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Always Best Buds
“Physics is going to kill me, but I’ll die happy!”
Liv passes the note to her best friend, Jan, on the first day of their junior year, 1982. They are stoked to make this school year a most excellent one. And it’s starting off stupendously with a class full of totally awesome boys.
These dramatic and boy-crazy notes continue all year long, helping them to survive the emotional ups and downs of navigating their first crushes.
Jan is the brainiac.
Liv is the athlete.
Miles is the musician.
Jace is the mysterious new boy.
All of them are band geeks.
And all of them are stressed to the max.
Will their friendship survive the year or will it end in jealousy and messy break ups?
ALWAYS BEST BUDS is a sweet heart-warming romance full of friendship, fun and 80's nostalgia.
Liv passes the note to her best friend, Jan, on the first day of their junior year, 1982. They are stoked to make this school year a most excellent one. And it’s starting off stupendously with a class full of totally awesome boys.
These dramatic and boy-crazy notes continue all year long, helping them to survive the emotional ups and downs of navigating their first crushes.
Jan is the brainiac.
Liv is the athlete.
Miles is the musician.
Jace is the mysterious new boy.
All of them are band geeks.
And all of them are stressed to the max.
Will their friendship survive the year or will it end in jealousy and messy break ups?
ALWAYS BEST BUDS is a sweet heart-warming romance full of friendship, fun and 80's nostalgia.
460 pages, Paperback
Published May 12, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 13, 2026
This is a “novel in notes” between Jan and Livia, two juniors in their high school who communicate the way we did in the 80s and 90s: primarily in sneaky note passing during class and long phone calls on a shared house phone outside of school. For those of us who lived through it, this book would be like if you and your middle school/high school bestie had kept all of those origami-like folded notes, put them in chronological order, and put them in book form.
Jensen has done an amazing job at putting the reader in the middle of Jan and Livia’s friendship, complete with the occasional note and perspective from Jace and Miles - their crushes and friends. As the school year unfolds, we get to see intimate glimpses into how relationships develop and solidify and change, and how the bestest of buds are always there for each other.
If you have a middle school or high school reader who has a history of liking the “Dork Diaries”, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, or Raina Telgemeier’s coming of age graphic novels set in a similar time period, I truly think they’ll love this book too. My 6th grade daughter hasn’t finished it yet, but she loves the concept of the book and what she’s read so far. The characters are incredibly relatable and Jensen demonstrates to her readers that though the technology may change - the basis of our friendships never does.
Also - there’s a playlist of all the musical references at the end of the book, so be sure to add those to your favorite music service playlists!
Jensen has done an amazing job at putting the reader in the middle of Jan and Livia’s friendship, complete with the occasional note and perspective from Jace and Miles - their crushes and friends. As the school year unfolds, we get to see intimate glimpses into how relationships develop and solidify and change, and how the bestest of buds are always there for each other.
If you have a middle school or high school reader who has a history of liking the “Dork Diaries”, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, or Raina Telgemeier’s coming of age graphic novels set in a similar time period, I truly think they’ll love this book too. My 6th grade daughter hasn’t finished it yet, but she loves the concept of the book and what she’s read so far. The characters are incredibly relatable and Jensen demonstrates to her readers that though the technology may change - the basis of our friendships never does.
Also - there’s a playlist of all the musical references at the end of the book, so be sure to add those to your favorite music service playlists!
April 18, 2026
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for this review*
Always Best Buds is a truly delightful story about best friends Jan and Liv and their year in 11th grade in the early 1980s. They write notes back and forth throughout the school year detailing their lives including school projects, dances, band, home life and their crushes on two boys Jace and Miles. Having the story told through letters was very nostalgic and really captured teen life. I definitely remember passing my share of notes in school! This book really feels like a time capsule, capturing all the ups and downs of life as teen during that time period. Jan and Liv are great characters and really come to life on the page. They go through some ups and downs together but the beauty of their friendship is really lovely to see and I thought the love story with their crushes was super sweet. If you’re looking for something with nostalgia, and really just overall a sweet and fun story I would definitely recommend this. It was a nice break from the darker things I usually read and made me smile and reminisce a little.
Always Best Buds is a truly delightful story about best friends Jan and Liv and their year in 11th grade in the early 1980s. They write notes back and forth throughout the school year detailing their lives including school projects, dances, band, home life and their crushes on two boys Jace and Miles. Having the story told through letters was very nostalgic and really captured teen life. I definitely remember passing my share of notes in school! This book really feels like a time capsule, capturing all the ups and downs of life as teen during that time period. Jan and Liv are great characters and really come to life on the page. They go through some ups and downs together but the beauty of their friendship is really lovely to see and I thought the love story with their crushes was super sweet. If you’re looking for something with nostalgia, and really just overall a sweet and fun story I would definitely recommend this. It was a nice break from the darker things I usually read and made me smile and reminisce a little.
Want to Read
April 10, 2026I know this Author! She has given me a lot of great book recommendations over the years. I am so excited to read this first novel and share it with my daughters. I can't wait to read it. I'd love to get my hands on an advanced copy of this book so I could read it now. I'll review again once I have read it.
May 19, 2026
A Time-Capsule Treasure!!
K.S. Jensen's heartwarming YA debut is such a fun and tender story about friendship, how life can pull people in different directions, and how true bonds can still stand the test of time. When best friends Jan and Liv begin navigating change, misunderstandings, family struggles, high school pressures, crushes, and personal growth, they must rediscover what truly matters in their friendship.
What makes this story especially charming is the format: the entire novel is told through notes passed between classes. As someone who loves pens, stationery, and handwritten correspondence, I absolutely adored this. The slightly crumpled notebook pages, doodles, scribbles, crossed-out lines, and distinct “voices” for each girl made the reading experience feel incredibly personal and nostalgic. And the sign-off — “ABB: Always Best Buds” — is just so sweet. The story also occasionally includes the perspectives of their friends and crushes, Jace and Miles, which adds extra heart to the narrative.
One of my favourite things about this novel is how beautifully it portrays healthy female friendship. There’s such honesty in the way Jan and Livia share their fears, hopes, strengths, insecurities, and the excitement and uncertainty of first love. Their support for one another throughout a changing school year feels authentic, vulnerable, and deeply relatable.
I loved this story so much. By the end, I found myself wondering what the future holds for this group of friends — and secretly hoping they’re all still close. I would absolutely read a sequel! Another delightful touch is the playlist included at the back of the book. As someone who grew up in the 1980s, the cultural and musical references throughout the story felt like a joyride and brought back memories of my own high school years.
While this book is a wonderful time-capsule treasure for readers who remember the 1980s, it’s also a timeless story about friendship: how special it is, how it evolves, and the hopeful wish that it might last forever. I smiled throughout this entire book — and yes, there may have been one or two happy nostalgic tears along the way — because it all felt so close to the heart. Jensen has done an excellent job capturing the warmth, humour, tenderness, and goodness of high school friendship, in every sense of the word “good.” I’m already looking forward to reading whatever she writes next.
K.S. Jensen's heartwarming YA debut is such a fun and tender story about friendship, how life can pull people in different directions, and how true bonds can still stand the test of time. When best friends Jan and Liv begin navigating change, misunderstandings, family struggles, high school pressures, crushes, and personal growth, they must rediscover what truly matters in their friendship.
What makes this story especially charming is the format: the entire novel is told through notes passed between classes. As someone who loves pens, stationery, and handwritten correspondence, I absolutely adored this. The slightly crumpled notebook pages, doodles, scribbles, crossed-out lines, and distinct “voices” for each girl made the reading experience feel incredibly personal and nostalgic. And the sign-off — “ABB: Always Best Buds” — is just so sweet. The story also occasionally includes the perspectives of their friends and crushes, Jace and Miles, which adds extra heart to the narrative.
One of my favourite things about this novel is how beautifully it portrays healthy female friendship. There’s such honesty in the way Jan and Livia share their fears, hopes, strengths, insecurities, and the excitement and uncertainty of first love. Their support for one another throughout a changing school year feels authentic, vulnerable, and deeply relatable.
I loved this story so much. By the end, I found myself wondering what the future holds for this group of friends — and secretly hoping they’re all still close. I would absolutely read a sequel! Another delightful touch is the playlist included at the back of the book. As someone who grew up in the 1980s, the cultural and musical references throughout the story felt like a joyride and brought back memories of my own high school years.
While this book is a wonderful time-capsule treasure for readers who remember the 1980s, it’s also a timeless story about friendship: how special it is, how it evolves, and the hopeful wish that it might last forever. I smiled throughout this entire book — and yes, there may have been one or two happy nostalgic tears along the way — because it all felt so close to the heart. Jensen has done an excellent job capturing the warmth, humour, tenderness, and goodness of high school friendship, in every sense of the word “good.” I’m already looking forward to reading whatever she writes next.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an advance copy of this book at no charge. This is my honest, voluntary review.
I found Always Best Buds to be a genuinely unique reading experience. It is written entirely in the form of notes being passed between two best friends, Liv and Jan, and the book is formatted to display as handwritten notes on lined paper. It made for a really fun reading experience.
The novel is a sweet story following the ups and downs of friendship, high school and first love. There are some big heavy moments that the characters go through, and the friendships they have with each other and their crushes really shine through in those moments.
I thoroughly enjoyed the nostalgia of the book. I passed notes with my friends, had movie nights with rented video tapes, talked on the family landline and looked up cinema times in the newspaper. I think anyone who was a teen before the internet and technology took over our lives will get a kick out of both the storyline and the memories it brings back.
Always Best Buds, a very enjoyable sweet romance for teens and adults alike.
I found Always Best Buds to be a genuinely unique reading experience. It is written entirely in the form of notes being passed between two best friends, Liv and Jan, and the book is formatted to display as handwritten notes on lined paper. It made for a really fun reading experience.
The novel is a sweet story following the ups and downs of friendship, high school and first love. There are some big heavy moments that the characters go through, and the friendships they have with each other and their crushes really shine through in those moments.
I thoroughly enjoyed the nostalgia of the book. I passed notes with my friends, had movie nights with rented video tapes, talked on the family landline and looked up cinema times in the newspaper. I think anyone who was a teen before the internet and technology took over our lives will get a kick out of both the storyline and the memories it brings back.
Always Best Buds, a very enjoyable sweet romance for teens and adults alike.
Review of advance copy received from Author
More than a read-it's an Experience.
If you love the 80's, Scrapbooking, Writing Notes-You'lll Love this Book, told over a school year, in a series of notes between Liv & Jan in the 1982 & Summer 1983.
As I read I loved the Scribbles, doodles, P.S. and creative emojis. It made the story feel so genuine carefree & fun.
The writer did a wonderful job of including the "rad" 80's phrases and subject matter which is important to 16/17 year old girls but tug at the heartstrings of everyone,because what really matters at the end of the
day is that the people we love are safe, we can be ourselves, and we can love and be loved. She also captured the sweetness, innocence, confusion, and craziness of first loves, as well as THE FUN of friendships, being young, being ALIVE, trying GOOD things that are new.
Being young can still mean all these things.
I recommend this visual throwback.
I received this book as an advanced reader copy.
This is my Voluntary and Honest Review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
There's a lot of discussion in the author world on whether or not you should rate and review your own book. But it appears I'm in the camp that after putting a LOT of work into it... heart, blood, sweat and many many tears... it's okay to jump on here and tell you that I think this book that I wrote is cool enough to rate on my personal Goodreads!
It's a fun, sweet YA book, set in 1982, and told through letters the two girls pass to each other at school. It's formatted in such a way that the pages are like real letters, including doodles, smudges and crinkles. I had a lot of fun creating that part as well as the writing itself! It has a lot of funny, cute and heart-felt moments. It's very light and fluffy, which, as you probably know, is the kind of book I love.
I hope it finds some readers that enjoy the sort of joy and nostalgia found in this story.
It's a fun, sweet YA book, set in 1982, and told through letters the two girls pass to each other at school. It's formatted in such a way that the pages are like real letters, including doodles, smudges and crinkles. I had a lot of fun creating that part as well as the writing itself! It has a lot of funny, cute and heart-felt moments. It's very light and fluffy, which, as you probably know, is the kind of book I love.
I hope it finds some readers that enjoy the sort of joy and nostalgia found in this story.
May 12, 2026
I thought this book was super cute. It took me a minute to settle into the format since the entire story is told through notes the high schoolers write back and forth to each other, but once I got into it, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. It’s one of those simple, feel-good books that leaves you smiling.
What I really appreciated was that it showed teens working through misunderstandings, friendships, and differences in a healthy way. The characters all had their own personalities, quirks, and struggles, and it all just felt very natural and real. I’m in my 50s, and I wish books like this had existed when I was younger. I think this would be a great read for teens and young readers.
(I received an advance copy of this book, which is why I'm reviewing on release day:)
What I really appreciated was that it showed teens working through misunderstandings, friendships, and differences in a healthy way. The characters all had their own personalities, quirks, and struggles, and it all just felt very natural and real. I’m in my 50s, and I wish books like this had existed when I was younger. I think this would be a great read for teens and young readers.
(I received an advance copy of this book, which is why I'm reviewing on release day:)
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Reader Review
Going to high school in the 80s sounds like so much fun! This book follows two best buds along their journey through life, crushes, and their high school experience through the form of passed notes. The personalities of these two girls really shine through in their writing styles and doodles along the way.
Fun questions I had along the way:
Will they get caught passing notes in school? Will they ever find out who likes who?
Is Jace's home life okay?
I greatly recommend this book to anyone who also likes the stories: Flipped, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and Star Girl.
Welcome to Always Best Buds and high school in the 80s!
Going to high school in the 80s sounds like so much fun! This book follows two best buds along their journey through life, crushes, and their high school experience through the form of passed notes. The personalities of these two girls really shine through in their writing styles and doodles along the way.
Fun questions I had along the way:
Will they get caught passing notes in school? Will they ever find out who likes who?
Is Jace's home life okay?
I greatly recommend this book to anyone who also likes the stories: Flipped, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and Star Girl.
Welcome to Always Best Buds and high school in the 80s!
May 12, 2026
This book is the sweetest! A lovely palete cleanser after some of my darker reads that help elevate my spirits and bring a smile to my face. It is like a time capsule to "easier" times that isn't convoluted with technology and brings back memories of growing up, finding oneself, and our voice. Remember passing notes instead of texts? Those were the good times right? Now I want to get some paper and leave some notes for my love ones.
I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
April 12, 2026
This book is a really cute concept! The whole story is told through notes passed between the best buds, Liv and Jan. The book even uses different fonts and lined paper backgrounds, like it’s their own individual handwriting on their personal notebook pages. The book is set in the 80’s, and there’s plenty of slang to add to that setting.
Overall a nice read, would recommend for anyone wanting a quick YA romance!
Overall a nice read, would recommend for anyone wanting a quick YA romance!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author for sending me the ARC of this title. This was such a cute book and a great palate cleanser from my usual reading selections. Always Best Buds follows Liv and Jan, two best friends who are navigating high school, life’s tribulations, and their blossoming crushes on Jace and Miles. The story is told through a unique format of notes passed between the girls. If you are looking for something quick and sweet, check it out!
Did Not Finish
May 8, 2026I was promised a back and forth letter between friends. That got me excited but a few letters in, it sounded more like novel. I lost interest.sorry
June 14, 2026
This was amazing. I wasn't expecting the ending at all. I hope there's a sequel because I need to know how their senior year goes
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews