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Just Between Us: A Graphic Novel
In this gorgeous debut graphic novel, Lydia tries to fall back in love with figure skating without falling for her competition
Lydia Chen knows how good she is on the ice. Technically perfect, she’s been the one to beat since her debut years ago.
Except now, something is missing in her performances—a spark that’s been gone for a while. Between the constant training, appealing to sponsors to fund her, and the pressure to perform, Lydia’s passion for skating has disappeared.
When her rival Elaine Yee starts training at the same rink, Lydia’s struck by the emotion in Elaine’s routines and unwillingly finds herself getting closer to her as they compete for a spot in the Olympics.
As the tension between them comes to a head, Lydia’s about to find out how a competitor can become an ally and figure out how to feel alive on the ice again.
Lydia Chen knows how good she is on the ice. Technically perfect, she’s been the one to beat since her debut years ago.
Except now, something is missing in her performances—a spark that’s been gone for a while. Between the constant training, appealing to sponsors to fund her, and the pressure to perform, Lydia’s passion for skating has disappeared.
When her rival Elaine Yee starts training at the same rink, Lydia’s struck by the emotion in Elaine’s routines and unwillingly finds herself getting closer to her as they compete for a spot in the Olympics.
As the tension between them comes to a head, Lydia’s about to find out how a competitor can become an ally and figure out how to feel alive on the ice again.
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 2026
33 people are currently reading
5876 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 24, 2026
I love figure skating I love yuri I love the inherent romanticism of being athletic rivals. This book packaged a tender romance and deep characters with such a beautiful entertaining art style, and the author is clearly a huge figure skating fan herself which comes through so well in Elaine and Lydia's characters. I don't want to call this the 'lesbian heated rivalry' because this book stands fantastically on its own HOWEVER heated rivaly fans come get your juice.
February 25, 2026
cute! loved the art style and the main characters were both very interesting
February 24, 2026
Beautiful art, loveable characters and the real Yuri on Ice.
The greatest thing about this is that it teaches you to love what you do and that your support group is there even when you don't want them to be.
Loved everything.
The greatest thing about this is that it teaches you to love what you do and that your support group is there even when you don't want them to be.
Loved everything.
February 26, 2026
This is probably gonna be graphic novel of the year for me. Basically Heated R*valry if it was actually good. I haven't seen a story on skating this incredible since Yuri on Ice and this is quite literally YURI on ice!!!
February 26, 2026
Young lesbian heated rivalry in the making 💯 very cutie
February 24, 2026
I LOVE THEM!!!!!
February 27, 2026
Alysa liu come get your check
December 7, 2025
JUST BETWEEN US by adeline kon is a stunning graphic novel debut to be savored. laugh out loud funny & full of heart, the story uses gorgeous drawings to explore reclaiming one’s passion for figure skating, the cost of dreams, and the kind of love that feels like warmth. ⛸️🤍🏅
Want to read
December 12, 2025apparently the author is a rika kihira stan so i KNOW they have good taste 🤭 can’t wait to read this!!
February 26, 2026
I became kinda obsessed with figure skating after last week’s Olympics, so a wlw graphic novel written by a lesbian who became obsessed with figure skating following the (2018) Olympics and subsequently started writing about it was exactly what I needed. The art on display here is stunning, as Adeline Kon manages to perfectly convey the fluidity that makes skating performances so wonderful to watch. Lydia is also just a great protagonist; I really like that she’s allowed to have flaws and be messy. On the more negative side, I would’ve wished for a slightly longer ending. The conclusion here ties up all the loose ends but since the story generally takes its time, it does seem a bit abrupt. I had also hoped that there would be slightly more focus on Yee competing for Malaysia, and whether she as a queer woman feels conflicted about winning medals for a country that criminalizes homosexuality. Still, these are minor complaints, and I fully recommend Just Between Us to anyone interested in figure skating. It’s really wonderful that a work like this exists in the first place. Someone please send a copy to Amber Glenn ASAP!
Also not sure where to put this but I think it’s so fucking funny that the American protagonist has a rivalry with a rude and arrogant Russian. Such an 80s movie trope made even funnier by the fact that Russia isn’t even participating in the Olympics anymore.
Also not sure where to put this but I think it’s so fucking funny that the American protagonist has a rivalry with a rude and arrogant Russian. Such an 80s movie trope made even funnier by the fact that Russia isn’t even participating in the Olympics anymore.
February 25, 2026
As someone who enjoyed ice skating moderately as a kid and a queer artist, I feel like Just Between Us falls under a niche of literature that appeals to me. I think that figure skating as strict as the grading of programs are and as influenced as they are by the opinions of others, is one of the most beautiful crafts that someone could dedicate a large portion of their life to. It's grueling at times and people get injured a lot but that's what makes it so rewarding. This graphic novel really puts you in the mind of a figure skater who wants it all and has a troubling relationship with her rival. They both want the same thing but, at the same time, they really do want each other. The movement in this book is so beautiful and well communicated that you can feel it across pages, especially the jumps.
February 26, 2026
I read this in one sitting, like I haven’t moved from my spot yet, but holy holy peak bro. This was everything I was hoping it would be and more. Absolutely beautiful story telling, 10/10 dialog, stunning art, I genuinely can’t sing the praises enough. I giggled, gasped, everything in between, she found my crying she crew to we both crode. Absolutely amazing I’m making all my friends read this and then going to complain that it’s not animated yet. Also going to reread tomorrow cause I will not be able to get enough of them and this fantabulous art. God speed author
February 26, 2026
fell in love with figure skating during these olympics so this graphic novel reached me at the perfect time. read this in one sitting and LOVED it. had a fee minor problems with it but nonetheless i recommend this wholeheartedly!!!
February 26, 2026
4.5 stars
February 27, 2026
Found out about and got this book in the same day. Finished it in one sitting!! It was so good I loved the art style!
August 20, 2025
Thank you to the publisher for this free eARC! All opinions are my own.
Lydia and Elaine have been rivals in the figure skating world for years. When Elaine switches to Lydia's home rink, Lydia will have to remember why she loves skating. #Edelweiss+
Lydia and Elaine have been rivals in the figure skating world for years. When Elaine switches to Lydia's home rink, Lydia will have to remember why she loves skating. #Edelweiss+
Review of advance copy received from Author
I'm thankful for the e-arc, and writing this review voluntarily, all opinions are my own <3
I was yearning for some yuri on ice, and this graphic novel checked all the boxes for a good story!
The way I devoured this in one sitting, ohh it's been a bit since i've been this giddy about characters.
Both Lydia and Elaine are characters I've loved throughout the whole story, I could resonate with them both for different reasons, and I was so resolute in my rooting for them in their own personal developments I almost forgot about the romance, but their back and forth quickly reminded me!
Their rivalry is very convincing, I loved how they both reached their development and was satisfied with how they were very respectful of each other's craft despite the competition and their love story (of which I was a big fan of, very happy with its pacing too).
Everything was tastefully written and illustrated, the story followed just the right pace and the ending was so satisfying, I'm very happy the girls both got to reach their goals and peace of mind in their own way.
The whole cast was very realistic, in particular Lydia's mum and Helen, I really enjoyed their development with Lydia.
The way each panel was illustrated was so good, the story flowed quite well and it was lovely to see the movement represented in every aspect and skill the characters performed. Both Elaine's graceful technique and Lydia's power were palpable through the screen, the work put into making it pop through this medium is brilliant!
The hints of colour are such a nice touch, can't wait for my copy to arrive so I can enjoy it once more :)
I was yearning for some yuri on ice, and this graphic novel checked all the boxes for a good story!
The way I devoured this in one sitting, ohh it's been a bit since i've been this giddy about characters.
Both Lydia and Elaine are characters I've loved throughout the whole story, I could resonate with them both for different reasons, and I was so resolute in my rooting for them in their own personal developments I almost forgot about the romance, but their back and forth quickly reminded me!
Their rivalry is very convincing, I loved how they both reached their development and was satisfied with how they were very respectful of each other's craft despite the competition and their love story (of which I was a big fan of, very happy with its pacing too).
Everything was tastefully written and illustrated, the story followed just the right pace and the ending was so satisfying, I'm very happy the girls both got to reach their goals and peace of mind in their own way.
The whole cast was very realistic, in particular Lydia's mum and Helen, I really enjoyed their development with Lydia.
The way each panel was illustrated was so good, the story flowed quite well and it was lovely to see the movement represented in every aspect and skill the characters performed. Both Elaine's graceful technique and Lydia's power were palpable through the screen, the work put into making it pop through this medium is brilliant!
The hints of colour are such a nice touch, can't wait for my copy to arrive so I can enjoy it once more :)
February 28, 2026
The art is great and can arguably outweigh the weaker writing.
The art is the high point of this story with a really cool use of black and white pages with splashes of yellow for plot and romance-related reasons. The paneling is quite strong as well.
However, as someone who's read a lot of sports manga, the obvious manga inspirations (and therefore direct comparisons to Japanese manga) only makes the weaker writing of the story more apparent. Ar a base level, Lydia's motivation to skate is far more grounded and analyzed than that of Elaine, her love interest. While Lydia is the main character and justifiably has most insight into her character, there is no real look into Elaine's philosphy for skating beyond "wanting to win but in a less anal way than Lydia", which makes it hard to get into both the characters' rivalry and romance. And with stakes as high as multiple world competitions and the Olympics, it feels a bit disappointing when that scale of competition is breezed through the whole story.
The book is also sprinkled with clichéd moments that I could describe as either "eye-rolling" or "for the 14-and-under crowd" depending on how charitable I wanted to be.
This may come off as a critical review, but I think it's a fine book, especially for the age-range it's targeting (YA). But I felt compelled to write a review after seeing social media buzz around this and going in wondering whether the writing was actually good (it was the weakest part of the book). I struggle to say it was worth purchasing beyond supporting a clearly earnest, rookie author and sapphic graphic novels on principle.
If someone asked me whether they should buy this, I would 1) tell them to check out the 30 page preview on Amazon and 2) wait to get a library copy first.
The art is the high point of this story with a really cool use of black and white pages with splashes of yellow for plot and romance-related reasons. The paneling is quite strong as well.
However, as someone who's read a lot of sports manga, the obvious manga inspirations (and therefore direct comparisons to Japanese manga) only makes the weaker writing of the story more apparent. Ar a base level, Lydia's motivation to skate is far more grounded and analyzed than that of Elaine, her love interest. While Lydia is the main character and justifiably has most insight into her character, there is no real look into Elaine's philosphy for skating beyond "wanting to win but in a less anal way than Lydia", which makes it hard to get into both the characters' rivalry and romance. And with stakes as high as multiple world competitions and the Olympics, it feels a bit disappointing when that scale of competition is breezed through the whole story.
The book is also sprinkled with clichéd moments that I could describe as either "eye-rolling" or "for the 14-and-under crowd" depending on how charitable I wanted to be.
This may come off as a critical review, but I think it's a fine book, especially for the age-range it's targeting (YA). But I felt compelled to write a review after seeing social media buzz around this and going in wondering whether the writing was actually good (it was the weakest part of the book). I struggle to say it was worth purchasing beyond supporting a clearly earnest, rookie author and sapphic graphic novels on principle.
If someone asked me whether they should buy this, I would 1) tell them to check out the 30 page preview on Amazon and 2) wait to get a library copy first.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I had no doubt that I was going to love Just Between Us, I just didn’t think I would love it this much – nor that it would make me cry.
It’s not a sad story by any means but Lydia’s struggles resonated with my own. I was really moved. It’s definitely become my favorite graphic novel!
The art was really unique, the way some panels were crafted impressed me because I could feel how much creativity and care was put into them. I think it being black and white with some yellow really did it great service, I love colour but it was the right choice here. The beauty of figure skating was well rendered in 2D drawing format, it made it immersive and it wasn’t hard to understand what was happening.
I also loved how the rivalry aspect was depicted and how much sense both their rivalry and relationship development made sense. Lydia and Elaine are two characters who complemented each other really well and who had a lot of chemistry. I’m glad the story wasn’t too romance focused, the ratio felt just right and their relationship made it so that we got more insight into each character thanks to all their scenes. It’s intelligent story-telling.
I really recommend reading it, I was able to read it thanks to the ARC but I already pre-ordered my physical copy! I will be rereading.
It’s not a sad story by any means but Lydia’s struggles resonated with my own. I was really moved. It’s definitely become my favorite graphic novel!
The art was really unique, the way some panels were crafted impressed me because I could feel how much creativity and care was put into them. I think it being black and white with some yellow really did it great service, I love colour but it was the right choice here. The beauty of figure skating was well rendered in 2D drawing format, it made it immersive and it wasn’t hard to understand what was happening.
I also loved how the rivalry aspect was depicted and how much sense both their rivalry and relationship development made sense. Lydia and Elaine are two characters who complemented each other really well and who had a lot of chemistry. I’m glad the story wasn’t too romance focused, the ratio felt just right and their relationship made it so that we got more insight into each character thanks to all their scenes. It’s intelligent story-telling.
I really recommend reading it, I was able to read it thanks to the ARC but I already pre-ordered my physical copy! I will be rereading.
February 25, 2026
sometimes people are overconfident in using comp titles, but not adeline kon! yes, this is a young adult graphic novel and therefore doesn't have the same explicit content that
heated rivalry
does, but that doesn't matter when the core thread of "i'm at the top of this sport and having a gay crisis about my fiercest rival" is there to carry things along.
this is like if you took HR (particulary Ilya's "We were supposed to stand alone at the top, but we will always be here together." thought from the beginning of the book) and launched it at yuri on ice inside of a large hadron collider made out of lesbian flags. even with other skaters nipping at their heels, lydia and elaine orbit each other in competition but just can't find it in themselves to truly hate the other. adeline kon is obviously a massive skating fan (like seriously, anyone else even slightly into the sport would be able to tell), and they're also a superemely funny writer and talented artist.
movie NOW!
this is like if you took HR (particulary Ilya's "We were supposed to stand alone at the top, but we will always be here together." thought from the beginning of the book) and launched it at yuri on ice inside of a large hadron collider made out of lesbian flags. even with other skaters nipping at their heels, lydia and elaine orbit each other in competition but just can't find it in themselves to truly hate the other. adeline kon is obviously a massive skating fan (like seriously, anyone else even slightly into the sport would be able to tell), and they're also a superemely funny writer and talented artist.
movie NOW!
February 25, 2026
I was so excited to read this book, I bought it AND read it the day after release.
Everything was perfect; their rivalry, the skating, everything. That is, until I got to where Lydia injured her ankle. Lydia just became EXTREMELY unlikable once she got the injury, then for her to not win gold because of said injury (her falling during her double axel) just rubbed salt in the wound. (no pun intended)
It honestly felt like it was saying that injuries are guaranteed to make you lose everything you want. I honestly felt SO gutted that I had to put it down and dnf right before the end. Hell, I even cried a little with how frustrated I was that everything was wasted.
I was so eager for this, but oh well.
Everything was perfect; their rivalry, the skating, everything. That is, until I got to where Lydia injured her ankle. Lydia just became EXTREMELY unlikable once she got the injury, then for her to not win gold because of said injury (her falling during her double axel) just rubbed salt in the wound. (no pun intended)
It honestly felt like it was saying that injuries are guaranteed to make you lose everything you want. I honestly felt SO gutted that I had to put it down and dnf right before the end. Hell, I even cried a little with how frustrated I was that everything was wasted.
I was so eager for this, but oh well.
February 26, 2026
This was such a cute story!! I kind of wish we saw more development between the two, but overall I enjoyed that a lot. I devoured that in one sitting. I also kind of wish we dove into Helen a bit more, I wanted to see if anything would happen between her and her mother.
December 9, 2025
I am simply too seated
February 27, 2026
the heated rivalry x olympic ice skating vibes i didn't know i needed
soundtrack: lacy by olivia rodrigo
soundtrack: lacy by olivia rodrigo
February 27, 2026
Genuinely one of the best romances I've read in a really long time. Amazing art, great characters and great writing. Don't miss this one.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews