Isn't It Obvious?

by Rachel Runya Katz

After a meet-disaster, a podcaster and her producer fall in love over email without realizing they know (and hate) each other in real life.

When high school librarian Yael’s secret podcast starts to take off, she decides to hire Kevin, a remote freelance editor/producer so she can manage juggling her mental health, day job, and the queer teen book club she’s been hosting at school after hours. To maintain her anonymity, they communicate strictly via email and Kevin only knows her by her podcast persona, Elle.

Little does Yael know that Kevin, who in real life goes by his middle name, Ravi, is the same man she tore apart for climbing out of her bedroom window after a one night stand with her roommate, Charlie. And she certainly never expects him to show up to volunteer at her book club.

In person, Yael and Ravi clash until their sparks turn into something more. Over email, Elle and Kevin are starting to fall hard when they decide to keep things strictly professional. But when Ravi discovers the truth, will keeping it a secret mean the end of everything he’s built with Yael/Elle? And what happens when she finds out? Will they fall twice as hard, or cut ties in more ways than one?

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

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2025

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

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

romance me over email while we hate each other at queer book club

ravi signing off an emotional email with “best wishes” he’s just like me fr

I needed a book that was proudly pro library in these trying times and Isn't It Obvious answered the call, while asking the question, what if we romanced each other over email while hating each other at queer book club? Yael, a librarian with a secret podcast critiquing the high school reading list, with witty titles such as “A Lack of Reading Comprehension Is a Prerequisite for Serving in Congress,” grates against her new library volunteer. Ravi, a freelance editor precariously balancing a new life, is more than a tad desperate to convince the roommate of his latest hookup that he isn't an asshole, even continuing to volunteer at her queer book club. With hidden identities and exquisite tension in the library, Isn’t it Obvious puts romance on the books and every single page sings with hate to love goodness. Rachel Runya Katz was a relatively new to me author as of this year, but she has quickly become an unrivaled talent and one of my favorite romance authors in the contemporary romance scene. Isn't It Obvious, her third novel, is undoubtedly the best romance of this year. Not just the library representation we deserve, but a reminder of the power in these spaces especially for the queer youth of today, and how much we stand to gain from reaching for love in spite of our supposed shortcomings.

Read my review

thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing the arc to review.

Bookstagram | Blog

[🌺 Hannah 🌺 (very busy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to author Rachel Runya Katz and Macmillan Publishers | St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: October 21, 2025
🏳️‍🌈❤️ You won’t want to miss this adorable, heartwarming LGBTQIA+ romance!

This story follows Yael, a high school librarian and part-time podcaster known as Elle. She’s open about her mental health and proud to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Yael is authentically herself and wears her heart on her sleeve for the people she loves and there are a lot of them.

Then we meet Ravi (aka Kevin), a devoted uncle, supportive brother, and fellow LGBTQIA+ community member. Unbeknownst to either of them, Ravi is Elle’s podcast editor (and Yael is his podcast host) thanks to their pseudonyms.

They first meet in person at Yael’s queer book club for her high schoolers, and from there, we get a sweet and meaningful journey about love, identity, and connection. Okay yes… it’s a little hard to believe they don’t realize who the other person is sooner, but honestly? It just adds to the charm and slow burn cuteness of their story.

The side characters are so lovable and give the story even more warmth and heart. You’ll want to be friends with everyone in this book.

Read this if you’re looking for:
✨ A wholesome LGBTQIA+ romance
📚 A celebration of mental health awareness
👨‍👨‍👧 Found family vibes and heartfelt friendships
🌈 Characters who are proud, vulnerable, and real

This book is full of feels, heart, and authentic love for yourself and for your community. Add it to your TBR! 💕

[Rachel Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunningly intimate and effortlessly wise — this is a book that burrows deep. ISN'T IT OBVIOUS? offers a truly unique take on enemies offline/anonymously falling in love online, with every sentence made to savor. I'm obsessed with everything Rachel Runya Katz writes.

[Lina · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚📚📚 Happy release day to this gem! Highly recommend! 📚📚📚

4.5 / 5 Stars
I really, really loved this book and will be screaming from the rooftops about it! In “Isn’t It Obvious?” Yael finds Ravi climbing out of her window to avoid her roommate, Charlie, who he slept with last night. Yup, her window. Yael calls Ravi an asshole for not being honest with Charlie, though Ravi tried to be direct but clearly not enough hence the window climbing. Ravi leaves hoping to never run into Yael again. When he sees a sign looking for volunteers for a queer teen book club, he signs up, and wouldn’t you know it? Yael is in charge of that group. Ravi and Yael begrudgingly continue to lead the group and their icy connection starts to thaw. That makes things complicated because Yael has feelings for her next podcast editor, Kevin. They’ve never met in person because she thinks he lives in New York and she is in Portland and he doesn’t know her real name (because she wants anonymity for her librarian job) but they have a strong connection via email and text. He makes her podcast better and he makes her heart pitter patter really hard. What are the chances that Kevin is Ravi? Actually, pretty high! And Kevin (Ravi) has feelings for Elle (Yael) too. It is a messy web and a juicy story.

You will probably like this book if you like:
📚 Dislike to love
🎙️ Falling for each other via email and text
📚 Hidden identities
🎙️ Found family
📚 Biracial character rep
🎙️ LBGTQIA+ character rep
📚 Bipolar rep

I think it is usually pretty hard to pull off the hidden identities in a plausible way but this book did it really well! Usually there are gaping holes where you think, “how did you two dummies not realize it was each other?” but this book left no stone unturned. Sometimes it felt a tad convoluted (like when she talks on the phone to him for the first time and she is whispering, so that is why he doesn’t recognize her voice and connect that she is Yael), but I really, really appreciated that the thoroughness required for them to have two separate relationships with each other in a believable way.

I loved Ravi and Yael. They were so fully formed and so well written with each one having rich backstories and many different aspects to their identity highlighted. Yael is a Black and Jewish, bisexual, librarian who is bipolar and has a podcast critiquing literary classics, an absentee mom but two loving dads, and she works at the same high school that she went to. Ravi is a Indo-Trinidadian, bisexual freelance editor, who is co-parting his niece with his brother, just moved to Portland from NYC, and is an immigrant (he moved to the US from Trinidad for college). And that is on top of them both being funny, caring, vulnerable, kind, kind of stubborn, etc. Getting to read about all aspects of their identities helped spotlight the complexities and richness of their experiences.

I also think it can be hard to write a complex, multidimensional character and feature multiple parts of their identity. Sometimes it can feel overwritten or like one trait is focused on while other traits are just sprinkled in or are forgotten. But this was written so that you really got to know each part of Ravi and Yael. That care and thought was put into all characters, including side characters. Gina, the art teacher, was just as fully formed as Ravi and Yael. And because of that, the characters were really relatable even if their specificities may not match your own. While I am not bipolar, Yael’s feelings of being too much or needing to hide her mental health condition to be lovable were so real, relatable, and impactful that my heart broke for her (and for myself and for anyone else who feels that way). I feel like this book will speak to a lot of people in a really important way.

Ravi and Yael are also 🔥🔥🔥. Their chemistry via text and email is sweet and vulnerable and their chemistry in person, once they sort out the grudge holding and snipping at each other, is HOTTTTTT. The spice scenes were great for progressing their relationship and were well written but (most importantly), they were 🥵🥵🥵.

I also love reading texts and emails in books and this one captures that tension of Yael or Ravi being more open and honest virtually but then feeling embarrassed for possible oversharing. Those minutes or hours that passed between messages were agony and it was so real that I had a visceral, PTSD reaction to it.

My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed. We wrapped up a complex situation pretty quickly and then we were on to the epilogue and I would have loved to see more of them as a couple. I also selfishly would have read more of this book too.

Thank you St.Martin’s Press for providing the ARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: October 21, 2025

[Kasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

**ARC of this book provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**

A boy meets a girl but they are both bisexual and around thirty.

Yael is a librarian in high school trying to start queer book club and Ravi just moved to Portland to support his brother and little niece. They have a meet-not-cute of sorts in Yael's bedroom when Ravi tries to climb out of the window after one night stand with Yael's roommate. The slight animosity starts (I wouldn't call it hate) and has an opportunity to grow since Ravi starts volunteering at Yael's book club. What the characters are not aware of is that they are cooperating online to create podcast about books. Soon the emails they exchange start shifting towards something more.

I haven't think about my favorite romance movie (You've Got Mail) in quite a while and this book brought me some of the feelings I had while watching it. Isn't It Obvious? is cute and charming, banter is witty and funny, the prose flows smoothly even despite occasional swearing. Yael and Ravi are mature people communicating openly so drama is minimal and pretty subdued. Unfortunately it also means that mandatory third act conflict stems from our lovebirds suddenly changing their character traits and becoming taciturn and childish which in my opinion absolutely kills the ending. Despite a weak finish I was still enjoying this book quite a lot and I feel like it's easy to recommend - it's an adorable and cozy story with strong characters and palpable tension.

It also does something that brings me a lot of joy - it puts the fictional characters in real places. If you are from Portland prepare for a treat!

[Grace Btrs · Rating 2 out of 5]

💬 This book is hard to rate.
First, I walked away at 58%.
Second, I genuinely believe this book has a perfect audience it was tailored for and I just happen to live on the very, very edge of that audience.
2.5 ⭐

🎮 Premise & setup
Ravi and Yael have a most awkward first meeting, but their story makes them collide again, this time behind screens, under pseudo names, working on a fun passion project together.
Meanwhile, they still have to deal with each other in real life, reluctantly, awkwardly, and very messily.

Now here’s the thing… below are what didn’t work for me but I fully believe they’ll be a 5⭐ hit for plenty of readers who’ll see themselves in these aspects.

📝 Writing & tone
The book is written in third person (which I usually don’t mind) but this time it felt… young. Almost middle-school-style prose (ironically poetic for the story’s theme), and that made me feel one emotional step removed from the main characters.
The premise itself is cute: a modernised You’ve Got Mail with a sprinkle of early 2000s (not 2010s as I thought before) rom-com energy.
BUT it’s also drenched in 2020s speech, I found myself googling every couple of pages.

🇺🇸 Political & social context
It’s heavy on U.S.-centred political queer discourse and layers of political correctness baked into every (and I mean EVERY) interaction. Again, totally valid, and it’ll deeply resonate with readers who connect to that.
For me? It just made the story feel heavier and harder to digest. Especially the long, essay-like email exchanges: informative, yes, but they kept pulling me further away from the emotional thread.

🧠 Two things that made it harder to capture me
1. Mental health portrayal: Yael is said to have bipolar type II, but as far as I read (58%), we’re told this more than we see it. She maybe be in a period of stability, but beyond a quick mention of a therapist and the odd 1 time medication when she sensed a hypomania episode, we know nothing about her medicine regimen or anything else and hence her MH journey felt underexplored.
2. The stuck in her thoughts FMC archetype: Yael decided Ravi was the bad guy and refused to reconsider, no matter how many times the universe (or Ravi) proved otherwise.
I’m sorry, but that brand of FMC — judgmental, perched high on her moral steed — drives me nuts. Especially when the person to blame takes accountability and still the MMC gets no grace.

💌 Do I recommend?
This isn’t a “bad” book, it’s just not my book. It’s layered, bold, and written for a specific audience that will eat it up. I just wasn’t fully in that demographic.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. As always, opinions are 100% my own.

--
Pre-read:
This is giving Pen Pals x Hidden Identity x 2010s rom-com vibes
Grabbing my popcorn🍿📖

[Sarah (bookofsari) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isn’t It Obvious? by Rachel Runya Katz is a tender, funny, and quietly powerful romance that surprised me in the best way. I’ve never been a big fan of the hidden identity trope, mostly because it tends to feel contrived. But here, the premise works—partly because the characters are so emotionally grounded, and partly because the misunderstanding feels believable within the context of their lives.
Yael, a high school librarian and host of a rising podcast, hires Kevin, a remote producer, to help manage her growing workload. What she doesn’t realize is that Kevin is actually Ravi—the same guy she recently had a hostile run-in with after a bad first impression. As “Elle” and “Kevin,” their email exchanges are thoughtful and intimate, while their real-life interactions are full of friction and slowly shifting tension. The duality plays out in a way that’s more thoughtful than gimmicky, and watching them fall for each other—without realizing it—feels organic rather than forced.

What really sets this book apart is the depth of its queer representation. Both Yael and Ravi are queer and written with nuance, not as archetypes or checkboxes. Their identities are explored with care, and the presence of a queer teen book club adds another layer of meaning to their connection. The conversations around mental health, boundaries, and chosen family are handled with a kind of quiet confidence that makes the story feel both contemporary and deeply personal.

What stayed with me most wasn’t the romance itself, but the way these characters learned to show up for each other—and themselves. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching two people grow separately and still find their way back to one another. This isn’t just a love story; it’s a story about timing, identity, and the quiet work of building trust.

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

[Millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing that would make this book more millennial coded would be a prolonged pause.

The characters were so fun. The banter was top notch. Some of the things Ravi and Yael were saying had me laughing out loud and then I would have to patiently explain to people around me that I was laughing at words on a page. The writing itself was funny and clever. This book had a podcast aspect of it and all the book references ans the titles of the podcasts, again, were really funny. And now I’m sad this podcast doesn’t actually exist because I really want a pilot episode please.

It was also dual POV, which I believe was definitely the right choice. Ravi and Yael’s chapters were each so relatable in their own way. Yes, this book has a heavy romance plot, but it wasn’t solely that. It also explored Yael and Ravi each coming over obstacles that come with adulthood. And again…just lots of millennial things. Mild mid life crisis’ in the works per se. But overall I think I enjoyed each of their own journeys rather than their journey together, that was secondary to their own personal struggles. Which was refreshing. The romance helped them get over personal obstacles rather than it just kind of shoving half baked internal depth for the sake of chemistry.

I don’t particularly enjoy a whole lot of solely romances. But this is an exception. And overall, there is a specific audience for this book, AND THEY WILL EATT THIS UP.

Thanks you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[Kat Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

the greenest flag was flown when he joined her book club as a mentor for queer youth.

✰ 5 stars, well deserved

thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ebook in exchange for an honest review. you are always good to me.

platform: netgalley ebook arc

[Mackenzie (mackenziespocket) · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh this was so dang good. i am bad at words right now so reviewing is hard but this book is just filled with SO much. so much queerness, figuring yourself out, familial relationships (and how those look different for everyone), love in many different forms, cuteness!! i could go on but i will stop because i think people should discover it for themselves. definitely recommend this one, and i'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

REP: bisexual mixed Black and Ashkenazi Jewish main character with bipolar disorder; bisexual Indian main character from Trinidad; many queer and trans side characters [Black Jewish queer author]

[Anniek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite Rachel Runya Katz book so far, and one of my favourite romances I've read this year too. Like with their other books, my eyes were glued to the page, and I flew through it, staying up much too late to finish it.

There's so many elements to this story, so many different settings and characters, and they all fit together perfectly. It made the characters feel real and fleshed out, with full, complex lives.

I'm always a fan of mistaken identity, where two characters meet each other both online and in person and don't connect the dots. This storyline was played out for a long time here, but it never felt too much or too dramatic to me. I loved seeing the characters essentially fall in love with the same person twice, which really added to their connection.

I also loved the focus on family, friendship and community, all with complex, fleshed out side characters and storylines. Ravi moving in with his brother after he's become a single dad was so moving to me, and I loved seeing his relationship with his niece. The queer book club at the school Yael works at, and Ravi volunteers add, was also so wonderful, and I loved seeing so much focus on literacy and the importance of access to queer books, especially considering the state of the world right now.

[❋Rushna❋ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

“Sometimes he looks at her and he swears he can see a million different futures in her eyes, the two of them together in every one of them”

I had the time of my life with this one, and can’t stop thinking about Yael and Ravi. This had all my favorite tropes, with the obvious one being hidden identity. The premise of it was interesting from the start and the delivery was everything I wanted. This is my first book by this author and I was genuinely blown away with how addicting of a read it was.

Yael is a high school librarian who runs an afterschool LGBTQ book club and has a “secret” podcast under the pseudonym, Elle. Elle hires Kevin (Ravi) as her “off-site” podcast editor to help ease the workload. The book starts off with a hilarious not-so meet-cute between Yael and Ravi that leads to them mutually hating each other. Then Yael discovers Ravi is the book club’s new volunteer and has to work with him. The fact that neither of them is aware they’re also working with each other’s podcast counterparts is what made this such a fun read🤭

I absolutely loved Yael and Ravi’s relationship. They have a classic enemies to lovers start in the story, but are obviously complete opposites as their podcast counterparts (who only communicated via email).

I also really appreciated the diversity in this book, the mental health rep, and exploration of queer identity through BIPOC characters in the public school system (which has always been relevant to current events).

The email threads as Elle/Kevin were an absolute treat and the interactions felt so natural as they became comfortable with each other. At the same time, Yael and Ravi also slowly start to understand each other through the book club interactions.

They were both so realistic and I couldn’t help but grow attached to them. Both Yael and Ravi’s experiences with their queer identity were different but I loved how they were comfortable in talking about it. The chemistry between them was absolutely sizzling and that buildup was so natural and satisfying. I loved how they communicated with each other too. The third act conflict was tolerable because they were mature about navigating the issue and there were circumstances out of their control.

The eventual identity reveals were done so well and the author was so clever in pacing it perfectly. The title of book really delivered because everything was so obvious but neither Yael or Ravi had a clue until the clear signs.

I adored the references to the queer and diverse books they discussed in the book club and all the characters were so lovable! The family dynamics were wholesome and it was so touching to see Ravi’s interactions with Suresh and Mia. The only thing I would loved to see more of was Yael’s family interactions and real podcast snippets because most of that happened off the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and the author for this ARC!

[✨⚡ Kelcey (felinebooktrovert) ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

2.5/3 stars?

I have been kind of striking out lately and books just aren't grabbing me.

I thought Yael was a very interesting FMC, but Ravi was not speaking to me. The beginning was fairly slow and the relationship really didn't take off until well over 50% through.

And the theme of this book is definitely the title. I thought there were MANY signs for both of them that showed who they were actually talking to through email, so that whole part of this book for me was kind of unbelievable.

And I wasn't a fan of the ending :( the third act breakup sort of made sense but the resolution of it was meh and a little lazy.

But the writing was good and there were a lot of funny parts and a lot of emotional punches that really hit me, so maybe this was a me, not you situation 💗

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up. this was an arc that i won in an auction, not provided to me for review purposes.

i genuinely couldn't be more obsessed with RRK's books so i was thrilled to get to read this. some messages i sent while reading:
"as they write their long emails about queerness and culture and friendship and how it all impacts what we say, i've now had to take my glasses off for ease of repeatedly wiping my eyes."
"having big feelings about the possibility of seeing aubrey gordon at costco but no crying about that, just jealousy of a fictional character."
"YES A SEX SCENE WHERE IT'S NOT ABOUT INTERCOURSE BUT EVERYONE KNOWS IT'S FCKG BECAUSE THEY ARE QUEER AND DIDN'T FORGET THAT JUST BC THERE'S A PNS AND VGNA IN THE ROOM!"
"the third act! too much! i have now fully lost my glasses bc it's so overwhelming! one more person to _________!" (blank to avoid spoilers)
"'she was *too little* for you' JFC"
"__________ started her own book club!"
"LOLOLOLOLOL the catcher in the rye episode title."

anyway this was clearly a full roller coaster of emotions in the absolute best way. RRK says that they write rom-traum-coms and this is no exception--if you like emotional complexity, queer jews of color, people working through their shit and not having to be done with it to be deeply loved and loveable, leftist politics in your romance novels, talking about the complexities of living and dating with major mental illness and the stigma of it, almost zero heterosexuals, and drastic swings between tears and laughter, this book will absolutely be for you.

[Angelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off sooo strong then falls apart in the third act. Also did not enjoy the way this author writes children. RIP!

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I inhaled this book in less than 24 hours. Ravi and Yael are fully formed characters with a lot going on in their lives, in different ways. Yael is a high school librarian by day, and a secret podcaster in her free time. The librarian aspects of this story are so important and relevant to the current timeline. Ravi is a freelance editor and a volunteer at Yael’s queer book club at the high school. the chemistry between them is palpable. they are both so real and lovable and so so easy to root for. the communication breakdowns and plot points all feel very realistic and made sense within the story.

Falling in love over email and not knowing the real identity of the person!!!?? I LOVE IT. this book is like if You’ve Got Mail was actually good (argue with the wall.) i was fully invested in this story. the writing is funny, and the flow and pacing was just perfect to me. this entire book is full of queer representation! we simply love to see it. i am completely charmed by Katz. I will be back for more!!!

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this eARC early :)

[Christina | readingthroughatlanta · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a meet-disaster, a podcaster and her editor fall in love over email without realizing they know (and hate) each other in real life

So wait, this is such a fun read! The premise? The characters? The setting? The banter? The spice? All of it just works!

There is SO much going on in this but everything feels like it has space to breath and exist. If anything, read it for the fun queer high school book club we all wish we had growing up AND the underrated but deeply appreciated “falling in love through email” trope!

Ravi and Yael are extremely compelling and easy to root for MCs. I enjoyed them individually from the very first scene (buckle up for a truly WILD for first meeting ), and grew to love them chapter after chapter. Their romantic chemistry and friendship not only jumped off the page, but their conversations regarding sexuality, representation, mental health, and family were so earnest and relatable. I couldn’t get enough of these two and not even a 3rd act break up could ruin them or my love for them

With its cozy Portland setting and laid back characters, this is the perfect read in time for fall. Run, don’t walk to pick this one up!

READ FOR
In Love Online / Enemies IRL
Bi4Bi
POC MCs
Characters Who Love Books

[Taylor Gonser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um. Wow. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! I could not get enough of Ravi and Yael! This really portrays real personal challenges and traumas in such a tender way. Rachel Runya Katz wrote this with so much care that you can feel it coming off the pages. I also loved that it accurately portrayed Portland! I’ll be buying this one in October and you should too 🫶🏼

[Lindsay Border · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ rounded down. Thank you to netgalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced e-copy of this upcoming October release.

This is the arc I received this year that I was most excited about! I couldn’t wait to dive in as I love hidden identity behind text/emails. There wasn’t as much of this aspect of the story as I was anticipating but I still loved it anyway!

Ravi and Yael have amazing chemistry irl and online and as their connection grows, the chemistry ramps up. I did not love that all of their connections start virtually simultaneously but their connection(s) more than made up for that aspect I didn’t like. Loved the side characters even though we don’t get too deep with many of them- they’re a heartwarming cast of characters who bring humour to the story.

This was my first read from Rachel and I definitely plan to read more from them.

[Ayushi (bookwormbullet) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Lavender PR for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a beautiful romance! I love Rachel Runya Katz's words and storytelling so much. Her writing feels like you've been wrapped in a warm hug. I love the anonymous penpals trope, and it was depicted so well in this book. The last act made me sob so hard--I stayed up until 2am devouring it! Yael and Ravi's romance was so intimate and truly like you're watching two characters and their small circle of friends, but the big impact they have on the people around them. The queer youth book club that Yael and Ravi host was so precious. I loved seeing them set up this safe community for young queer kids at their high school and discuss so many amazing queer books! The queer rep in general was incredible in this book. I'd say like 80% of the characters in this book are queer, which is amazing.

On a side note, I really appreciate how Katz writes interracial relationships featuring two characters of color. I was so excited to see that Ravi was Indo-Trinidadian in this book. There are very few romance leads who are represented as Indo-Trinidadian or Indian Guyanese, so that was so special! And of course, I really love the discussions Katz has about being Black and Jewish as well. I'd give this book 4.5 stars rounded up :)

Follow me on TikTok | Instagram | Twitter for more book reviews & recommendations!

[Ive180 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smartly written, strong queer and diverse representation. My first #GoodreadsGiveaway didn’t disappoint. This book took me way longer to finish than usual (audiobooks) since I had to read this ARC with my eyes; however, I looked forward to seeing how the story developed.

Even though I’m not a fan of miscommunication and the third act breakup, I appreciated Yael and Ravi’s attempts at open and honest communication within their respective situations and a quick conflict resolution.

Also appreciated the timely emphasis on the importance of libraries and safe spaces/sense of community for diverse groups. Overall, an enjoyable rom-com with real, multi-layered, likeable characters.

Thanks to #StMartinsPress for this #GoodreadsGiveaway!

[Gretal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim because Mackenzie loved it and also the author is the conversation partner at the Meryl Wilsner event I'm going to tomorrow, and I am SO glad I did. This was truly just a phenomenal book, I loved all these characters and their relationships with one another and what it had to say about family and just everything.

[Aisha Virk · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book had so much potential because I liked the FMC but I just could not stop my brain from thinking about how the MMC and the FMC met. Their entire start is weird. How are you going to be with the guy that just slept with your guy roommate. That’s a weird line to cross no matter how you wrote about it.

[Corinne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bumping my review for pub day!

>>>
I loved this book so much - no caveats, no notes! Rachel Runya Katz has become one of my favourite authors and this one is definitely my favourite. It was instantly engaging from the start - it sucked me right in. And despite the rom-com-y premise, I didn't find myself having to suspend much disbelief, which feels like a rare and welcome relief after some recent reads. It was really well done. The author is so great at writing connection - the way they wrote Ravi and Yael totally gave me fizzy feelings. Per usual, when I love a book, it's somehow harder to write a review. I don't know what else to say! It all worked for me.

I received a digital Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

[Robin (DocRobReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book around 4 pm, and ended up staying awake until 1 am to finish it. I couldn't put it down. 🤗 And then I spent all night dreaming about Yael and Ravi. If THAT isn't the sign that a book is great, I don't know what is. 🤣 The care that Katz took in crafting this story is evident on each page. It is clear the subject matter meant a lot and that came across in every chapter. This is gonna be one of my favorites of 2025.😍

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

Happy release day to this amazing book!!!!

This was the sweetestttt!!! The mental health and queer rep was outstanding! Complex emotions and familial relationships were approached with such care. Yael was so precious to me as an only child. How did she get inside my brain!!!!????

The openness between the two main characters was so refreshing. I love a young man in touch with his emotions (hi Ravi x Kevin <3)!!!

I wish more authors would take advantage of the hidden identity trope, SPECIFICALLY via written communication; this was done so well. I can’t wait to read more Rachel Runya Katz!

Thank you so much to SMP & NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Rachel Runya Katz's first two novels, but this story blew me away with its tender romance and beautiful representation of queerness, family, and friendship.

Our main characters are dynamic together from the get-go. Ravi is climbing out of Yael's window. "Why?" you may ask. Well, he just slept with her roommate, and while her roommate is hearing wedding bells, Ravi made it pretty clear that it was just a hookup. Their electric meet-cute reads chemistry to the reader, but to Yael, her quips are in the protection of her roommate.

Fast forward a bit, and Ravi volunteers for Yael's queer book club. But he doesn't know it's her book club. Oh, and they start working together online, but they don't know who the other is. This story was an engaging mix of delicious tension, miscommunication galore (in a fun way), and mistaken identity.

The chemistry between Yael and Ravi was off the charts. The obstacles in their way forced them to really think through their relationship, and I loved seeing them work through conflicts. I also loved all the references to TV shows, movies, and queer literature. Especially since they weren't typical pop culture references, in my opinion. There were a few that made me so happy to see, and the others that I didn't fully understand made me want to go read those books, watch the TV shows, etc.

Where this book absolutely THRIVES, is showing how hard it is to make/keep friends as an adult. So many of the lines hit me right in the heart. The story also explores family dynamics and how certain family members are more accepting than others, and how this can impact the family dynamic. Every hard conversation in this story was approached with such care by the author, and I really appreciated that.

This story is heartfelt. It's funny. The banter had me giggly af. And I would highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel Runya Katz’s writing has been making me laugh out loud, hurt my cheeks from smiling so big, and I was counting down the minutes in between reading sessions because I couldn’t wait to get back to reading!!

This book is so beautifully inclusive and healing with two bi protagonists who both volunteer with a queer high school book club, and it especially hits the spot for those of us who were big English class nerds in high school (🤚) with so many references to and poignant critiques of classic high school required reading books.

It’s almost part epistolatory with the MMC and FMC exchanging emails without realizing who the other person is, and then we get a whole separate dynamic of them in person, and it’s all so deliciously filled with yearning and romantic tension.

I cannot recommend this romance enough and I genuinely can’t wait to read anything else that Katz writes!! Thank you so, so much @rachelrunyakatz and St. Martin’s Griffin for the gifted copy!!!

[Kalyani · Rating 4 out of 5]

chat is my Gmail broken? Because none of my emails have half the level of yearning these two have

[LeahQVT (school hiatus, less active)]

Pre-read: Isn't it obvious that I need this in my life?