At its heart, this is a book about loving and, more importantly, allowing yourself to be loved.
 
Jack and Rowan might initially seem like opposites, but in truth, they have far more in common than they realize - both are shaped by their pasts, choosing to close themselves off to the possibility of love. Sometimes it takes meeting the right person to strip you of your insecurities and break down your walls.
 
Rowan’s seemingly delicate exterior belies her inner strength, something she doesn’t quite see in herself, but something that Jack recognizes from the moment he first lays eyes on her. A traumatic injury has left her feeling inherently unlovable, willing to settle for the first nice guy that pays her any attention, a fellow teacher named Dean, her (maybe) fiancé.
 
Jack is the other side of the coin – on the exterior he’s gruff and cocky, with a playboy reputation. As Rowan and Jack get to know one another, she begins to see the kind, caring man hiding underneath and he comes to realize that his tragic past has left him with a fear of true intimacy.
 
This may seem a little out of left field, but allow yourself to love flawed characters – neither Jack nor Rowan are perfect. In fact, there are aspects of both of their personalities that are downright unlikable at first. I often find myself annoyed at readers who complain about a character’s flaws but fail to acknowledge their growth. Jack and Rowan bring out the best in one another, which is sort of the whole point of love, right? Finding a person who brings out the best in you? They make each other better people. They grow and evolve, as people should. Even Dean has some redeemable qualities in the end.
 
As for the book’s plot and pacing, I found both to be very satisfying. The quirky neighbors are a fun addition, bringing some much-needed levity. Given the aforementioned past traumas and tragedies, be aware that there are some serious aspects to this story, but it never feels heavy or weighted down by those aspects. Trigger warning for the death of a sibling, cancer, fostering, child abuse, and assault.
 
A couple of things kept this from being a five-star read, in my opinion. For one, I found the whole fostering process to be overly simplified. It wouldn’t have taken much to explain that Rowan was already qualified to be a foster parent or to add a home visit, both things that would have been necessary for her to take in Sara. It’s a small nitpick, but valid just the same. And, while I enjoyed this book, I didn’t find myself consumed by it. (That’s the difference between four stars and five, in my opinion.) The author definitely has that potential, based on the quality of her writing, but this book didn’t quite resonate in that way for me. I very much look forward to reading more of her work.
 
Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced reader copy of this book.

I read this book in about a day and a half, it sucked me in right from the beginning. At first I thought it was going to be a more traditional neighbors to lovers kind of story, but it was so much more than that. It was emotional but also heart warming. The characters felt like they could have been real people, and I loved all of the extra side characters that were integral parts of the story. I would recommend this to anyone, an easy read but it still sticks with you afterwards.

I really enjoyed reading this and Jack was so sweet even if he sometimes acted like a douche. A slow burn enemies to friends to lovers if you're into that like me.

Contemporary rom com with a bit of spice. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The writing and story line hooked me right away. Though it lost some steam for me near the end; overall it was really good. The quirky characters were a lot of fun, the female lead's choices felt reasonable, and the male lead's character growth was believable. There were heart tugging moments, amusing situations, and great banter.
I would definitely read more from this author.

It is truly a statement of a book when you read it within two days. While I gave this book four stars, it's really 3.5. I wanted to connect with Rowan, I really did, but for someone written as confident and independent, I got tired of her hand wringing when she was faced with a big or difficult decision. I understand she is cautious considering her past both in her life and with romantic relationships, but something just felt off. Jack's turn around from f*ck boi to man of the house worked but barely. The story that his relationship with Evie caused his behaviour of having extremely casual relationships (no attachment) but per Jack's own words, he never felt anything for Evie other than a quick bang. Maybe I'm missing something here.

I will say the relationship with Sara and Rowan, and later with Adam felt real as well as Rowan's interaction with Dean. I would have liked a more realised character of Mira and Jane. It felt like Sherry was knocking off a check list of diversity. Also, more with Rowan and her mom would have been good.

Despite my misgivings, and complaints, it was overall a solid story. Sherry is new to me and it has piqued my interest to read more of her work.

Yes No Maybe by Jessica Sherry is such a lovely story!
Rowan, a high school English teacher, navigates life keeping everyone - including her boyfriend - an arms length away. At 15, she was burned by boiling water, and the physical scars that remain on her face, neck, and arm are not her only scars from the incident. After a school play her students put on, her boyfriend Dean proposes to her. Even knowing she hates eyes on her, he still drags her onto the stage. When nerves take over and she fumbles her answer, Dean is embarrassed and mad. He needs space and is going to spend the summer pursuing his acting career.. without Rowan. After he leaves, Rowan is moving into her new house when she meets her obnoxious, party- boy neighbor, Jack. Despite their first impressions, it turns out they have quite a bit in common. Will her new connection with Jack bring her the confidence she needs to stand up for the life she wants? Or will she settle...?
I loved Rowan as a character! She's sweet, down to earth, and a touch spicy when needed!
Thank you #NetGalley and Jessica Sherry for an advanced readers copy of Yes No Maybe in exchange for an honest review. It was so good, and it got me through a rough day. Thank you!