Just like everyone else I was immediately in love with this book purely because of the cover and blurb so I was so excited when I got accepted for an ARC!

This coming of age novel with Trans rep absolutely stole my heart in the day or so I took reading it. So happy to see more trans rep in general but it was amazing here! Love that we got messy queer characters, (even if they annoyed me at times). I'm not not a huge fan of piano or classical music but I love how devoted Miles was and how he developed through this. He was a very real character and I loved that. On the topic of characters I did wish that the side characters got more development but eh. This is a truly beautiful read I'd recommend to fans of novels such as "I wish you all the best" (which is high praise because I adore that book).

Overall, I can't wait for this to officially come out and for everyone else to read it! I can't wait to see what else Underhill has in store.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

3.5/5 - I really enjoyed this book! I read most of it in one sitting and that’s always a good sign.

I loved Miles and really loved watching him find himself and his joy through classical music and the piano. The scenes in his lessons and at the competitions were so much fun to read. The author did such a great job bringing the musical aspect to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me access to this book!

This has to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. It made me laugh and cry, I literally was laying in bed crying while reading this. As a musician myself, I connected greatly with that part of Miles, and made me love music even more. I read this book so fast and could not put it down until I finished it. I loved everything about this book and definitely will be purchasing a copy when it comes out. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

Two weeks after Miles comes out as transgender, his boyfriend Shane McIntyre breaks up with him. So, Miles decides to make two New Years resolutions, 1. Win Shane back. 2. Finally beat Cameron, his long-time nemesis at a piano competition. Then Miles meets Eric & the sparks start to fly.

I loved this book from start to finish. It was both heartbreaking & beautiful & everything about Eric just made me swoon. I loved that Eric never really labelled himself & just said that he was into people & left it at that. Nina was so precious & I laughed when she wrapped up cookies to take home with her & then just started eating them shortly after. Also, my little heart couldn’t even handle when Miles’ Mom held Nina’s hand as they went in for the concert. I also appreciated watching Miles’ Dad start to warm up to his transition more & more as the story progressed. Plus, like can we just take a minute to appreciate how STUNNING the cover is. I hope that everyone reads this book & I would love to see Miles & Eric’s story continue in the future!

TW: Mentioning characters dead name, Misgendering, Transphobia, Body Dysphoria

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the E-ARC!

Such a fantastic, and fantastically queer, read! It didn't take much more than "trans pianist" to get me intrigued. From there, it was a wonderful ride centered around unbridled queer joy, love, and self-acceptance. And it definitely didn't hurt that the book also served as bit of a love letter to the piano and classical music (which I also love). I was also quite pleased that the book ended on a happy note, as that is what the characters completely deserved.

Here is a link to the piece that played such a pivotal role in the story: the 1st movement of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNfpMRSCFPE
It is AMAZING, and I would highly recommend listening to it before and/or while reading this book. A beautiful piece to go with a beautiful story!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Always the Almost follows Miles as he experiences many changes in his life. He learns more about himself throughout, though not without a few bumps along the way.

I really love this book! It was a perfect coming of age story. Miles makes many mistakes but grows and learns from them. I loved the characters and their development. I know nothing about piano but I loved how it was used throughout the story. It added quite nicely. The cover is also adorable!

This is a really enjoyable and sweet book! I would definitely recommend you read it.

To be honest, I had no real expectations for this, going in. Several pools of tears later, it ended up being another outstanding, 5-star read for me!

As always with my top reads, I adored all of these characters. I love Miles with all my heart, he really is so special. There were so many wholesome moments in this book, among the emotional and heartbreaking scenes, and it brought me so much joy to see him surround himself bit by bit with love, acceptance and happiness. He was also a very realistic character: he made mistakes, he acted selfishly, he missed things that were incredibly obvious. But the entire time he was so endearing and passionate about the things he loves. Overall, a really great book character.

Of course, Eric is perfection personified, and I adored Rachel. But I think my favourite side character in this is Stefania. I am obsessed with her. I loved reading the scenes she was in and listening to her advice. She's just a great supporting character in every respect.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the piano and music element in this novel. It entwined so perfectly with the story and Miles' character development. I think Underhill is an extremely talented author. The book is so beautifully written, I really felt like I could hear the music. In general, the book just made me feel so much and I love when a story ropes me in like that to the point that I forget that I'm reading.

Overall, I loved this book, and if you want to pick up a novel that will make you sob happily over queer and trans joy and pride, this is absolutely the story for you!

Pub Date: 2/14/23
CW: transphobia, dead-naming, cheating

First off, thank you NetGalley and the publisher for approving this eARC for me. Secondly, thank you to Edward for that beautiful dedication and the little author’s note. Thirdly, what a wonderful pub date—Valentine’s day! Definitely the best Valentine’s Day gift anyone could get.

Okay so hold on tight cause I’ve got a LOT TO SAY.

First off: THE CONSENT!!! YES BABY. Eric asking Miles if he can kiss him before doing so, Miles asking Eric if he can kiss him. WE LOVE IT BABYYYYY.

The RELATIONSHIPS: Eric and Miles, Eric and Nina, Rachel and Paige, Paige and Josie, Miles and Shane (eventually), Miles and his mom, Miles and his dad, Miles and Nina, Miles and Stefania, YES YES YES. WE LOVE IT.

This book was such a work of art. It was a great read that didn’t show Miles thinking his identity was just some kind of fad, and people trying to change who Miles is. He’s a trans boy. He’s queer. He’s who he is.

I love that Eric didn’t really have a label, either. He liked people. It’s that simple. He’s who he is.

I’m so EXCITED for Valentine’s Day and the release of this book. I can’t wait until everyone can read it and enjoy it as much as I have.

I loved the book, I think that the characters and writing was great. I think that what really stands out within the novel is the joy that it oozes, overall it was a great read. A fun, cute, and wholesome new YA read.

Always the Almost by Edward Underhill is a heart-tugging, engaging debut YA rom-dram!

Miles and Eric are so stinkin cute! I can’t get enough of these two.

Realistic yet uplifting, this tale of self-discovery will make your heart skip a beat.
I loved how realistic Underhill made his characters. Showing the struggles young people can go through as they grow to understand their sexuality and trying to find their place in the world.
The story flaws perfectly and the meaningful parts are emphasized just enough to get lost in it.
It’s just such a warm and inviting book. Hands down going on my favorite list.
Ultimately, the book left me feeling happy and hopeful.
There is so much that went into this book. Freaking phenomenal.
I read this in the space of a couple of hours, and hated to see it end.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Wednesday Books,
Thank You for your generosity and approving this eARC!

I cannot stress the importance of this book! Not only is it beautifully written and has a cast of well-developed characters and romantic plot I was glued to, it shows the realities of life as a trans teen navigating their true self in a world that's still learning to accept them. Miles's journey throughout the story involves feeling like an "almost" in many areas of his life, and meeting Eric changes everything. Also, special shout out to Stefania, an absolute icon piano instructor who proved to be so, so much more. Always the Almost shows that it's the people we keep with us during the journey who help us shine the brightest.

I carry a piece of Miles with me every day. He's the kids I read about losing their rights in school and in medical settings that we need to keep fighting for. He's someone's child, student, friend, boyfriend who deserves everything good in the world. He's more than an almost - he's magic, he's everything.

Edward Underhill is a new favorite voice in YA fiction and will forever be an auto-buy author for me.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I've been reading so many apocalypse stories and murder mysteries lately that I forgot how fun a lighthearted book could be. Miles is an engaging character and you really root for him to succeed. I love how the author didn't just focus on one issue but instead branched into how different characters have different struggles for different reasons and none are seen as lesser of more important.

I wasn't a big fan of one of the side characters cheating and everone just moving on. I understand that she felt unhappy in her relationship but the fact that everyone moved on and she stayed with the other girl was a little annoying, but it wasnt that main to the story so I can ignore it.

I hope to one day read a sequel about these characters, but if this is all there is it is still incredible good. 👍

“Miles,” he says, “I see you as everything you tell me you are or want to be.”

What an absolutely delightful coming of age queer story. I loved the main character so much. He felt so well rounded as a character. Honestly every character in this book had depth. I feel like the romance between our two main characters had some really sweet moments. I think as a coming of age and coming out as transgender story this book absolutely has earned its place in literature.

Representation: trans masc main character, pansexual main character, lesbian main characters and relationship

Thank you net galley for the arc of this book!

I received an ebook copy of Always the Almost by Edward Underhill from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Words cannot explain how happy I am to have read this book. It truly is a novel about both piano and trans joy. Although at times I found Miles to be a bit too self centered, by the end of the novel he grew substantially as a main character. Additionally, after about 50 pages I just could not put the book down, the plot just drew me in. I loved reading the descriptions of Miles playing the piano and I could really understand Edward Underhill’s love of classical music through it. Eric as a love interest was great but I feel like his character could have been developed a bit more, the same goes for Paige and Rachel. Overall, all three of them were great but I just would have loved a bit more character development for them. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will definitely be ordering a physical copy. As always please check the trigger warnings before reading as there are instances of transphobia discussed in the book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

Oh gosh, I was immediately sucked into this story, a very relatable story for many including myself. The friendship, the love, the discovering your identity...all things that make you cry and your heart soar. I immediately felt connected to Miles and the "almosts" that's talked about. Definitely a great read for teens, especially ones that are trying to find themselves.

Always the Almost is a beautiful and heartfelt love story that's not only just about love but friendship, finding ones identity, being true to yourself, all the things that will make you hiccup and cry. One of my favorite things about this novel is how unapologetically messy these high school kids are. They're kids, they make mistakes, they hurt others and they fight and compete and push themselves to breaking points. At the center of this story is Miles, a boy whose come out as trans and is struggling with being himself. His ex-boyfriend broke up with him because he was no longer attracted to him, there's a new boy who starts to enter his orbit, there's obviously going to be some friend drama, and the big pre-competition that he's been training for for years. He's always been second place, and it's hard to put your focus so entirely on something you think is your whole life, until it's not.

This wasn't cheesy in the way that normal rom-coms are. This brought me back four years earlier to when I was in high school, my friend group and exes and all that. This setting felt rich and cathartic in a way that burrowed in my soul but with all the angst it felt more like a pecking bird chipping away my layers.

Miles was a messy character but he was genuine. Even when he felt he didn't know himself, we the reader could. The author transported me into this intense story that read as fluidly as sitting and watching a movie you can't look away from. I was captured by the author's prose and the style, I thought their perspective choice was perfect for the story and the character, and every sentence felt true to itself. I absolutely loved Eric the most, he felt like the character who stood out the most.

I loved so many things in this story from the comical call-out posts about fighting the school to go eco-friendly, the great adults who stood by the kids the entire way and guided them through their endeavors. It was soft, heartwarming, like hot chocolate.

This novel took me on an emotional journey that not a lot of books can do. This author has a way with their words and writes fluently with their heart. I can't praise this book enough and I hope it gets all the love it deserves. Splendid.

This was SO CUTE!!! I got sucked right into Miles' story and read 2/3 of this in a single sitting, then could hardly wait until the next day to finish . Eric is the sweetest book boyfriend ever, and I loved Miles' journey of finding himself--plus all the music. This book is happy and adorable and gave me all the feels. I cried a little--and I almost never cry at books. But they were good tears.

Highly recommend this one and can't wait for more from this author!

I really enjoyed this book. Miles was such a likeable character. He had just came out as trans as was really trying to figure himself out. He had just ended a relationship with a jock who would not continue to date Miles as after he came put but Miles soon met Eric who accepted him as he was... it was a beautiful story. I also loved how Miles was so dedicated to playing the piano and competing. I feel like I learned a lot about piano competitions.

I am grateful for this story and also that it was not filled with trauma. I am glad that mostly everyone was supportive of Miles and I felt good after I completed the book.

I loved everything about this book. Fantastic characters, great story, really engaging read. So much trans, queer joy!!