Whenever You're Ready

by Rachel Runya Katz

After reconnecting on a road trip, two friends must decide if love is the ultimate risk worth taking in this funny, emotional sapphic romance

Nia and Jade had been inseparable ever since their best friend, Michal, introduced them at her tenth birthday party. But now it’s been three years since Michal died of cancer— since the brutal fight Nia and Jade had in the weeks after— and they're barely on speaking terms.

Until Nia reads a letter Michal wrote for her 29th birthday, asking her and Jade to go on the southern Jewish history road trip they'd planned before she died. To add to the complications, Michal's then-boyfriend and Jade's twin brother, Jonah, joins the trip. Despite the years apart and Jade and Jonah’s strained relationship, any awkwardness quickly disappears as it becomes clear how much Nia and Jade have missed each other.

Unfortunately, old issues soon arise. Nia has been in love with Jade since they were teenagers, and Jade has been so committed to their friendship that she never let herself consider something more. As the stops pass, tensions mount, running high until Nia and Jade are forced to confront what happened three years ago, their feelings for one another, and even their respective relationships with Jonah.

Rachel Runya Katz’s Whenever You’re Ready is about family, friendship, and the kind of first love that could last a lifetime—if only you are willing to take a chance.

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, Queer, LGBT, Contemporary, Adult, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2024

About the author

Rachel Runya Katz (she/they) is a contemporary romance writer from the Pacific Northwest. She lives with her partner, their cat, and far too many houseplants.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Sapphic romance dealing with some heavy themes, including the history of Judaism in the American South (fascinating but upsetting on a lot of levels), racism, misogyny, sibling rivalry, and the traumatic loss of a loved one to cancer.

Jade and Nia have been best friends forever, in a trio with Mishal (who was dating Jade's twin brother Jonah, who Nia once had sex with) until she died young. Jade and Nia are in unacknowledged love with one another but they've been estranged for a couple of years after a falling out. Now the three survivors go on a road trip around the US South as a memorial to Mishal (which frankly adds considerably to the reader's tension since all three are POC).

TBH I found the romance the least satisfactory part of this. Jonah and Jade's relationship and the way it tips into bitter resentment and outright cruelty felt very real; the historical tour and the twins' relationship with their family history was really involving. But I found it quite hard not to think that all three of them would benefit from having other people in their lives, because wow is there a lot of unkindness, anger, deception and need for therapy in their close knit group. I didn't in the end feel that Jade and Nia would have a very happy relationship.

IDK: I normally have a liking for thoroughly messy romances with flawed protagonists, so I'm not sure why this didn't land for me except that, possibly, the story gave so much space to the memory of Mishal and the complex family feelings that it didn't quite have emotional room for the romance. YMMV though and an interesting read.

[Estefania · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5💫

this had me giggling and feeling all giddy. It was a beautiful exploration of female friendships, generational trauma, grief and how to find ourselves while falling in love at the same time. It had a very good build up slow burn that had me salivating at the mouth waiting for an interaction between Nia and Jade.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.

THIS BOOK! I AM SO EXCITED I CAN FINALLY REVIEW IT.

okay so this is such a sad, funny, lovely sapphic romance. it's a friends-to-??????-to-lovers--that ?????? in the middle is the fade after something that no one knows how to talk about, that no one is ready to deal with, that isn't enemies but is an absence, a grief, a loss of that comfort and ease.

just fyi, i am crying just from WRITING this review, so imagine actually reading it! i read it 2 months ago and still cry every time i talk about it. it is so emotionally present and intense.

this book is so deeply about the intensity and love and seriousness of friendship, and the ways that heteronormative, patriarchal, amatonormative culture casually dismisses it so much that it corrodes your whole sense of being seen. romance novels sometimes see friends as just foils to allow for the characters to have their own growth and to extemporize about the romance. this is not that. it is so wholly and deeply and queerly not that, and i am so grateful for it.

and, none of this even talks about the central part of it: a road trip of jewish history that really grapples with how white supremacy has shaped and does shape our present, and how something can be really meaningful even if it takes building that space for yourself inside it. i have a literal list of people i need to read this book--i have but one ARC to give for my community, and i will make sure that it lives its best life!

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having enjoyed Rachel Runya Katz's first book, I was really curious about this one as well. I ended up reading this in one sitting, and my eyes were glued to the page the entire time. This is a little bit of an unconventional romance book, in that the story deals a lot with grief, and there's a huge focus on friendship and sibling relationships. I can sometimes end up disappointed when the romance doesn't get the main focus, but here it worked incredibly well, and the other elements worked to make the romance stronger. I loved this focus on other people and other relationships, because it shows that romance isn't the single most important relationship in a person's life, but friendships and family relationships are just as important. Every character was written with so much care, and they felt so real with all their flaws and struggles.

[lexie · Rating 2 out of 5]

this wanted to explore the history of black southern judaism more than it wanted to be a romcom, or hell, a romance with a strong love story even!!

the historical facts were *interesting* but left us with little focus (ESPECIALLY throughout the first half) on the blooming romance between these two fools who have, spoiler, been in love with each other their whole lives. soo development went out the window because we had ✨history✨ and past friendship to explain why they love each other- no need to show it on page! which they don’t until their physical culmination (not even declaration of love mind you) and even that was so lackluster in swoon or romance. i’m incredibly disappointed by this book

[Sterling Sapphic Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever You’re Ready by Rachel Runya Katz is an emotional road trip of reconnection, healing, and self-discovery. The story follows childhood best friends Nia and Jade, who have been estranged for three years after the death of their mutual best friend, Michal. With Michal’s twin brother Jonah along for the ride along with a precious pup sidekick, the group sets out on a road trip rooted in southern Jewish history, confronting not only their unresolved grief but also the tension and desire that has been simmering between Nia and Jade for years.

There’s a lot to love about this book. The road trip aspect is especially engaging, with well-described settings that make you feel like you're visiting these historical places with the characters. I particularly appreciated how the novel infused real Jewish history into the journey—I love to come across a romance novel that also educates you along the way. This blend of history and personal exploration added a meaningful layer to the story, and it’s great to see representation of Black, Jewish, and queer characters throughout.

The slow-burn romance between Nia and Jade was one of the standout aspects for me. I love to see a romance that takes its time to build tension and emotion. There’s so much unspoken history and longing between these two characters, and Katz does a solid job portraying their complicated dynamic as they work through their past and the possibility of something more.

However, I had a few issues with the pacing of the story. The novel starts off quite slow, and with so many key elements of the characters' backstories left unexplained at first, it made it difficult to emotionally connect to the trip or the characters themselves. Nia and Jade, while interesting, felt somewhat indistinct from each other at times. The switching points of view didn’t help much with differentiating their voices or deepening the understanding of their motivations, which made it a bit hard to get fully invested in their personal journeys.

That said, Whenever You’re Ready is still a touching narrative about grief, friendship, and love. Katz’s exploration of how relationships can evolve—whether it’s between friends, siblings, or lovers—is emotional and heartfelt. While it wasn’t a perfect read for me, it’s a promising addition to Katz’s work, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a thoughtful, diverse romance with a focus on healing and connection.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins for an E-ARC of this book.

[DesanaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved "Whenever You’re Ready" by Rachel Runya Katz! This book dives deep into the friendship between Jade and Nia, who reconnect after losing their close friend Michal. It handles heavy topics like grief, antisemitism, and racism in America while weaving in a slow-burn sapphic romance. The writing is touching and captures the intensity of their bond beautifully. The road trip through Southern Jewish history adds a rich backdrop to their emotional journey. This novel is a heartfelt tribute to lasting friendships and the courage to embrace love. Five stars! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

If you liked this book, you should definitely check out Katz's debut, "Thank You For Sharing."

[Venuss · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75/3.0 I don’t know yet I’m tired..
(Edit: 2.50 I finally decided on)

First things first. The pov switches are very dizzying since the tone of writing isn’t clear with this— very heavy at the start, making me end up having to reread certain sentences and paragraphs to realize who we are with, where we are at with them, and when are we with them. Also the beginning of this book had so much random things going on that didn’t seem to go no where or add to the plot or our characters. Kind of like that ‘one-shot’ feel.

Besides the writing being kinda wonky at times. I really enjoyed the flashbacks and the informative pieces of Jews especially mixed Jews albeit my slight confusion here and there.

“Come here, she’d said, her words forming around that candle. But Jade had felt like she couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but stare at the bit of buttercream painted on her lower lip.
So, Nia had stood up, crossed the room toward Jade, grabbed her by the nape of her neck, and made her lick it off herself”

FREAKY ASS 14 YEAR OLDS YOUR HONOR!!

“He smiles, and then Nia knows exactly what he’s going to say. Exactly what he’s been gearing up to say, since he made the weird extra special joke, for some reason Nia can’t quite parse right now.
“I wasn’t talking about Michal.””

In comes the third act breakup before the full makeup and one of the big reasons on why we hate men. **sighs**

What a shitty end to a birthday too.

Honestly my heart hurts for Jade, I don’t know what I’d feel like if all my life nothing was only mine to have just to find out the people and experiences you thought were solely yours aren’t.

Towards the end, I realized I don’t really like Nia.. like she was wrong as hell about the big issue with her and Jade, even though Toni was a bitch, she wasn’t wrong and Nia ended up being the one that resulted in them being estranged for 3 years.

Like I’m sorry not, but Nia literally kept the secret of fucking her brother for a decade, lied to Jade about moving to NY, uses a man at a party to try and get over the lesbian— instead of being the supposed therapist she is and using those techniques to talk like a big girl— asks Jonah to be her date at the wedding after asking Jade, and then guess what? The lesbian who literally was stuck in the box of not being talked to and trusted with understanding shit— secrets kept from her— reaches out first continuously with plethora of apologies (again) and drops everything for her.

NIA DOESN’T EVEN APOLOGIZE!!!

I hate this trope of the wrong asf bi main and the lesbian main being painted as the one in the wrong and having to suffer the most for the bi love interest. Like yeah Jade wasn’t always the nicest with her words but they acting like this girl just a bitch lol? Like I swear the last few chapters made this read irritating quick asf!

To end this off, I was saddened by the turn of things. I mean the premise really reeled me in—besides the off putting style of writing here and there— it’s a slow burn, handling grief, self discovery, childhood best friends to lovers, and unrequited requited crushes. But the way the romance aspect was handled in the crevices and towards the end was just distasteful..

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an informative and interesting read, but wow, the characters drove me crazy sometimes!

Our lead characters were so juvenile and immature at times that I wanted to just shake them. Jade and Nia meet when their best friend Michal introduces them at age ten. The three girls become fast friends. However, Michal died three years ago, throwing the friend group into chaos. Michal wanted Jade and Nia to go on a Southern Jewish history road trip--one they all had planned to go on before Michal got sick. Jade, Nia, and Jade's twin brother (and Michal's boyfriend, confused yet) set out on the trip in Michal's honor.

We learn quickly that Jade and Nia have been somewhat estranged for the past three years, but, of course, we can't be told why. I am not a fan of books where there's a big past event/blowup that is alluded to but not revealed for most of the book. However, it seems par for the course for this group, who cannot communicate to save their lives.

The history part of the road trip is fascinating, as it delves into the history and intersection of anti-black racism and antisemitism in the American South. I learned a lot, honestly, and there are parts that can make you cry. It's wonderful to see queer Jewish characters of color in literature.

There's a lot of intertwined romance and drama in READY and it's difficult to keep track of, sometimes. There's Michal and Jonah's relationship; something that happened with Nia and Jade; and the background of Michal's illness and death. All the drama and sadness is overwhelming sometimes. Nia and Jade are a cute couple, but wow, it's a slooooow burn romance. Those two know how to drag things out!

This one is rather long and you have to warm up to the characters. There is, however, a delightful dog named Luna and wonderful, diverse representation.

I received a copy of this book from Negalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review.

[guiltless pleasures · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

lol, some other reviewer called this a romcom. It is not a romcom. It has its light and amusing moments, but it deals with some heavy themes, including (primarily) grief, loneliness, antisemitism and slavery.

HOWEVER. Don’t let that put you off. I devoured this book in a day.

Jade and Nia are two-thirds of a group of three best friends, one of whom, Mishal, died three years ago from brain cancer. Their relationship has suffered since, due to something that isn’t revealed until much later and also the toll grief can take on even the strongest, longest-running relationships.

After putting it off for a couple of years, they agree to go, with Jade’s twin brother Jonah, on a Southern Jewish history road trip they’d planned with Mishal. This forced proximity forces them to confront lots of things, including but not limited to their attraction to each other, Jade’s family’s hurtful focus on Jonah’s grief instead of Jade’s (because, complication! Jonah dated Mishal before her death), and the often shocking history of Judaism in the American South.

It is a lot, but once I got past the first couple chapters (of which more later), Runya Katz’s skilled writing and deft characterization grabbed me and didn’t let me go. I’m not a crier about books, but reader, I teared up. There are some hot moments too, and they fit seamlessly into the story of Jade and Nia’s evolving relationship.

Now, those first couple of chapters: I requested this ARC and was sent it in April. I read to 17% but couldn’t get into it. I then decided to pick it up yesterday because I was still intrigued by the premise and also felt guilty that I missed the pub date of September 10 (SORRY!!). I am so glad I carried on, because it was a wonderful, wonderful book — but know that Runya Katz drops you right into a complex, multi-charactered story with no info dumps, assuming you will figure it out on your own. I appreciated that, but I probably would have tweaked the beginning to be a little less… abrupt.

All that said, this book still deserves a 4.5. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy.

[Gabriella · Rating 1 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 1.5 stars, rounded down

This was not my cup of tea, even though the outline of the novel is promising.

Early on, I enjoyed the conversational patterns in the character’s text messages—the convoluted threads of discussion felt accurate. I wanted the road trip to have a bit more momentum, but overall I enjoyed the arc we were heading towards (two friends returning to each other despite grief previously separating them.)

I thought the twins’ conflict was really compelling, as I could certainly see many families elevating one child’s romantic grief over another child’s loss of their close friend. However, the author just has such a terrible way of drawing out this conflict. Like the driving question shouldn’t have been “which of us is more important to the dead girl”, it should have been “why can’t we figure out how to support each other in our different grieving processes”? I guess we finally get there by the last two chapters, but boy was it a rough journey.

Speaking of the twins, and also Nia: there are A LOT of biracial blues in this story, so if that sort of content is a drag for you, please tread lightly. To be so obsessed with their multiracial heritage, Jade and Jonah were also incredibly ignorant of the implications of said heritage. Like what do you MEAN you’re surprised that a major religious building in Charleston was built by slaves?!? I just felt like these characters were too old to have considered so little of what they would encounter on the tour. This elementary processing from the characters overshadowed the real-life historical facts that Katz included through the tour scenes.

This brings me to another point, that the sensitivity of these characters feels a bit unreasonable. I think that’s because the author is taking shortcuts in writing. They set out a mildly offensive scenario (a hasty insult/toothless DEI committee), and then fast forward to the results: a character not speaking to a friend for years or quitting an entire career path. This just seemed unlike real interactions, and I wished that if the characters were going to take such drastic measures, that Katz would’ve explained more of the in-between steps.

Finally, speaking of action: do not expect much here. I don’t mind a romance without sex scenes, but if that’s the case, the chemistry should be such that I am entertained just by reading the couple’s casual banter. This couldn’t be further from the truth!!! The characters barely come around to feeling comfortable with each other until halfway through, and the backstory was both too much (childhood elements) and too little (Katz dangled the pivotal fight over our heads for far too long.)

TLDR: would NOT recommend!!!

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

(bitter)sweet, competently written, and readable, but I'm still waiting for an f/f romance that's really going to seize me with the force of its passion, you know?

in fairness, a large focus of this book is on the aftermath of the death of the two mains' mutual best friend, who dies of cancer before the events of the book, and this appears inspired by the author's loss of a friend under similar circumstances, and I do think the book is a compelling portrait of grief.

the exploration of what it means to be multiracial and(/or) jewish (the deceased friend was sephardi; one of the mains and her twin brother have one sephardi parent and one black parent; and the other main, who is not jewish, has one white parent and one afro-chinese jamaican parent), and especially of what it means to hold that while also confronting the particular horrors of the history of the american south for jews of color, is equally well handled and was also informative for me. on the characters' "southern jewish history" road trip, they learn from one particularly (and welcomely) frank tour guide about the unique positionality of a particular group of sephardim who intentionally assimilated into whiteness and welcomed their tenuous "accepted" and all the privileges that entailed, including their status as slaveholders during the period of african enslavement.

regardless, what didn't hit me as much was the romance itself—which experience just isn't really the hoped-for outcome when one is, you know, reading a romance novel. I think the romance undercuts itself in a way that's...well, right there in the title.

I would read another book by this author. she's still having some issues with differentiating between the pov characters' voices, but I think, with time, she could get there; I hope that her next f/f entry (I know she's also written m/f before) seizes me more! I absolutely recognize that it sounds pretty fucked up to say, "this book about a dead best friend and the thorny familial wounds arising from it and the painful and intertwined histories of blackness and jewishness in the south...wasn't horny enough"....so I think this is a me problem! I think maybe I went into it with the wrong expectations? and I do very genuinely appreciate katz's ability to weave all these threads into what is still functionally a romance novel with a lot of comedy in it. I think I just expected the romance thread to be weighted a little more heavily!

[Star]

DNFed this at 60% because I kept waiting to feel something towards this book. I'm sad I wasn't enjoying it, but there was just nothing.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow burn childhood-best friends-to-lovers is my favourite trope but it’s rare to find, so this felt like a gift.

This was such a heartwarming exploration of grief, female friendship, siblings, generational trauma, ancestry and self discovery. It was also gorgeously slow burn romance, filled with so much emotion, history and yearning.

Equal parts funny, sad, heartwarming and heartbreaking, this book surprised me in the best way. It was rich in passion, emotion and humanity and I thoroughly look forward to reading more from Rachel Runya Katz.

what to expect:

• childhood best friends to lovers
• slow burn
• road trip
• there’s only one bed
• found family
• sapphic romance
• forced proximity
• dual perspective
• biracial black caucasian lesbian jewish fmc
• bi fmc with black chinese jamaican and white heritage
• a very good puppy

[Ally King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally understand what all you friends to lovers bitches are on about

absolutely adored this one

[Laura A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nia and Jade have been friends for years. They have drifted apart, but are going on vacation together. I liked this book.

[Grace Wiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all. Shout-out lesbians born on July 2. We always win. Second of all. This was really really special. The power of friendship supersedes all things. I loved these characters and this story. Very special to me.

[claire]

DNF-ed at 20%.

Oblivious, pining queers on a roadtrip sounds like a perfect plot to me, and I was so excited to read this, but unfortunately the writing just threw me off. I found the flow and the writing style too odd and with too many uneccessary details that made the pace painstakingly long.

*Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Mae Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/f contemporary romance
-grief roadtrip
-childhood best friends to estranged to lovers
-mutual pining
-childhood crush
-slow burn
-found family
-jewish and biracial rep

Rachel Runya Katz just knows how to write friendships (and siblings, honestly rude how incredible she is at drawing dynamics with her characters). This book handles so many difficult topics, multipe timelines, and a romance, and Rachel is one of the few authors out there who can do it and do it deftly. Nia and Jade after not speaking for a few years decide to embar on the Southern Jewish roadtrip they planned with their best friend prior to her death, with Jade's twin brother tagging along. This roadtrip is packed with so much. Dealing with the grief of losing one of your closest people, how grief and relationships are different between different people, and balancing the weight of your history, and your friendship, for a romantic relationship. oh and there is the cutest dog. Add in the complexities of their roadtrip through Southern synogogues and this book is a beautiful exploration of ancestry, history, and paving your own future.

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sobbed through basically this entire book because the way the author paints a vivid picture of grief is just heart wrenching. Grief can bring out the ugliest parts of people, like it did in this story. But love, whether friend or romantic love, can make it easier to bear. Nia and Jade had their quirks. Nia dealt with life by trying to control her schedule to an almost pathological degree. Jade was a bit blunt and blind to her own emotions. Neither of them were good at communicating the way they needed to about feelings for one another. The resolution was beautiful and fulfilling as they learned more about themselves and how to take risks that are worth taking.

Spice: 2/5

Triggers: death of close friend from cancer, grief, discussion of racism and antisemitism, discussion of sexism, discussion of lunching of Jewish man, discussion of transatlantic slave trade and enslavement,

[Kaia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an unexpected delight - mainly a story of friendships and grief, with a glimpse into the history of Judaism in the American south, and a slow romance. The writing drew me in right away, and I love how real the characters felt.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to Rachel Runya Katz’s debut, this sophomore novel fell a bit flat to me. I loved everything she was trying to do in this book - grief over a best friend, the way grief shapes your life, biracial/jews of color, antisemitism and racism, funny banter between close friends and complex relationships. I admit I don’t know much about southern Judaism roots and actually despite how diverse my temple was growing up, I never met any black Jews. The author’s note is not to be missed when reading this book and I’m curious to do some of my own research from what I learned in this novel.

The actual romance fell flat for me, I just didn’t connect with the slow burn/not actually unrequited love and I think a lot of that had to do with the very jumpy POVs throughout the entire book. I could almost never tell if it was Jade or Nia’s POV and that threw me for a loop. The third person POV is not my favorite and I recall saying the same in my review of her first book. But that mixed with the unclear character switch really made me have a bumpy reading experience. I also think the text messages were missing quotes or formatted weirdly in the ARC and I had to reread some passages a few times to make sense.

I think this rom-traum-com may have worked better as a women’s fiction novel rather than romance.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Rikki Ziegelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so wonderful. Its exploration of Jewish heritage in the south was super enlightening, and the characters were so well developed with so many layers and years of history. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it and give it 5 stars before its official release. I think this will be a hit when it comes out!

Thank you so so so much to NetGalley for the ARC! :)

[Shouty · Rating 5 out of 5]

JADE + NIA WERE SUCH A SLOW BURN AND I WAS BESIDE MYSELF WAITING FOR IT TO CATCH FIRE - ALL THAT HISTORY!!!!

[Autumn Poole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jade did nothing wrong & none of these people deserve her kindness, forgiveness or love.

UGH I’m sobbing yet screaming at the same time

[Kate | bookishkatelizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been anxiously awaiting Rachel’s sophomore novel ever since reading Thank You for Sharing in 2023, my favorite debut of the year.

Katz returns with a tender and emotional Sapphic romance as 2 estranged childhood best friends come back together to finish their deceased best friends bucket list 3 years after her death and their estrangement.

Through heartbreaking and vulnerable moments, Jade and Nia learn to reconnect with each other while remembering Michal and grappling with their continued grief. Their feelings that have been buried for years come back to life. But is it work the risk of losing each other once more after finally finding their way back to each other?

My thoughts:
I adore Rachel’s writing. She explores the impact of grief in such a raw and thoughtful way. Through the experiences of Jade and Nia, Katz challenges how society weighs condolences and toxic judgements about grief via the “just a friend” mentality. Jade, Nia and Michal have the most beautiful friendship, the definition of platonic soul mates. However, the depth of their grief isn’t recognized since they weren’t romantically involved with Michal like Jonah (Jade's twin brother)

I love a road trip romance… the forced proximity of being in a car for long periods of time, the domesticity of traveling together and sharing meals and space and the way the romance develops as the trip is progressing. The combination of tropes and the potential is unparalleled. In WYR, Jade and Nia end up sharing a bed and the tension builds with escalating touches while they both silently challenge each other to make the next move and take it further. While the romance develops quickly (the road trip is only 1 week), it worked as they have been secretly pining for years and have a strong foundation through their friendship.

Whenever You’re Ready also confronts painful moments in Jewish American history. During their road trip, Jade and Jonah experience the “intersections of anti-Black racism and antisemitism in the American South.” (author note is a must read) I’ve really enjoyed learning about Jewish culture in Rachel’s books. TYFS details Jewish traditions surrounding grief, while this book dives further into history.

This book is a romance but also a love letter to life changing friendships. It is full of hope and heartbreak, nostalgic moments and dreams for the future, pain and joy… much like life. Rachel has quickly become an auto-buy author for me; I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Tropes & Things
•Dual POV, dual timeline via flashbacks
•Sapphic, childhood friends to lovers
•Road trip/ forced proximity
•Grappling with grief
•Southern US/ US Jewish history
•Complicated family dynamics
•Unrequited crush, or is it?
•Long time pining
•Letters from Michal
•Only one bed

Trigger warnings- cancer, death of a close friend to cancer, racism, antisemitism- author has a full list of trigger warnings in intro

Favorite quotes

"But now, after almost three years away, everything about her is either an obvious change or carries a memory."

"Like discovering her queerness almost entirely because she was discovering Jade (she probably should’ve known based on her reaction to Lindsay Lohan in Herbie: Fully Loaded, but still)."

“I bet it feels amazing to finally be with your person. Actually, I know it does, because for me it was the two of you. Not in the same way, but just as big."
Brb, sobbing

Thank you to SMP Romance for an e-ARC of this title; all thoughts are my own.

[Kristin Martini · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart. Goodness did I love this book. Rachel Runya Katz excels in this space - the liminal space one occupies as a mixed-race Jew in America. She wrote about this experience beautifully in her debut novel Thank You For Sharing, and here she's back at it - also dipping her toe (or more appropriately, her whole foot) into grief again.

Not only is this a rumination on the lasting power of grief, as well as the complicated history of race relations between the Black and Jewish communities in America, it's also a romance. But one that transcends all tropes - it's sort of (but not) second chance romance. It's sort of (but not) friends-to-lovers. It's romance in the found family way, where two people who are just destined to get together actually do.

And unlike many contemporary romances, there is a twist to the usual third act miscommunication. Usually it's something misunderstood, often in the most basic way possible. Here, there is an incendiary moment, a secret told in anger that could disrupt everything about their burgeoning relationship, but our two FMCs move quickly past it. Instead, there's a third act break because one of our leads knows exactly what she wants and for once isn't going to let someone walk all over her boundaries.

In summary: I loved this book. It can be a little heavy at times (the premise and any trigger warnings are right there in the summary), but it's gorgeously written and a wonderful ode to lasting power of childhood female friendships. 5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

There seems to be a subgenre of romance books that are also or mostly about grief/grieving, and a sub-sub genre about grieving the loss of a friend (as opposed to a parent, previous partner, etc) and how it reshapes lives and friendships, and apparently I really like these books. But this one is especially good. The character of Michal (the friend they are grieving) feels like such a real person to me, even though you only see her in flashbacks and letters.
Also, I learned some stuff about Sephardi and Southern Jewish history that I didn't know, and I appreciated the author's recs at the end for some nonfiction to learn more.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a rom-com, but it is a love story.

It has some glorious heat, but it also has moments of raw grief.

For those who need answers right away, know that this is a book that makes you feel for about 50% like you've been dropped into a complicated friend group. However, everyone knows exactly what they're avoiding and why. It's not a miscommunication book.

For those who enjoy pining and learning, this book is for you.

[Abby Lustig · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected, deeply personal read as a queer Jewish person with a dead childhood best friend. Thought I was embarking on a sapphic romance, and while it was in part a complicated and sweet love story, I was really done in by the way grief and resentment manifested between Jade and Jonah. I want to recommend this to everyone who knows me but also hold it close and be grateful for it in my own little grief bubble.

Feeling love for the author, Rachel, and her friend Sonya, and my friend, Rachel, and our own little group of forever best friends.