This book features some of my all-time favorite tropes: friends to enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and a social media feud (Tweet Cute style). The story is a fresh take on these tropes by incorporating the e-sports community and Adam's family pinball arcade. One of the biggest focuses of the book is family, from Whitney trying to win the attention of her dad or Adam hanging onto the memory of his father through the arcade. I loved how everything came full circle at the end. I got kind of emotional, really, because Adam was going through this period of self-reflection and dealing with his grief.

Best friends to enemies to love + people struggling to figure things out + family and friendship problems without cruelty + unique businesses/hobbies like arcade and terrariums = the feeling of a gentle reality show in a book–yes, please and thank you.

super cute. loved the writing style. the characters were likable and super sweet. I really enjoyed the story being told and would defiantly read again. it's become a comfort book.

The title of this one drew me in. Fleetwood Mac? Yes please. But I found I didn’t have anyone to root for. I didn’t like Adam, and I liked Whitney even less. Granted, I am not the intended audience for this book — maybe teens would feel more drawn to the characters.

But here’s the problem with this book that I DON’T think can be overcome with teens: no one under the age of 40 has ever seen a pinball machine, or been in an arcade. And most teens have no idea what an “e-sports cafe” is. If they do, they’re probably not reading a romance novel. My 14-year old didn’t even know what a pinball machine was when I asked her. (She also didn’t get the title, as she is not all that familiar with Fleetwood Mac. Clearly I am raising her wrong.) Between that and not being a gamer, I think the context of the book would be lost on her.

3 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the sneak peek in exchange for my honest opinion!

Such a great enemies to lovers story that has so many layers! The next time you want to read a YA love story, pick up this book and a pack of Swedish Fish

Main characters : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 (I loved Whitney's POV so much!!!!)
Characters : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 (Very well written! I honestly think I loved everyone! Except the obvious!)
Plot : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Love story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5 (All I'll say for that 0.5 is : show not tell y'all!!!)
Writing : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 (Very well written no complaints on that!)

Overall : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

I absolutely loved this book! I think the characters were adorable, memorable, and I got attached to them very quickly. The author got me to care easily, which is not easy to do. Plus, the banter between these two was absolutely impeccable and I just looooveee when old friends go back on their relationships and finally say what they feel. It was very well done.

One thing I will say though is that the synopsis of this book is almost a complete lie. They get snowed in for what, 20% of the book? And it happens after the 50% mark. The book really doesn't revolve around that like the synopsis seems to hint at! It also fails to mention that Whitney and Adam are ex best-friends and already know each other. So I genuinely expected a totally different vibe from their relationship. I wasn't disappointed by it, because I still really loved it! But since people pick out books for their synopsis, I thought it was a bit of an interesting choice! DON'T LET IT STOP YOU THOUGH!!

Overall, loved it! I will be putting my recommendation stickers on it at work when November 2nd comes around!
(#IndigoEmployee)

*4.5 stars

You Can Go Your Own Way follows Adam, who runs his late father's pinball arcade, and Whitney, who runs the social media for her dad's e-sports cafes. The two of them are ex-friends and currently have a sort of social media feud going on, always trading insults online. But when a huge snowstorm hits, Adam and Whitney find themselves trapped inside the arcade. Cue forced proximity and some reconciliation? And maybe more?

This book features some of my all-time favorite tropes: friends to enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and a social media feud (Tweet Cute style). The story is a fresh take on these tropes by incorporating the e-sports community and Adam's family pinball arcade. One of the biggest focuses of the book is family, from Whitney trying to win the attention of her dad or Adam hanging onto the memory of his father through the arcade. I loved how everything came full circle at the end. I got kind of emotional, really, because Adam was going through this period of self-reflection and dealing with his grief.

My only critique is I wish that the middle section of the book where Adam and Whitney are actually stuck in the arcade together was extended (also the miscommunication moment near the end was not my fave but it's ok). This isn't just my love for forced proximity speaking: I wish there was some more relationship development and moments of just the two of them as steady friends before they actually got together. Their relationship is really sweet, though, and the ending made my heart really happy. They both grew a lot over the course of the novel and beyond just reconciling their relationship, they got a handle on the conflicts affecting them personally.

Quick list of everything else I loved in this book:
- the incorporation of music, Whitney's love for plants, and reading! a bunch of my favorite authors, like Leigh Bardugo, were mentioned in this book and they were like fun easer eggs
- the little electrical engineering moments that made my EE-loving heart very happy
- the way Aaron and Divya from Eric Smith's other book, Don't Read the Comments, made a cameo in this book AND THEY WERE SO CUTE
- a lot of comments that made me chuckle (the side characters are so funny??)
- the way this book is like a love letter to Philadelphia

Overall, this is more than just a romance novel: it's a story of grief, family, friendship, and community. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

CW: death of loved one (in the past, off-page), grief

This YA had a ton of heart. I'm such a fan of the trapped romance trope, and this one packed a big punch as the characters were dealing with so much during their time trapped in the arcade. I would definitely recommend this for fans of the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I never thought I'd have to read the word pinball as many times as I have now.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It took me about 50% into this book to accept that the pop culture references were going to continue and Adam was going to continue to think about pinball nonstop, but once I got around that, I enjoyed this book.

Plot & other things

- Best friends to enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Insta love (sort of *explained below*)
- Rivals to lovers

You Can Go Your Own Way is a contemporary romance novel about a boy named Adam and a girl named Whitney. Adam works at a pinball arcade that his dad ran before he passed away while Whitney works at her fathers cafe/arcade. Both of them are often arguing on social media and causing issues for each other. Adam is the unpopular nerd and Whitney is a popular mean girl (cliche but gotta love a good cliche). They used to be best friends, but had a falling out.

The plot is pretty basic, but sometimes basic plots are nice and easy reads. I think Whitney's situation with her friends and her ex boyfriend was necessary, but kind of pushed off to the side (Patrick was really giving me whiplash at the start of the book I swear). And then when Adam and Whitney were trapped inside the arcade, they suddenly were just crushing on each other? I say this book is instant love because of how fast they started liking each other (I get they might have always liked each other, but I was confused). I'm not a big fan of romance like this hence half a star taken off (the other star was taken off because of those godawful pop culture references).

ALSO WHAT WAS THE DEAL WITH THAT SWEATSHIRT?? (ok I understand he was attached to it, but they made it sound like he doesn't even wash it)

thank you Netgalley and Inkyard Press for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'You Can Go Your Own Way' has a unique setting- a pinball arcade and a few Philadelphia streets where the community shops are. I loved the twitter banter and commenting, and the community feel.

'The Art and Zen of Pinball Repair' that kicks off Adam's chapters has some deep thoughts, and I enjoyed the realizations of Whitney and Adam at the end. They're both going through a lot with their families and their futures, something that's relatable to many.

The romance is a friends to rivals/enemies to lovers. They have a lot to unpack in a short time period and are aided by a snowstorm isolating them in the pinball arcade.

Overall, this story was an easy, fast paced read. I enjoyed the relationships and the community that Eric Smith built. The final chapter that set up how their futures would go made me smile. Definitely an enjoyable read.

Adam and Whitney used to be best friends. Then, Adam’s dad died. Whitney’s dad became a successful tech entrepreneur. While she entered high school with a new popular group of friends. Adam got stuck. Now, they are more enemies than friends, especially when they fight on social media. But, life changes. Adam and his mom are trying to keep his dad’s pinball arcade running. But, it's a losing battle. Whitney feels invisible. Her only connection to her own dad is running his social media accounts; she’s losing ground with that popular crew; and her boyfriend just dumped her. Will the magic of the Winter Festival and an unexpected opportunity reunite Adam and Whitney? Can old friends and sometimes enemies become something more?

I really enjoyed the easy pace of this dual narrative. While Adam and Whitney wrangle difficult things: grief, isolation, authentic connection with the people around them, it unfolds in an easily accessible manner. At its heart, a conversation about authentic relationships whether they occur on social media or irl and an empowerment to be your authentic self that continues to grow and evolve. A great story about accepting loss, moving on, and investing in the people who support you most. With the love for Philly on full display, you’ll want to turn off your notifications and sit down with a warm cup of hot chocolate to enjoy this rekindling winter romance. In the end a warm fuzzy read that leaves you feeling like you can tackle the tough stuff in your life. Scheduled for release 11/2/21. Perfect timing for your holiday reading list.

I really loved parts of this, so I'm not sure why I didn't love it as a whole. Some parts were written super well and hit my emotions super hard. Others just missed the mark.

I think the romance is what really killed this one for me. If Whitney and Adam would've stayed friends, I would've loved this. They had a great connection as friends, but I never felt the chemistry between them as a couple. Their relationship just felt forced, and it threw me out of the story.

Despite disliking the romance, I really enjoyed some of the aspects of this. Some of the scenes were absolutely adorable, and I loved the concept. The scenes inside the pinball museum were some of my favorites, I loved the descriptions of all the old machines. I grew up with pinball machines, and I loved how they appeared in this.

I think my main problem with this was the ending. I know it was inevitable, and that it was probably the best way for this to end, but I still disliked it. To me, it felt like it did the characters (especially Adam) a disservice.

Although I didn't end up liking this one, I can see why someone would. It was full of some of my favorite tropes (enemies to lovers, only one bed, forced proximity), but I just didn't enjoy the way they were combined.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

This was a really cute, and quick read! It felt nice reading a book set in the winter, in July! I don’t know anything about pinball, but I loved how the book took place in a pinball arcade! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cute, contemporary read!

You Can Go Your Own Way is a former friends to enemies to lovers novel that mainly takes place in an arcade due to a snow in. I thought this was a very unique as I have never read a book taking place in an arcade. There are some moments in the book that tackles grief/ loss and the idea of change. I thought these topics were handled very well. I was a big fan of the dialogue between the two main characters because it did not feel forced or fake. Overall, this is a very cute YA Romance book that it suitable for many age groups and I will be recommending this book to my friends and family.

You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith follows two rival gaming businesses with family/friendship history. Adam, one of the main characters works at his families pinball arcade. Where, Whitney helps out at a chain gaming café owned by her father. One snowstorm forces Adam and Whitney together and has them mending their broken relationship.

This was a sweet YA book that talked about grief/loss and change in general. The descriptions of both gaming businesses were excellent. Whitney and Adam's relationship felt lacking at times and their chemistry seemed to come out of the blue, but overall, it was a fun read.

Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this early.

This book did such a good job of bringing humor and witty banter into the dialogue and the narratives in a genuine way; I personally didn't love the romance in the story, but I think that most YA readers will enjoy this one!

You Can Go Your Own Way is the story of two rival gaming businesses with ties to family and old friendships. Adam works at his old family owned pinball arcade, which he carries a strong connection to since the passing of his father. Whitney helps out at a chain gaming cafe run by her father, who is trying to buy out Adam's pinball arcade. A snowstorm brings Adam and Whitney together, and helps them stop trading insults and start mending their broken relationship.

I liked the brief description of You Can Go Your Own Way and initially thought the book would be right up my alley. The setting of two different gaming businesses with rival families built a lot of interest, and the highlight of the book was definitely the humorous banter and fighting between all of the local businesses. Beyond my initial interest, I unfortunately had a hard time staying engaged with the story. The family conflicts were well-written, but the sudden romantic relationship between the two main characters did not necessarily work for me. I think a good amount of YA readers will enjoy this book, especially those with a gaming background; it was just an up and down book for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

Adam and his mom are running an old arcade and barely treading water. His former best friend’s father has been trying to buy the place to put in another esports location. An accident at the arcade throws Adam and Whitney back into the same orbit, but they can’t seem to get past their own versions of what happened to their friendship. When Whit realizes her friends may not be as good as she thought, she begins to reevaluate her old friendship with Adam.

A cute YA romance that also deals with grief and life change

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of You Can Go Your Own Way in exchange for an honest review.

You Can Go Your Own Way is a cute former friends to enemies to lovers romance taking place mostly in the events surrounding a snow-in at an arcade (yes, all of the fanfic 'there's only one bed!' tropes you're thinking of are thriving here). It was a fun read with occasional emotional moments that help ground it and while I would have liked to see our protagonists (Whit in particular) be a tad more defined, this was still a good time

Being trapped with someone who you think is so wrong for you isn't always bad. Circumstances allowed them to dig deeper and find each others souls while they awaited their literal freedom. Love has the power to unchain you. I loved this book. Thank you Netgalley.

Thank you to Inkyard Press for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

You can go your own way was a really sweet story! I enjoyed reading it and thought that the idea was really well executed. Judging by the synopsis I expected there to be a little bit more of a focus on the snow storm which took a little while to get to, but I don’t really have any major complaints because I was entertained the entire time. At some points I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Whitney and Adam, and felt like it came out of nowhere, but I still found myself smiling during most of their scenes.

This is a very wholesome read and I read it all within a day :) I would definitely recommend!