Authors: Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Date: 04.19.22
Publisher: Viking
Source: E-ARC via NetGalley
My Rating: 5/5 stars
SYNOPSIS: “If high school seniors Siena and Patrick were a superlative, they’d be the Couple Most Likely to Marry. They’ve been dating for three solid years, and everyone agrees they’re perfect for each other. But with college on the horizon, Siena begins to wonder whether staying together is the best idea. Does she really want to be tied down during possibly the most transformative years of her life? So she makes a decision to break up with Patrick, convincing herself it’s for the best. Before she can say the words, though, he beats her to the punch: his family is moving out of state. Caught off guard by the news, Siena agrees to stay with Patrick, believing their relationship will naturally fizzle out with time and distance. But over a series of visits throughout the school year, Siena begins to see a different side of Patrick–one that has her falling in love with him all over again.”
With and Without You is a story like nothing I’ve read before: it’s a second chance romance between an already established couple who are going through long distance during their senior of high school.
The concept of this book was beyond intriguing to me. I’m used to my YA books featuring friends to lovers, strangers to lovers, even enemies to lovers, yet this is a first. Patrick and Siena have been dating for three years. When the story starts Siena is planning on breaking up with Patrick, as she feels trapped within the confines her relationship. She’s tired of being defined by it and wants to explore her independence. However, right before she can say the words, Patrick announces his family will be moving from Arizona to Texas. They agree to stay together, while Siena assumes the relationship will quietly fade away with the distance. However, things don’t go as she planned.
I loved the premise. I more than loved the premise. I adored it. I was intrigued by it, captivated by how it was masterfully crafted. The complex emotions of long distance and the impact it has on relationships was written beautifully. You can see the raw emotions that authors included from own experience reflected in the pages. It was utterly authentic and resonated deeply with me, as someone who has been part of a long distance relationship. I cried many times while reading this story. There were many quotes and emotions and things that truly stuck with me after reading. For reference, I’m not the type of reader who typically highlights or tabs my books. However, I found myself saving many quotes from the ARC that resonated with me.
I felt emotionally attached to this book and the characters, particularly Siena. I loved her personal growth and her exploration of her independence. I loved reading in her point of view and seeing her attempt to discover who she is as an individual. It was vulnerable, relatable, and like seeing my own feelings written on the page. Of course, I also grew to enjoy Patrick. Due to poor formatting of the e-ARC the early dialogue was difficult to understand, which also in turn made it difficult to distinguish his voice. However, after reading enough it was easy to overlook the formatting issues. And of course, this won’t be an issue at all when the beautiful finished copies hit the shelves in April.
Watching Patrick and Siena’s relationship grow and change throughout this book was *chef’s kiss*. There was tension, awkward moments, and plenty of flirting. It was easy to fall in love with them individually and together. They felt like old friends who I was cheering on.
This book has an emotional hold on me that is difficult to put into words. Anyone who has done long distance will identify with this story and see themselves in it. There’s a wonderful comfort to find yourself and your struggles in the pages of a book, and that’s how I felt while reading With and Without You. This story was incredible and one of my favorite stories from Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka yet.
RELATED: Book Review: If I’m Being Honest / Time of Our Lives COVER REVEAL / ARC Review: What’s Not to Love
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an E-ARC. Opinions are all my own.
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