This was a cute book about a hard working musician and her rekindled friendship with a former best friend. Living completely different lives for the last 5 or so years, one a high school student and the other an international superstar, what happens when hurt feelings turn into romantic ones. A fun read.

Love this YA novel! The characters were very relatable. Especially Dylan who has dreams of going to Julliard something we both share. Legend could be any guy that I crushed on high school. This story was so cute I wish I could read it for the first time agai

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

'Somebody that I used to know' is refreshing, heartfelt with humor of 2 people who used to be friends seeing each other after 6 years.

This is a bittersweet piece that completely engrossed me. Time and time again I would fnd myself reaching for my kindle to continue reading. It was impossible to put down.

Some of my favorite parts are music references (like 'All falls down' by Kanye) and many tv show references. Of course with the trolling shade Legendary and Dylan threw at one another lol.

DNF @ 50%. Thanks NetGalley 

It started off good with an old “flame” coming back, ignoring her, and then ending up talking and rehashing some stuff but the storyline was flat for me. I started to lose interest.

2.5/5 stars.

I liked Dylan, but I just wasn't into the story nor the writing. I just wasn't as drawn in as I'd hope I'd be.

I just recently got into YA and this was another great YA book. This book will give you every emotion you can experience but that is a good thing. I like when I can get angry and then the next thing you know your all smiles. This was a first read by Dana Davis for me and I will be reading more books by her. I will be recommending this to my friends for their next read!

Thanks NetGalley and Skyscape for allowing me to read this ARC in advanced.

Somebody That I Used to Know by Dana L. Davis is a perfect execution of my favorite romance trope, Friends to Lovers! Dana L. Davis wrote these characters beautifully and made me fall in love with both of them as their estranged friendship grew into a complex and wonderful relationship. Dylan is such a confident and talented young woman and watching her come in to her own with her music and plans for the future was very satisfying. I loved her group of nerdy friends and how supportive her friends and family were of her dreams. Legendary was a great character with such a big heart. He seemed wiser than his age and was always rooting for Dylan and thinking about her, even when she didn't realize it. He is such a cool character because his fame and talent doesn't take away from his down to earth personality and how much he tries to take care of the people that he loves. I raced through this book and finished it in one day because it pulled me in and made me root for the characters individually and as a couple. If you're looking for an inspiring, fun YA romance with a musical twist, this book is perfect for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Skyscape for the eARC! This review will contain some spoilers.

When I saw Dana L. Davis had written a new book, I was super excited. I read Roman and Jewel earlier this year and I knew that a new novel from the same author would be a great read. I was right, and I ended up enjoying Somebody That I Used to Know even more than Roman and Jewel. This book was always going to get a high rating, and I ended up giving it five stars.

Dylan was great as a main character. I spent the entire book wanting her to succeed so much that I started getting mad at any characters that hurt her. I was rooting for her the entire time. Dylan going from trying to fit in with her adoptive white family by changing her hair and eye colour to learning how to style her natural hair and wearing clear contacts again was really nice. Seeing her learn to love herself and her appearance, find her place in the world, and realise the impact she had on other people was so heart-warming. I think the inclusion of a younger Black girl that Dylan saw was influenced by her was so important for her character and her arc, and I’m glad that Dana L. Davis added the mentor plotline. 

I was also really happy that Dylan set boundaries with Legendary. She considered everything that would come with a relationship with him, the problems that they had already faced, and made the decision that was best for her.

Something that I really like in books is when a character takes a break from something they’ve been dedicating most of their time to, and still be just as good as they were before when they return to it. In this case, Dylan takes a break from playing the violin in the lead-up to her Julliard audition and spends a long time worrying if she’ll lose her skills. Fortunately, Dylan is as good at the violin as everyone tells her, even if she doubts herself.

Despite a couple of references to Jeffree Star and Elon Musk that didn’t age super well, none of the pop culture references really got on my nerves like other books. There is also a Zoolander reference that managed to be up to date, even though the book would have been written last year or earlier, which is impressive.

I don’t have a lot more to say about this book because I don’t want to spoil too much, and I think it’s a book that people should experience for themselves. This book is definitely one I will be rereading, and it’s earned it’s place on my list of comfort books. Now that it’s out, I’ll be recommending it a bunch because I adore this book. 

Additionally, if Abigail was a real person, it would be on sight. What do you mean ‘racism’? You’re white and not as good at violin as you think it is, get a grip. That’s all I have to say about her, she got on every single one of my nerves.

All in all, this book is amazing. I read most of it in one day and had a great time watching Dylan grow as a character, become more confident in her violin talents, and decide what she wants from her relationships with the people around her. If you’re looking for a YA contemporary novel that talks about expectations about yourself and others, appearance and fitting in, and the pressure to achieve at a high level like Julliard, Somebody That I Used to Know is the book for you.

Dylan Woods last saw her best friend Langston years ago.
He moved to LA and ghosted her and now 5 years later Langston is the biggest star in the world.
After making some bad decisions Langston is back in the town he used to call home, living with his old best friends family.
This was an ok read. It had some cute moments and I loved the trope childhood friends to lovers.
The downside was I didn't feel the chemistry between Dylan and Langston.
Dylan is such an intelligent and talented young lady and I felt she deserved a better boyfriend than Langston.

Somebody That I Used to Know is a wonderful story about realizing that while people change, who they are doesn’t. 

I love books about musicians, especially violin players, so this was an easy request. Dylan and Legend are the newest addition to my favourite characters list, and their romance is absolutely amazing. There are so many things that I highlighted that I can’t even begin to share, but all you need to know is that I loved everything about this book, and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next. 

Thank you to NetGalley, Skyscape Publishing, and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Special thanks to the author, publisher, and netgalley for my advanced readers copy.

I looooooved everything about this book!!! Who doesn’t love a story about friends finally confessing their love for each other. This was like a modern day Cinderella story centered around music and a rekindled friendship.

I don’t even know where to begin. The character development was great I loved them all. Aunt Edith was funny, her foster parents were very supportive. Her friends were awesome and very diverse. Dylan and Legend were my favorite of course. Both now from different worlds with him being a famous R&B artist and her just a normal hometown girl. This wasn’t your typical YA love story. Everything about their relationship and interactions were so authentic.

Legend’s presence took Dylan out of this safe shell she created for herself. But she also showed him what it was like to really enjoy the simpler things in life. 

Favorite Quote: “Never settle for less than what you deserve.”

Funny Moment: pg.169 Dylan’s family attending a black church for the first time.

The epilogue was the perfect ending to such a magical love story. It had me all emotional. Their fairytale moment was just so cuuuuute and sweet.

I recommend this book and I’m 100% sure you won’t regret reading it either. Look at me becoming a YA fan though. I definitely plan on reading more by this author.

This book was light and refreshing! Davis reintroduced the two main characters without things feeling forced or rushed. This novel highlighted the importance of having people that will make you feel grounded and as if you are “home”. Langston challenges Dylan by encouraging her to actually live the life she wants with the people she would like to have in her life. Dylan extends the gift of forgiveness to Langston allowing him to seek truth his life and career. A love story for any teen.

First, the cover of this book is stunning. When I first saw it, my bookish spidey senses tingled and I knew I wanted to read it. This was a great read that was a balance of light and heavy. Its a story of second chances in reconnection, friendship and romance. I had moments where I laughed, where my eyes got a little watery and where I cheered. I’m also a sucker for two Black kids falling in friendship and love because it’s truly a beautiful thing (I still don’t think we have nearly enough of those stories right now). I flew through this book and I wouldn’t be surprised if you do too when you read!

Huge shoutout to both NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for sending me an e-arc as well as a physical copy of this book! 

This book played on a lot of my (current) faves. Childhood friends to lovers. Celebrity romances. Forced proximity (we LOVE forced proximity right?). Lucky for me, all of these tropes went together seamlessly in a way that I wouldn't have expected. It had a lot of warm and fuzzy moments if you will and it was enjoyable to read. Definitely would recommend this to other YA readers for sure!

Dana L. Davis is a genius when it comes to making her readers feel emotions. I went through intense anger and frustration, intense sympathy and sadness, and intense periods of happiness and positivity for the characters. The book was addictive and I couldn't put it down. 

When I said I wanted a funny book with a realistic main character, great side characters, and a solid romance, this book was the perfect fit. Thank you so much to Dana L. Davis and to Skyscape for the eARC! It really made my week. 

I liked the message in this book and I loved the main character. Her best friend was also fantastic. I loved all the scenes and the humour embedded within the book and I really hope more people are encouraged to pick this up because it was a fantastic read! I can't wait to check out more by Dana L. Devis, especially Roman and Jewel (which has been on my tbr for ages!!). 

This book had everything I wanted. The only reason it wasn't a 5 star was because I got so mad at Langston so I couldn't quite forgive him at the end. 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great time with relatable characters and fantastic humour with hilarious side characters.

Thanks to Skyscape Publishing for gifting me a galley of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback.
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𝘚𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴:
Dylan Woods, a violin prodigy is in her senior year of high school and preparing for the audition of her life, Juilliard. As Dylan focuses on her big day, an ex-best friend shows up unexpectedly.
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Legendary, who grew up in Iowa with Dylan is now “the world’s most famous” R&B artist. And he has come to stay with Dylan and her family for a short time. While everyone in Dylan’s family is ecstatic about his sudden visit, Dylan is not. Angry that Legendary cut off all communication with her during his rise to the top, Dylan is not ready to face the superstar. But once she does, she soon realize that her and Legend have more in common than she expected.
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𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴
After reading the synopsis for this book I was excited.  It appeared to be my kind of novel. But unfortunately, it just didn’t do it for me. Although the plot was somewhat engaging, I didn’t find it believable which presented a big issue for me.
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Interestingly, I pictured R&B singer Chris Brown as the inspiration for the character Legendary. Thinking of Chris Brown waking up one day and choosing to stay in the basement of his ex-best friend from elementary school, seemed too far fetched. Legendary had enough money to stay anywhere on the planet, yet he goes back to the basement of a girl he hasn’t spoken to in years. It just didn’t make sense.
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With that said, there were some pleasurable moments. The fact that this novel did not make its way to my DNF pile is confirmation that there were some engaging components. For example, I enjoyed the passion Dylan displayed for playing the violin. She put all her eggs in one basket because she believed in her dream. I was rooting for her. I relished in the unfolding of her journey.
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Overall, although this novel was not my cup of tea, I think it’s a charming story for the target audience. Teens!
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Thanks again to Skyscape via Netgalley for the eARC. I appreciate the journey..

I want to be clear that my opinion remains objective, as always. It is certainly a mailing, but my principle is to remain objective and impartial, out of respect for myself and the publisher. Special thanks to Netgalley for sending this. Now that all this is clear, let’s turn to criticism:)

First of all, I must say that I was attracted by this beautiful cover, we see two young characters surrounded by color. I said to myself that I might really like it. A bit of the "Ace of spades" that is in my PAL.

Here we find Dylan a young woman who dreams of entering Julliard and moving to New York. She dreams of changing her life and is ready to give herself the means. But in his plans, there was no question of his childhood friend making an entrance into this life. As you can see, his two characters are the opposite. Dylan is a young woman who was adopted by a Cocasian family, which can sometimes cause quite awkward situations and focus on the racism of some people. and his best friend is kind of the cliché of the young black American who does R&B. 

In the course of the novel we realize that the behaviour of some people has an impact on the life of this young woman, it must be said that she dreams of being a violinist. You can imagine that for this young woman the path will be fraught with obstacles, this world is already very difficult to reach, so when you are a minority, you can unfortunately be faced with certain barriers.
 Add to that the fact that Dylan is adopted and in her small town where everyone is cocasian, she does a bit of a stain on the web.

As you will have understood, the story is very touching, alas, it is somewhat served by a slow pace of writing. Something desired by the author, but which I think serves the book a little. We’re having a good time, but there are certain clichés that, in my opinion, do not have to be put forward. I would say it’s a popcorn novel.

I downloaded this kind of on a whim, but I had such a good time reading this! It has a lot of my favourite tropes: celebrity romance, childhood friends to lovers, forced proximity. But of course a book can hold all of your favourite tropes and still not work for you. They worked really well here, though! It's such a fun, often hilarious read, but also with a lot of meaningful and heartfelt moments. One of my favourite scenes was the one where Dylan takes Legend to play D&D with her friends, it was so much fun.

Dylan has big dreams of getting into Julliard and moving to New York. Those dreams don't include a visit from her childhood best friend turned R&B sensation, Legendary. After some reckless behavior that ended in a bad accident Legendary has been placed under a conservatorship. He needs to convince his mom he's still the same old him and what better way to do that than linking up with an old friend?

This book was slow-burn but evenly paced which is where many contemporary writers struggle. It never sagged for me in the middle and I found myself eager to continue each chapter. These felt like real teens and Dana L. Davis does a great job with transracial adoptee Dylan who feels like she doesn't quite fit into her small town and her white family. The way she handles dealing with her appearance especially as she compares herself to the Instagram models Legendary is used to was very well done.  She also does a great job with Dylan and Legendary's reunion as they rekindle their friendship. The chemistry is there without being too forced and without jumping back in too fast.