"Maybe Meant to Be" weaves a tale of destined love at Bexley School, revolving around Sage, Charlie, and the enigmatic Luke. The initial chemistry between Charlie and Luke adds intrigue, while Sage's connection with Charlie's twin, Nick, adds complexity. However, the book's execution occasionally falters in believability and pacing, for example the start of Sage and Nick's relationship felt a bit hurried.
While the story offers relatable characters and themes, some elements feel less convincing, impacting the overall immersion. Despite its potential, the book delivers a satisfactory yet somewhat unfulfilled narrative, earning its 3-star rating. Loved and hated Charlie, not gonna lie, but appreciated him trying his best to accept who he is and finally letting the world accept it too. Sage's POVs were kinda too much since they gave not so much about her but more of another pov on Charlie's doing. Loved their friendship tho and C and Nick's relationship as brother was very wholesome.

I thought that I was going to love this as The Summer of Broken Rules and What Happens After Midnight were both 5 star reads for me, but I could barely finish this one.

Right from the start, it felt like I had been thrown into a story halfway through as so many things were being mentioned that had apparently already happened and I couldn't keep up. There were also so many side characters and I could never remember who was who, and the locations of the boarding school were really hard to keep track of.

We're told that Sage and Charlie are best friends, but I do not get this relationship from them at all. I could hardly tell that they were friends, never mind best friends from birth.

Then there was the relationships. I didn't care for Sage's relationship with Nick, or Charlie's relationship with Luke, as there was practically no chemistry or build up to either of them. Also, miscommunication really annoys me in books but this one didn't even have that, there was just pretty much no communication at all!

Overall, I was really disappointed with this book, and it felt like it jumped around so much and some things were just mentioned rather than actually taking place during the book which made it hard to follow. I'll still look forward to other books that this author releases as their other two are some of my favourites, but this one wasn't for me.

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Maybe Meant to Be (previously titled “If We Were Us”) releases September 5, 2023

This is a dual pov story that takes place at a boarding school and features a large cast of senior students.

I wanted to love this title so badly because TSOBR and WHAM are two of my favourite books, but this one was so hard to get through.

The characters really felt disingenuous and so surface level. Sage and Charlie, our two main narrators, have been best friends since birth, but are they really? I felt like we were just told this and were supposed to believe it, but there was nothing solid to actually base it on aside from them being stuck in this comfortability bubble that everyone around them created for them.

It was painfully obvious from the start that this was about a closeted couple so I don’t know why everyone kept tip-toeing around and were so hesitant to do anything. Stringing along girls just to break up with them in a constant cycle every two weeks to mask your true feelings felt wrong, tiresome, and repetitive.

The dual pov didn’t really serve it’s purpose here since Sage and Charlie weren’t even the ones building tension with each other. If anything, it would have been nice to have Nick and Luke’s pov too since there were already so many characters floating around.

Speaking of Nick, there was zero build up. Suddenly Sage and Nick were an item because of a spin the bottle kiss they shared the previous summer? Nick was <i>the most</I> background character ever and was barely incorporated into the story or any of the group activities, so it really felt off.
I get that they were all entangled, being twins and all, but this really should have focused on Sage/Nick or Charlie/Luke, and not both.

The story was so fast-paced but yet had these random flashbacks with no transitions which made it jarring and abrupt.

There was so much OM/OW drama and treating others like a dirty little secret, that I repeatedly wanted to pull out my fucking hair.

I can’t even be bothered to touch upon the idiosyncrasies or how the queerness or half Japanese love interest was handled. Just know it was not great.

This book was so cute !!! I wish I could explain it better but it gave me Heartstopper vibes and I loved it!!!
Charlie and Sage have been best friends since they were in diapers but recently they seem to be a couple. But things get complicated when Sage starts having feelings and kissing around Charlie’s twin brother Nick and when Charlie starts having feelings for the new boy at school Luke. Now in a story of friendship and love and family and accepting one’s own identity and understanding our feelings, Charlie and Sage will have to go through the last days at high school before going to college and also figure out what they mean to each other and what they feel for other people. This book was sweet and funny and a bit sad but also very very cute. And yes I say it twice because I truly believe it!!! I was expecting probably something completely different but I do my care. I think I got exactly what I needed out of it!! More people should read it!!!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. Too childish and young and a very confusing writing style at the beginning.

I was not impressed by this novel by K.L. Walther. The Summer of Broken Rules is far superior to this book, but I could see people who enjoy simple reads like this book. Nothing in this book was overly memorable. I definitely would not purchase this book outside of NetGalley.

Unfortunately this wasn't my favourite of K.L. Walther. I still think that The Summer Of Broken Rules was her best work so far, but that doesn't mean I didn't like this one. It was good but pretty average. Nothing you will remember for a long time. I will still read new books by her because I think the books are very easy reads and I do enjoy her writing style.

For those who don't know, MAYBE MEANT TO BE is a reprint of K. L. Walther's debut novel, IF WE WERE US, with a new cover and new title. This is my first time reading this book, so I'm not sure if anything else was changed within the novel, but there were some references from around 2018 (IF WE WERE US was originally published in 2020), so it didn't seem like there were content updates.

MAYBE MEANT TO BE follows two POV main characters Sage and Charlie, each seniors in high school, struggling with their love lives. Sage is falling in love with her best friend Charlie's twin brother, Nick. While Charlie, the school's notorious heartbreaker, is discovering his feelings for the new kid Luke and coming to terms with his sexuality.

First, I absolutely loved Sage and Charlie's friendship. The way they confided in each other and, though they sometimes drifted apart briefly due to their new relationships, they always found their way back to each other. It was really heartwarming and something I could connect with.

The writing wasn't particularly impressive, but having read Walther's follow-up novels, I appreciated seeing how far she's come with her writing. My favorite novel of hers continues to be SUMMER OF BROKEN RULES, but this was still a fun read!

The resolution was a bit fast for my liking as well. I wish we could've seen more of the impact of Charlie coming out to his family and friends; it felt a bit rushed, given that was the moment most of this book was leading up to.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book, but I do find SUMMER OF BROKEN RULES and WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT to be stronger overall.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

My thoughts;
I am such a sucker for a good boarding school romance and maybe meant to be is no exception. The whole concept of 2 people that *should* be together instead falling in love with people they can't have is so original! It was super fun to read about.

Because you follow 2 love stories at the same time, there is no shortage of cute moments. But it isn't all sunshine and I love how this book also shows some of the hardships of coming out. That gave it some great debt whilst still managing to keep it super cute and fluffy!

The only thing I didn't enjoy as much were the main characters themselves. I had trouble connecting to them and to be honest, I like the love interests better. They were just more interesting to me. But it wasn't a huge nuisance while reading because the story itself more than made up for it.

I would totally recommend this book as a cute summer read! I didn't, but I can see myself reading this book at the beach or next to the pool.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a cute ya romance, and I enjoyed reading it a lot! It is dual pov… but not with the two love interests like you might expect, it is from the povs of two best friends with two completely different love interests!

CHARLIE: Charlie Carmichael has dated new girls every few weeks for his entire high school career. Everyone is expecting him to eventually fall in love with his best friend, Sage, but he hasn’t yet. When new student Luke joins the school, Charlie and Luke form a connection, yet Charlie is afraid of turning their friendship into something more.

SAGE: Sage Morgan is in love with Charlie’s twin, Nick. But Nick, like everyone else at the school, believes Sage and Charlie are in a relationship, so he starts dating others to avoid getting hurt.

This story follows Sage and Charlie as they navigate senior year in high school. I had a fun time reading it. It was a pretty average story though, which is why it’s getting a lower rating from me. I’ve read a lot of ya romances, and it wasn’t anything special. However, there wasn’t anything that I disliked about it, so I would still definitely recommend reading this!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sending me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review!
3.5/5 ⭐️

This book was actually published a few years ago under a different title (If We Were Us) and cover so can I just mention how CUTE this new cover is?? It’s getting released this fall and I think the new title is so much better.

I immediately requested this title because I’ve fallen in love with K. L. Walther’s books. I didn’t know anything about the plot so let me share that with you. High school students go to a private boarding school, they’re all wealthy and spending senior year with their friends creating memories and relationships. It has Magnolia Park vibes in the beginning of the story in the sense of the style not content.

I thought it was a super cute read for teens and high school/early college aged readers! I do enjoy this authors writing and while sure I could critique it about flow or time jumps- the writing never bothered me and this is one of those books you read to feel warm and happy!

Maybe Meant to Be is a coming out story set in an elite Eastern boarding school. It was well written, and a quick read. I have a few issues with the book though which keep me from recommending it at my bookstore. The first is representation. The characters are all white except for one of the main characters who is half Japanese. All the characters come from a background of privilege which would be inconceivable where I live in New Mexico. The teens in my area would not be able to relate to the setting or the apparent lack of concern for money issues of any kind. Second, the LGBTQ storyline seems dated. If the book were set in the 80s or 90s, the fact that there is no LGBTQ presence at this school other than one out boy and the main characters would be realistic, but in 2020, I don't see that being the case. I've read a fair number of YA LGBTQIA+ romances that had a more nuanced and in depth portrayal of the topic of young love and navigating the world as LGBTQIA+ teens than this book provided. I would not recommend this at my store.

This book definitely falls into the it was fine category.

The good: I surprisingly liked both the main characters and both of the important side characters. I think that all of them has reasons for doing the things that they did, and while it was wildly predictable, I enjoy not hating the characters I am reading about.

Sage - while a good best friend - she's not the best girlfriend. I think that she is very admirable for essentially going through heartbreak for her friend. Not many people would be the secret keeper that she was.

Charlie - going through some very delicate moments in his life, and I believed his struggles and I understood his fears.

Nick- I loved Nick BUT man what a savage. I can't say anything else without spoilers.

Luke - such a sweetie. Also completely understood where he was coming from and why he did things the way that he did.

Cons: I just don't think that there was anything super complex about this book. Which is okay, I think I just wanted more of the story. Especially like an epilogue on where they are now.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read almost all of K.L. Walther's books. I read The Summer Of Broken Rules and loved it. 4.75 stars, summer read. Then, last week I read What Happens After Midnight, and honestly struggled a little bit. I gave it 3 stars, and did enjoy myself. Then I applied for this book, Maybe Meant To Be. I read the first 50 pages, and it was a BIG struggle. I love her writing and her work, however this one just didn't vibe with me. It might have been me, because today alone I DNF'd one other book, other than this, but I'm not sure. Overall, I love her work, but I just didn't vibe with this one.

Thanks to NetGallery for giving me an ARC to read in exchange for my honest thoughts and feelings.

3.5 stars. Found it a bit slow to begin with but I think that may have just been me in a slump. Found the plot a bit hard to follow at times but once again may have just been me as I am not a fan of reading on my phone. I loved the dual POVs between Charlie and sage and I just loved all four of the main squad. Definitely a great fast paced ya contemporary!

It has been an absolute joy to get lost in this world with these relatable, easy-to-root-for characters. Though this seems like a stand-alone, I would love to follow these characters to see what comes next for them!

‘Maybe Meant to Be’ is part coming-out, part coming-of-age, and full of fun teenage antics which can only be found in an environment with minimal supervision, such as a boarding school. Teenagers go through a lot between keeping up with grades, sports, peer expectations, and trying to figure themselves out, both for right now and in terms of what they want to do for the rest of their lives. It’s fantastic to see this play out in our characters without intrusive influence from parents or teachers.

This quartet gave me all the feels and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Grab your copy on September 5th!

4.75 ⭐️

“If Charlie and Sage are meant to be, why can’t Sage stop kissing Charlie’s brother? And why can’t Charlie stop thinking about kissing the new boy at school?”

I absolutely loved the characters created in this book, I laughed and cried right along with them and felt like I was right there with them. I really appreciated how the author went about writing about struggling with identity, love, friendships and wanting to live up to the supposed expectations of others. Having the multiple povs between Sage and Charlie helped to see into their minds and why they were making the decisions they were either protecting others/wanting to meet other’s expectations of themselves. It showed their growth throughout the book and finally learning to follow their hearts and be who they are without worrying about others options. Seeing them struggling and learning how to overcome those struggles was really relatable and something that I’m sure many readers will connect to. The chemistry between the two relationships and the overall friendship group was exceptional and the banter had me laughing constantly. Overall this was a really heartwarming, sweet YA romance that made me feel all the emotions. Charlie and Luke and Sage and Nick forever 🫶🏻

Thank you so much to @netgalley, @klwalther9 and @sourcebooks for the e-arc of this book! Maybe Meant to Be is releasing 5th of September!

I loved Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther and now I can add this as another that I enjoyed by this author. The storyline was great. It has more than one POV which I really enjoy in books. Maybe Meant to be will have you hooked from the very first page. I do however recommend this for anyone who loves young adult books. .

What even is a postgraduate year in high school???

I honestly felt very disconnected to the characters and their lifestyle because it seems as if there is a lack of dimension in the story to establish that connection to characters, and the ending seemed rush, especially the time jump.