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The Key to You and Me
A sweet and funny LGBTQ+ romance perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Julie Murphy, from the critically acclaimed author of Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit!
Piper Kitts is spending the summer living with her grandmother, training at the barn of a former Olympic horseback rider, and trying to get over her ex-girlfriend. Much to Piper’s dismay, her grandmother is making her face her fear of driving by taking lessons from a girl in town.
Kat Pearson has always suspected that she likes girls but fears her North Carolina town is too small to color outside the lines. But when Piper’s grandmother hires Kat to give her driving lessons, everything changes.
Piper’s not sure if she’s ready to let go of her ex. Kat’s navigating uncharted territory with her new crush. With the summer running out, will they be able to unlock a future together?
"Piper and Kat are imperfect, but always trying their best—aren't we all?—and Brown had me rooting for them all the way through this sweet, slow burn romance. Their triumphs, their blunders, and the way they swing between confidence and self-doubt are utterly relatable."—Misa Sigura, award-winning author of It's Not Like It's a Secret
Piper Kitts is spending the summer living with her grandmother, training at the barn of a former Olympic horseback rider, and trying to get over her ex-girlfriend. Much to Piper’s dismay, her grandmother is making her face her fear of driving by taking lessons from a girl in town.
Kat Pearson has always suspected that she likes girls but fears her North Carolina town is too small to color outside the lines. But when Piper’s grandmother hires Kat to give her driving lessons, everything changes.
Piper’s not sure if she’s ready to let go of her ex. Kat’s navigating uncharted territory with her new crush. With the summer running out, will they be able to unlock a future together?
"Piper and Kat are imperfect, but always trying their best—aren't we all?—and Brown had me rooting for them all the way through this sweet, slow burn romance. Their triumphs, their blunders, and the way they swing between confidence and self-doubt are utterly relatable."—Misa Sigura, award-winning author of It's Not Like It's a Secret
366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 20, 2021
51 people are currently reading
4159 people want to read
About the author
Jaye Robin Brown
7 books475 followersJaye Robin Brown, or JRo to her friends, has been many things in her life--jeweler, mediator, high school art teacher--but now writes full-time. She lives with her wife, dogs, cats, and horses in a sweet house in NC horse country where she hopes to live happily ever after. She is the author of young adult novels, NO PLACE TO FALL, WILL'S STORY, GEORGIA PEACHES AND OTHER FORBIDDEN FRUIT, THE MEANING OF BIRDS, and THE KEY TO YOU AND ME. In 2022 she released her first adult novel, FIVE MONTHS OR FOREVER.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
April 20, 2021
2.75 Stars. This was just okay. I heard this book was a sweet and funny romance about sapphic women who ride horses. I thought yes please! It’s funny that I have not read many books about people who want to compete with horses professionally, but in this past week I have read two. Both were about dressage riders wanting to be in the Olympics. The problem is the first book had a sweeping romance with lots of horses, this book not so much.
I’m familiar with this author and the premise gave me high hopes. The biggest problem is nothing happened. Yes, it was a day in the life of two 18 year-old girls, (taking place over a few weeks) but nothing very exciting happened in those days. There were some driving lessons, some horse riding, one character pinning after her ex, and another character on some stomach turning dates. That’s really it, that’s the book and it wasn’t enough for me.
I know the author is part of the LGBTQ+ community, but I feel like she should have had some sensitivity readers’ look at this. I’m not always good about noticing subtext, and sometimes I miss things right in front of my face, but I did notice, and had issues with, the wording at points about asexuals, bisexuals, and lesbians. I felt like at times it was almost veering into harmful stereotype territory. I don’t think this is anything the author did on purpose; I just think she could have used some more eyes on this. There was also a lot of pressure on one character (by seemingly everyone) to announce she is queer when she still needed time to figure things out. The constant pressure on her rubbed me the wrong way.
According to the blub, this is “A sweet and funny #ownvoices LGBTQ+ romance.” That’s what I was expecting and to not get that was a disappointment. When I say that the characters where not together for the whole book (as a couple), I mean they were not together for the whole book. Any chemistry that started to build would just get snuffed out almost instantly. There were no super sweet or swoon worthy moments. The whole book is about dating other people. If Brown would have made this contemporary fiction, about two friends trying to find love, with other people, in a small southern town… okay that would work. But a romance between the main characters was just not there and I don’t even know if I can tag this book romance.
I’ve had such an up and down reading year and unfortunately I have read too many books that just have not fit my reading tastes. While I’m a huge character driven reader, I need some good plot points to keep me turning the pages. There just was not enough meat here and there wasn’t the adorable romance I was hoping for either.
Thank you to HarperTeen for the ARC.
I’m familiar with this author and the premise gave me high hopes. The biggest problem is nothing happened. Yes, it was a day in the life of two 18 year-old girls, (taking place over a few weeks) but nothing very exciting happened in those days. There were some driving lessons, some horse riding, one character pinning after her ex, and another character on some stomach turning dates. That’s really it, that’s the book and it wasn’t enough for me.
I know the author is part of the LGBTQ+ community, but I feel like she should have had some sensitivity readers’ look at this. I’m not always good about noticing subtext, and sometimes I miss things right in front of my face, but I did notice, and had issues with, the wording at points about asexuals, bisexuals, and lesbians. I felt like at times it was almost veering into harmful stereotype territory. I don’t think this is anything the author did on purpose; I just think she could have used some more eyes on this. There was also a lot of pressure on one character (by seemingly everyone) to announce she is queer when she still needed time to figure things out. The constant pressure on her rubbed me the wrong way.
According to the blub, this is “A sweet and funny #ownvoices LGBTQ+ romance.” That’s what I was expecting and to not get that was a disappointment. When I say that the characters where not together for the whole book (as a couple), I mean they were not together for the whole book. Any chemistry that started to build would just get snuffed out almost instantly. There were no super sweet or swoon worthy moments. The whole book is about dating other people. If Brown would have made this contemporary fiction, about two friends trying to find love, with other people, in a small southern town… okay that would work. But a romance between the main characters was just not there and I don’t even know if I can tag this book romance.
I’ve had such an up and down reading year and unfortunately I have read too many books that just have not fit my reading tastes. While I’m a huge character driven reader, I need some good plot points to keep me turning the pages. There just was not enough meat here and there wasn’t the adorable romance I was hoping for either.
Thank you to HarperTeen for the ARC.
Want to read
June 19, 2020Horses?!
Queer girls?!?!
FEAR OF DRIVING??!?!
This book was clearly written for me.
Queer girls?!?!
FEAR OF DRIVING??!?!
This book was clearly written for me.
June 9, 2021
This is a light and quick contemporary YA featuring sapphic horse girls that's a great summer read. I really liked the whole idea behind this one and it did feature some key rom-com tropes. Plus I quite liked the two narrators, Piper and Kat.
For those thinking this is a YA rom-com, it's not really - it's more a YA contemporary. There are rom-com tropes like misunderstandings and I'm-going-to-set-you-up-except-now-this-has-backfired-because-I-have-feelings-instead, but for most almost half the book, the characters are focused on different people. There's light-level yearning but it's not sapphic yearning (or it is in theory, but it's not the exquisitely classic top-tier sapphic yearning that goes on absolutely forever).
I did notice, however, that a large portion of the supporting wlw characters are rather . . . intent when it comes to intimacy, and it feels like it could be tied into the negative stereotypes about queer people being promiscuous and players. And Kat thinks she could be demiromantic (which is great, yay for demi rep!), but there was some casual acephobia from some characters. Furthermore, Kat's thoughts about being demi do seem to discarded in the latter half the book.
Overall I did enjoy this one, because it was about horse girls and it fits really nicely into that little horse book niche whilst also adding a little LGBTQ+ rep. It's nothing necessarily amazing or impactful, but it's light and I sped through it quickly. It's a good companion to the horsey books I read when I was in my early teens.
Look, at the end of the day . . . publishing, if you start releasing more sapphic horse girl YAs (riders falling in love on the show circuit! girl falling in love with cute stable girl at her new colorado riding retreat! rivals to lovers cowgirls trying to save their ranch from being bought out! equestrian sapphics competing for the olympics! sapphics at boarding school doing equestrian extracurricular! heartland but gayer! etc!) I will read.
rep: lesbian heroine; demiromantic lesbian love interest; lgbtq+ side characters
*
finally . . . representation for sapphic horse girls
Thank you to the publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review!
For those thinking this is a YA rom-com, it's not really - it's more a YA contemporary. There are rom-com tropes like misunderstandings and I'm-going-to-set-you-up-except-now-this-has-backfired-because-I-have-feelings-instead, but for most almost half the book, the characters are focused on different people. There's light-level yearning but it's not sapphic yearning (or it is in theory, but it's not the exquisitely classic top-tier sapphic yearning that goes on absolutely forever).
I did notice, however, that a large portion of the supporting wlw characters are rather . . . intent when it comes to intimacy, and it feels like it could be tied into the negative stereotypes about queer people being promiscuous and players. And Kat thinks she could be demiromantic (which is great, yay for demi rep!), but there was some casual acephobia from some characters. Furthermore, Kat's thoughts about being demi do seem to discarded in the latter half the book.
Overall I did enjoy this one, because it was about horse girls and it fits really nicely into that little horse book niche whilst also adding a little LGBTQ+ rep. It's nothing necessarily amazing or impactful, but it's light and I sped through it quickly. It's a good companion to the horsey books I read when I was in my early teens.
Look, at the end of the day . . . publishing, if you start releasing more sapphic horse girl YAs (riders falling in love on the show circuit! girl falling in love with cute stable girl at her new colorado riding retreat! rivals to lovers cowgirls trying to save their ranch from being bought out! equestrian sapphics competing for the olympics! sapphics at boarding school doing equestrian extracurricular! heartland but gayer! etc!) I will read.
rep: lesbian heroine; demiromantic lesbian love interest; lgbtq+ side characters
*
finally . . . representation for sapphic horse girls
Thank you to the publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review!
May 26, 2021
I’m going to DNF this and I’m very sad about it because sapphic horse girl? Sign me up!
But the writing is strange and idk but the way the author writes her queer characters makes me super uncomfortable at times (which is weird considering the author is queer). So yeah, it’s a big disappointment but I guess it is what it is
***
I'm a simple woman, I see queer girls and horse riding in the same sentence, I click want to read
But the writing is strange and idk but the way the author writes her queer characters makes me super uncomfortable at times (which is weird considering the author is queer). So yeah, it’s a big disappointment but I guess it is what it is
***
I'm a simple woman, I see queer girls and horse riding in the same sentence, I click want to read
May 20, 2025
This sweet slow burn coming of age romance was my third book by Ms Brown and had a lot to like about it, particularly if you love horses. I'm not a horse person at all, but I like them well enough.
Piper has come to stay for the summer with her grandmother MaMolly in North Carolina to train to ride dressage as her former trainer in Massachusetts has retired. She has recently been dumped by her girlfriend there, but still yearning for her. Down South, MaMolly has engaged Kat, a local not sure of her sexuality, to teach Piper to drive and get her license, which terrifies her. In the mix is Dan, a wonderful horse owned by her new trainer, that Piper hopes will help her reach her goals.
Nicely done, but not exactly gripping for a non horse person. 3,5 stars.
Piper has come to stay for the summer with her grandmother MaMolly in North Carolina to train to ride dressage as her former trainer in Massachusetts has retired. She has recently been dumped by her girlfriend there, but still yearning for her. Down South, MaMolly has engaged Kat, a local not sure of her sexuality, to teach Piper to drive and get her license, which terrifies her. In the mix is Dan, a wonderful horse owned by her new trainer, that Piper hopes will help her reach her goals.
Nicely done, but not exactly gripping for a non horse person. 3,5 stars.
June 5, 2021
1.5/5 Stars
This was my first book by Jaye Robin Brown and I was really excited to read it as one of her other books, Georgia, Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit, is one of the classics of sapphic YA literature, but sadly I was let down. The Key to You and Me follows Piper and Kat. Piper is moving across the country to stay with her grandmother over the summer so that she can train with an ex-Olympian horse rider and get over her ex-girlfriend. There she meets Kat who is questioning her sexuality in a small town in North Carolina where everyone knows everyone – that is until she meets Piper and offers to give her driving lessons, and a burgeoning crush starts forming.
When I started the book, admittedly, I was enjoying it and it was a fun contemporary novel that I could listen to as an audiobook in the background while I was crocheting. But I quickly got rather frustrated with the characters and their annoying dynamics! Or rather, let me narrow it down a bit – I got very frustrated with Piper. At the start of the book we find out that Piper has just broken up with her ex, Judith, and is trying her best to get over her. So, we see her going out and taking tonnes of Instagram photos to try and prove that she can have fun with her…and then things went downhill. Right at the start of the book, you can see that there is a kind of spark between Kat and Piper, and the fake dating trope is even implied here too – Piper wants it to look like she’s dating, or at the very least into, Kat so as to make Judith jealous. And I couldn’t help but feel like Piper was leading Kat on throughout the whole book. Kat was trying to figure out her sexuality and was dealing with these new, romantic feelings for Piper – and she was very obvious with it, whether on purpose or not – but then Piper just constantly went on about wanting to get back with Judith or even being pretty demeaning towards Kat, and I really felt sorry for her. There’s a bit later in the book where Kat decides to almost give up on Piper and have fun with other girls, and it’s only then that Piper is like – actually, wait, I do like her, and it just felt super disingenuous and toxic. But maybe that’s just my view on it after reading two sapphic books back to back where the main character and the love interest just weren’t good together at all! Regarding Kat’s other relationship/fling/whatever with another girl, it was an age-gap thing and it made me really uncomfortable. Kat pretends to be 21 and in college in order to get this girl’s attention, even though she’s only 18 and in high school. And even at that, I don’t think her age is mentioned at all prior to this part of the book, just that she’s in high school. The only time she reveals her real age is after getting off with this girl outside a karaoke venue! It just didn’t sit right with me at all.
Aside from that, the plot was so dry. I was promised sapphic horse girls and I barely even got that. I know very little about horse riding, but I really just wanted to get a feel for the sport and how much Piper enjoyed it, but all she seemed to do was moan about having to clean out the stalls. As for Kat…did she have a personality other than having a younger sister and teaching Piper how to drive? Because it certainly didn’t seem like she did!
Finally, there were a few instances of cisexism throughout the book that also didn’t sit right with me, like how Kat’s younger sister exclaimed that she liked dick in lieu of simply saying that she’s straight. There were also jokes made about lesbians looking at other girls in changing rooms and it just was not okay.
Maybe this book would be enjoyable for younger teens just getting into YA contemporary, but for me it was a huge let-down. I think I will give Jaye’s other books a try in the future but they’re definitely not at the top of my priority list!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
This was my first book by Jaye Robin Brown and I was really excited to read it as one of her other books, Georgia, Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit, is one of the classics of sapphic YA literature, but sadly I was let down. The Key to You and Me follows Piper and Kat. Piper is moving across the country to stay with her grandmother over the summer so that she can train with an ex-Olympian horse rider and get over her ex-girlfriend. There she meets Kat who is questioning her sexuality in a small town in North Carolina where everyone knows everyone – that is until she meets Piper and offers to give her driving lessons, and a burgeoning crush starts forming.
When I started the book, admittedly, I was enjoying it and it was a fun contemporary novel that I could listen to as an audiobook in the background while I was crocheting. But I quickly got rather frustrated with the characters and their annoying dynamics! Or rather, let me narrow it down a bit – I got very frustrated with Piper. At the start of the book we find out that Piper has just broken up with her ex, Judith, and is trying her best to get over her. So, we see her going out and taking tonnes of Instagram photos to try and prove that she can have fun with her…and then things went downhill. Right at the start of the book, you can see that there is a kind of spark between Kat and Piper, and the fake dating trope is even implied here too – Piper wants it to look like she’s dating, or at the very least into, Kat so as to make Judith jealous. And I couldn’t help but feel like Piper was leading Kat on throughout the whole book. Kat was trying to figure out her sexuality and was dealing with these new, romantic feelings for Piper – and she was very obvious with it, whether on purpose or not – but then Piper just constantly went on about wanting to get back with Judith or even being pretty demeaning towards Kat, and I really felt sorry for her. There’s a bit later in the book where Kat decides to almost give up on Piper and have fun with other girls, and it’s only then that Piper is like – actually, wait, I do like her, and it just felt super disingenuous and toxic. But maybe that’s just my view on it after reading two sapphic books back to back where the main character and the love interest just weren’t good together at all! Regarding Kat’s other relationship/fling/whatever with another girl, it was an age-gap thing and it made me really uncomfortable. Kat pretends to be 21 and in college in order to get this girl’s attention, even though she’s only 18 and in high school. And even at that, I don’t think her age is mentioned at all prior to this part of the book, just that she’s in high school. The only time she reveals her real age is after getting off with this girl outside a karaoke venue! It just didn’t sit right with me at all.
Aside from that, the plot was so dry. I was promised sapphic horse girls and I barely even got that. I know very little about horse riding, but I really just wanted to get a feel for the sport and how much Piper enjoyed it, but all she seemed to do was moan about having to clean out the stalls. As for Kat…did she have a personality other than having a younger sister and teaching Piper how to drive? Because it certainly didn’t seem like she did!
Finally, there were a few instances of cisexism throughout the book that also didn’t sit right with me, like how Kat’s younger sister exclaimed that she liked dick in lieu of simply saying that she’s straight. There were also jokes made about lesbians looking at other girls in changing rooms and it just was not okay.
Maybe this book would be enjoyable for younger teens just getting into YA contemporary, but for me it was a huge let-down. I think I will give Jaye’s other books a try in the future but they’re definitely not at the top of my priority list!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
January 17, 2021
Maybe 2.5?
I really don't know how I feel about this book.
Not a lot was going on and it became quite repetitive after the first third of the book. Also, there were homophobic/acephobic comments here and there and you could tell that they were meant to be funny but they made me really uncomfortable. I hate when people write that it would be 'easier' to get through life if you were ace, because let me tell you - it is not. It also seems to be the only 'rep' we get in a lot of queer books these days and I'm not a fan - talk about unnecessary drive-by.
Might have to mull over that rating a bit more.
I really don't know how I feel about this book.
Not a lot was going on and it became quite repetitive after the first third of the book. Also, there were homophobic/acephobic comments here and there and you could tell that they were meant to be funny but they made me really uncomfortable. I hate when people write that it would be 'easier' to get through life if you were ace, because let me tell you - it is not. It also seems to be the only 'rep' we get in a lot of queer books these days and I'm not a fan - talk about unnecessary drive-by.
Might have to mull over that rating a bit more.
May 23, 2021
1.5 starts honestly. If you asked me what is something that feels both gay and homophobic, it would be this book. I have never seen the word queer used so many times in one place, and it made me feel only bad vibes. The romance is liiiight, almost nonexistent. Weird age shit, weird non-consensual shit, weird choices for a ya lgbtq+ book written by a lgbtq+ author. Also, I fucking hate it when someone “comes out” and their friends/family say I KNEW IT. No, you didn’t bc they hadn’t told you yet and it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, and boy it is a BIG DEAL in this book. Maybe read it if you really like horses.
Edit: Also, biphobia. Bye.
Edit: Also, biphobia. Bye.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2022
Happy release day to The Key to You and Me! A will-they-won't-they slow burn romance meets high school coming of age in this YA romance by author Jaye Robin Brown.
Senior-to-be, horse-loving Piper decides to spend the summer at her equally horse-obsessed grandmother's home, in hopes of working for a former Olympian in pursuit of her own dream. One condition Piper must meet is getting her driver's license- something she's been terrified to do- while in North Carolina. Her grandmother arranges for a local teen and aspiring entrepreneur, Kat, to give Piper driving lessons and hang out with her for the summer. Kat is questioning her sexuality and figuring herself out, while Piper is out and proud but pining over her ex-girlfriend. This is great for teens going through something similar, and makes for an interesting dynamic between the girls.
The narration is very conversational and perfect for younger YA readers, however there is sexual content so this is something to be aware of. There were a couple of instances where I was uncomfortable reading this because it's about teenagers, but I also know it's important for queer teens now to have that representation available to them. I think my biggest issue was that there was a lot of deception, some predatory-like behaviour, and even characters lying about their age to older queer women. There was a lot of casual biphobia from Piper and the feelings she harboured for her ex, as well as other gay, lesbian and bi tropes that left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.
I would have preferred if the story took a more coming-of-age approach than a teen romance one. The main characters didn't have very much romantic chemistry and seemed better suited as friends on a journey of discovery. But I liked how they supported each other in different ways and would have loved to see the two go on more adventures.
This is great book for horse-lovers, however horseback riding is not the main focus so it's still accessible to those who aren't familiar with the sport! Many thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
CW: sexual innuendos, sexting, underage drinking, adult kissing/hitting on a minor
Senior-to-be, horse-loving Piper decides to spend the summer at her equally horse-obsessed grandmother's home, in hopes of working for a former Olympian in pursuit of her own dream. One condition Piper must meet is getting her driver's license- something she's been terrified to do- while in North Carolina. Her grandmother arranges for a local teen and aspiring entrepreneur, Kat, to give Piper driving lessons and hang out with her for the summer. Kat is questioning her sexuality and figuring herself out, while Piper is out and proud but pining over her ex-girlfriend. This is great for teens going through something similar, and makes for an interesting dynamic between the girls.
The narration is very conversational and perfect for younger YA readers, however there is sexual content so this is something to be aware of. There were a couple of instances where I was uncomfortable reading this because it's about teenagers, but I also know it's important for queer teens now to have that representation available to them. I think my biggest issue was that there was a lot of deception, some predatory-like behaviour, and even characters lying about their age to older queer women. There was a lot of casual biphobia from Piper and the feelings she harboured for her ex, as well as other gay, lesbian and bi tropes that left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.
I would have preferred if the story took a more coming-of-age approach than a teen romance one. The main characters didn't have very much romantic chemistry and seemed better suited as friends on a journey of discovery. But I liked how they supported each other in different ways and would have loved to see the two go on more adventures.
This is great book for horse-lovers, however horseback riding is not the main focus so it's still accessible to those who aren't familiar with the sport! Many thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
CW: sexual innuendos, sexting, underage drinking, adult kissing/hitting on a minor
Read
May 3, 2021This really is the ultimate horse girl book. Unfortunately I am not a horse girl.
The Key to You and Me is about a girl named Piper who is spending the summer living with her grandmother, training at the barn of a former Olympic horseback rider, and trying to get over her ex-girlfriend. Her grandmother soon forces her to face her fear of driving and hires a local girl to teach Piper. Kat has always suspected she liked girls but has always been too afraid to come out in her North Carolina town but when she starts spending time with Piper, everything changes.
While I appreciate what this story was trying to do, oh my god I just didn't. There were so many things that just went wrong for me and I think it just might be the author at this point. After a while this book started to get so repetitive and then it kept doing the same thing. It felt like a lot of the book was just unnecessary and I wasn't a fan.
I can't even say Piper and Kat were cute because they weren't. There is a part where one of them kisses the other without making sure it was okay first and then she's like, "well she didn't like it but it felt so good" and I screamed. It made me so uncomfortable honestly and left a sour taste in my mouth. This kiss is brought up later and they talk about it but at that point I was just done. Then one of them lies about her age and has an entire side plot where she's going to have sex with an older girl and just yikes.
So much of this book is just them talking about horses / driving. So much pls. What is with horse girls why do you talk about horses so much!!! They are just giant dogs!!! Piper's entire life was horses and I just, sis I don't cARE.
While I thought the idea was originally cute- a girl being hired to teach another girl to drive and spend time with her- it just didn't turn out very well for me. Also there were a lot of weird acephobic and homophobic comments and for what?
The Key to You and Me is about a girl named Piper who is spending the summer living with her grandmother, training at the barn of a former Olympic horseback rider, and trying to get over her ex-girlfriend. Her grandmother soon forces her to face her fear of driving and hires a local girl to teach Piper. Kat has always suspected she liked girls but has always been too afraid to come out in her North Carolina town but when she starts spending time with Piper, everything changes.
While I appreciate what this story was trying to do, oh my god I just didn't. There were so many things that just went wrong for me and I think it just might be the author at this point. After a while this book started to get so repetitive and then it kept doing the same thing. It felt like a lot of the book was just unnecessary and I wasn't a fan.
I can't even say Piper and Kat were cute because they weren't. There is a part where one of them kisses the other without making sure it was okay first and then she's like, "well she didn't like it but it felt so good" and I screamed. It made me so uncomfortable honestly and left a sour taste in my mouth. This kiss is brought up later and they talk about it but at that point I was just done. Then one of them lies about her age and has an entire side plot where she's going to have sex with an older girl and just yikes.
So much of this book is just them talking about horses / driving. So much pls. What is with horse girls why do you talk about horses so much!!! They are just giant dogs!!! Piper's entire life was horses and I just, sis I don't cARE.
While I thought the idea was originally cute- a girl being hired to teach another girl to drive and spend time with her- it just didn't turn out very well for me. Also there were a lot of weird acephobic and homophobic comments and for what?
April 20, 2021
I really wanted to like this but this is love square and it can't be more annoying than here. Overall disappointing.
April 25, 2022
The Key to You and Me definitely had its cute moments. At times, though, I was kind of annoyed with what was going on. In this, you will meet Kat and Piper. They were okay characters but pretty predictable. I think out of everyone, I liked Elliot the most. Now he was a precious gem in my eyes.
The romance was okay but at times things felt forced. Whether it was between the two romantic interests or outside of it. I get why some people think Kat's family is pressuring her to come out, but I didn't always see it that way. Maybe I'm wrong but that's just how I felt.
Other than that, it was an okay book. I liked how Piper learned how to drive and got over that fear. I don't really like how she was sort of thrown into driving Kat because she was drunk though. At least they played things safe and were alive the next day. I'm just happy that she got her license and can drive whenever she wants to.
In the end, I'm also kind of happy with how things ended between her and Kat. They were sometimes cute, and I could see them being even happier down the road.
The romance was okay but at times things felt forced. Whether it was between the two romantic interests or outside of it. I get why some people think Kat's family is pressuring her to come out, but I didn't always see it that way. Maybe I'm wrong but that's just how I felt.
Other than that, it was an okay book. I liked how Piper learned how to drive and got over that fear. I don't really like how she was sort of thrown into driving Kat because she was drunk though. At least they played things safe and were alive the next day. I'm just happy that she got her license and can drive whenever she wants to.
In the end, I'm also kind of happy with how things ended between her and Kat. They were sometimes cute, and I could see them being even happier down the road.
Read
May 30, 2021Such a cute book! I had so much fun reading Piper and Kat’s story, so sweet! I had to laugh out loud more than once, Jaye Robin Brown’s humour is awesome! I also loved the writing style, it made me rush through the pages! The ending was a little too fast paced for my personal liking, I would have loved to have a few more pages here. But All in all it was such a nice story, that I’ll definitely read again some day.
June 16, 2021
A beautiful and sweet story that is a positive path of recognition, beginnings, life choices and family relationships among many other topics.
It is not a divine revelation but it was good and the truth is that it hooked me a lot, I just couldn't stop listening to it.
It's entertaining and I found myself wishing the leads all the best.
I enjoyed it a lot.
It is not a divine revelation but it was good and the truth is that it hooked me a lot, I just couldn't stop listening to it.
It's entertaining and I found myself wishing the leads all the best.
I enjoyed it a lot.
August 1, 2021
Messy en onsamenhangende review: Best cva, maar geen hoogvlieger. Heel stereotiep ook. Het was op bepaalde momenten heel awkward hoe bepaalde zaken verwoord werden. Misschien hadden er beter wat sensitivity proeflezers dit boek moeten lezen, en dan had het al veel beter gekund. Ook werd een van de personages praktisch gepusht om uit de kast te komen, en dat wrong enorm tijdens het lezen van het verhaal. Ook het plot was niet om over naar huis te schrijven, eveneens als de schrijfstijl.. Bepaalde uitspraken in dit boek waren gewoon niet oke, en dat wrong enorm. Zoals dat het makkelijker zou zijn als je als ace door het leven gaat, of het typische zoals dat lesbiennes andere meiden begluren in kleedkamers, etc. Nu ja, het boek was gewoon vreemd. Ik wil mijn rating al veranderen naar 1* haha. Romantisch was het ook niet meteen want dit boek was echt het toppunt van slow-burn. Zoals je ziet, niet echt van dit boek genoten dus. Zonde van de tijd.
May 3, 2021
I probably shouldn't have tried this one, in retrospect.
The writing didn't agree with me, I didn't like the age gap stuff, and I mistakenly went in thinking this would be a road trip novel (based solely on the cover having a car).
Full review at the Lesbrary.
The writing didn't agree with me, I didn't like the age gap stuff, and I mistakenly went in thinking this would be a road trip novel (based solely on the cover having a car).
Full review at the Lesbrary.
August 10, 2021
2.75 Stars
This book was a pretty average YA contemporary romance. I liked the characters fine, and the writing was good. The plot was rather predictable and I didn't love it or hate it. I didn't like the themes around coming out in this book. I felt like Kat was being pressured by her family to come out when she wasn't ready, and nothing about that was every addressed. You never have to come out before you're ready, and no one is entitled to your sexuality, folx.
Anyway, this was fine, but not great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Abandonment, Homophobia, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Biphobia
This book was a pretty average YA contemporary romance. I liked the characters fine, and the writing was good. The plot was rather predictable and I didn't love it or hate it. I didn't like the themes around coming out in this book. I felt like Kat was being pressured by her family to come out when she wasn't ready, and nothing about that was every addressed. You never have to come out before you're ready, and no one is entitled to your sexuality, folx.
Anyway, this was fine, but not great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Abandonment, Homophobia, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Biphobia
January 8, 2023
Trigger Warnings: Break-up, cheating, estranged parent, underage drinking, adoption, coming out, non-consensual kiss, off page sex, drunk driving
Representation: Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Adoptee, Lesbian
The Key to You and Me is a sapphic contemporary romance that follows Piper Kitts and Kat Pearson, one summer in North Carolina. Fresh off a break-up, Piper has decided to spend the summer in North Carolina with her grandmother to continue her horse training. When her grandmother forces her to learn to drive from local, Kat, the two become much friendlier than student and teacher.
This was a very cute book! It’s an easy read and all of the characters are very likable. It was nice to learn more about a world (horse riding) that I know nothing about. The storyline is light but it fit the characters very well. This would make a great beach read! I thought Kat was incredibly relatable and I loved being able to see my feelings of labels and coming out on the page. Overall, this was a great sapphic book!
Representation: Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Adoptee, Lesbian
The Key to You and Me is a sapphic contemporary romance that follows Piper Kitts and Kat Pearson, one summer in North Carolina. Fresh off a break-up, Piper has decided to spend the summer in North Carolina with her grandmother to continue her horse training. When her grandmother forces her to learn to drive from local, Kat, the two become much friendlier than student and teacher.
This was a very cute book! It’s an easy read and all of the characters are very likable. It was nice to learn more about a world (horse riding) that I know nothing about. The storyline is light but it fit the characters very well. This would make a great beach read! I thought Kat was incredibly relatable and I loved being able to see my feelings of labels and coming out on the page. Overall, this was a great sapphic book!
December 30, 2022
Literally about to catch up on all the book I've read this year and haven't rated just to say how heart broken the ending made me
April 13, 2021
Rating: 2/5
Being disappointed by such a promising book was not how my day was supposed to go but here we are I guess.
When I read the synopsis of this book months ago, I was like "wow! Sapphics, horse girls, learning to drive, sign me up!" and then I was approved for an eARC and I was elated to finally read it! And then I read it.
Where do I even start with this review?
It was a promising premise that didn't deliver and there were lots of tropes used that aren't my thing. Thus, my low rating. Which is once again, very very disappointing. Because I was looking to root for some horse girls and instead ended up not enjoying either of the two main characters.
So let us just start.
One girl, Piper, rides horses and moves in with her grandmother for the summer to *cough* ride horses *cough*. But she has an ulterior motive to either a) get over her ex-girlfriend or b) make her ex jealous. If you guessed both, you'd be correct. Now okay, that sounds alright. Making people jealous isn't my favorite tropes in books but ya know, this is a sapphic book so I forgive it. But! Her grandmother is also making her learn to drive and hired this girl in town to teach her. We love that here. Books that deal with such mundane, real-world things like learning to drive.
We also get the wonderful POV of Kat. She's trying to figure out her sexuality but she lives in a small town and is afraid to come out. Kat is also the one giving Piper driving lessons. And that's basically the entirety of her character development, which makes her POV pretty boring. But hey, we love a good book that explores figuring out your sexuality, so again, another pass for the sapphics.
Now we get into the thick of things. When they meet, Piper immediately realizes that she can use Kat as a way to make her ex jealous. And how does she do this? By taking photos of them together and posting them to her private socials without Kat's consent (spoiler for later in this review: this won't be the last instance of nonconsent between these two).
Also, let me just add in here that this is a very slow-burn relationship. Like, it's implied that they get together on the last page. May I add something else? There was NO YEARNING! I mean come on, if I'm going to suffer through some slow-burn romance between two characters who were either super boring or super unlikable then the least I could get is a little yearning ya know?
Anyway, let me get back on track. Something that I didn't particularly pick up on in the synopsis is that this book is a hot mess. JK. Kinda. But there is a love square type thing going on, which, is not my thing. To break it down some more. Piper still likes her ex and her ex starts flirting back with her. Piper also starts developing feelings for Kat, but when Kat, who has a crush on Piper from like the first time they meet, finds out that Piper is still hung up on her ex, Kat gets with a woman named Lou. Messy and confusing? Yes. Now let me dissect this for you all. Piper used Kat to make her ex jealous without asking for permission. This is later resolved. Then, Piper and Kat have a non-consensual kiss. Kat then goes and gets with Lou by telling her a bunch of lies. Some of these lies pertaining to her age (Kat is 18 and Lou is in her 20s), and Kat lying and saying that she's out of high school (she isn't). Lots of uncool stuff in my humble opinion.
What else does this book bring to the table you may be wondering? Well, we also have underage drinking, driving without a license, family members pressuring Kat to admit she likes girls, family problems that think they were resolved but never seem to be resolved, and the most lackluster romance I have read this year.
Annnnd, well, I guess that's all of the big points that I wanted to hit on. So, um, not my favorite book of the year and maybe I am a bit salty at wasting my entire day reading this book and being so thoroughly disappointed and bored.
Should you read this book? Sure, I mean if you want to. I just don't think this book worked for me and while I'm sad that this isn't a new sapphic book that I can hype up, I hope other people enjoy it and maybe discover their own sexuality while reading this book or something idk.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperTeen for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Being disappointed by such a promising book was not how my day was supposed to go but here we are I guess.
When I read the synopsis of this book months ago, I was like "wow! Sapphics, horse girls, learning to drive, sign me up!" and then I was approved for an eARC and I was elated to finally read it! And then I read it.
Where do I even start with this review?
It was a promising premise that didn't deliver and there were lots of tropes used that aren't my thing. Thus, my low rating. Which is once again, very very disappointing. Because I was looking to root for some horse girls and instead ended up not enjoying either of the two main characters.
So let us just start.
One girl, Piper, rides horses and moves in with her grandmother for the summer to *cough* ride horses *cough*. But she has an ulterior motive to either a) get over her ex-girlfriend or b) make her ex jealous. If you guessed both, you'd be correct. Now okay, that sounds alright. Making people jealous isn't my favorite tropes in books but ya know, this is a sapphic book so I forgive it. But! Her grandmother is also making her learn to drive and hired this girl in town to teach her. We love that here. Books that deal with such mundane, real-world things like learning to drive.
We also get the wonderful POV of Kat. She's trying to figure out her sexuality but she lives in a small town and is afraid to come out. Kat is also the one giving Piper driving lessons. And that's basically the entirety of her character development, which makes her POV pretty boring. But hey, we love a good book that explores figuring out your sexuality, so again, another pass for the sapphics.
Now we get into the thick of things. When they meet, Piper immediately realizes that she can use Kat as a way to make her ex jealous. And how does she do this? By taking photos of them together and posting them to her private socials without Kat's consent (spoiler for later in this review: this won't be the last instance of nonconsent between these two).
Also, let me just add in here that this is a very slow-burn relationship. Like, it's implied that they get together on the last page. May I add something else? There was NO YEARNING! I mean come on, if I'm going to suffer through some slow-burn romance between two characters who were either super boring or super unlikable then the least I could get is a little yearning ya know?
Anyway, let me get back on track. Something that I didn't particularly pick up on in the synopsis is that this book is a hot mess. JK. Kinda. But there is a love square type thing going on, which, is not my thing. To break it down some more. Piper still likes her ex and her ex starts flirting back with her. Piper also starts developing feelings for Kat, but when Kat, who has a crush on Piper from like the first time they meet, finds out that Piper is still hung up on her ex, Kat gets with a woman named Lou. Messy and confusing? Yes. Now let me dissect this for you all. Piper used Kat to make her ex jealous without asking for permission. This is later resolved. Then, Piper and Kat have a non-consensual kiss. Kat then goes and gets with Lou by telling her a bunch of lies. Some of these lies pertaining to her age (Kat is 18 and Lou is in her 20s), and Kat lying and saying that she's out of high school (she isn't). Lots of uncool stuff in my humble opinion.
What else does this book bring to the table you may be wondering? Well, we also have underage drinking, driving without a license, family members pressuring Kat to admit she likes girls, family problems that think they were resolved but never seem to be resolved, and the most lackluster romance I have read this year.
Annnnd, well, I guess that's all of the big points that I wanted to hit on. So, um, not my favorite book of the year and maybe I am a bit salty at wasting my entire day reading this book and being so thoroughly disappointed and bored.
Should you read this book? Sure, I mean if you want to. I just don't think this book worked for me and while I'm sad that this isn't a new sapphic book that I can hype up, I hope other people enjoy it and maybe discover their own sexuality while reading this book or something idk.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperTeen for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 27, 2021
The synopsis said queer girls + horses + fear of driving and I was HOOKED. I just wasn't expecting it to be a handful of nothing.
Here we follow horse rider Piper, who has big dreams for her future (*cough* one being getting her ex back *cough*), and wanna-be entrepreneur Kat, who's trying to figure out who she is. When MaMolly proposes she teach her granddaughter how to drive, Kat sees it as an opportunity to save money to "invest" in her sister's future, but soon realises it might also be a great opportunity for herself to explore her sexuality. On the other hand, Piper takes advantage of Kat's cuteness and their new friendship as a way of making her ex jealous.
This book had so much potential, but then...... nothing all that exciting happened. In all seriousness though, apart from some driving lessons, horse riding and three parties, NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Judith even pulled a reverse UNO card and STILL. NO DRAMA.
I saw some people describing this as a slow-burn romance, and although I understand the slow-burn — I mean, they DO only (KINDA) get together on the very last page. So yeah. —, WHERE'S THE ROMANCE???? Piper spent most of the book still hung up on what she had with Judith while Kat went on a self-discovery journey with someone else — which, may I add, only begun because she LIED about her age. I sensed little chemistry between the main characters, there were no proper swoon worthy moments (I thought the nickname 'Snow White' was cute, but that's about it), and we got zero character/ relationship development.
But what really grinds my gears in the midst of the hot mess that was this book: the way Kat's entire family constantly pressured her to admit she liked girls. Our girl was STRUGGLING. Her feelings were confusing. The thought of coming out to her judgy and gossipy small town was scary. Forcing her to label herself didn't help. AT ALL. You'd think Elliot being gay and closeted would serve as support and shine a light on her insecurities but noooooo. If anything, it kinda made it worse.
Here we follow horse rider Piper, who has big dreams for her future (*cough* one being getting her ex back *cough*), and wanna-be entrepreneur Kat, who's trying to figure out who she is. When MaMolly proposes she teach her granddaughter how to drive, Kat sees it as an opportunity to save money to "invest" in her sister's future, but soon realises it might also be a great opportunity for herself to explore her sexuality. On the other hand, Piper takes advantage of Kat's cuteness and their new friendship as a way of making her ex jealous.
This book had so much potential, but then...... nothing all that exciting happened. In all seriousness though, apart from some driving lessons, horse riding and three parties, NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Judith even pulled a reverse UNO card and STILL. NO DRAMA.
I saw some people describing this as a slow-burn romance, and although I understand the slow-burn — I mean, they DO only (KINDA) get together on the very last page. So yeah. —, WHERE'S THE ROMANCE???? Piper spent most of the book still hung up on what she had with Judith while Kat went on a self-discovery journey with someone else — which, may I add, only begun because she LIED about her age. I sensed little chemistry between the main characters, there were no proper swoon worthy moments (I thought the nickname 'Snow White' was cute, but that's about it), and we got zero character/ relationship development.
But what really grinds my gears in the midst of the hot mess that was this book: the way Kat's entire family constantly pressured her to admit she liked girls. Our girl was STRUGGLING. Her feelings were confusing. The thought of coming out to her judgy and gossipy small town was scary. Forcing her to label herself didn't help. AT ALL. You'd think Elliot being gay and closeted would serve as support and shine a light on her insecurities but noooooo. If anything, it kinda made it worse.
Read
August 30, 2021The Key to You and Me is a delightful contemporary novel with an f/f romance. Piper and Kat have distinct voices, though I did listen to the audio which very literally had different voices, and I enjoyed both perspectives. There's definitely some messiness here in terms of how the romance unfolds, but it was all for the good to me. It wasn't the sort of mess that made me loathe the main relationship; it all just felt very teenage and very searching for who you are/what you want. The romance itself is cute, and, though it's not a couple I necessarily see lasting long term, they can definitely have a nice HFN, which is perfect for a teen romance. There's a lot of queerness in here, and it's a pretty hate-free environment, so a great choice if you're looking for a fluffy read.
I also highly recommend the audiobook. Both Littrell and Araya do a fantastic job, and I was completely transported into the story by their performances. I really appreciated the casting too, as there's a comment about Piper's deep voice, and the narrator's is a perfect match.
I also highly recommend the audiobook. Both Littrell and Araya do a fantastic job, and I was completely transported into the story by their performances. I really appreciated the casting too, as there's a comment about Piper's deep voice, and the narrator's is a perfect match.
June 26, 2021
1.5 the only salvageable character is kat
November 6, 2021
the only horse girl book i respect
May 28, 2022
When I heard this was a sweet YA romance between a girl who rides horses but is afraid of driving and another girl who will give her lessons to get past her fears, I thought yes please, sounds great! However, will this was a nice easy to listen to kind of book, ultimately it didn't impact me like I wanted it to. I didn't connect with the romance, I wasn't holding my breath or waiting for the anticipation, the chemistry. It went by, I enjoyed myself, I liked the characters enough but nothing more, nothing less. Still a good book though!
June 26, 2021
i was super close to giving it a 2.
May 8, 2022
This was...fine. Not great, not bad. I don't have much to say about it beyond that.
CW: underage drink, non-consensual kiss, homophobia
CW: underage drink, non-consensual kiss, homophobia
June 18, 2023
Super cute love story with horses!
June 22, 2021
I liked the characters but the story just was really kinda boring, had very little conflict, and ended rather abruptly all wrapped up.
January 31, 2022
I wanted sapphics + horses + finding yourself, what I got was incredibly disappointing.
The Rep:
There are some… really weird vaguely biphobic comments in this? I mean, I know the author is queer, but I can't help thinking when reading- "sensitivity readers needed" especially for comments like this (I can't quite remember all the quotes as I listened to this via audiobook):
Everyone and I mean EVERYONE pushes Kat to come out or label herself and UGH. I know that is how it feels sometimes but. It's unchallenged for the most part and it made me really sad for her. The constant "I knew it" after the coming out was so infuriating too!
The Romance:
Barely a SECOND of romance. I mean… I love a good slow burn but this was really frustrating. Like, if u need an idea of what "a second" means, the main two don't get together until
I was not rooting for these two, like, at all. I mean, I wanted them together cuz duh it's a romance but nothing was telling me, yup these two deserve each other. In fact, I feel the OPPOSITE! Piper does not deserve Kat. She's really mean to her at times, tricks her, pushes her, and just, I didn't like piper okay? The weird comments about her ex "choosing a man over her" (and how obsessed she is with said ex) set us up for failure and the rest didn't help that. Kat was SO sweet and as a southern lesbian in a small town, I SO GET THAT. She loves her family, her town, and her community. Piper came with predisposed notions about a small southern town and ended the book with seemingly nothing changed. There was a weird side romance (?) where Kat (18) got with an older lady (21) and I was not a fan of that either (though somehow it was more compelling than the main romance). I was on the verge of DNFing at every single point. I kinda wish I did. I ended up listening to the audiobook at 2.85x speed. Yeah...
The Rest:
The ex plotline was toxic as hell and it felt really... ugh.. to me. I don't love "I'm still stuck on my ex" romances in the first place, but this one was downright bad. If you are looking for a (sporty+sapphic Ya) book that features an mc dealing with a breakup, I suggest She Drives Me Crazy. I think it sets good boundaries, shows a lot of growth, plus has lovable MCs and a really cute romance!
I think the most disappointing thing with this was the lack of promises being fulfilled. I was promised a cute sapphic romance (romance where??) ft. fear of driving (ok u did fulfill this one) and horses (whereeeee? This book barely had any horses aside from the piper moaning about cleaning stalls… you know… an integral part of horse care)
I think this book missed the chance to be a coming of age (cut the romance) (actually cut piper entirely) about Kat as she struggles with her identity in a small town, her journey coming to terms with this (Kat's side romance could stay, but either remove the gap or have the characters self-reflect about what is, and is not, appropriate), and how she deals with being out, queer, and in a small community and embracing both!
The Rep:
There are some… really weird vaguely biphobic comments in this? I mean, I know the author is queer, but I can't help thinking when reading- "sensitivity readers needed" especially for comments like this (I can't quite remember all the quotes as I listened to this via audiobook):
"I’d just been pissed off that she betrayed me. Pissed off she left me for a guy, even though I’d tried to be okay with it."
Everyone and I mean EVERYONE pushes Kat to come out or label herself and UGH. I know that is how it feels sometimes but. It's unchallenged for the most part and it made me really sad for her. The constant "I knew it" after the coming out was so infuriating too!
The Romance:
Barely a SECOND of romance. I mean… I love a good slow burn but this was really frustrating. Like, if u need an idea of what "a second" means, the main two don't get together until
I was not rooting for these two, like, at all. I mean, I wanted them together cuz duh it's a romance but nothing was telling me, yup these two deserve each other. In fact, I feel the OPPOSITE! Piper does not deserve Kat. She's really mean to her at times, tricks her, pushes her, and just, I didn't like piper okay? The weird comments about her ex "choosing a man over her" (and how obsessed she is with said ex) set us up for failure and the rest didn't help that. Kat was SO sweet and as a southern lesbian in a small town, I SO GET THAT. She loves her family, her town, and her community. Piper came with predisposed notions about a small southern town and ended the book with seemingly nothing changed. There was a weird side romance (?) where Kat (18) got with an older lady (21) and I was not a fan of that either (though somehow it was more compelling than the main romance). I was on the verge of DNFing at every single point. I kinda wish I did. I ended up listening to the audiobook at 2.85x speed. Yeah...
The Rest:
The ex plotline was toxic as hell and it felt really... ugh.. to me. I don't love "I'm still stuck on my ex" romances in the first place, but this one was downright bad. If you are looking for a (sporty+sapphic Ya) book that features an mc dealing with a breakup, I suggest She Drives Me Crazy. I think it sets good boundaries, shows a lot of growth, plus has lovable MCs and a really cute romance!
I think the most disappointing thing with this was the lack of promises being fulfilled. I was promised a cute sapphic romance (romance where??) ft. fear of driving (ok u did fulfill this one) and horses (whereeeee? This book barely had any horses aside from the piper moaning about cleaning stalls… you know… an integral part of horse care)
I think this book missed the chance to be a coming of age (cut the romance) (actually cut piper entirely) about Kat as she struggles with her identity in a small town, her journey coming to terms with this (Kat's side romance could stay, but either remove the gap or have the characters self-reflect about what is, and is not, appropriate), and how she deals with being out, queer, and in a small community and embracing both!
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