Sam thinks her life is over when her parents tell her the family is moving weeks before school starts. Starting over is hard enough, but when it is your senior year of high school, it's even harder.

Conner has a great life. He is captain of the school's hockey team, dating a cheerleader, and ready to breeze through his senior year. He didn't expect his life to be thrown off kilter on the first day of school when he meets the new girl.

Ever the Same takes you on a journey of friendship and love that you won't be able to put down.

I really enjoyed this story from start to finish. Such an amazing read. Will recommend to others.

A touching love story that will make you believe in fate and true friendship. Sometimes so rare we only see what we want to see and become blind to what real love should look like. This story is a quick read put will pull at your heartstrings right from the start.

Sam thinks her life is over when her parents tell her the family is moving weeks before school starts. Little does she know this take her on journey of love, friendship and the ultimate betrayal of the soul.

Thank you to NetGalley Koehler Books for copy of this book for my honest review.

I received a copy of this book and I couldn’t have loved it more! I found myself thinking about it still days after finishing. What a perfect description of true high school days and the issues that surround kids today. I loved the building relationship between Sam and her new friends, as well as the relationship between Sam and Connor. The good ones will always wait. Thanks for the copy, NetGalley. What a wonderful book!

This book is very light for the first 60% and then very quickly turns very heavy, much like real life. I think this book is incredibly well written and can even be healing for some due to how things played out. That being said I do recommend people who check trigger warnings to check trigger warnings for this book.

In Michelle Wishner's poignant novel, Ever the Same, readers are transported into the tumultuous world of senior year through the interwoven perspectives of Sam and Conner. Sam's life is uprooted when her family unexpectedly relocates weeks before school, leaving her to grapple with the daunting task of starting over in a new town during her final year of high school. On the other hand, Conner, the epitome of high school success, finds his world turned upside down by the arrival of the enigmatic new girl on the first day of school. As Sam and Conner's paths intertwine, they embark on a profound journey of friendship, self-discovery, and the complexities of love. Wishner deftly captures the emotional turmoil experienced by both Sam and Conner as they navigate the challenges of their respective situations. Sam's struggle to adjust to a new environment while coming to terms with the loss of her old life is relatable and poignant. Conner's initial arrogance and reluctance to embrace change gradually evolve into a genuine connection with Sam, revealing the depth of his character. The novel explores the universal themes of friendship, identity, and the choices that shape our lives, making it a compelling read for both young and adult audiences alike. The strength of Ever the Same lies in its authentic and well-developed characters. Sam's resilience and determination in the face of adversity inspire readers, while Conner's growth from a self-absorbed jock to a compassionate and empathetic individual is equally heartwarming. The supporting cast of characters, including Sam's best friend and Conner's parents, add depth and nuance to the story, creating a well-rounded and engaging narrative. Wishner's writing is fluid and engaging, seamlessly weaving together the perspectives of Sam and Conner to create a cohesive and captivating storyline. The novel's pacing is well-balanced, allowing for ample character development while maintaining a steady progression of events. The setting, a small town on the cusp of change, provides a backdrop that both reflects and complements the themes of the novel. In conclusion, Ever the Same is a heartwarming and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of friendship, love, and the choices we make in life. Michelle Wishner's authentic characters and relatable storylines make this book a must-read for anyone who has navigated the challenges of adolescence or simply appreciates a well-crafted coming-of-age tale.

{TW: attempted SA}

This book is perfect for early teens (13-15) but it is written a little young for the older YA audience. It is a quick read but it was a little too everything is fine in the end for my liking. I wish that the characters had a little more flaws & character growth.

Thank you to NetGalley & BooksForward for an advanced copy of this book!

DNF @ 8%

I don’t think it’s fair for me to rate this because I am not the right audience for this book. From the synopsis I was expecting a fun and light read about friendship, love and maybe som self discovery. Based on the other reviews I’ve seen, I think this does what it sets out to do. My issue is that the tone of this book comes off very juvenile. The main Character, Sam, is starting off her senior year at a new school but the way she is written sounds more like she’s 14/15. Honestly, I think this book could have been more effective had Sam been younger but I’ve read some trigger warnings and don’t feel that would be appropriate. I think this could have used some heavy editing as well, the sentences feel clunky and don’t flow very well. Overall, not for me unfortunately.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Ever The Same" and all opinions expressed are my own. This was a quick read about YA romance. Most of the story is about friendship, romance and high school loves, family struggles. Overall ok. Spoiler: attempted rape and abuse.

In Ever the Same by Michelle Wishner, Sam is not happy about being uprooted from her entire life for her senior year. Her relationship with her parents becomes very strained because of her unhappiness with the move. On the first day at her new school, she meets Conner and feels an instant connection with him. She starts to open up to the possibility of this move not being so terrible since she seems to have caught the interest of the cutest guy she has ever met. As Sam starts to make more friends, she begins to realize that she was a little hard on her parents and they begin to rebuild their relationship. When Sam goes with her new girlfriends to the first dance, she is surprised to learn that Conner is already in a relationship. She once again starts to doubt the move to the new school, but Conner is determined to do the right thing by both his current girlfriend and Sam, who he is having real feelings for. It was interesting to read how this played out in the book. I really appreciated Conner’s character and that he was a genuinely nice guy. Sometimes, especially at the beginning of the book, it was hard to read Sam’s perspective because she came across as pretty whinny and ungrateful towards her parents.

SPOILER***** Please don’t read past here if you don’t want to be spoiled!

For any other librarians who may be considering this title for a school library, I did want to give a heads up that there is a portrayal of an abusive relationship that does include an account of attempted rape. I know that this might be triggering for some or content you may be uncomfortable having in a lower-level library.

4 ⭐️ cute YA read about high school, love and friendship when you have to start at a new school. TW for attempted sexual assault. I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Ever the Same is a coming-of-age novel with strong friendship and romance themes. It stars high school student, Sam, who is forced to move and change schools just before starting her senior year. While initially she's (understandably) upset about the move, she seems to have few problems adapting to the change. We get to follow along on her journey while she navigates new friendships & relationships, with a few stumbles along the way.

In all fairness, I'd like to start by saying that I don't think that I'm the intended audience for this book. While I do read and often enjoy young adult novels, I think this was a little too YA for me. The premise was cute, but I just could not get into it. The writing was all over the place and super repetitive. A lot of the storyline was just...dumb.As the intended reader, I think a teenager in their last year of middle school or just beginning high school would enjoy & appreciate this book a lot more. It just wasn't for me.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Michelle Wishner & Koehler Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Thank you to Netgalley and Koehler Books for this ARC of ‘Ever the Same’ by Michelle Wishner.

This was a nice quick and easy read. Finished this in one sitting and found it very enjoyable. The more serious topics I thought were handled well and with care too. Overall I definitely recommend giving this one a read!

It's Sam's senior year and her parents suddenly tell her they're moving houses. It's only 2 hour drive from her hometown but still she needs to change schools. The sudden decision destroys Sam's relationship with her parents. But as her best friend Becky advises Sam tries to make the best of this year in her new school. On the first day she meets Conner a great hockey player, but situation complicates itself when another boy is involved (Jake). Sam decides to go out with Jake even though she is told not to do that by all her friends. In the end she goes through a serious trauma which she overcomes thanks to her loyal friends.

The book is a fast read, I quite enjoyed it although the plot wasn't too sophisticated. The only thing that seemed to be weird about it was the fact that some of the sentences were repeated multiple times. It made the story a bit off, I mean, as if the author forgot that she had already used them in the book, but still it's and ARC so things can be corrected.

3.4 ⭐️
A quick YA read with a happy fairytale-esque ending.

This story follows the MC to a new school where she quickly meets a great group of friends and has the hottest 2 guys in the school vying for her attention.

🧚‍♂️ The story moves very quickly, and not to diminish the conflict (a very serious topic), but it is very one-dimensional and best possible case scenario. She is very naive in nature but has a solid friend group looking out for her, and has the emotional support of her parents, best friend, friend group, and suitor.

🌈 It’s seriously portrayed as cuddles and rainbows surrounding a dark cloud, as they got to her just in time, rallied around her, knew exactly how to support her… the entire school had her back. The character flaws were still virtually flawless, even the bad guy owned up to his actions. Heck, the entire reason they moved was for the Father to spend more time with the family…I wish that was a more common reason for a move. If that isn’t chasing rainbows, IDKWI.

🥿 This just kind of fell flat of reality and true depth of situations like this. This is how every conflict SHOULD go, full of love and support, a happy ending for all. Sail into the sunset. But reality? Maybe for 1 lucky person out of a million? And in the end, there wasn’t any true justice with the bad guy, he got to avoid any real consequences.

🎀 Cute surface-level sweet love story, but just too perfect for me. I like more flaws and grit, more character growth. But it definitely leaves you with a feel good, happy ending and you can walk away knowing this little girl is FULLY loved and supported.

Thanks to NetGalley, Koehler Books, and Michelle Wishner for providing me with a complimentary ARC to review!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely loved this book, I didn’t put it down and finished within 3 hours. It’s such a sweet YA love story about finding your person. I enjoyed the little found family that Sam has come into. I enjoyed the playlist given at the end. The song “Ever the Same” fits the love of Sam and Connor so perfectly. Trigger Warnings: SA.

I thought that it was a rather easy read because it moved quickly. I think it was enjoyable and the romance between Conner and Sam was sweet and realistic.

I think this a fun, short read for anyone who wants to read a ya romance, and is not looking for a focus on hockey. I will note that I was disappointed that there was so little about hockey. I thought that because there were hockey details on the front, we’d get more than the mention of Sam drawing NHL logos, the occasional mention of which teams people cheered for, and the mention of Conner having to do pre-season conditioning.

The story is focused more on Sam and her interactions with her friends and Conner and Jake.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
The bond that these girls share in this book is heartwarming- at their young age to stand by each other.
I felt all the emotions with this book. I found myself, laughing, crying, happy and so mad!
Enjoyed this story!

Book:
EVER THE SAME by Michelle Wishner (Thank you Netgalley and Koehler books for the Arc, OUT NOW)

Review:
4⭐
EVER THE SAME was a quick, lovey-dovey read, but it was more than that. EVER THE SAME is gut-wrenching. Yeah, it was cringey at times, and there was repetition, but this book was just an emotional-rollercoaster. I almost cried while reading this book. Reading what Sam went through, and how her friends and family were about it was so heartbreaking. This book is a lot in that way. There's so much drama and it's a somewhat cutesy(minus the not so cute parts) read.  Going into this, I was expecting romantic, love-at-first-sight, and it delivered on that and more.

What I Liked About It:
*Sam and Connor's relationship
*All of Sam's friends making her feel welcome and helping her overcome everything

A quick and emotionally-satisfying story of navigating the ups and downs of high school. Sam is forced to start over at a new school in her senior year. How is she going to fit in and fly under the radar, but also make friends and build a new support network? Connor is certain of his future as the captain of the hockey team with the cheerleader girlfriend and college recruitment on the horizon - until he sits down next to Sam and she immediately shakes up his entire world. This teen/YA novel looks and feels like a fairy tale story at first, but it ultimately packs an emotional punch [TW for issues of consent and sexual pressure/assault]. Michelle Wishner does a beautiful job of quickly, but sincerely, developing strong bonds of friendship and love. And with a gentle touch, she leads her characters into trusting in those bonds and in themselves.
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Michelle Wishner, Koehler Books/Books Forward, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

DNF at 17%
I understand that this is a YA book, but it somehow still felt so childish. The fmc sounded whiney and entitled. The mmc was very cringy.