What do you think?
Rate this book
Next Stop Love #2
The Map to You
Sasha Deforest always seems to fall hardest for girls she can’t have. And she’s never fallen harder than she has for her tough, stubborn best friend Kinsey. Sasha can’t help all the outrageously flirty things that come out of her mouth when they’re together, even if Kinsey always plays it off as a running joke. Sasha doesn’t really mind, though. She likes that they’re just friends. It’s easy. Uncomplicated. And it means she has an excuse not to open up about her troubled family life back home.
Kinsey Han has been nursing one hell of a crush on sweet, sarcastic Sasha for the better part of the last year. Not that she’d ever let Sasha know it. Kinsey tends to express herself by frowning and ordering her loved ones around. Even if she thought Sasha meant all the flirty nonsense she’s always coming up with, Kinsey could never be the kind of cheerful, outgoing woman Sasha deserves to be with. It’s better for everyone if Kinsey keeps her true feelings to herself.
But when Sasha drops everything to drive Kinsey 600 miles to deal with a family emergency, things get complicated. The more time they spend together, the harder it is for Kinsey to keep her feelings for Sasha buried—and the harder it is for Sasha to remember why it’s so important to keep Kinsey at arm’s length. If they continue to conceal the depths of their feelings for each other, they’d be missing out on falling in love with the one person who could truly get them. But taking that chance also means opening themselves up to heartbreak. And neither is sure they’re willing to risk losing the other forever.
Kinsey Han has been nursing one hell of a crush on sweet, sarcastic Sasha for the better part of the last year. Not that she’d ever let Sasha know it. Kinsey tends to express herself by frowning and ordering her loved ones around. Even if she thought Sasha meant all the flirty nonsense she’s always coming up with, Kinsey could never be the kind of cheerful, outgoing woman Sasha deserves to be with. It’s better for everyone if Kinsey keeps her true feelings to herself.
But when Sasha drops everything to drive Kinsey 600 miles to deal with a family emergency, things get complicated. The more time they spend together, the harder it is for Kinsey to keep her feelings for Sasha buried—and the harder it is for Sasha to remember why it’s so important to keep Kinsey at arm’s length. If they continue to conceal the depths of their feelings for each other, they’d be missing out on falling in love with the one person who could truly get them. But taking that chance also means opening themselves up to heartbreak. And neither is sure they’re willing to risk losing the other forever.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2022
6 people are currently reading
1202 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Stockbridge
5 books18 followersRachel Stockbridge writes sweet-but-sweary slice-of-life romances about characters who are flawed, snarky, and lovable. She's always adored imperfect, big-hearted characters. Characters who might make mistakes, who might not know how to communicate all the time, who might struggle with mental health or past trauma that they’re not entirely equipped to handle—but who are brave enough to fight for their happily-ever-afters anyway. She wanted more books with characters like that in the world. So now she writes them.
Be sure to sign up for her mailing list for things like early looks at upcoming releases, exclusive short stories, and a healthy peppering of eclectic song recommendations!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
January 26, 2022
3.25 Stars. An okay read that was much different than I expected. This is one of those cases when ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, means everything. I must have read the blurb wrong, and relied just on the cover, because I thought I was getting a cute and fluffy YA read. I was wrong because this was actually a wicked angsty, NA (characters are 21) read instead. While I do think the book did well at what it was aiming to do, I just didn’t click with it as well as I hoped.
This was not the author’s fault at all, yet it was hard for me to switch gears since I didn’t expect a book like this. I can be picky on my angst levels and while I do like a lot of angst, once in a while, I prefer it to be entertaining soap opera-like angst. This was hella angsty, but in the much more serious kind of way. Not only was it relationship angst, but it was also a lot of emotional angst too. The characters were always in their heads, worrying about everything, when actually a few conversations would have done wonders. It actually started to feel very repetitive because the same few issues would be played out over and over in the main character’s minds. I found myself wishing for more dialogue and constantly being disappointed since it was so few and far between. The writing itself was pretty good, but I’m a dialogue person so I struggled at times.
I think one of the biggest things I had trouble connecting with was that the characters didn’t seem to do much on their own agency at times. Instead, it felt like many things would just happen to them. This story had a best friends to lovers trope, yet they didn’t really fall in love because they found out they were already in love. The real story seemed to be about both main character’s parents and how their relationships with their mother’s again affected them. It seemed a lot of the outside coming in and not much of the other way around. I wanted to see Sasha rip it on the soccer field. I wanted to see their first date and to see them have more first’s together, but instead it was mostly about both of their baggage.
TLDR: This was not the type of story I was expecting, or the type of story I would normally seek out. I don’t always do well with New Adult contemporary stories, and had I not made assumptions from looking at the cover (that this was a sweet YA book instead) I probably would have skipped this read. I think the author can clearly write, but this is the case of me believing that other people would enjoy this story more than I did. If you like stories that are heavy in emotional angst and dealing with family baggage, while lighter on dialogue, this book may be for you.
A copy was given to me to review.
This was not the author’s fault at all, yet it was hard for me to switch gears since I didn’t expect a book like this. I can be picky on my angst levels and while I do like a lot of angst, once in a while, I prefer it to be entertaining soap opera-like angst. This was hella angsty, but in the much more serious kind of way. Not only was it relationship angst, but it was also a lot of emotional angst too. The characters were always in their heads, worrying about everything, when actually a few conversations would have done wonders. It actually started to feel very repetitive because the same few issues would be played out over and over in the main character’s minds. I found myself wishing for more dialogue and constantly being disappointed since it was so few and far between. The writing itself was pretty good, but I’m a dialogue person so I struggled at times.
I think one of the biggest things I had trouble connecting with was that the characters didn’t seem to do much on their own agency at times. Instead, it felt like many things would just happen to them. This story had a best friends to lovers trope, yet they didn’t really fall in love because they found out they were already in love. The real story seemed to be about both main character’s parents and how their relationships with their mother’s again affected them. It seemed a lot of the outside coming in and not much of the other way around. I wanted to see Sasha rip it on the soccer field. I wanted to see their first date and to see them have more first’s together, but instead it was mostly about both of their baggage.
TLDR: This was not the type of story I was expecting, or the type of story I would normally seek out. I don’t always do well with New Adult contemporary stories, and had I not made assumptions from looking at the cover (that this was a sweet YA book instead) I probably would have skipped this read. I think the author can clearly write, but this is the case of me believing that other people would enjoy this story more than I did. If you like stories that are heavy in emotional angst and dealing with family baggage, while lighter on dialogue, this book may be for you.
A copy was given to me to review.
June 1, 2022
I’m on BookTube! =)
**I got this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for giving me a chance to read this book! All the quotes mentioned in my review are from the ARC and might not be in the final version of the book.**
Trigger warnings:
Kinsey allowed herself a slight smolder as she leaned in another inch. “What would you do if I was?”
“I – What?” Sasha stammered, her gaze dropping to Kinsey’s lips.
When I requested the ARC for this book I wanted to read a fluffy and light f/f romance and the cover of the book looked like it would be exactly the kind of book I was searching for. So the big question is: Did I get fluffy and light-hearted? Well, yes , to some extent I did, but I also got some serious topics I didn’t expect and this certainly made the book an even more interesting read. At least for me it did. I always enjoy it if bookish characters have a background story and both characters; Kinsey as well as Sasha delivered on that front. Both in a very different manner, but still in a way that added quite some substance to the story.
”She just had to focus. Stay in control. Get Kinsey to Charlotte, stop being so damn weird, and maybe she could stop things from deteriorating further. Or at least refrain from grabbing Kinsey by the waist and kissing her as best she knew how.”
What I really loved about this book was the flirty and easy banter between the two MCs. It’s so rare to see an f/f couple flirt like that on page and I personally lived and breathed for it. Honestly, there could have been even more of those scenes and I’d have been an even happier camper. The author made sure to give us the right mixture of push and pull though so I can’t really complain about it. Another thing I liked was the fact that Kinsey and Sasha were friends long before they became a thing and since the friends-to-lovers trope is still so rare in literature I really appreciated that the author went for it. It was extremely wholesome to see a couple that knew each other’s habits and quirks and had absolutely no problems to handle them. =)
”The Hans were everything Sasha always wished her own family could have been. Everything she’d given up on. That feeling of belonging. Of safety. Of easy, unconditional love. She’d stopped wishing for it so long ago she’d forgotten how much she’d wanted it.”
But of course not everything in the book was sunshine and rainbows and the darker and serious topics were a constant presence that wove like a red thread through the entire storyline. Sasha’s bad experiences made her the person she was though and they made her character even more real and complex. Whenever Sasha’s past was mentioned I felt really sad for her and I think no kid should ever have to suffer the way she did. Of course it was also very frustrating to see how she tried to shut everything out and sometimes I became as exasperated with her as Kinsey. There were really some moments I just wanted to make her listen so that she’d finally understand, yet at the same time I totally got where she was coming from. With a past like that it’s not easy to trust others and Sasha’s constant struggle to open up and to fight against her inner demons wasn’t only comprehensible but also palpable throughout the entire book.
Conclusion:
All told I really enjoyed reading “The Map to You”! I didn’t expect the book to have such heavy topics and some parts were really stressful to read, the strong friendships and the two MCs did a great job at managing to balance the serious topics though. So if you want to read a book with a cute love story that also has some rough edges to it this one might be the perfect fit for you. ;-)
__________________________________
I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley and I was so happy when I got the notification that my request was approved! =))
This just sounds too cute and I can’t wait to dive into “The Map to You”!
Sapphic romances are still so rare and I really hope this is going to be the fluffy romance I want it to be. So since I put this on My May TBR and the ARC will run out soon I finally decided to tackle it!
I’m sure this is going to be fun! XD
**I got this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for giving me a chance to read this book! All the quotes mentioned in my review are from the ARC and might not be in the final version of the book.**
Trigger warnings:
Kinsey allowed herself a slight smolder as she leaned in another inch. “What would you do if I was?”
“I – What?” Sasha stammered, her gaze dropping to Kinsey’s lips.
When I requested the ARC for this book I wanted to read a fluffy and light f/f romance and the cover of the book looked like it would be exactly the kind of book I was searching for. So the big question is: Did I get fluffy and light-hearted? Well, yes , to some extent I did, but I also got some serious topics I didn’t expect and this certainly made the book an even more interesting read. At least for me it did. I always enjoy it if bookish characters have a background story and both characters; Kinsey as well as Sasha delivered on that front. Both in a very different manner, but still in a way that added quite some substance to the story.
”She just had to focus. Stay in control. Get Kinsey to Charlotte, stop being so damn weird, and maybe she could stop things from deteriorating further. Or at least refrain from grabbing Kinsey by the waist and kissing her as best she knew how.”
What I really loved about this book was the flirty and easy banter between the two MCs. It’s so rare to see an f/f couple flirt like that on page and I personally lived and breathed for it. Honestly, there could have been even more of those scenes and I’d have been an even happier camper. The author made sure to give us the right mixture of push and pull though so I can’t really complain about it. Another thing I liked was the fact that Kinsey and Sasha were friends long before they became a thing and since the friends-to-lovers trope is still so rare in literature I really appreciated that the author went for it. It was extremely wholesome to see a couple that knew each other’s habits and quirks and had absolutely no problems to handle them. =)
”The Hans were everything Sasha always wished her own family could have been. Everything she’d given up on. That feeling of belonging. Of safety. Of easy, unconditional love. She’d stopped wishing for it so long ago she’d forgotten how much she’d wanted it.”
But of course not everything in the book was sunshine and rainbows and the darker and serious topics were a constant presence that wove like a red thread through the entire storyline. Sasha’s bad experiences made her the person she was though and they made her character even more real and complex. Whenever Sasha’s past was mentioned I felt really sad for her and I think no kid should ever have to suffer the way she did. Of course it was also very frustrating to see how she tried to shut everything out and sometimes I became as exasperated with her as Kinsey. There were really some moments I just wanted to make her listen so that she’d finally understand, yet at the same time I totally got where she was coming from. With a past like that it’s not easy to trust others and Sasha’s constant struggle to open up and to fight against her inner demons wasn’t only comprehensible but also palpable throughout the entire book.
Conclusion:
All told I really enjoyed reading “The Map to You”! I didn’t expect the book to have such heavy topics and some parts were really stressful to read, the strong friendships and the two MCs did a great job at managing to balance the serious topics though. So if you want to read a book with a cute love story that also has some rough edges to it this one might be the perfect fit for you. ;-)
__________________________________
I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley and I was so happy when I got the notification that my request was approved! =))
This just sounds too cute and I can’t wait to dive into “The Map to You”!
Sapphic romances are still so rare and I really hope this is going to be the fluffy romance I want it to be. So since I put this on My May TBR and the ARC will run out soon I finally decided to tackle it!
I’m sure this is going to be fun! XD
November 17, 2021
Best friends.
Not my 200th review because I don't leave reviews in sequence. But it's the 200th book I've read / listened to in 2021 and with this, I've hit my reading target for the year.
This is the second book of the Next Stop Love series but you can choose to skip the first if hetero romances aren't your thing. I mean, I didn't even realise Beatrice and Julian have a book because they are there playing a supporting role like every other side hetero couple does in lesfic books. But they seem like nice people, so the first book deserves a chance if it's something you read.
This is not the kind of New Adult novel where the characters are at the sexual exploration phase. They already know that they like women. Thank goodness, because I really hate that trope. Instead, this is about two best friends who are in love with each other but are reluctant to make their feelings known. So they flirt, and the deal is that both of them feel that they're not good enough for the other person. Kinsey thinks that Sasha deserves somebody better. And Sasha sabotages her own happiness because of her own issues and she shuts down when conversations get real.
I thought most of the book is easy to read. I enjoyed the banter between them and even the moments of awkwardness when the banter goes too far. But I had hoped to see more of the friendship between them instead of the internal conflict they have with themselves. There's some mild angst in the book because of the no-communication trope, which I know would frustrate some readers.
I received an ARC from the author through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Not my 200th review because I don't leave reviews in sequence. But it's the 200th book I've read / listened to in 2021 and with this, I've hit my reading target for the year.
This is the second book of the Next Stop Love series but you can choose to skip the first if hetero romances aren't your thing. I mean, I didn't even realise Beatrice and Julian have a book because they are there playing a supporting role like every other side hetero couple does in lesfic books. But they seem like nice people, so the first book deserves a chance if it's something you read.
This is not the kind of New Adult novel where the characters are at the sexual exploration phase. They already know that they like women. Thank goodness, because I really hate that trope. Instead, this is about two best friends who are in love with each other but are reluctant to make their feelings known. So they flirt, and the deal is that both of them feel that they're not good enough for the other person. Kinsey thinks that Sasha deserves somebody better. And Sasha sabotages her own happiness because of her own issues and she shuts down when conversations get real.
I thought most of the book is easy to read. I enjoyed the banter between them and even the moments of awkwardness when the banter goes too far. But I had hoped to see more of the friendship between them instead of the internal conflict they have with themselves. There's some mild angst in the book because of the no-communication trope, which I know would frustrate some readers.
I received an ARC from the author through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 14, 2022
ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating or review.
4 ENDEARING STARS
Three Minute Thoughts:
This was such a sweet book! It was a little darker than expected, with unexpected but meaningful conversations on neglectful parents and toxic relationships, but the adorable sapphic relationship between our protagonists evened out the book nicely. Both our mains had defined and realistic personalities that I loved reading about, and the friends-to-lovers relationship that blossomed between them was so gorgeously depicted. I also didn’t realise this was part of a series when I started it haha, but thankfully it can be read as a standalone, so there was little confusion involved.
The Extended, Long, and Very-Probably-Messy Review:
This was really precious!! Our characters were a little messier and a little older than I originally expected after seeing the cover (I probably should’ve read more about this book before I requested it haha), but I really enjoyed their characters nonetheless, and thought this was a really good bridge between YA and NA. The conversations about issues such as drug addiction and self-esteem problems were valid and well-written, and I really enjoyed this, though it may not have been exactly what I expected.
One of my favourite parts of this book was the relationship that developed between our mains! Their banter was peak quality, and the “playful” flirting between them was heartfluttering, I almost wanted more. I couldn’t help but almost giggle at stages, and though both characters had some serious issues, the fact that they could relax around each other was so sweet.
“‘What’s the matter, darling?… Worried you might be labeled a cougar, what with our insurmountable age gap of slightly over six months?'”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)
Another thing rife in this book was angst, because MY LORD it never stopped haha. That’s not necessarily bad, but it did reach the stage where I just really wanted to shove our mains together and tell them to freaking TALK to each other. But I get it, communication is difficult, and I do have to give props to the author for not fully including the dreaded miscommunication trope.
Oh, and an unexpected but brillant thing in this novel was the family relationships. God knows I’m an absolute sucker for wholesome families – found or otherwise – and Kinsey’s parents really hit that spot for me. They were supportive and funny and adorable, and definitely made me smile on more than one occaison, because who doesn’t love humourous Asian parents! Something that I definitely wish I’d gotten more of was Sasha’s cousin Trevor, because he sounded like a whole riot in the best way, but even just the little aspects of him were so sweet.
“‘You’re not broken, Sasha… You’re a fighter. You always have been.”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)
Overall, this was really sweet – though a little darker than perhaps expected. The characters were three-dimensional and their romance was adorable beyond measure, and with the cute family wholesomeness sprinkled in, this was such a fun, quick read for me. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
4 ENDEARING STARS
Three Minute Thoughts:
This was such a sweet book! It was a little darker than expected, with unexpected but meaningful conversations on neglectful parents and toxic relationships, but the adorable sapphic relationship between our protagonists evened out the book nicely. Both our mains had defined and realistic personalities that I loved reading about, and the friends-to-lovers relationship that blossomed between them was so gorgeously depicted. I also didn’t realise this was part of a series when I started it haha, but thankfully it can be read as a standalone, so there was little confusion involved.
The Extended, Long, and Very-Probably-Messy Review:
This was really precious!! Our characters were a little messier and a little older than I originally expected after seeing the cover (I probably should’ve read more about this book before I requested it haha), but I really enjoyed their characters nonetheless, and thought this was a really good bridge between YA and NA. The conversations about issues such as drug addiction and self-esteem problems were valid and well-written, and I really enjoyed this, though it may not have been exactly what I expected.
One of my favourite parts of this book was the relationship that developed between our mains! Their banter was peak quality, and the “playful” flirting between them was heartfluttering, I almost wanted more. I couldn’t help but almost giggle at stages, and though both characters had some serious issues, the fact that they could relax around each other was so sweet.
“‘What’s the matter, darling?… Worried you might be labeled a cougar, what with our insurmountable age gap of slightly over six months?'”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)
Another thing rife in this book was angst, because MY LORD it never stopped haha. That’s not necessarily bad, but it did reach the stage where I just really wanted to shove our mains together and tell them to freaking TALK to each other. But I get it, communication is difficult, and I do have to give props to the author for not fully including the dreaded miscommunication trope.
Oh, and an unexpected but brillant thing in this novel was the family relationships. God knows I’m an absolute sucker for wholesome families – found or otherwise – and Kinsey’s parents really hit that spot for me. They were supportive and funny and adorable, and definitely made me smile on more than one occaison, because who doesn’t love humourous Asian parents! Something that I definitely wish I’d gotten more of was Sasha’s cousin Trevor, because he sounded like a whole riot in the best way, but even just the little aspects of him were so sweet.
“‘You’re not broken, Sasha… You’re a fighter. You always have been.”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)
Overall, this was really sweet – though a little darker than perhaps expected. The characters were three-dimensional and their romance was adorable beyond measure, and with the cute family wholesomeness sprinkled in, this was such a fun, quick read for me. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
January 11, 2022
genre : NA sapphic romance3.5 stars.
pairing : white sapphic (21) + Chinese American sapphic
POV : dual 3rd-person
location: New York City, NY, USA
indie? : yes
The Map to You opens with a very long prologue, and then we skip ten months ahead. I believe that time gap is covered in the previous book, Next Stop Love, and while it would be nice to have the context in the first book, it is not necessary to enjoy this second installment.
Varsity soccer player Sasha Deforest (21) likes the grumpy, artsy Kinsey Han (Chinese American) even before they became roommates. Now that they are no longer living together and the third person in their best friend squad Beatrice is not around, Sasha and Kinsey’s friendship quickly turns a bit awkward. But when Kinsey’s mother is hospitalized six hundred miles away, Sasha immediately volunteers to drive Kinsey, never mind all the classes they’re going to miss. Throughout the journey, Kinsey also begins to realize that Sasha is not as happy-go-lucky as she seems to be.
Sasha and Kinsey are so cute together! Their own insecurities led themselves to believe that they’re both unlovable, and it made me so happy to see them acknowledging their feelings and working through problems. Yes, they’re both frustrating at times, but being a new adult (or in any period of life, really) is about learning through mistakes and growing more comfortable and confident in oneself.
A large part of the story surrounds Sasha’s relationship with her drug addict mother. While not all drug addicts try to get money for drugs in the guise of asking for food money, that is what her mother has been doing since Sasha was a child. I like how even though Sasha knew she couldn’t rely on her mother to change, she still held out the wish of being cared for. The want of being loved is so real, and losing hope and letting go are always difficult. It was especially painful for Sasha to realize that the loving relationship of the Hans (Kinsey’s parents are so awesome) is something she would never have.
While Sasha and Kinsey’s budding romance is great, I find the dialogues and thoughts feel a bit repetitive. I get that Sasha uses flirtation and joking to dodge questions, Kinsey doesn’t think Sasha would like her grumpy self, etc., but these are reiterated so many times I started to wonder what other facets of their lives we could have seen if the story wasn’t so fixated on these things.
Stockbridge created characters that are easy for readers to care for, and The Map to You was definitely worth the read.
content warnings: child abuse (neglect), drug abuse, hospitalization of side characters, alcohol (intoxication), past abusive relationships
Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!
I received a digital review copy from Rachel Stockbridge via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 10, 2022
3.5 stars. This was pretty cute! Stockbridge’s writing is solid and her characters feel like real people. This book was more intense than I was expecting it to be, and was even a bit angsty at times, but the author retained a light tone throughout. It’s the second book in a series (the first book featuring Beatrice and Julian, who are great in this book) but I was able to understand everything without knowing anything about the previous book. I did, however, feel that we were missing some important aspects of how the MCs’ friendship formed.
NYU student Sasha Deforest (21) has been crushing on her close friend Kinsey Han (21/22, Chinese American) for a while, and Kinsey’s starting to develop feelings for Sasha too. When Sasha decides she’ll drive Kinsey to North Carolina for a family emergency, the close quarters force the two women to face their mutual attraction. But before they’re ready for romance, Sasha and Kinsey must first work through their own personal issues; Sasha’s hesitant to let anyone know about the family issues that’ve harmed her sense of self-worth, and Kinsey thinks her caustic personality is bound to ruin every interpersonal relationship.
Sasha and Kinsey are polar opposites — Sasha is a bubbly soccer player and Kinsey is a prickly graphic design major — and I enjoyed their interactions. They’ve got this thing going on where Sasha flirts and Kinsey deflects, which makes for some awkward yet endearing situations. It also means that it’s super satisfying when pretenses are dropped (Kinsey’s sweet side is so freaking glorious!). I found Kinsey particularly relatable in her difficulties with maintaining relationships with people, and I always like when protagonists are shown having difficulties with social interactions. Stockbridge also does a great job showing the messy new adult experience in which we don’t really know who we are yet.
Sasha and Kinsey have quite a bit of chemistry, but it’s mostly noticeable in the first half of the book where they interact more (as opposed to dealing with other situations). While I’m all for useless sapphics, I found these two to be almost too useless at times, and it’s frustrating how they often just don’t communicate. They could also be pretty annoying at times when lashing out at people, especially Sasha, who we’re told isn’t supposed to be ruffled by much. On a positive note, shoutout to Kinsey’s parents, who are the best characters in the book imo!
Despite all the cute things about this book, I only liked it, mainly because of how repetitive it was. Don’t get me wrong, I like introspective books, but Kinsey and Sasha’s internal struggles are hashed out so often that I started to lose interest. There’s also quite a bit more tell than show imo. Based on the character archetypes of the MCs, this feels like a book I should have loved, but I oftentimes found myself checking to see how much I had left because the pace was dragging. I don’t know, I don’t think there’s much wrong with this book per se — for this one, I’m mostly rating based on vibes.
Despite the few bumps in this book, I did enjoy it and will be looking forward to reading more from Stockbridge!
Buddy read with Hsinju! Check out their review here!
content warnings: alcohol, mentions of alcoholism, mentions of drug abuse, child neglect, guilt, manipulation, hospitalization, non-fatal heart attack (side character), mentions of past toxic relationship
I received an ARC from Rachel Stockbridge via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
NYU student Sasha Deforest (21) has been crushing on her close friend Kinsey Han (21/22, Chinese American) for a while, and Kinsey’s starting to develop feelings for Sasha too. When Sasha decides she’ll drive Kinsey to North Carolina for a family emergency, the close quarters force the two women to face their mutual attraction. But before they’re ready for romance, Sasha and Kinsey must first work through their own personal issues; Sasha’s hesitant to let anyone know about the family issues that’ve harmed her sense of self-worth, and Kinsey thinks her caustic personality is bound to ruin every interpersonal relationship.
Sasha and Kinsey are polar opposites — Sasha is a bubbly soccer player and Kinsey is a prickly graphic design major — and I enjoyed their interactions. They’ve got this thing going on where Sasha flirts and Kinsey deflects, which makes for some awkward yet endearing situations. It also means that it’s super satisfying when pretenses are dropped (Kinsey’s sweet side is so freaking glorious!). I found Kinsey particularly relatable in her difficulties with maintaining relationships with people, and I always like when protagonists are shown having difficulties with social interactions. Stockbridge also does a great job showing the messy new adult experience in which we don’t really know who we are yet.
Sasha and Kinsey have quite a bit of chemistry, but it’s mostly noticeable in the first half of the book where they interact more (as opposed to dealing with other situations). While I’m all for useless sapphics, I found these two to be almost too useless at times, and it’s frustrating how they often just don’t communicate. They could also be pretty annoying at times when lashing out at people, especially Sasha, who we’re told isn’t supposed to be ruffled by much. On a positive note, shoutout to Kinsey’s parents, who are the best characters in the book imo!
Despite all the cute things about this book, I only liked it, mainly because of how repetitive it was. Don’t get me wrong, I like introspective books, but Kinsey and Sasha’s internal struggles are hashed out so often that I started to lose interest. There’s also quite a bit more tell than show imo. Based on the character archetypes of the MCs, this feels like a book I should have loved, but I oftentimes found myself checking to see how much I had left because the pace was dragging. I don’t know, I don’t think there’s much wrong with this book per se — for this one, I’m mostly rating based on vibes.
Despite the few bumps in this book, I did enjoy it and will be looking forward to reading more from Stockbridge!
Buddy read with Hsinju! Check out their review here!
content warnings: alcohol, mentions of alcoholism, mentions of drug abuse, child neglect, guilt, manipulation, hospitalization, non-fatal heart attack (side character), mentions of past toxic relationship
I received an ARC from Rachel Stockbridge via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2021
This was an enjoyable NA book by an author I hadn't read before. This is apparently the second book in a series, and I was unaware of that going in until I was finished with the book so it's fair to say this stands on it's own.
The Map to You follows Sasha Deforest and Kinsey Han who are close friends at NYU. Sasha has had a crush on Kinsey for a while now and has been too afraid to tell her upfront so she deflects her feelings to Kinsey in the form of sarcastic flirting. Kinsey met Sasha right after her heart was broken and after getting through that, started to get feelings for Sasha, but doesn't think exuberant Sasha will ever have feelings for an introvert pessimist like Kinsey. So they both keep their feelings to themselves until a sudden road trip brings them even closer together.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book. This premise promises a lot of angst and it's not let down here. Ask and you shall receive! All the fun parts of a YA friends to lovers book is in the first half. But for me the second half of this book was a more frustrating read.
After Kinsey and Sasha are on their trip parts of their respective pasts come up around them, but they also refuse to talk to each other about it and instead it just drives a wedge between them. And like? Just talk to each other!
It's kinda a joke in queer friend and relationship circles that I know of that we trauma dump far too easily, and there's truth to that. But this seems to be a vast overcorrection and it was just kinda frustrating to read that best friends won't open up.
The things that happen to Sasha and Kinsey aren't bad narratively. In fact I think it adds depth to both characters, and I liked the characters of this book a lot and it all invoked a lot of feelings- which is what I love in books. But just how they handled communication was tough for me. And I can't even label this as miscommunication as it was more "no communication"
I did like this book, probably more than I let on in a lot of this review. It was cute, angsty, and had fun characters. I just also had a but of a frustrating time with it too. 3.5/5
thank you to Netgalley and Rachel Stockbridge for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review
The Map to You follows Sasha Deforest and Kinsey Han who are close friends at NYU. Sasha has had a crush on Kinsey for a while now and has been too afraid to tell her upfront so she deflects her feelings to Kinsey in the form of sarcastic flirting. Kinsey met Sasha right after her heart was broken and after getting through that, started to get feelings for Sasha, but doesn't think exuberant Sasha will ever have feelings for an introvert pessimist like Kinsey. So they both keep their feelings to themselves until a sudden road trip brings them even closer together.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book. This premise promises a lot of angst and it's not let down here. Ask and you shall receive! All the fun parts of a YA friends to lovers book is in the first half. But for me the second half of this book was a more frustrating read.
After Kinsey and Sasha are on their trip parts of their respective pasts come up around them, but they also refuse to talk to each other about it and instead it just drives a wedge between them. And like? Just talk to each other!
It's kinda a joke in queer friend and relationship circles that I know of that we trauma dump far too easily, and there's truth to that. But this seems to be a vast overcorrection and it was just kinda frustrating to read that best friends won't open up.
The things that happen to Sasha and Kinsey aren't bad narratively. In fact I think it adds depth to both characters, and I liked the characters of this book a lot and it all invoked a lot of feelings- which is what I love in books. But just how they handled communication was tough for me. And I can't even label this as miscommunication as it was more "no communication"
I did like this book, probably more than I let on in a lot of this review. It was cute, angsty, and had fun characters. I just also had a but of a frustrating time with it too. 3.5/5
thank you to Netgalley and Rachel Stockbridge for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review
January 29, 2022
I honestly didn't expect to like this as much as I did after I read reviews that a few friends have nicely written. Stockbridge had me rooting for both MC's to get together 'cause, as opposite as they are personality wise, they were very cute in their interactions together. It got better the deeper their relationship became.
So yeah... a bloody great read for me.
So yeah... a bloody great read for me.
October 21, 2021
4 stars
This was super cute. The friends to lovers felt really natural and the main characters had genuine chemistry. My only complaint was that the conflict felt a little bit forced at times. Still, a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was super cute. The friends to lovers felt really natural and the main characters had genuine chemistry. My only complaint was that the conflict felt a little bit forced at times. Still, a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2021
On my blog.
Actual rating 2.5
Rep: lesbian mc, Chinese American lesbian mc
CWs: child neglect, child abuse, mentions of overdose, toxic relationships
Galley provided by publisher
The Map to You is a sweet college romance, between two friends, both of whom believe their love to be unrequited. Really, it should have been perfect for me. And yet, while I liked it—and would definitely recommend it—I never really loved it.
Perhaps this was down to the two things: the tension between the two, for all the scenes where it should have been tangible, never really was, and you never got to see the development from meeting to friends to in love. Let me take the latter first.
This wouldn’t have been a problem, I don’t think, if the story hadn’t started pre-friendship. You got a prologue of them just meeting, and then suddenly chapter one opens and they’re close friends. Perhaps, in all honesty, this is something that book one resolves, and I didn’t read that. If so, this point is entirely on me. And I’m not saying there’s anything bad about “they’re already in love when the book starts”, but you never saw that development here, and I would have liked to.
The other point—that I never felt the tension between them—is probably harder to explain. It’s possible this was down to the writing which, although good and readable, didn’t really get the emotions across for me. Which, as you might expect, bled into the tension between the characters. This wasn’t helped by the fact that they got together, and thus resolved that tension, by the halfway mark. Then the second half was them confronted with Sasha’s mother’s problems, and their own insecurities. Now, none of this was bad, I will stress that. But, as I said, none of the emotions got across.
Which means I overall liked the book, but felt none of what I was supposed to be feeling. Hey, this one may easily be chalked up to me! It’s very possible I’m just not quite the right reader for this one. But if we’re looking for reasons for my rating, this would be why.
Actual rating 2.5
Rep: lesbian mc, Chinese American lesbian mc
CWs: child neglect, child abuse, mentions of overdose, toxic relationships
Galley provided by publisher
The Map to You is a sweet college romance, between two friends, both of whom believe their love to be unrequited. Really, it should have been perfect for me. And yet, while I liked it—and would definitely recommend it—I never really loved it.
Perhaps this was down to the two things: the tension between the two, for all the scenes where it should have been tangible, never really was, and you never got to see the development from meeting to friends to in love. Let me take the latter first.
This wouldn’t have been a problem, I don’t think, if the story hadn’t started pre-friendship. You got a prologue of them just meeting, and then suddenly chapter one opens and they’re close friends. Perhaps, in all honesty, this is something that book one resolves, and I didn’t read that. If so, this point is entirely on me. And I’m not saying there’s anything bad about “they’re already in love when the book starts”, but you never saw that development here, and I would have liked to.
The other point—that I never felt the tension between them—is probably harder to explain. It’s possible this was down to the writing which, although good and readable, didn’t really get the emotions across for me. Which, as you might expect, bled into the tension between the characters. This wasn’t helped by the fact that they got together, and thus resolved that tension, by the halfway mark. Then the second half was them confronted with Sasha’s mother’s problems, and their own insecurities. Now, none of this was bad, I will stress that. But, as I said, none of the emotions got across.
Which means I overall liked the book, but felt none of what I was supposed to be feeling. Hey, this one may easily be chalked up to me! It’s very possible I’m just not quite the right reader for this one. But if we’re looking for reasons for my rating, this would be why.
October 18, 2021
Kudos for the cute cover. It is instantly appealing. This is a new adult story about two NYU students meeting up in the college dorms. Kinsley Han describes herself as prickly and ends up taking her first relationship break up very hard. Changing dorms means meeting Sasha Deforest. Sasha is firmly in the friend zone as Kinsley isn't looking for anything more. But Sasha is crushing unrequitedly on Kins over the next year. A weekend road trip everything changes.
These two new adults spend a lot of time thinking in their heads. The insecurity and self doubts about being worthy of love comes through on every page. Some of it is heartbreaking and this is much more of a drama than I was expecting from the cover and blurb. I like both characters and understand it is a story of college stress, understanding yourself and learning to lean on others. I wish they were better at communicating earlier but that is part of their journey. It is a fairly quick read and the ending is appropriate for being college students. The book has kissing, no intimacy and some language. It is second in a series but easily read as a stand alone. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
These two new adults spend a lot of time thinking in their heads. The insecurity and self doubts about being worthy of love comes through on every page. Some of it is heartbreaking and this is much more of a drama than I was expecting from the cover and blurb. I like both characters and understand it is a story of college stress, understanding yourself and learning to lean on others. I wish they were better at communicating earlier but that is part of their journey. It is a fairly quick read and the ending is appropriate for being college students. The book has kissing, no intimacy and some language. It is second in a series but easily read as a stand alone. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
January 26, 2022
I am surely a sap for sapphic stories and new adult ones are always my favorites. Angsty best friends that secretly have feelings for each other? Sign me up!!
Sasha and Kinsey meet as roommates the year before the beginning of our story. Kinsey is reeling from a messy breakup with her cheating ex girlfriend/roommate. Sasha has had feelings for Kinsey from the moment she met her in class. The two seem like an unlikely pair of friends, let alone anything more. Sasha is an affectionate jock and Kinsey is a cynical art major. Needless to say, their relationship is off to a bumpy start. But it gives “grumpy/sunshine” vibes and I live for it.
Once our story starts, Kinsey and Sasha are no longer roommates but Sasha is still hopelessly in love with Kinsey. She practically follows Kinsey around like a lost puppy, flirting whenever she is given the chance. Nonetheless, Kinsey is unsure of whether or not Sasha’s feelings is genuine, or just overly friendly and joking.
Despite the secretiveness of Kinsey and Sasha’s feelings, this is NOT a coming out story. Both characters are out and confident in their sexuality. Their ONLY problem is what they both believe to be unrequited love.
When a family emergency strikes, Kinsey is once again a mess. Sasha, on the other hand, is ready to spring into action. She is willing to do whatever she needs to do to support Kinsey in her time of need. Will the forced proximity of a long road trip and a tiny hotel room make our characters finally open up and admit their feelings?
This story deals with family trauma, emotional intimacy issues, and a whole lot of pining. If you are looking for spice, this may not be the book for you. But if you want a sweet and quick sapphic read, you’ll enjoy The Map To You.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Author, Rachel Stockbridge, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sasha and Kinsey meet as roommates the year before the beginning of our story. Kinsey is reeling from a messy breakup with her cheating ex girlfriend/roommate. Sasha has had feelings for Kinsey from the moment she met her in class. The two seem like an unlikely pair of friends, let alone anything more. Sasha is an affectionate jock and Kinsey is a cynical art major. Needless to say, their relationship is off to a bumpy start. But it gives “grumpy/sunshine” vibes and I live for it.
Once our story starts, Kinsey and Sasha are no longer roommates but Sasha is still hopelessly in love with Kinsey. She practically follows Kinsey around like a lost puppy, flirting whenever she is given the chance. Nonetheless, Kinsey is unsure of whether or not Sasha’s feelings is genuine, or just overly friendly and joking.
Despite the secretiveness of Kinsey and Sasha’s feelings, this is NOT a coming out story. Both characters are out and confident in their sexuality. Their ONLY problem is what they both believe to be unrequited love.
When a family emergency strikes, Kinsey is once again a mess. Sasha, on the other hand, is ready to spring into action. She is willing to do whatever she needs to do to support Kinsey in her time of need. Will the forced proximity of a long road trip and a tiny hotel room make our characters finally open up and admit their feelings?
This story deals with family trauma, emotional intimacy issues, and a whole lot of pining. If you are looking for spice, this may not be the book for you. But if you want a sweet and quick sapphic read, you’ll enjoy The Map To You.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Author, Rachel Stockbridge, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2022
2.5 rounded to 3 for Goodreads
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
The Map to You is the second book in the Next Stop Love series by Rachel Stockbridge. A Queer friends to lovers romance between two college friends.
Our leading ladies Sasha and Kinsey are solid characters who are each well-developed. Sasha is energetic, and fun, even if she's using it to mask her childhood trauma. Kinsey comes off as not the friendliest, but she's a ride or die type friend. Together I believed their friendship and even Sasha's crush on Kinsey, but I guess I had trouble believing in their actual romance. It all felt so rushed. Only friends for a year, discover and acknowledge feelings over a road trip , then have a big break-up two days later . It was just poorly paced.
I would like to believe that I didn't miss anything significant having to do with this couple by not reading the first book, but I might have cared more about them if I had read it. This is also labeled as a New Adult book but read much more as a Young Adult with the characters behaviors and the low level of steam. In my opinion, the only New Adult aspects were the drinking scene and the fact that they are in college.
Sadly, I was underwhelmed by this one and I don't have much to say.
Side Note: My favorite character was probably Sasha's cousin Trev who we only met over the phone, but I would read a book about him finding his HEA in a heartbeat.
CW: mention of past child neglect & abuse, drinking
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
The Map to You is the second book in the Next Stop Love series by Rachel Stockbridge. A Queer friends to lovers romance between two college friends.
Our leading ladies Sasha and Kinsey are solid characters who are each well-developed. Sasha is energetic, and fun, even if she's using it to mask her childhood trauma. Kinsey comes off as not the friendliest, but she's a ride or die type friend. Together I believed their friendship and even Sasha's crush on Kinsey, but I guess I had trouble believing in their actual romance. It all felt so rushed. Only friends for a year, discover and acknowledge feelings over a road trip , then have a big break-up two days later . It was just poorly paced.
I would like to believe that I didn't miss anything significant having to do with this couple by not reading the first book, but I might have cared more about them if I had read it. This is also labeled as a New Adult book but read much more as a Young Adult with the characters behaviors and the low level of steam. In my opinion, the only New Adult aspects were the drinking scene and the fact that they are in college.
Sadly, I was underwhelmed by this one and I don't have much to say.
Side Note: My favorite character was probably Sasha's cousin Trev who we only met over the phone, but I would read a book about him finding his HEA in a heartbeat.
CW: mention of past child neglect & abuse, drinking
November 24, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel Stockbridge for letting me read this ARC.
Officially this book is part of a series, but trust me, you can definitely read this as a standalone. The characters are different from the first book!
That being said, I can tell you that I really liked this book. It was really good and entertaining. It was a book that was fun and a pretty quick read. In the way, that it is not a difficult book to understand. It’s a book I would read if I needed a break from studying or my head was just overflowing. The book is fun, a bit cheesy, and so sweet. It’s a love story, but so much more than that. It’s about friendship, family, trust.
This immediately leads me to the second thing I loved about this book, the characters. Sasha, being a bit grumpy and thinking no one likes her because of that, and Sasha feeling like she can’t share her issues with others. They both are made to be seen as very realistic characters, having their issues and insecurities. Their chemistry is adorable, and I immediately wanted them to get together. The mental struggles Sasha is going through are relatable to everyone to some degree, at least I think so.
The story moves smoothly, there are no questions left unanswered and everything develops at the right pace. The girls get closer and their story gets entangled more and more. You just start rooting for them. There were so many cute moments that made my heart flutter and feel all warm and happy. Of course, there also were moments that I wanted to scream at Sasha and Kinsey: “These two idiots, why don’t they see it!”. In a good way of course.
The reason I’m giving it four stars though is that I had some trouble getting through the middle part of the book. It failed to grab my attention and keep me interested. I would read a few pages and then I would want to do something else again. When I was at the 70 percent mark of the book I got into it again and finished it in one go. But that is why I can’t say this is the perfect book.
Officially this book is part of a series, but trust me, you can definitely read this as a standalone. The characters are different from the first book!
That being said, I can tell you that I really liked this book. It was really good and entertaining. It was a book that was fun and a pretty quick read. In the way, that it is not a difficult book to understand. It’s a book I would read if I needed a break from studying or my head was just overflowing. The book is fun, a bit cheesy, and so sweet. It’s a love story, but so much more than that. It’s about friendship, family, trust.
This immediately leads me to the second thing I loved about this book, the characters. Sasha, being a bit grumpy and thinking no one likes her because of that, and Sasha feeling like she can’t share her issues with others. They both are made to be seen as very realistic characters, having their issues and insecurities. Their chemistry is adorable, and I immediately wanted them to get together. The mental struggles Sasha is going through are relatable to everyone to some degree, at least I think so.
The story moves smoothly, there are no questions left unanswered and everything develops at the right pace. The girls get closer and their story gets entangled more and more. You just start rooting for them. There were so many cute moments that made my heart flutter and feel all warm and happy. Of course, there also were moments that I wanted to scream at Sasha and Kinsey: “These two idiots, why don’t they see it!”. In a good way of course.
The reason I’m giving it four stars though is that I had some trouble getting through the middle part of the book. It failed to grab my attention and keep me interested. I would read a few pages and then I would want to do something else again. When I was at the 70 percent mark of the book I got into it again and finished it in one go. But that is why I can’t say this is the perfect book.
Read
February 27, 2022I’m so sad but I had to DNF this one.
The plot itself is great and the characters are likeable and interesting as well. But I just couldn’t get past the time gaps where the author left out chunks of details. In the first few chapters, Sasha and Kinsey meet and suddenly they have been friends for an entire semester. I would have loved to read more about their blossoming friendship too instead of having these time jumps disrupt the reading flow and the growing of their relationship. Instead, it’s pretty much insta love (which is one of my least favourite tropes but that’s of course a very subjective opinion).
I’m sure other people will absolutely adore this book, so don’t let this stop you from reading it! I think that if I pick this up again in a few months, I may like it a lot more so, I’ll be back!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital arc!
The plot itself is great and the characters are likeable and interesting as well. But I just couldn’t get past the time gaps where the author left out chunks of details. In the first few chapters, Sasha and Kinsey meet and suddenly they have been friends for an entire semester. I would have loved to read more about their blossoming friendship too instead of having these time jumps disrupt the reading flow and the growing of their relationship. Instead, it’s pretty much insta love (which is one of my least favourite tropes but that’s of course a very subjective opinion).
I’m sure other people will absolutely adore this book, so don’t let this stop you from reading it! I think that if I pick this up again in a few months, I may like it a lot more so, I’ll be back!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital arc!
January 22, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Sasha and Kinsey become unexpected friends when Kinsey's relationship ends and she moves into Sasha's dorm. Fast forward two years, and they both have feelings for each other that everyone can see except them. When family trouble strikes from both sides, they will need to find a way to survive without losing each other.
This was sweet. It didn't blow my mind, but I like where the story ended up. I also really enjoyed Kinsey's parents, especially at the end. A cute romance read!
CW: drug use/abuse, strained parental relationships, child neglect
Sasha and Kinsey become unexpected friends when Kinsey's relationship ends and she moves into Sasha's dorm. Fast forward two years, and they both have feelings for each other that everyone can see except them. When family trouble strikes from both sides, they will need to find a way to survive without losing each other.
This was sweet. It didn't blow my mind, but I like where the story ended up. I also really enjoyed Kinsey's parents, especially at the end. A cute romance read!
CW: drug use/abuse, strained parental relationships, child neglect
January 26, 2022
Sasha and Kinsey have both been nursing secret crushes on each other since the day they met over a year ago, but both are too unsure of the others feelings to be much more than best friends. When an emergency with Kinsey's family forces Sasha and Kinsey to come together in ways they hadn't in the past, their relationship grows and changes. It is hard for them to keep their feelings at bay and even harder for Sasha to keep Kinsey at an arms length from Sasha's family problems. Do they conceal their feelings for protection or open themselves up to each others love?
I rated this a 3.5, but rounded to 4 stars.
I empathize and love these characters so much! The miscommunication trope is the main one running in this book but it was conducted in a way that didn't make me want to scream at the characters to smarten up. I could relate to how both of the characters were reacting in various situations.
The dual POV approach worked really well in this case. We got insights into both of their feelings and things that impacted how those feelings would show, or maybe not show, themselves.
I did find this one a bit hard to get into; I was over 100 pages in before I was wanting to really find out what happened. I can't pinpoint an exact reason why, I may just have been in a reading slump. Definitely some triggers for child abandonment, drug-use/overdose, and family trauma. But nothing is too graphic or looked into in a very in-depth way. It reads a bit more like a YA, but is verging on NA.
I rated this a 3.5, but rounded to 4 stars.
I empathize and love these characters so much! The miscommunication trope is the main one running in this book but it was conducted in a way that didn't make me want to scream at the characters to smarten up. I could relate to how both of the characters were reacting in various situations.
The dual POV approach worked really well in this case. We got insights into both of their feelings and things that impacted how those feelings would show, or maybe not show, themselves.
I did find this one a bit hard to get into; I was over 100 pages in before I was wanting to really find out what happened. I can't pinpoint an exact reason why, I may just have been in a reading slump. Definitely some triggers for child abandonment, drug-use/overdose, and family trauma. But nothing is too graphic or looked into in a very in-depth way. It reads a bit more like a YA, but is verging on NA.
December 3, 2021
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exhange for an honest review!
I definitely had an emotional rollercoaster that i was not expecting while reading this book.
Sometimes a cover alone can really give off an impression of what a story could be like, in which case i imagined a fluffy and cute sapphic story, however that was not the case with this book.
It was definitely light hearted at most, but there was also a lot of angsty moments as well which at times made me shed a few tears.
I found myself relating to both main characters. Sasha, who is an athletic, sarcastic and cheerful persona, thoughtful of others and very caring, and Kinsey, who is definitely a bookworm (ayyy me too, me too) and more serious, as well as more timid and grumpy.
Their dynamic is honestly super cute as i found myself giggling at their playful banters, as well as face-palming at their awkwardness and lack of communication when it came to expressing emotions.
The book does touch some sensitive topics in regards to drug addiction, abuse and mental health which is what threw me off guard as i did not anticipate it, but i do think that the author delt decently with the topics. However, in case this might be a triggering to some readers, i want to put the information out there.
I will admit that Rachel's writing style wasn't my favourite, though it didn't detter my experience from the story as i did enjoy the characterization and plot. I think that the author did a superb job writing each character, especially Sasha and Kinsey who felt truly relatable as people and realistic in behaviour and dialogue, making them three-dimensional.
Overall i do think that this is a nice sapphic romance story and urge others to check it out and form their opinions on it!
I definitely had an emotional rollercoaster that i was not expecting while reading this book.
Sometimes a cover alone can really give off an impression of what a story could be like, in which case i imagined a fluffy and cute sapphic story, however that was not the case with this book.
It was definitely light hearted at most, but there was also a lot of angsty moments as well which at times made me shed a few tears.
I found myself relating to both main characters. Sasha, who is an athletic, sarcastic and cheerful persona, thoughtful of others and very caring, and Kinsey, who is definitely a bookworm (ayyy me too, me too) and more serious, as well as more timid and grumpy.
Their dynamic is honestly super cute as i found myself giggling at their playful banters, as well as face-palming at their awkwardness and lack of communication when it came to expressing emotions.
The book does touch some sensitive topics in regards to drug addiction, abuse and mental health which is what threw me off guard as i did not anticipate it, but i do think that the author delt decently with the topics. However, in case this might be a triggering to some readers, i want to put the information out there.
I will admit that Rachel's writing style wasn't my favourite, though it didn't detter my experience from the story as i did enjoy the characterization and plot. I think that the author did a superb job writing each character, especially Sasha and Kinsey who felt truly relatable as people and realistic in behaviour and dialogue, making them three-dimensional.
Overall i do think that this is a nice sapphic romance story and urge others to check it out and form their opinions on it!
October 31, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3 1/2 stars.
This book is real cute. Its not gripping but it’s an easy read with low stakes (although there’s the box standard miscommunication drama) and an obvious HEA.
Give me mutual oblivious pining and roadtrip tension. Give me the grumpy one wants the sunshine one. Give me roommates who are in love with each other but are too fucking stupid to see their arses from their elbows. I’ll eat that shit up as fast as anything.
Is this book groundbreaking? No. But WLW deserve slightly generic omg they’re roommates!! romcoms as well as highly plotted, intricate concepts do they not! Give me the WLW holiday novel tat, is what I’m saying. And whilst this doesn’t revolve around a seasonal holiday, it has the vibe, for sure.
That’s not to say that the characters aren’t fleshed out, because they are. They’re not bland, and the plotline isn’t bland either, just a little predictable. Which I thought was fine—sometimes you just have to take books as they are, and this book is clearly meant to be an easy romcom read, and it does that job well.
However, whilst Kinsey isn’t bland, I did find her “everyone hates me” attitude to be a little tedious/frustrating by the end.
The last half/3 quarters does drag a little as well, I think some scenes could have been shortened.
But, solid 3 1/2 stars.
3 1/2 stars.
This book is real cute. Its not gripping but it’s an easy read with low stakes (although there’s the box standard miscommunication drama) and an obvious HEA.
Give me mutual oblivious pining and roadtrip tension. Give me the grumpy one wants the sunshine one. Give me roommates who are in love with each other but are too fucking stupid to see their arses from their elbows. I’ll eat that shit up as fast as anything.
Is this book groundbreaking? No. But WLW deserve slightly generic omg they’re roommates!! romcoms as well as highly plotted, intricate concepts do they not! Give me the WLW holiday novel tat, is what I’m saying. And whilst this doesn’t revolve around a seasonal holiday, it has the vibe, for sure.
That’s not to say that the characters aren’t fleshed out, because they are. They’re not bland, and the plotline isn’t bland either, just a little predictable. Which I thought was fine—sometimes you just have to take books as they are, and this book is clearly meant to be an easy romcom read, and it does that job well.
However, whilst Kinsey isn’t bland, I did find her “everyone hates me” attitude to be a little tedious/frustrating by the end.
The last half/3 quarters does drag a little as well, I think some scenes could have been shortened.
But, solid 3 1/2 stars.
April 8, 2022
This book isn’t so much a sapphic romance but a story of harrowing child abuse and neglect. Following the story of Kinsey and Sasha, I thought it would be a road trip romance - as suggested by blurb and cover. However it was much more to do with Sasha’s drug addict mother and the abuse and trauma she has undergone since childhood. I dislike when books tackle really heavy hitting issues without doing due diligent research - I wish the conclusion had Sasha seeking professional help and guiding her in to seeing a therapist instead of wrapping it up quickly with a ‘she’ll get over it in time’ - no, she absolutely will not!
Secondly - major plot hole (unless I am missing something?!) Sasha and Kinsey are roommates in the first half of the novel, Kinsey often doing her art lettering in the dark because Sasha is asleep, yet when they return from the road trip they’re both living on different floors with different roommates, since when?!
Thirdly - there’s not actually much romance? It’s a friends to lovers trope but there’s no real transition from friendship?
Fourthly - I think the cover is misleading, it looks lighthearted but that doesn’t reflect the contents of the book at all. Also Kinsey is Asian (unless I am mistaken or misread somewhere?), why is her character not Asian on the book cover?
Secondly - major plot hole (unless I am missing something?!) Sasha and Kinsey are roommates in the first half of the novel, Kinsey often doing her art lettering in the dark because Sasha is asleep, yet when they return from the road trip they’re both living on different floors with different roommates, since when?!
Thirdly - there’s not actually much romance? It’s a friends to lovers trope but there’s no real transition from friendship?
Fourthly - I think the cover is misleading, it looks lighthearted but that doesn’t reflect the contents of the book at all. Also Kinsey is Asian (unless I am mistaken or misread somewhere?), why is her character not Asian on the book cover?
January 20, 2022
Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. I really struggled while reading due to the repetition, lack lustre plot and miscommunication.
I was excited when I read the synopsis of this book: a sapphic NA college friends to lovers with mutual secret pining and forced proximity. I found this read more like a YA than NA which was disappointing. The characters felt young and immature in their dialogue and actions. While I love the idea of mutual pining I found it was extremely repetitive. I felt like the same internal dialogue was happening in each chapter and we weren’t getting anything new other than a couple tense moments on the road trip.
When the characters finally got together it was for one night and they stayed together for less than 48 hours (without actually physically being together) before the conflict happened. I liked that it was a bit slow burn until 50% but the build up to what happened felt very lack lustre and boring.
The plot was a bit of a let down. Road trips have so much potential but nothing really happened other than the characters doing some “mind reading” and assuming the other couldn’t possibly have feelings for them. The miscommunication was really hard to read in this book and while I think it is somewhat necessary especially in friends to lovers, there was lack of good communication happening all over the place and it made it difficult to get through.
I thought the family dynamics were interesting but I found that took a front seat to the story more than the main character’s actual friendship/relationship. I was hoping for more of them together as opposed to the characters story having more to do with their respective families.
Overall, I didn’t enjoy this book but I’m sure others will. I felt there was potential as the writing style was good but the story and characters just didn’t provide an entertaining read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited when I read the synopsis of this book: a sapphic NA college friends to lovers with mutual secret pining and forced proximity. I found this read more like a YA than NA which was disappointing. The characters felt young and immature in their dialogue and actions. While I love the idea of mutual pining I found it was extremely repetitive. I felt like the same internal dialogue was happening in each chapter and we weren’t getting anything new other than a couple tense moments on the road trip.
When the characters finally got together it was for one night and they stayed together for less than 48 hours (without actually physically being together) before the conflict happened. I liked that it was a bit slow burn until 50% but the build up to what happened felt very lack lustre and boring.
The plot was a bit of a let down. Road trips have so much potential but nothing really happened other than the characters doing some “mind reading” and assuming the other couldn’t possibly have feelings for them. The miscommunication was really hard to read in this book and while I think it is somewhat necessary especially in friends to lovers, there was lack of good communication happening all over the place and it made it difficult to get through.
I thought the family dynamics were interesting but I found that took a front seat to the story more than the main character’s actual friendship/relationship. I was hoping for more of them together as opposed to the characters story having more to do with their respective families.
Overall, I didn’t enjoy this book but I’m sure others will. I felt there was potential as the writing style was good but the story and characters just didn’t provide an entertaining read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 1, 2022This book wasn't it for me. It had so much going for it that I wanted to love. So maybe it's for you! It had two female leads. They were sweet and queer and proud.
Unfortunately, the writing and the characters fell flat for me. I felt nothing for them. I kept getting Kinsey and Sasha mixed up (awkward). I know that one was spiky and had great eyeliner and the other was joyous but closed off emotionally. But that’s only because the book told me. I didn’t feel either of their personalities came through on the page.
The book deals with difficult topics, and it did a good job of showing why someone from a home with a parent who doesn’t act like a parent wouldn’t show how they’re truly feeling. I liked that even when both characters were angry and hurting, they could (eventually) see through that and try to understand the other's perspective.
Though the author tackled hard topics, the book still felt a little YA to me (though there were certainly too many fucks for it to actually be so). This was a miss for me. However, if you're looking for cute, queer romance, I hope you give it a try. I'd love for it to be a win for you.
Unfortunately, the writing and the characters fell flat for me. I felt nothing for them. I kept getting Kinsey and Sasha mixed up (awkward). I know that one was spiky and had great eyeliner and the other was joyous but closed off emotionally. But that’s only because the book told me. I didn’t feel either of their personalities came through on the page.
The book deals with difficult topics, and it did a good job of showing why someone from a home with a parent who doesn’t act like a parent wouldn’t show how they’re truly feeling. I liked that even when both characters were angry and hurting, they could (eventually) see through that and try to understand the other's perspective.
Though the author tackled hard topics, the book still felt a little YA to me (though there were certainly too many fucks for it to actually be so). This was a miss for me. However, if you're looking for cute, queer romance, I hope you give it a try. I'd love for it to be a win for you.
January 6, 2023
3.5 stars. A sweet but angsty new adult romance. I was really enjoying this in the first half, so much so that I was kicking myself for letting it languish on my kindle for so long. I don't really have the best track record with new adult romances, and I saw that this wasn't getting the best reviews. But the first half really made me smile, really impressed me in a few ways... before it fumbled a lot during the middle portion and ambled its way to a conclusion that just wasn't satisfying enough.
First, the good. I love friends to lovers; it is such a superior trope. Both main characters are just the type that are easy for me to love. Sasha especially. I love sweet, caring, bubbly strong women who hide their insecurity behind their strength, and aren't used to letting others take care of them. It's always so satisfying seeing a character like that eventually get taken care of, and get used to accepting help and love. Kinsey was also wonderful, because I just love a grump, and prickly women who don't pretend to be otherwise. Especially when they're got a soft centre for the love interest. Grumpy/sunshine is, again, another trope that I adore. I love all their flirting, their easy camaraderie, all the witty banter, the mutual pining. And honestly, I thought the miscommunication and misunderstandings in the first half were good, because they were realistic and fit with what we knew of these characters and their insecurities. It made sense that they were slow to open up.
But like I said, unfortunately, around the middle of the book we reached a sort of emotional plateau where neither of them were really changing, and all of their issues seemed stagnant, and we kept rehashing them over and over and OVER in their minds. Narratively and emotionally, it was not fun to read. I get that they are new adults, but the misunderstandings just went on for a bit too long. The pace started to feel glacial. If we had seen a bit more gradual progress, or how they were each slowly coming to grips with their own issues, maybe it would have been more satisfying to read. But unfortunately all of the good feelings that I had in the first half were sort of eroded in the face of my frustration.
Again, great characters and great writing. I'm still sad that I forgot about this, because I did end up having a mostly good time with it. But I needed a little bit more from the romance, from the characters' lives, and just more character development in general.
Content warnings:
☆ Review copy provided via the publisher and NetGalley. Thank you!
First, the good. I love friends to lovers; it is such a superior trope. Both main characters are just the type that are easy for me to love. Sasha especially. I love sweet, caring, bubbly strong women who hide their insecurity behind their strength, and aren't used to letting others take care of them. It's always so satisfying seeing a character like that eventually get taken care of, and get used to accepting help and love. Kinsey was also wonderful, because I just love a grump, and prickly women who don't pretend to be otherwise. Especially when they're got a soft centre for the love interest. Grumpy/sunshine is, again, another trope that I adore. I love all their flirting, their easy camaraderie, all the witty banter, the mutual pining. And honestly, I thought the miscommunication and misunderstandings in the first half were good, because they were realistic and fit with what we knew of these characters and their insecurities. It made sense that they were slow to open up.
But like I said, unfortunately, around the middle of the book we reached a sort of emotional plateau where neither of them were really changing, and all of their issues seemed stagnant, and we kept rehashing them over and over and OVER in their minds. Narratively and emotionally, it was not fun to read. I get that they are new adults, but the misunderstandings just went on for a bit too long. The pace started to feel glacial. If we had seen a bit more gradual progress, or how they were each slowly coming to grips with their own issues, maybe it would have been more satisfying to read. But unfortunately all of the good feelings that I had in the first half were sort of eroded in the face of my frustration.
Again, great characters and great writing. I'm still sad that I forgot about this, because I did end up having a mostly good time with it. But I needed a little bit more from the romance, from the characters' lives, and just more character development in general.
Content warnings:
☆ Review copy provided via the publisher and NetGalley. Thank you!
December 27, 2021
Thank you, NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a pretty mid-tier book for me. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. Mostly, I just thought there wasn't a lot going on here. The stakes were pretty low. While their issues were somewhat relatable, it didn't keep me super interested. I did empathize more with Sasha's issues and I thought she was interesting in that respect, but I absolutely hated the miscommunication/lack of communication used throughout the whole book.
I liked the two main characters, Kinsey and Sasha, but I didn't love them as much as I wanted to. I also liked how it felt like a YA story while being set at college. Bottom line is, I expected this book to have more romance than it did.
Overall, it was just okay. If nothing else, it was a quick read.
This was a pretty mid-tier book for me. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. Mostly, I just thought there wasn't a lot going on here. The stakes were pretty low. While their issues were somewhat relatable, it didn't keep me super interested. I did empathize more with Sasha's issues and I thought she was interesting in that respect, but I absolutely hated the miscommunication/lack of communication used throughout the whole book.
I liked the two main characters, Kinsey and Sasha, but I didn't love them as much as I wanted to. I also liked how it felt like a YA story while being set at college. Bottom line is, I expected this book to have more romance than it did.
Overall, it was just okay. If nothing else, it was a quick read.
February 24, 2022
Kinsey Han had a terrible break up and she thought that she ain't good at relationship but after she changed her dorm she secretly had a crush on Sasha Deforest.
Sasha is a very bubbly flirty girl who always tease Kinsey whenever she could but she also love Sasha. When Kinsey's mom is hospitalized Sasha helped her and dropped her which is whole day journey. It was on that journey when they hit it off and shared their feelings.
Everything was going smoothly when Sasha's problem resurfaced and it was a big hindrance to their relationship. Why Sasha was too afraid of a problem which isn't even her fault? Is Kinsey brave enough to handle her loves problem? Will true love defeats all odds? This book gotta be one of the cutest I have read. The way Sasha unhesitatingly flirt is cute and I kind of relate to her when she hide her problems from anyone and try to solve all by herself. The writing is simple and every events is in sync which felt like watching all events in front of you.
Thank you Netgalley for this arc.
Sasha is a very bubbly flirty girl who always tease Kinsey whenever she could but she also love Sasha. When Kinsey's mom is hospitalized Sasha helped her and dropped her which is whole day journey. It was on that journey when they hit it off and shared their feelings.
Everything was going smoothly when Sasha's problem resurfaced and it was a big hindrance to their relationship. Why Sasha was too afraid of a problem which isn't even her fault? Is Kinsey brave enough to handle her loves problem? Will true love defeats all odds? This book gotta be one of the cutest I have read. The way Sasha unhesitatingly flirt is cute and I kind of relate to her when she hide her problems from anyone and try to solve all by herself. The writing is simple and every events is in sync which felt like watching all events in front of you.
Thank you Netgalley for this arc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2022
I really enjoyed this friend to lover book by Rachel Stockbridge. Two college friends have been in love for some time, each believing their feelings to be hopeless. A family emergency brings them together and they finally open up to one another. However, the reasons that kept them apart, mainly believing that each of their flaws make them unworthy of the other, rear themselves back in quickly.
I like the banter between Kinsey and Sasha, it really helped me feel their connection. Although a prologue is given, I wish we had a bit more of their “falling in love” background. However, it didn’t stop me from feeling their love and rooting for them. I also wish we got more of them together, but the truly nice part of this book was the emotional growth on both of their parts. They showed a lot of maturity and growth and I enjoyed it.
A nice read. I finished it in a single day. The will they won’t they really got me hooked. I recommend it!
** arc provided by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I like the banter between Kinsey and Sasha, it really helped me feel their connection. Although a prologue is given, I wish we had a bit more of their “falling in love” background. However, it didn’t stop me from feeling their love and rooting for them. I also wish we got more of them together, but the truly nice part of this book was the emotional growth on both of their parts. They showed a lot of maturity and growth and I enjoyed it.
A nice read. I finished it in a single day. The will they won’t they really got me hooked. I recommend it!
** arc provided by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
October 15, 2021
I binged read this book. I love the concept and the main characters interactions. I believe this would be a friends-to-lovers trope.
I enjoyed Kinsley's prickly nature..shes cantankerous in a good way. Sasha is the opposite an outwardly always happy person who's hiding her true nature.
Both have been hurt before and have been damaged both are carrying some baggage.
It was great to watch these two finally came together. It's a cute love story.
I enjoyed Kinsley's prickly nature..shes cantankerous in a good way. Sasha is the opposite an outwardly always happy person who's hiding her true nature.
Both have been hurt before and have been damaged both are carrying some baggage.
It was great to watch these two finally came together. It's a cute love story.
January 25, 2022
What do you do when you realize you have a crush 9n your friend? How do you decide to risk your friendship for xomething more?
Sweet love story full of uncertainty, self realization and
Learning how to truly trust.
Sweet love story full of uncertainty, self realization and
Learning how to truly trust.
September 1, 2022
This is a nice book. I'm just too lazy to update the progress
December 12, 2021
A college-aged sapphic romance that manages to be adorable even with nonstop character angst and emotional baggage. This is a very internal conflict based story, with Kinsey and Sasha’s personal baggages getting in the way of them JUST KISSING ALREADY! I like the portrayal of Sasha putting up barriers to keep people from judging her relationship with her addict mother, and Kinsey’s self-doubts about her own lovability made me want to give her a big hug.
The misunderstandings and emotional upheaval did feel a little overdone at times, as both girls just kept rehashing the same insecurities over and over. But they slowly progressed toward a healthier relationship with their own thoughts and with each other.
I also wish we had seen their initial friendship develop more. The prologue shows them meeting after Kinsey experiences a terrible breakup. Then bam! It’s almost a year later and they’re mutually pining besties
Recommended for fans of hurt/comfort fics.
The misunderstandings and emotional upheaval did feel a little overdone at times, as both girls just kept rehashing the same insecurities over and over. But they slowly progressed toward a healthier relationship with their own thoughts and with each other.
I also wish we had seen their initial friendship develop more. The prologue shows them meeting after Kinsey experiences a terrible breakup. Then bam! It’s almost a year later and they’re mutually pining besties
Recommended for fans of hurt/comfort fics.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews