I began reading Here's to Us with mixed feelings about how the previous book ended, and wondering where they would take the relationship and how we would inevitably see them get back together. I thought Here's to Us was a sweet and fun romance, but the storyline fell somewhat flat for me. I think the lack of new character development, in addition to the overwhelming number of side characters as well as the plot that didn't have very much nuance led to this book being okay, but not amazing. It is always nice to see a new take on a young queer relationship, and I enjoyed seeing where Arthur and Ben ended up in their growth together and as individuals.

There are so many things about this book that just WORK! It seems like most ya romance end with the two main characters getting together and happily ever after….blah, blah, blah. I love the honesty of this book that that’s not always the case. Sometimes relationships don’t work out and it should be okay to talk about that in books. I loved Ben and Arthur’s relationship in the first book and was eager to explore that more in this sequel. I laughed. I cried. I cringed. I also love all of the NYC (Broadway specifically) references.

Albertalli and Silvera do a wonderful job of bringing the characters we loved from the first book back again and with an even more captivating story. They craft a love story that truly makes you think the characters are real and you as a reader become invested in their stories. I was very appreciative of getting to see another Arthur and Ben story. Thank you.

After spending an amazing summer together in New York, Ben and Arthur have slowly drifted apart. Now Arthur is going to spend another summer in New York as an intern for a Broadway show, and while his boyfriend Mikey is amazing, he still can't stop thinking about Ben (even if Ben's not thinking about him). Ben is studying creative writing in college, where he meets Mario, and while he loves his family and the city, he's knows he needs a change. So when Arthur returns to New York, they are both determined to use that time to repair their friendship. But can they stay just friends when the distance that separated them is gone?

Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera have teamed up again to write the conclusion to Ben and Arthur's story, and I LOVE their chemistry. Both are wonderful on their own, but together they're magic. I really thought What If It's Us ended pretty solidly, so I was super surprised when I found this sequel. I'm so glad they decided to continue the story, and the will they/won't they between Arthur and Mikey, Ben and Mario, and Ben and Arthur was SO ANGSTY my heart almost couldn't take it. I really appreciated the approach that the writers took in each of these relationships, and I think it sets a much healthier expectation and example to readers for what they could and should be. There were some really fun plot twists and unexpected surprises thrown in, and it was nice to catch up on all the friends from the previous book as well. I will say, with no spoilers, that this book is THE END. You'll have to read for yourself to know, though.

I received this ARC courtesy of NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review.

I adore Ben and Arthur. I loved them in book one and I love them now. The magic of this duology is that you love each of these characters separately and together. Yes, you root for their relationship, but you also root for them as people and for the goals they wish to achieve. Every character in this book is just so damn charming. You can't help but adore them all - which, of course, makes the romantic questions complicated. Good thing readers love complicated. I'm more than impressed with Albertalli and Silvera's sequel. I wanted to crawl into the pages of this book and join this lively bunch of 20-somethings as they make their way in the world. It helped me remember that time in my life fondly, rather than dreading the uncertainty that time in your life brings. I would press this into the hands of any reader who enjoys young adult or even new adult fiction. It's pretty much perfect in all the ways.

Fantastic read! This was a great conclusion to Arthur and Ben's story. Satisfy ending and very well written.

Here's to Us is the sequel to What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. Taking place 2 years after the first book, this book answers the questions we were left with at the end of the original: Can bad timing be overcome? Can first love become forever love? Although both Arthur and Ben are in new relationships, they haven't ever forgotten their magic summer of do-over dates and romance. When they are back in the same city again, the feelings that arise are more powerful than those they have for their new boyfriends. Can they make it work without causing undue heartbreak?

Loved reading the sequel to What If It's US. It was a joy to catch up with the boys and see where their new journey leads them. Becky and Adam have done it again! This was a great way to start off the new year!

I was honestly dreading reading this a bit because I rated the first book 3 stars and sequels usually are not any better...if anything, they're usually quite disappointing. HOWEVER, I can seriously say that this sequel is so. much. better than the first book. I would say one part of this may be because this book felt more New Adult than YA. In book 1, I found the characters whiny and annoying. Seeing them a bit grown-up was a lot better for me.

The plot moved at a good pace, the characters' lives years later felt real, and I liked seeing more of the secondary characters. Whereas book 1 was 3 stars, I would say this one gets 4.5. Yay!

I was very excited to read book two and catch up with Ben and Arthur. I loved both of these characters in book one but didn't really get to see their growth in this book. The book starts with both Ben and Arthur in New York and both with new boyfriends, or at least boys they are dating. The of course rekindle their friendship and it follows their story over the summer in New York.

What I loved about this book: Dylan is such a fun character who breaks up the story with his craziness. I love every scene with him in it, and kind of miss him when he isn't there. Mikey and Mario are new characters who I felt like the authors did a great job building up in the first half of the book.

What this book was missing was the characterization of the two main characters, Ben and Arthur. Yes, we already know them, but their actions didn't really make sense with what we already know about them and we didn't gain many new insights. I left book one loving Ben and Arthur, but I left this book shaking my head. Overall, I felt like the plot was average and the characterization was lacking.

Even though I don't love the ending, the epilogue is adorable, but I just hate what happens with Mikey (who I connect with) and Mario (who is just so awesome).

I really enjoyed What If It’s Us and was super excited for this sequel. These two authors do a great job of writing together! I did enjoy this sequel but not as much as I had hoped. I think the storyline just wasn’t as strong as the first one and there was too much back and forth of does he like me? Do I like him? Even though I didn’t feel this was as strong as the first I would purchase and recommend it to students. I would also read a third if they decided to continue Arthur and Bens story!

Arthur and Ben are back for chapter two of their adorable romance. Set two years later, both Arthur and Ben and dating other people when they find themselves back in New York together. Of course, the universe is going to do whatever it possibly can to push them together again, right?

A most anticipated sequel to the authors’ highly acclaimed “What if It’s Us?” This one is a worthy sequel, and I know it will be a hot commodity once it comes out. I look forward to getting it into the hands of the very eager fans of the first one, and this one will entice those who love when it isn’t a stand-alone title.

This is the story of two dumb***es (their word, not mine) pretending to themselves and everyone else that they aren’t still in love after breaking up with each other.

There are plenty of cute and funny moments to enjoy as the universe brings Ben and Arthur back together in New York again. This time each of them already has a guy in his life, so it doesn’t seem like they will reconnect as a couple. However, just as in the first book, fate seems to keep throwing them together to give them the opportunity to give their romance a do-over, if they are willing to take a chance on each other.

The novel is also about making the difficult choices that come with growing older. Ben feels somewhat trapped in his current existence of living at home, working for his father, and going to college. It’s not making him happy, but his challenge is figuring out what path he should take to make his life more satisfying. In terms of their romance, if Ben and Arthur get back together, it means ending the relationships they have established with their current boyfriends, Mario and Mikey. I really appreciated that both Mario and Mikey are themselves good people, so the choices Ben and Arthur make will have real consequences in terms of pain and regret, no matter what.

While I liked a lot of things about the story, I also found Ben and Arthur and their self-deception to be a bit tiring at times in a story that seems to go on a little too long. Arthur may or may not be a manic pixie dream boy, but he certainly can be somewhat manic, and the verbal diarrhea, while amusing, can be a lot. (He’s positively restful compared to Ben’s best friend, Dylan, though.) Ben’s self-doubt made me want to hug him and give him a pep talk, or maybe send him to therapy. Each of them spends so much time making assumptions about the other’s “perfect” relationships with their boyfriends and comparing it to their own situation that I wanted to give them both a smack a time or two (or ten). And don’t get me started on the constant lack of communication between them . . .

Even though I sometimes felt impatient with Ben and Arthur, I kept reading, because I wanted the happy ending (or even a happy for now ending) that readers were denied in What If It’s Us. I loved everything about that novel except the conclusion, and I was hoping that this one would be more satisfying. Well, I got what I wanted—the ending is truly everything you’d want in a romance. In fact, there’s so much happy at the end that the book needs two epilogues to contain it all. 😊

This is a must-read for fans of the previous book who wanted a swoonworthy ending for Ben and Arthur. I don’t think they’ll be disappointed this time!

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

A welcome return to this sweet relationship between Ben and Arthur. Their charming supporting cast of characters is also back, as are new love interests. Albertalli and Silvera do a good job of making everyone likable. It's a realistic portrayal of young people trying to find their way back to each other, learn to communicate their needs better. I thought I would be more upset by the handling of the new boyfriends, but everyone treats each other with kindness and respect. I appreciate that in a book when so many books are filled with trauma these days. So, if you want to laugh and fall in love, this is the book for you. Also, if you love New York City, this is a must-read because some great NYC places show up in this book.

If you read What If It's Us? and were disappointed by the ending, this book is for you!

If you, like me, read What If It's Us? and enjoyed the ending because it felt realistic, this book may not be for you.

I have to give the authors props, though: while I, personally, was not a fan of the end of this book, it didn't feel shoehorned. Simply inevitable. I went into the book with the expectation that they were going to completely undo the ending of the first book, and while I, personally, did not like that, they did a fantastic job with the set up and execution. That's the primary reason this book is getting the rating it is from me: it's well written young adult.

Now, for the spoiler-y part of the review: I still greatly dislike Arthur. After two years, you would think that he would grow up. At least just a little bit? But no, his character reads no differently at 18 than it does at 16, and that's a bit of a problem for me. He's finished his first year of college, has a new boyfriend, and still does the exact same bullshit as he did in the first book.

To be honest, it's kind of exhausting.

Also: shitty fucking move, Art. You don't confess to your ex-boyfriend right before he's set to move cross country with his new not-boyfriend. I hate the love triangle (or rectangle, in this case) trope.

Jessie remains a delight, and I truly wish that we had more of her, which - considering the amount of screen time that Dylan and Samantha got, was kind of surprising that she didn't get an equal amount? She was living with Art, and the only substantial times she showed up was to be a quick voice of reason. We never find out why she and Ethan broke up (which, admittedly, is less important in the grand scheme of things than the fact that Art makes a point to note that Ethan and Jessie don't talk, and yet.... Ethan and Jessie are co-conspirators later? With no explanation?), never find out why they started talking again (I know it's mentioned that she was helping Ethan with his bi-revelation, but.... How did that even happen?), and never find out anything about her new boyfriend except he sticks around in the epilogues?

Samantha and Dylan remain my favorite characters. They're just fantastic, and I absolutely adore Dylan's relationship with Ben.

Ben... I liked him a lot more in this book, and I think that's why he frustrated me so much. Unlike Art, who seems to just not want to be alone, Ben actually seems to be making progress on moving on. He and Mario seem very well suited, and their relationship (as unlabeled as it was) felt genuine. So the fact that he just.... up and chooses Art is so frustrating to me. He throws away all of that work for the most annoying person in the world. (My anti-Arthur bias may be showing here.)

I actually really liked Mario and Mikey, and I felt so, so bad for both of them. Especially Mikey, who has been getting jerked around by Art for months. They deserved better and I hope that Zach is perfect for Mikey and that Mario found his other half.

Overall, it was a fun, albeit predictable, read. Fans of the authors should definitely give this a read!

What can I say? The first book was so special to me and this absolutely lived up to it as a sequel. Arthur and Ben are stunning characters. I love that we get to live with them both as individuals. I love the time that Becky and Adam have spent in developing characters that aren't stereotypes. I love that generations of readers will get to live with this as a romantic ideal. Just stunning.

Absolutely lovely! While reading this sequel to What If It's Us, I was continually filled with joy to be immersed in Ben and Arthur's points of view once again. Set two years after their whirlwind New York romance, Here's to Us finds the boys in college, dating new people, and working towards their dreams -- Arthur has landed a prestigious Broadway internship and Ben is balancing work and revising his epic fantasy novel. Their friendship has flagged but they both see the summer in New York as an opportunity to reconnect and prove to themselves that they've moved on, made the right choices, and that they really can be just friends. But no matter what they plan, the universe has its own ideas.

I really loved all the characters in this book -- the old friends and family, the new love interests and coworkers, and of course our protagonists! I liked getting to see how things have changed for Ben and Arthur and their friends, especially Dylan and Samantha. Prepare for Dylan's one of a kind extra brand of humor, lots of awkward moments, and large doses of adorkableness. This story had me wondering how it would all turn out because, even though I was rooting for Ben and Arthur, I also liked the people they're dating. The story also goes beyond the romance plot and into coming of age struggles of having to make big decisions and forge a new path. All in all, lots of emotions, big gestures, sweet moments, and an ending that left me feeling very happy.

It's been a few years since I had read What If It's Us so it took me a few chapters to remember all of the characters and how they were related to one another. It would have been helpful if the authors had included a little bit more of that backstory when they mentioned minor characters from the previous books, I enjoyed the love story but felt it dragged a bit in places with the back and forth. I definitely appreciated the twist at the ending and that the book did not leave room for another sequel.

After waiting and waiting for the sequel, I was so thrilled to get a digital arc from netgalley to review! Becky and Adam have serious writing partner chemistry that makes this dual POV flow naturally and is filled with anticipation. Ben and Arthur continue to have distinct voices and separate (sad face) lives but Here's To Us gives us a realistic look at "several years later" when these two collide again under different circumstances. Be sure to read What If It's Us first, then prepare to fly through this swoon-fest!