A Little Beside You

Evraft

by Jenni Sauer

“You make me feel safe, Bender Cole, when you absolutely shouldn’t.”

Thanks to her father's legacy—and her rose tattoo that symbolizes it—Cori Kasmer has never had to fear the gangs that run rampant in the city, even years after her father's death. And she's always stayed away from that life, until Bender Cole passes out on her doorstep.

Between making her laugh in a way she forgot how and the banter he shares with her sister when he comes for waffles each morning, Cori lets herself get caught up in the normalcy he brings back into her life. She shouldn't feel safe with him, shouldn't want him to kiss her, and yet...

Bender only got mixed up with the gangs to keep a roof over his family's head. But now he's in too deep. As an enforcer for the Bears, he's got blood on his hands and he knows as long as he continues as he is, those hands don't also get to hold a girl like Cori. And no one leaves the Bears. Not alive, anyway.

A Snow White Rose Red Retelling set in the Evraft Galaxy.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Retellings, Fairy Tales

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Jenni Sauer writes fairy tale retellings for soft, angry hearts. She didn’t go to college, but she has a degree of mental health and has her masters in optimism from the school of life. Her proudest achievements include staying soft despite the trauma she’s lived through and holding on when life tried its hardest to take her out

If you’re looking for her, she’s probably bent over her laptop plotting treason—er, her latest story idea—or procrastinating on that by making another playlist or cute aesthetic. Or you can find her on Instagram @ivorypalaceprincess

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 Review:

Still my favorite Jenni Sauer book. Reread it so I will have the characters fresh in my mind when I read the next book, Unwritten in the Stars.

And I still love Bender a lot.


2022 Review:

Well, I have a new favorite Jenni Sauer book. And a new favorite Jenni Sauer hero, heroine, and sidekick. Make space in my heart, everyone from the previous books, because Bender and Cori and Meg get a lot of room there now. Especially Bender. My goodness, Bender.

A Little Beside You is a retelling of "Snow White and Rose Red," which is a fairy tale I haven't read for decades, so I didn't do a lot of dot-connecting between the book and that story. But I'm sure there are a lot of connections I just wasn't aware of! Sauer always spins fairy tales in such a cool way with her books. In a nutshell, it's about a tough, yet tender, man who falls in love with a tender, yet tough, woman. Also, waffles. Lots of waffles.

I love how the Evraft books each stand on their own, so they can be read in any order, but they flesh each other out a little here and there too. Like how this one hooks up to Yesterday or Long Ago to explain how Bender got tickets to a ball for his sister Amya in that one!

[Selina Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

These characters just have my heart.

Without having actually read a mafia romance book, I feel like this is a mafia romance done as a fluffy, warm-fuzzies, healthy romance (well, as healthy as falling in love with a gang enforcer can be 😅).

I love all the nuance and the explorations of things like grief and broken family relationships (and good ones, too) and forgiveness and choices and trust and how complicated and messy life can be (and even how sometimes things don't have neat, easy answers). Cori and Meg are such a good an authentic-feeling sister relationship, and Bender's different relationship with his family also feels so real. And of course I love Cori's strength (that isn't one-dimensional or without cracks and emotion) and sass and Bender is my "tough guy with a a heart or gold in a bad situation doing bad things for sort of right reasons" character type Achilles's heel. 😆 And Cori and Bender's falling for each other while doubting the other likes them is just delicious drama. 😂 I love their story very much.

[Brigitte Cromey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know what to make of this book from reading the back cover copy, but it turned out to be exactly what I needed. We have a hero long unaccustomed to anyone feeling safe around him, and a heroine who isn’t afraid of his forbidding reputation. There are baked goods, tea parties, and conversations about tough topics that /don’t/ feel like they were delivered at shotgun-point. There’s not much action, not really. And for all its gritty background, the stakes aren’t high in the conventional sense. And yet…and yet.
And yet, you keep turning pages, desperate to see how it turns out. Will the world crush these perfect characters, or will they find happiness? (Yes, happiness will be found, but perhaps not the way you expected)

If you’re looking for something soothing, something less filled with tension than typical YA fiction, and a story of healthy healing and relationships, this is for you.

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't recommend this as an introduction to Jenni Sauer. It's really good, but it's not her best work in my opinion. Unlike her other books, this one doesn't really explore Evcraft or introduce the universe the same way the others do. Even though these books are all connected, this one felt the most disconnected. It had the crossover characters and all that, but it still felt very different.
I did love the character. Sauer writes amazing characters. At the end of the day, they're the reason I read this book. The plot wasn't really my thing. I'm not much for gangs and all that stuff...but somehow this was cute gangs haha. Like they were awful and mean, but Bender is *chefs kiss* and Cori is also *chefs kiss*.

The order I read her books in is Yesterday or Long Ago, Rook Di Goo, and A Little Beside You. I think that's the perfect order because Yesterday is a great introduction, Rook is the most ambitious, and this one falls nicely behind them.

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the second Thugs + Kisses book coming this summer, I knew I needed to revisit Bender and Cori's story first, and I'm so glad I did. This book is like a big hug. A plate of pastries. A cup of tea. Warmth and comfort and safety in spite of everything.

I'd forgotten how much of it is about living up to a family legacy (with words that I needed to hear). I adore Bender and Cori so much. Their families are iconic. I'm so glad I returned, and I'm even more ready for book 2. Get in, losers, we're getting HEALED.

5 stars

**content warning for violence and mild profanity

[Eva-Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bender has blood on his hands. Innocent blood.

Cori has a tattoo on her hand. A tattoo that protects her from the gangs who roam the city.

When Bender shows up on Cori's doorstep, wounded and battered, Cori makes the decision to help him--even though she knows the violence he is capable of. And slowly, improbably these two lost souls fall in love.

A Little Beside You is a novel about finding beauty in the brokenness, light in the darkness, and love when it seems impossible. While I didn't always agree with Cori's nonchalant attitude toward Bender's past actions, I did still root for them to find their happily ever after. Whether or not they do...well, you'll just have to read the book. ;)

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so cute! Jenni masterfully wove Bender’s story in between Amya’s and seamlessly created a fun and unique tale of forbidden love.
•
Bender’s willingness to do anything for his family hit me hard. His loyalty and love for them is something I strongly relate to and his conflict was superbly done.
•
I loved Meg and Cori’s sister love is so sweet too! I loved how they looked out for each other and strove to honor their parents and the legacy they left while still being true to themselves.
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All and all a lovely story! I think this is one of Jenni’s best yet!
Five stars
Ages 15 & up
(I was given an arc of this copy for my honest feedback)

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Okay, so it's frowned upon to just shriek incoherently about books. But seriously. This story is a delight and I'm in love with Bender and Cori and Meg, and I love the nuances, the waffles, the big bear softie, and the not knowing who you are outside of the context of a family legacy and because of grief. This book makes my heart happy, Jenni. I'm so glad you gave us this story. (And also, am here for the hope of Aldean story, too...!!) Okay. Insert more *shrieking in fangirl* vibes.

[Leah Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

She'd asked her mother once, when she was very young, how you knew you wanted to kiss someone. Her mother had said it was because they made your heart feel safe.

I'm a genius, or at least that's what I told my best friend as I started reading this book. You see, I'd just finished Flashpoint by C.M. Banschbach, and I wasn't ready to be done with her characters, but I've also read all her books (and reread most of them too). A quandary. And then I thought, "She mentioned Jenni in her acknowledgements. Maybe that means I'll like Jenni's characters too." A tenuous premise, to be sure. Writer friends and people in the same writing groups rarely have similar writing styles or genres or anything. But I've followed Jenni on social media long enough to have a suspicion that Bender might share some similarities with the characters I was craving more of. And I was right. So, yeah. Read this in a single day, and it definitely won't be my last Jenni Sauer book read.

Content
One of the main characters is an enforcer for a gang, and the book starts with a non-graphic but still sickening scene where he, well, does his job. That's the worst in the book, though. There are other injuries, threats of injury, etc, but the author lingers on the emotional impact rather than gruesome detail.

Characters use world-specific curses or are said to have cursed, rather than the words being spelled out.

Romance is sweet and clean, with some attraction, desire to be touched/held, and eventually some kissing that happens without description.

Can't think of any religious content.

If you liked A Little Beside You try...
Then Comes a Drifter (warning for grittier violence, SA, and swearing)
Tress of the Emerald Sea

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll admit—I wasn’t certain if this Evraft novel would be for me, since the premise didn’t really spark my interest. But, I read it for the universe, and ended up enjoying the journey!

First of all—this packed a surprising amount of punch and comfort into one package, and I loved it.

I adored Meg, obviously. Cori is also a delight, and an unexpectedly spunky one. (Her grab at the wheel of fate there at the end had me stunned.)
The Gibbs cameos were 👌. And I love the Cole family.

Bender is just chipped-cup adorable. Like, the vibes of the very sweet, hygge find at a thift shop. You know? Like your favorite comfy sweater (that also sometimes is a little bloody, but we love him anyways). That’s Bender.

I’m very interested to see more from Meg, from her best friend (who apparently loves tree frogs—I find this wonderful), and more from Aldean as well (especially after Jenni’s letter at the end?!?!). His mystery is interesting to me. (As is Annistyn. This is an official petition for future Annistyn content.)

💛💛💛💛💛
Another fun one from Jenni Sauer. Probably my favorite in the series so far.

[Melody Personette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenni Sauer does it again! I don’t know what it is but her books are so unique and are touched with some sort of magic. They get me in the feels every single time and make me fall more and more in love with the Everaft Galaxy world. I loved the entire cast so much! Bender is adorable and amazing! 😍 Cori and him are so cute together and I loved Meg so much too! 😍 I love how truly enchanting and magical Meg is. I think my favorite character though was Aldean. He seems so mysterious and I want more of him! Haha

[K.J. Haakenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A soft, gentle, and warm romance yet full of tough moments, hurt, and desperation, "A Little Beside You" was the perfect February read for me. The themes of grief and healing spoke to my heart and the chemistry had me kicking my feet. This is a book full of waffles and soft moments, overcoming your past and kissing. Jenni Sauer writes with her whole heart and I loved seeing this piece of it.

Also for the "Yesterday or Long Ago" fans, definitely pick this one up too! It connects in a few little ways :)

[Kelly Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clean, fluffy, adorable romance with three characters who will steal your heart. Cori for her fierce determination, Meg for her smothering everyone with love and waffles, and Bender for his beautiful heart of gold hidden behind a tough exterior.

[Arisha (Free Palestine 🇵🇸) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Rook Di Goo, I think this one is my favorite Evraft book. Jenni Sauer’s books feel like a warm hug on a cold day. They’re sweet. They’re comforting. They’re just what anyone needs during a tough week. Everyone do yourself a favor and read this series.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
I loved revisiting Liosi and learning more about the world in this book! I loved Rook di Goo and Yesterday or Long Ago, and I really liked how within these three books, you get different glimpses into the world. I also liked how Amya and Gibbs made a cameo, and how the world was familiar but also new, since Bender made only a brief appearance in YoLA! I also really liked the romance between Cori and Bender, and I loved Meg as a character! The plot of the story was also very engaging and I flew through the book because I wanted to know what would happen! Overall, this was a book that I would definitely recommend to people, especially if you've read and enjoyed Rook di Goo and Yesterday or Long Ago and were left wanting more from the characters and the world!

[Jordan (jojobooklover) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so sweet, and the characters were so well done! Gonna go by the rest of the author’s books now😉

[Blake Barrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This isn't my first Jenni Sauer book--my first was her novella, Wait Until Tomorrow--but this reiterates that she has a talent for writing cozy, heart-tugging books that never shy away from the dark but also never forget to remind you that there's light ahead.

I don't know if it's because this is a full-length novel or a testament to how much she's grown, but I found the pacing and relationship growth in this much stronger than in Wait Until Tomorrow. Cori and Bender definitely lean closer to insta-love than slowburn, but this fact didn't bother me because they were so darn adorable that I just wanted to smoosh their faces together.

Bender & Cori are 100% a new comfort couple. But both of them on their own just shine.

Poor Bender. He's so dragged down by bad life choices, all made to help his family at the cost of his own life. In a lot of ways, he has one foot already in the grave because his life isn't his own.

Then we have Cori, trying so hard, struggling beneath a legacy that's good but which is heavy because of the loss surrounding it, and struggling between who she feels she is and who the world expects her to be. Her relationship with her little sister, Meg, was adorable, as was the development of Cori realizing Meg isn't a little girl anymore.

My favorite scenes, I believe, were the breakfast scenes. I will forever see waffles and think of this book.

I even liked Aldean, and I really enjoyed that you're left uncertain by the end what his exact relationship with Bender is and what Aldean really thinks of him. The last scene with Aldean really, really tugged on my heart strings.

I also really loved the bonus materials in the back of the book. The letters to the characters written by the author, the playlist, and the recipe for bazzerals (a made-up in-book sweet) were all lovely details.

My main problem with the book (which I say lightly, because it's a 4.5 read for me) is that there were very little stakes, despite Bender's life situation. I never felt a sense of real danger, so I was never furiously reading the book. However, honestly, this is also a positive, because I actually enjoyed the low-key nature of the book for its comfort value. As well, while I wasn't offended or put-off by the insta-love nature of Bender and Cori's relationship, I did feel it happened rather quickly considering Cori's initial problems and fears about Bender.

Now I need to go reread the first Evraft book (Rook Di Goo) and the first spin-off that preceded this one (Yesterday or Long Ago). I own both, but this one's called to me since I first started seeing the author share about it, so.... It'll be nice to go back in time and see Amya's side of the story, who is a side character here but a main character in the first spin-off which inspired this one.

I can never read things in their intended order XD

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bender is a gang-member. Sure, its for the right reasons: keeping his family fed and safe. But it requires him to violate his conscience on an almost weekly basis as he hurts people on the orders of his gang leaders. And he earns his own wounds (usually as punishment for failure), which is how he ends up on the doorstep of Cori.

Cori is the daughter of a doctor who treated everyone the same, regardless of code or creed. Which is why even the gangs will protect this doctor's family. Cori and her sister are untouchable, and Cori will use this freedom to save as many as she can to try to live up to her father's legacy.

What follows is a story full of sweet romance and fun characters as Bender and Cori figure out how to be together. There are great family dynamics, fun dialogue, tons of sweet feel-good scenes, and some heartbreak. This was a fun, easy read!

Rated PG-13 for violence
--some violence (mildly graphic, but not full of gore)
--mild to no language
--clean romance

I received this ARC ebook free from the author without expectation of review. My opinions are voluntarily given.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun quick read. Cori and Bender are adorable and Meg (Cori’s little sister) is my absolute favorite, with her baking things and making tea and feeding Cori and Bender. Especially the waffles, which I found myself craving. 😂

There isn’t a lot of plot, but I really appreciated the way Cori and Bender each had their own struggles. Cori is dealing with grief and her dad’s legacy and what kind of future could she even have with a boy who’s bound to a gang. Bender is dealing with having to do violent things in order to help his family survive, and then Cori comes in and turns his world upside down. I shipped them from the start.

[Ella J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Another fun book set in the Evraft Univerise!

I really liked everything about "A Little Beside You,". The pacing was perfect, the characters were so likable, and the romance was super cute.
I wish I could visit Liosi so that I could eat some bazzerals with Cori, Meg, and Bender :)

I'm so glad I read this book! I'm excited to see if they make any cameo appearances in other books set in the Evraft Universe!

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent sci fi romantic adventure

I'll admit I had doubts about Bender as the love interest; I don't enjoy truly bad main characters. But this planet's caste system leaves few good options for young men like Bender who want to help their families survive. ALBY has laughter (the basement), sorrow, guilt, family and found family, regret, and salvation. I have enjoyed Sauer's Evraft books and look forward to reading more.

[Sarah N · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 STARS)

I wish the author had delved a little deeper into Bender’s employer, in terms of the kind of work he does/position he holds. The Courtenays are only vaguely threatening and I think the story would have been that much stronger if the danger was more clearly defined.

Overall, a sweet, light story - like Meg’s waffles - that I enjoyed reading.

[Amelia E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Jenni Sauer book, what do you think I’m gonna say? I mean, it’s more violent than most of the others, but it’s still so fluffy and warm and filled with waffles ahbsubdisijsil I loved it, OF COURSE!!

Obviously Bender and Cori are amazing characters but I must also give a Meg shoutout, bc Meg is a legend 😌

[J. Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SUCH a good retelling!!!! I love the way the details from the original tale are woven into the story in such a cool and natural way!! And Cori and Bender are GREAT, they're so cute!!! Also, Meg. Meg is life goals

[Payton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely ADORED this book! From the mutual pining, the coziness, the (strained) familial relations, every bit of it I just loved.
I wish I had the words to describe my love for this book.

[Sara Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally forgot to write a review right after I read it. This story was so sweet. Cori and Bender are ADORABLE. I definitely want to read more about the Evraft Galaxy. Loved it!

[Bekka · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is so soft and lovely and gentle, it was a very healing read to my tired soul. I'm so excited for the next book to come out 💕

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
First of all, this story made me feel so much joy. I love how Jenni writes characters, you know she pours her entire heart into them. I love Cori and Megs dynamics too, very rarely will I read stories with well written siblings, but this one really did it for me. Also, this book made me craves waffles (you’ll see what I mean). So do yourselves a favor and go read this book!

[Emma Couette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything and I am thoroughly in love with the world Sauer has created with the Everaft Galaxy series. Each book is incredibly different and holds its own while nodding to the others.
I think my favourite scene was the one where Bender meets Gibbs, because my God that reaction was spot on and I loved seeing Gibbs again. I also really enjoyed how this book layered over top of Amya's story in Yesterday or Long Ago. It was interesting to see the one scene from Bender's perspective instead.
Now of course, to ALBY itself. The daughter of a doctor finds herself falling for a gang member who passed out on her doorstep one night. This book is a romance at its core, but also the perfect blend of light and dark.
Bender has blood on his hands and Cori is used to protecting people, but they have more in common than they think, including their fierce loyalty to family.
Cori's relationship with her younger sister Meg was such a refreshing take on siblings in literature. She protected her sister but they were also best friends and a team and Meg provided for Cori almost as much as Cori provided for Meg. These siblings made me cry. They made me life. And I have no idea what bazzerals are, but after this book, I 100% want Meg to make me some.
ALBY also had such a good take on morality and grief, and how grief can often turn to anger and that the healing process is long and complicated and not always linear. As usual, Sauer portrays mental health in such a poignant way.
In short, buy this book if you like romance, specifically two people who shouldn't be together, but can't seem to be apart. Buy this book if you love sistership and stories of people who will do what it takes.

[Olivia Henze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again Sauer has outdone herself in this amazing love story. Mixed with some cheesyness (but not overdone), sweet moments, sisterly love, and finding the person that makes your heart feel safe (my new office favorite quote), this is one book you will not want to miss.
I love getting yet another wonderful look into the planet I have come to love, Liosa.
Cori is a woman struggling with life. She just wants to care for her sister and make it through the day. But when she meets a man named Bender, a new kind of joy, a new love begins to seep into her life.
Bender is a man who just wants to provide for his family, better for him to serve the Bears than his siblings, even if it means a not so happy ending for him. However, when he meets Cori he starts to believe that maybe he can have a happy ending.
I love the way the romance takes place over time. You get to read and see their developing feelings for each other, the way they just become comfortable with each other, and can be themselves with each other is so wonderfully done. With a great cast, family love, a rom-com to remember A Little Beside You is another great warm happy ending story that everyone needs.


*I was given a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.*