A lot of things about this book really irked me. Going in, you should know this is not own voices, and its obvious it isn't, The gay characters are very stereotyped. This book follows two couples, one straight and one gay, falling in love and hiding their relationships. Which are absolutely not comparable situations. One is worried about discrimination and coming out, and the other,,,,, I honestly have no idea why the straight couple was hiding their relationship, it just seemed to be for drama. Also this book really pressured and bullied the gay MC into coming out, which I didn't like at all, coming out is no ones business but there own. Also, while I am all for anyone writing LGBT characters, I think there's some topics non own voices authors should stay away from and coming out is one of them, since its such a stressful, often traumatic, experience that only LGBT people have to go through.
Also, moving on from the content issues, the writing itself felt very flat, and none of the characters seemed unique. Also both of the narrators voices were exactly the same and I often times got confused of whose POV I was reading. Characters and situations were introduced without context and we were just expected to know what was going on.

I received an advanced copy of If We Were Us from Netgalley, so that I can share my review with you! Out of five stars, I would give this book a two, for reasons I will explain later in the review.

Bexley Academy gossip has long held that Sage and Charlie are meant to end up together. That their close friendship is a guise for their love for each other, and that it’s only a matter of time until they start dating. At the start of the school year, Luke, a new senior, arrives on campus and immediately begins to stir up the careful balance of the Bexley student dating pool. Charlie is immediately drawn to Luke by an undeniable chemistry, and the two rapidly grow close. While Charlie is otherwise occupied, Sage begins to spend more time with Charlie’s twin brother, Nick. Romance sparks between the two pairs, but it’s only a matter of time before the secrets start to spill.

As I mentioned earlier, I was not a particularly big fan of If We Were Us, for several reasons. First, the book was told in dual perspective, but the two narrators’ voices were indistinguishable from each other. I was constantly struggling to remember who’s chapter I was supposed to be reading, because the narrators did not feel like individual characters. Additionally, I didn’t feel particularly invested in either of the love stories, as the emotional relationships felt lacking and superficial. I was very excited by the concept of this book, but unfortunately the execution left me quite disappointed.

My Recommendation-
Although I wasn’t a fan of If We Were Us, that doesn’t mean that some may not enjoy it. If you are considering picking up If We Were Us, I would recommend reading a sample first, to form your own opinions on the characters and story. If you find the issues I previously mentioned to be irritating to you while reading, I would recommend skipping this one!

This book should have been a DNF. The writing felt stilted and was just poorly done in general. Characters and situations were introduced without context as though we were supposed to know things that the author never mentioned (so much so that I had to check and see if I was reading a sequel). There are these odd time jumps that skip important scenes and conversations and there is so much telling instead of showing. This book is written in first person, alternating between Charlie and Sage's perspectives but neither character felt fleshed out. Everyone felt like tropes rather than real people and it made it difficult to care about them and their relationships. Especially the relationship between Sage and Nick -- there's no lead up, they're just... making out all of a sudden? And we're supposed to believe they're in love with each other? Even though she treats him like crap and blames it on other people? It was not good. Aside from all of that I had a major issue with the LGBT content. Aside from it also feeling just as tropey as the rest of the book, I was super not okay with how the other characters claimed to be allies but continued to basically bully the MC into coming out? It didn't feel like it was coming from a place of love, and largely felt self-serving. I could kind of understand Luke's perspective to an extent, but the whole situation didn't feel like it was handled well at all.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3333184676

So sweet and charming, a real page turner ! And so much diversity ! Okay, it was a very good book, the characters just questioning themself about who they are, and who they want to be.
On last thing, it takes place in a... Boarding school and I love it, you have a real good feel of what is to be a student in a boarding school, A cute, quick romance, perfect for someone who want to change one's mind.

Yeah fine, I'll accept that I loved this so much more than I expected, even if Sage's chapters bored me and I just wanted to get back to Charlie and Luke.

Also, well, this made me flat-out sob and not really in a "it's sad" way, although it is, but more in a "I feel far too seen and this reminded me of all of the messy, broken things in my life" kind of way. I'm not as strong as Charlie and Luke are, but I wish I were.

I didn't love the parts with Sage, mostly because her back and forth with Nick was so typical of a YA book. Once I understood that she was protecting Charlie, I appreciated their sneaking around more, but I think it's so dumb for a couple that has nothing to lose to lie to each other. But whatever. That aside, I also didn't love some of Sage's actions regarding Charlie's sexuality; it's not fair of her to tell him when and where to come out and to act like she's held hostage by his secrecy. But in fairness, I did see her perspective as well; I just think she was being a tad selfish (and I suppose that was kind of the point).

Anyway, I really appreciated the discussion of how hard it is to come out and I absolutely adored Charlie. I don't love when books pull the "I don't want us to be together in secret, so you have to come out" card, but I think it worked better with this book than it has in other ones. Charlie still did it on his terms and his time and more as a result of realizing the importance of his relationship with Nick than emotional blackmail. I do wish the book had discussed that it's unfair of someone to expect someone else to come out <i>for them</i> but I also realize that there's a level of honesty someone would like in a relationship and I don't think Charlie was fair to Nick at many points either.

So yeah, this book isn't perfect, but it captivated me, I read most of it today, and the writing is really good. I ended up being swept into their drama, their lives, their loves, and I would absolutely die for Luke and Charlie. The cutest. The sweetest. The best.

-Book Hugger

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! This is no way impacted my review/rating of the book.

Cute YA romance set at a boarding school featuring childhood best friends, one's brother, and the new guy at school.

Content warnings include: casual homophobic jokes, internalized homophobia, unacknowledged eating disorder and weight loss, breakups, off-page sex between teenagers; mentions of mild violence.

This kind of felt like a typical American high school romcom, except also not. There was the big cast of popular characters, the tons of parties, everyone knowing everyone, so much drama around relationships, supposedly a ton of homework except everyone is always hanging out and doing activities together literally all the time... and yet it didn't annoy me in the same way those shows usually do.
I liked that there was no bullying or cliques, no nerd/jock/art kids/goths separation, no real unecessary jealousy drama, no forced or involuntary outing, blackmail, inappropriate teacher/student relationships or similar things.

There was a storyline about a gay couple with one of them out while the other isn't, and the tension around them was focussed on the closeted one struggling with the idea of coming out, but it was handled respectfully, with both characters being fully in their right and without actively pressuring each other.

The two protagonists, Sage and Charlie, are best friends, but I found their friendship less of a big deal as the book's description made me believe. Instead, Sage and Luke, the new guy at school, had a friendship that at least to me was in the foreground a lot.

The one thing I couldn't quite wrap my head around was Sage and her hang-up around high school romantic relationships. The drama and heartbreak that caused had no relation to the reasoning she named and could have been solved had she just spoken up earlier, and when she does she gives in immediately anyways without any big discussion or character development.

Generally I had some issues with the timeline - I couldn't always tell which parts were described as having happened in the past and which were happening at present. Other events only happened during the POV of a non-present character, so the reader only learns about them second hand, which I found a weird choice since it's switching POVs anyways?

My biggest issue was probably all the names - there is a huge cast of not only all the people at the boarding school, but also their extended families, all the different buildings each had a name, as well as several locations at the protagonist's homes, and at no point was it explained who was who or what was what or where, and that was just super annoying. Even now that I'm finished there are several names that I couldn't tell you who or what they are.

Overall still a fun read that passes the time.

Yesss another debut novel that pulled my heart-strings in the best way possible! 💕
I am a sucker for friendship and love stories. Push a boarding school into the storyline, and you've the perfect recipe to make me happy! 😁
If We Were Us is basically sunshine in book form. ( I modified a quote from the book to fit my review, that's how much I loved it 😌) Not only does this book talk about friendship and love, but also shows how young people struggle to accept their own identities in the ever-changing world.
Charlie and Sage, who've been best friends since their childhood, will make you dream for a friendship like theirs. Their relationship was so heart-warming and perfect. You know how they say, "The world is a better place if you have the right friend by your side. " ? Sage and Charlie showed me that it's true.
The development of romance betn Sage & Nick and Luke & Charlie was wonderfully written too. The right amount of banter and humor was also thrown into the storyline. Aaanddd don't even get me started on the boarding school life & fun! AAAHH ALL OF THEM FEELS. 😭
While reading books from a specific POV, I've felt a lot of times that the book missed the depth it needed because of not having the POVs of characters vital to the plot. If We Were Us completely changed that aspect for me. Even though the POVs change between Charlie and Sage only, the author did an amazing job of including Luke and Nick's contribution to the story too.
I loved how If We Were Us portrayed the fact that we can become the best versions of ourselves by choosing to be true to our own hearts before anything else. This book will definitely stay with me for a long time. I want more! 😩
I can't wait to read K.L Walther's upcoming books, given how wonderful her debut novel is!
Thanks to the publisher and author for the e-arc 🧡

If We Were Us by K.L. Walther is the story of four teenagers and how their lives intertwine in a private boarding school.

Everyone at Bexley School knows that Sage and Charlie are destined to be together. No matter how many girlfriends Charlie has had over the years, everyone knows he’ll always come back to Sage.

But when Luke starts Bexley School as a prefect, life for Charlie changes. Luke and Charlie are drawn together, and Charlie can’t deny the attraction he feels for Luke. How does the big man on campus come out of the closet as a gay man?

Sage, for her part, is happy for Charlie. His distraction means she can spend more time with Charlie’s twin, Nick. And she really likes Nick.

As the year goes on, the relationship dynamics between the four teenagers changes and shifts. One thing’s for certain though: it’s never simple, and it’s never easy.

If We Were Us by K.L. Walther was a cute read. It was simple, sweet, and a breeze to get through.

So why did I only give it three stars? The biggest reason is that all of the characters blended together. While the perspective of the book shifts back and forth between Sage and Charlie, the voice sounded the same. All four characters acted and sounded remarkably alike, so I got lost at times trying to remember which character I was actually following.

On the plus side, the romances in the book were sweet. I enjoyed watching the characters get to know each other better and grow closer as the book went on.

Would I recommend If We Were Us by K.L. Walthers to others? Yes, if you enjoy young adult contemporary fiction, this a book you should consider!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There is no one who is sadder than me right now for not liking this book. This was one of my most anticipated releases for this year. And in the end, I felt kind of unsatisfied with the story. The characters were forgettable, the story as well. I did not vibe with the writing style, not one bit.
I am not saying that I would not recommend this book, I most certainly will. I guess I had different hopes or just expected too much which is my fault entirely.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with this story, I just really lost interest the more I read. I was so excited to see a story with a platonic soulmate in it - and I loved the relationship between Sage and Charlie, but even really liking the idea of the relationship, I didn't quite connect with the characters the way I wanted too. The characters never felt real to me -there was an exaggerated outlandishness that made the story feel unattainable. And even my love of boarding school books didn't help because it all just felt so out of reach. I only started to see the relationship develop between Charlie and Luke and Sage and Nick respectively, and while I liked them they weren't enough to keep me going.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If We Were Us is a story told from the perspective of two best friends, Charlie and Sage, during their senior year of high school at an elite boarding school. I will break down this book into what I think worked and what I think didn't work because I am very on the fence about it.

What didn't work:
1. The narrators. I was not invested in either Charlie or Sage. I would have much preferred the narrators to be Nick and Luke, as I thought they were more interesting characters. Charlie and Sage seemed flat to me, and it didn't feel like their chapters had a separate voice.
2. The plot. I was not a fan of the "we must hide our love" trope in either of the storylines. It felt a bit cliche and I didn't think it was handled deftly enough. I also don't think Luke or Nick's reaction worked because it sets up conflicts that seem a bit unnecessary.

What did work:
1. The setting. I loved the idea of it at a boarding school. Some of my favorite novels I read in my teen years (yes, including Harry Potter!) take place at a boarding school. I love the vibe that puts off, especially in the ways in which the author built that space.
2. The writing. I did like the writing and though overall it was well-written. The problem for me was plotting and character building, but the writing itself was good.

Walther has done the impossible and made me enjoy overwrought teenage melodrama.
It's just so well done that I simply needed to know if Charlie, Sage, Nick, and Luke got the happily ever after they deserved. There's enough sweetness to give you a toothache and the perfect amount of positive messaging to make you feel good when you walk away after finishing it.
There isn't much complexity to the plot beyond the will they/won't they/just talk to each other element, but it plays out in a way that you really do get enthralled by it. Poor Charlie has the worst relative a closeted gay kid could possibly have. Combine that with unrealistic family expectations and the kid's going to have some deep issues even if he is falling head over heels with his soulmate. I also enjoyed seeing Sage discover that her parents' lives aren't a roadmap to hers. Got to admit that Luke and Nick are a bit underdeveloped next to Sage and Charlie, but they're the heart of the story and get some solid moments.
Overall, it's a perfect light read with positive messaging, enough drama to keep you reading, and a happy ending to help you end with a smile.
Also, on a slight side note, I am so here for a book that portrays well-to-do, private school teens as something other than the horrors of Gossip Girl and the like.

Major thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire for granting my wish to read it on Netgalley!

I LOVED this book! A well-written and engaging look at how real-life relationships can get so messy! I found the story arc of one of the MC's coming to terms with their sexuality very true-to-life and whilst the plot overall didn't throw out any unexpected plot twists, that didn't distract from the engaging prose at all. Absolutely fantastic!

Walther transports her readers to the idyllic Bexley Academy, a boarding school in New England. The story centers on Charlie and Sage, narrating in alternating chapters. They are life long best friends and everyone around them presumes that they may not be dating now, but they will be end game. It's quickly uncovered that there are some very good reasons that they are not meant to be kissing as the credits roll. This ends up being the biggest asset to the novel because you don't quite know how this school year that plot encompasses will play out.

The characters are well-drawn, particularly Charlie's journey to self-acceptance as he struggles to take control of his own destiny on a variety of fronts. Sage's role does tend to be more supporting to his journey, to underscore the pains of young love and duty. This is not necessarily a problem because it gives each of them a purpose, yet keeps their stories tethered together plausibly. This is highly recommended for fans of YA, romance, and coming of age stories.

I was very excited about this book but I also have a number of problems with it and all of them together meant that I didn't actually enjoy it at all.

The first thing is the premise for the characters. The gay boy we get as a main character is deeply closeted and no stranger to internalised homophobia, which brings him to date girl after girl, to prove something to himself. I'm not saying that's not a reality for gay teens anymore but I am saying that it's a very tired trope in literature and one that shows said teens that they shouldn't hope for anything better.

There's also a problem of Charlie's attitude. It's one thing to use girls as beards when you're trying to figure stuff out about yourself, but it's another altogether to treat those girls with very little respect and like nothing more than props.

And as if that didn't make the gay rep in this book poor enough, we get the well-known by us all "we can't date if you're not out". It's just... This is not how it works, folks. This is not what teen stories should be telling LGBT youth.

I wanted to read this book mainly because of the gay characters and got disappointed time and time again, to the point where I would call this rep harmful.

This was adorable and funny and heartfelt and just the kind of read I needed right now. Stories about friendship and romance , friendship during romance and how these two things can effect each other are incredible.
I absolutely loved it

This story was so much fun! I loved everything about it. The characters for me were the best part and I loved every single one of them. I thought If We Were Us was such an original story and the writing was fast paced that kept me interested. If you are looking for a fun, quick read this is definitely the story for you.

I enjoyed this story! If we're talking about just the story and writing, then I would give this book 3 stars, but there was so much that was just plain fun to me, so I had to give it a 4.

The story is about Charlie and Sage who have been best friends since they were kids and everyone thinks they're destined to get together. However, Charlie is drawn to a new kid at school, Luke, and Sage has been getting closer to Charlie's brother Nick.

There was so much to love about this book. I'm a sucker for any "childhood best friends to lovers" trope plus an "in love with my best friend's brother" trope. I also think elite boarding school settings are so cool. Plus it's set in New England?? And teenagers are worried about life after high school and being away from their friends??? And dealing with identity issues??? It had everything that I loved. I think the characters were amazing and really cool and I'm lowkey jealousy of their life and all the fun stuff they do. I loved the friendships portrayed in the story (even more so than the romantic relationships) but I think the romance aspect was sweet, too! Overall, very happy with the story and the ending and I think it was great for a debut novel.

Though I did have some issues! A lot of the issues that the characters faced could have been solved by simply communicating, and it cheapens the actual plot and makes it seem like a lazy attempt at creating conflict. Also, the two main POVs, Sage and Charlie, were so alike (obviously, they are best friends) but there were times when I forgot which POV I was reading from because their internal monologues were so similar. It made me a bit sad because I really enjoyed Sage and I thought she was such a cool girl, but I felt like her POVs, and even her conflicts, were overshadowed by Charlie's. Lastly, the two twins in this story were named Nick and Charlie and I legit could not stop thinking about the iconic Heartstopper couple, Nick and Charlie.

But, in all, these problems were minor annoyances. I still thought the book was great!

This book was a little too Gossip Girl world with the boarding school.... overall wasn't a fan with this.

This book was absolutely charming, very entertaining, and another boarding school story you MUST add to your collection! By the end of the first chapter, I wanted to apply to Bexley myself.

This author's world-building skills were incredible. I could picture the entire school campus, the hang out spots across the street in town, and every dorm room (Nick's is a sight to behold). I did look up Walther's bio, and it does say she attended boarding school, so she would know what flies and what doesn't. The world of Bexley, right down to its dress-code and other rules, felt very authentic to me.

Now the characters...ugh, my heart! The "flock" friend-group's stories are funny and touching, and I would've loved to read more about them. There are a quite a few characters mentioned, but I found it easy to keep track of who's who. Sage has her girls, Charlie and Nick have their boys, and they all mesh so well together.

And oh, did the couples make me swoon. Luke and Charlie, while they feel an instant connection, are
such a slow-burn that you can't help but giggle and grin when things finally fall into place. I cannot express how much I loved them. And Nick and Sage already have a foundation for their relationship, so you tear up the going gets tough. They too, with their funny phrases, were adorable.

While not involved romantically, I also count Charlie and Sage as a couple. I loved reading about their fiercely loyal best-friendship, how they were always there for each other. It brings a new meaning to the phrase "ride-or-die."

Like real life, the couples had their ups and downs. They had to do a lot of soul-searching to figure out what they wanted, and I think that will resonate with most teens.

I cannot wait to see what Walther writes next, and hopefully more Bexley will come our way! Nick, Sage, Luke, and Charlie might have graduated, but I think the school holds plenty more secrets and stories.