This book got a one star bump up for being queer.

Pros: Sasha was a really interesting character. She is totally book girlfriend material. The dynamic between her and her mom was a good plot. She also had faults but the trauma of her life made sense. The parts of them being a couple were super sweet and cute! The breakdown of trauma and family dynamics was important and well done.

Cons: There was no honeymoon to them getting together in the first half. It wasn’t given room to breathe. The timeline in general was too quick and maybe it’s because it’s the second book in the series but the pacing was wack. The beginning of the book and the second half had completely different vibes. It went from cute to rough really quick. It felt like two different stories.

Thanks Netgalley for an arc of this book!

I'm gonna be honest and say that this was really not what I expected and it kind of disappointed me.

I absolutely love angst and even though this book had plenty of it 99% of the problems could be easily solved if the characters had any form of basic communication instead of constantly over thinking everything.


I also faced an issue when it came to making connections with the characters. I found them to be quite lacking personality wise, and therefore had difficulties caring for them at all.

I was really excited to read this romance because college aged characters aren't all that common and because it is queer. I thought the pacing and relationship development was really good through the first two thirds and I really liked that it was friends to lovers which isn't that common. The places where it fell flat for me were in the pacing of the last third (it got a little in the characters heads for my taste) and I felt the characters were a little two dimensional at times. I did really enjoy the writing style though, so I will definitely try more from this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is an excellent example of 'Don't Judge a Book By it's Cover'. I definitely thought this was a lighthearted lesbian coming of age story, honestly I assumed it was middle grade.
In actuality 'The Map to You' is a heavy hitting LGBT romance that tackles a lot of big topics.
Sasha has always buried her feelings regarding her addict mom and family that lets all her issues land on Sasha's shoulders.
Kinsley is dealing with her newly distant parents after her toxic ex-girlfriend took a toll on her relationship with those around her.
Sasha, full of jokes and always the first to deflect serious topics with a well placed smile and flirtatious comment and Kinsley, prickly rough around the edges make an unlikely friendship that evolves into something much more.
The flirtation in this book was on-point. I loved the tension in the first half of the book, and being in their heads really helped me understand the classic 3/4ths blow up that took place. Where in a lot of romances it would've seemed forced it felt very natural and realistic for these characters to respond to their trauma the way they did.
The end was a little wrapped up in a bow for my taste, especially considering how big the things these characters were dealing with were. But overall I would recommend this to somebody looking for a romance that goes a little deeper than fluff.

I was hooked from the first line of this blurb: "Sasha Deforest always seems to fall hardest for girls she can't have." WHEW, so relatable. What a relatable part of the sapphic experience.

Friends to lovers is my absolute favorite trope, and The Map to You definitely delivered on that front. The emotional angst felt so real to my own experiences, and I appreciated that. The characters were easy to care for even if they were a bit annoying at times. I wanted them to turn out okay through their struggles! I am a cliche, but I obviously loved that Sasha was a soccer player because that's what I'm into too.

I was not expecting this book to be as good as it was, OMG. My heart bleeds for Sasha and Kinsey kind of got on my nerves with how she made everything about her but I get it. Kinsey is an overthinker, like me, and she's aware of her personality and how she may come off to others, so she constantly believes that she has done something wrong to make the other person angry or sad.

Did I mention how good this book was?

This is the first book I've ever read where it made sense why the characters were terrified to admit their feelings for each other. The miscommunication also makes sense since the author took the time to develop the characters and their personalities that you get why they react the way they do and I loved it. I need more books like this.

Es ist nun schon eine ganze Weile her, seitdem ich “The Map to you” über die Weihnachtsfeiertage gelesen habe, aber noch immer löst dieses Buch ein warmes Gefühl in meiner Brust aus, wenn ich nur daran denke. Wenn das mal kein Qualitätsmerkmal ist, dann weiß ich auch nicht.

Die Geschichte folgt den beiden Studentinnen Sasha und Kinsey. Die beiden hatten einen eher holprigen Start miteinander, nachdem Kinsey (nach der Trennung von ihrer Ex, mit der sie zuvor zusammen im Wohnheim gelebt hat) überraschend Sashas neue Mitbewohnerin wird. Das und ihre grundlegend unterschiedlichen Persönlichkeiten sorgen direkt für einige Probleme – Sasha, die sportliche Fußballerin mit Golden Retriever-Energy, und Kinsey, die leicht reizbare Kunststudentin -, aber dass Sasha schon ewig in Kinsey verknallt ist, macht die Sache auch nicht leichter.

Fast Forward, ein Jahr später: Inzwischen leben die beiden nicht mehr zusammen, ihre Beziehung hat sich jedoch von unfreiwilligen Zimmergenossinnen zu besten Freundinnen gewandelt. Allerdings sind da immer noch Sashas Gefühle für Kinsey und Kinseys Gefühle für Sasha sind längst nicht mehr rein platonisch.

Auf den ersten Blick handelt es sich hierbei also um eine queere Friends-to-Lovers-College-Romance und obwohl das für gewöhnlich bereits ausreicht, um mein Interesse zu wecken, ist dieses Buch noch so viel mehr. Die Freundschaft der beiden Mädchen und die nicht von der Hand zu weisenden Gefühle, die beide füreinander hegen (und die für alle offensichtlich sind, außer für sie selbst), haben mich direkt in ihren Bann gezogen, doch was dieses Buch für mich zu einem absoluten Highlight macht, ist die Art, wie die Autorin mit den tiefergehenden Themen von “The Map to you” umgegangen ist. So spielen nämlich auch toxische Beziehungen (sowohl zu (Ex-)Partner:innen als auch zu Familienmitgliedern) eine Rolle, Kindheitstrauma und Probleme mit dem eigenen Selbstwertgefühl. Obwohl ich für diese Themen definitiv eine Trigger-Warnung bevorzugt hätte (fühlt euch durch meine Rezension gewarnt, wenn ihr vorhabt, “The Map to you” zu lesen), ist der grundlegende Ton des Buches jedoch eher leicht und humorvoll.

Sowohl Sasha als auch Kinsey sind beide dreidimensionale Charaktere, die man einfach gern haben muss. Sashas Golden-Retriever-Ausstrahlung macht sie nicht nur für uns Leser:innen sympathisch, sondern auch für alle anderen Figuren der Geschichte. Da hat es Kinsey ein wenig schwerer, denn sie ist sehr leicht reizbar, rechthaberisch und direkt. Nicht unbedingt der größte Sympathieträger, aber die beiden gleichen sich in dieser Hinsicht sehr schön aus. Ergänzen sich. Was ihre Interaktionen wirklich einmalig macht.

Von den Nebenfiguren hat es mir vor allem Beatrice, Kinseys andere beste Freundin, angetan, auch wenn ich gerne mehr über sie erfahren hätte. Was ich beim Lesen von “The Map to you” jedoch nicht wusste: “The Map to you” ist Band 2 der Reihe und Band 1 “Next Stop, Love” dreht sich um Beatrice und ihren jetzt Freund. Dass ich mir mehr Informationen zu ihr gewünscht hätte, lag daher eindeutig an mir (Band 1 muss ich unbedingt noch lesen) und nicht an der Autorin. Upsi.

Ansonsten ist das einzige, was ich an “The Map to you” zu bemängeln habe, tatsächlich die Tatsache, dass es bisher nur in Englisch erhältlich ist, denn so ein Buch würde es unfassbar gern auch hier in Deutschland im Buchhandel ausliegen sehen. Hier stimmt nämlich alles: Der lockere, humorvolle Schreibstil, die wechselnden Perspektiven zwischen zwei sehr unterschiedlichen, jedoch gleichermaßen liebenswerten Protagonistinnen und herzerweichende Liebesgeschichte der beiden.

IM GROSSEN UND GANZEN
“The Map to you” hat meine Erwartungen mehr als nur übertroffen. Eine wirklich wunderschöne Friends-to-Lovers-Liebesgeschichte mit Humor und Tiefgang. Ganz große Leseempfehlung.

This book isn’t so much a sapphic romance but a story of harrowing child abuse and neglect. Following the story of Kinsey and Sasha, I thought it would be a road trip romance - as suggested by blurb and cover. However it was much more to do with Sasha’s drug addict mother and the abuse and trauma she has undergone since childhood. I dislike when books tackle really heavy hitting issues without doing due diligent research - I wish the conclusion had Sasha seeking professional help and guiding her in to seeing a therapist instead of wrapping it up quickly with a ‘she’ll get over it in time’ - no, she absolutely will not!

Secondly - major plot hole (unless I am missing something?!) Sasha and Kinsey are roommates in the first half of the novel, Kinsey often doing her art lettering in the dark because Sasha is asleep, yet when they return from the road trip they’re both living on different floors with different roommates, since when?!

Thirdly - there’s not actually much romance? It’s a friends to lovers trope but there’s no real transition from friendship?

Fourthly - I think the cover is misleading, it looks lighthearted but that doesn’t reflect the contents of the book at all. Also Kinsey is Asian (unless I am mistaken or misread somewhere?), why is her character not Asian on the book cover?

A big thank you to Netgalley and IngramSpark for giving me an e-ARC of "The Map to You" by Rachel Stockbridge in exchange for a honest review!

In "The Map to You", two college students become unlikely roommates and friends - Kinsey had been cheated on by a mutual friend and Sasha has harbored a secret crush on Kinsey for the longest time. As the book moves forward through their semester and various catastrophes, the two grow closer together and learn that maybe it is okay to let their guard down around each other. This sweet sapphic story is a great gateway to new adult literature, especially with how pure it it truly felt as you read along. I really enjoyed the mix between comedy and vulnerability in Sasha and Kinsey's relationship, making it so the reader was never over- or underwhelmed. I heavily recommend this book if you are a fan of Gaby Dunn's "I Hate Everyone But You" or "Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms".

I truly loved this book it explored familial relationships and how important and detrimental they can be to one’s health. The characters were truly loveable and I saw a lot of myself in them.

Thank you to Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. I actually got approved for this one after it was released, which I didn't notice, and only realized how behind I was when I was trying to figure out what order to read my ARCs in.

I feel very... neutral about this book. I enjoyed it but it was also not incredibly memorable for me. It didn't give me that instant "wow" feeling upon finishing and I realized I was slightly skimming certain paragraphs and had to go back to try and reread them. It wasn't holding my attention the way I expected it to based on the premise.

Part of it is that I'm just a little tired of the miscommunication trope. While I do think Stockbridge resolved it well, I was just not very invested in reading it, unfortunately. I think maybe Sasha's need to push people away felt a little too like a version of myself I've worked very hard to dismantle, as well, and it made it a little hard for me to personally read.

So, as I said. Neutral. Stockbridge is definitely and good writer and I did *want* Kinsley and Sasha to figure it all out. It just also didn't click with me the way I wanted it to.

ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

Though this book was good, it was a bit darker and more angsty than I was expecting which is something I do not choose to read If possible, so it is on me. But all in all, it was a sweet story but not something extraordinary , at least for me.

I love the premise, going from a distant crush to friends to lovers, but something about this book didn’t quite work for me. I did enjoy the book, but I feel like it could’ve been more, maybe give the characters more time, less obstacles, more communication.

The cover is incredibly cute, but I find it a bit misleading - I assumed this would be a YA romcom, but it’s actually set in college. They’re 20/21 years old, which is great, we really need more sapphic books set at college.

However the book starts off with a long prologue, after it a time jump of 10 months. It’s quite confusing.
The book mainly takes place over the course of just one week and the characters have SUCH bad communication, I thought with them being friends first it should’ve been better. Kinsey‘s dealing with her breakup and a family emergency, Sasha is being quite secretive about a situation affecting her. These topics threaten the developing relationship and they’re talked about over and over again.

Now to the romance plot: Sasha flirts every chance she gets and Kinsey being oblivious thinks she’s just teasing, but also has a big fat crush on her friend. They both care so much for each other, they‘ll literally drop everything to help each other out, like Sasha does when she drives Kinsey to her family emergency. They take a chance and it becomes a whirlwind of a romance with ups and downs and (spoiler alert!) a happy ending.

Very cute book with a lot of the fun romantic "cliches" like bed sharing, road trip, friends to lovers, etc.

Delightful and touching! It can be so difficult to walk a line of characters with low self-esteem so they are both believable and readable, and Stockbridge perfectly threaded this gap. I didn't realize until the end that this was a second in the series, so it read perfectly on its own. I seriously cried so hard I had to take a break, because I was so moved by both Kinsey and Sasha's journeys, High, high recommendation.

ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating or review.

4 ENDEARING STARS

Three Minute Thoughts:
This was such a sweet book! It was a little darker than expected, with unexpected but meaningful conversations on neglectful parents and toxic relationships, but the adorable sapphic relationship between our protagonists evened out the book nicely. Both our mains had defined and realistic personalities that I loved reading about, and the friends-to-lovers relationship that blossomed between them was so gorgeously depicted. I also didn’t realise this was part of a series when I started it haha, but thankfully it can be read as a standalone, so there was little confusion involved.

The Extended, Long, and Very-Probably-Messy Review:
This was really precious!! Our characters were a little messier and a little older than I originally expected after seeing the cover (I probably should’ve read more about this book before I requested it haha), but I really enjoyed their characters nonetheless, and thought this was a really good bridge between YA and NA. The conversations about issues such as drug addiction and self-esteem problems were valid and well-written, and I really enjoyed this, though it may not have been exactly what I expected.

One of my favourite parts of this book was the relationship that developed between our mains! Their banter was peak quality, and the “playful” flirting between them was heartfluttering, I almost wanted more. I couldn’t help but almost giggle at stages, and though both characters had some serious issues, the fact that they could relax around each other was so sweet.

“‘What’s the matter, darling?… Worried you might be labeled a cougar, what with our insurmountable age gap of slightly over six months?'”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)

Another thing rife in this book was angst, because MY LORD it never stopped haha. That’s not necessarily bad, but it did reach the stage where I just really wanted to shove our mains together and tell them to freaking TALK to each other. But I get it, communication is difficult, and I do have to give props to the author for not fully including the dreaded miscommunication trope.

Oh, and an unexpected but brillant thing in this novel was the family relationships. God knows I’m an absolute sucker for wholesome families – found or otherwise – and Kinsey’s parents really hit that spot for me. They were supportive and funny and adorable, and definitely made me smile on more than one occaison, because who doesn’t love humourous Asian parents! Something that I definitely wish I’d gotten more of was Sasha’s cousin Trevor, because he sounded like a whole riot in the best way, but even just the little aspects of him were so sweet.

“‘You’re not broken, Sasha… You’re a fighter. You always have been.”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)

Overall, this was really sweet – though a little darker than perhaps expected. The characters were three-dimensional and their romance was adorable beyond measure, and with the cute family wholesomeness sprinkled in, this was such a fun, quick read for me. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

i really wanted to love this one! i wouldn't say there was anything inherently *wrong* or *bad* about it, there were just a few things in the way this was written that unfortuantely overshadowed my feelings for the story at play since everything felt super surface-level despite having potential for more.
my biggest qualm was the way that character descriptions were constantly reiterated and, especially with kinsey, the author seemed to rely on those descriptions instead of actually exemplifying behaviour that "proves" to the reader that is an authentic trait for the character at hand. with kinsey, she was constantly labelled (often by herself) as grumpy, mean, brusque and yet she literally never one did anything to affirm that??? like not once??? it was so off-base and once i noticed it i really could not stop noticing it and it totally overshadowed any positive things i felt about the story itself :(

This was a really cute little romance novel! We follow Sasha and Kinsey who are friends but could be more. After family events on both sides happen their friendship and budding romance will be tested more than ever. I really like these two and the struggles the characters went to for their happy ending made it all the better!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

• The Map to you
• Rachel Stockbridge
• MC Sasha Deforest & Kinsey Han
• Angsty
• Family issues
• YA


The MC Sasha and Kinsey were young and friends in their early 20s,
Navigating through life, trying to figure things out. The book has a good story line. I don’t usually read YA story, but I did enjoy this book. This is my first time reading the author’s work.

The story is slow moving, lots of angst. It was a sweet story line.
The story takes place in New York . Sasha is a NYU student and dreams of her friend Kinsey.


This was a nice friends to lovers story with two nice characters. I will keep a eye out for the authors next book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


I received the book through NetGalley and the Author Rachel Stockbridge Thank you so much !!

The cover pulled me in for this one. Very cute.

TW: Child abuse, neglect, overdose, drugs and addictions

Read as a stand alone however this is part of a series - though the characters are different from the first book.

New Adult (NA) story about two students at NYU who meet and are friends with Sasha crushing hard on Kinsley. Cute love story about how two women who are both carrying baggage end up together. I didn't find there to be much tension between the two and that is what led me to the 3/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel Stockbridge for this ARC. All opinions are my own.