I’m conflicted by this book.
1st of all, thank you to netgalley for an arc of this so I could prep my thoughts before the book came out. Really loved the premise of the story and the main character but I feel like I couldn’t relate to her. (That’s not a bad thing overall, just not for me). I really like the main character wasn’t fully thought out and some of her decisions were reckless/sudden.
I also wish I had gotten to know more about the love interest. They’re romance wasn’t my fav but I feel like it might be because I didn’t know him as well as I wanted to.

...sigh
I’m gonna be honest I had higher hopes. But...don’t let this discourage you from reading this book. I still loved many things about it, like Jackson (sucker from friends to lovers right here) and the coding/hackathon element. Women in STEM woo! I liked the main character Ashley, at some points her actions did annoy me...but she is a teenager and it’s kind of realistic. I’m giving this 3/5 stars not because it’s bad, but because I think there are some aspects of the book that could be better. Please give this book a try, maybe you’ll like it more than I did.
Thank you to Netgalley, the authors and Underlined Books for sending me this ARC.

My Epic Spring Break(Up) is out now!

I have to say I was a bit disappointed in this one. I do try hard to put myself in the characters' shoes when I read YA but sometimes the decisions just don't add up ... Ashley wanted to be more fun but she also went from 0-60 in a matter of days. It just felt a bit inauthentic. I did like her relationship with Jason and her relationship with her friends. I would be interested in reading others from this author because I also liked this premise a lot. You may have better luck!

My Epic Spring Break (Up) comes out TODAY April 6, 2021 and you can purchase HERE.

It's one thing to say I want to have more fun, but it's quite another to make it a reality. Thus far, I've devoted most of my high school career to the pursuit of a perfect transcript. That's serious business. I can't just go from zero to sixty overnight.

I am definitely on a cute YA romance kick and this totally fits that criteria. I love Ashley and her nerdiness, even with the breakdown (it probably help tbh because who doesn’t love a sweet mess?). I also love her friends and how close they are. I also love Jason because of his prankster way. I can’t help but smile at his ‘brilliant ideas’. I will also say that there was a trend in real-life where people would film pranks that were not… kind… (to put it nicely) so I was hesitant about him. But once I learned about some of his pranks (current and past), my fears were squashed. These are actually harmless, at least as harmless as minor class disruptions can be considered harmless (annoying for teachers, loved by students and passes after a few minutes). I greatly appreciated this depiction of mischief because that is not the current trend on social media platforms and taking this approach may shift the idea that funny = mean, because some of his ideas are really funny.

Overall, I love this story. The plot is strong and kept me engage throughout the story. I always wanted to keep reading. I can definitely see this being picked up by Netflix as a new The Kissing Booth or To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before obsession. (Psst… Netflix… *gestures frantically*)

The release date of this book was perfectly timed, and I highly recommend reading it during Spring break because it just fits so well. That being said, if you can’t get to it right away it will also be a great summer read, or a “get warm in winter” read.

I love Kristin Rockaway and will absolutely read anything she writes!

I was totally excited to get my hands on her first YA book and it did not disappoint.

I flew through this book in one sitting! I loved the romance and the main character, Ashley. Ashley is a flawed teenager who is a coder for a stem program. She makes mistakes but she’s so real. She’s trying to figure out what she wants out of life.

If you enjoy YA romance, definitely read this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced ebook copy.

Having read all of Kristin's previous adult books, I was super excited to read her first YA novel! This was definitely a good, fun read and I think that it hit all of the marks of what makes a good YA novel. I feel so lucky to have been given an ARC of this book, and I really enjoyed it. There was just something a little lacking for me that I can't put my finger on, but it's possible that I'm just used to her adult work and had trouble transitioning to a younger character. Either way, I will definitely be recommending this book to other YA lovers.

My Epic Spring Break (Up) was a quick, cute read.

All Ashley wants is to get the internship at ZigZag and continue on with her plan for her life. When she loses out on the internship she feels like her whole life has been thrown off track. At the prompting of her coworker and sometimes friend, Jason, the prankster, she tries to have more fun. Ashley pursues her crush, does things she would have never done pre-rejection, and realizes maybe she likes the wrong guy.

Ashley was a really relatable character. Even being well out of my teenage years I could see teenage me in her. Who hasn't like the wrong guy, or gotten news that left you feeling like, "What now?" Kristin Rockaway did an excellent job accurately portraying teenagers. There were moments in the book where I just had to set it aside, because they were being SO true to their age that I needed to take a step back and remember these are supposed to be teenagers, not adults.

I really enjoyed seeing Ashley grow and learn over the course of the story.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Kristin Rockaway for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute book and it felt exactly as advertised, it was a great coming of age story. I really didn't like Ashley's character, especially initially, though I began to respect her more towards the end.

The story felt all over at a few points, but I will say that I'm happy with how things wrapped up, it just kept me a little disconnected from the story at times.

This was a good book and I felt like it held a really good message for those in a similar situation.

My Epic Spring Break(Up) by Krsitin Rockaway is everything I love about YA Fiction. It was such a cute, fun, and smart story. I was immediately engrossed in the story and loved Ashley.

Ashley was laser focused on her future. She worked to keep her grades up and engaged in activities that would pad her resume. When her plans were slightly derailed, she decided to throw caution to the wind and expand her horizons. After a few questionable decisions, she wondered if this was really what she thought she was missing out.

When I think of spring break, I imagine easy, breezy fun, and Rockaway did a fantastic job capturing its essence for me. Here are five things I loved about My Epic Spring Break (Up).

1. Ashely was a great character. I love a girl with goals and determination, and Ashley had it in spades. She was a hard worker, a good daughter, and a great friend, but she wasn't perfect. She made some ill advised decisions over the course of this book, but she paid the price and learned from them.

2. STEM for the win! This is the first time in my life where I am NOT science-ing, but my love for all that is STEM runs deep. Ashley's adoration of math and coding endeared her to me, and it was a delight attending the Hackathon.

3. Jason won my heart. My first impression of him was not that stellar. He seemed like a trouble-making prankster, who didn't always take time and place into consideration. Over the course of the book, he showed there was a whole other side to him, and I loved getting to know him better.

4. Friendships were important in this story. Ashley was part of a fantastic programming girl gang. Her friends shared her zeal for coding and were her staunchest fans and supporters. It was also wonderful seeing the once strong relationship between Jason and Ashley revived. It was great hearing about their past and watching them slip back into their familiar friendship.

5. This book was fun and feel-good. I read for entertainment and feels, and Rockaway delivered both. There was lots of whip-smart dialog, witty banter, and amusing moments throughout the story which made me happy. I also relished those sweet and tender moments, as well as the events that had me cheering Ashley on.

Ashley's break may have only been two weeks, but they were two really meaningful weeks in her life. She worked though some issues regarding her father, made big decisions about her future, and even fell in love for the first time. Overall, I enjoyed my epic spring break with Ashley.

Disclaimer: I got this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Full review will be up on my blog by April 6th.

link: https://linktr.ee/AmaniSalahudeen/ to stay updated when I post on my blog.

This is about a young girl who discovers a cheat sheet for love. Ashley is a coding prodigy and she spends her time in high school striving to do better to get into a good college. But, her love life has been nonexistent (something I can relate to aha)! When it's finally spring break, Ashley wants to change that. Enter Jason Eisler -Ashley's childhood friend who is currently into pranks. This book is an adorable, feel-good rom-com and I will be discussing my thoughts in my blog!!

What an adorable, easy story to fly through. Literally. I finished this in about two days, with a toddler. It is such a great coming of age story about figuring out who you are and what you truly want in life.

I really liked Ashley, our protagonist. We have all been in her shoes at one point or another. Whether it’s trying to figure out your future, work through parent drama, and figure out boy issues. On the boy side, I adored Jason. He’s everything you want in a boy crush: thoughtful, kind, funny, and a true friend. Plus, he has the same birthday as me so total brownie points!

Overall a super cute young adult read with a lovely cover to go right along with it. If you’re looking for an easy, adorable read… this is it!

3.5/5 - Review going live on April 1st

I was super excited for this book but it ended up being a DNF for me. Sadly, I think it just wasn’t the right time for me to read this book

I think I might’ve had too high expectations going into this book. I was so excited about the idea of coding and have a female lead who was all about it! It was super fun but some of the moments kind of just left me a little annoyed? Maybe it’s because I’ve been out of high school for a few years but Ashley made some very questionable decisions that didn’t sit right with me. This was a fast read but definitely left me wanting more. If you’re looking for a YA book that happens in the span of a week with a huge tech/coding competition at the center of it - this one is for you!

3/5 stars

I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Ashley, who is a talented coder, has all of her plans laid out for the future. But a sudden change catches her off-guard and throwing all of her plans out the window. As she has almost no spring break plans and is unsure of what the future holds, she vows to have fun and stop worrying so much about the future. She ends up running into her crush, Walker, and he seems like he might be interested in her. She just wishes her childhood friend, Jason, didn't hate him so much. Ashley struggles to balance fun with work, and things get messy.

As much as I wanted to like this book, it just wasn't what I was hoping for. I liked the women in STEM concept a lot and it was a cute story, but that's pretty much it. Ashley makes a lot of stupid decisions, even for a high schooler. It made it really hard to like her as a character. The romance was kind of sudden--it came out of nowhere. Overall, this is a cute and fast read, but it just wasn't for me.

A quick read with some cute romance.

Ashley is a coder and has always done the right thing. When she misses the chance of an internship program for the summer, she decides she'll have fun for a change during the upcoming spring break. And miraculously, she starts putting her resolution to work by landing a date with cutie Walker Beech, much to her childhood friend's dismay.

The book is actually a little shorter than usual, but even if it weren't, the story is so straightforward I think one could finish this in one sitting. Which is good for YA's, but I think this book had potential of going further had it taken a little more of its time.

Ashley's character felt well developed and it's easy to relate to her situation. In fact, I loved how she's quick to wake up to her mistakes. If there's a thing I hate in books it's characters who'll insist on stuff that are blatantly wrong and they should have known better. Ashley is seeking fun, but she's still got her brain working, kudos.

But did the other party of the love triangle have to be such an obvious mess? I also felt the need for more feels. All of a sudden she is in love with people? While the character was well developed, I think the plot points needed more work. On the other hand, it made the read super quick and we get to the point in a blink whenever anything happens. But I liked the characters and I liked the proposal, so I would have liked to spend more time with them all.

If you need some YA to chill, this is a great pick, but it could have been more special with a bit more work on the development.

My Epic Spring Break (Up) was the first book I've read by author Kristin Rockaway and it won't be my last. I loved Ashley I felt like she was so relatable and she's definitely a character you can root for. This story grabs you from the start and I just couldn't put it down. I think this will be very popular with fans of Kasie West and Sarah Dessen. This book has an amazing location. adorable characters, a swoon-worthy romance!!!!!

This was a fun, fast, and charming coming of age YA story featuring a STEM heroine and her journey toward self discovery. In this story, Ashley has her future all planned out from Spring Break to her summer internship however as it turns out that some things are actually out of her control. The story was engaging and the characters were dynamic and glimpsing New York City through the eyes of a sheltered teen from deep Brooklyn was interesting. We also get to see how much pressure students are under these days to succeed by planning their futures out well in advance when they are still discovering who they are.

As Ashley starts pushing back against her comfortable routines and making questionable choices her oldest friend Jason starts to show interest. This is a perfect high school drama about finding yourself and how to strike the right balance of fun and work for the best possible outcome.

I appreciated that the author showcases Ashley's single parent home where her Mother works tirelessly to provide a comfortable home.

no one:
kristin rockaway: TAYLOR SWIFT-

i've only ever read one other book by this author but what i loved about both of them is the focus on technology and women in STEM. WE NEED MORE WOMEN IN STEM!!!

from the moment i read the synposis, my immediate thought was "POSSIBLE FRIENDS TO LOVERS?" because that is a god tier trope. jason was honestly so pure and wholesome i just want to protect him. i loved how supportive ashley's friends were. despite how predictable things were, the ending was perfect.

one of my favorite things about this book was all the taylor swift references.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

I absolutely adored and enjoyed every second of this book. It was fun and the perfect vibe for spring. I love that the main character is super determined knowing where she wants to be in life, but as the story moves on she realizes that there may be things she never thought of, after all life is not entirely linear and fulfilled by college and a job. There is so much more.

This propels Ashley into her spring break deciding to fully experience life around her to friendships and relationships. She decides to take more risks including asking her best friend to join in the Hackathon, that will give her a shot at a second chance at the internship that will put her back on track on her life plan.

Will Ashely be able to get the internship of her dreams? Or will one door close just for one or two to open in it’s place?