Loved this!
It pulled me in at all the right places and kept me reading long into the night. Rowan and Jack… what can I say.. the perfect enemies (ish) to lovers. This is a new author for me but I’m off to read her previous work now!

I loved Yes No Maybe by Jessica Sherry. She hit the right notes of love, struggle, emotion and confusion that I love to see in a romance novel. Rowan finds her dream house, an adorable cottage that reminds her of her favorite childhood book, however it comes with nosy but lovable neighbors except for the one next door, he's a gruff, cranky popular romance author who is also incredibly good looking. Rowan is engaged, but her fiance has left to act for the summer, or has he left her after she botched the answer to his proposal? A beautifully presented, well written novel that I couldn't put down! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a truly heartwarming experience, a sweet and emotional journey that captivated me from start to finish. Sherry’s skill in crafting relatable, vibrant characters and genuine, poignant moments made the book an unforgettable read, especially with Rowan taking center stage. Rowan’s character, with her depth, vulnerability, and growth, not only added layers to the narrative but also made her someone I deeply cared for, enhancing the story's impact. I was rooting from her from that zit popping til the very end! The blend of humor, heartache, and warmth in this book is truly special, making it a standout read that tugs at the heartstrings in the most beautiful way..

Yes No Maybe
by Jessica Sherry
I felt the book had too much going on. I felt after reading, there could have been some substance and a pact for me to get to know Rowan and Dean.

Teacher and fix-it queen Rowan Mackey avoids attention. Afflicted with serious burns as a teenager, she gets too many unwanted stares already. Consequently, her difficult dating history has taught her to dislike romance, too. So, it’s no surprise when her boyfriend’s extravagant public proposal goes sideways. Longing for a safe, quiet life with Dean and believing his “independent together” arrangement is her best hope for companionship and a family, Rowan buys the perfect little house to fix things.

Problem is… she shares a property line with Jack Graham, a bestselling romance writer and party-centric playboy, who quickly becomes her next door nemesis. He makes it very clear—he doesn’t want a new neighbor. But when clashes with Rowan end his year-long writer’s block, he must explore his creative fascination with his reluctant muse under atypical constraints: Neighbor. Engaged. Off-limits.

As a teacher, I always love to read teachers as main characters. It makes my heart happy. I love how this book wrestles with the questions of how we see ourselves and how others see us. Rowan's scars are visible, but for many of us, they're not. This story is beautiful, watching Rowan learn to accept and love herself despite things that've happened in her past.

I want to take Jack home. I loved watching the relationship between these two morph and grow. Excellent read! ❤️

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

I so thoroughly enjoyed Yes No Maybe by Jessica Sherry! This is such a sweet and real romance, and it tackles such complex issues within the span of an endearing romance. It deals with insecurity, abusive relationships, grief, and what makes women feel beautiful and empowered. I love how honest this book was about the hard realities of life such as abuse, strained family relationships and rebuilding, and death. Yet, it does so in a way that does not make this book so heavy, but really heartwarming and enduring.

This story, set in Wilmington NC, follows Rowan, a high school English teacher who has burns on part of her face and hands. Throughout the book, you eventually learn the source of these scars, but she is very reluctant to share the truth with anyone. This has really rattled her self-confidence and effected her dating life. Men have treated her really poorly because of this, so she doesn't expect much out of love. She is dating/gets engaged to a fellow teacher named Dean, who doesn't pay much attention to her scars (for better or worse) and she sees as a "safe" choice for her, if not her only one. After a catastrophe of a proposal, Dean decides to take a break and set off to pursue an acting career, putting their relationship in an ambiguous place.

During this time, she buys a sweet little house in a very close knit neighborhood. The neighbors are a funny and eclectic cast of characters who really make this book and become a sort of found family. Her next door neighbor, Jack Graham is a famous romance writer who has sworn off of love.

Rowan and Jack start out as enemies, but eventually become good friends, who share difficult parts of their past with a beautiful honesty and vulnerability. Rowan and Jack agree to help each other with mutual projects for their respective careers, and this is where their relationship blossoms. There is a lot of tension and chemistry between them as they wrestle with their relationship and feelings. Their banter is incredible, and their chemistry is fantastic. They are one of my favorite book couples of all time.

You will fall in love with all of these characters, and Jack and Rowan!

Thank you to Jessica Sherry for sending me an ebook ARC!

I have no words to describe how I feel about this book. This book was everything to me. Rowan and JAck were everything.

I felt on edge every second, and was afraid that Rowan woud eventually hurt Jack and lose him, but that didn't happen and everything happend so beautifully that you, Jessica, yes you, had me wrapped around your fingers from the moment I saw the cover of the book. And the end ? With her mother, "dad", Jack and the little kid ?! HAD MY WHOLE HEART !!

My mind will be, rent free, thinking of this book.

Thank you so much NetGalley and publisher for this ARC, specially Jessica, I absolutelly loved it !!!

My teacher heart had a great time with this book! The FMC Rowan is an English teacher and she has been a problem solver her entire life. She is perfectly content to just settle with her boyfriend, even though she doesn’t feel desperate for him like everyone tells her she should. After her boyfriend’s proposal has a mishap, she ends up spending the summer in her new house alone next door to a brooding (and of course good looking 😏) romance writer. She helps him get out of his writer’s block, and he helps her learn how to feel worthy of romance.

✨ I love any romance book about a teacher as the main character lol 🤗
✨ Jack’s literary tattoos and how they both have cats with literary names was so perfect for this story. Book nerd romances are always fun!
✨ the side characters were all a great addition to this story and I loved the found family aspect of the neighborhood
✨ loveeee that there wasn’t a third act breakup lol our main characters deserve happiness!!!

Thank you netgalley and publishers for the chance to read this book.

I feel like the title is very fitting as that was how I felt while reading the book. I liked it then decided it wasn't great but the ending pulled me in. I would have liked more a story of Rowen and Adam that little at the end was beautiful and I would love to see how they start to overcome their traumas together.

I did love the neighbors. Every time rose said Vernon no I giggled. I could have used more of them.

Yes No Maybe is a definite YES!

High School teacher Rowan Mackey likes to avoid the spotlight, but when her boyfriend proposes in front of a large crowd she stumbles her response. As she's trying to make amends, Rowan moves into her dream home. Unfortunately, it's next to unfriendly, gruff BUT dreamy neighbor, romance writer Jack Graham. Will Rowan make up with her boyfriend or open her heart to possibilities she never thought were possible?

Yes No Maybe was such a lovely book! I went into it new to reading Jessica Sherry's works and it was such a sweet story. By chapter 2 I was hooked. I absolutely adored the mc Rowan and the parts of her that made her unique. I enjoyed that the book had obstacles but they were handled realistically (I hate miscommunication through an entire book) and it kept opening up new layers of the characters involved. Part of my favorites were the entire neighborhood. They were nosey, helpful and just fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and Jessica Sherry for the eARC - all opinions are my own.

3.5. i was given an arc of this. my only complaint with this book was the pace. i felt like it went too fast, and i would have liked to see more yearning. but i still really enjoyed. i love seeing books where the person has a physical disability/ noticeable difference where it is talked about in a way that is both respectful, but also educational. more books should feature people with common, but not always discussed differences.

Teacher and fix-it queen Rowan Mackey avoids attention. Afflicted with serious burns as a teenager, she gets too many unwanted stares already. Consequently, her difficult dating history has taught her to dislike romance, too. So, it’s no surprise when her boyfriend’s extravagant public proposal goes sideways.

Longing for a safe, quiet life with Dean and believing his “independent together” arrangement is her best hope for companionship and a family, Rowan buys the perfect little house to fix things.

Problem is… she shares a property line with Jack Graham, a bestselling romance writer and party-centric playboy, who quickly becomes her next door nemesis. He makes it very clear—he doesn’t want a new neighbor. But when clashes with Rowan end his year-long writer’s block, he must explore his creative fascination with his reluctant muse under atypical constraints: Neighbor. Engaged. Off-limits.

These opposites attract, forging a surprise connection. Boundaries vanish as tension rises between them, and they face emotionally charged choices.

Will Rowan risk her safe life with Dean for a chance with the grumpy playboy next door? And will Jack change everything to find the inspiration he craves with the one woman he shouldn’t?


I love this book cuz it make me FEEL
such a heartful book

This really wasn’t for me 😭 I tried. I really liked Rowan’s character and all of neighbors. I felt like there was maybe too much going on for me with Dean, the neighborhood, Jack’s mood swings, Sara moving in, Rowan’s project.. idk I couldn’t tell where the story was going and I couldn’t get invested in Rowan and Jack together. Jack’s character confused me. I hated reading about his hook ups with other women 🙃

4.5 stars
This is an entertaining, fun, powerful story. Jack and Rowen are interesting, wounded, complex, intriguing, entertaining, intriguing, relatable characters. Their romance is sweet and entertaining to read with its twists and turns. I enjoyed them as a couple and individually. Their growth throughout the course of the story is one of my favourite things about this book. Sherry manages to tell a story with some very dark elements but in such a way that is easy to read and gives the story that much more. The secondary characters – especially the quirky neighbours – add to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into. For me, at its core this story is about people and how they survive and get strong from the events that life throws at them – it’s powerful and really well done with a depth hand.

TW: loss of a family member; child abuse (off page but discussed)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was absolutely so tender and heartfelt. Rowan and Jack were such rich characters written with such care. What I also adored was that this romance felt real. There were missteps from both characters and squabbles born from previous trauma and insecurities but each time, there was an active effort made by Rowan and by Jack to learn and love and appreciate each other. I can only hope I have a relationship one day with the respect that these two pay each other.

Thank you NetGalley and Jessica Sherry for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There is a book you could read before this but I didn’t and it was fine as a standalone.

Rowan is proposed to on stage - her nightmare - and she response in a panic with “yes, no, maybe”. Her fiancée is hurt and embarrassed and leaves for the summer to chase his acting dreams. Rowan buys a house next to a grumpy handsome author, Jack. The neighbors are a close group and immediately adopt Rowan into their group.

Rowan and Jack find themselves drawn to each other, helping each other while being annoyed with the other.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were enjoyable- relatable, flawed - I especially enjoyed when Rowan got sassy! Even the neighbors and family members were great additions to the book but not distracting.

I enjoyed the glimpse into teaching and writing (no idea how realistic it is but was interesting for me anyway!).

Found family, enemies to lovers, dual POV, he falls first.

Thank you NetGalley and Jessica Sherry for the early access copy of Yes No Maybe.

Yes No Maybe follows Rowan and Jack in a Dual POV story. Rowan, a high school English teacher who wears her heart on her sleeve, was seriously burned as a teen and prefers to not be in the spotlight due to the looks and comments. But when her boyfriend Dean puts her in the spotlight with a very public failed marriage proposal, her life is turned upside down. Taking the perceived rejection hard, Dean leaves for the summer so the two can “live independently.” That is when Rowan chooses to buy her dream home. In doing so, she is introduced to her new neighbor, Jack. Jack is a best-selling romance author, who is suffering from a year-long writers block, and has no interest in having a new neighbor. But, after a clash with Rowan, Jack is suddenly out of his writers block. Thus beginning an intriguing and layered friendship.

The character development is beautifully written. As the story progresses and more layers are removed from the characters, it’s hard not to fall in love with them. Both leads have bookish interests, so the story has literary references woven throughout in such a natural way. The secondary characters are the perfect description of a found family and loving support system. This book will be a great fit for you if you are a fan of:

Found family
Dual POV
Enemies-to-lovers
He falls first
Just-as-I-am love

Trigger warnings: Topics of assault, illness, and death.

I could not put this book down and am going to miss reading this story. It will easily become a book to reread when you are missing a sense of home.

Absolutely amazing book, and a beautiful journey from start to finish. Very well written, I enjoyed it immensely even though there were some rocky spots that made me nervous. I loved it, honestly, and definitely recommend reading if you’re a lover of girl/boy next door, bookish MCs, cats with amazing names, and super cute HEA endings. There’s so many more tropes that I adore that were included in this book, which sucked me in and kept me longing for the next one throughout. Overall, 100% will be buying a physical copy!

Yes, No, Maybe, was a book I stayed wayyy past my bedtime to finish, but it was so worth it! From page one I was hooked and invested in the two lives of Jack and Rowan. They are both neighbors and homeowners to houses that mean much more than their structural foundation. Rowan is an army brat turned High School English teacher who deeply loves her job, her students, and the good found in others and in books. She will read anything, but not the romance genre because it’s forced and absolutely fake. She transfers this theme of love on her own personal lovelife where we see her settle for okay = vanilla boy Dean because he’s simple and he doesn't go overboard for her. Just average, plain, and routine. Yup, sounds like a dreamboat there and absolutely no red flags whatsoever… 😬😬😬😬
As much as I wanted Rowan to come to grips with the truth bombs her mom and sister were always sharing about Dean, I can see why she just accepts him and “his space”. Dean’s proposal in front of the entire school for the play was just down right messy and I understand why Rowan backtracks her answer. She’s a character you want to be friend’s with and you just know she will always have your back. She is so much more than the scars that she carries both physically as being a burn victim and psychologically. She does everything in her power to stay under the radar of attention, from putting her hair down, wearing a scarf to minimizing her burn story to putting others' needs first.
The one person who sees right through Rowan’s facade is the next door, grumpy, famous romance writer, Jack Graham. Not gonna lie, Jack seemed just like a huge jerk and started off on the wrong foot for me and Rowan too. But despite bad first impressions Jack is kind, caring, as much of a book nerd as Rowan.
I really enjoyed this story so much! Reading and watching Rowan and Jack’s friendship blossom was heartwarming. There was legit trauma that Rowan and Jack endured as teens and as adults that has shaped who they are. They both help each other out and grow to be the best versions of themselves. Despite their chemistry, this wasn’t a typical romcom book. It definitely wasn’t love at first sight and for that I am so appreciative!!!
Yes, No, Maybe is quickly becoming my favorite book this month and the first book I’ve read from Jessica Sherry, but it will definitely not be the last! Finally a book worth 4.5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
**Many thanks to Netgalley and Jessica Sherry for the ARC exchange for an honest review!**

👫 Dual POV
🎭 Grumpy/ Sunshine
🏡 Found Family
🐈‍⬛❤️ Cat Lovers
📚 Book Lovers
💞 Opposites Attract
🌶️ out of 5

Rowen is a high school English teacher who has had enough negative attention in her life. So when her colleague, and boyfriend, plans an over the top proposal that puts her (literally) in the spotlight, Rowen is caught off guard and answers with “yes, no, maybe.”

When her boyfriend immediately leaves for the summer, Rowen settles into her new home next to none other than famous romance author and playboy, Jack Graham.

Rowen is determined to fix everything, her new home, her in-limbo relationship, her new foster child, and her grumpy next door neighbor.

Rowen never expected to want anything more than a safe, quiet relationship, and Jack never expected to find a muse in his new neighbor, let alone the possibility of something more.

This dual POV allowed for learning more about how Rowen and Jack’s past traumas have led them to their no-romance lifestyles and have them fighting against all odds of the possibility for something more, together.

I really enjoyed this story. It was frustrating at times to see how much Rowen really doubted her value but was beautiful to watch Jack help build her confidence and show her how much more she was worth, especially to him. I don’t typically like love triangle stories but Dean was so annoying (to me) absent that it worked.

4.25/5 ⭐️

Neighbors to lovers
Dual POV
Book nerds
Quirky, nosey, lovable neighbors