A stunning follow up to WHAT IF IT'S US, this book delivered on every promise of the first book and then some! Seeing the characters further along in their lives was a beautiful experience, and this story balances all the realities of young love with all the magic of your favorite romcoms. Full of humor, heartache, and desperate longing, HERE'S TO US is one of the best reads of 2021!

This is a great sequel to what if it's us! A wonderful way to revisit the characters and their idiosyncrasies while also approaching their new issues with grace. Loved it!

In the beginning of this book, I felt like the writing of each character was so similar that I kept forgetting whose perspective I was reading. But eventually it hit a good rhythm and was very fun to read. It was cheesy, but in a good way, and the ending was super cute.

I think this was a perfect way to end the story of Arthur and Ben without overdoing it, and I liked this better than the first book. I also enjoyed Dylan and Samantha’s story that was eventually shared, it added depth and it was adorable.

Also loved the nod to Adam Silvera’s other book!

This is an honest review in exchange for an early release reading through NetGalley. I didn’t think I could love a book more than What if It’s Us, but then Albertalli and Silvera did it again and I’m blown away! Here’s to Us is the perfect sequel: our two MCs are still adorably sweet in their own ways. Ben is still finding his way in the world and struggling with feeling like he is enough, still trying to find his path. Arthur thinks he’s found happiness but it’s tested when he gets his dream internship in NYC. The best friend dynamic with Ben and Dylan and their witty banter had me laughing out loud throughout the story. I don’t want to give anything away with spoilers, but if you are looking for a perfect book to make you have all the HEA feels, then do yourself a huge favor and pick this for your next book to read!

One book does not need that many pop culture references, but I do enjoy a cute happy ending. I think I enjoyed it more than the last one tho!

I love Ben and Arthur so much. I am glad they got a do over. This book was everything I wanted the sequel to be.

I will be honest. I was one of those readers of What If It’s Us who LOVED the book up until the ending. I remember feeling just so let down. So when I heard rumblings of this sequel, I perked up a bit. When it was officially announced, I found myself throwing all caution to the wind and just waiting for the ARC to become available.

I am a big ol’ fan of Becky Albertalli’s, but will admit that Adam Silvera books are a blindspot for me. I think that if I had read more of his books going into What If It’s Us, I would have been better prepared for the ending. I kept all of that in mind as I dove into Here’s to Us.

This book picked me up, hugged me tight, gave me a kiss on the forehead, and told me that the universe was ready for this do-over. It also jumped and stomped on my heart at the 64% mark, causing me to put the book down for a full day with anxiety before I was able to pick it up again.

This book follows Ben and Arthur two summers after the events of the first book. I hadn’t reread the first book before going back to this. For me, it had been almost three years between readings. And… I found I didn’t need the refresher. These characters are so strong, are so lived-in, are so specific to Becky and Adam that it was really like revisiting friends. I was a part of this group who had been apart for years, coming back together and reconnecting, learning what had changed between us and what had stayed the same.

I could talk about the plot, but that’s not really what drew me to this book, nor is it what I think most readers will want discussed. They want to know what will happen for Ben and Arthur, for these two who were brought together by fate or the universe or whatever you want to call it.

There are new characters introduced, specifically the new love interests for both Ben and Arthur who I found to be good souls and didn’t want anything bad to happen to them but also, come on. I have an end game here with Ben and Arthur…. Also, Dylan is back and, truthfully, better than ever.

But of course, where this book shines the most is with Arthur and Ben. These two being back and thrown into these awkward situations that they have to navigate felt like coming home.

Becky and Adam delivered. Here’s to them.

5/5 stars.

There's a sequel?!

THANK GOD THERE'S A SEQUEL.

I loved What If It's Us, but I wasn't really satisfied with the ending (though I will say it was realistic and made sense...but darn it that wasn't enough!). So when I saw this follow-up I thought, "Finally! All my Ben-and-Arthur dreams will come true!"

There's a problem, though. Ben and Arthur not only aren't together...they are with other people. Other. People. Even worse? I actually LIKE those other people! GAH! It makes things messy and complicated and not at all what I had in mind for our Dynamic Duo.

Luckily there's plenty of Dylan (my favorite character from the first book), hilarious banter, and awkward situations that make the characters shine.

Albertalli and Silvera are two of my favorite authors on their own...but together they are a powerhouse.

There’s no way I can get through a feelings based review without spoilers. You’ve been warned.

Okay. When I Read What if It’s Us 2 years ago, I bawled, felt all the feels, and even though I HATED how it ended, still respected the ending and loved the book. When I found out Ben and Arthur were coming back? I could not WAIT. And I hoped that Silvera and Albertalli wouldn’t do us dirty. Well I’m happy to report that this book is the wrap up we all wanted. It’s unputdownable, it’s heartbreaking, and gee golly we get what we all wanted. These two stand alone as epic authors, but when their powers combine? There’s nothing holding back the contemporary romance duo that we never knew we needed and can’t live without.

Side note: Dylan was awesome in the first book, and Dylan and Samantha now? LOVE IT!!!

I have to start this by saying I liked this SO much more than <i> What If It's Us</i>. I don't know if it's because the characters were older and more mature this time around, but they were so much more enjoyable to read. I liked them individually, but I still wasn't convinced that they fit together romantically until almost the end of this book. In this story, both Ben and Arthur have found partners that fit them so well, and I was almost rooting for these other relationships instead of the one between our actual love interests. Everything pulling our main characters back to each other felt forced to me, and I wasn't buying it. It seemed like Ben and Arthur were both more in love with the memories they had together than with who they both were now.

This book also could have ended in three separate spots before it actually did. One chapter towards the end of the book ended so nicely, I was almost mad when I found out there was another chapter after it. The epilogue was also two separate sections, one taking place four years in the future and one two years after that. It really seemed to me that the authors didn't want to write any more books in this series, so they made sure to answer answer EVERY. SINGLE. QUESTION. This left no room for interpretation, which I was a little disappointed by, but at least you now know EXACTLY what happened to these characters after the end of the main story. I personally feel like this needed to be broken into a book and a novella in order to cover everything without seeming excessive or draggy, but instead, everything was stuffed in here.

This was a book where the side characters stole my heart while the main characters didn't, which still made this an enjoyable read overall. I love the relationship between Dylan and Samantha, and I liked Ethan's story in this too. The relationship between Ben and his parents is adorable and real, and I appreciate how supportive they are of him no matter how they feel about the choices he's making. If you've read <i> What If It's Us </i> I definitely recommend this one even if you didn't plan on continuing the series. This was such a better reading experience, and I'm so glad I gave this series another shot.

This was the perfect follow-up to What If It's Us? Adam and Becky have completely knocked this out of the park; Here's to Us isn't just a sequel, but honestly? In my very humble opinion, I think it's a stronger novel. The first book is charming, a book of firsts. First love, first times, first heartbreak. This novel is falling in love when you're older (and maybe wiser). What's important? How do you navigate new and old relationships? How do you avoid hurting the people you care about, and supporting the people you love? Arthur and Ben are navigating some new relationships and new experiences. There will definitely be some tears, and more than a little tension; given that part of this novel is written by Adam Silvera, I was not at all sure about a happy ending. But the ending here isn't just happy, it's perfect. Choose this for your first read of the new year and you definitely won't be disappointed. Here's to us all.

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I’d hope. It wasn’t bad but it just wasn’t for me. I’d still recommend it to anyone who loved the first one.

What a sequel! Ben and Arthur's epic story continues in this absolutely adorable follow up. They are a few years older and life is a little more complicated, but will they find a way back to each other? I really enjoyed the realness of the messy parts of this story and of course Dylan, who continues to be the funniest best friend ever. Here's to Us is funny, sweet, heartwarming, and leaves you rooting for everyone, but most of all, love and friendship. LOVED it!

In this lovely sequel to What if It’s Us? Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera bring back Ben Alejo and Arthur Seuss, two years into the future. Arthur is away at college, with a new boyfriend, Mikey, and Ben is still living at home, working under his father at the Duane Reade drugstore, while going to college. One day, as Ben is with his friends Dylan and Samantha, they are in the park and, coincidentally, come across a wedding - the one for which Ben and Arthur witnessed the flash mob proposal on the day they met. This prompts Ben to un-block Arthur’s Instagram and discovers that his former love is returning to New York for a summer internship with an off-Broadway director.

Told in alternating points of view between Ben and Arthur, Albertalli and Silvera take the reader once again through the rekindling of the friendship between the two young men, a friendship challenged by old feelings still unresolved for each other, as well as the unresolved feelings Arthur has for Mikey and Ben has for his friend, Mario.

The sequel is just as fun and fabulous as the first, and the roller coaster that is the will-they-or-won't-they of the relationship between the two main characters is wonderful. The plot paces perfectly and this definitely feels like a new chapter for Ben and Arthur rather than a rehash, which sometimes can happen in a sequel. Also returning are Arthur’s friends Jessie and Ethan. It’s a great story and fun to find out what has happened to all these characters in the two-year span between the end of What if It’s Us? and the beginning of Here’s to Us.

A definite must read!

Back in 2018 I was asked to read and review What If It’s Us, a Young Adult novel. I did and I rated it very well because of the characters and storyline. When I saw the next in the series was soon to be released I decided to read it to see what happens to the characters. Here’s to Us is a gay YA novel sure to hit the Texas republican banned book list, if it hasn’t already. I was disappointed in this sequel as, though a few years later, the main characters may have lived a bit longer but they haven’t matured that much. Funny teen romance has become somewhat amusing teen angst. So much angst. The ending feels contrived. The characters are still interesting, especially Dylan and a couple of new characters that don’t get enough development or story.

Albertalli and Silvera pick up one year later from we left Ben and Arthur, the protagonists of their novel, What If It's Us. The boys are finishing their first year of college and their worlds are colliding once again. It's clear that both of the MCs have grown in the interim, but there's still a lot they need to learn about themselves and what they each want in life. While there are flourishes of the wit and adventure that made the first entry in this duology enchanting, this second entry doesn't rise to the same levels of fun as the first. Albertalli and Silvera are both strong writers, who each understand the characters they write for, it just feels like there are some plot contrivances that feel a bit more forced than before. Fans of the first book will enjoy finding out where their beloved characters go, yet it may be a hard read for someone who is coming in mid-stream to fall in love here.

This was such a fabulous sequel. I love how heartfelt both Arthur and Ben’s voices are and it made my heart feel so full by the end. It was everything I needed during this crazy year.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera, and Quill Tree Books for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
"Here's to Us" starts with Ben and Arthur finishing their freshman years of college. Ben will be working in his dad's store and has someone he is interested in, but is that boy interested in him? Arthur will be interning on Broadway and has a new and serious boyfriend.
When they begin running into each other again in New York City, they try to shake off their past and history together, but is the world trying to tell them something?
I loved the first book in this series and was totally gutted at the end. I was so glad to see there was a sequel. I will not give my opinions on the ending as I do not want to give away what happens. I very much enjoyed the book and will definitely be recommending it to others!

I loved "What if it's Us", it was one of my favorite books of 2018. I enjoyed visiting with Arthur and Ben. The second installment in their story was the same adorable rom-com as the first book. Arthur and Ben's interactions are sweet and romantic, and the story is filled with laugh-out-loud moments. The book is a fun read that delivers the resolution to the story.

*I received a free copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley*

*****SPOILERS****

When I read the first book a few years ago, I was devastated that the couple, Ben and Arthur, split ways at the end. We were all left caring for our broken hearts as we watched them head different ways. I honestly was so disappointed that I (may) have shed some tears.

Thankfully Adam Silvera and Becky Albertelli chose to return to this universe and give you the conclusion we deserved.

Delivered with their signature wit and humor and drama, this novel was the perfect answer to the last entry’s ending. It was a novel-length version of the final “will-they or won’t-they” sequence in the classic romance, Notting Hill.

Ben and Arthur haven’t seen each other in the two years since they ended things, and they stopped speaking altogether. They’ve moved on, both seeing new men. But Arthur is returning to NYC for an off-broadway internship that came quite unexpectedly. After an Instagram photo like, he and Ben re-enter each other’s orbit and the universe appears to be shoving them back together to give them a do-over. But they’re both in relationships (or a quasi-relationship) and besides, didn’t the try already and fail?

So they try to be friends. But the universe seems to be insistent upon more.

Add in all of the friends and peripheral characters from book one who have their own new challenges and surprises and you get one heck of a fantastic ride!

Do they get back together? You’ll have to read to find out!