
Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own. This book was a lot funnier than I thought it would be! It was so cute!

This book is so freaking cute but also very heartwarming! The level of emotional depth made me forget that it is a YA book. Marlowe, Odette and Poppy are such a fun trio and their dynamic had me chuckling often. The neurodivergent representation is fantastic and seamlessly intertwined; I love that it wasn’t Marlowe’s entire personality. The role of romance books in her journey to discovering what love truly is was so unexpected but truly delightful! What makes it even better is Ash’s affinity for romance novels as well! Honestly, you need to read this one now!

I am not a math person in the slightest but I love the YA genre and I’m a sucker for the good girl/bad boy trope. Throw in a bookshop, books of all kinds, and neurodivergence and it becomes a book I don’t want to put down.
Marlowe Thompson isn’t the girl one would expected one of the most popular football players would go out with. She loves calculus and mushrooms and loves talking about calculus and mushrooms. When she’s dumped over the summer she wants to everything she can to win him back. When she’s paired with the new student, Ashton, she realizes he’s the key to winning Josh back.
This was such a cute book! I loved all of the characters and the focus on books and reading, but what I really loved was the inside look we got into Marlowe’s head.
This was the perfect light read after some pretty heavy ones. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to. The Calculation of You and Me hit the shelves on June 18th.

This was an adorable YA romcom! I loved the friendships, family dynamics, and representation—and obviously the romance. We need more emo love interests with lip rings. Seriously, the scene were Ash does her eyeliner is now one of my top romance book scenes ever. The banter was also top tier.
I also loved the focus on romance and romance books. This book was truly a celebration of the romance genre, and it was refreshing to see our main character slowly fall in love with romance novels of all kinds. Marlowe’s internal struggles with love/romance and her own identity were so relatable and very well written. I enjoyed getting to see her character grow.

Unfortunately, I no longer am interested in reviewing this title. It looks adorable, but I simply do not have the time to spend reading books I am not interested in.

My only real complaint about this book is the cover- it really doesn’t capture the main characters (especially the male main character) well at all. Aside from that, this was such a cute, interesting book. There is zero spice, which feels very appropriate for the age of the characters. There was fun banter all around- between love interests but also her friends. There is good romantic tension between the two main characters and had a very satisfying, sweet ending. I felt like Marlowe’s journey healing from her previous relationship was very realistic- even an extremely smart person can romanticize unhealthy relationships- and it sometimes just takes time and help from loved ones to gain perspective. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

A beautifully told YA romance with a nerd aspect is such a refreshing perspective to read from. Fun read!!

This was a good book, and I liked how there is an important conversation hidden in the main plot about how we treat people with disabilities.

I really enjoyed this one. I think there is an important conversation hidden in the main plot about how we treat people with disabilities. Marlowe knows she can be "too much" due to her autism. but her ex's comments really hit that insecure spot we all have about not fitting in or knowing how to do something. I think Serena Kaylor did a great job conveying the layers these normal feelings are like when combined with a disability.

This book was okay but overall pretty average. The ex was so lame I had a hard time believing she’d actually want him back. I did love Ash though.

When Marlowe Meadows is dumped by her boyfriend at the beginning of senior year, she doesn’t understand what has gone wrong. She feels like she has somehow missed the rules of how relationships are supposed to go, and she seeks help from an unlikely source to learn how to win back her boyfriend.
Goth guy Ash is the opposite of popular boy Josh in practically every way, but as Marlowe learns when she’s partnered with him for a class project, one thing Ash does understand is romance. She proposes that he teach her about romance in exchange for her helping him with the website and social media presence for his band.
With Ash’s help, Marlowe wants to pull a Cyrano on Josh to get him to give her another chance, but Ash has a different idea: he can help her learn about romance through romance novels and their own set of lessons.
Marlowe thought Josh was the right person for her, but as things turn out, someone better has been in the background the whole time.
Honestly, I absolutely adored this one.
Read it for
- The portrayal of romance as a genre (Ash works at a romance-only bookstore.)
- The neurodivergent friend group trying to muddle their way through high school social dynamics together
- The autism rep (Seriously, Kaylor is fantastic at depicting the experience and feelings of neurodivergent teens. Check out Long Story Short, too, if you haven’t read it already.)
- The queer and ACE rep
- Ash
- And Marlowe’s assorted mushroom facts
I received an advance copy of the book from Wednesday Books and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

A Solid Debut with Room for Growth
The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor offers an interesting premise and some enjoyable moments, but ultimately falls short of its full potential. The story follows a unique concept, blending romance with elements of self-discovery and mathematical metaphors, which I found intriguing. The characters, particularly the protagonist, have their charming moments and the author does a good job of exploring themes of love and personal growth.
However, the pacing of the story felt uneven at times, and some of the character development seemed rushed, leaving certain relationships feeling underdeveloped. While the writing is generally engaging, there were parts that felt a bit predictable and lacked the emotional depth I was hoping for.
Overall, The Calculation of You and Me is a decent read with some enjoyable aspects, but it didn’t quite resonate with me as much as I expected. It’s a solid effort for a debut, and I’m curious to see how Serena Kaylor’s writing evolves in future works.

The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor is an absolute winner for YA romance. It addresses real teen issues and includes topics like Autism, LGBTQIA issues and human connection. This novel is well written and once the reader realizes the topics at hand the story blooms in a phenomenal manner. The characters are deep, well developed and relatable.
This novel follows Meadow a teen who connects more with calculus than people. She becomes couple goals but is then broken up with and broken hearted. She aims to use her mathematics skills to show her ex that she really can connect. Sparks fly but between which characters? Read this beautiful novel to find out!

This book was SO CUTE. I couldn’t connect with it at first, but as I kept reading, I absolutely fell in love with the story and the characters. I loved both MCs, as a couple and as individual people. The representation of autism was done incredibly well, as well as the LGBTQIA2S+ representation.
I know that YA is not for everyone, but this was a very well done YA book. The characters weren’t painfully immature or cringey, and I would’ve loved to be able to read this when I was younger. It was filled with great lessons and attitudes, and yes of course, love.
Also, I need the author to write a romance about Sloane, please.
If you enjoy YA romance in any capacity, add this one to your TBR! It was a winner for me.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for my gifted copy!

* I received an e-arc via Netgalley for review from the publisher. Thank you for the opportunity! All thoughts are my own. *
I read and loved Serena’s debut, so I knew that I had to read this one! This was such a cute story! The person I buddy read this one with and I both thought it had “10 Things I Hate About You” vibes.
Marlowe and Ash really complement each other well. Love them together! I also really loved reading about a neurodivergent main character and how she navigated a romantic breakup, and then forged a new relationship. The side characters were all really funny and brought a lot to the story as well. I also really love Marlowe’s family and how supportive they are of her.
Highly recommend! Serena Kaylor has quickly become a must-read author for me.

Sadly, this one didn’t quite wow me. While I enjoyed reading it and appreciated the characters and the sweet romance, it didn’t leave me thrilled. Ash made for a fantastic love interest, but there were some really cringy moments that were hard to overlook.

Such a fun read! This reminded me so much of me in so many ways. Loved having an autistic FMC! Really enjoyed this YA novel. If you like authors like Lynne Painter you’ll enjoy this novel. The chemistry between Marlowe and Ash was fantastic.

I adored this book! I loved the main characters and the side characters. I also really enjoyed the rep in this one. It was really well done. Highly recommend, and it is on your shelf!

(Actual: 3.5⭐) This was a cute YA romance, though admittedly one that isn't without some shortcomings. While it was great to have the diversity and representation featured here, I found that the autism aspect could have been expanded upon better and less in a.... I don't know, "quirky" kind of way, I guess? It just felt too surface level for me. Then again, I know I'm more than likely well outside the target market for this book, so perhaps the oversimplification is just me being nitpicky (again, this is YA). Marlowe, while sweet, is definitely characterized as being Not Like Other Girls™.... which has always been a writing choice that irks me haha, but I will say that her flaws are something that are well-fleshed out for the length this book is, and the growth she experiences by the end is/was worth the initial annoyance I felt toward her lol. Ashton was........... less memorable tbh (sorry!), but still a solid/sweet MMC regardless. Overall, not a home run for me, but I do think it can resonate stronger/more deeply for others, so definitely still worth checking out!

I absolutely adored this book! It is a delightful and intellectually engaging YA novel that perfectly blends themes of high school first love, math, authenticity, and kindness. Marlowe Meadows, a neurodivergent calculus enthusiast plots to win back her ex-boyfriend, after a "break" turns into being dumped. She ends up finding solace in her surly classmate, Ashton Hayes. Marlowe is such a pure, wholesome, witty character, it's impossible not to love her! And I found great joy in the dialogue between Marlowe/Ashton. Highly recommend this story!
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press, & Wednesday Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.