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With and Without You
#Wibbroka is back with another swoony YA--this time tackling long-distance relationships, in a novel based on their own romantic history.
If high school seniors Siena and Patrick were a superlative, they'd be the Couple Most Likely to Marry. They've been dating for three solid years, and everyone agrees they're perfect for each other. But with college on the horizon, Siena begins to wonder whether staying together is the best idea. Does she really want to be tied down during possibly the most transformative years of her life? So she makes a decision to break up with Patrick, convincing herself it's for the best. Before she can say the words, though, he beats her to the punch: his family is moving out of state. Caught off guard by the news, Siena agrees to stay with Patrick, believing their relationship will naturally fizzle out with time and distance. But over a series of visits throughout the school year, Siena begins to see a different side of Patrick--one that has her falling in love with him all over again.
If high school seniors Siena and Patrick were a superlative, they'd be the Couple Most Likely to Marry. They've been dating for three solid years, and everyone agrees they're perfect for each other. But with college on the horizon, Siena begins to wonder whether staying together is the best idea. Does she really want to be tied down during possibly the most transformative years of her life? So she makes a decision to break up with Patrick, convincing herself it's for the best. Before she can say the words, though, he beats her to the punch: his family is moving out of state. Caught off guard by the news, Siena agrees to stay with Patrick, believing their relationship will naturally fizzle out with time and distance. But over a series of visits throughout the school year, Siena begins to see a different side of Patrick--one that has her falling in love with him all over again.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2022
18 people are currently reading
4607 people want to read
About the author
Emily Wibberley
22 books2,226 followersEmily Wibberley attended Princeton University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Austin Siegemund-Broka, with whom she is author of The Roughest Draft, as well as several love stories for teens.
Visit her and Austin's website at www.emilyandaustinwrite.com.
Visit her and Austin's website at www.emilyandaustinwrite.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
May 18, 2022
this was fine. not EW & ASBs best book, but definitely not terrible, either. just somewhere right in the middle.
lets start with the positives - real teenage problems, easy-going writing, good pacing, cute enough plot, and complex feelings.
i was really looking forward to this one because its semi-autobiographical. EW & ASB are couple goals - high school sweethearts that beat long distance and now write books together. and i can definitely feel their real life experiences in this novel, as evident in the positives mentioned.
but the main thing that prevented me from loving this is my lack of belief in siena and patrick as a couple. its just a lot of telling and hardly any showing. and i just dont think that works well when the characters are seriously considering continuing their relationship. i dunno. i just felt very lukewarm when it came to my feelings about them as a couple because i was never really given any reason to feel otherwise.
regardless, this is a quick read. so if you enjoyed EW & ASBs other books, im sure this one will be just as enjoyable.
↠ 3.5 stars
lets start with the positives - real teenage problems, easy-going writing, good pacing, cute enough plot, and complex feelings.
i was really looking forward to this one because its semi-autobiographical. EW & ASB are couple goals - high school sweethearts that beat long distance and now write books together. and i can definitely feel their real life experiences in this novel, as evident in the positives mentioned.
but the main thing that prevented me from loving this is my lack of belief in siena and patrick as a couple. its just a lot of telling and hardly any showing. and i just dont think that works well when the characters are seriously considering continuing their relationship. i dunno. i just felt very lukewarm when it came to my feelings about them as a couple because i was never really given any reason to feel otherwise.
regardless, this is a quick read. so if you enjoyed EW & ASBs other books, im sure this one will be just as enjoyable.
↠ 3.5 stars
Want to read
June 16, 2020inject every wibbroka book in existence directly into my veins please & thank you
May 20, 2022
It's probably not great that my least favourite read by this duo happens to be the one that is based (loosely, I hope?) on their own romance. Whoops.
But what really hurt this story was the lack of a secondary POV. I truly can't recall anymore if all their books are like this or if some are dual (I really need to start making GR shelves for this but alas I probably will never do it) but this one needed it. Siena's narrative was not always fun and while the second voice wouldn't have improved that it would've given us something of a break.
I don't begrudge this story for existing, particularly for all the YAers who are feeling similar things -- not just the conflict inspired by leaving for college and whether the relationship will endure, but the added conflict of that looming issue when already dealing with a long-running relationship that you feel you may have outgrown. There needs to be space for these conversations and these dynamics and these circumstances.
But. That doesn't mean I had to like this one. Siena spent the majority of the book wondering if she still fit with Patrick and honestly, girl, I wonder the same. He may have been unwilling to be open to new things without realizing the importance of them but she was equally rigid and uncompromising. And while you'd think living in her head would make you more sympathetic to her perspective (hah) oh no, it was worse. The book wasn't all bad but that first 30% was real rough and I just don't think it ever recovered.
Having said all that, I am hopeful that I won't continue to reside in the 2.5-3 range for any more of their books because when they are good, they are great. I would maybe just give this one a pass.
2.5 stars
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
But what really hurt this story was the lack of a secondary POV. I truly can't recall anymore if all their books are like this or if some are dual (I really need to start making GR shelves for this but alas I probably will never do it) but this one needed it. Siena's narrative was not always fun and while the second voice wouldn't have improved that it would've given us something of a break.
I don't begrudge this story for existing, particularly for all the YAers who are feeling similar things -- not just the conflict inspired by leaving for college and whether the relationship will endure, but the added conflict of that looming issue when already dealing with a long-running relationship that you feel you may have outgrown. There needs to be space for these conversations and these dynamics and these circumstances.
But. That doesn't mean I had to like this one. Siena spent the majority of the book wondering if she still fit with Patrick and honestly, girl, I wonder the same. He may have been unwilling to be open to new things without realizing the importance of them but she was equally rigid and uncompromising. And while you'd think living in her head would make you more sympathetic to her perspective (hah) oh no, it was worse. The book wasn't all bad but that first 30% was real rough and I just don't think it ever recovered.
Having said all that, I am hopeful that I won't continue to reside in the 2.5-3 range for any more of their books because when they are good, they are great. I would maybe just give this one a pass.
2.5 stars
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
June 8, 2022
3/5 stars, a quick read but not my favorite romance
Thank you to Penguin Teen for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This was my very first Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka and while I think it's very cute that they are a real-life couple writing romance, this romance just didn't really sell it for me. There were some aspects of the story that I came to appreciate, but there were more glaring issues with larger parts of the story that just brought my enjoyment down.
What a fast read this was, I read it in like 2 hours while I was laying in bed this morning. In some aspects, that was very nice, as it really propelled me through the story and allowed me to finish. But other times, it just made the story feel wrongfully paced. I think if there had been more background and buildup to Siena & Patrick's relationship, instead of launching right into the plot, I would have been way more interested in them and their second-chance-romance sort of deal. There were also some times that just felt choppy, like it went from very fast pacing to suddenly methodical, which it's fine to have both, it just felt very quick to change.
My least favorite part about this book was that 1/3 of the book's plot was Siena trying to decide if she was going to break up with Patrick or not. It says what happens in the synopsis, but I did not think that it would take so long for her to make up her mind, only to agree to stay in the relationship. I had a hard time rooting for them as a couple too, not because of the long-distance, I just didn't really see the spark. I understood what both of them were struggling with in the relationship, I just think they needed to communicate a little better and most of the conflict could have been avoided. Also at the end, what transpired was way too fast for me, everything suddenly turned around with their relationship and there was almost no build up.
While I did not have complete faith in their relationship like I said before, I do think there was critical emphasis placed on how long-term relationships can affect teens. Especially high-school sweethearts, and why so many of them break up. Both sides of the couple, or one, feel the need to fit into the mold of the person that they were when they began to date, which hinders their ability to discover new pieces of themselves and grow as a person. What this book showed was how even in a long-term relationship, with proper communication and understanding between both parties, change can be accepted and appreciated. Just because they were someone when they started dating, does not mean they need to stay the same, the other person should love them no matter what if it's "meant to be" which doesn't always happen. I really enjoyed that emphasis in this book, as it provided a more positive light on high-school sweethearts and long-term relationships in the end.
I felt very complicated feelings about Siena, in the beginning she really annoyed me. Again, for the first third of the book she just couldn't make a decision if she wanted to break up with Patrick or not and it frustrated me so much. As well, I think I just found her to be a bit dislikeable based on the way she was written. I did love to see her change into a better person, and grow into who she really wanted to be at the end though. But still, something was just off about her in my opinion. Maybe it was just me being annoyed that she was not communicating totally openly and honestly, though she is a teenager so I cut her a bit of slack.
Patrick was an interesting character, though I think the story would have benefited from seeing a bit into his perspective too. He was a fairly honest person to Siena and those around him, but his thoughts and feelings still felt closed off. Maybe that was just the way he was written, but he was a quiet person and this made it harder for me to connect with him. Again, I think the story would have greatly benefited from seeing both of the people in the long-distance relationship and their feelings. Then it would not have felt so one-sided.
Overall, I don't think this is the worst romance book I've ever read, but I wasn't prepared for the second chance romance plotline and for the girlfriend's decision to take up 1/3 of the book. There were some interesting aspects that were explored, but it just wasn't enough to pull my enjoyment higher than 3 stars. I think I'll check out more books by these authors in the future but probably not in the near-future, I'll find other romances I enjoy more first.
[TW: wrist injury, sex (mentioned), brief infidelity (kissing & misunderstanding), breakup]
Thank you to Penguin Teen for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This was my very first Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka and while I think it's very cute that they are a real-life couple writing romance, this romance just didn't really sell it for me. There were some aspects of the story that I came to appreciate, but there were more glaring issues with larger parts of the story that just brought my enjoyment down.
What a fast read this was, I read it in like 2 hours while I was laying in bed this morning. In some aspects, that was very nice, as it really propelled me through the story and allowed me to finish. But other times, it just made the story feel wrongfully paced. I think if there had been more background and buildup to Siena & Patrick's relationship, instead of launching right into the plot, I would have been way more interested in them and their second-chance-romance sort of deal. There were also some times that just felt choppy, like it went from very fast pacing to suddenly methodical, which it's fine to have both, it just felt very quick to change.
My least favorite part about this book was that 1/3 of the book's plot was Siena trying to decide if she was going to break up with Patrick or not. It says what happens in the synopsis, but I did not think that it would take so long for her to make up her mind, only to agree to stay in the relationship. I had a hard time rooting for them as a couple too, not because of the long-distance, I just didn't really see the spark. I understood what both of them were struggling with in the relationship, I just think they needed to communicate a little better and most of the conflict could have been avoided. Also at the end, what transpired was way too fast for me, everything suddenly turned around with their relationship and there was almost no build up.
While I did not have complete faith in their relationship like I said before, I do think there was critical emphasis placed on how long-term relationships can affect teens. Especially high-school sweethearts, and why so many of them break up. Both sides of the couple, or one, feel the need to fit into the mold of the person that they were when they began to date, which hinders their ability to discover new pieces of themselves and grow as a person. What this book showed was how even in a long-term relationship, with proper communication and understanding between both parties, change can be accepted and appreciated. Just because they were someone when they started dating, does not mean they need to stay the same, the other person should love them no matter what if it's "meant to be" which doesn't always happen. I really enjoyed that emphasis in this book, as it provided a more positive light on high-school sweethearts and long-term relationships in the end.
I felt very complicated feelings about Siena, in the beginning she really annoyed me. Again, for the first third of the book she just couldn't make a decision if she wanted to break up with Patrick or not and it frustrated me so much. As well, I think I just found her to be a bit dislikeable based on the way she was written. I did love to see her change into a better person, and grow into who she really wanted to be at the end though. But still, something was just off about her in my opinion. Maybe it was just me being annoyed that she was not communicating totally openly and honestly, though she is a teenager so I cut her a bit of slack.
Patrick was an interesting character, though I think the story would have benefited from seeing a bit into his perspective too. He was a fairly honest person to Siena and those around him, but his thoughts and feelings still felt closed off. Maybe that was just the way he was written, but he was a quiet person and this made it harder for me to connect with him. Again, I think the story would have greatly benefited from seeing both of the people in the long-distance relationship and their feelings. Then it would not have felt so one-sided.
Overall, I don't think this is the worst romance book I've ever read, but I wasn't prepared for the second chance romance plotline and for the girlfriend's decision to take up 1/3 of the book. There were some interesting aspects that were explored, but it just wasn't enough to pull my enjoyment higher than 3 stars. I think I'll check out more books by these authors in the future but probably not in the near-future, I'll find other romances I enjoy more first.
[TW: wrist injury, sex (mentioned), brief infidelity (kissing & misunderstanding), breakup]
February 19, 2022
Thanks Edelweiss and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Siena has been dating Patrick for three years but she feels it's time to break up since it's high school and she should have the opportunity to have more experiences on her own, but then when she was just about to end things, he tells her he's moving so she feels it's best to wait for their long distante relationship to fizzle like most of them usually do, but some things change along the way.
First of all, It was a relief reading and enjoying this book after not enjoying so much the authors' previous one: The Roughest Draft.
This book's concept is not so easy to work, to be honest, since it's about a relationship falling apart - at least for her - and falling in love again and they managed to develop it really well.
I really connected to Siena since I could understand all of her struggles: feeling suffocated in her relationship being so young, missing her individuality, wanting to explore new things, etc., since I had a serious relationship really young too and went through all of those dilemmas, so I felt especially connected to her, but I also feel like all of these mentally back and forth she goes through might annoy some readers (she is constantly changing her mind and having doubts, but she's young so it's pretty understandable).
Patrick is the cutest and I loved them together. Their arguments and problems were really valid, not only because of Siena's sides of things, but also his. Their contrasting personalities and long distance made them struggle but it also helped them in a way and I loved to see them reconnecting.
Siena has been dating Patrick for three years but she feels it's time to break up since it's high school and she should have the opportunity to have more experiences on her own, but then when she was just about to end things, he tells her he's moving so she feels it's best to wait for their long distante relationship to fizzle like most of them usually do, but some things change along the way.
First of all, It was a relief reading and enjoying this book after not enjoying so much the authors' previous one: The Roughest Draft.
This book's concept is not so easy to work, to be honest, since it's about a relationship falling apart - at least for her - and falling in love again and they managed to develop it really well.
I really connected to Siena since I could understand all of her struggles: feeling suffocated in her relationship being so young, missing her individuality, wanting to explore new things, etc., since I had a serious relationship really young too and went through all of those dilemmas, so I felt especially connected to her, but I also feel like all of these mentally back and forth she goes through might annoy some readers (she is constantly changing her mind and having doubts, but she's young so it's pretty understandable).
Patrick is the cutest and I loved them together. Their arguments and problems were really valid, not only because of Siena's sides of things, but also his. Their contrasting personalities and long distance made them struggle but it also helped them in a way and I loved to see them reconnecting.
Want to read
June 16, 2020i need this yesterday
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Blog (Read By Tiffany) | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Bloglovin
February 2, 2022
2.5
Solid concept but I feel like the emotional impact would have been way stronger if we'd gotten two POVs.
Solid concept but I feel like the emotional impact would have been way stronger if we'd gotten two POVs.
February 18, 2022
if i have to read 'LDR' or some form of that acronym one more time ...
January 27, 2022
I’m not going to lie, I almost stopped reading about 20% through the book because Siena was so frustrating because she wasn’t making a decision about breaking up with Patrick. That’s on me though because it was supposed to be a second chance romance vibe and I hadn’t been ready for that.
That being said, I still found Siena to be a bit too dislikable for my personal taste. It was great to see her grow and I really did like the last 40% of the book because we go too see that growth and the relationship get better. Maybe it was just me being annoyed that nobody was actually communicating properly and honestly, it’s understandable because they’re actual teens.
Overall, I liked how Siena explored the idea of finding her own passions and things while being apart from Patrick. I think it was a relatable experience for sure! Once I got used to the idea of the second chance romance and the idea of the LDR being the majority of the plot (which I would have known if I’d read the synopsis whoops), I think it was cute!
I think it was great that Siena was allowed to change her mind and grow and doubt herself. That was definitely well done. I wish we had gotten more perspective on Patrick’s side. I definitely think it would have added more depth to the LDR and I feel like I would have been more attached in that way.
I don’t think this is my favorite of Wibbroka’s works, but I appreciate it!
That being said, I still found Siena to be a bit too dislikable for my personal taste. It was great to see her grow and I really did like the last 40% of the book because we go too see that growth and the relationship get better. Maybe it was just me being annoyed that nobody was actually communicating properly and honestly, it’s understandable because they’re actual teens.
Overall, I liked how Siena explored the idea of finding her own passions and things while being apart from Patrick. I think it was a relatable experience for sure! Once I got used to the idea of the second chance romance and the idea of the LDR being the majority of the plot (which I would have known if I’d read the synopsis whoops), I think it was cute!
I think it was great that Siena was allowed to change her mind and grow and doubt herself. That was definitely well done. I wish we had gotten more perspective on Patrick’s side. I definitely think it would have added more depth to the LDR and I feel like I would have been more attached in that way.
I don’t think this is my favorite of Wibbroka’s works, but I appreciate it!
May 5, 2022
Absolute biohazard
November 2, 2021
“you're not a tether to home. home is a tether to you”
*4.5
it took me 3 hours to fall completely in love with this book
feeling especially lonely but whatever yk
with and without you follows siena, who's been dating patrick for 3 years -- they're the ultimate high school sweethearts. however, siena feels like their relationship is keeping her from finding herself, and she's about to break up with patrick when he tells her that he's moving 1000 miles away for senior year. suddenly, the two of them are in a long-distance relationship. at first, siena stays with patrick thinking they'll fade out in a few months, but over a series of visits throughout the year, she begins to fall in love with patrick all over again.
y'all. this is a whole second chance romance without the initial breakup. the whole process of them learning each other again, experiencing that "new" feeling, and falling for each other all over again is so just... refreshing. and mature of them. they're the couple that has been together for so long that you think they'll get married and their relationship is perfectly mature and perfect -- while their relationship was definitely not perfect at the beginning of the novel, it was so great seeing them both mature as time went on. COMMUNICATION YALL.
they both grow a lot as individuals over the course of the novel: siena settles into being her own person and accepts not having all the pieces set out right here and now; patrick more readily introduces change into his life and appreciates the ways their relationship has shifted over time. the two of them, by the end, communicate so freely and it was really, really nice to see.
also, they're just so adorable and pure and UGH i was blushing y'all. they have such a sweet relationship together and ugh MY LOVES.
i must say that part of the reason why this book hit so hard for me was because i (surprise) have had a relationship kind of similar to them. not necessarily in situation, but i find that I'm super similar to siena. i thrive in that comfortability, but i also want to narrow down my purpose. okay, well, maybe the relationship was partially similar in situation. the whole falling back in love with someone part (without actually breaking up) rly got me alsjdflasjdlkj. recovering that "new" feeling and getting those butterflies again just rly hits. i just.. communication. yeah. communication.
i think my only critique was that the mini-conflicts within the relationship seemed a bit repetitive -- the book took place over a few different time periods/visits, and some of the visits kind of felt the same lol
but this book is actually so good
thank you to netgalley and penguin young readers for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
*4.5
it took me 3 hours to fall completely in love with this book
feeling especially lonely but whatever yk
with and without you follows siena, who's been dating patrick for 3 years -- they're the ultimate high school sweethearts. however, siena feels like their relationship is keeping her from finding herself, and she's about to break up with patrick when he tells her that he's moving 1000 miles away for senior year. suddenly, the two of them are in a long-distance relationship. at first, siena stays with patrick thinking they'll fade out in a few months, but over a series of visits throughout the year, she begins to fall in love with patrick all over again.
y'all. this is a whole second chance romance without the initial breakup. the whole process of them learning each other again, experiencing that "new" feeling, and falling for each other all over again is so just... refreshing. and mature of them. they're the couple that has been together for so long that you think they'll get married and their relationship is perfectly mature and perfect -- while their relationship was definitely not perfect at the beginning of the novel, it was so great seeing them both mature as time went on. COMMUNICATION YALL.
they both grow a lot as individuals over the course of the novel: siena settles into being her own person and accepts not having all the pieces set out right here and now; patrick more readily introduces change into his life and appreciates the ways their relationship has shifted over time. the two of them, by the end, communicate so freely and it was really, really nice to see.
also, they're just so adorable and pure and UGH i was blushing y'all. they have such a sweet relationship together and ugh MY LOVES.
i must say that part of the reason why this book hit so hard for me was because i (surprise) have had a relationship kind of similar to them. not necessarily in situation, but i find that I'm super similar to siena. i thrive in that comfortability, but i also want to narrow down my purpose. okay, well, maybe the relationship was partially similar in situation. the whole falling back in love with someone part (without actually breaking up) rly got me alsjdflasjdlkj. recovering that "new" feeling and getting those butterflies again just rly hits. i just.. communication. yeah. communication.
i think my only critique was that the mini-conflicts within the relationship seemed a bit repetitive -- the book took place over a few different time periods/visits, and some of the visits kind of felt the same lol
but this book is actually so good
thank you to netgalley and penguin young readers for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
December 30, 2022
I really wish this was dual pov it would hit more but anyways cute and fast read.
January 6, 2023
I'm hesitant because I don't know what I want next year to look like. Many of my friends and classmates are applying to specific art schools or engineering programs. The know what they want to do with their lives.
I don't. I don't have one guiding passion, like theater, computer science or architecture. Not yet.
Vždy vravím, že dôležitou súčasťou každej hrdinky u Wibbrokovcov je nejaká jej vášeň - a tu máme zrazu hrdinku, ktorej dôležitou súčasťou je, že... žiadnu vášeň nemá.
Sienna má namiesto životného cieľa Patricka, s ktorým randí celú strednú školu, vzťah ju už nebaví a rozhodne sa s tým niečo urobiť. Ibaže práve v deň, keď sa s ním KONEČNE rozhodne rozísť, jej Patrick so svojimi puppy eyes oznámi, že sa sťahuje preč z mesta. Takže Sienna si povie - okej, pôjdeme do vzťahu na diaľku, postupne to medzi nami vyšumí a ja nebudem musieť Patrickovi ublížiť tým, že sa s ním rozídem. Ibaže... sa stane presný opak.
Celá kniha je vlastne o troch prázdninách počas školského roka (jesenných, zimných, jarných), keď sa Sienna a Patrick po niekoľkomesačnej odluke znova stretnú. Každé prázdniny sú iné a vždy je to mess: Prečo si mi nepovedala, že máš nových kamošov? Ako mu naznačím, že chcem počas tých pár dní sex? Nevideli sme sa niekoľko mesiacov a teraz sa snažím využiť každú chvíľu na niečo špeciálne, ale neuvedomujem si, že je to overkill...
Mám na knihách od Wibbrokovcov rada, že situácie, do ktorých sa hrdinovia dostávajú, sú veľakrát trápne a cringy, ale sú to UVERITEĽNÉ situácie. Veľa YA romantických kníh je takých filmových, umelých - tieto sú realistické so všetkým trápnym a nerozumným, čo k tomu patrí. Keby táto kniha bola film, bola by jeden z tých umeleckých artových kúskov. Takže odporúčam len na vlastné nebezpečenstvo - ak chcete niečo ako hollywoodsku romantiku, kde je krásna hrdinka v každom zábere neprirodzene dokonalá, ruky preč.
Nikdy nebudem tvoja ★★★★☆
Nikdy na teba nezabudnem ★★★★☆
If I'm Being Honest ★★★★☆
What's Not to Love ★★★☆☆
I don't. I don't have one guiding passion, like theater, computer science or architecture. Not yet.
Vždy vravím, že dôležitou súčasťou každej hrdinky u Wibbrokovcov je nejaká jej vášeň - a tu máme zrazu hrdinku, ktorej dôležitou súčasťou je, že... žiadnu vášeň nemá.
Sienna má namiesto životného cieľa Patricka, s ktorým randí celú strednú školu, vzťah ju už nebaví a rozhodne sa s tým niečo urobiť. Ibaže práve v deň, keď sa s ním KONEČNE rozhodne rozísť, jej Patrick so svojimi puppy eyes oznámi, že sa sťahuje preč z mesta. Takže Sienna si povie - okej, pôjdeme do vzťahu na diaľku, postupne to medzi nami vyšumí a ja nebudem musieť Patrickovi ublížiť tým, že sa s ním rozídem. Ibaže... sa stane presný opak.
Celá kniha je vlastne o troch prázdninách počas školského roka (jesenných, zimných, jarných), keď sa Sienna a Patrick po niekoľkomesačnej odluke znova stretnú. Každé prázdniny sú iné a vždy je to mess: Prečo si mi nepovedala, že máš nových kamošov? Ako mu naznačím, že chcem počas tých pár dní sex? Nevideli sme sa niekoľko mesiacov a teraz sa snažím využiť každú chvíľu na niečo špeciálne, ale neuvedomujem si, že je to overkill...
Mám na knihách od Wibbrokovcov rada, že situácie, do ktorých sa hrdinovia dostávajú, sú veľakrát trápne a cringy, ale sú to UVERITEĽNÉ situácie. Veľa YA romantických kníh je takých filmových, umelých - tieto sú realistické so všetkým trápnym a nerozumným, čo k tomu patrí. Keby táto kniha bola film, bola by jeden z tých umeleckých artových kúskov. Takže odporúčam len na vlastné nebezpečenstvo - ak chcete niečo ako hollywoodsku romantiku, kde je krásna hrdinka v každom zábere neprirodzene dokonalá, ruky preč.
Nikdy nebudem tvoja ★★★★☆
Nikdy na teba nezabudnem ★★★★☆
If I'm Being Honest ★★★★☆
What's Not to Love ★★★☆☆
June 1, 2022
4.5 ⭐️ rounded
You know what, this might be my favourite Wibbroka to date. I have a soft spot for this story being based on their relationship.
I really love the premise and that our main couple weremostly together for the entire book. It's refreshing to read an established pairing figuring things out and growing rather than that conquest for love. I would've liked for there to be more moments where Siena and Patrick weren't reunited, as in them living their day to day lives on their own with the long distance. Given that, a Dual POV would've been great for this book since I think Patrick had more obstacles to face.
This book was honestly close to being close to five stars but I had to dock a half because of the classic "third act drama" which was really three chapters (which made it worse. For a moment, I thought we weren't going to get that). I like how the conflict itself developed but it was so rushed to have it finally break down in the final few chapters. With that, there wasn't any real development between said conflict and our HEA. It didn't have a point.
But yeah, this book was amazing.
“But of a relationships is meant to be, the distance doesn’t matter, right?” It’s a more revealing question than I intended. Nevertheless, I’m hungry for the answer — for someone to just tell me whether I should break up with him or not. What if long distance is like the natural selection of relationships? If it only kills the weak ones? Does the fact that it’s hurting Patrick’s and mine mean we’re not right for each other?
You know what, this might be my favourite Wibbroka to date. I have a soft spot for this story being based on their relationship.
I really love the premise and that our main couple were
This book was honestly close to being close to five stars but I had to dock a half because of the classic "third act drama" which was really three chapters (which made it worse. For a moment, I thought we weren't going to get that). I like how the conflict itself developed but it was so rushed to have it finally break down in the final few chapters. With that, there wasn't any real development between said conflict and our HEA. It didn't have a point.
But yeah, this book was amazing.
November 26, 2022
Love Definitely Reigns!!
This book was an emotional roller coaster which realistically depicts the struggles of LDRs.
This book was an emotional roller coaster which realistically depicts the struggles of LDRs.
July 9, 2022
This book was so so cute and angsty all at once 🥹😩🙌🏻 Which is to say that it wrapped me up in a warm hug while taking my emotions on a roller coaster ride 😂 And I wouldn’t have had it any other way!
I love the way this story panned out; how it was a second chance romance for the main characters but the first chance for readers to fall in love with them and watch them fall in love with each other again and even deeper than before 🥹 There was something so special about seeing their relationship grow to fit the people they were becoming (even if it came with its many trials and challenges) 😭❤️ And Patrick and Siena were so clearly perfect for each other, even if they had their many issues to sort through—those complexities and messy parts of them just made them more real and had me rooting for them even harder 😩👏🏼
Patrick and Siena’s friends and families were also so wholesome (even when SOME of them were being annoying 😂) and made the story feel that much more inviting and homey and fun 🥰
I love the way this story panned out; how it was a second chance romance for the main characters but the first chance for readers to fall in love with them and watch them fall in love with each other again and even deeper than before 🥹 There was something so special about seeing their relationship grow to fit the people they were becoming (even if it came with its many trials and challenges) 😭❤️ And Patrick and Siena were so clearly perfect for each other, even if they had their many issues to sort through—those complexities and messy parts of them just made them more real and had me rooting for them even harder 😩👏🏼
Patrick and Siena’s friends and families were also so wholesome (even when SOME of them were being annoying 😂) and made the story feel that much more inviting and homey and fun 🥰
July 15, 2022
I LOVE Emily and Austin's books, and reading this one after their adult romance THE ROUGHEST DRAFT, I had high expectations. Sadly it just wasn't my favorite book of theirs, it left me feeling a little underwhelmed. I had been excited about the long-distance relationship plotline, but it was so focused on Siena going back and forth on if she wanted to stay with her boyfriend that I was at times bored -- it took me longer than normal to get through this one because I would set it down to pick up something else.
While it was realistic for a teen I felt like the single POV hurt the story, and would have LOVED to have read Patrick's side to make the story seem more thorough. I wanted to love it because I always love how this duo of authors writes, but this one was a bit of a disappointment for me.
Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers / Penguin Teen + NetGalley for the advance readers copy to read and review in exchange for my thoughts.
While it was realistic for a teen I felt like the single POV hurt the story, and would have LOVED to have read Patrick's side to make the story seem more thorough. I wanted to love it because I always love how this duo of authors writes, but this one was a bit of a disappointment for me.
Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers / Penguin Teen + NetGalley for the advance readers copy to read and review in exchange for my thoughts.
Read
October 30, 2023Trigger & Content Warnings:
Physical injury (sprained wrist)
Hospital
Physical injury (sprained wrist)
Hospital
August 24, 2022
we need more young adult romcoms where they’re already together at the beginning because this was adorable
April 6, 2023
I was confused. And I didn’t like the couple. I couldn’t actually find it in myself to believe these two were dating
March 11, 2022
Trigger warnings:
I just loved this book. That's it, that's the review.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-ARC through NetGalley. This did not, in any way, influence my thoughts & rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bookstagram - Bloglovin'
I just loved this book. That's it, that's the review.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-ARC through NetGalley. This did not, in any way, influence my thoughts & rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bookstagram - Bloglovin'
April 21, 2022
I do think the reconciliation was a bit…sudden? but only because we didn’t SEE the months they spent apart? but the writing in this is just so beautiful and patrick and siena’s journeys to finding themselves and realising they can be their own people and be together at the same time was so beautiful to read
July 7, 2022
I'm logging this as YA romance, but it's almost more a coming of age story?
April 29, 2022
And so the Wibbroka cycle begins once again: I start reading and think "eh, this is just okay", the book gets a little slow in the middle so I feel like maybe I actually WON'T like this book, THEN I power through and Emily and Austin were just waiting behind the corner with a baseball bat and hit me in the face with emotions and I end up CRYING because of their book.
THAT IS TO SAYYYY this is probably in the lower middle rating of their books. For sure got frustrated with Siena and Patrick's relationship but HOOWWWWW they make up and get back together... I'm crying again just thinking about it!
THAT IS TO SAYYYY this is probably in the lower middle rating of their books. For sure got frustrated with Siena and Patrick's relationship but HOOWWWWW they make up and get back together... I'm crying again just thinking about it!
February 25, 2022
Being a product of marrying my high school sweetheart I understood the struggles Siena went through. Though I never had the constant struggle of wanting to break up, I did have the doubts of getting serious so young and the sacrifices it takes to maintain a long distant relationship. I think the authors captured the stuggles perfectly and in a way that wasn’t overdramatizing their situation.
The back and forth of should or or shouldn’t I made the first part of this book exhausting. I almost wish the authors just cut cord between Siena and Patrick and have them come back together at a later time. But what I did enjoy was Siena using this time to grow, not only as an individual, but also as a better partner. She grew into herself more and I’m glad the authors took this time to showcase that. I do wish this was a dual POV. I think it would have helped the story more to have Patrick’s view and growth too. I feel like at the center of this story was love and it needed both sides to accurately tell it.
The authors did accurately describe the indecision of a 17/18 year old teenager who is at a crossroads in life. With that being said, reading this as an adult, it was hard to be empathetic because I’m so far from that mentality. Though I have personally went through the emotions laid out on this book and it was done really well, I don’t think I’m the intended audience for this kind of book. I think I would have connected more with the story if I was younger or closer to their age. With that being said, this story is so well written and Siena and Patrick feel more than characters in a story. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for this eARC
The back and forth of should or or shouldn’t I made the first part of this book exhausting. I almost wish the authors just cut cord between Siena and Patrick and have them come back together at a later time. But what I did enjoy was Siena using this time to grow, not only as an individual, but also as a better partner. She grew into herself more and I’m glad the authors took this time to showcase that. I do wish this was a dual POV. I think it would have helped the story more to have Patrick’s view and growth too. I feel like at the center of this story was love and it needed both sides to accurately tell it.
The authors did accurately describe the indecision of a 17/18 year old teenager who is at a crossroads in life. With that being said, reading this as an adult, it was hard to be empathetic because I’m so far from that mentality. Though I have personally went through the emotions laid out on this book and it was done really well, I don’t think I’m the intended audience for this kind of book. I think I would have connected more with the story if I was younger or closer to their age. With that being said, this story is so well written and Siena and Patrick feel more than characters in a story. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for this eARC
May 6, 2022
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC of With and Without You in exchange for an honest review
I have mixed feelings on this book. I almost DNF this a few times. I found the MC Siena to be extremely annoying. The only reason I kept reading was because the writing style was so good.
The story wasn’t what I was expecting either. Siena spent so long trying to figure out if she should dump her boyfriend, I was so bored. I would have liked a dual POV and I thought that often throughout the book.
Also really hated that she was set on convincing her boyfriend that med school couldn’t really be his dream. I saw red. Honestly I could have thrown my book!
Unfortunately I didn’t really like this one. I plan to read something else by these authors since I loved the writing style.
July 6, 2022
2.5*
i really wanted to like this book but it took over twenty chapters for me to actually get invested in the characters and even then it felt lacking. it felt like there was always anticipation for the next big thing to happen but it never did. i wanted to fall in love with the characters of siena and patrick but their obviously toxic relationship put me off. i did like that the main character had flaws and doubts but they started making her seem like the villain even though that wasn’t the intention. i loved when reed came i to the story and though that he would become a bigger part, especially when the break up happened. i hate that they got back together in the end. it felt like i sat through all the tension for nothing to actually happen. the last four or five chapters dragged on to the point where i was skipping pages because i was bored and just wanted it over. there was a great stopping point at the end of chapter fifty-four, leaving enough open to the reader and showing good character development to end on but the following chapters felt like it undid all the work that siena had put into herself. honestly don’t know how joe has put up with siena for all these years cos i know i sure as hell wouldn’t.
i really wanted to like this book but it took over twenty chapters for me to actually get invested in the characters and even then it felt lacking. it felt like there was always anticipation for the next big thing to happen but it never did. i wanted to fall in love with the characters of siena and patrick but their obviously toxic relationship put me off. i did like that the main character had flaws and doubts but they started making her seem like the villain even though that wasn’t the intention. i loved when reed came i to the story and though that he would become a bigger part, especially when the break up happened. i hate that they got back together in the end. it felt like i sat through all the tension for nothing to actually happen. the last four or five chapters dragged on to the point where i was skipping pages because i was bored and just wanted it over. there was a great stopping point at the end of chapter fifty-four, leaving enough open to the reader and showing good character development to end on but the following chapters felt like it undid all the work that siena had put into herself. honestly don’t know how joe has put up with siena for all these years cos i know i sure as hell wouldn’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2022
Honestly surprised how bad this was. The first half of the book this girl is constantly wanting to break up with her HS bf of 3 years for literally no reason. He’s sweet, kind and adores her but literally every 3 sentences she thinks, “oh he’s holding my hand. Too bad tomorrow I’m going to break up with him.” Ugh. She’s sooooo oblivious to a genuinely good guy and it makes her utterly unlikable. Then when she decides against it, all she wants to do is have sex with him for the first time…like what? THEN, when her dad finds out about it, he’s like “I’m happy for you, you two can sleep in the same bed when he sleeps over.” Excuse me? What father on EARTH would allow his HS-aged daughter to sleep in the same bed as her bf???????????????? Not to mention that despite the sweet disposition of the bf, the two literally have NO chemistry. Like absolutely nothing.
So dumb…so pointless…I loathe this book.
So dumb…so pointless…I loathe this book.
July 23, 2022
Sadly, this was definitely my least favorite book by this author duo. The main character, Siena, is honestly just the worst. I hated the way she handled the situation with Patrick and it made me very sad for him. The saving grace for this book is that the authors are such great writers and I love their writing and the way they progress the story. However, great writing cannot save unbearable characters.
Slight spoiler (not important to overall story):
Spoiler regarding the ending:
Slight spoiler (not important to overall story):
Spoiler regarding the ending:
December 24, 2021
I think what impresses me most about this book is just how much they made me care about Siena and Patrick. Given that they're a kind of established couple, I think it could be easy to mess that up, but just like how Siena really fell in love with Patrick over the course of this book, I found myself caring more about their relationship.
It's not my favourite Wibbroka, but it's definitely not my least favourite.
It's not my favourite Wibbroka, but it's definitely not my least favourite.
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