I really enjoyed This Day Changes Everything. I liked it much more than the authors first book. Both of the characters were really cute and I liked the story. The chaotic day in New York setting was fun. I’d recommend it!

This is a beautiful queer rom-com where quirky and bad things happen along the way that ultimately change what you think will happen. I enjoyed the feeling lost and getting lost in NY parallel and the characters feel so real and developed. Highly recommend.

This is beyond delayed, but this was an excellent read. I loved both of the main characters and their stories and how they end up together. I bought it for our collection, and it hasn't been back at the library since it hit the shelves.

Book 4 for me for the 2024 Trans Rights Readathon. This year, I'll be making a donation to LGBT Youthline.

This was a very cute young adult book. It very much gives a Dash and Lily's Book of Dares and What If It's Us mashup of vibes. And honestly, I enjoyed this much more than either of those books. I'll definitely go back and try out the author's debut.

This Day Changes Everything has the signature young adult internal angst and unsubtlety paired with the magic (and required suspension of disbelief) of a holiday romcom and it ends up being a great balance.

I totally flew through this very quickly. While I really enjoyed this as an adult - teenage me would have been obsessed with this book (much like how Abby is obsessed with her favourite book.) The characters are so endearing - I just want to give them hugs TBH. I'm so glad they have each other (as well as old and new friends) to help them as they figure things about themselves in a setting that makes it easier than their home states. It also made me want to visit New York again and I don't care if that's cliché!

If you don't get to it sooner, I recommend reading this book around American Thanksgiving - it would be a very cute way to kick off a holiday reading period. Also, I ended up listening to the audiobook and it was very well narrated.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

I really enjoyed author @edwardunderhill ‘s first book, Always the Almost and despite being decades away from high school and all the angst it entails, I still felt seen. I couldn’t put the book down and just sighed with a big smile on my face after I read it. So, when I saw that he had another book coming out, you know I was knocking down @wednesdaybooks door for an ARC copy of it – and boy, I was not disappointed!!

This Day Changes Everything is another wonderful book with teenage characters dealing with some very adult decisions about their future and how they will navigate it. Both MC are in marching band and set to play in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Abby is from the Midwest and has finally decided to confide in her best friend Kat that not only is she gay, but she’s in love with her. She’s counting on the Universe to give her an Epic Scene worthy of her own rom-com to do it. Leo is about to be outed to his extended traditional Southern family on national TV that he’s a trans boy. Plans are made. Plans are blown up. Hijinx ensue.

Abby and Leo take the wrong train to their next school tour of NYC. Despite being in separate bands some of the band’s itinerary match up. Things get off to a rocky start when Abby loses a book she planned to give Kat during her Epic Scene. They decide to blow off the school trips and go to places mentioned in the book to get something to symbolize her feelings for Kat instead. What starts off as an angry, distrustful, contemptuous relationship as they venture from one tourist attraction to the next, eventually melts into awareness, curiosity, friendship, flirting, warm fuzzies and love.

The teasing banter and quips between the two MCs is a delight to read and takes me back to the days when I could let the snarky comments fly without having to censor myself and be polite and diplomatic. I also enjoyed seeing Leo unthaw a bit and let his personality shine. His walls were big and strong and not easily broken, but Abby was able to make a tiny crack, that eventually got bigger and broke through. Leo was a typical closed off sullen teenager and Abby was a typical narcissistic teenager acting like the world revolves around her. Leo gives her a wake-up call that startles and angers Abby, but she finally gets it.

One of my favorite scenes in the book is when they accidentally stumble into an LGBTQIA young persons group holding a meeting at the famous Strand bookstore. They are immediately accepted into the group. Abby and Leo are shocked to find other teenagers like them that are so open, free, and comfortable with their sexuality. It’s not a big deal to those in the group, or anyone they encounter, and it opens Abby and Leo’s eyes to the fact that there is a great big world out there and it is possible to escape that tight box they’ve been squeezed into by their hometowns. It’s closer than they think, and there are places they can go and be themselves, be accepted, and have friends who care about them. There’s a whole community out there for them. They just have to reach out and take it.

The insta-love at the end was step too far for me, but considering we’re talking about teenagers here, I forgive it. I have to remember – what teenager hasn’t had one encounter with a special boy or girl and felt so wonderful they told all their friends that the person is the “love of their life”. It happens.

You need to read this book, and the previous book Always the Almost. Seriously. Now, go do it!

I was provided a complimentary e-copy of this book from NetGalley and Wednesday Books. All opinions are my own.

I am participating in the St. Martin's Press boycott. I will not be publicly reviewing this title until St. Martin's Press addresses reader concerns.

I’m a huge fan of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, I was in high school marching band, and I’ve loved every trip I’ve made to NYC. The question isn’t why would I request this book from NetGalley – why wouldn’t I?

Believing herself to be in love with her best friend, Abby is questioning her sexuality. She’s also unsure if her friend Kat is gay but plans to make a romantic, carefully planned proclamation of her love while they’re in NYC. Although Leo’s immediate family is supportive, his conservative, extended family is unaware he’s a trans boy, but they’ll find out when his interview with a local TV station is televised during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. When Abby and Leo hop on the wrong subway train and become separated from their groups, their whirlwind adventure begins.

If you’re a fan of the grumpy/sunshine trope, this novel is for you. Leo is full of doom and gloom, but Abby is a romantic at heart and believes in signs from the Universe. After losing her Epic Gift for Kat, Leo agrees to help Abby replace it, which requires trips to tourist attractions throughout the city. As Leo and Abby get to know each other over the course of the day, he develops feelings for Abby and regrets helping her with Kat. Abby begins to question if she’s really in love with Kat after all.

Representation is outstanding, and I loved how Abby and Leo are surrounded by supportive friends. Their bonds are strong, and their humorous banter and attempts to cover for Abby and Leo during their absences put a big smile on my face many times. The scene at the library is one of my favorites and shows that it’s natural to have questions, and labels aren’t required for happiness.

I enjoyed this novel from cover to cover (and what a beautiful cover it is!), and read it in two sittings. Recommended for fans of the grumpy/sunshine trope, the thrill of first love, and whimsical adventures.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This story reminded me so much of my fave, Dash & Lily, while still being a completely unique story in it's own right. With the two main characters both being Queer teens, this felt like a modern update of that story, even stopping by one of Dash & Lily's favourite bookstores.

This has all the chaotic fun I want from a contemporary romance, where the bigger focus was on finding the locations in Abby's favourite book so she could get gifts for Kat, making the romance feel like it was progressing naturally.

I really loved the characters, and discussions about what makes people Queer and who can use that label felt so authentic. The moment Abby and Kat finally talked was uplifting and honest, and Kat has a way of just stating facts that I immediately loved, she's a character I'd love to see in a future story.

This was ok, but I fear it was just basic. I don’t know why I wasn’t as pulled into it as the last one. I think it was the things they did, but I’m not sure. I just can’t honestly say this was super fun for it to be told in one day.

Ok so I guess my biggest gripe about this is the fact that it was told over one day, but they didn’t actually do anything fun? I THINK the fact that it mentioned Ferris Bueller was the undoing for me. I am old enough to know what that movie is and how fun it was. And this was not fun. It was sad and they were mad at each other a lot of the time. Granted they are teens so I’m sure they were surly, but this makes me all the more mad that they decided after one day they’d do long distance when grown people can’t come to this decision lol

The characters were ok. I wish I was less on edge throughout this whole book. I didn’t want either one of them to be hurt. They were both just sort of finding themselves and finding themselves as queers and it just didn’t seem like they had made it to the happy bits yet. But I also related a bit too much to Abby. She was really into like this book and I just kept thinking, “is this how I sound when I’m waxing poetic about a book?” lol But we definitely differed in some ways too. Because she put too much faith in the universe. I believe in the universe, but I’m also a believer that I have to do the work in order for the universe to recognize me. And I just felt like she was far too old to not have heard that before. That lady could seriously not be the first person to tell you that lol And then there’s Leo. I felt for him because his family were all assholes, but I also didn’t think that gave him reason to be mean to Abby. And then for him to fall first felt a little out of left field because he was the one being mean to her? lol Idk enemies to lovers is not my favorite genre. I really don’t get the “I’m mean because I like you” bit lol

As someone who is not Queer or trans, I will not comment on the rep. The author is trans tho, so I’m assuming it’s based off of some of their experiences. I do know that not every person who is trans is a monolith, so please understand when I say I enjoyed listening to Leo’s monologue and I had big feelings about his family because I felt for him so much. The rep will not be accurate for everyone, but I did enjoy what i did read.

I think this was ok for what it was, but it was so sad that I spent most of my time listening on edge. I think it would have made a more enjoyable read for me if they did something fun or funny that made them or the book stand out. There was none of that in this and I ended up not liking anyone, the main characters included. Also, can I read a romance where they are actually together for more than 10 seconds please? Lordt I get the angst of the slow burn, but just once can I get a romance book where we see them together for at least 50 pages? I’m begging at this point.

I really enjoyed Edward Underhill's debut novel, so when I saw he had a second one coming out, I jumped at the chance to get an advanced copy. And while I read it in a day or so (hoping it would get better and honestly sort of intrigued by the plot)... it just didn't give me the same feeling of warmth that Always the Almost did.

Abby and Leo both made me so mad throughout the whole book. Their chemistry wasn't really believable and the insta-love trope is super cringey. I tried seeing it through a young adult's eyes since this book is written for a teenager. However, I still believe that as a 16 year old, I would have found most of this story way too unbelievable to truly enjoy it.

I was also so stressed about them potentially getting caught or lost in the city without a working cellphone, so mostly I was just riddled with anxiety throughout this book rather than falling in love with the characters and their relationship.

With all that being said, I still gave this story 3 stars because it was a super quick read and easy to get through without putting down. Underhill's writing is captivating, even if these characters were not. There's great representation in this story, and the best part revolves around Leo's family finally standing up for him against his extended family. I also would have loved more interactions with the side characters - they were my favorite parts.

Still worth I read, but I'd recommend Underhill's first novel before picking this one up.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced copy of one of my most anticipated reads of 2024! I absolutely loved Edward Underhill's debut novel, Always the Almost, and when I got the notification that this one was up to read and review, I jumped on it! As I expected, this book delivered everything I wanted. My favorite romance trope is represented (Grumpy + Sunshine), we get a coming of age (and queerness!) story from two different sides of the spectrum, and a cozy autumn setting that makes you feel ready to fall (see what I did there?) in love.

We meet Abby and Leo as they settle in for what may be the most important day of their lives. Abby has decided to come out to her best friend while also professing her love with a special gift, and she's on the edge of her seat with glee. Leo is about to have to come to terms with being outed to his entire family as trans, so he's less than thrilled. The two cross paths on a subway meant to take them to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade that winds up spitting them out in Manhattan. They group up to navigate their way back to where they're supposed to be while also exploring each other and finding out that this day will change everything-- just not the way they expected.

I absolutely loved the contrast between Abby and Leo's journeys, and how they came together. I understand down to my core how scary it is to be queer in a small town, and how sometimes getting lost makes you feel found for the first time. The Universe is a funny thing, and I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. In this narrative, that feels truer than true. You can look forward to something, like Abby, and it not be the right thing for you. You can dread something, like Leo, and it be exactly what you need. And sometimes? You can do all of these things with someone else by your side and be the luckiest human on earth. I recommend this book to anyone feeling bogged down by life. It will help you remember that good things are on the way, even if it's not how you anticipated it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ePub of this book!

I really enjoyed this book. I felt it easy to connect to the characters, and I felt they were well written. This is my first book from this author, and likely not my last.

Abby believes in The Universe and Leo definitely does not. They get swept away on a journey together when spontaneously meeting in New York for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade as part of their high school band.

Abby desperately wants to tell her bestie that she's in love with her, and Leo wants desperately for his family to accept him as transgender.

All at once, because of a missed train, we begin our adventure. Leo helps Abby find the right way to tell her friend, and while they travel to find souvenirs, they learn all about each other and begin a special friendship that neither expected.

I found this book interesting... it handled the emotions and realities of different lives and perspectives wonderfully and it made it easy to connect to their struggles. I did find the romance aspect a bit predictable - but sometimes that's also just what you want in a book; so I did not mind that part at all.

I liked that even though the subject matter held some depth, the story managed to also stay lighthearted in its approach and kept it relatable.

Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Abby and Leo are both in high school marching bands that were chosen to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Abby is expecting the trip of a lifetime, a declaration of love for her best friend, and for the universe to show its magic. Leo is expecting to be outed to his extended family as trans during the live broadcast, and for the universe to rain all over his parade.

This Day Changes Everything is such a sweet YA romance with beautifully well-rounded queer characters! I loved the grumpy/sunshine dynamic and also their sincere conversations around identity and their struggles. The setting of New York City around the holidays was truly magical. Both of the main characters are from small towns in regions not known to be hospitable to queer people, so it was lovely to see them start to feel less alone in their experiences throughout the book. It was also so wholesome that they were in marching bands and shared a passion for music. I don’t love the “one day” romance trope because it often feels too rushed, but I did like their genuine interactions and feelings. I will definitely look for more from this author in the future!

This book was cute, don’t get me wrong, but I find falling in love after knowing each other for realistically not that long (24 hours), seems a little unrealistic to me.

Besides that, this book is hopeful and encouraging and the characters feel real and they discuss topics that aren’t discussed as much as they should be. Plus this book was so easy to visualize and it felt magical.

Abby is in marching band and on her way to New York to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Once in New York, Abby gets lost and ends up on the wrong train with Leo, who is in a different marching band for the same reason.

From there, we have an epic story of Leo and Abby and all the amazing things that got to experience while also trying to get back to their hands. This was a wholesome, fun read and I have yet to read an Edward Underhill book I don’t like!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Oh gosh you ever felt like if a book was written for you ? This is how I felt with This Day Changes Everything. The characters, the relationships, the themes, everything just pulled at my heartstrings. As a queer person this book means so much to me. Thank you Netgalley for the arc

A beautiful story celebrating queer and trans joy; much needed in today's landscape and a perfect read for teens figuring themselves out (or just romance-loving teens!). Themes of friendship, love, and self-discovery are explored with utmost care.

This book is everything I've ever wanted. Edward Underhill brings trans joy to light in such a brilliant, unerring way. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have read This Day Changes Everything -- it really did change everything.

This was such a lovely YA romance! It hits all the notes of a whirlwind romance, strangers to lovers, finding oneself, echoing classic young adult love stories but with such believable and relatable main characters, and so wonderfully queer.

Abby and Leo are marching band students from different schools, both marching in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. They meet by chance and after some mishaps for both of them and end up spending a day together exploring New York. So many call backs to classic romance, from the locations they visit, to a nighttime Empire State visit. Abby and Leo have such distinct voices and personalities, as well as stressful issues that are weighing on them both as far as their identity.

This is an appealing, engaging, energetic book, with strong and relatable main characters, a well paced plot, and good use of romance tropes. I read a fair amount of young adult and to me this book felt fresh and fun, serious when it needed to be, hopeful and romantic. A quick and feel good read.

highly recommend. This is the second book I have read by this author and I am eager to read more.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this book . Opinions are my own. 4.5 stars

Abby believes in the magic of the universe - especially since her high school marching band is going to be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She now gets to spend the next few days in New York City with her best friend, Kat. The exact same New York City their favorite book is set in - and the perfect place to finally tell Kat she loves her (and that she’s gay). She’s got a signed copy of the book that she's spent months annotating, now she’s just got to find the perfect moment to create her own rom-com.

Leo on the other hand, just wants to get through the next few days without too much of a family blowup - especially since he’s about to be outed on national television to his Southern family as the trans boy he really is. He’s not excited for the parade, he just wants to get it over with - yet alone spending the day sightseeing with his band.

When fate throws both Abby and Leo on the wrong subway trains heading in the opposite direction of their bands, the duo get lost in Manhattan. And worse yet, Leo makes Abby lose her one of a kind gift for Kat. To hopefully fix it, they decide on a new mission: find a souvenir at every location mentioned in the book, while their friends can hopefully cover for them during sightseeing. Maybe, just maybe, fate and a little magic will make this a day that changes everything.

I wasn’t sure what year this was supposed to be set in. They mention Tumblr a lot and I used it religiously for twelve years, but haven’t messed with it too much in the last five when my dash became so slow because people stopped posting. Is that still a popular website, or was this set roughly ten years ago? I think knowing this would also help me in understanding where Abby was in knowing about Queer activities in and around the KC area.

I’m not the biggest Romance fan, but this just sounded super cute when I read the premise - plus a lot can happen in a big city in 24-hours and this book doesn’t disappoint.

Overall, great representation of Teen Queer communities. Also for those who love that grump and sunshine trope.

*Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

A queer coming of age that was full of joy and self-discovery!

This Day Changes Everything centers around Abby and Leo, two teens in New York City with their high school marching bands for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Both are struggling with figuring out their identities and how they fit into the world. In a case of happenstance (and maybe the universe intervening), they end up lost together and find themselves on a whimsical adventure to find their way back and maybe find a kindred spirit in each other.

This was such a fun YA read and I loved the themes throughout it. This book spoke a lot about identity, self-acceptance, friendship, family stress, queer love, and trans issues. But what really spoke loudest was the idea that you don’t need to apologize for existing. You’re allowed to take up space in the world even if you don’t know who you are yet. I loved the feeling of love and hope this book left me with.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday books for this arc! All thoughts are my own.