I won't lie, I almost put this book down at the very beginning. Eloise Deane is not a very likable character, but that's kind of the point. She pushes people away and uses her grumpy loner demeanor as an armor to protect herself. When she has to work with Austin, who is practically a ray of sunshine, she isn't sure how to handle him. She can't dampen his spirits with her usual snark.

What was meant to just be a way to get the necessary volunteer hours for a college scholarship, starts to help Eloise put herself back out there and make friends again. Maybe more with Austin, until her insecurities return with his on-again, off-again ex-girlfriend appears to want to be on-again.

Overall, All Alone with You, is a great representation of what it can be like to live with anxiety and depression. The struggles it can put on relationships, whether that be with family or friends. Highly recommend!

I’ve only read one other book by this author and although I liked it I didn’t end up loving it. I was a little hesitant about starting this one but I am glad I made the plunge because it was well worth it!

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Eloise. She is a stubborn teen girl who is trying to get into her top college and laying low when it comes to social things as friendships were ruined due to her anxiety and depression. I can definitely say that she isn’t the easiest character to like. She makes bad choices and pushes people away, but I saw myself in her and maybe that’s why I didn’t want to like her. We don’t want to see ourselves in imperfect characters. She uses videogames to cope: Same. Anxiety and terrible with social situations: You know it. It was like this book was made for me, even as an adult. I can only imagine the impact it would have had on me as a teen.

Due to needing extra-curricular activities outside of academics she meets Austin. Eloise and Austin bounced off of each other so well! Their chemistry was exploding from the get-go and it was hard to not root for their HEA. She needed a lot more convincing than he did, but with help from her other newfound friend, an elderly woman named Marianne, she learns that feelings are never easy but not doing anything is even worse. They are the definition of golden retriever and black cat.

I liked that this book wasn’t just about them either. Marianne has a story of her own and through that Eloise learns a lot.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. It really put me in my feelings and I’m kind of sad it’s finished. If you love a good YA book with a grumpy x sunshine duo and banter then this one is for you!

This story was so cute. I loved how grumpy the MC was and her banter with her love interest. I liked the volunteer aspect of the story and how it thrust them together. The characters were all so well developed and it was a sweet romance that kept me glued to the story. I also appreciated that it was a slow romance instead of instalove or the you’re-what-I-always-wanted-love. It all felt realistic and it made me laugh quite a bit. It was definitely a good read that I would tell others to check out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc.

All Alone With You by Ameila Diane Coombs

I haven't read a contemporary young adult book in a long time. I used to love this genre and was pleasantly surprised that it's still enjoyable even though I am not the intended audience. 

This story follows Eloise, a senior in high school who suffers from social anxiety and depression and her struggles to maintain friendships while battling her mental health. Her character is feisty, grumpy, and gave me Wednesday Adam vibes. Eloise starts to volunteer at LIfeCare to receive community service hours to help with her college applications. It is there, where she meets Austin, who is a ray of sunshine compared to her gloomy personality. Together they have weekly visits with Marianne, a former famous musician in the 70's and 80's. The relationships between all the characters was heartwarming and enjoyable to watch unfold. 

What I loved about this book:
-Grumpy/Sunshine trope
-Mental health representation
-LGBTQIA representation
 -Character development and relationships throughout the story.  
-Fun banter between Eloise and Austin. Sarcastic and witty
-Both Eloise and Austin, although opposite personalities, were both very likable characters.
-I thought the addition to Marienne's character and the references to musicians in the 70's was a great addition. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book at 37 years old. I think it would be an amazing read for anyone 14 years +

4.5/5 stars

I enjoyed this one so much! THIS is what I want in my YAs. MWAH *chef's kiss*

ALL ALONE WITH YOU follows Eloise Deane, an anxiety-ridden, grumpy senior set on getting into USC and out of her PNW town. But in order to pad her college application, she needs volunteer hours and ends up spending time at LifeCare, an agency that offers social support to lonely elderly through phone calls and in-home visits. To make matters worse, she gets paired up with Austin, a perpetually sunshiney boy who drags her to spend time with Marianne Landis—the mysterious former frontwoman of the 1970s band the Laundromats.

But with time, Eloise finds that maybe Marianne--AND Austin--aren't so bad after all... *wink wink*

I really, truly feel like young adults with feel *seen* in this story. Coombs so clearly and vulnerably creates the reality for those (esp. teens) struggling with mental health illnesses. She doesn't shy away from it or sugarcoat it. Heck, I felt seen as a thirty-year-old. It's raw and really important. Even though mental health challenges don't always go away, it felt really satisfying to watch Eloise's growth through the book -- to watch her struggle, make mistakes, and eventually take ownership as she worked to face fears and right wrongs. And not be cured, but be happy and thriving.

I also really appreciated the fact that this book had its finger on the pulse of what a lot of teenagers worry about -- friendships and relationships with family, how we're perceived, our dreams and desires meeting the unknown of our futures, and how sometimes those dreams can change. And it tackles these topics so well.

Aside from that, this book was just so fun to read. I adored the characters and the setting, and genuinely wanted The Laundromats to be a real band! (I am just doomed to fall in love with fictional bands, that's my lot in life, unfortunately.) Eloise and Austin's relationship progression was so swoony (it felt authentic, too!) and I simply could not put this book down.

Read if you like:
-grumpy girls and sunshine boys
-reclusive band legends
-flirting via gaming
-"you're my favorite person"
-relatable mental health rep
-PNW vibes
-battle of the bands

A read you should definitely pick up!

A thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. ALL ALONE WITH YOU is out 7/25!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an E-Arc of this book. The following is my honest opinion *

."All Alone with You" is about high school senior Eloise who is struggling with her mental health and autopiloting through her last year of school. Pushed out of her comfort zone, she meets fellow high schooler Austin and senior citizen Marianne, who play a big part into Eloise learning its okay to not be okay.

Where do I even start?? The mental health representation and genuineness and realistic nature of this book is top tier. This book felt like a hug and fresh air to me. I really enjoyed how Amelia Diane Coombs portrayed the main characters, in particular Eloise, her mental health battle and her coping mechanisms. I felt Eloise in my bones. I relate to the struggle so much and just seeing her growth throughout the book was amazing. Coombs portrayed the story in such a way that it felt as if I was talking to Eloise and hearing the story from her myself. It was beautifully written.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the authors other works!

When I saw that this book was being compared to Jenn Bennett I immediately wanted to read it. I was not disappointed! The characters were amazing, flawed and real. I loved the growing romance and unexpected friendships! I did take off a star because of how predictable the plot was. The main character not being able to see the excruciatingly obvious signs that her love was reciprocated was very frustrating and felt like it dragged on a bit. The love interest was a little too close to flawless, but I loved him all the same. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes older YA/NA contemporary.

Be still my heart! I adore a grumpy/sunshine romance, especially when the grumpy party turns out to be the girl. Eloise is driven and she deals with anxiety and depression. When her dad gets laid off, Eloise has to start doing volunteer work to put her in the running for a scholarship at USC. The romance was really cute, and I will probably read more of this author's books.

While I hadn’t read any books by this author before, the summary of this book really pulled me in. A grumpy / sunshine romance is also always really cute! All Alone with You follows a girl with anxiety who signs up for a volunteer agency outside of her comfort zone, ultimately befriending the boy partnered with her who’s the complete opposite.

After her father is laid off, Eloise knows she needs a big scholarship in order to go to her dream school. The only issue is that her resume is severely lacking in volunteer hours, so her counselor suggests that she volunteer with LifeCare, a program that socializes with lonely seniors. This is so far from what Eloise is comfortable with, even more so when a fellow volunteer Austin invites her to make a house call with Marianne Landis, the reclusive former lead singer of a popular rock band. As Eloise starts spending more time with Austin—at LifeCare and at school—as well as with Marianne, she starts realizing it isn’t so bad to go outside the bounds of what she wants to do.

I particularly enjoyed Eloise’s character arc throughout this book. She has anxiety, and she’s virtually been friendless since her two best friends abandoned her during a period of severe depression. Hanging out with Austin is the last thing she wants to do, especially since he has such a sunny personality compared to her grumpy one, but she grows to learn that isolating yourself for so long has more adverse effects and spending time with other people can, actually, lift your spirits.

The romance was also so cute! Again, Eloise dislikes Austin somewhat when they first meet but as they spend more time together, they both start enjoying each other’s company more and more. Their conversations were so enjoyable to read; I particularly enjoyed the moment where, after eating lunch together every day, Eloise misses Austin when he’s out sick one day.

I also really liked the side characters! While Marianne had less of a presence than a Hacks-comp would suggest, I really liked seeing her friendship with Austin and eventually Eloise. Eloise’s family were great too, and I liked seeing their support for her. Austin also pulls Eloise into his friend group, including his band, and although this brings up complications with his ex-girlfriend always hanging around, Eloise finds herself enjoying herself more and more with them.

Overall, All Alone with You was a fun book that also deals with mental health and how loneliness can exacerbate your worst thoughts. I really liked the characters and the romance and would definitely need to go read this author’s other works! If you’re a fan of grumpy/sunshine romances, you should definitely pick up All Alone with You.

I really enjoyed this book. Eloise has a history of depression and anxiety. It starts off with her not having friends as the ones she did have judge her and not want to talk to her because of her mental health struggles. Eloise then meets Austin while volunteering and they start going to see Marianne, who is also alone after losing everyone in her life. It is an unlikely friendship between these 3, but I loved watching it grow. I enjoyed the characters, especially Austin

**Review will be published release week on my sites and socials!**

REACHED MY SOUL.

I know that depression and anxiety have many, many different representations. And I gotta say, I loved the way this book portrayed them. As someone with both, I thought it was a great representation. Realistic, frustrating, and just doing your best when life feels heavy.

The dynamics between Austin and Eloise were PERFECT. Reverse grumpy x sunshine at its finest. I loved the way they balanced each other out and the way they went from strangers to friends to having a relationship was so sweet. Filled with some teenage drama and a little bit of angst, I thought it was great for the YA category (and there’s only kisses!).

I adored the plot and the growth I saw throughout the book from Eloise. I really felt so much of what she was going through and the doubt that anxiety creates. I loved Marianne and learning her story and just how this entire cast functioned together.

It was a great read. I have no major complaints and this is my new favorite book by this author!

Overall audience notes
- Young Adult Contemporary Romance
- Language: strong (I will say it’s a bit strong for a YA book)
- Romance: kisses
- Trigger/Content Warnings: depression and social anxiety depictions, loss of a father (side character, mentioned), stroke

3.75 stars


I ended up enjoying this book but, man, was it a slow start. There isn’t much of an active driving force in this novel. It relies on the characters to keep you invested and…honestly? The characters were nothing special. Nothing about this book was particularly special or unique, really. Every aspect, from the romantic tropes to the themes explored and the character archetypes have been done many times before, and quite frankly, they’ve been done better. It was a good book, but it was hard to become invested.
By about the 60% mark, I’d grown to care about Eloise, so I finally had some investment. I enjoyed her relationship with Marianne and her friendship with Austin. I wish it had stayed on the friendship level, because I never felt a chemistry between them. The characters and the plot grew on me slowly, and I really loved the Seattle setting, as someone from the Seattle area. I don’t regret reading this, but admittedly, if it hadn’t been an ARC, or if it hadn’t had the fun little interest of taking place where I live, I likely would have DNFed.

This was a joy to read. You don't always get a grumpy female/male sunshine dynamic, so this was definitely a breath of fresh air. The characterizations were truly excellent as Eloise, Austin and Marianne all connected as being pretty solitary people, whether that was their choice or not. My only issue was that Eloise and Austin became friends much too quickly. I wanted Eloise hold out a little longer in her rigid grumpiness.

One of those books that remind me of why I love YA 😌😌😌

I enjoyed this so much!! I loved the characters. I loved how Eloise, Austin and Marianne were each in a situation where they didn’t have many (if any) friends, and yet they were all wonderful people (Austin especially lol), so it really took the stigma out of it. Sometimes that’s just the situation you find yourself in because you haven’t found your people and it’s not your fault, nor does it say anything bad about you.

I really loved and could relate to Eloise. While she dealt with her anxiety and social anxiety by being grumpy, snarky and sometimes downright mean, which is not how I handled it at her age - I was more of a “be completely silent and talk to no one” person - I could really understand what she was feeling and where she was coming from. And I loved seeing her form such close bonds with Austin and Marianne, and not only them, but be accepted by Austin’s bandmate friends and realize that just because her ex-best friends basically ditched her and she’d been alone for nearly a year, it doesn’t mean she is unlovable - it just means she hadn’t found the right people who she could really click with.

I also loved how since Eloise was not even expecting to make friends, she sure wasn’t expecting to find someone she would have a romantic relationship with - so I love how that snuck up on her and it wasn’t ever something she would have considered for herself. And it was so sweet watching their connection develop and their relationship unfold, even when Eloise had such a hard time seeing it for what it was - falling asleep on FaceTime is not something casual friends do together, Eloise!! You’re in love with each other, okay!!

All in all, so wonderful! Lots to love! Already put a hold on one of the author’s other books ❤️

I really loved this book! I was excited for the premise and it did not disappoint. The main character, Eloise, was very relatable as a teen who has anxiety and depression and this is focused a lot on her progress over the course of the book. Her struggles and triumphs were well depicted and realistic and I thoroughly enjoyed her as the main character. The love interest, Austin, was also so well fleshed out and realistic and just the sweetest. I loved their interactions! Marianne was also so very interesting. I honestly would love a spin off about her life. She had so much intrigue and mystery, as well as her own problems. The dichotomy between the three of them was fun and I just had a good time reading this. It dealt with heavier topics really well, highlighting things about seniors that aren’t talked about and of course, mental health stigmas.
I would 100% recommend this!

This book was so cute, and I loved it! Slow burn with lots of angst, which is just up my alley. I really related to the main character and felt she was very realistic. Very sweet romance while also delving into some complicated issues.

🦇 All Alone With You Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ "You fight like hell for what you think you want, but you don't fight for what you already have. You value accomplishments over connections." ❞

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite song (or line from your favorite song)? ❓

❝ "You need to stop assuming that you're the problem. You can't control what other people think of you or if they like you. The right people will show up. But you have to show up for them, too." ❞

🦇 Eloise is comfortable in her solitude, especially with her social anxiety turning any human interaction into a nightmare. When she's forced to complete her volunteer hours at LifeCare—a volunteer agency that offers support to lonely seniors—her anxiety only flares. Her fellow volunteer, Austin, is the annoying sunshine to her stormy raincloud, who only sees Eloise's sarcasm as a challenge. To help her, Austin brings her to his favorite client, Marianne Landis—the frontwoman for the 1970s band The Laundromats. As Austin wears her down, the worry he'll drop her as a friend persists...especially when Eloise comes to realize the lines between friends and more is blurring.

💜 The first line of this book's description starts with "HBO Max’s Hacks gets a romantic twist," which definitely hooked me. Eloise is all of Hannah's social anxiety and sass. Every interaction between Eloise and Austin is equally playful and witty. Austin always knows how to dish it back, never letting Eloise's cactus-like barbs pierce too deep. Eloise and Marianne have equally dry humor, though Marianne's rebuttals are seeping with age and experience. I loved Austin's honesty about going to therapy, along with Eloise's decision that she's not comfortable advertising her mental health struggles, even while other people choose to destigmatize it and help people feel less alone. As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, I know how hard it is to straddle that line.

🦇 This story is heartfelt and entertaining with characters that are both loveable and relatable. It's a fast read, too. While Eloise is a relatable character, the most relatable ones aren't always the easiest to love; a reality that becomes a plot point in the story. I do think there's such a major focus on Eloise and her anxiety that we don't get enough of Marianne and Austin, who sometimes feel like props for Eloise's development. I am grateful that the YA romance wasn't the main plot point, though; Eloise's self-actualization and growth were instead.

🦇 Recommended to anyone who loves a grumpy versus sunshine ship, loads of character growth, and fuzzy yet angsty YA feels.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🎮 Mental Health Focus (Social Anxiety)
🎵 Grumpy (Lightning) vs Sunshine
🕹️ Coming-of-Age YA
🎵 Lyrics as Chapter Headers
🎮 Cute Banter

🦇 Major thanks to the author @sincerely_amelia and publisher @simonandschuster for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley @netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Review: This is now one of my favorite YA books! Eloise was such a wonderful main character. The anxiety and depression rep was excellent. Her relationship with Austin was adorable. And speaking of Austin! He was so sweet and kind and absolutely perfect for Eloise. Marianne was a great character, too! I liked how much Eloise's family was a part of the book. Overall, I absolutely loved this YA novel and I highly recommend it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I really loved reading Between You, Me and the Honeybees, so I was really excited to read All Alone with You. This was a great grumpy/sunshine ya romance read.

Eloise Deane is our grump. She has just started her senior year and trying to getting into USC. After her counselor suggests she volunteers to help her earn a possible scholarship and acceptance she volunteers at LifeCare. LifeCare is a social support line for lonely seniors. Her first day doesn't go as plan.
There she meets Austin our sunshine. Austin suggests he comes with him to one of the clients he makes house calls for, Marianne, former band member of the Laundromats.
After letting Austin and even Marianne, and starts to catch feelings for Austin, can she finally admit that she had feelings for him, especially when an ex- girlfriend tries to bring herself back into the picture.

I love both main characters, and especially loved Marianne. She was by far my favorite side character. (I would love to read a book about her in her days in the band). The book while filled with a little teenage angst, felt realistic and not to far fetched with the how the storyline progressed. I will definitely be reading more books by Amelia Diane Combs I'm the future.

Incredibly wholesome senior year life, friendships, banter, and miscommunications ugh <3 I loved so many things in this book. Every time I thought it might go in a direction I’d dread, like characters overreacting, the author Coombs made a perfect move (and characters reacted proportionally :'))! Eloise is sarcastic, and Austin makes great jokes and even cuter comments, and Marianne has the best clap backs. This book doesn’t have any of those super unbelievably smart kids who quote Edgar Allen Poe or Aristotle. Eloise is a perfect MC. She’s so good at pulling off bad ass, competitive, grumpy, and gamer, and most importantly makes me want to root for her! Actively struggling with diagnosed anxiety and depression, some things that make her feel anxious are incredibly relatable in the high school kid sense (I was melting with embarrassment at the reminders of my own HS experience). Austin is also a super cute guy character. I love how sweet and perfect he is, and that Eloise kinda notices(!!) in a shy I-hate-you way. I was miffed by the quick ending - things seemed to tie up way too fast, and with a few brow raisers. Would not have been sad about an extended version of this book and these lives, but the length made it a perfect YA novel. 4.5/5 I rounded up on this one :)
Rcvd an arc from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing on NetGalley! My first thru NetGalley :') Thank you for giving me a chance, and allowing me to read this!!