3.75 stars

This sophomore effort from Katz is a worthy follow-up to a stellar debut.

Nia, Jade, and Michal are great friends, but sadly, as readers learn immediately, Michal passes away far too young, leaving Nia and Jade without her physical presence but very much with her influence all around them. This becomes increasingly apparent not only through present day memories and vivid flashbacks but also through creative means of showing her two pals that they, in fact, belong together romantically, too.

Katz has a real knack for weaving in identity exploration seamlessly through even romances, and this book features a number of great examples. While the romance is not as compelling here as in the first book, this makes sense. After all, these characters are not only grappling with their changing relationship; they're still grieving, and they are also trying to make sense of their various complicated connections to Jade's twin brother, among other issues. At times, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the characters' seemingly constant processing, but again, this isn't just a traditional romance. The choice does fit the circumstances.

I enjoyed the representation and overall flow of this one, and Katz maintains a place on my instant to-read list. I'm looking forward to the next one already.

This was such a beautiful slow burn romance. Nia and Jade are two best friends who have not seen each other in three years after an explosive fight after their best friend died. When one of them opens a birthday letter from their deceased friend encouraging them to go on the road trip they planned before she passed, they feel compelled to reach out and try to bridge the gulf between them. That starts a Southern Jewish road trip with two quasi best friends and one of their twin brothers. As they go on this trip Nia and Jade are forced to confront racism, antisemitism, and to feel their grief, all while fighting the feelings they have always secretly harbored for their best friend. This was such a beautiful story about finding your person and dealing with life after loss. I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

Poignant and emotional, this is much more of an exploration of friendship and the kinds of love that will never fade away than it is a romcom, or even really a romance between Nia and Jade. Michal is such a big part of both Nia and Jade's lives that it feels absolutely right that we hear so much from her in the book, and her voice is often where most of the humor comes from. She is the catalyst and impetus for so much of what happens and so important in both Jade and Nia finally getting together.

In that way, a lot of the romance between Jade and Nia feels inevitable, that their romance is more clearing the air and working through the things holding them back than falling in love, and so many of those issues interrupt any sexual aspect to the tension between them. It makes their coming together feel like putting the last puzzle piece into place, more of a soft, obvious thing than a dramatic declaration.I enjoyed it a lot.

I also really enjoyed the relationship between Jade and Jonah, though a lot of their tension and falling out felt kind of abrupt after being told that they were so close and the only ones each other had. The explanations of pressures and grief and the way different relationship grieve felt really well done.

The road trip part was some of the weakest to me; I love a good road trip story, so I was very excited, and while I loved learning so much about Southern Jewish history, some of it felt like taking an aside for exposition and explanation rather than fitting more smoothly into the trip, though the way it fed into the bi-racial identities and bi-racial jewishness as well as the difference in traditions was really interesting for watch the characters work through.

I will admit I didn't like how choppy a lot of the PoV switching felt. Switching between Jade and Nia, past and present, often left me scrambling to figure out when we were and whose head we were in, re-reading some paragraphs three times (when we flashed back during a flashback, that was often the hardest). Other than that, I really enjoyed this.

4.5 ⭐️
I picked up this book primarily because I am always on the hunt for new-to-me authors. I don't read book descriptions, so I had no idea what the book was about. It ended up being such a heartfelt, emotional story that delved into the messiness that is the human experience. It also explored the intersectionality between race, gender, sexuality, and religion and encompassed a love story about family, friends, and romantic partners. And it was expertly done. I would say I spent a solid 20% of the book with tears streaming down my face, both sad and happy. This was just a really beautiful story, and I highly recommend it.💖

This is such a beautiful slow burn romance and absolutely a new favourite for me. There is such a complexity of feelings going on for all the characters who are grieving the loss of their best friend, dealing with big career changes in the background, reconciling with each other after a long passed argument, and mending familial relationships suffering from different grieving processes - all that while discovering more about Jewish history on a road trip. I love the way that I got to learn more about Jewish history as a reader alongside the characters in a way that was so seamlessly integrated into the rest of the plot.

Nia, Jade, and Jonah (Jade's twin brother) all feel like very real people with nuanced emotions and actions - they don't always make the right decisions and they don't always have the best communication, but they very clearly care so much for each other. I actually loved having Jonah on the roadtrip with Nia and Jade because his relationship to both of them was just as important as the romantic relationship going on.

Will definitely be picking up this author again! Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC!

"Whenever You're Ready" by Rachel Runya Katz is a beautifully crafted tale that delicately weaves together the themes of love, loss, and the intricate dance between friendship and romance. The novel's emotional depth is palpable, with Katz taking readers on a journey that feels both intimate and universal.

Nia and Jade's relationship is the heart of the story, and it's refreshing to see a sapphic romance where the tension isn't just in the will-they-won't-they dynamic but in the exploration of their shared history and unresolved feelings. The road trip serves as a perfect backdrop, symbolizing both a physical and emotional journey that the characters must undertake. Each stop on the trip is a step closer to healing, a chance for Nia and Jade to confront their past and consider a future that could be more than either of them imagined.

Katz does an excellent job of balancing humor and heartache, making the reader laugh one moment and then pause to reflect the next. The presence of Michal, even in her absence, looms large over the narrative, adding a layer of poignancy that makes the characters' struggles and triumphs all the more relatable. The inclusion of Jonah, Michal's boyfriend and Jade's twin, adds another layer of complexity to the story, highlighting the different ways people cope with grief and the lingering effects it can have on relationships.

The slow-burn romance between Nia and Jade is electrifying, with every glance and touch charged with years of unspoken feelings. Katz's portrayal of their connection is tender and real, making the reader root for them to overcome their fears and take the leap towards something more.

"Whenever You're Ready" is more than just a romance; it's a story about the courage to face your past, the power of friendship, and the beauty of taking risks for love. Katz has written a novel that resonates deeply, leaving a lasting impression long after the last page is turned.

This was an incredible story of two lifelong friends who were always more than that to each other!

On a Summer road trip that their friend who recently passed away wanted them to take they share the emotional journey of their past, what they have each lost and what they each stand to gain (mixed in with a bit of angst of course).

Mia & Jade had such an incredible story and I really enjoyed reading this book and learning about southern Jewish history while they were on their roadtrip. Throughout the tough days they had at museums they had to determine if their deep love for each other was worth risking….

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Nia and Jade have been friends for years. They have drifted apart but are going on a pilgrimage together. I liked this book.

Grief is such a complicated animal. When it’s wrapped around friendships and crushes and losing someone so young, it can be too much.
I loved these complicated characters who have been surviving since they lost the center of their wheel.
It’s not an easy story. It’s heart wrenching and difficult and so complicated.

This is my first book by Katz and I am a fan. I love a road trip romance so that's what drew me in (besides the gorgous cover obv) but I loved pretty much everything about this. It's not a rom-com, which I know some people think when they see the animated covers, but I do like the author's description of a rom-traum-com. There were parts that made me laugh- Michel was really funny and I love a doggy mishap- and parts that made me want to cry, but I really loved all of it.

Compared to Rachel Runya Katz’s debut, this sophomore novel fell a bit flat to me. I loved everything she was trying to do in this book - grief over a best friend, the way grief shapes your life, biracial/jews of color, antisemitism and racism, and complex relationships. I admit I don’t know much about southern Judaism roots and actually despite how diverse my temple was growing up, I never met any black Jews. The author’s note is not to be missed when reading this book and I’m curious to do some of my own research from what I learned in this novel.

The actual romance fell flat for me, I just didn’t connect with the slow burn/not actually unrequited love and I think a lot of that had to do with the very jumpy POVs throughout the entire book. I could almost never tell if it was Jade or Nia’s POV and that threw me for a loop. The third person POV is not my favorite and I recall saying the same in my review of her first book. But that mixed with the unclear character switch really made me have a bumpy reading experience. I also think the text messages were missing quotes or formatted weirdly in the ARC and I had to reread some passages a few times to make sense.

I think this rom-traum-com may have worked better as a women’s fiction novel rather than romance.

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

This was a really sweet book--I loved the dynamics between all three of the characters, four including the dead best friend who kicks everything into action with a birthday letter. The romance was believable and honest.

Rachel Runya Katz’s *Whenever You’re Ready* is a poignant and heartfelt exploration of love, loss, and the enduring power of friendship. Following the death of their mutual best friend Michal, Nia and Jade have drifted apart, their once-close bond strained by unresolved grief and a past argument. The story picks up as they embark on a road trip, fulfilling a promise Michal made, and navigating the emotional terrain of their shared history. Katz’s narrative skillfully blends humor and deep emotion, capturing the complexities of rekindling a relationship that has been tested by time and tragedy.

As Nia and Jade traverse the journey both literally and emotionally, their long-buried feelings surface, leading to a powerful examination of what could have been. The inclusion of Jonah, Michal’s former boyfriend and Jade’s twin brother, adds an extra layer of tension and introspection. Katz's ability to intertwine past regrets with present desires makes *Whenever You’re Ready* a compelling read. With its blend of tender moments and emotional revelations, this novel is a touching ode to the transformative power of love and the risks worth taking.

I spend most of my reading time with cutesy, fluffy, romantic comedies. This is not that book.

This book is dense and sad, but also so incredibly wonderful and beautiful. (And don't worry, we get our HEA. This is romance, after all.)

This story covered so much ground. Its a story of grief, and friendship, and family dynamics, and heritage, and racism, and culture, and religion, and sexual discovery and so much love. And somehow it all just WORKS. Often times with this much packed into a single novel the waters can get muddy and the story hard to follow. Rachel Runya Katz managed to deliver something with so much heart and fascinating information that I never minded how much was packed in there.

As a reader, you go on a literal journey with the characters as they go on a southern Jewish history road trip. I loved that this book taught me so much and opened my eyes to a lot all while giving me this lovely, slow burn sapphic romance. And oh, did I cry! Not like full on sobbing, but just a steady trickle of tears and so many times of gasping and grabbing my chest to keep my heart from bursting out of my body.

Nia and Jade had been inseparable ever since their best friend, Michal, introduced them at her tenth birthday party. But now it’s been three years since Michal died of cancer— since the brutal fight Nia and Jade had in the weeks after— and they're barely on speaking terms.

Until Nia reads a letter Michal wrote for her 29th birthday, asking her and Jade to go on the southern Jewish history road trip they'd planned before she died. To add to the complications, Michal's then-boyfriend and Jade's twin brother, Jonah, joins the trip. Despite the years apart and Jade and Jonah’s strained relationship, any awkwardness quickly disappears as it becomes clear how much Nia and Jade have missed each other.

Unfortunately, old issues soon arise. Nia has been in love with Jade since they were teenagers, and Jade has been so committed to their friendship that she never let herself consider something more. As the stops pass, tensions mount, running high until Nia and Jade are forced to confront what happened three years ago, their feelings for one another, and even their respective relationships with Jonah.

Wow. Just wow. This was a poignantly written love story that takes you through grief and loss, rips your heart out and shreds it to pieces, then slowly mends it back together again, only stronger. The romance was beautifully written. I loved both of these characters from the beginning to the end. Thank you, Rachel, for writing such an emotional gem!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This is not a rom-com, but it is a love story.

It has some glorious heat, but it also has moments of raw grief.

For those who need answers right away, know that this is a book that makes you feel for about 50% like you've been dropped into a complicated friend group. However, everyone knows exactly what they're avoiding and why. It's not a miscommunication book.

For those who enjoy pining and learning, this book is for you.

Friends. This book. This. Book. Oof. I cried so many times, but it was so worth it.

Whenever You’re Ready focuses on the relationships between best friends Michal, Mia, and Jade and their close-knit (but a bit estranged for present-day Mia and Jade) friendship, and Jonah, Jade’s twin and Michal’s boyfriend. The story goes back and forth between present day and the past, so we’re witness to both the development of their relationships as children and young adults and the relationships in present day, three years after the loss of Michal to cancer as the remaining three embark on a road trip the best friends planned but weren’t able to go on before she passed.

We see Michal in the past, but also see how integral she is to the relationships between the other three, and how their grief at losing her has shaped them in the intervening years. They’re still grieving, and while they all love each other deeply there are unresolved issues that affect their relationships. The present-day parts of the story really delve into this and we get to see them working through these issues, hurts both inadvertent and intentional, and their grief not only over the loss of Michal but also over the strain within their own relationships. It’s all handled extremely well, and the characters are complex and flawed and just so real.

The road trip itself is an exploration of Jewish history, including some uncomfortable moments that delve into the issue of antisemitism, but also of racism within Judaism, particularly in the American South. I’ll admit that as a gentile I don’t have a lot of knowledge of Jewish history and this could have been heavy-handed, but Katz handles this with a deftness that never felt like it was lecturing while informing and acknowledging the complicated history, and particularly how that affects biracial and multiracial members of the community like Jade and Jonah, and to an extent Mia, although she isn’t Jewish.

I will admit I was a little worried after the first couple of chapters, when there was a lot of texting and the journey hadn’t yet begun, as I struggled with the formatting (which may be changed by the time this actually releases, so it's possible this will be moot) and figuring out who was who and whose perspective we were seeing from. After that, though, I was hooked.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.

Thanks so much to Rachel Runya Katz, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for an ARC of Whenever You’re Ready! All opinions are my own.

WYR is an emotional book centered on grief, friendship, and romantic love, which came together for a really lovely read. Nia and Jade’s journey from friends to estranged back to friends and then lovers is so entangled in years of history that was told really well via flashbacks.

Rachel Runya Katz also does a really wonderful job of portraying grief, as she did in Thank You for Sharing, and how the loss of a loved one completely rewrites who you are and how you process the world.

As a history girlie, I also found myself learning about early Jewish history in the South, which was very interesting. A lot of it I didn’t know about in depth, and I will certainly be doing some more research on it!

I dropped a star because there were times in this book that the POV changed, and it became very unclear who was now the person “in charge”. Sometimes paragraph breaks would stay with the same person, sometimes they’d switch, but there were several times I had to reread to figure out whose POV we were inside at the moment.

POV: dual third person

You can expect: road trip, epistolary, shared grief, childhood friends to lovers, flashbacks, sensual application of eyeliner, forced proximity, only one bed (because the third person on our trip snores).

Rep: Black MC and side character, Jewish MC and side character, lesbian MC, bisexual MC, biracial MC, grief, brain cancer.

Spice: 2/5

CW: brain cancer (non MCs, past, off page), death of a friend, discussions of historical antisemitism and racism

I couldn’t put it down and absolutely enjoyed every moment of this book. I loved the author's voice, and while this is a fun book, it does also get surprisingly heavy at times. I didn't know what to expect going into this book, but it surpassed anything I could ever dream up!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A delayed bucket list road trip with your friends leads you on a journey to healing and reconnections and so much more!

I went into this book blindly and read it so quickly! It’s such a touching story of healing from grief and loss abs reconnecting.

It’s a very character driven story and I loved getting to know Jade, Jonah, and Nia. Their friendship is pretty complex and has a lot of pain and heartache woven into it. With the past and present timelines, you get to know them on a deeper level and see how their friendship started and the tragedy of losing their dear friend Michal.

I loved seeing Jade and Nia repair their friendship and the slow burn of something more sparking between them. The book felt a bit heavy at times, but there are lighthearted and funny moments throughout that gave it a really good balance.