***POTENTIAL SPOILERS***

This is a romance and I didn't love the first book I read by this author, so I didn't have high expectations, but this was hard to put down except at that one point I *almost* quit reading it altogether.

It's very sweet, and if you don't look too closely, it's a very feel-good story. (It includes an accident and a funeral, among other things.) I'll overlook the insta-love since they were teenagers. I felt a secondary romance was unnecessary. But some of the twists were unexpected.

The audiobook was narrated by 2 narrators and was very well done. 3.5 stars rounded up for readability.

What a story! A story full of surprises, plot twists that I never saw coming. This book has left me thoughtful, happy and achy at the same time. Didn't love the prologue, questioned it every chapter until I reached the middle of the book, then what a very predictable love story turned on its head leaving me reading late into the night to see where it landed.
I also kept thinking why the title The Space Between?, and I am so happy that I learned it at the end, it made perfect sense. The author hovers in that space between Andy and Jace as they grow up, they mature and they become their own person. How their life takes them on a path they thought they knew, to finding themselves lost and then found and then lost some more to finally being able to fully embrace their destiny.
The epilogue in my opinion missed the mark, just a hint of what their life looked like after the journey would have been better. Maybe some closure with the parents in both families. Maybe some closure with Claudia remembering her dad and honoring him somehow? Reed is by far my favorite character, his decision to live his life to the fullest in a way that honored it was my favorite part of the book, I thought it was what gave this story its depth, its heart and its biggest and most profound life lesson. He will stay with me for a long time.
I will go buy this book and recommend it to every one. I want to annotate it and read it in print. Thank you Sarah for some beautiful nights of reading!

Do you believe in true love? A love that can transcend across years apart, ups and down, miscommunications and life changing decisions? If not, The Space Between by Sarah Ready will have you reconsidering everything you ever think you knew about what true love is.

Synopsis:

“Life doesn’t have many certainties but for Andrea and Jace forever is one of them. Andrea Leighton-Hughes—shockingly wealthy Upper East Sider, a chess-piece in her family’s games since before she was born—knows what it’s like to hide behind a mask. Her world is one of lies, manipulation, and reputation. Jace is the first and only person to see who she truly is. Jace Morgan knows the ugly side of life and he hasn’t always kept his nose clean. A musical prodigy from the Bronx, Jace and his brothers will do whatever it takes to climb to the top of the music charts. Andrea is the first and only person who has helped him play from the heart. No one understands their connection. No one understands their love. As Jace and Andrea struggle to stay together and prove that love defeats all obstacles, life sets out to prove them wrong. What happens when two people promise forever, but life tears them apart? What happens in the time they aren’t together—in the space between?”
If you love a romance with two different world (rich and poor), generational healing, the different kinds of love one can feel, true love, found family, second chances, miscommunications, and a love that stands the test of time and familial betrayal, then you will love this book.

Jace quickly became a new book boyfriend with his portrayal of love her Andi, his musical abilities, and what his mother described as a “voice an angel, but the face of a sinner.” A good boy for looks like a bad boy, but with a good heart who can sing AND play guitar? Oh my… And poor Andi, being stuck in a world she doesn’t fit in with while yearning for a life of freedom and happiness. My heart opened quickly to engulf both characters.

The story was so well-written with amazing character development and plot flow, not to mention the excellent choice for narrators. It’s been a long time since I had to take time to just stare at a wall after finishing a book. The Space Between is the definition of an emotional rollercoaster as readers follow Jace and Andi across the span of 13 years full of life altering decisions. I can’t recommend this book enough!

Hey Jace, tell me a lyric.

What a love story to live through and over the years. Sometimes two people meet too early, the timing is just not right or it was a love story for a split second.

The story follows Andrea and Jace over ten years flopping from different time periods and you are rooting the whole time for them to end up together. Andrea lives in a gold tower and her family runs New York City. Jace comes from the wrong side of the tracks living in a small apartment with his brothers trying to make it as a band. Their father told them that music can connect anyone that is what these brothers are trying to do.

I would highly recommend this to anyone to read this book and loved it. Sarah Ready's story telling is beautifully written and told.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy!

THIS BOOK!!! Sarah, you did it, again! This story took me through all the emotions. I smiled the happiest smiles and cried big, ugly tears. I could still cry thinking about it. What a beautiful story about music, friendship, family, emotional growth, forgiveness, second chances, unexpected and forever love. I could never have predicted the twists and turns this book took me on. So well written!

It was written in dual POV, which I love! I was gifted a guitar this past weekend and this story made me want to pick it up and learn to play. Reed was my favorite character and the only thing I would have changed was that I wish he'd had a chapter or two to see things from his perspective.

The narrators did an excellent job! Their voices fit what I would have expected the characters to sound like. They really helped bring the story to life for me.

I downloaded this book from NetGalley having previously enjoyed another by the same author.

Three stars from me means that I believe that an author has achieved their aims but I personally didn’t fall in love with it.

In this case, I just didn’t like either of the main characters. And I didn’t believe that you could mistake the man you love for someone else. What a stupid misunderstanding Andrea and Jace set in motion.

Just not for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you netgalley for giving me this audiobook arc in exchange for a reveiw.
I liked it, but some parts were too dragged out. I felt like it could've been 8 hours instead of 13. I liked the narration though and it was entertaining, especially part 1. parts were also very unbelivable, if you've read it you know what i mean. but overall an audiobook i enjoyed, i will look out for new realeses by Sarah!

I have read, or rather listened to, several books by Sarah Ready and enjoyed them, but I was not touched by them the way this story touched me. I was pleasantly surprised by how I truly felt this story when listening to it. This story is quite the emotional rollercoaster ride! Both Andrea and Jace were lovely characters, even if Andrea due to circumstances became more closed and cold than I would have liked. I thought the character development as they went from teenagers to adults was really good. Both narrators did a great job making both Andrea and Jace really come alive. I found myself smiling, gasping and was literally moved to tears on more than one occassion. I hope this is a sign that Sarah is moving from the lighter reads to more emotional stories like this one. I would highly recommend this story!

4.5

The Space Between Review

One of the most touching, heartfelt reads i've come across this year. Was such a powerful story about overcoming fear, music, family, love and loss. I enjoyed every moment of this book.

If youre in the mood for:
- Dual POVS ( past and present)
- Family bands
- enemies to lovers (kind of)
- heartbreaking moments :(

This book just felt so different compared to all the other books I've read this year ti was so beautifully written and I was delighted to be able to listen to the audiobook.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for a copy the audiobook. This was a great love story that spans from teenage love to adulthood. Jace and Andrea are from two different worlds and connected so well. There's heartbreak and so much growth during the space between. I enjoyed the dual POV narration which was done well.

The mogul’s daughter and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, brought together as though by fate in Central Park, again and again over more than a decade… Andi wants nothing more than to escape the stifling prison that is the Tower, the massive skyscraper owned by her real estate tycoon father. Jace only wants to make music with his brothers in honor of his slain parents – until Andi comes to his rescue when one of the rich boys and a few others from his private school jump him in the park. When they’re 18, their love is undoubtable. But will they be able to overcome their differences – wealth, power, skin color, their families’ disapproval and expectation – and live the happily ever after they know is meant to be?

<i>Note: This book is quite dark in places. Please see (somewhat spoiler-y) content warnings below and read with caution and care.</i>

[b:The Space Between|122781033] starts off really charming as Jace and Andi meet and fall in love. Their adventures around New York are delightful – they have so much chemistry together, and Andi is a blast: sarcastic, perfectly at home at her mother’s fancy parties and in a dingy club cheering on Jace and his brothers’ band. The events that tear them apart are wrenching (see content warnings) and it’s no surprise they are both badly damaged by it.

Unfortunately, I had a really tough time with <spoiler>Jace’s brother Dean’s decision to lie to both him and Andi in order to break them up, leading indirectly to Jace’s life-threatening crash. I really struggled with how easily Jace forgave Dean’s decision (and middle brother River’s choice to keep Dean’s lie) – the lie ultimately nearly got him killed, and kept him apart from Andi for more than a decade.</spoiler>

One of my favorite parts <spoiler>ended up being Andi’s relationship with Reid, her childhood frenemy (and Jace’s school tormentor), who comes to her in a moment of great need. I honestly wouldn’t have minded a version of this story in which they ended up together.</spoiler>

James Fouhey and Rachel Hirsch do a great, sensitive job narrating. (I listened to about half, and read about half.)

CW: <spoiler>Death of parents (flashback, on the page), attempted suicide, attempted sexual assault/rape, assault/battery, severe injury from vehicle crash, partner’s death from cancer, emotionally abusive parents.</spoiler>

[b:The Space Between|122781033] by [a:Sarah Ready|20871147]
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
🌶️ 🌶️ Mostly when they’re young and horny
🎸🎤🎺 The thing Jace and Andi do with lyrics is really cute
🏍️ So much angst could be avoided by just… taking a breath (and making a phone call) before jumping into action
🌼🛩️🏖️ That awkward feeling when someone other than the MMC steals the show
🤡 Not sure if the somewhat Trumpy vibes of Andi’s dad were intentional but… 😬

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and WW Crown for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

DNF after 3 attempts.
This makes me super sad friends.
I love Sarah Ready and I tried listening to this audio 3 different times.
I just couldn't get into it.
This just felt cheesy to me.
I mean no disrespect to the author or any other person who enjoyed this book.

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced audio copy and I still look forward to this authors future releases.

Here's a list of the ones that I have read and reccomend.

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby
Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around
French Holiday

It's the first book I read by the author Sarah Ready! A beautiful story, developed in New York! I like the changes of times, the passion of the characters, the twists that history gives, the revelations, it's a book that you should read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Space Between

This is probably my favorite book so far this year (and yes, I read Fourth Wing and loved it)!

Jace and Andrea’s story had me yelling out loud, crying ugly tears and then crying happy tears. I felt iALL the emotions while reading this. There were times when I just had to set the book down and take a breather because I didn’t know if my heart could handle anymore. I’m a hardcore “every story MUST have a happily ever after” reader and there were times when I wondered if I should just stop to prevent the heartache. So glad I stuck with it!! I feel like I can’t even find the exact right words to portray how much this story moved me. I was rooting for people I never thought I would and sobbing over scenes I didn’t think I would.

This is my first Sarah Ready novel and it absolutely blew me away and I am adding all of her books to my library. The character building is done beautifully and makes you fall in love with each character (except maybe Dean-I’m not letting go). I just can’t say enough good things.

ALL THE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!

Overall, this was a sweet story, but it pulled some CoHo shit in the middle that was ultra messed up. I won't share the spoiler here, but it went off the rails for sure.

Lots of folks have commented in reviews about this being YA, and while I don't see it shelved as YA anywhere, it absolutely reads like that. I'm not super keen on the instant love without any really reasons other than instant physical attraction, as an adult, it's hard for me to perceive this story as something that can have any sort of long term happy ending, but I am glad that Ready made it span over years and not be a rebound situation.

3.75 stars

Jace Morgan played music in a band with his older brothers and friends. They usually played in Central Park after school and on the weekends. The music was one way the brothers were able to support themselves after the death of their parents as well as a way to honor their love of music. One day they hoped to make it big in the music industry.

Andrea (Andi) Leighton-Hughes came from a wealthy family with dealings in real estate. Her father was a great manipulator and was ruthless when it came to getting what he wanted. He treated his family similarly. Andrea didn't want the life he father expected. She did what she needed to do to avoid her father's wrath.

Jace and Andi met one day in Central Park after Jace's band finished playing. They quickly connected and started spending every available minute together. Jace's band had an offer to tour the country for several months. They jumped at the chance and Andi planned to go also. She wanted to help set up and break down after concerts, cook, and anything else they needed. When Andi left, her family was very upset and cut off all financial help. Touring was hard, but Andi and Jace deepened their relationship and planned to get married. Before they could get married, Andi caught Jace cheating on her with a fan after a show. She left Jace, returned home, and took up her expected place within the family.

Years down the road, Jace and Andi reconnect.

I read one of Ready's books last year and loved it. I really wanted to love this one as much. I think the story would have been better told in two books. They start their romance as seventeen year olds and then there is a huge gap where they are not together. There is a lot of detail about Andi's life after she returns to her family and works in the family business that doesn't relate to her story with Jace. It does bring in her relationship with Reid. To me the first book would end shortly after Reid's death. The second book would cover all that came after as a second chance romance. I loved Andi and Jace as a main characters. Both felt real and their actions were relatable. The narration of the audiobook was excellent and I enjoyed both narrators.

I received an audiobook ARC for The Space Between and want to thank Sarah Ready, W. W. Crown, and NetGalley for the opportunity to voluntarily read and give an honest review of this book. The Space Between will be published on July 25, 2023.

In The Space Between, Jace and Andi meet as teenagers, simultaneously struck by the feeling that they just met their "person". Despite the differences that threaten to keep them apart, the pair fight to be together, to prove all the doubters wrong. Split into three parts and crossing nearly two decades of time, this book centers around a romance that encountered nearly every bump imaginable along the way, but the love always remained.

If you are looking for a read that will take you on an emotional journey, The Space Between is sure to fit the bill. Just when I thought I could predict where the plot was headed, Sarah Ready said "NOPE" and left my jaw on the floor. Though I had planned to pace my listen to the audiobook, I couldn't bring myself to hit pause. The need for answers pulled me right in. In a lot of ways, this book felt like three wrapped into one as the main characters navigated various phases of life, both together and apart. It was fascinating to see how they came together, fell apart and navigated the journey back. Both Jace and Andi were incredibly compelling leads. Of the titles I have read from her so far, this is my favorite from Ready.

Now, I do wonder if I would have enjoyed The Space Between just as much if I'd read the ebook or a physical copy instead since this book is over 500 pages long. These are characters that had to take the long road to happiness and because there were so many obstacles placed along the way, I could see why it might feel frustrating for some readers. But if you're someone who enjoys angst and an emotional read, Jace and Andi's fated love will shock and deliver.

Thanks to NetGalley, W. W. Crown and Sarah Ready for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the AAC. This was my first audiobook and I loved it! The Space Between by Sarah Ready is an epic love story. Narrated by both Jace (James Fouhey) and Andy/Andrea (Rachel F. Hirsch) gives the story a view of both characters’ feelings throughout their lives. Jace, a poor kid from the south Bronx meets Andy in Central Park following one of his concerts in the park. He is being raised by his older brother Dean who took responsibility for him and his brother River when their parents died tragically five years before. Andy could never have imagined how following her heart would lead to her strange and unexpected destiny. The story highlights both Jace and Andy’s lives as they leave their teenage years, grow and mature into adulthood. Though they choose different paths, their love for each other keeps bringing them back together. I enjoyed the family dynamics that were described throughout the story. They alluded that one didn’t have to be a blood relative to be truly loved and accepted. Sometimes situations arise in our lifetimes that cause us to make choices based solely on duty that eventually help us form unbreakable bonds of love that can be stronger than blood alone. I found myself laughing out loud, shaking my head, biting my nails and reading through my tears on this journey of true love. It reminded me that everything in life happens for a reason and though we may not know what that reason is, we just have to trust that fate will always guide us to our true destiny.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy audio version of this book.

By fate Jace and Andy meet one night in Central Park completely altering their lives forever. Both are from two different worlds, one dirt poor and the other from one of the wealthiest families in Manhattan. The love both of them share is one of those first loves that never leaves them. They are both able to be themselves with each other despite their vastly different circumstances. We follow them through their journey that is entwined with a love for music and self discovery of what truly matters to them.

The events of one night completely alter the plans they had together, forcing them both to pursue different paths in life.

Their story is one that faces the ultimate question. Is love enough to keep hanging on when there is so much trying to keep you apart?

It’s not that the book is bad, but I just couldn’t get into the story. I enjoyed another book by the same author but this one was just not it for me. I dnd’ed at ~30%. It might be for you if you like cute romantic stories.