Make way for a new couple to root for in this fun and emotionally driven duet narration that will leave you reeling with the utmost happiness and a cheesy grin on your face.

I absolutely adored Audre x Bash Are Just Friends. I'll be honest, I didn't really read the synopsis. All I saw was that Tia Williams was releasing a YA and I immediately requested. No thoughts, just glee! Imagine my absolute delight when I find out that Eva x Shane are IN THIS and I was squealing!

I loved the glimpses of Audre in Seven Days in June as a bright and intuitive kid, And this, is still very true in her own book.

The novel explores anxiety, the complexity of expectations from parent to child, friendship, vulnerability, and first love. On the subject of love, Bash is an excellent love interest who is sweet, caring, and mindful. I loved seeing how Audre had to shift her own perception of him because of rumors and how his outward appearance doesn't match his persona (gender non-comforming). He is also a complex character with a harsh past that weighed heavy on my heart. It is refreshing to see someone like Bash depicted on the page, making his very existence authentic and inclusive. Seeing how their relationship blossoms is so sweet it'll give you a cavity, and the chemistry between these two is charming with sharp and witty banter.

Tia Williams is the blueprint for romances and as her YA debut? This was a KNOCKOUT!! *gives all the stars*

*review also posted for the audiobook version*

Tia Wiliams is. a gifted writer than can bounce between adult and young adult books. I throroughly enjoyed Audre from Seven Days in June and I loved reading her story. I enjoyed the teen angst and all her brilliance. I think Audre and Bash would make a great television series and a book series. It would also be great if Bash becomes a spin off character as well.

I was so excited when I first heard that Audre from Seven Days in June was getting her own book! I loved the writing! The characters were relatable and loveable. Audre slowly started to break free from perfectionism with the help of Bash. Bash is a mystery to people and he opens up about his life and what he's doing in Brooklyn. Their connection is really sweet.

Now I loved Eva in Seven Days in June, but in this book she got on my nerves. I really liked reading about her and Audre's relationship from Audre's perspective.

Overall, this was a great book! Tia Williams wrote the characters in such an authentic way!

If you loved Seven Days In June, this book will pull you right back in. Tia delivers a heartfelt, layered coming of age story that explores mental health, identity, and the unique, quiet pressure of being a first daughter…the one who’s expected to hold everything together.

Audre’s voice is smart, vulnerable, and full of wit. While Bash? A total sweetheart. Funny, soft, and hiding wounds of his own. Their story is tender, but what really stood out was how refreshingly honest the book is about mental health and trauma…especially for young Black girls and boys. It gives them space to unravel, ask for help, and begin again.

A few things I didn’t like: the best friend’s POV felt like an unnecessary detour, and Eva (as much as I love her) was more complicated here. Loving but quietly controlling in ways that felt real, but tough to read. Yikes!

Oh, and Shane? Still fine. Obviously😍

A beautifully messy and empowering read.

thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers & NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!!!

If you love Seven Days in June, this is a must read!! I adored this book so much, it felt like I was visiting with old friends!! I loved Audre’s character in Seven Days in June and I adore her even more after reading her story!!

In this, we follow Audre, who is trying to write a teen self help book to make her Stanford application look even better. Audre has always wanted to be a therapist and does therapy sessions with her classmates. As somebody who always gives the best advice, Audre is now suffering with the worst writers block due to feeling like she’s been forgotten in the chaos circling her. Her mom is newly married, her new baby sister has taken over her room and staying with her dad this summer has been canceled because his wife is pregnant with Audre’s new baby brother. Audre feels like her always perfect life is crumbling around her.

To help Audre gain some inspiration, her best friend makes her a list of dares to complete this summer to give her the experience she needs. Audre decides to enlist Bash, the new kid in town with a mysterious back story, to help her complete all her challenges. Audre and Bash spend their summer completing the list while growing closer snd swearing that they’re are nothing more than friends.

I love all the plot lines in this book! The romance between Audre and Bash is so sweet! I loved seeing Audre and her mother, Eva’s relationship through Audre’s eyes and seeing how it’s changed since we first met the two in Seven Days in June! Reading about Audre’s challenges as a teenager, figuring out who she is and wants to be, adapting to the chaos in her life and relearning her relationship with her mom was so sweet. I also loved the mental health representation of Audre dealing with her sudden panic attacks and giving herself the grace to not be a perfectionist!

I adored Bash’s character so much!! He was the absolute sweetest!! The way he was with Audre and with others was so heartwarming! Learning his backstory, who he was and who he wanted to become was a joy to read!!

I cannot recommend this book enough!! This is the perfect fun, sweet summer romance!

The heart of this story, for me, was Audre’s desire to feel like a part of her family again. Both of her parents, with their new partners, are having babies, and don’t seem to have time for her. She’s worked so hard to be perfect, and now things aren’t quite going her way.

This story revolves around private school kids, and there are a lot of eyebrow-raising behaviors. Lots of drinking, sex, and even casual drug use. It’s just so…normalized. I don’t like that.

Bash is running from his abusive father and living with the mother who abandoned him as an infant. He has accepted himself for who he is, though, and this makes a difference. It’s what draws Audre to him in the first place. She also has some really big assumptions about him, based on hearsay, that she needs to get over.

The subplot of Audre learning the truth about her family’s past was interesting and added real depth to the book.

I had some issues with details in my ARC that I hope were fixed on final edit. The author mentions cross country runners being sprinters—those are basically opposites. The treasure that Bash dives for keeps switching between a Smurf lunchbox and a Smurf phone. And Audre’s baby sister knows the alphabet at one year old?

This story was fine for me. I like the personal progress Audre and Bash make, as well as Audre’s mom, Eva.

Possible Objectionable Material:
As mentioned above, teen drinking, drugs, and sex. LGBTQ representation. Family conflict. Parental abuse and alienation.

Who Might Like This Book:
People who like stories about complicated families. Those who like stories about mental health issues.

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2025/05/a-good-week-for-readers.html

This was so much fun! I LOVED the characters. They made this so much fun. I do wish there was a bit more “serious” to the mental health parts tho. But overall, I really loved this.

Ok so the “more to the mental health aspect” that I wished for was in regard to Audre. She was the therapist. And she knew all the things and ways to help with her panic attacks, but she refused to see anyone about them. She should have said something. Anything. She thought it would make people think she didn’t know what she was talking about when all she had to do was spin it to say she was good enough to know she needed help. But she IS a teen, so I can understand why this didn’t happen. I think I just wanted it there for the rep. To entice more students to go and get help if they need it. (Although I can’t lie, I fully agreed with the “therapy” that Bash gave her because out of my 9, I have like 4 of them that I also got when I was upset lol)

The story was amazing. And the surprise in the way it connected to Seven Days in June was crazy. I didn’t actually read that, but I skimmed some parts and got the gist. So when I saw the names of one of their parents, I knew what was happening. This part was actually really cool. I don’t think I’ve ever read a YA/A crossover like this before. It definitely made me want to go back and actaully read June. Maybe one day when my mental is stronger. (When I first tried I had just lost my aunt from an OD and I couldn’t deal with d**** of any kind.) Otherwise, I loved the summer loving aspect of this. Watching them fall for each other during these sweltering nights was so adorable.

The pacing of the romance was a smidgen off, but I thought it was ok. Y’all know I HATE slow burns, so when she started acting like nothing was going on at all and tried denying everything, it was a bit annpying. I wanted more time with them together. Seeing them fight it made me so mad lol But I know it was only because I was getting so impatient. I hated that we didn’t see more of them together. Even if they were doing all the flirting.

This was actually really cute. I hope there’s another book like this in mind for Ricki…………. If not, how can we change your mind Tia? Pleaseeeeee I NEED that lol This was a lot of fun and I cane’t wait for everyone to read it!

4.5 - Thank you NetGalley and Hackett audio for the audio book. Thank you to colored pages book tours and the novl for my copy to give an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story. Bash and Audre were fantastic young adult main characters. Tia’s writing was absolutely amazing. She knew how to really develop those characters and what they were going through with so much emotion and depth. Even when exposing family secrets. Everyone in here was dealing with some type of mental health that stemmed from parental neglect in a way. Those moments had me truly upset. All three characters were affected by this but the beauty was them being able to speak up. Parents often forget kids are human beings with big feelings like adults.

The audio i felt was good. My favorite was Reshma’s accent during the audio. I was also very surprised we got a few chapters with her pov. I’m glad we did. It helps balance and make the story even more well rounded.

Lastly, Bash was probably favorite character overall. His story was tough. He was so sweet and warm. He didn’t care what others thought. The bond from acquaintance, friends to lovers with Audre was beautifully done.

I’m a fan of Tia’s and I was so excited to read this one. It did not disappoint. I loved reading Audrey’s story. I feel it was a great YA read where young love wins in the end!

Tomorrow one of my favorite books of the year is publishing.

Back in 2021, when I wrote my review for what turned out to be my favorite book of the year, Seven Days in June, I said, "I loved Shane and Eva as a couple as well as the excellently-drawn side characters, not the least of which is Eva’s 12-year-old daughter Audre. She’s just the best, and made me miss my middle schoolers desperately." Well, fam, tomorrow little Audre gets a book all her own, and she's not so little anymore.

In the summer before her senior year, Audre has it all figured out. She's got a booming peer therapy business going, grand plans to right a self-help book that will definitely get the Stanford admission folks to notice her application, and a delightful 2.5 months to spend in Malibu at her annual Dadcation. But when Dad calls to cancel their summer together, Audre's plans all go up in smoke. That is until Bash enters the picture. Bash is cool and casual and throws huge parties at his mom's expensive loft, and will be the perfect person to be Audre's "funsultant" to help her live a little (in order to craft a better self-help book). But they are absolutely, positively just friends. Right.

I ADORED this book. I had a big goofy smile on my face for just about the entire thing, even though there are plenty of heavier moments. I knew I loved Audre, and it was so fun to see her a little older, a little wiser, and getting some serious smooches of her own. I also loved seeing Eva and Shane again, now four years into their rekindled relationship, still with flaws and complications, yet entirely full of heart. Yes, there is a major miscommunication element, which often drives me crazy, but in this case felt warranted and authentic to a teen experience.

Even though this one is distinctly YA (although lots of language and some slight steam -- no sex -- so maybe not for younger YA readers), I don't think you have to be a regular YA reader to enjoy this. If you were a big fan of any of Tia Williams' other books, I think you will enjoy this one too. I know I certainly did.

Tia has done it again!! This book was well written conversationally, plotted well, and reflected the lives of today's teenagers perfectly! Audre's character arc was so beautiful to watch. She was so uptight so focused but to watch her expand and fall in love is such a needed story for young girls. Bash was so vulnerable and so queer, his representation will surly help a young person scared to live in their truth. The supporting cast was phenomal and it was cool seeing the progression of Shane and Ave's life since 7 Days in June!

I'm not usually a fan of YA but because I have previously read Tia Williams, I figured I give it a try. Audrey is a classic high school overachiever in serious need of some fun. She decides that Bash is going to be the one to show it to her, so she decides to hire him as her fun consultant for the summer. They both try to fight their connection but young live wins.

In my review of Seven Days in June I said “let’s be real Audre is the real star of this story.” I love getting her story! It was so good. And look at Eva being the bad guy through some of this. There was a lot of serious stuff in this book like generational trauma, anxiety, panic attacks and more but there were also some really fun and lighthearted moments. And the short POV switches to Reshma worked really well for me.

Omg! I was not expecting this one to come at all. I am so glad Tia Williams wrote a story for Audre. Like many readers, I was obsessed with Audre and wanted to read a story following her antics. It was so charming to read how she navigates first love and her identity as a sixteen-year-old. In a lot of ways, reading this at this time was healing. Tia Williams, I will read anything you write. She just has such a way with words.

I cannot express my gratitude enough to NetGalley & Little for gifting me an arc!

This is my favorite YA romance that I've read since Better Than The Movies! Tia Williams did an amazing job of transitioning Eva and Shane's story down to Audre, Eva's daughter. Audre is a fiery, determined FMC, and I absolutely adored her. Bash was just as complex and I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between the two of them. Even though this is YA, Williams was able to tackle some big topics like queer relationships, generational trauma, and mental health head on. While I recommend reading Seven Days in June first, this absolutely can be read as a standalone. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC!

Do you remember Audre Mercy-Moore, the teenage therapist and daughter of Eva Mercy from Tia Williams novel, Seven Days in June? Well she’s baccccckkk and she has her own story honey😍👏

Audre is 16 and is stuck in Brooklyn for the summer instead of going to visit her Dad in California for the first time.. ever. When her bestie tells Audre that she needs to focus on having more ✨fun✨ who better to turn to than Bash?

Bash is the new kid, he’s a year older than Audre and seems to be the life of the party. Audre hires Bash to be her “fun consultant,” the only rule.. they are JUST FRIENDS!

Like any other Tia Williams book, I devoured this. I want to live in any world she writes and this was no different. The younger, lighter style of this book was just as enjoyable as her adult reads.

I mentioned this as I was reading but I LOVED the way Williams put such detail into Bash and his Bay Area style. She nailed the bay-isms fasho.

Like E-40 said, “I’m from the Bay where we hyphy and go dumb, from the soil where them rappers be getting their lingo from.” ☹️🤘🏻

Thanks #netgalley, the publisher and author for this e-arc. It’s out tomorrow 5/6!

Seven Days In June is one of my favorite romance novels, period. And stepping back into the pages of these characters but now through the voice and mind of everyone’s favorite character and unofficial therapist, Audre was everything!! Audre stole the show in Seven Days In June and one hundred percent deserved her own book. Now slightly older, still mature and in boss mode, but we get to see more of her vulnerable side and watch her step out of her comfort zone and attempt to thrive and discover new things, even love. The book even dealt with Audre’s anxiety and panic attacks in a healthy and realistic way that I appreciated.

There is just something about the men Tia Williams writes and Bash was such a great example of boyfriend material for young YA readers. He treated Audre right and made me smile throughout the book. He was understanding of her panic attacks and helped her through them. I loved reading their story and seeing another tale of black joy and love.

✨Book Review: Audre and Bash Are Just Friends✨
Author: Tia Williams

As soon as I saw this book available to request, I knew I wanted to read it. I love Tia Williams and her books and am a big fan of YA and friends to lovers. And if you’ve read Seven Days in June…this is Audre’s story! This book hit in all the right places and I can’t recommend it enough. This book is definitely more on the “older” YA scale

I absolutely loved the friendship that bloomed between Audre and Bash. This is definitely a perfect “opposites attract” situation. She’s the junior class president and debate team captain. And she’s desperately in need of a good time. He’s a mysterious new senior and everybody’s crush. And the king of having a good time. It truly felt like the sparks leapt off the page between the two. Their relationship evolved in the best way. It felt really natural.

I also love that this book tackled other topics as well like family dynamics, college life, divorce, and representation of so many things. This book is absolutely perfect for fans of:

💕Older YA romance
💕Friends to lovers
💕Dual POV
💕Mental Health Rep
💕Banter/Flirting
💕Texting

I also had the ability to receive an ALC of this book and it was perfection. The dual narration was amazing and the narrators did a wonderful job with Audre and Bash’s story.

This book is out now! If you are a YA fan, you definitely need to check it out!

A very special thank you to NetGalley, the author, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and Hachette Audio for an e-ARC and an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

oh what a BEAUTIFUL sequel to one of my absolute favorite books ever, Seven Days in June! this story shows how nuanced and imperfect relationships are between parents and kids, friends, and couples, especially with differences in perspective.

I absolutely adore Tia Williams writing! the characters in this story feel authentic to each persons place in life, especially between our main characters, Audrey and Bash. Audre is such a perfectly imperfect perfectionist! already calling herself a therapist with clients, as that’s her passion and dream. Bash describing himself as such a beatnik, coasting along with no roots. we get to see these young, talented, deeply emotional & intelligent people grow within and out of their matured impressions of themselves. it’s so fun, bittersweet, and deeply lovely to read. the progression of their relationship is so sweet, tender, and hopeful. 🥹

I loved seeing Eva & Shane’s happily ever after playing out in such an authentic & human way, how their family has grown, physically and emotionally. I really felt for Audre and her feelings of being cast-out in the face of her parents “new” kids, and I loved the way she and Eva reconnect through the story.

the different points of view in the story were also so fun! I wasn’t expecting them, but I really enjoyed them as they (once again) add such nuanced, authentic perspective to the story. 🩵

a beautiful, tender, authentic, lovely story!

Audre and Bash Are Just Friends is a refreshing YA novel that focuses on the importance of friendship, self-identity, trust, and giving grace along with holding space.
In this novel, we follow two teenagers, Audre and Bash, as they navigate through a summer that could possibly change their lives. Both Audre and Bash struggle with perfectionism and being their true, authentic selves, all because of the high expectations placed on them by their parents. Both teens are wounded and traumatized, and by some weird chance, they come together and help each other in more ways than one, all while slowly falling in love.
I loved this book. It's such a realistic and relatable YA novel. Bash is stereotyped because of his appearance and the fact that he is a mystery, and of course, people go off of rumors in cases like his. Audre is expected to be perfect, being a Mercy woman, and that weighs heavy on her. Things intensify when she learns that her mother has been keeping a huge secret from her. This summer is filled with lots of  questions, discoveries, new experiences, and revelations. 4.5 stars!
Thank you NetGalley, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and Tia Williams for this sweet, heart-felt read!