This was another book that served classic Black Love Story from the 90s (which is my favorite era of movies). I ate this book up within a matter of hours because I was so drawn to Jupiter and Orion’s story. I loved that it was Dual POV and I felt that I was beside them the entire time as well as the fact that there was a bit of a mystery to unravel. I was just wrapped up in the story from beginning to end and did not put down my amazon fire the entire time

Everything I hate in romance is what I love in a thriller and this had it all. I knew from the moment Ray and Orion met that there was going to be some wild card that came and tried to break them apart, that's what all good romance novels have right? But I was impressed with the way this plot line progressed. It wasn't JUST about finding someone to love. It was also about coming to terms with loss and uncertainty, accepting yourself, and learning how to navigate new beginnings. It was a quick read but it held me captive until the very last word.

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions and review.

Recently, I have noticed a great influx of debut authors and, while enjoyable, this absolutely read like a debut novel. If possible, I would give this book 2.5/5 stars but since it was a solid debut, Rowe deserves to be rounded up to 3.
 
The language, slang, and colloquialisms made the dialogue realistic and fun to read and solidly gives you the social setting and time period where the book takes place. I enjoyed the realistic language since it felt like I was reading real conversations but will admit that the colloquialisms took me a bit out of the story, which is a personal problem but did impact my ability to read the book nonetheless. Using slang evident of a certain time period allows readers to engage with the material at time of publish but does not tend to age well in years to come. For sure this book can be read for the younger end of YA. The language was simple and easy to read which made it a quick read.
 
The events of the book were...well, pretty nuts. Rowe wrote a pretty good plot twist that was both intriguing and made me want to keep reading but was ultimately easy to figure out....even if you didn't want it to be true. The reveal was lackluster and the emotional fallout could have been more impactful. The emotions the characters portrayed were very intense for not just their age but their situation, but I don't think it was unrealistic or overly emotional as one might say teenage relationships are. Yes, it’s always a little silly when teens, or really any age group, falls in love so quickly but maybe that’s just the cynic in me. Rowe did a good job including healthy and mature communication for any age group let alone teenagers and I was impressed by the realistic emotional maturity.
 
The Pros: Realistic dialogue/language, cute ship, healthy and mature communication between characters
The Cons: wild events with lackluster plot twist reveal, read for younger end of YA

There is nothing like young love! It’s summer and Orion is gearing up for his first year of college, but not before he crosses paths with the girl with the cotton candy braids, Ray. And rather than fighting their feelings they embrace their summer love. This book is just what is needed when it comes to the telling of a sweet sultry love. It combines poetic prose with storytelling all to help the reader fall in love with two special people falling in love. This is just want I needed to help my heart remember the beauty of a youthful summer.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars
Phew I just want to list a bunch of emojis right now because that was an emotional rough ride.
Ray is a girl I can get behind
Orion is definitely a book boyfriend for the ages.
The book captures the transient nature of summer so beautifully in its format. Contrasting it with ever-lasting grief, with the knowledge that it never stays the same.
In literature when we talk about universality from specific experiences this is the epitome of hitting these universal themes of grief, love, family, and faith. Through a Black experience y’all ✊🏽

A really nice love story in the YA Contemporary genre and I love the double POVs for this book too. Hope to see more from this author.

A book I didn’t want to put down! A love story filled with grief, secrets, trust, and forgiveness. A must read! @NetGalley @KelisRowe #YAReads

ARC provided by #NetGalley

Absolutely beautiful!!! There is so much here about the secrets families keep from their children in the hopes of protecting them. Those secrets come out and can hurt so much more. I loved the innocence and confidence and sense of adventure that these characters showed. Plus, blackout poetry is one of my favorite forms of poetry. Seeing it used in the book was magical.

This is a wonderfully written YA novel about first love. Told from two different points of view, the characters are fully developed and the perfectly paced storyline keeps you engaged from the first page to the last. Highly recommended

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advance Kindle copy of this 5.31 release. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this story of summer love. Orion, a star swimmer, is off to Howard in the fall. Ray is home for the summer before her senior year of boarding school. When the two meet it seems like fate, something perfectly written in the stars. But a secret between their family buzzes in the background, threatening to tear it all down. Recommended for grades 9+ due to sexual content (not super explicit, but more than I’d like in my middle school collection).

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This is a wonderful Star crossed lover book. From the second I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. This book was about first love, handling grief, healing, complicated family relationships. I adored it having roller skating involved it reminded my of my youth…. Honestly pick up this book you won’t regret it.

This was amazing. This author knocked this out of the park. I loved this emotional star crossed loveers romance. 10/10

Thanks to Random House Children's Books and NetGalley for the eARC of FINDING JUPITER by Kelis Rowe.

This contemporary YA novel is about two teenagers who meet and fall in love. This novel is told from two POV - the heroine's POV and the hero's POV.

This novel is fiction, though it gives a realistic look at what life looks like to a teenager. I enjoyed the novel. The characters are entertaining.

Highly recommended for fans of teen romance movies.

Highly recommend!! My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last!! Uniquely and beautifully written, this story and its characters stay with you long after you finish the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. This book was so lovely. It started out a little slow and I didn’t initially buy the romance between Orion and Jupiter, but the last third or so of the book had me all in my feelings. What a beautiful exploration of grief and first love and complicated family situations. I hope this gets made into a movie and I will definitely be looking out for whatever Rowe writes next.

This book was a delight! The themes of love and trust were so deftly handled by Kelis Rowe. I was rooting so hard for this love story, while wondering how on earth Orion and Ray were going to get through the dark history neither of them knew about which ultimately connected them before they even knew each other. What a joy!

This book was incredibly powerful. The way these young adults handle grief, loss, and generational trauma is something everyone should read! I really rooted for these characters every step of the way, even while frustrated with their decisions. I don’t read a lot of YA these days but this book is really pushing me to pick up more. This is definitely a top read of the year for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Ray would like nothing more than to celebrate her birthday and make it be only her day. But since the day of her birth is also the anniversary of her father's death, she's never had that chance. When she goes out to celebrate with her friends at the roller rink, she finds herself falling for a young man she meets whose name is Orion. As the two of them spend more and more time together, sharing secrets and pain, they fall in love. When secrets that are being kept by both sets of parents threaten to destroy their new-found love, Ray and Orion find a way to be together, as if it were written in the stars.

I’m still trying to decide the perfect words to describe this book, overall, it was a great read, and I was intrigued with the main characters. It really is a small world out there, you just never know who you are going to run into, or who you are going to fall in love with. There are so many outside forces I feel made Jupiter and Orion connect with one another. It was a match made in space for sure.

We meet Ray (Jupiter) who is very stand offish with anyone, not looking for anything serious, but then in comes Orion, out of nowhere. Completely innocent and shy, vulnerable, and just genuine. They surprise one another and bring out the best in each other. They really are well matched. Regardless there is a lot of family drama in both their lives. It’s when truths come out and secrets are exposed that they learn what love really is. They learn how to deal with real life issues.

It was truly a great love story. I also cannot get some of the songs mentioned in the book out of my mind. Sweet Caroline! That’s all I can say. The poetry, art, and love were just a wonder to read as an artist myself it was enjoyable.

Two teens fall in love during a steamy Memphis summer. A chance encounter at the roller skating rink brings together Ray and Orion. Ray is determined never to fall in love and Orion wears his heart on his sleeve. The power in Ray‘s found poetry showed the sensitivity she tries so desperately to hide. The words of her poetry were new and familiar all at once. Orion is trying to sort out the future he wants from his parents' dreams for him. This wasn‘t just a story about first love. It was also about healing and overcoming grief. I love the open conversations both teens have with their parents about relationships.