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The Place Between #2
The New Place
Life together is perfect. Why change it?
Ned Coppola's relationship couldn’t be better, his career is taking off, and his life is finally on track.
Henry Abbot is just as happy, because he has Ned. The only thing better than their romance is anticipating their future together.
But just as a top university recruits Abbot, Ned learns he might be facing another job hunt. Ned can't bear the threat of unemployment, and Abbot would do anything to help him. So, Abbot suggests they take advantage of academia's peculiarities and pursue a spousal hire.
The only problem? They're not married.
That, and they already pretended to date. They're not going to fake an engagement too... are they?
The New Place is a steamy, m/m romance. If you loved The Place Between, then this sequel is your perfect next read, as Ned and Abbot rely on the strength of their relationship to build a shared life.
Ned Coppola's relationship couldn’t be better, his career is taking off, and his life is finally on track.
Henry Abbot is just as happy, because he has Ned. The only thing better than their romance is anticipating their future together.
But just as a top university recruits Abbot, Ned learns he might be facing another job hunt. Ned can't bear the threat of unemployment, and Abbot would do anything to help him. So, Abbot suggests they take advantage of academia's peculiarities and pursue a spousal hire.
The only problem? They're not married.
That, and they already pretended to date. They're not going to fake an engagement too... are they?
The New Place is a steamy, m/m romance. If you loved The Place Between, then this sequel is your perfect next read, as Ned and Abbot rely on the strength of their relationship to build a shared life.
444 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 24, 2026
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September 24, 2026
I loved being able to catch up with Ned and Abbot! The first book was only in Ned’s POV so it was exciting to be able to read Abbot’s along with Ned’s in this book. Abbot is a difficult character to understand in the first book so getting in his head was important.
Ned and Abbot have been together for a year and a half when this book starts. They are going strong but their relationship is a long distance one since Ned is back in Boston and Abbot is still in Maine. Abbot sees an opportunity to work in Boston at the college Ned is currently teaching at and he is very excited but confused when Ned doesn’t seem to be as excited. When a friend of Abbot’s late mother also offers Abbot a position at a top college in Boston there is more confusion between Ned and Abbot. Ned doesn’t understand why Abbot cannot even speak to this woman and doesn’t want this position and Abbot cannot communicate well with Ned since he holds so many conflicting feelings and memories of this woman and her role surrounding his mothers life and death.
It was a bit frustrating for me with these two. They needed to communicate and that was not happening at all. Ned still lives with his parents and has joint custody of his daughter but he is in so much debt from school and child support that he is ashamed to admit he cannot buy a house with Abbot. Abbot is in a great financial position so he wants to buy a house with Ned.
When Ned’s college shuts down Abbot decides that he can take the new position with his mother’s friend but he wants Ned to also be hired as a spousal hire. To achieve this they need to show that they are committed in some way such as living together or having plans to be married. Abbot sees no problem with faking an engagement but Ned is wary. This hurts Abbot’s feelings because he wants this to actually be happening but has no clue that Ned feels like he is not on equal footing financially or professionally.
All of this could’ve been easily remedied with conversations but Abbot is not good with that at all and Ned was too ashamed to talk to Abbot. There was tension in their relationship and with friends and Abbot’s family causing more friction it didn’t help.
Overall I enjoyed this, lack of communication and all. Ned’s father is as amazing in this book as he was in the first book. Abbot was welcome into their family and that was nice to see. These characters deserved to be happy and I’d love to catch up again with them in the future.
ARC received for review
All thoughts and opinions are my own
Ned and Abbot have been together for a year and a half when this book starts. They are going strong but their relationship is a long distance one since Ned is back in Boston and Abbot is still in Maine. Abbot sees an opportunity to work in Boston at the college Ned is currently teaching at and he is very excited but confused when Ned doesn’t seem to be as excited. When a friend of Abbot’s late mother also offers Abbot a position at a top college in Boston there is more confusion between Ned and Abbot. Ned doesn’t understand why Abbot cannot even speak to this woman and doesn’t want this position and Abbot cannot communicate well with Ned since he holds so many conflicting feelings and memories of this woman and her role surrounding his mothers life and death.
It was a bit frustrating for me with these two. They needed to communicate and that was not happening at all. Ned still lives with his parents and has joint custody of his daughter but he is in so much debt from school and child support that he is ashamed to admit he cannot buy a house with Abbot. Abbot is in a great financial position so he wants to buy a house with Ned.
When Ned’s college shuts down Abbot decides that he can take the new position with his mother’s friend but he wants Ned to also be hired as a spousal hire. To achieve this they need to show that they are committed in some way such as living together or having plans to be married. Abbot sees no problem with faking an engagement but Ned is wary. This hurts Abbot’s feelings because he wants this to actually be happening but has no clue that Ned feels like he is not on equal footing financially or professionally.
All of this could’ve been easily remedied with conversations but Abbot is not good with that at all and Ned was too ashamed to talk to Abbot. There was tension in their relationship and with friends and Abbot’s family causing more friction it didn’t help.
Overall I enjoyed this, lack of communication and all. Ned’s father is as amazing in this book as he was in the first book. Abbot was welcome into their family and that was nice to see. These characters deserved to be happy and I’d love to catch up again with them in the future.
ARC received for review
All thoughts and opinions are my own
September 24, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Author
So very few romances show in detail what happens after the main couple gets together, and that was one of the reasons I was looking forward to reading The new Place. This follows Ned and Abbott's story immediately after The Place Between, and the struggles of juggling a long distance relationship. Adding to that their ongoing insecurities, especially the pressure of Ned's financial issues and Abbot's reluctance to discuss his family, and things start feeling a bit too much for them. Somewhere along the way they need to fake an engagement and what follows is pretty much chaos and confusion overall, especially when they start failing to communicate properly.
I enjoyed how real this felt, especially from Ned's POV. His insecurities were quite valid and relatable. I couldn't so much understand Abbot's, but I guess when you are used to being so emotionally distant about parts of your past it's hard to act differently.
I never doubted the happy ending though, and was glad to see how both characters grow and work to solve their problems.
Would definitely recommend this as a must read if you enjoyed book 1 and these characters !
So very few romances show in detail what happens after the main couple gets together, and that was one of the reasons I was looking forward to reading The new Place. This follows Ned and Abbott's story immediately after The Place Between, and the struggles of juggling a long distance relationship. Adding to that their ongoing insecurities, especially the pressure of Ned's financial issues and Abbot's reluctance to discuss his family, and things start feeling a bit too much for them. Somewhere along the way they need to fake an engagement and what follows is pretty much chaos and confusion overall, especially when they start failing to communicate properly.
I enjoyed how real this felt, especially from Ned's POV. His insecurities were quite valid and relatable. I couldn't so much understand Abbot's, but I guess when you are used to being so emotionally distant about parts of your past it's hard to act differently.
I never doubted the happy ending though, and was glad to see how both characters grow and work to solve their problems.
Would definitely recommend this as a must read if you enjoyed book 1 and these characters !
Review of advance copy received from Author
One of my favorite stories is the place between i always find myself rereading it so when the author announced that we were getting a sequel I was over the roof with excitement.
If you read the place in between then you know they fake date that ultimately became a reality, well now The New Place is them being happy and in a relationship but still having somewhat of a long distance relationship that is kind of being hard on Abbot but when an opportunity opens for him to teach close to Ned he immediately starts planning but he doesn’t count on Ned loosing his job and for the reappearance of someone of his past with a great opportunity for him and Ned but this time the will have to fake being engaged.
The New Place was amazing loved both Ned and Abbot I would say both had a lot of to work on this time around we get to dive into Abbot family past and how that has affect him, and Ned still struggling with being a single father and being in debt when he finally thought things were settling down he gets the news that he will loose his job add the pressure he feels not being enough for Abbot so their journey wasn’t easy but I love that both find that happiness they deserve. Overall i love their story it was such a pleasure to get read about them again, my only complaint is the pacing some parts were rushed other parts were dragged so I would have love had the author kept a steady pace throughout the story but it was good regardless, if you love the first definitely read it.
If you read the place in between then you know they fake date that ultimately became a reality, well now The New Place is them being happy and in a relationship but still having somewhat of a long distance relationship that is kind of being hard on Abbot but when an opportunity opens for him to teach close to Ned he immediately starts planning but he doesn’t count on Ned loosing his job and for the reappearance of someone of his past with a great opportunity for him and Ned but this time the will have to fake being engaged.
The New Place was amazing loved both Ned and Abbot I would say both had a lot of to work on this time around we get to dive into Abbot family past and how that has affect him, and Ned still struggling with being a single father and being in debt when he finally thought things were settling down he gets the news that he will loose his job add the pressure he feels not being enough for Abbot so their journey wasn’t easy but I love that both find that happiness they deserve. Overall i love their story it was such a pleasure to get read about them again, my only complaint is the pacing some parts were rushed other parts were dragged so I would have love had the author kept a steady pace throughout the story but it was good regardless, if you love the first definitely read it.
September 28, 2026
4.25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A well-written sequel to one of my favorite books of all time?? HELL YEAH. I have been in the slump of reading slumps, so getting to dive back into the universe of Ned and Abbott was so refreshing.
The story, told in dual pov (yay!), picks up 1.5 yrs after the conclusion of The Place Between. We find Ned and Abbott in love and navigating an “inconvenient” distance relationship. Ned is loving life, working at Adams, parenting Peggy, with his perfect boyfriend, but life throws him a curveball that suddenly starts bringing to light some of the less perfect aspects of Ned’s life. Abbott, equally loving life with Ned, is starting to think more and more of the future when life throws him a curveball. Like Ned, it starts to bring to light things he’s been keeping tucked deeply away.
Look I’m not going to lie, these two are frustrating as all get out in this. BUT this story is an excellent representation of a quasi-long distance relationship and what happens when sh-t starts getting real. It’s so easy to stay in the bubble of fun, levity, and sex when your time together is limited. I mean who wants to weigh down the weekend with deep, serious discussions when you only have 2 days before you’re separated again? Well with Ned and Abbott’s dual curveballs it forces them both to confront hard topics and have uncomfortable conversations. They might take painstakingly long to get where you want them to go, but when they do it’s perfection.
The love between them felt so genuine, and I loved this look into seeing them truly together as a couple. There were so many wonderful moments in this that just punched me in the heart (complimentary). Like Abbott with the necklace HELLO 😭 I also loved seeing Pat and Ned’s parents again, as well as seeing a bit more of Abbott’s dad and sister Liesel. I can’t say enough about how great the dual pov was too. Getting to see inside both their heads just made the story that much richer.
Needless to say I loved this (despite the silly premise which was still fun), and if Kit wants to make this a trilogy I’ll be there!
A well-written sequel to one of my favorite books of all time?? HELL YEAH. I have been in the slump of reading slumps, so getting to dive back into the universe of Ned and Abbott was so refreshing.
The story, told in dual pov (yay!), picks up 1.5 yrs after the conclusion of The Place Between. We find Ned and Abbott in love and navigating an “inconvenient” distance relationship. Ned is loving life, working at Adams, parenting Peggy, with his perfect boyfriend, but life throws him a curveball that suddenly starts bringing to light some of the less perfect aspects of Ned’s life. Abbott, equally loving life with Ned, is starting to think more and more of the future when life throws him a curveball. Like Ned, it starts to bring to light things he’s been keeping tucked deeply away.
Look I’m not going to lie, these two are frustrating as all get out in this. BUT this story is an excellent representation of a quasi-long distance relationship and what happens when sh-t starts getting real. It’s so easy to stay in the bubble of fun, levity, and sex when your time together is limited. I mean who wants to weigh down the weekend with deep, serious discussions when you only have 2 days before you’re separated again? Well with Ned and Abbott’s dual curveballs it forces them both to confront hard topics and have uncomfortable conversations. They might take painstakingly long to get where you want them to go, but when they do it’s perfection.
The love between them felt so genuine, and I loved this look into seeing them truly together as a couple. There were so many wonderful moments in this that just punched me in the heart (complimentary). Like Abbott with the necklace HELLO 😭 I also loved seeing Pat and Ned’s parents again, as well as seeing a bit more of Abbott’s dad and sister Liesel. I can’t say enough about how great the dual pov was too. Getting to see inside both their heads just made the story that much richer.
Needless to say I loved this (despite the silly premise which was still fun), and if Kit wants to make this a trilogy I’ll be there!
Read
September 25, 2026It's interesting to start a romance novel with the MCs in an established relationship. Normally 'I love you' signals the end of a romance plot, but here it's a starting point - 'I love you, so how do we make this work?'
This book felt less like a standalone sequel, more like a way to fill in the gaps left by The Place Between. Ned still needed to work through the fallout of his divorce and figure out his blended family situation. Abbot needed to actually finally please talk to another human about his past. Neither of them gets an easy ride here - we've got career trouble, financial trouble, profound grief, and the general nightmare that is moving to a new city. And on top of all that they have to suffer through each other's terrible statistics jokes.
In classic Kit Oliver fashion, this book drew out the tension way longer than was comfortable - a lot of major plot developments here happened about three chapters later than I needed them to for the sake of everyone's health and sanity. Her other specialty - chaotic multi-voice conversations where the Big Thing that the main characters really really need to say to each other is completely drowned out by family and friends - also got a lot of play in this book. As a result I did a lot of yelling at the MCs to just *talk* to each other already, because why are these highly educated people such fools?
Frustration aside, though, I'm delighted Kit Oliver is back with a new book for me to read.
This book felt less like a standalone sequel, more like a way to fill in the gaps left by The Place Between. Ned still needed to work through the fallout of his divorce and figure out his blended family situation. Abbot needed to actually finally please talk to another human about his past. Neither of them gets an easy ride here - we've got career trouble, financial trouble, profound grief, and the general nightmare that is moving to a new city. And on top of all that they have to suffer through each other's terrible statistics jokes.
In classic Kit Oliver fashion, this book drew out the tension way longer than was comfortable - a lot of major plot developments here happened about three chapters later than I needed them to for the sake of everyone's health and sanity. Her other specialty - chaotic multi-voice conversations where the Big Thing that the main characters really really need to say to each other is completely drowned out by family and friends - also got a lot of play in this book. As a result I did a lot of yelling at the MCs to just *talk* to each other already, because why are these highly educated people such fools?
Frustration aside, though, I'm delighted Kit Oliver is back with a new book for me to read.
October 9, 2026
As a huge fan of The Place Between, I looked forward to the sequel both with excitement and slight dread.
However, the latter was not necessary, as this is certainly a worthy sequel!
We pick up some time after the previous book and this time we have the advantage of chapters with both Ned's POV as well as Abbot's POV. After the first book, it was nice to have some more insight into Abbot's head (although we already got a short peak in his head in the bonus story).
The story does an excellent job of picking up several unresolved/lingering threads of the previous book: Abbot's past, his struggle with his mother's death, his strained relationship with his father, ... and Ned's struggle with feeling like he is not where he should be at his age, his imposter syndrome while navigating academia, etc. On top of that, Ned needs to find a new job, and Abbot is confronted by his past when someone from back then reappears in his life with whom he has a very complicated relationship.
While all these threads cause a lot of tension in Ned and Abbot's relationship, they also create a realistic, mature relationship. The problems in book 1 did not just disappear. Ned's problems were not magically solved after falling in love with Abbot, and nor were Abbot's. Certainly, Ned's troubles with thinking he is not where he should be at his age is especially relatable, as is his financial troubles in general and how they impact his dating life and plans for the future.
Yet, the author also continuously shows us why they work as a couple. How they interact with each other, small gestures, taking time for each other, respecting each other's boundaries, etc. And throughout all the unexpected events they face and the doubts, their enthusiasm and love for each other are made clear again and again.
Although I'm not a fan of the classic 'miscommunication'-trope, it did work in this book, as both Ned and Abbot's struggles are things they feel shame about, and they actually do try to communicate to each other about it, but relying on unhandy gestures, unspoken things, implicit hints, etc. in hope that the other gets it - which they don't.
I did miss the old Calahan-characters in this book. They do appear from time to time and they shine when they do, but they could have used more 'screen time'.
The new characters Clair and Beverly were great additions. Beverly helps reveal more about Abbot, why he is the way he is, how he struggles with his past. Clair is more of a fun addition, although near the end, during a conversation between her and Abbot about Ned, I wondered about Clair her reasoning skills. But other than that, she was a nice addition.
All in all, loved the book. Not as great as the first book, but definitely a great sequel!
(I had received an ARC from the author. The review is completely my own)
However, the latter was not necessary, as this is certainly a worthy sequel!
We pick up some time after the previous book and this time we have the advantage of chapters with both Ned's POV as well as Abbot's POV. After the first book, it was nice to have some more insight into Abbot's head (although we already got a short peak in his head in the bonus story).
The story does an excellent job of picking up several unresolved/lingering threads of the previous book: Abbot's past, his struggle with his mother's death, his strained relationship with his father, ... and Ned's struggle with feeling like he is not where he should be at his age, his imposter syndrome while navigating academia, etc. On top of that, Ned needs to find a new job, and Abbot is confronted by his past when someone from back then reappears in his life with whom he has a very complicated relationship.
While all these threads cause a lot of tension in Ned and Abbot's relationship, they also create a realistic, mature relationship. The problems in book 1 did not just disappear. Ned's problems were not magically solved after falling in love with Abbot, and nor were Abbot's. Certainly, Ned's troubles with thinking he is not where he should be at his age is especially relatable, as is his financial troubles in general and how they impact his dating life and plans for the future.
Yet, the author also continuously shows us why they work as a couple. How they interact with each other, small gestures, taking time for each other, respecting each other's boundaries, etc. And throughout all the unexpected events they face and the doubts, their enthusiasm and love for each other are made clear again and again.
Although I'm not a fan of the classic 'miscommunication'-trope, it did work in this book, as both Ned and Abbot's struggles are things they feel shame about, and they actually do try to communicate to each other about it, but relying on unhandy gestures, unspoken things, implicit hints, etc. in hope that the other gets it - which they don't.
I did miss the old Calahan-characters in this book. They do appear from time to time and they shine when they do, but they could have used more 'screen time'.
The new characters Clair and Beverly were great additions. Beverly helps reveal more about Abbot, why he is the way he is, how he struggles with his past. Clair is more of a fun addition, although near the end, during a conversation between her and Abbot about Ned, I wondered about Clair her reasoning skills. But other than that, she was a nice addition.
All in all, loved the book. Not as great as the first book, but definitely a great sequel!
(I had received an ARC from the author. The review is completely my own)
September 24, 2026
Ned and Abbot shenan'd once and they're back to shenan-again. Aside from the distressed DM i sent for reassurance, reading this was such a fun trip. It has everything the first one does- enough devotion to make you jealous, academia woes, and fake relationship development. But, somehow, nothing can ever be simple or easy for these two and the twists and turns are what makes history repeating worth the trot. Another delightful look into ned and abbot's continuing relationship. What next, fake adoption??
September 24, 2026
Many thank yous to Kit Oliver for an ARC of The New Place!!!
Literally, the second I saw that Ned and Abbot were getting another book, I knew I needed to read it immediately. I absolutely loved The Place Between and knowing we were getting more of these two had me GIDDY!
This book did not disappoint and was everything I hoped it would be. In particular though, I think this book did such an incredible job of making you feel the chaos of that moment when 10 million things are happening all at once and you don’t know where your attention needs to go and it’s all just stressing 👏🏻 you 👏🏻 out 👏🏻! I could feel my own heart rate in increasing in those moments these characters were having to navigate and I felt like I was right there with them feeling what they were feeling. Both of these characters still had things to unpack personally and in what that means for their relationship, and I thought the way this book explored that was really well done.
Literally, the second I saw that Ned and Abbot were getting another book, I knew I needed to read it immediately. I absolutely loved The Place Between and knowing we were getting more of these two had me GIDDY!
This book did not disappoint and was everything I hoped it would be. In particular though, I think this book did such an incredible job of making you feel the chaos of that moment when 10 million things are happening all at once and you don’t know where your attention needs to go and it’s all just stressing 👏🏻 you 👏🏻 out 👏🏻! I could feel my own heart rate in increasing in those moments these characters were having to navigate and I felt like I was right there with them feeling what they were feeling. Both of these characters still had things to unpack personally and in what that means for their relationship, and I thought the way this book explored that was really well done.
September 25, 2026
major thanks to kit oliver for an arc copy of the new place!
there might be some mild spoilers!
so happy we got a sequel to ned and abbot’s love story. the place between is one of my favorite romance books ever. i love these guys so much. they’re just two cute professors in love with each other. while they annoyed me a little bit with their lack of communication in this one, their issues felt real, and the epilogue made it all worth it.
this book follows established couple ned and abbot as they navigate a long-distance relationship. when ned hears that the university he's working at is closing down and that he will soon be out of work, he's left wondering what's next for him. when abbot gets a job opportunity at a very prestigious university, ned and abbott decide to have ned pursue a spousal hire, which involves them having to officially "confirm" their dedication and commitment to each other, in a way. they've been together for 1.5 years and clearly love each other a lot, but their individual insecurities get in the way of them communicating with one another.
when ned and abbot have a talk with beverly, the university's dean and a touchy subject for abbot, all of their troubles come to light, and they are faced with the fact that, though they love each other very much, they've never spoken about marriage, buying property together, or other things that long-term partners typically commit to together.
i loved this scene. i loved that it meant they had to finally face the music and talk about their long-term plans. it was a wake-up call that sometimes, love isn't enough.
but then, the big talk never really happened.
it was hard to see them struggling to communicate. whenever a scene came where it looked like they were finally getting somewhere and were finally going to talk about their inner struggles, the scene ended. a lot of their time together was them skating past their main issues because they were afraid of what the other might think. it wasn't until well towards the end of the book that they finally talked about what abbot was hiding about his past and what ned was hiding about his financial situation.
i'm happy we get abbot's pov, but i still can't say i know too much about him. i was hoping he'd be more open with ned, and more open in his internal thoughts as well. i also wish we got more long, domestic scenes with them together.
overall, i enjoyed this book so much. the scenes where abbot spends time with ned and his parents are super sweet; ned's parents are just amazing. i also thought the epilogue was beautiful written and emotional, a testament to their love for one other. kit is a fantastic writer and really brought all the scenes to life. i was a big fan of the book's setting as well, super cozy! i'm happy we got to read more of ned and abbot; i just wish they communicated better and that there were more cute scenes with just the two of them!
i'm gonna miss these guys.
*i received an arc from the author in exchange for an honest review. all thoughts are my own.*
there might be some mild spoilers!
so happy we got a sequel to ned and abbot’s love story. the place between is one of my favorite romance books ever. i love these guys so much. they’re just two cute professors in love with each other. while they annoyed me a little bit with their lack of communication in this one, their issues felt real, and the epilogue made it all worth it.
this book follows established couple ned and abbot as they navigate a long-distance relationship. when ned hears that the university he's working at is closing down and that he will soon be out of work, he's left wondering what's next for him. when abbot gets a job opportunity at a very prestigious university, ned and abbott decide to have ned pursue a spousal hire, which involves them having to officially "confirm" their dedication and commitment to each other, in a way. they've been together for 1.5 years and clearly love each other a lot, but their individual insecurities get in the way of them communicating with one another.
when ned and abbot have a talk with beverly, the university's dean and a touchy subject for abbot, all of their troubles come to light, and they are faced with the fact that, though they love each other very much, they've never spoken about marriage, buying property together, or other things that long-term partners typically commit to together.
i loved this scene. i loved that it meant they had to finally face the music and talk about their long-term plans. it was a wake-up call that sometimes, love isn't enough.
but then, the big talk never really happened.
it was hard to see them struggling to communicate. whenever a scene came where it looked like they were finally getting somewhere and were finally going to talk about their inner struggles, the scene ended. a lot of their time together was them skating past their main issues because they were afraid of what the other might think. it wasn't until well towards the end of the book that they finally talked about what abbot was hiding about his past and what ned was hiding about his financial situation.
i'm happy we get abbot's pov, but i still can't say i know too much about him. i was hoping he'd be more open with ned, and more open in his internal thoughts as well. i also wish we got more long, domestic scenes with them together.
overall, i enjoyed this book so much. the scenes where abbot spends time with ned and his parents are super sweet; ned's parents are just amazing. i also thought the epilogue was beautiful written and emotional, a testament to their love for one other. kit is a fantastic writer and really brought all the scenes to life. i was a big fan of the book's setting as well, super cozy! i'm happy we got to read more of ned and abbot; i just wish they communicated better and that there were more cute scenes with just the two of them!
i'm gonna miss these guys.
*i received an arc from the author in exchange for an honest review. all thoughts are my own.*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
(Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book!)
I think The New Place is a sequel perfectly executed.
First of all, it followed the theme of the first book and made the fake marriage premise, however absurd, actually work.
Then it was able to mantain all the charm and angst, expertly woven together, while adding depth to the existing characters or introducing new ones. I'm really glad we got to see a lot more of Liesl and Pat, and Claire and Susan were a great addition!
And, most importantly, what I loved about The New Place was going back to Ned and Abbot's story and being able to see what was next for them.
If The Place Between was all about the falling-in-love part, The New Place is about the staying-together part of a relationship.
It's about exploring what a relationship becomes after the first "sunshine and roses" initial period, and what it really means to build something meaningful and lasting together.
Well, for Ned and Abbot it means opening up to one another about their pasts and their insecurities. It means, trusting one another, and communicating.
Honestly, it was a bit frustrating how much they refused to talk to each other about how they felt, about the important things. Although, that's the core of it, isn't it? Talking about the important things is hard.
But it's the realization that they couldn't go on if they didn't. The choice to do the hard work because it's worth it. That's the beautiful part.
As readers, we go along on the same journey as Ned and Abbot, we go deeper into what worries them and what scares them. We learn more about their pasts and what shaped them into who they are today.
We especially get to know Abbot a lot more, thanks to his POV being introduced into this book. And now suddenly a lot of his behaviours in the first book make much more sense...
And then we come up on the other side, finding ourselves in A New Place of understanding.
I think The New Place is a sequel perfectly executed.
First of all, it followed the theme of the first book and made the fake marriage premise, however absurd, actually work.
Then it was able to mantain all the charm and angst, expertly woven together, while adding depth to the existing characters or introducing new ones. I'm really glad we got to see a lot more of Liesl and Pat, and Claire and Susan were a great addition!
And, most importantly, what I loved about The New Place was going back to Ned and Abbot's story and being able to see what was next for them.
If The Place Between was all about the falling-in-love part, The New Place is about the staying-together part of a relationship.
It's about exploring what a relationship becomes after the first "sunshine and roses" initial period, and what it really means to build something meaningful and lasting together.
Well, for Ned and Abbot it means opening up to one another about their pasts and their insecurities. It means, trusting one another, and communicating.
Honestly, it was a bit frustrating how much they refused to talk to each other about how they felt, about the important things. Although, that's the core of it, isn't it? Talking about the important things is hard.
But it's the realization that they couldn't go on if they didn't. The choice to do the hard work because it's worth it. That's the beautiful part.
As readers, we go along on the same journey as Ned and Abbot, we go deeper into what worries them and what scares them. We learn more about their pasts and what shaped them into who they are today.
We especially get to know Abbot a lot more, thanks to his POV being introduced into this book. And now suddenly a lot of his behaviours in the first book make much more sense...
And then we come up on the other side, finding ourselves in A New Place of understanding.
September 24, 2026
How do you top falling in love while pretending to date? By getting hired at a prestigious university while pretending to be engaged. Ned and Abbot are totally committed to one another but the constant commuting between Portland and Boston on the weekends is starting to take a toll. Something has to give and that something is Ned's university closing. Abbot has been offered a professor job that could also maybe give Ned a spot as a spousal hire. But they're not married and don't even live together. Abbot sees this as an opportunity to correct all of that and finally be with Ned full time, but Ned sees it as another failure on his part to be a real adult. He doesn't want to pull Abbot into his financial quagmire and he doesn't want a pity job. I really enjoyed this book and the fact that it was dealing with the real adult issue of trying to blend 2 lives together. The first book was all falling in love and this one is about the hard work it takes for a successful relationship. Not to say that this book isn't delightful, because it really is. It's funny and sweet and pretty hot. You can feel that Ned's reluctance is not because he doesn't love Abbot, it's because he's scared and embarrassed. I liked that we got more insight into Abbot's family which added some dimension that we didn't get in the first book. It was a fun and emotional read that I really recommend.
September 28, 2026
Maybe closer to 3.5. I will start by saying that Abbot and Ned are in my top 10 favorite couples and I was so happy to see them get a sequel. Their personalities are exactly the same from book 1 and getting both POVs was nice, especially getting insight to Abbot's thoughts on some of the events from book 1. This book had me all over the place emotionally. These men stressed me out, and it's a tribute to Kit's writing that when the characters were overstmimulated, so was I. I loved it. What I didn't love was with book 1 being such a slow burn I was hoping we'd get some of the HEA in this book. This book also ended up somehow also being a slow burn and once again got a lot more of the "working it out" than we did of happy couple. Does that fit with how chaotic they are as a couple? Yes. Did I get a little frustrasted reading this? Also yes. Where they end up at the end was great and I think this was a perfect conclusion for them. I also could have done without the Pat side storyline. I love Pat, but that's one of my most abhorred tropes and it really wasn't necessary to the story.
September 24, 2026
I received an ARC of this book!
I loved revisiting Abbot and Ned a year after they started dating. I love them both but their lack of communication is insufferable. How can two grown men who are professors not speak to one another? Ned is in debt up to his ears and Abbot has issues with his mom’s death 10 or so years earlier and his mother’s bff coming back into his life. If only these two men opened their mouths and said words, their lives would be less miserable.
The best part of this book is Pat, Ned’s bff and Ned’s dad. Pat was so sweet in throwing the guys an impromptu wedding in his cafe. Ned’s dad and his obsession with avocados was hysterical. Peggy was adorable as always. Especially with her cape she refused to take off.
I enjoyed this book but it was too long for two people who were stuck in their own heads and not talking to each other about the big things in their life.
I loved revisiting Abbot and Ned a year after they started dating. I love them both but their lack of communication is insufferable. How can two grown men who are professors not speak to one another? Ned is in debt up to his ears and Abbot has issues with his mom’s death 10 or so years earlier and his mother’s bff coming back into his life. If only these two men opened their mouths and said words, their lives would be less miserable.
The best part of this book is Pat, Ned’s bff and Ned’s dad. Pat was so sweet in throwing the guys an impromptu wedding in his cafe. Ned’s dad and his obsession with avocados was hysterical. Peggy was adorable as always. Especially with her cape she refused to take off.
I enjoyed this book but it was too long for two people who were stuck in their own heads and not talking to each other about the big things in their life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2026
It was great to get more of Ned and Abbot and to see how thier relationship developed. They are -at the same time- great and terrible at comunicating thier problems: at one hand they understand each other without worlds, and on the other they still avoid certain problems to the point of me screaming at the book 'just say it out loud!!'. This miscomunication for me took a little too long to fully enjoy the "main event" of the book (Ned, I'm looking at you, especially when he keep pestering Abbot about for not talking about his mom, while, at the same time, he can't say word "debt" without having a panick attack), that's why I gave it 4*.
Overall, it's a great second part of the series. We got Abbots POV, friends and family members create a solid support system for main characters, and we got a HEA - if you liked "the Place Between" I highly recommend this book!
*I received an ARC from Author*
Overall, it's a great second part of the series. We got Abbots POV, friends and family members create a solid support system for main characters, and we got a HEA - if you liked "the Place Between" I highly recommend this book!
*I received an ARC from Author*
September 25, 2026
A Perfect Seaquel
What more can I say about these characters other than I love them? This book is a perfect follow-up to the original and the short novella.
The angst woven between all chapters is perfect for these two and we all know from the first book that they always find themselves in entertaining situations. I love how we got to see more into Charles’ past and hear more about his late wife.
I was so excited receiving an email update from Amazon that this book was out and I’ve read it all in one sitting (I need to be up for work in like 3 hours but couldn’t put this down).
Absolutely fabulous & easily 5 stars
What more can I say about these characters other than I love them? This book is a perfect follow-up to the original and the short novella.
The angst woven between all chapters is perfect for these two and we all know from the first book that they always find themselves in entertaining situations. I love how we got to see more into Charles’ past and hear more about his late wife.
I was so excited receiving an email update from Amazon that this book was out and I’ve read it all in one sitting (I need to be up for work in like 3 hours but couldn’t put this down).
Absolutely fabulous & easily 5 stars
September 24, 2026
Narrative: 📕📘📗📓
Angst: Moderate
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Humor: 😆😆😆
Heart: 💧💧💧💧💧
Romance: ❤️❤️❤️
Burn Time: Moderate
A marvelous addition to the original story and expertly written to showcase the growth but also ever present insecurities of both MCs.
Its all hands on deck with each twist and turn of this surpise plot. We also get to see more of Abbots family and learn just why he's so reserved.
This one is a must read for me.
Angst: Moderate
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Humor: 😆😆😆
Heart: 💧💧💧💧💧
Romance: ❤️❤️❤️
Burn Time: Moderate
A marvelous addition to the original story and expertly written to showcase the growth but also ever present insecurities of both MCs.
Its all hands on deck with each twist and turn of this surpise plot. We also get to see more of Abbots family and learn just why he's so reserved.
This one is a must read for me.
September 24, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Author.
4.4. More than a sequel to a loved book, The Place Between, this was so wonderful.
A continuation of Ned and Abbot’s story, but so substantial that I found it even more essential than the first book - which had a very satisfying and concluding HEA.
This book feels seamless as it starts, but delves into more and more and somehow seems like 80% of their relationship.
I loved this book and all of them.
4.4. More than a sequel to a loved book, The Place Between, this was so wonderful.
A continuation of Ned and Abbot’s story, but so substantial that I found it even more essential than the first book - which had a very satisfying and concluding HEA.
This book feels seamless as it starts, but delves into more and more and somehow seems like 80% of their relationship.
I loved this book and all of them.
September 24, 2026
What a privilege to be an ARC reader for the next chapter in Ned and Abbott’s story. It was so lovely to return to this world, and while I am usually not a huge fan of contemporary fiction, these two’s inability to communicate had me flying through pages like the world-ending stakes of my usual reads do. May we all learn to be vulnerable and find someone who supports us in that. Happy release day, The New Place.
October 3, 2026
This was a really sweet romance. I do like a sequel with an established relationship experiencing the trials and tribulations that life throws at you. The issues are real, but the relationship is solid, which is just the sort of escape I’m usually looking for.
I did not reread The Place Between before reading this, and I don’t think you have to. I easily fell back into the characters without needing a refresher.
The side characters were fantastic. I adored every moment with Pat - he is hilarious and I was laughing out loud pretty much any time he was on the page. Pat appreciation post.
There were a couple of things that I didn’t like. The amount of times Ned anguished over his finances when the solution is so obvious did get a bit wearing. Same with Abbott’s anguish over his mother dying (past, off page). The problems just felt a bit out of proportion with the amount of angst.
Last sort of negative point: PSA for real life - no one should ever think of marrying someone without disclosing their debt. If one partner is not considerate enough to tell the other how their credit score is going to take a hit, that’s a huge red flag.
Mostly, I’m just not a big fan of miscommunication, so these points above didn’t work for me as much. Overall I really enjoyed the book because it’s clear that Abbott and Ned are meant to be and love each other very much. I would be very happy if this became a trilogy… just saying.
I did not reread The Place Between before reading this, and I don’t think you have to. I easily fell back into the characters without needing a refresher.
The side characters were fantastic. I adored every moment with Pat - he is hilarious and I was laughing out loud pretty much any time he was on the page. Pat appreciation post.
There were a couple of things that I didn’t like. The amount of times Ned anguished over his finances when the solution is so obvious did get a bit wearing. Same with Abbott’s anguish over his mother dying (past, off page). The problems just felt a bit out of proportion with the amount of angst.
Last sort of negative point: PSA for real life - no one should ever think of marrying someone without disclosing their debt. If one partner is not considerate enough to tell the other how their credit score is going to take a hit, that’s a huge red flag.
Mostly, I’m just not a big fan of miscommunication, so these points above didn’t work for me as much. Overall I really enjoyed the book because it’s clear that Abbott and Ned are meant to be and love each other very much. I would be very happy if this became a trilogy… just saying.
September 24, 2026
probably gonna add a longer review later but i absolutely loved this!!! so so so happy i was able to get an ARC of this after falling in love with The Place Between and reading it 7 times. This was a perfect continuation of these characters and their story, I couldn’t have asked for a better sequel.
September 24, 2026
Abbott and Ned are the best!
I love Abbott and Ned. They are by far my favorite characters that Kit writes. I loved having Abbott’s perspective this time. They are very relatable characters and the dialogue feels like an actual conversation. I hope she writes a new book about Ned and Abbott every couple of years. This book and the first book are very much comfort reads for me.
I love Abbott and Ned. They are by far my favorite characters that Kit writes. I loved having Abbott’s perspective this time. They are very relatable characters and the dialogue feels like an actual conversation. I hope she writes a new book about Ned and Abbott every couple of years. This book and the first book are very much comfort reads for me.
October 12, 2026
When the idiots in love have Ph.D.s! I absolutely loved this book and I'm so glad to have spent more time with Ned and Abbot. It was so emotional, but still funny and so sweet. Yeah, as someone who works in higher ed (and knows how many colleges there are in Boston), there some suspension of disbelief required, but I couldn't possibly care less, honestly.
October 12, 2026
Eventhough i adore Ned and Henry and i loved them in book 1, these two just frustrated me so much this time around :( Their lack of communication was not cute, im too impatient to wait for them to get their mouths moving.. Gonna have to DNF this one sadly
Review of advance copy received from Author
RTC
September 24, 2026
So glad we got to hear more about these two!
Lots of drama but a satisfying conclusion for this couple. I already can’t wait to read whatever Kit writes next!
Lots of drama but a satisfying conclusion for this couple. I already can’t wait to read whatever Kit writes next!
September 25, 2026
I just love Ned and Abbott! I love them enough that I still enjoyed this so much despite the fact that it was too long yet also felt rushed in terms of certain character/plot points.
September 28, 2026
Loved returning to Ned & Abbot and seeing their story continue!! ♥️ Also loved the dual POV and getting both of their perspectives this time around as well!
A beautiful sequel!!! 🥰🥰
A beautiful sequel!!! 🥰🥰
September 29, 2026
I can't get enough of the little world of Ned and Abbot.
October 7, 2026
This was so lovely .
October 18, 2026
It’s a lovely book, every single character is interesting.
I will definitely re-read it.
I will definitely re-read it.
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