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Just Kids: Romance with thriller and friends in 1990s London
SOME FIRST LOVES NEVER LET YOU GO.
SOME MISTAKES DON’T STAY IN THE PAST.North London, 1998.
Sixteen-year-old Sarah Page is on the edge of adulthood — caught between exam pressure, fractured families, and the dangerous pull of wanting more from life.
When she meets Nick, the connection is instant, electric, and destabilising. He feels like freedom. Like possibility. Like the person she’s been waiting for.
But desire doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
Lurking at the edges of Sarah’s world are temptations, dangerous loyalties, and men who don’t understand boundaries. As parties blur into threats, and attraction shades into obsession, Sarah is forced to confront how quickly excitement can tip into danger — and how hard it is to tell the difference when you’re young, flattered, and looking for somewhere to belong.
Then there’s Andy — watchful, complicated, and impossible to read. A source of safety… or another risk entirely.
As Sarah navigates friendship, first loves, and the pressure to grow up before she’s ready, she learns that survival isn’t just about escaping harm — it’s about recognising it in time.
Just Kids is a tense, emotionally grounded coming-of-age novel about desire, power, and the moments that shape us long before we understand what they mean. Blending romance with psychological suspense, it explores the dangerous grey areas of youth — where love, fear, and longing collide.
Because some stories don’t end when you walk away.
They wait.
Just Kids is the first novel in the Our Wandering Paths series.
SOME MISTAKES DON’T STAY IN THE PAST.North London, 1998.
Sixteen-year-old Sarah Page is on the edge of adulthood — caught between exam pressure, fractured families, and the dangerous pull of wanting more from life.
When she meets Nick, the connection is instant, electric, and destabilising. He feels like freedom. Like possibility. Like the person she’s been waiting for.
But desire doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
Lurking at the edges of Sarah’s world are temptations, dangerous loyalties, and men who don’t understand boundaries. As parties blur into threats, and attraction shades into obsession, Sarah is forced to confront how quickly excitement can tip into danger — and how hard it is to tell the difference when you’re young, flattered, and looking for somewhere to belong.
Then there’s Andy — watchful, complicated, and impossible to read. A source of safety… or another risk entirely.
As Sarah navigates friendship, first loves, and the pressure to grow up before she’s ready, she learns that survival isn’t just about escaping harm — it’s about recognising it in time.
Just Kids is a tense, emotionally grounded coming-of-age novel about desire, power, and the moments that shape us long before we understand what they mean. Blending romance with psychological suspense, it explores the dangerous grey areas of youth — where love, fear, and longing collide.
Because some stories don’t end when you walk away.
They wait.
Just Kids is the first novel in the Our Wandering Paths series.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 17, 2026
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 25, 2026
A twisting and compelling coming-of-age story filled with suspense.
The writing caught and held my attention, the clever connection from the ending to the prologue made me keen to find out what happens next. Just Kids by Rachel Jackson is a subtle thriller, with a compelling coming-of-age narrative. The book follows Sarah and her group of friends as they take their first steps into adulthood.
At sixteen Sarah is discovering first love, while also being introduced to the riskier world of alcohol and strangers all too willing to take advantage. Throughout the story Sarah feels a pull towards Nick, their relationship sparking, fiery and chaotic. She’s also drawn to Andy, the older brother of one of her friends, his presence offering more calm while being distant and equally confusing for Sarah to navigate.
Just Kids is filled with the excitement of stepping into a more grown up world, while the risks are woven into a believable and simmering thriller underneath the teen frivolity. I think Just Kids is a compelling read. The turbulence of emotions as teens experience their first loves is well-written and drew me in. I found Sarah to be an engaging character, cringing, laughing and my heart breaking alongside her.
Meanwhile Emma’s storyline explores the risks to teens at this part of early adulthood, the relationship with someone older and more dangerous both believable and an interesting way to subtly establish then develop the thriller and suspense elements of the storyline. The writing caught and held my attention, the clever connection from the ending to the prologue made me keen to find out what happens next. Just Kids is a subtle thriller, with a compelling coming-of-age narrative.
The writing caught and held my attention, the clever connection from the ending to the prologue made me keen to find out what happens next. Just Kids by Rachel Jackson is a subtle thriller, with a compelling coming-of-age narrative. The book follows Sarah and her group of friends as they take their first steps into adulthood.
At sixteen Sarah is discovering first love, while also being introduced to the riskier world of alcohol and strangers all too willing to take advantage. Throughout the story Sarah feels a pull towards Nick, their relationship sparking, fiery and chaotic. She’s also drawn to Andy, the older brother of one of her friends, his presence offering more calm while being distant and equally confusing for Sarah to navigate.
Just Kids is filled with the excitement of stepping into a more grown up world, while the risks are woven into a believable and simmering thriller underneath the teen frivolity. I think Just Kids is a compelling read. The turbulence of emotions as teens experience their first loves is well-written and drew me in. I found Sarah to be an engaging character, cringing, laughing and my heart breaking alongside her.
Meanwhile Emma’s storyline explores the risks to teens at this part of early adulthood, the relationship with someone older and more dangerous both believable and an interesting way to subtly establish then develop the thriller and suspense elements of the storyline. The writing caught and held my attention, the clever connection from the ending to the prologue made me keen to find out what happens next. Just Kids is a subtle thriller, with a compelling coming-of-age narrative.
April 27, 2026
Just Kids by Rachel Jackson is a tense and emotionally grounded coming of age novel that blends romance, psychological suspense, and the uncertainty of adolescence into a compelling narrative set in 1990s North London.
What stands out most is the emotional realism of Sarah Page’s experience. Her journey is shaped by first love, shifting friendships, and the increasing awareness that attraction and danger can coexist in unsettling ways. The relationship dynamics between Nick and Andy create a persistent sense of ambiguity that keeps the reader engaged.
The novel excels at capturing the emotional volatility of youth, where desire, fear, and belonging often blur together. As social situations evolve into moments of tension and unease, the story steadily builds psychological depth without losing its grounded setting.
A strong and atmospheric coming of age thriller that will appeal to readers who enjoy emotionally intense young adult fiction, psychological undertones, and romance layered with suspense and uncertainty.
What stands out most is the emotional realism of Sarah Page’s experience. Her journey is shaped by first love, shifting friendships, and the increasing awareness that attraction and danger can coexist in unsettling ways. The relationship dynamics between Nick and Andy create a persistent sense of ambiguity that keeps the reader engaged.
The novel excels at capturing the emotional volatility of youth, where desire, fear, and belonging often blur together. As social situations evolve into moments of tension and unease, the story steadily builds psychological depth without losing its grounded setting.
A strong and atmospheric coming of age thriller that will appeal to readers who enjoy emotionally intense young adult fiction, psychological undertones, and romance layered with suspense and uncertainty.
March 20, 2026
Full of nostalgia and coming-of-age lessons and heartbreak. I really loved the FMC in this book—she was a standout. She’s someone still learning who she is, while not wanting to be forced into anything too quickly.
Her journey feels relatable and captures the ups and downs of that time in life. The ending was intriguing, and I’m looking forward to the next book.
Her journey feels relatable and captures the ups and downs of that time in life. The ending was intriguing, and I’m looking forward to the next book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews