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No Way Never Sisters
Two classmates scheme to break their parents up before they get married and ruin the girls’ lives forever in this hijinks-filled middle grade novel.
Melisa Flores and Roxy Romero are not fans of each other. Roxy is sporty while Meli is artsy. Meli keeps her friend circle small while Roxy is pals with everyone. Their little brothers might get along like fruit in a delicious smoothie, but Meli and Roxy do not mix.
So when their parents announce their engagement, the girls are horrified. Previous experience has told them they’ll never be friends, much less sisters. Meli and Roxy decide they have to do something to prevent this future blended family from ruining all their lives.
The girls scheme to show their parents exactly how incompatible their families are by sabotaging the renovations of the house they’re supposed to live happily ever after in. From home improvement store catastrophes to disastrous paint jobs, it’s clear the girls are good teammates when it comes to causing chaos. Could it be enough to convince their parents to call off the wedding?
But as the girls plot to show their parents exactly how incompatible their families are, they start to actually like each other—causing major complications when their plan begins working a little too well…
Melisa Flores and Roxy Romero are not fans of each other. Roxy is sporty while Meli is artsy. Meli keeps her friend circle small while Roxy is pals with everyone. Their little brothers might get along like fruit in a delicious smoothie, but Meli and Roxy do not mix.
So when their parents announce their engagement, the girls are horrified. Previous experience has told them they’ll never be friends, much less sisters. Meli and Roxy decide they have to do something to prevent this future blended family from ruining all their lives.
The girls scheme to show their parents exactly how incompatible their families are by sabotaging the renovations of the house they’re supposed to live happily ever after in. From home improvement store catastrophes to disastrous paint jobs, it’s clear the girls are good teammates when it comes to causing chaos. Could it be enough to convince their parents to call off the wedding?
But as the girls plot to show their parents exactly how incompatible their families are, they start to actually like each other—causing major complications when their plan begins working a little too well…
- GenresMiddle GradeFiction
288 pages, Hardcover
Published March 10, 2026
About the author
Chantel Acevedo
15 books253 followersCalled "a master storyteller" by Kirkus Reviews, Chantel Acevedo is the author of Love and Ghost Letters, A Falling Star, The Distant Marvels, which was a finalist for the 2016 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, and most recently, The Living Infinite, hailed by Booklist as a "vivid and enthralling tale of love and redemption." Her essays have appeared in Vogue and Real Simple, among others. THE MUSE SQUAD: THE CASSANDRA CURSE, is a new middle grade series forthcoming from Balzer + Bray. She is a Professor of English at the University of Miami, where she directs in the MFA program.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 25, 2026
This is sort of an opposite “parent trap” story.
It’s fitting that that it’s written by two collaborative authors.
Each girl has alternating chapters told in the first person. I liked both of their voices.
This is such a sweet story.
Each girl has a particular health challenge. One has anxiety and one has scoliosis. They each also have issues with each of the four parents.
Parts of it are very amusing. I laughed some and smiled a lot. It’s a lot of fun to read.
Parts of it tug at the heart strings, just the right amount.
There is an illustration at the start of every chapter and they are good and enhance the story.
This is definitely a children’s novel. Everything gets resolved completely and neatly and, given the circumstances, easily.
I enjoyed it a lot. If I’d read it at ages 9 or 10 or maybe 11 or 8 it would have been a 5 star read for me; I would have loved it. That’s the target audience for this book so pay attention to that. Reading it now, I give it 3-1/2 to 3-3/4 stars. I really liked it. I’d love to read it with 8-10 year old girls.
It’s fitting that that it’s written by two collaborative authors.
Each girl has alternating chapters told in the first person. I liked both of their voices.
This is such a sweet story.
Each girl has a particular health challenge. One has anxiety and one has scoliosis. They each also have issues with each of the four parents.
Parts of it are very amusing. I laughed some and smiled a lot. It’s a lot of fun to read.
Parts of it tug at the heart strings, just the right amount.
There is an illustration at the start of every chapter and they are good and enhance the story.
This is definitely a children’s novel. Everything gets resolved completely and neatly and, given the circumstances, easily.
I enjoyed it a lot. If I’d read it at ages 9 or 10 or maybe 11 or 8 it would have been a 5 star read for me; I would have loved it. That’s the target audience for this book so pay attention to that. Reading it now, I give it 3-1/2 to 3-3/4 stars. I really liked it. I’d love to read it with 8-10 year old girls.
Currently Reading
July 27, 2025Friends, I'm so excited to share the cover for NO WAY NEVER SISTERS, the middle grade novel I had the honor of co-writing with the brilliant & wonderful Chantel Acevedo! My heart swells knowing how transformative & wonderful this journey has been—I can't wait for readers to meet Roxy & Meli, our hilariously combative rivals whose parents (& little bros) love each other, but who can't see eye-to-eye on anything except for their plan to break up their parents' wedding.
Illustrated by @solenedebies and designed by Laura Lyn DiSiena.
It'll be out in both hardcover & paperback March 10, but here are ways you can support it now 🙂
Pre-order on B&N or Bookshop!
https://bookshop.org/p/books/no-way-n... (Free Shipping July 8 -11!)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-w... (Use code PREORDER25 for 25% off!)
Add it on Goodreads!
Pre-order via your favorite local indie & all online shops:
https://www.simonandschuster.com/book...
Teachers & librarians, please reach out if you'd like an ARC!
Illustrated by @solenedebies and designed by Laura Lyn DiSiena.
It'll be out in both hardcover & paperback March 10, but here are ways you can support it now 🙂
Pre-order on B&N or Bookshop!
https://bookshop.org/p/books/no-way-n... (Free Shipping July 8 -11!)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-w... (Use code PREORDER25 for 25% off!)
Add it on Goodreads!
Pre-order via your favorite local indie & all online shops:
https://www.simonandschuster.com/book...
Teachers & librarians, please reach out if you'd like an ARC!
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December 4, 2025Got to read this one early & it made laugh and think of what @mamadaughterbookclub said the other day about relating to older characters now, because wow I REALLY felt for the parents in this one 😅. No Way Never Sisters is a reverse Parent Trap type book, and when I tell you Meli and Roxy put poor Carlos and Evy THROUGH IT I mean it 😩.
This funny dramedy (with a double Latine blended family + disability rep) comes out in March and I highly recommend asking your libraries to purchase it! But maybe don't give it to the devious kids of any recently engaged parents 🤣.
This funny dramedy (with a double Latine blended family + disability rep) comes out in March and I highly recommend asking your libraries to purchase it! But maybe don't give it to the devious kids of any recently engaged parents 🤣.
November 23, 2025
This was really cute! I’m a sucker for a heartwarming story featuring sisterhood and family shenanigans! This had great Latin representation, humor, heartfelt moments, and fun antics. I think middle graders would love it.
April 7, 2026
This is a middle grade novel, with all of the things that go along with being a middle grade novel (it's on the shorter side, the plot/characters/etc. might be on the more simplistic side). But that's not a criticism.
On the contrary, I thought this book packed a lot into its premise and outline, allowing us to live in our two POV character's lives as they deal with a huge disruption to their lives, in addition to the stuff they're already going through. It was cute, touching, and, above all else, just a good, enjoyable read.
On the contrary, I thought this book packed a lot into its premise and outline, allowing us to live in our two POV character's lives as they deal with a huge disruption to their lives, in addition to the stuff they're already going through. It was cute, touching, and, above all else, just a good, enjoyable read.
March 13, 2026
The classic trope of a blended family, done by two authors which gives two different voices. the girls are classmates and plot to prevent their parents from marrying, but when the wedding seems to be endangered, they realize that they have bonded,and instead conspire to reunite their parents. Nothing really different here, but it's a fun read.
Note:the characters are Latino and there are lots of Spanish phrases, most of which are not translated, which might have been helpful to young readers who don't speak Spanish!
Note:the characters are Latino and there are lots of Spanish phrases, most of which are not translated, which might have been helpful to young readers who don't speak Spanish!
March 26, 2026
A really cute story about finding family! Disability rep: scoliosis and anxiety.
December 9, 2025
ARC provided by the publisher
Meli and Roxy go to the same school in Florida and know each other, but have never really gotten along. Roxy is the class president and popular soccer player, while Meli is happy hanging out with her two best friends, James and Janette. When their parents are dating, the girls aren't happy, but their brothers, Ben and Benji, are ecstatic, because they are friends. Carlos, Roxy's dad, is a real estate agent who has helped, Eva, Meli's mom, look for a new house. When the parents announce their engagement over a family dinner on the last day of school AND drop the bombshell that they will all be moving into the same house that they need to renovate before the August wedding, the girls are not at all pleased. They are each dealing with things in their own lives, like Meli's scoliosis and her father who is working in Spain, and Roxy's mean friends and her mother who is struggling with her mental health and has moved to New Jersey to be with her own mother. . After some time together, they realize that their parents seem to be complete opposites, so they come up with a "Disaster Plan" to break them up. It doesn't seem hard to do when Eva gets up early on the weekends and starts vacuuming before everyone is awake, but the girls help the process along by giving the father decaf coffee and escalating any differences. They pretend that there are bats in the house (but real bats are found), and eventually ramp up their sabotage to involve paint, styrofoam peanuts, and a fan. This, as well as foundational problems in the house, causes their parents to fight, and even though invitations have already been mailed, the wedding is called off. Both Meli and Roxy realize that they actually want their parents to get together. They enlist their friends and brothers to do work around the house in hopes of making their parents happy enough to go through with the wedding, but will it work?
Strengths: See how easy it is to get parents out of the picture WITHOUT killing them? It's much more common to have parents have to work out of town or struggle with issues that make it hard to take care of their children. Also, there are a lot of students dealing with blended families, and there is all manner of different kinds of drama involved in that. I liked that Meli and Roxy didn't get along at first mainly due to perceived differences and misunderstandings rather than any visceral dislike of each other. It was cute that their brothers were such great friends. I also enjoyed the fact that the parents had very different styles, so there was some work to be done. The other big positive of this was the casual inclusion of Meli's scoliosis brace! I'm always glad to see that health issue representated, since I wore a brace in middle school and have had two students recently who do as well. This was a humorous, upbeat look at what could have been a difficult situation if people hadn't had more grace.
Weaknesses: The choco taco was discontinued in 2022, so the characters are unlikely to be eating one. Is that picky or what? I wasn't a huge fan of the Disaster Plan, but the girls do come to regret it.
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who want to read about blended families, like Burke's An Occasionally Happy Family, Leavitt's North of Supernova, Lynch's Reel Life, Palmer's Love You Like a Sister, or Youngblood's Love Like Sky. I'm definitely ordering a copy and think it will circulate vere well.
Meli and Roxy go to the same school in Florida and know each other, but have never really gotten along. Roxy is the class president and popular soccer player, while Meli is happy hanging out with her two best friends, James and Janette. When their parents are dating, the girls aren't happy, but their brothers, Ben and Benji, are ecstatic, because they are friends. Carlos, Roxy's dad, is a real estate agent who has helped, Eva, Meli's mom, look for a new house. When the parents announce their engagement over a family dinner on the last day of school AND drop the bombshell that they will all be moving into the same house that they need to renovate before the August wedding, the girls are not at all pleased. They are each dealing with things in their own lives, like Meli's scoliosis and her father who is working in Spain, and Roxy's mean friends and her mother who is struggling with her mental health and has moved to New Jersey to be with her own mother. . After some time together, they realize that their parents seem to be complete opposites, so they come up with a "Disaster Plan" to break them up. It doesn't seem hard to do when Eva gets up early on the weekends and starts vacuuming before everyone is awake, but the girls help the process along by giving the father decaf coffee and escalating any differences. They pretend that there are bats in the house (but real bats are found), and eventually ramp up their sabotage to involve paint, styrofoam peanuts, and a fan. This, as well as foundational problems in the house, causes their parents to fight, and even though invitations have already been mailed, the wedding is called off. Both Meli and Roxy realize that they actually want their parents to get together. They enlist their friends and brothers to do work around the house in hopes of making their parents happy enough to go through with the wedding, but will it work?
Strengths: See how easy it is to get parents out of the picture WITHOUT killing them? It's much more common to have parents have to work out of town or struggle with issues that make it hard to take care of their children. Also, there are a lot of students dealing with blended families, and there is all manner of different kinds of drama involved in that. I liked that Meli and Roxy didn't get along at first mainly due to perceived differences and misunderstandings rather than any visceral dislike of each other. It was cute that their brothers were such great friends. I also enjoyed the fact that the parents had very different styles, so there was some work to be done. The other big positive of this was the casual inclusion of Meli's scoliosis brace! I'm always glad to see that health issue representated, since I wore a brace in middle school and have had two students recently who do as well. This was a humorous, upbeat look at what could have been a difficult situation if people hadn't had more grace.
Weaknesses: The choco taco was discontinued in 2022, so the characters are unlikely to be eating one. Is that picky or what? I wasn't a huge fan of the Disaster Plan, but the girls do come to regret it.
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who want to read about blended families, like Burke's An Occasionally Happy Family, Leavitt's North of Supernova, Lynch's Reel Life, Palmer's Love You Like a Sister, or Youngblood's Love Like Sky. I'm definitely ordering a copy and think it will circulate vere well.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Roxy’s dad and Meli’s mom are dating and then surprise are now getting married. They’re fixing up a house so they can all move in. The parents want the girls to work together and not against each other. Meli wants to convince them this is a mistake. Roxy says let’s show them what a mistake this would be for them to get married and that we are incompatible as a family. The girls come up with a disaster plan, but as time passes the two get along better than they thought they would and apologize for things that happened in the past. Then the parents say the house has many problems, and Miami stopped wearing her engagement ring. Roxy says we have to do something. Mami says we’re too different and can’t get married. Roxy’s brother is mad and says you ruined everything. Can the girls make it right? Will the girls’ parents end up getting married?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own. .
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own. .
August 15, 2026
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Sure 12yo Roxy and Meli know each other from school, but they are definitely in different crowds. Roxy is sporty and popular, while Meli is artsy and has her own crown, thank you very much. Now Roxy’s dad and Meli’s mom are getting married? And they are all, including their little brothers, moving into the same house which needs major renovations before the wedding in August! Meli and Roxy need to cooperate and scuttle this relationship pronto, if they want to maintain the lives they already enjoy. Their Disaster Plan has a good chance of succeeding - so what if it hurts everyone around them.
Acevedo and Sylvester juggle a lot of moving parts, but they do it well. The two younger brothers are the cutest, but different from each other. The girls each have a health problem and the dynamics between each girl and the adults plays out differently. The middle grade crowd is perfect for this.
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Sure 12yo Roxy and Meli know each other from school, but they are definitely in different crowds. Roxy is sporty and popular, while Meli is artsy and has her own crown, thank you very much. Now Roxy’s dad and Meli’s mom are getting married? And they are all, including their little brothers, moving into the same house which needs major renovations before the wedding in August! Meli and Roxy need to cooperate and scuttle this relationship pronto, if they want to maintain the lives they already enjoy. Their Disaster Plan has a good chance of succeeding - so what if it hurts everyone around them.
Acevedo and Sylvester juggle a lot of moving parts, but they do it well. The two younger brothers are the cutest, but different from each other. The girls each have a health problem and the dynamics between each girl and the adults plays out differently. The middle grade crowd is perfect for this.
June 9, 2026
Roxy and Meli know each other from school, but they don't have the same group of friends. They are forced together when Roxy's dad and Meli's mom get engaged, buy a house together, and get engaged. But neither Roxy nor Meli want the wedding to happen and devise a plan to break up the happy couple before the wedding. They create a disaster plan, which works to well. When the girls realize that the wedding may not happen, they have become close and now have to find a way to bring the couple back together. This is a very common trope in middle grade lit, but this story features a diverse author team and diverse characters. The story is written well and is still fun to read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Parent Trap meets Yours, Mine, and Ours! As chapters alternate between the girls you get to watch them finally see each other for who they are not who the assumed the other girl is from casual observations and forced interactions. Both girls learn the other has struggles too and honestly the parents were kinda asking for this by not being more upfront with their tween daughters about the seriousness of their relationship before shoving everyone into one house. Still I'm a sucker for a happy ending after all the ups and downs.
March 22, 2026
This was a really enjoyable book for kids. The story is fun and relatable, especially for siblings, and it captures the ups and downs of sister relationships in a way that feels real but still lighthearted. The characters are expressive, and the message about understanding each other comes through clearly.
Tropes:
• Family relationships
• Learning to get along
Overall, it’s a sweet and engaging read that younger audiences will likely connect with.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the book!
Tropes:
• Family relationships
• Learning to get along
Overall, it’s a sweet and engaging read that younger audiences will likely connect with.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the book!
March 20, 2026
Two about-to-be stepsisters, sporty Roxy and artsy Meli, try a scheme to break up their soon-to-be-wed parents in this middle-grade novel.
The voices were pitch-perfect for middle schoolers with cute secondary characters of the Ben brothers. The writing was energetic and funny.
Blended families are hard, and this book speaks to those issues siblings and about-to-be siblings go through with a good blend of humor and realism.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the read. I recommend this book.
The voices were pitch-perfect for middle schoolers with cute secondary characters of the Ben brothers. The writing was energetic and funny.
Blended families are hard, and this book speaks to those issues siblings and about-to-be siblings go through with a good blend of humor and realism.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the read. I recommend this book.
May 9, 2026
If they can’t blend the family, they’ll break it…until friendship changes everything.
💔
Meli and Roxy couldn’t be more different and they definitely don’t get along. So when their parents announce they’re getting married, the girls team up (reluctantly) to sabotage the relationship and stop their families from blending. But as their chaotic plans unfold, an unexpected friendship starts to form, making them question everything.
👯
This was such a fun read. I loved the opposites-at-odds dynamic between Meli and Roxy. Their banter and sabotage attempts had me laughing, but there’s also real heart underneath it all. Watching them slowly go from enemies to something like friends was my favorite part. It’s messy, relatable, and full of those big middle grade emotions about family, change, and finding your place. Great disability rep and Latine blended family inclusion.
💔
Meli and Roxy couldn’t be more different and they definitely don’t get along. So when their parents announce they’re getting married, the girls team up (reluctantly) to sabotage the relationship and stop their families from blending. But as their chaotic plans unfold, an unexpected friendship starts to form, making them question everything.
👯
This was such a fun read. I loved the opposites-at-odds dynamic between Meli and Roxy. Their banter and sabotage attempts had me laughing, but there’s also real heart underneath it all. Watching them slowly go from enemies to something like friends was my favorite part. It’s messy, relatable, and full of those big middle grade emotions about family, change, and finding your place. Great disability rep and Latine blended family inclusion.
December 22, 2025
No Way Never Sisters by Chantel Acevedo and Natalia Sylvester is a lively, humorous middle-grade story about two very different girls scheming to stop their parents’ engagement. Full of mischief, family drama, and eventual friendship, it’s a charming tale that celebrates blended families, teamwork, and learning to see beyond first impressions.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This a super cute story of two families blending into one. The two sisters do not get along and try to stop the marriage from happening. The story made me think of Freaky Friday but with a different goal.
April 7, 2026
Cute kids book
May 11, 2026
Oh this feels like every teenage drama from the 2000s
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
There's so much to love about this book! Two authors, Chantel Acevedo and Natalia Sylvester, have worked together to weave a story from two girls' points of view. Meli and Roxy are NOT friends--they've had interactions at school that have proven that. But they're thrown together when Meli's mom and Roxy's dad fall in love and get engaged. Meli and Roxy make a plan to create chaos wherever they can, and their plan works! But is this REALLY what Meli and Roxy wanted? I adore each girl and love that they got to know each other by working together. I loved the bits of Spanish sprinkled throughout and enjoyed Meli's Abuela. For readers who remember the Parent Trap, this book has similar vibes. Highly recommended for all homes, schools, and libraries!
July 2, 2026
This book is a fun, engaging middle-grade novel that blends humor, sister dynamics, and a bit of magical realism.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews