Checking You Out

by Jennifer Chen

XO, Kitty meets Dash & Lily in this rom com about two teens falling in love via letters left in their favorite library books - even if in real life they think they have nothing in common.

Lizzie Wei is a huge book nerd, and proud of it. And when she realizes there is a mysterious reader who has been checking out all of her favorite books from the library, she can’t help but get a crush on someone she’s never even met. Her friends make it their mission to find Lizzie’s long lost book soulmate and convinces her to leave notes for her crush. But what if the person Lizzie is looking for, isn’t at all what she expects?

Dylan Lin loves reading, secretly anyway. Ever since a bullying incident at his last school, he’s hidden his love of fantasy novels, instead leaning into his jock persona. Now he's the tennis team captain, runs every day, and actively avoids reading. So, when he decides to start volunteering at a kitten nursery, and his super cute co-volunteer Lizzie asks if he likes reading, he says no. He never expects the look of complete and utter disappointment on Lizzie’s face.

Lizzie is certain her secret crush isn’t Dylan. It can’t be! But when he accidentally makes an obscure reference to her favorite book during their volunteer shift, she’s not so sure anymore. Can Lizzie forgive Dylan for lying? And can Dylan be brave enough to be himself?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Books About Books, Young Adult Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2026

About the author

Jennifer Chen is a freelance journalist who has written for print and online, including pieces in the New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, and Bust. She earned an MFA and BFA in dramatic writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and is a proud alumnae of Hedgebrook, a women’s writing residency. She lives in Los Angeles with her TV writer husband, twins, two pugs, and a smoky black cat named Gremlin.

Reviews

[cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bookish YA romance centered around anonymous notes hidden inside library books, unexpected connections, and a pair of teens who seem completely different on the surface. Throw in an animal shelter full of kittens, and it has all the ingredients for an adorable, cozy read.

I have to start with the writing because… whew 😭 I was genuinely close to DNFing this. The constant switching between POVs within chapters (sometimes after a single paragraph??) completely threw me off, and the repetition and inconsistencies kept pulling me out of the story instead of letting me settle into it.

I also know YA isn’t usually my go to, and I tried to keep that in mind while reading, but this felt much younger than I expected. I struggled with Lizzie for a large portion of the book because she came across as pretty judgmental, and I never fully connected with her. Her friend group also made me cringe more often than not. 😭

That said… the concept really is adorable. It gave me little You’ve Got Mail vibes, just with library books instead of emails, and I absolutely loved that cats, fostering, and the animal shelter played such a big role. As a certified cat person, those scenes honestly carried me through the book. 🥹

At the end of the day, I think this just wasn’t my kind of story. It leaned much cheesier than I personally enjoy, and I never found myself emotionally invested. I can definitely see this working for readers who love extra sweet, lighthearted YA romances... I just wasn’t the right audience for it

things to know about the book ↓

📚 anonymous letters
📚 library setting
📚 jock × bookworm
📚 animal shelter volunteering
📚 BABY KITTIESSS
📚 secret identity
📚 YA romance
📚 dual POV

swearing: no
spice rating: mild kisses

Thank you NetGalley, publisher & author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[alexandra .ᐟ [school s.ia] · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆4

⋆ spoilers ⋆

now playing:
⤷ i can see you - taylor swift ˎˊ˗
02:53 ━━━━●───── 04:32
      ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ↻    

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ ⋆.˚.

❛❛ you brush past me in the hallway / and you don’t think i, i, i can see ya, do ya? ❜❜

𓇼 ⋆.˚.𖥔˚

• ꒰ pre-read ꒱ •
waitttt this book sounds sooo cute!!

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ ⋆.˚.

❛❛ and we kept everything professional / but something’s changed, it’s something i, i like❜❜

𓇼 ⋆.˚.𖥔˚

• ꒰ overall thoughts ꒱ •
ummm so i loved this! if there was one word to describe this book it would be adorable! i mean these two teens are leaving each other anonymous love letters in books for each other!!! ahhh! lets talk about the characters! these characters were so good and had great personalities! i will talk about each individual person but i just wanted to say that in general all of these characters were good people (even the bully because he apologized in the end). although there are a few reasons that im not giving this story five stars. first of all, while the plot was creative and fun, it seemed to take so long! they both obviously liked each other, but they only made a move in the last few chapters. the whole timed while reading i was like “just kiss already!!!” secondly, there wasn’t any conflict in the book. usually in books there is a sort of conflict that adds drama to the book like enemies to lovers, plot twist, etc. however, they honestly just both liked each other and were meant to be and nothing really got in their way. lastly, there just wasn’t anything too memorable in this book. but still this was a great read :)

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ ⋆.˚.

❛❛ passed me a note sayin’, “meet me tonight” ❜❜

𓇼 ⋆.˚.𖥔˚

• ꒰ ratings ꒱ •
plot ♡ 3/5
spice ♡ 1/5 kissing barely
cursing ♡ 0/5 noneee!!

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ ⋆.˚.

❛❛ then we kiss and you know i won’t ever tell, yeah / and i could see you being my addiction ❜❜

𓇼 ⋆.˚.𖥔˚

• ꒰ characters ꒱ •

—▷ lizzie
she was suchhh an icon! i love how she was so determined that “fellow fantasy writer” was her soulmate!! i was laughing most of the time haha! although i wasn’t a huge fan of her. first of all, i feel like she depended on her friends too much. i know that your friends are always there for you, but she just depended on them to be there for her ALLLL the time and not care about her decisions. she canceled on their friend road trip which they’ve been planning for sooo long just to take care of cats that her parents offered to watch while she’s away. she disappointed her friends and didn’t really care about how her decision would affect them. in addition, she was too obsessed with working and never gives herself a break. she was absolutely exhausted and continued to work. she doesn’t know where her boundaries are. hopefully this wasn’t too harsh just didn’t like her too much!!

—▷ dylan
he was sooo sweet! he was so caring to lizzie and did so much stuff for her! he dressed up in a whole freaking dragon suit to apologize to her! i feel so bad for him though! i feel like you shouldn’t be judged for reading books!! first, books help you become smarter. second, you shouldn’t judge people for doing what makes them happy. lastly, books are amazing, they’re just jealous they haven’t tried to read a book yet! but i admire that he worked hard and built up the courage to freely read in public without the worry of being judged. he also was able to face his middle school bully after a few years and calmly tell him how he felt. love this guy <3

—▷ lizzie’s besties
omg they were sooo amazing!! they were so supportive of lizzie in EVERYTHING!!! they are honestly the best friends ever!!

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ ⋆.˚.

❛❛ what would you do? baby, if you only knew / that i can see you ❜❜

𓇼 ⋆.˚.𖥔˚

• ꒰ recommendations ꒱ •
age ⋆°•☁︎⋆ 13+ years old
interests ⋆°•☁︎⋆ library, cats, book lovers
genre ⋆°•☁︎⋆ romance
𓂃𓂃𓂃 𓇼𓂃𓂃𓂃 𓆉𓂃𓂃𓂃𓇼 𓂃𓂃𓂃

thank you so much for taking the time to read my review! i hope it was helpful in your reading experience. if you enjoyed this review, please consider following me to receive more valuable reviews! xoxo, alexandra ୨୧
˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

[Steff Fox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf @ 89% — which feels stupid since I had barely 2 chapters left, but I just couldn’t. That’s how bad it was.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book is incredibly cheesy even for an average young adult reader. Books and baby kittens are cute, but why did the main characters seem so parasocial about them? Get a grip.

I picked Checking You Out for the scavenger hunt aspects in the library. It reminded me of the Dash & Lily series. This is the Temu version. Don’t waste your time.

[Sunhi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a disappointment. I loved the concept but the book had a hard time finding its footing. Firstly, it was very simply written and might have been ideal for a tween reading their first young adult romance but the ages of the protagonists are then too old for that.

Lizzie is very judgmental and almost mean about people who don't act the way she wants or expects. Dylan is a better character but it is almost as if he spawns into existence to meet Lizzie other than having a history of trauma.

Both Lizzie and Dylan have friends who don't respect boundaries. And weirdness comes into it. They both communicate about love of certain books anonymously but they know bothering of each other including gender and age. Lizzie even admits to reading certain series they both love in middle school.

I still think this book might enthrall a young child reading their first YA romance. Especially if they enjoy reading about kittens pee on people.

[sierra ꪆ&#x133f2; · Rating 1 out of 5]

— dnf @ 14%

The premise of this book sounded so cute and I was quite excited however it just isn’t for me unfortunately.

I only read to chapter 8 but just in that small bit I found the FMC and her friends to be a bit obnoxious. Also there is dual POV in this book as well and while I typically don’t mind it switching each chapter, I wasn’t a fan of it changing multiple time after a few paragraphs in a chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the eARC.

[Brianna Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give the book 4.75. It was a very cute and easy read. I wish there was more to their story. I want to see a sequel about college and what happens after the summer.

[SuzieQuzie7973 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Jennifer Chen for sharing this ARC with me, in exchange for my honest review.

Checking You Out is the typical cheesy and cutesy story. Dylan and Lizzie's friendship is absolutely adorable, it kinda reminds me of XO. The character development and world building are great. Ms. Jennifer's writing of this story is so relatable and real. Lizzie being a book nerd is totally me. Lizzie finds out a reader stranger who has been reading all of her favorite books at the library. She can't help but to get a crush on the mysterious reader stranger. Lizzie's friends call him her book soulmate.

I wholeheartedly recommend that y'all get this book on June 23, 2026.

[#BookSavvy]

For lovers of a cheesy romance, this one is for you.

Unfortunately for me, this book missed the mark. I found the characters to be flat and the FMC to be annoying. The not-bookclub-bookclub was weirdly placed, and I didn't like it.

I thought the writing itself left much to be desired. The constant changing of POVs just to add a sentence or two of context was clunky, and it mitigated the mystery and romance of the story. The kitten subplot was a cute add, but I found that story to be overshadowing the main characters. I was more interested in the cats than the rest of the story.

Not every story is for every reader, and I am thankful the author provided me an ARC in exchange for this review.

[Lecia Kade · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐️1.25

This book had all the ideas to be the perfect book for me.

Unfortunately the writing was very inconsistent and repetitive. Continuity didn't exists themes that were started were dropped. Plot points were started then abandoned without resolution. At times I even questioned whether the author had done any research into the things that were mentioned.

I beg, have an editor go over this a couple more times.

The only character that even felt like a whole person to me was Dylan even though he was extremely simplified.

I received this as a Netgalley e-ARC

[Literary Strawberry]

Not counting this toward my yearly challenge since I didn't *technically* read the whole thing, but I still want a record here. My library coworker friend and I started looking at this book in the back office, trying to figure out the logistics of how the premise would actually work-- if all she knows about the other person is that they signed out some of the same books she likes, how does she know what book they'll actually find her note in? What if someone else signed out that book? Do they have any sort of system for actually finding each other's notes? Then we started flipping through it and reading excerpts (turns out when she learns about the mystery reader who the premise says has been signing out "all her favorite books", she actually just finds a check-out slip with exactly three books on it that, while her favorites, are also in-universe supposed to be part of pretty popular series, so it doesn't actually seem like that crazy of a "meant to be" coincidence), and then she signed it out and back at my house we ended up skimming through the entire story, reading key parts out loud and cracking up.

Insufferable female main character who thinks anyone who doesn't read doesn't have a soul; interchangeable group of best friends (they all love books, and their genre preferences are some of their only distinctive traits (though we're also told early on that one has a One More Chapter bookmark and another has a Latino Queer Joy bookmark)); VERY dramatic trauma for the male main character who got bullied in middle-school for liking fantasy books (Michael Feeney kicked a book right out of his hands; we got more and more excited every time Michael Feeney was mentioned, knowing that he HAD to show up for a confrontation at some point); (we went back and forth about whether we thought the bullying seemed plausible; at first it was like, do kids really care /that/ much if another kid reads fantasy novels? That seems like a pretty normal thing to do. And then we found out he wore a dragon costume to school in sixth grade, and we were like oh, okay, I think maybe we can see it. But /then/ we found out that that was during a costume parade, so like... If everyone else was in costume too, why was a dragon costume disproportionately worthy of bullying??); a statement on page 6 that as long as her friends had known her, the FMC had only had crushes on book characters rather than anyone real, only for her to mention a few chapters later an ex-boyfriend (with whom the only thing she'd had in common was liking Jurassic World), and after /that/ her friends pushing her to "finally" ask out this valedictorian guy she's apparently liked for the past two years (did... the author just put that thing in about only having crushes on fictional characters in the first draft and then forget to edit it out when the story developed into that not being true?); incredibly forced third-act betrayal/breakup; a friend to the MMC named Elektra with two therapist parents, which my boyfriend pointed out is an INSANE thing for therapists to name their daughter considering what the electra complex is; POV switches that are sometimes a normal chapter length but often just switch dizzyingly quickly within paragraphs in the same chapter (with their names as headings each time), once only switching for Dylan to say "she has beautiful legs" before going back to Lizzie's POV; an in-universe book series called Feline Forest which we assumed was a Warrior Cats stand-in and which seemed like it was meant to be a fairly serious fantasy series except one of the cats is named Zamboni (I think the other two were Zephyr and Zesty); another in-universe book called Unbearable Loss a prince is always fighting battles but secretly brings his teddy bear with him under his armor, and no one knows until a sorcerer blasts through him and the teddy bear is cut in half; when he cries and tries to pick up the pieces though none of his soldiers laugh at him, but just bring him and the teddy bear home and have someone stitch the bear back up; it then turns into a real bear, and when the prince hears of this he goes and finds the live bear and hugs it and then it turns back into a teddy bear, and he's not ashamed to now openly bring it with him into battle. Not really sure how this concept is sustainable for a full-length novel, but both main characters find it an incredibly beautiful and meaningful story, and apparently it had enough emotional significance for Lizzie's favorite non-binary librarian to get a teddy bear tattooed on their wrist ; a denouement after they finally got together that was long enough that we thought some last minute conflict was still going to happen but turned out to just be like thirty pages of them getting ready for her to meet his parents (we couldn't find any clear indication of a time jump, so it seems this happened within days of them getting together?), her putting together book bouquets for both of his parents AND him (so like... at least nine brand new books? That is SO much more expensive than even real flowers for a first impression), and them kissing over and over and over until my brother started going "RELEASE MEEEEEEE"; the final paragraph being about them playing Uno together even though as far as we could tell that hadn't been established as anything particularly meaningful to them...

Yeah. It was great. This book rocked. Very fun time with friends. MICHAEL FEENEY

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

The biggest of thank you’s to Goodreads and the team at St. Martin’s press for sending me this ARC!

I think it just wasn’t the right book for me. I sometimes feel that YA authors get stuck in writing YA characters as immature when it’s not always warranted. Graduating high school seniors would likely be more mature than how they were portrayed in this book, but that’s my perspective as a 30-something woman reading! For a younger reader, this could absolutely be up their alley!

Again, I just think I wasn’t the target demographic for this particular book!

[Akshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

i want to start by saying thank you to netgalley for the arc. i cannot believe how much i loved and enjoyed this book. i was giggling all the way through and had the time of my life reading. it was such a simple and cute story and that is what i enjoyed the most. it was definitely beautiful watching dylan process and move on from his bully and letting himself be himself again. there were parts that were repetitive (about the kittens) and at times lizzie did annoy me with how stubborn she was. overall i definitely loved and would 100% recommend.

[OneMadReader]

Welp, that was disappointing.

I was starting this book and right away there was a librarian with they/them pronouns, so I DNFed right there. Sad to not be able to finish this because the blurb showed promise, but I'm trying to stick more to my beliefs in what I read.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4

Thank you too, NetGalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.🩵

I fully went into this book, not knowing what to expect. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did. Since the first chapter, I was super invested. This book was super fast-paced, and it was super easy to get into, so I wasn’t bored at all.

I think what made me super invested from the very beginning were the characters. I love Dylan and Lizzie, they were absolutely adorable, and by the end, I genuinely believed they were soulmates. I just love how from the very beginning their connection felt genuine. I loved Dylan, he was so unsure in trusting people, but he slowly opened up to his friends and tried to embrace the parts of himself that he was afraid others would judge. It was amazing to see that in the end everything he was afraid of happening didn’t because Lizzie fully accepted that side of him but completely loved him for

I loved the library setting, and especially the notes between Lizzie and Dylan. It was one of the sweetest things ever and completely melted my heart.

My only complaint was that I would have loved an epilogue. I wanted a glimpse of how their relationship would work while they were in college.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think I have to face the fact that YA romance is just not for me anymore. That being said, this was a very cute read. There was good diversity representation, good discussion of bullying, its repercussions, and how to heal from it, There was also refreshingly good representation of the main characters' parents, which warmed my heart to see. Plus, let's not forget, CATS (my ultimate...well, catnip)! There was a loose thread left hanging in terms of the main character's other potential love interest, but apart from having grown out of the genre, it was a nice read.

[Courtney Mccarthy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A YA romance about two book lovers.

Thankful to have received an ARC of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own. This was a book I knew I wanted to read because of its theme for a love of reading.

Personally this was just not for me. I wonder if it’s just not for my generation (Zillennial). It was really cheesy and juvenile. But it is a YA. It also seemed a bit choppy to me. I feel like it was written for fans of the Pixar movie Turning Red with its cutesy fandomness. The one thing I enjoyed was the cats. This makes me want to get more involved with foster cats. I also want to sit around and just read with my friends like Lizzie. The romance conflict is miscommunication, which is not my favorite trope. Great representation all around.

The message: be yourself and find your people. Don’t change what makes you happy for others.

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute YA novel. If you love descriptions of sweet baby kittens, delicious food and various genres of books, then this book is right up your alley.
The book follows the typical romantic plot of girl meets boy, but the incidents along the way make this worth the read.
It was a little fantastical in that everyone had money to burn and parents who allowed mixed sleepovers. It did deal with the life-altering effects of being bullied but for the most part, this was a cute fun quick read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tiffany Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

STARS: ⭐⭐.5

This is my first introduction to Jennifer Chen's work.

Book ❤'s:

I enjoyed the concept of finding love through a secret mysterious admirer at the library.

Dylan stood out as a genuinely sweet and endearing character. He was the most mature and likable of the group, and he carried the story for me through to the end.

I loved how close-knit the friendships between the characters were. Definitely a highlight for me.

I mean who doesn't love little kittens, books and love? The best combo!

Book 👎:

Though the characters were meant to be young adults on the verge of college, they were written with the tone and maturity of middle schoolers. Much of the storyline also revolved around their interest in books aimed at younger audiences, which I found harder to relate to at my current age. Sexual and Gender representation also felt a little forced rather than natural for me.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of Lizzie. She seemed to develop an instant crush on nearly every new character who appeared, which made her relationship with Dylan feel less meaningful to me. She also seemed a little over sensitive at times.

I was defiantly disappointed with the Fantasy Reader Reveal. I did not expect it to go down the way that it did. It was underwhelming when we had been leading up to it that whole time. I would have enjoyed it much more if it had gone differently.

Final Thoughts ❤'s:

I have mixed feelings about this book, while it was cute, it was almost a little too youthful cute for my taste. However, I do very much recommend and think it's precious for Young Adult readers!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Jennifer Chen for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. I’m glad I got the chance to read this one early—everyone should grab a copy when it releases on 23 June 2026. Looking forward to reading more from Jennifer Chen in the future. Wishing her the best in her health journey.

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to be feral about Checking You Out. I wanted to be the person screaming in the group chat like “they’re writing NOTES in LIBRARY BOOKS, this is my entire personality now.” This premise? Catnip. Literally and emotionally. Secret bookish pen pals. Library crumbs. A shy boy hiding his nerd heart. A girl who thinks books are a personality trait and also a moral alignment. I was ready to spiral.

And for a second… I did. Lizzie Wei is aggressively a Book Girlie™, like if you combined a Goodreads account, a library card, and the phrase “I just love stories” into a human being. She’s got her tight-knit group of book besties, she volunteers with kittens like she’s in a Hallmark cinematic universe, and she discovers someone is checking out all her favorite fantasy books. Naturally, she decides this stranger is her soulmate, which honestly… relatable. If someone consistently checked out my exact niche reads, I’d be planning our wedding playlist.

Enter Dylan Lin, our resident emotionally repressed tennis captain who is out here living a full Hannah Montana double life. By day, sporty boy who definitely does not read. By night, secret fantasy nerd with trauma from being bullied for liking books. Which, side note, is devastating in theory but also had me like… sir, you are in 2026, people are thirsting over morally gray fae princes on main, who hurt you and where are they.

The whole note-passing-through-library-books thing is genuinely adorable. It’s giving Dash & Lily energy with a sprinkle of “we’re emotionally wiped but make it whimsical.” Their anonymous connection is actually where the book shines the most. There’s something very soft and sweet about two people bonding over stories, sharing little pieces of themselves without the pressure of being perceived. It’s like emotional intimacy with a security blanket.

But then… they meet in real life. And suddenly we are in a completely different genre called “girl, why are you like this.”

Lizzie, my love, my chaos gremlin sister in literature, spends a solid portion of this book being wildly judgmental for someone whose entire personality is “don’t judge people for what they read.” The hypocrisy was doing Olympic-level gymnastics. She writes heartfelt notes about understanding and connection, then turns around and is like “ew, a jock.” I was getting tonal whiplash.

Dylan, meanwhile, is just out here trying his best with his little secret-reader heart, and honestly he carried a lot of the emotional weight for me. There’s something very tender about how scared he is to be fully seen, especially after being bullied. His whole arc about learning to own what he loves? That hit. That’s the good stuff. That’s the kind of YA theme that makes you want to text your younger self like “hey, you’re allowed to like things loudly.”

But the romance itself… I needed more. More tension, more chemistry, more moments where I believed these two actually liked each other beyond “we both read the same fantasy series once.” Because in person, they spend a shocking amount of time misunderstanding each other, avoiding each other, or just… not vibing. And I’m sitting there like, you two are literally writing love letters to each other and still fumbling this hard? Incredible. No notes. Actually, many notes. Please read them.

Also, the tone? This is where it gets tricky. The book feels very young. Not in a bad way, just in a “are we seniors about to go to college or are we freshmen discovering emotions for the first time” kind of way. The stakes felt low, the conflicts felt a little repetitive, and at times I was like… I have read shampoo bottles with more narrative urgency.

That said, I can’t even pretend I didn’t enjoy parts of this. The kittens? Elite. The friend group? Messy but warm. The whole “be yourself even if it’s cringe” message? Timeless, necessary, tattoo it on my forehead. There’s a sincerity here that I actually really liked. It just didn’t fully come together in the way I wanted.

This is one of those books where I can see the vision so clearly. The bones are good. The vibes are there. But the execution felt like it needed one more pass, one more layer of depth, one more moment where I could go “oh, this is why these two belong together.”

In the end, I closed Checking You Out feeling like I had a nice time, but not a life-changing one. Like a cozy afternoon where nothing dramatic happens but you’re still glad you showed up. Three stars, easy. She’s cute. She’s trying. She brought kittens to the function.

And a chaotic, heartfelt thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC, you gave me books, cats, and emotional confusion, which honestly feels on brand for my reading life.

[Thamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lizzie has had enough bad experiences to know that she can't date someone who doesn't read books. So even after she meets Dylan, the new guy she's been training at the cat nursery where they volunteer, the way he stares blankly at books already tells her it won't work out. So maybe she should concentrate on Henry, who is a great reader even if he doesn't really value her favorite genre—fantasy—or even the anonymous reader she's been exchanging notes with, who is a lover of the fantasy genre.

The book is told from dual points of view, alternating between Lizzie's and Dylan's. Thanks to that, we learn that because of bullying, Dylan stopped letting people know his true self and now presents himself as a jock, when he's actually a big fan of fantasy and happens to be the one exchanging letters with Lizzie.

The dual point of view is an okay device, widely used in romance and not uncommon in YA either. I prefer when books don't use it, but I'm used to it by now. What bothered me was how often the switches happened—at some points with every single line. I have yet to read a book that needs you to know what the other character is thinking so urgently that it's worth sacrificing your connection to the other narrator, and this book was no exception. On the other hand, you do get used to it, and there's even a funny effect that comes from this overuse.

The other problem was that I couldn't believe their conflicts, despite the fact that they were more serious than in most YAs. Nevertheless, they still felt fabricated. For example, Dylan's big conflict was how bullying made him start masking. This is completely relatable, a very serious issue, made even more so by the fact that it started back in middle school. But if things only got really bad years and years later, why did he have to move to another school just half a year before graduation? That didn't make sense to me, and it softened the impact of his whole dilemma about being himself. That's the biggest example, but Lizzie's thing about not dating someone who doesn't read felt even more superficial, even if it's easy to see where she's coming from. That shallowness made it hard to relate to her, and so I didn't feel like cheering her on. On top of that, she's not an easy character to like; her voice felt almost robotic to me. Insert female main character who needs everything to go her way. Insert friends. Insert parents. Her life just didn't feel alive.

There are good moments, though. I'm not a fan of fantasy, but the way the two characters would go on about their favorite books and the plots of those stories was lovely. I could feel the writer's passion for stories that don't even exist in real life (or maybe they do, on a hard drive somewhere, because their plots feel very real). The biggest highlight, though, was the part with the kittens. I had no idea there were places dedicated to sheltering kittens, and even if it's evidently hard work, I too wish I could volunteer at one. This was my favorite thing in the whole book.

Overall, it's a cute romance. Even though I had issues with this or that in the story, the couple itself is cute. I can see why so many people enjoyed it and even gave this book the full five stars. It's not some fast-food plot—it's got soul (main character excluded, sorry, I really couldn't like Lizzie much).

This was my second book by this author, and looking back, she's improved a lot with pacing and focus, and even the romantic interest (Dylan is so much better!) I look forward to reading more of her releases!

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

[The Romantic Rush Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Checking You Out had me the second I read the premise. Secret notes tucked inside library books? Two anonymous readers bonding over their favorite fantasy novels? A library setting, kittens, and a bookish heroine? This should have been an easy five-star read for me. And while it didn't completely reach those heights, I still had a genuinely fun time with it.

The strongest part of this story is easily Dylan and Lizzie's anonymous friendship. Their conversations through library books were incredibly sweet and gave me all the cozy, book loving vibes. There is something so special about two people slowly falling for each other through stories before they ever truly know one another. If you're a reader who romanticizes libraries, believes books can bring people together, or secretly hopes your soulmate shares your TBR, this concept is absolutely adorable.

Dylan ended up being my favorite character. His love of fantasy books, his fear of letting people see the parts of himself that had once made him a target, and his gradual journey toward embracing who he is gave the story its emotional heart. Watching him slowly learn that the right people will love every version of him was easily the most rewarding part of the book.

Lizzie was a little harder for me to connect with. I loved seeing such an unapologetically book obsessed heroine because....well, relatable. But at times I struggled with how quickly she judged Dylan while simultaneously believing so strongly that people shouldn't be judged for the things they love. That disconnect made it harder for me to fully buy into the romance once they met in person.

That's really where the story lost a little momentum for me. The anonymous relationship had so much chemistry, but I wanted more of that same spark once they were actually together. I needed more tension, more yearning, and more moments that convinced me these two were falling in love outside of their shared love of books.

This also defintely YA. Not just in age/spice but the character writing itself feels young. Even though the characters are high school seniors preparing for college, they often felt several years younger. That may work perfectly for younger YA readers, but as someone who tends to gravitate toward slightly more emotionally mature YA, I found myself wanting a bit more depth and higher emotional stakes.

That said, Jennifer Chen's writing is warm, heartfelt, and incredibly easy to read. The friendships were wholesome, the family relationships were refreshingly supportive, and I appreciated the thoughtful conversations surrounding bullying, self acceptance, and finding the courage to embrace the things you love Add in the adorable kitten rescue, cozy library atmosphere, and endless book references, and it creates a story that feels like a comforting afternoon spent curled up with your favorite reads. And a kitten.

I do wish we'd gotten an epilogue because I would have loved one last glimpse of Dylan and Lizzie as they headed into college together.

Overall, this didn't completely live up to the incredible premise for me, but it was still a sweet, cozy YA romance with a lot of heart. If you're looking for a quick palate cleanser filled with books, cats, supportive friendships, and soft romance, this is definitely worth picking up.

[Cammie (Bibliolater.alligator) · Rating 2 out of 5]

OOF.
This book sounded right up my alley- I like a good YA, even a slightly cheesy one- I grew up on Bantam Love Stories and thought this one would be cheesy but cute in the same vain as a classic BLV. The premise sounded super cute, with the MCs hiding notes in their favorite fantasy books and falling for each other, all along not realizing they were also falling for each other in real life. The synopsis had all the makings of a cute lil YA romcom.
I was wrong.

There is so so much going on here that I could write an essay about all the things that didn't work for me, but I'm going to give you the highlights.

First of all, Dylan's main conflict is that he was bullied in middle and high school for being a huge fantasy nerd, and now, even POST GRADUATION, he's still living in complete terror that someone might find out he likes to read fantasy books and his whole life will be over. This just doesn't make sense to me? You're not at school anymore, who cares if you read a book? But he is so tortured. Turns out, he is the nerdiest fantasy nerd that has ever existed, and once he pulled out his old costume that is described as probably the ugliest thing I've ever imagined, I can see why he was bullied. Sorry, Dyl.

Lizzie's big problem is that her new cat rescue volunteer friend is NOT a READER! Therefore, she must hate his guts. She is so judgmental about this that it gets tiring almost immediately and I had no patience for her by about page 3.5.

Speaking of the little patience I had during this book, Lizzie's very obnoxious friend group is saving every penny for an epic road trip across California, but they keep eating out at least once every chapter?? Then talking about how they can't buy a book because they are saving up? But then they buy boba and Thai noodles and vegan gluten free pastries at every turn? UGH. Then by the end of the book all of their parents pay for the entire trip anyway so why did we have to hear about their book buying ban every chapter HUH?! TELL ME WHY!!!

The book bangs you over the head with all the diverse characters- something I fully support, but it began to get a little annoying the way the author seemed to be checking boxes and then making sure we knew everyone's cool quirky identities (her friend uses his "Latino Queer Joy bookmark" and his friend sips from her "Black Girl Magic water bottle" and I want to Purple Gel Pen stab my eye out). It felt overboard the way she had to include all these things in suuuch a specific way, as if we would never be able to figure these things out on our own.

The writing was really terrible overall, characters feeling like they should be in middle school and not 18 years old. Plot lines contradicted themselves or went nowhere, and the few messages about being true to yourself just went unnoticed because everything happening around them was just so poorly done. PoVs change within the chapter up to like 6 times, once it changed 3 times in one page for seemingly absolutely no reason. There is no actual emotion coming from any of the characters, so it didn't really matter whose PoV we were in either way. It didn't work for me at all.

The publisher provided a finished physical copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[jo ❣︎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

─── ⋆ thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. all opinions are my own as you can tell.

📚 1.75

here's the thing. anything book related in a book, sign me up. it's like double literature! nothing like a book about books. except in this case, honestly from the first page i knew that i was going to have a hard time getting into this. i mean checking you out? nah more like checking into a mental asylum.
and heres the thing, i didn't sign up to be a hater, i just have standards !!
let's check out (pun intended) what is wrong with checking you out

─── ⋆ the plot
the plot on page seems pretty great. i mean think a little youve got mail but make it library themed vibes !? um duh yes. well execution was not there. sue me for hoping that it would be. i feel like this was a case of the idea being perfect but once the idea is on the page it reads rather repetitive. and dont get me wrong, theres nothing with mundane or chill stories. it's just...like truly boring !! like nothing happend !! at !! all !! the back of my claritin bottle has more plot than this book !! it was choppy writing and unfortunatly unfunny humor.


─── ⋆ characters

honestly the characters ruined this book for me. i highlighted one line in this book. and that one line was our mmc going "yeah my shorts are 200$" while he's standing at an animal shelter holding a baby kitten.

dylan
here's the thing, i am NOT in any way discounting anyone for being bullied over fantasy book taste bc the haters should shut the frick up. but ! in 2026? (the book is set in modern time with recent books referenced) people are really being bullied for..liking popular fantasy books?
heck i've been "bullied" for NOT liking fantasy. so like. . .

aside from that, he was a decent character. kinda flat, not a swoon worthy love interest nor did i look at him and go "wow book boyfriend material" because he kinda had issues. i mean same broski but.

lizzie
Oh gosh. wow. i think if i met this girl in person i would probably have to go like die afterwards. because babes was so sefilshly obessed with herself that she kinda disregarded people around her to the point that was insane.


the besties, aka lizzie's friends
i liked them but also didn't. i do think all her book besties had the her best interest but unfortunately they lowk crossed some boundaries ?? but then again, lizzie also disregarded their feelings.

romance
what romance. i don't even mean that meanly. but truly what romance. the characters "fall" in love through the letters they write about their favorite book series, keep making a meetup location and not actually going but actually dont like each other because dylan and lizzie are both dumb! i mean they have that going for them. they both read young and old at the same time so idek.

bookish stuff
idk it was giving bookish but also like 😭😭 at what point in a book this boring does book stuff become too much.

wrapup
call me a hater. call me shakespeare. just dont call me maybe. and sure as heck dont check me out.

pre review
please dont check me out 🫶🫶 frtc

[Gabrielle (bookmarkedgab) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I wanted to like this book SO. bad. so bad. really, I did. But, the only character I kind of liked was Dylan, and this book ended up being literally only about cats and books, and even then books was not the primary focus.

We're following Lizzie and Dylan, who are huge book lovers, and they are exchanging notes via library books. This premise had so much potential , but it falls flat big time. We don't spend a lot of time writing notes. We don't spend a lot of time searching for notes. and every time there is a note about meeting up, it doesn't happen--there's no suspense in that way.

Lizzie to me is generally unlikable because she refuses to accept anyone else's opinions about books and genres, and judges everyone for...pretty much anything that she doesn't also like herself. Dylan's story is a little more interesting but also a little hard for me to believe in a way, because he's supposed to be a reader. Fine, you hide the fact that you read a lot from your new friends or classmates or whatever, but to pretend to your own parents that you've suddenly changed and don't like to read anymore is insane to me. He hides all his books in his closet for some reason?? I didn't understand it.

Outside of the issues with the plot, this story dates itself big time . I didn't necessarily mind the references to real series/books/etc, but to outright talk about COVID? was upsetting to me and pulled me right out of the story. and THEN Dylan outright says "to the class of 2024." I know books age, but a lot of them age themselves in other ways (like what clothes they're wearing or maybe what slang they use), but to put the actual YEAR was wild to me.

I know this is YA, but the drama was also too much for me. Lizzie is too stuck in her own head to realize that maybe Dylan had his reasons for not spilling his life story to her when they've known each other for like. a month. Claudia is the only one of Lizzie's friends with some semblance of common sense, and brings this to her attention. over. and over. and over. It's exhausting.

I have more qualms, but for the sake of not demolishing this book, I will say that there are some things I liked. Dylan and Lizzie's relationship, when they didn't know each other as the "Fellow Fantasy Reader" was sweet. The timid glances and confusing feelings and all of that, those were cute. Some of the banter was fun and was also the only reason I didn't DNF this book any of the times I wanted to (because I really almost did 25% of the way in). I did also learn that you have to burp tiny kittens like human babies, so.. the more you know.

I am not the target audience for this book, that much is clear, but I think this book and it's writing and plot have a lot of room for improvement. Maybe there are some teens that will find this enjoyable and relatable, but I won't be recommending it anytime soon.

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course this book is perfect for any book lover, that was easy to guess from the title and synopsis. But oh there was so much I loved and so much of me and every other book lover in the characters in Lizzie’s friend group, not to mention Lizzie herself, and even Dylan!

First of all it talks about her friends and how they have their silent book club where they all realized they just wanted to read their own type of books but still be hanging out while they did it. Exactly the type of book club I’d love to have for my students. A place to sit and read with nothing else you have to do, and maybe some snacks, and maybe a chance to gush about how much you loved the book and maybe someone else might want to read it. Kind of like blogging? lol. Her friends were all so great, had to love them for sure. I loved that they visited not only the library but also a few different book stores in the story, even arranging a bookish date for with the boy she had always had a crush on.

Of course we also got Dylan’s side of the story which was good as well. Hearing about how he’d been teased about his love of books in middle school and it didn’t stop so that he’d even transferred high schools, where he leaned into his more athletic side and didn’t let anyone there know he was a reader. Even when it would really have been a good thing when he met Lizzie and saw her love of reading. I did love his friends too, how they accepted him and were upset that he had hidden parts of himself from them. I loved his grand gesture at the end too. Although, I personally think Lizzie over-reacted just a smidge about the lie, but I get again, we need the drama.

The whole aspect of the kittens being bottle fed and all that adoption part of the story was so cute, and I think Lizzie just really should have given in to the pull of seeing Dylan’s soft side with the tiny animals. I also think Dylan was a little over the top too about not telling Lizzie, even with what had happened with his bully in middle school. Again, I get it, bullying can cause so much trauma, especially with how horrible those kids were to him. I feel like Dylan and Lizzie not ever running into each other more at the library and catching each other when leaving the notes was a little unrealistic? But again, it’s fiction, so yeah.

So I had a few issues as I mentioned, and one other was the ending kind of dragged for me. However, as a book lover there was so much I adored in the story, all the talk about books, how each character had their own beloved genre, and the one who read the scary stories covered his with paper so the covers didn’t give Lizzie nightmares. I loved when she talked about DNFing a book, same reasons I use. This really was a great story for a book lover, and even for someone who has dealt with the bullying like Dylan I think would enjoy the story too. I would definitely buy this for my last library, and honestly, it is probably one I could buy for middle school students.

Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.

[Sandy Quill · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Publishing for the ARC of "Checking You Out" in exchange for an honest review with opinions entirely my own.

Enormous loads of cuteness to unpack here. Two lead characters overwhelmingly cute. And both of them lovers of a wildly best selling and yes, cute fantasy novel series. Both equipped with loving, loyal and, dare I say, cute friends. If that isn't enough sheer cuteness for you, how about dozens and dozens of fluffy, mischievous, insanely adorable and.....you guessed it, cute kittens.

One last thing to pile on top of this Mt. Everest of cuteness. Libraries! Bookstores galore! And books, books.....and oh yes, more books.

Is there anything unpleasant lurking in this Garden of bookish, kitten-ish, Eden? Indeed, there is, with our male lead Dylan a survivor of merciless bullying during middle school through high school. So much so that he's hidden away his love of reading and now presenting himself as distinctly un-literary, and interested mainly in his prowess as a tennis player.

Dylan's secret life makes it doubly hard for him as he's crushing hard on book-aholic LIzzie, lifelong lover of the same fantasy series that Dylan adores. but still too shy to admit to publicly. And despite his supposed interest only in tennis, Lizzie's beginning to fall just as hard for Dylan as they work together in an animal shelter, bottle feeding and caring for countless litters of captivating kittens that come flooding into the shelter..

In no time at all, this 'You've Got Mail' storyline turns into 'You've Got Books' with Dylan and Lizzie exchanging anonymous messages tucked away in library books, with each of them, of course, not knowing that the wonderful sweet book lovers they're communicating with are.......each other..

The simplicity of the writing here would lead me to believe this book is pitched more for tweens but I couldn't help but feel charmed by author Jennifer Chen's enthusiasm and deep empathy for her characters. (Though I really do wish she'd consulted a thesaurus for synonyms for "cute", whose overuse gets tiresome awfully fast

The lure of books, libraries, bookstores, kittens and secret romance sucked me in right away, but I realize that some readers may feel like they're munching on a jumbo State Fair cone of YA cotton candy. But then again, what's wrong with a book that wants nothing more than to make you and all the characters in it feel good together? In this day and age,I say you can't have enough of them. So there's my 4 stars and I'm stickin' to 'em.

(You can find all my other reviews at www.thesandyquill.blogspot.com)

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think if you're a nose to a book kinda high school kid this is a good romance book for you. Lizzie who found a check-out receipt in her favorite library book immediately claimed that person is her soul mate because they checked the the same books she would've wanted if she was stranded on an island. That set Lizzie and her friends into an adventure. This is a journey for Lizzie because she's quite set in her ways and her friends encourages her to be open to not only new people but new experiences too. The main thing is: they're about to graduate and going their separate ways.

First off, Lizzie is not a likable character, she is rigid, once her mind is made up, there's no turning back and also limit her mind, her thinking and her circle. Now, her circle of friends are great support structure, she flipped out about the rescue kittens, they're there; she's freaking out about this mystery note person, they're pouring their heart into helping her. But you don't see her doing that for them. Don't even get me started about how judgey she was towards Dylan. And he was right to hide himself from her.

Then, Dylan, who was bullied in middle school into HS, so much so that he had to change schools, the parents were too passive about helping him, and we find out why. He has great best friend and she pushed him to hear the apology that he was not ready to hear, but he can feel the mending begin.

The pacing of the book spent too much time with Lizzie and but just the right amount of growth and story for Dylan. I was really finishing the book to make sure Dylan to has a happy ending. He has the most growth.

I know alot of people gave this book a subpar rating or DNF'd it. It's not that bad, there are cute and funny parts. There are definitely teenage angst and cringe parts but that's truly how life is and felt that is pretty on point. What I love about this book is that though it's multi-cultural they didn't harp or drill too much into it. Which I love how they show the group of friends is diverse. Each of the kids are thoughtful in their own way and that's the innocence that I love about this book.

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, Netgalley, Jennifer Chen, and Wednesday Books for an ARC of Checking You Out.

This book follows Lizzie and her friends at the end of their senior year of high school. The four of them are self-proclaimed “book nerds,” and since they can’t agree on a type of book to read, their book club is just a weekly get-together where they all read their individual choices together. During Lizzie’s free time, she volunteers at an animal shelter, working with kittens.

Dylan recently transferred to Lizzie’s school to escape the horrible bullying he had endured since middle school due to his love of fantasy books, a costume he wore, and his self-confidence at the time. He ends up at the same animal rescue as Lizzie, and when they meet, he immediately tells her he hates reading, so while Lizzie thinks he's cute, she will not date anyone who hates reading. As the story progresses, both seem to grow more interested in each other. At the same time, both are secretly writing to an anonymous reader (the other person) about fantasy books they love. Will the truth come out about who he truly is? Will they get together? Will she forgive his lies?

The premise of this book was cute. I loved the friendship storyline and the Lizzie/Dylan storyline. I felt that the kitten storyline took over way too much of the book. The same ideas could have been conveyed in much less time. The same could probably be said for the mystery fantasy reader, storyline. The story took me a bit to get into, and I also had a hard time staying focused and wanting to come back to it. Because of this, I am only giving the book 3 stars.

#JenniferChen #CheckingYouOut #NetGalley #WednesdayBooks #YA #YARomance #Romance #ContemporaryRomace #Fiction #ContemporaryFiction #AvidReader #BookLovers #BookNerds #Bullies #BestFriends #CatLovers #EnemiesToFriendsToLovers #SecretPenPals #SummerBeforeCollege #BIPOC #May #2026

[Dana Burr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t Let the three starts fool you, this is a positive review.

I had a really great time with this book. It was cute, fun, and very sweet.

I loved the friendships that Lizzie and Dylan had. They were very supportive, sweet, and healthy. Wish I my friend group in high school was as tight knit as this one. Also the book and cat vibes combined with the LA setting were all lovely.

The characters were lovely and cute and felt like actual teenagers, granted they felt like younger ones rather than the 18 year olds they were supposed to be but still.

Here’s why I gave it a three instead of a four or five, the writing felt simplistic in a not so intentional way. IE this felt like middle grade rather than high school. I get your writing for a younger audience but it feels a little too young? Idk.

It’s also very in your face about the love for books and cats. Which is fine, I mean I love both of those, but it got a little repetitive after a while because they were always either doing something book related or cat related. Kinda wish they did other things you know? I feel like I’m nitpicking here but you get what I’m saying right?

Also there was little to no tension or stakes in the book and the third act break up felt like such a nothing burger I may have rolled my eyes (I definitely did lol). I just wished there was a little more tension? Idk I like my romances to be more pining and yearny but I’m not totally opposed to a more straight forward kind.

Overall this book was an absolute treat and delight despite its flaws, so for that it gets a positive three stars. If you need a palette cleanser or something to get you out of a reading slump, I’d recommend this book! I plan on reading Chen’s other books after this because I need all the support through my reading slumps that I can get lol.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!