No Matter What

by K.M. Frost

Mason’s life is far from perfect, but it turns out it can get worse. When his mom ends up in prison, he’s shipped off to the middle of nowhere. Apparently he’s got grandparents—parents of the father he knows nothing about. Mason’s not interested in bonding with these newfound grandparents. He just wants to survive until his eighteenth birthday so he can escape this backwater town and finally be free.

Emily is struggling to keep what’s left of her family from falling apart after a horrible accident stole her mom. She has enough on her plate with mothering her younger siblings and protecting a secret that could destroy everything, when she runs into Mason—literally. Her life doesn’t need more complications, and this distractingly attractive, clearly damaged boy promises nothing but trouble. Still, she can’t help but be drawn to him.

Mason and Emily are opposites in nearly every way, but neither can deny the attraction between them. Mason knows he isn’t good enough for her, and Emily knows she should stay away, but that doesn’t stop the pull they feel toward each other. Their tentative relationship is threatened when Mason is put in the crosshairs of the local gang and the town sheriff. Mason and Emily will have to decide what they really want—and if they’re willing to fight for it.

Genres: Young Adult

434 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 12, 2023

About the author

K.M. Frost was brought up surrounded by books, and has loved stories of all kinds her whole life. Romance, comedy, and fantasy are some of her favorite genres to write, read, and watch. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, traveling, and graphic design.

K.M. Frost lives in Northern Utah, and is the author of the YA sweet contemporary romance, No Matter What, and the YA dystopian trilogy, Reality Dreamers. To learn more, visit her website, www.KMFrost.com.

Reviews

[Sarah Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling in Love Between a Pair of Earbuds

Forget about being hit with Cupid's arrow! This love story starts with a case of bad driving. Who knew getting hit by a car would end up being one of the best things to ever happen to our hunky, male MC, Mason?
This story snagged me from the beginning because how can you not instantly fall in love with sarcastic banter being thrown between a tough yet handsome boy and a cute, overwhelmed girl?

Mason comes from a rough life in Chicago, being sent to live with grandparents he doesn't know because his mom lands herself in jail. Being thrust into a tiny town he's never heard of and being instantly judged by its occupants before even opening his mouth, sucks. I loved Mason, and I felt for him and his situation. His determination to leave as soon as he turned 18 was believable and totally understandable. What person would be excited for that scenario?
I also felt for Emily, who tries so hard to make up for her mother's absence. Being the responsible, studious girl she is, she tries juggling too many irons in the fire, and the pressure is enough to make a grown man fall to his knees. Trying to be perfect in every aspect of her life is exhausting, but when Mason shows up, things feel lighter. Watching her fall for the sarcastic smirk, and don't care attitude of "bad boy" Mason is fun! I think we can all admit to being attracted to that bad boy persona, am I right? You know I am!
If you enjoy a love story full of teenage angst and problems always threatening to destroy every tiny bit of progress made, you'll enjoy watching Mason and Emily fall in love between a pair of earbuds.

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author K.M. Frost has written a beautiful and heart-wrenching story that shows that no matter who you are and where you are from life can be hard, but within that hardship, joy can also be found. From the beginning of the story and the embarrassing scene of the meet-cute, readers will be rooting for Mason and Emily and their love story. Readers will love the realistic events in the story from dealing with a parent in the hospital and the drama that comes with that and coming from a large city and a not so good background to being thrust into a small town with grandparents you didn’t know you had, Frost brings to life how hard life can be, but how people can change and how truely resilient we really all can be. And how love can conquer it all. This book has all the feels; it will make you laugh and cry and everything in-between. Readers, especially teens will definitely want to pick up this exquisit and inspiring story.

Genre: young adult, contemporary, romance
Publisher: Indie
Publication date: May 12, 2023
Number of pages: 444:

Disclosure statement: A complimentary review copy of this book was provided from tour groups, publishers, publicists, authors, and others, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, Or borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR borrowed from Deseret Bookshelf, OR pre-ordered/purchased for review, including Audible. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

[Nicole Dunton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: No Matter What
Author: K.M. Frost
Release Date: May 12th, 2023
Page Count: 444
Format: eARC
Start Date: April 24th, 2023
Finish Date: May 12th, 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

This book was too adorable! It reminded me a bit of many television shows, including 7th Heaven and One Tree Hill. I also got major A Walk to Remember vibes. Also, I can't get over how much Mason reminded me of Jess from Gilmore Girls. If anybody knows me and knows how much I love Gilmore Girls, they would know how much of a compliment that is. Emily is a cross between Jamie from A Walk to Remember and Rory from Gilmore Girls. I also really felt for Mason. He's ordered to move to a place he's never been to live with people he has never met. To top it all off, everybody misunderstands him and sees him as a thug. If you like small town sweet romances, this is definitely a great book for you.

[thelazybooklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet story. I really enjoyed Jeff’s character and Lisa as well. I’d love to see another book about those two.

[S B · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE

This is the first time I’ve read anything from K. M. Frost. And I’m hooked.

I loved Mason, so so much!!! I just got him and his pain. I just wanted to wrap him up and squeeze him. He certainly had a rough edges, but he was actually a sweetheart.

Emily was also a doll. She tried shouldering things she didn’t need to, and she let that run her life.

Mason and Emily’s lives get shaken up when they meet, but they’re both better for it.

I definitely recommend snagging this book to start off your summer reading. You’ll love Mason and Emily.

[Molly Fennig · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Even though the premise is similar to books I’ve read before (e.g., teen goes to live with family they haven’t met before, somewhat troubled boy meets girl dealing with her own difficult, but maybe somewhat hidden, life situations), the writing/plot were captivating and kept me reading. As such, it was a fairly easy/quick read, but an enjoyable one. Mason and Emily (and their interactions) were engaging, but also imperfect enough as people to feel real.

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

From loss to hope.

Mason and Emily are two people who are dealing with a lot of pain. Mason's life has never been easy and Emily is struggling with a recent tragedy. Two hurt souls gravitate to each other.

No Matter Whatis a wonderful story. I loved the depth of character K.M. Frost penned. This is a story that touched me and left me feeling good about the world.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

KM Frost did a great job with this story. The characters were developed well and it made me invested in what happened with their lives. They were both going through a lot (makes me count my blessings for the hardships I have). It has a great focus on the importance of family and loving your family no matter what. I’d read more from this author.

*Whitney Award Finalist

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As heartwrenching as it is inspiring, with great characters and a swoony romance.

Content notes: some very mild profanity (depending on what you consider profanity).

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. Mason is a fantastic character with a strong voice, and I instantly felt for him and his situation. He's got a great, sarcastic kind of humor that made me laugh out loud pretty constantly. But he's also got this damaged side that pulls at your heartstrings. And there's something about him being from the mean streets of Chicago and now having to find his place in a small town that leads to a lot of humorous, and heartwarming situations. Seeing him get to know the grandparents he didn't even know he had were some of my favorite scenes. The author did an incredible job with all those emotional, wonderful scenes!

Okay, so for the romance. Right from the meet-cute scene with Emily, I knew I'd be rooting for her and Mason as a couple. Emily is a sweet girl who has been through the wringer recently--not that she wants to talk about that. Her optimistic nature might make it seem like she and Mason are opposites, but only in the best of ways! Plus, he brings out this more spunky, sarcastic side of her, and I loved all those moments. Their chemistry was amazing, and the romance was clean (but with some great kissing scenes!)

While this is a sweet contemporary romance, it also has a lot of action and excitement, which
I appreciated. The pacing was great, the characters were magnetic--and the ending left me with that happy grin every good book leaves you with.

If you love books that make you laugh, cry, and have all the feels in between, you need this book in your life!

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure how long it's been since I read a YA romance but it feels like it's been awhile. This is a new author to me so this all around felt like a nice change of pace.

Sometimes YA romance can feel small and young but this author did a great job of giving me characters with strong voices and great personalities that I could root for. They were struggling with big things and typical teenage frustrations as well. It felt full and real and substantial.

Mason has had the worst luck and has lived a difficult and unfair life so far. I felt for him and what he was going through. He really is the kind of character that you cannot help but root for from beginning to end. I loved his grandparents. Adored them. And Emily? Emily was everything Mason needed most- a friend, a confidant, and a light. Her sense of duty and loyalty was strong and I loved that most about her. That and her fantastic music choices. 😀

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It kept me interested and invested the whole way though. This might be my first book by this author but it won't be my last.

Content: violence, peril. Kissing. Mention of drugs and alcohol use.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While NO MATTER WHAT is primarily a romance, it's not exactly a light, swoony kind of read. There's a lot of heavy stuff going on in the story. Too much, actually. While the book really doesn't have a plot, a lot of things happen. So many that the tale feels crowded, like it's trying to tackle way more than it should. This leads to a story that just feels unrealistic and way too far-fetched. I didn't find most of it, especially the whole gang activity part, convincing at all. Even with all that does happen in the story, it still seems overly long. I got bored with it fast. It took me a few days to get through NO MATTER WHAT, when I usually buzz through YA novels in a day or less. Putting this one down was too easy.

Mason and Emily are sympathetic characters. Although there's nothing original or memorable about either one of them, they are likable. They lack enough complexity or depth to feel like real people, though. The rest of the characters in the book are just as cliché and stereotypical. The gang bangers are especially laughable.

For these reasons and more, NO MATTER WHAT was a pretty meh read for me. I finished it, but it was only okay in the end.

[Country Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading No Matter What recently. The title is a perfect choice as it is the story of Mason and Emily. Emily meets Mason and knows that he is a troubled boy and still wants to be with him. Mason is sent to a very small town after his mom is sent to prison, as he has no other relatives he needs to live with his grandparents. Mason and Emily start a relationship before somethings happen and Mason gets involved with law enforcement and also the local criminals in the town.
K.M wrote a lovely story that was engaging about love that survives and thrives 'No Matter What'. The writing was engaging, the characters were well developed and the story was good overall.

[Rebecca McKinnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the second Emily and Mason meet — with the bumper of a car between them — their chemistry jumps off the page. The obstacles between them are realistic, and exasperating, and heart-breaking in all the right ways. You'll root for these characters, and not just in their relationship with each other. The book explores many different types of relationships, with so many layers you can't help but feel these characters are real people.

I'm not going to re-hash the plot (because Spoilers!), but it's been quite a while since I've found something in this genre that is so well-written. Highly recommend!

[Tales Untangled · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: General Fiction
Subplot: Romance
Audience: Young Adult
Spice Level: Kissing

I'm going to call NO MATTER WHAT general fiction because of the characters' backstories that are heavy and the length of the book (over 400 pages). There is definitely a central romance, but the two main characters are also solving their own problems/demons.

This is an excellent read. It shows relationships with parents and parental figures. Shows the lack of parenting. It's also about the past catching up to you. And it's about second chances. It's one I think teens will eat up. It's got a LOT of emotion packed in these pages.

I highly recommend this book.

Happy reading!

[Laurie Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had everything you could want in a YA contemporary romance. Both the main characters are well realized and interesting and the writing is beautiful. I especially have a soft spot for Mason and all he went through in the book. This book surprised me (in a good way) in how emotional it made me. Frost has a gift for tugging at your heart strings and really making you feel for the characters.
Highly recommend!!

[V Bjorkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!! Emily and Mason prove that you can't judge a person by first impressions nor what others may think of them either. Moving to a new town is never easy and is even harder when you obviously don't fit in. Frost's details and writing style make these characters come to life and you can't help but root for them and their budding love story.

[K.M. Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it 😉 and you will too if you're a fan of:
📚 Sweet romance
📚 Witty banter
📚 Action and danger
📚 City boy with country girl
📚 Dual POVs
📚 Sarcastic male lead / sweet female lead
📚 Emotional stories that make you laugh and cry