them - they hit up all the famous spots while having their own adventures - eating cheesesteaks, visiting the Liberty Bell, visiting the LOVE sign, and more! The author does a great job of making the reader feel as if they’re in the city with the characters which I really enjoyed.
I also loved the development of the relationships between the characters, especially Grace and James. Watching these two estranged siblings finally discuss their feelings and bridge the distance between them was really heartwarming.
This book is narrated through four different points of view - Grace, Isa, Everett, and James. I enjoyed getting to know each of these characters on a deeper level, especially because they have their own inner struggles and unique personalities that gives each of them a fresh voice. However, constantly bouncing between so many perspectives is a lot for the reader, and I feel like we sometimes get shallower visions of each character rather than exploring one character in depth. I really love getting to know my characters on a deeper level, and I struggled to feel that connection in a story that has so many perspectives.
This is compounded by the book’s incredibly short timeline - all the events in the novel take place in the span of 24 hours. Because of this, the book is a culmination of events of the past rather than a current, developing arc. For example, we don’t get to see the relationship of Isa and James start or develop, the reader is just dropped into the middle of the relationship. The same goes for Grace and Everett - the reader doesn’t get to experience their initial hang outs and feelings, but rather them finally acting on things months later. Personally, I love reading about the early development and blossoming of relationships, so I was really sad that this book omits these details and instead focuses on their messy aftermath.
Speaking of messy aftermath - the main reason I didn’t like this book was because of the messy friend group dynamics caused by these interlocking love stories. Isa dated her former-best-friend Everett, who is now in love with Grace, whose brother is now in love with Isa, who is best friends with Grace. It’s just so messy! Not to mention the whole falling-for-your-friend’s-ex trope, which I can’t stand. I’m sorry, but to me it is ludicrous to fall for somebody who used to love your best friend, no matter how easy or difficult the breakup was. I don’t know how to explain it, exactly. Because I love my best friend and know my best friend really well, right? It would feel so weird to me to fall in love with someone who also loved my best friend. As a worrier, I would already get into my own head enough about the ex of my boyfriend, wondering what she’s like and how they were around each other, and it would be too difficult to not only know my boyfriend’s ex very well, but also to love her as a friend? And to have seen them together in love? I’m sorry, I just couldn’t do it. Not to mention the whole rules of girl-code. It’s one thing if your friend went on like one date with a guy and they just didn’t really hit it off, and your friend gives you their full permission without any jealous or bitter feelings (like in The Love Hypothesis). It’s another thing completely when hearts get broken and feelings get hurt. I couldn’t betray my best friend for falling for the person that hurt them - that’s just so wrong. Friends come before crushes, always. For that reason, Grace falling for her best friend’s ex just feels icky. And then Isa goes and falls for Grace’s brother! I think that dating your best friend’s brother can be awkward, especially because any potential breakups could mess with your friendship. But in the end, if you talk to your friend about it first then I guess it’s okay. The fact that Isa is going behind her best friend’s back about it just sits wrong with me. And even if we ignore all of these issues, assuming that Grace and Everett are perfectly happy and that Isa and James are madly in love - you still have a friend group where two exes are dating two siblings and they’re all best friends. Being in the same friend group as my boyfriend and his ex-turned-platonic-best-friend-who-is-also-my-best-friend would be very weird for me, and I’m sure most girls would feel the same.
Overall, I’d say that While We’re Young is a nice read, and is quite enjoyable. It’s a definite must-read for any fan of KL Walther, for sure. But because of the messy friend group dynamics, the lack of deep connection I felt to the characters, and the absence of romantic buildup and development, I’m going to give this book 6/10 stars.
And in last place is KL Walther’s debut novel Maybe Meant to Be.
This book, similar to While We’re Young, features four best friends (two of whom are siblings) and their subsequent love stories. I guess I didn't really draw that connection until writing these reviews, but now I’m realizing that I just really don’t like messy friend group romances. Oops! Anyways, this book still has some fun aspects to it and is an enjoyable read. So before getting into that, let me first explain what this book is about.
Sage and Charlie have been best friends for years. Everyone thinks that they’re meant to fall in love with each other - except for Sage and Charlie. Yet things change when new student Luke shows up to the Bexley School. As Charlie and Luke become close friends, they begin to wonder if their relationship is meant for something deeper than friendship. At the same time, Sage can’t stop thinking about Charlie’s twin brother Nick, with whom she shared a kiss after a game of Spin the Bottle over the summer. But Charlie is scared of what others might think of him and Luke, and Sage fears that getting serious with Nick too quickly will only mean heartbreak after graduation. As the school year progresses and relationships bloom, Charlie and Sage will have to decide what to risk for love.
I personally didn’t love this book. I already spent enough time talking about dating your friend’s sibling, so I’m not gonna talk about that again. I just felt like the two romances in this book were not equally developed at all. Sage and Nick seemingly hook up a couple times, but Sage is determined to keep their connection both casual and secretive despite being incredibly jealous when other girls flirt with Nick. I wanted to see a deeper and more developed relationship between the two of them, and it annoyed me that we don’t get much more than a superficial connection. After this whole book, I still don’t really understand why exactly Nick and Sage love each other. Charlie and Luke have much more development, and I liked watching their friendship turn into something more. Charlie’s struggle with his sexuality offers moments of vulnerability and I really empathized with him. Yet I also felt really bad for Sage and Luke because Charlie’s stress about coming out to his friends and family puts an unfair burden on them. Since everyone thinks that the reason Charlie broke up with all of his previous girlfriends is because of his love for Sage, Sage is forced to keep her relationship with Nick a secret while also seeming to be in love with his brother (eek). Luke also gets frustrated when Charlie continues hiding their relationship from his friends and family. Yet despite these issues, I loved Charlie and Luke’s cute moments and inside jokes, and I felt that they were perfect for each other.
However, I did really love getting to read another book in a boarding school setting! Bexley School has unique traditions and regular teenage shenanigans which I loved getting to read about. The setting also seems gorgeous and I felt totally immersed in the school’s culture, just like when reading What Happens After Midnight. The book also takes place over the span of a school year, allowing for deeper connections to develop between the characters.
But I just didn’t love this book because parts of it felt really underdeveloped, and I don’t understand one of the two main romances very well. I enjoyed the boarding school environment, though! It’s definitely worth reading, especially because these characters appear a lot in many other KL Walther romances, but it isn’t my favorite. I give Maybe Meant to Be 5/10 stars.