One of my favorite quotes is “what’s meant to be will always find a way” and never has it felt more appropriate to reference it than in writing about Ashley Schumacher’s “In the Orbit of You.”

The saga of friendship and love that is that of Sam and Nova is the personification of something meant to be finding a way to be. The hand of Fate is strong in their story. From a friendship forged over a snail kingdom as children, to finding each other again as teenagers, to a perfectly lovely epilogue, Sam and Nova’s lives are intertwined.

Separated as children due to life and situations out of their control, they promise to find each other when they’re older. Each settles into their new lives- Sam grows into the king of the school football star and Nova struggles with her nomadic life with her mom who moves often for work until a move brings her to a new town with a familiar face. The two quite literally seem to orbit each other without really understanding what it is that is drawing them together.

Schumacher has written a moving tale of friendship, love and fate, weaving the stories of two generations over a span of two people growing up and going through life with authenticity that draws the reader in and leaves you satisfied but also, wanting more.

Wonderful book that was well written and a lovely story. Schumacher always writes such touching and wonderful stories and I have enjoyed all of her books.

This is why I love YA. However, I have not read a 5 star YA in quite some time. This is it!

Thus is Sam and Nova's story. It began as children and resumed in young adulthood. This is a beautiful story.

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's
Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found the idea of fate bringing these two in and out of each others lives at vital points so beautiful. But like I've said, I always read Ashley's books on eggshells, because I DO NOT TRUST HER SHE HAS BLINDSIDED ME WITH SADNESS BEFORE.

Nova moves to small town, Texas, with her mom temporarily on a string of temporary moves. Her one goal is to figure out who she is without putting on a face in school. But running into Sam, her long ago and not forgotten friend, puts her in a position she doesn't expect. She can't help but be drawn back into his orbit but this time it's full of football, a pretty girlfriend, and loving parents.
Ashley's writing is fan-freaking-tastic. She even wrote a trope that normally puts such a bad taste in my mouth and I was an absolute sucker for it. I've read all four of her books as they release, and she has a fan in me for life. The kisses that go where they need to? Stop it. She writes with so much heart and warmth, I'm smiling or crying... All. The. FEELS. I related so much to Nova as a teen and some days still. The friends and parents in the supporting cast became my friends, people I loved spending time with. That Unless got me so good.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

THIS. BOOK. Ashley delivered all the delicious teen angst and I am here for it.

It’s rare to have a book with two love interests where one of them doesn’t come across as the bad guy! I appreciate that Ashley can write a book with characters who make mistakes and decisions that you might not agree with because it makes them feel tangibly human.

I tabbed SO many lines in this book. It was beautiful and powerful, and Ashley has such an incredible way with words. I am in awe of her writing ability and will read a takeout menu if she writes it.

Ashley Schumacher has provided us with a YA read that pulls on the heartstrings in all the right ways. Sam and Nova are the best of friends, but life takes them on separate paths, until they end up reuniting as young adults in high school. Both are broken in many ways, and the damage is deep enough that they might struggle to make a life together work.

Such a beautiful story, and one I highly, highly recommend if you love a love story that will hurt your heart in so many ways, and then help piece it back together.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday books for providing me with an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. I highly, highly recommend this beautiful read!

Sam and Nova meet as 5-year olds when they are back door neighbors and discover a hole in their fence where their yards connect. They form a lifelong bond but Sam moves away with his aunt and uncle after its discovered he is in an abusive home. Years later they reconnect after Nova's mom moves for the millionth time, this time to Sam's neighborhood where they reconnect.

This was a sweet YA romance. It started out great and hooked me from the beginning but I found it dragged a little in the middle. One thing is the author kept highlighting how great Sam's girlfriend was repeatedly so it was a little predictable what happened to her. Despite the slower middle, the book ended on a great note. I loved how this book wrapped up and I think this would be an important read for any teens, just for the ending.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Should have been a DNF. While I’m mostly forgiving of teens flip-flopping on their decisions, the back and forth in this one exasperated me. This is my first from the author and I’m hoping that this is a fluke and am still willing to give her a chance since I heard great reviews on Amelia Unabridged.

Still, my thanks to Wednesday Books, NetGalley and the author for my copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

This book was so good. Nova and Sam are childhood friends but Sam has to move away. They make a promise promise to meet again. When they do the story unfolds into each of them working on being true to themselves and being honest with their families. I loved this story so much. So many good quotes. I will read anything Ashley writes.

One of my favorite YA authors, Ashley Schumacher, has her newest novel coming out tomorrow (March 19th) and it is the new novel to add to your TBR. In the Orbit of You dives deep into the connections we make with the most unlikely of people and why certain people enter our lives at certain times

Ashley Schumacher never fails to make me feel so many emotions and sob uncontrollably while reading one of her books.

As I did with two of her other books, I absolutely fell in love with the lyrical storytelling style and the unique way in which this story was told. Having the book set in such a short time frame while also references moments both before and after the present brought so much depth to the novel.

I also loved the cast of characters in this book! The side characters brought a bit of levity and classy YA-ness to this high school story, but Nova and Sam were such amazing characters! The both had the usual characteristics of YA book characters that make them relatable to the reader (not knowing what to do with their future, figuring out what their purpose is, trying to be honest with, while not disappointing, their parents), but the way they almost felt otherworldly is what really made them such memorable characters. These two people that were so ingrained in each other as children that years later are still bound to one another after a chance encounter made me so hopeful that everything happens for a reason and despite there being both good and bad in our lives, things always work out the way they’re supposed to whether we know it or not.

Without giving away any spoilers, I honestly think the way Schumacher crafted this story, and more specifically its ending, was masterfully done! I teared up at the smallest little moments in the book and then proceeded to sob my way through the last few characters because I just felt so deeply for these characters and I didn’t want this story to end.

This might be a weird comparison, but I feel like Ashley Schumacher has become the YA author that John Green was to many of us in the 2010s. Authors that will leave you both laughing and crying by the end of their book. Authors that will present to you the harsh realities of life, even in the smallest moments of their books. Authors who will continue to draw you in despite knowing you will finish their book in tears, because you know you will be changed for the better after reading it.

Anyways, I cannot recommend this book enough and I encourage you to experience Nova and Sam’s story firsthand. You won’t regret it.

*I received an ARC from Wednesday Books in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nova and Sam were best friends when they were young. They created a land between their houses called Snailopolis and played together whenever they got the chance. Even at that young age, Nova understood that Sam was sad, but she didn’t understand why he needed to move away or that it had to do with the cuts and bruises he was always getting at home. They promised to find each other again, but then lost touch completely. Years later, Nova—who moves with her mother for work constantly—finds herself at a new high school and recognizes Sam. But he’s a whole new Sam, with a perfect girlfriend and a plan to get a football scholarship. And Nova is struggling with her own identity issues having spent years figuring out how to fit in to new places instead of exploring who she really is. Can they find their way back to each other, and should they?

Like with all Ashley Schumacher books, this is an emotional read that really pulls at the heartstrings. Both characters are processing a lot and trying to do the best they can with the circumstances they were dealt. I enjoyed a lot about their journey, and I think fans of the author will love this book as will fans of angsty teen romance. I really liked both characters, but for me, their arc was a little repetitive and I wished the characters had been a little more decisive. That said, there were a lot of beautiful moments in this story that will absolutely stick with me.

Title: In the Orbit of You
Author: Ashley Schumacher
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA, Romance
“In the Orbit of You is a YA story of enduring love from acclaimed author Ashley Schumacher, where a personality test reunites two friends and makes them second guess their careful plans.”

Sam and Nova. Swoon. Childhood friends who make a promise to one day come back together when fate’s hand intervened.

This was definitely a sweet childhood friends to lovers YA. Fate. Kismet. Theses are the makings of this story.
Just to be honest there are a couple trigger warnings: childhood trauma/abuse, love triangle, cheating. I do believe these will dissuade a few people.

A special thank you to NetGalley and SMP/Wednesday Books for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5⭐️

This author never disappoints me. This is her 4th book, and I’ve loved each one in different ways and for different reasons.

This Teen/YA story centers around high schoolers Nova and Sam who serendipitously meet back up 12 years after being neighbors and best friends as 5-year-olds. They have never forgotten each other as they each served a purpose in the other’s childhood…Nova gave Sam a safe place with her friendship as he struggled with abuse, and Sam was a safe stabilizer in Nova’s constantly changing world (her mom moved repeatedly for jobs). As they begin to reconnect, there are still challenges and unknowns to face. Nova will be moving again in 2 months and feels lost and unsure about who she is and what she wants for her future, and Sam doesn’t want to face conflict and change in his current relationships/future plans.

This was such a sweet story about friendship, family and fate. I must admit getting a little peeved with Sam on his handling of one relationship, but he grew and gained courage/confidence to figure it out. The ending was the cutest…loved it.

It would appear that Schumacher is now an auto-buy for me.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing the free early arc of In the Orbit of You for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

In the Orbit of You is one of those books that just kind of sits with you.

If you’ve ever had a relationship with someone who is “your person,” you’ll immediately connect with Nova and Sam. Author Ashley Schumacher captures that connection with such ease, she must have experienced something like it in real life.

Nova and Sam are both complex and believable characters. And their motives, although sometimes misguided, are understandable.

Though In the Orbit of You explores some hard topics (references to child abuse and the recovery from it), the book isn’t dark. It’s hopeful.

In the Orbit of You is a compelling YA sort of romance sort of not that is thoughtful. It may not be a one-sitting read, but it’s definitely one that you want to come back to.

Nova had once been friends with Sam, and didn't understand why he had bruises and cuts he didn't talk about. Before he moved away, they promised to find each other when older. Now they meet again in high school, but Sam has forgotten about that old promise and is now following The Plan set in front of him: get a college football scholarship, date his girlfriend Abigail, and never show that he might want something else. But a schoolwide personality test matches Nova and Sam at 99%, putting them back in each others' orbits.

After an opening where we see the little versions of Nova and Sam, we see their teen selves. Nova has moved around so much due to her mother's job that she's been in multiple high schools and tried on different personas. She's going to be in this particular high school for two months and plans to coast along since she doesn't know what she wants for her future despite increasing pressure at school to figure it out. She recognizes Sam right away, but he has a picture-perfect life. As much as he doesn't enjoy it, he's determined to follow through so that no one thinks he's ungrateful for the opportunities given to him.

Trauma hits people in different ways. Sam was the recipient of physical abuse and did whatever he could to avoid rages by being agreeable, and it carried through into his life afterward. He became what he thought would make other people happy, even if it wasn't a life that he was pleased with. "It looks good on paper" or "I should be happy with this" became his goal, and he avoided any kind of confrontation. His girlfriend Abigail is a sweet girl, and very much not the kind of popular girl that excludes others. She tries to loop Nova into their circle, for however long she'll be there, and tries to get Sam to talk. Sam and Nova both realize that the emotional connection between them could jeopardize his relationship with Abigail and are determined not to do that. Of course, things never go according to plan, with literal acts of nature continuing to push Sam and Nova together.

The book follows many beats of romcoms, but still dealt with serious subject matter and never once downplayed what happened in the book. I liked that they both acknowledged how awkward it was, and that they weren't trying to sneak around and hurt Abigail for their own benefit. Emotions can be sticky, tangled things, but it only hurts people to keep them bottled up. Once everyone was able to speak freely, it allowed them to grow and be who they needed to be.

Oh, my heart. How does Ashley Schumacher do this to me every time? Although this go around I found myself crying without even fully knowing why. I loved these characters so so much. Their pain, their uncertainties, their inevitabilities. They felt so real and raw and teenagery. Nothing was easy and nothing was cliche but it was oh so beautiful.

Ashley Schumacher writes in such a beautiful way that makes me feel everything these characters are feeling. Nova and Sam truly have a pull towards each other in almost a painful way. They can’t work out even though it seems like they have to. They both want to figure out who they are and they don’t know how to do that together.

I love their parents and their friends and their childhood stories. They may be angsty teenagers but they’re the kind that worm their way into your heart.

This book truly feels like magic even though there isn’t actually any there.

Thank you netgalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book and expected to love it. I'm not a big YA reader, but I really enjoy the other Ashley Schumacher book that I've read (Full Flight). Ultimately, this book ended up just being okay for me. I liked it but didn't love it.

The backstory of the friendship between Sam & Nova was really sweet. I appreciated their history together and that they were able to reconnect as teenagers. I myself experienced a situation like this, though it was always a platonic friendship (we are both heterosexual females), so it didn't have the "romance" element to it. But I could still relate to reconnecting with someone that was such an important part of your childhood.

That said, while the book started strong and captured my interest, it felt like the middle of the book slowed to a snail's pace (you'll get the joke there if you've read the book). It's not that it was slow to read, but just that the plot wasn't really moving forward. It felt like a lot of rehashing the same things, especially inside the character's heads. It didn't feel like they were growing or moving in a forward direction.

There was also one particular element of the plot that I really didn't care for. *****THE REST OF THIS PARAGRAPH IS A SPOILER SO JUST SKIP OVER IT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANY SPOILERS***** I was really disappointed in the fact that Sam emotionally cheated on Abigail throughout the book, which culminated in a moment of physical cheating. Abigail absolutely did not deserve that, especially when Sam knew he didn't feel the same for her as she did for him. And even though it wasn't a case of him wanting to "have his cake and eat it too", his fear of letting her down was a lame excuse for what he was doing. I appreciated some of the things Abigail said to him as they were breaking up, particularly about him wanting to explain things away in a way that made him feel better about himself for what he did, but ultimately, the breakup felt a little too easy and neatly tied up. I've been a teenage girl that was in love with a boy who cheated on her (repeatedly, actually). If Abigail really loved Sam, I just don't think it would've been that simple and easy of a conversation for them to have. And while I do understand that cheating is something that goes on far too often in relationships and that this especially makes sense in the case of immature teenagers, it was still a let down to me and hard to reconcile with who Sam was. There was even a point where he said being referred to as a "cheater" was a trigger for him. Add to that the fact that he ended up with Abigail because he felt so bad for her for having been cheated on. And the fact that Nova repeatedly referred to an ex that cheated on her. So why did the plot go there with Sam and Nova doing that to Abigail? It just didn't really make sense to me with who their characters were. Also, Sam's conversation with his parents where he told them he didn't want to play football anymore, was kind of ridiculous. While of course they love him and want what's best for him and want to support him, it almost wasn't a conversation at all. So we had hundreds of pages of buildup of him not wanting to disappoint them and planning to live a life he hated just to keep them happy, to the conversation where he told them about it being almost non-existent. I mean yes, he told them, but they barely reacted at all. Two sentences later, we had moved on. It was just a strange execution to me.
***END OF SPOILERS***

And while I cannot say exactly where I hoped the plot would go. I was left feeling a little unsatisfied with things. I did like the very end of the book, but the last 10-15% felt really rushed. And it was as if some things tied up way too neatly, while other things that were angst filled and the focus of most of the book barely felt addressed.

Despite all of those things that makes it sound as if I didn't enjoy the book, I actually did. I really loved the connection that Sam and Nova shared from their childhood, I appreciated goofy high school characters that were really likeable, and I did understand Sam's and Nova's struggles. I also recognize that as a middle-aged woman, I am not the target market for a YA book, but I do actually think this book will really resonate with teenagers and young adults.

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!*

Ashley Schumacher writes the most beautiful stories of young adults figuring out who they are. I don’t know how she does it, but her books are just magical.

Nova and Sam are such complex and wonderful characters. One is afraid of their past catching up to them, and of disappointing the people in their present. The other doesn’t know what they want, and doesn’t feel like they even know who they really are. These are such relatable problems that we have all dealt with in our adolescence. Seeing the two of them work through these issues in the orbit of each other was tragically beautiful.

I loved this storyline. Two childhood friends finding each other again right on the cusp of major life decisions. *muah chef’s kiss* The friends and significant other in the story were fun and added some nice comedic relief.

Though, I honestly could have done without the romantic will they, won’t they. This is surprising for me, as I’m a huge sucker for romance. But, I felt like this story was strong without the extra complication.

Lovely and bittersweet, this is a beauty of a book. I hope you give it a chance to dazzle you. ❤️

My Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

I gave In the Orbit of You 4.5 Stars!

I’ve read and loved this authors previous titles and In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher was no different.
The way she writes YA romance is just so captivating.
Her new young adult contemporary romance novel is about two teens that were childhood best friends and meet again in high school.
Sam and Nova’s journey is a beautiful one.
A well written story of friendship, love, second chances and discovering who we are.
Orbit of You is completely full of heart and love and the range of emotions that will make it completely unforgettable.

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!