* Thank you to the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for providing me with ARC via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review *

Heartwarming.

It's been a while since I read a YA romance. I used to read more, but with time, I became more engaged in adult romance novels. I'm very glad I decided to check out this book! The cover and title were what drew my attention first, and I couldn't help but be intrigued by the story. After reading the summary of Out of Step, Into You, I knew I would enjoy this narrative. I used to run, but not cross-country, but I enjoy reading about running. I generally enjoy reading novels about sports of any kind. I felt that the story began slowly, and it took me a few chapters to get into it. After that, I didn't want to put the book down. I was intrigued by Mari and Taylor joining the same team, and I wondered what would happen between the two of them, and whether they would be able to put the past behind them. I hoped Mari and Taylor could sort things out, otherwise it would be a long year for them both.

I enjoyed how Mari and Taylor's relationship developed. This story did not immediately focus on relationships; instead, it concentrated on friendship. Given that Taylor and Mari were no longer friends, it took time for their feelings for one another to develop, making their connection more believable. One of my favorite aspects of this novel was how it concentrated on Mari and Taylor mending their friendship before their feelings for each other. It makes the story more believable and appealing. Of course, when I first started reading the novel, I was curious about what happened to Taylor and Mari, and why their friendship ended. I felt that the narrative was effectively told from Dual's point of view, which allows the reader to connect with Tayor and Mari. You can't resist loving Taylor and Mari. The author did a fantastic job of giving each character a distinct voice.

The book's descriptions were excellent; in particular, when the team was running, I felt as though I was there, running with them. Out of Step, Into You is more than a love story; it's also about friendship, forgiveness, and healing. This was my first book by Ciera Burch , and I'm glad I had the chance to read it. I know this is not a book I'll soon forget. It's a story that I'd recommend to anyone who likes reading romance and friendship books.

Cute YA book with a coming of age story, a little romance and a lot of cross country. The characters were very inspiring. Always a fan of friends to enemies to lovers.

📖 Bookish Thoughts
This was a fun YA second chance romance! Mari and Taylor used to be best friends and ended up on rival cross-country teams… until Mari moves and suddenly they’re on the same team again. So very awkward! This was definitely a slow burn, angsty romance, and I liked how their relationship developed—especially with their coach assigning mandatory volunteering at the animal shelter 😂

I really liked both Taylor and Mari. Mari is so parentified at home, and my heart broke for her more than once. She’s working, taking care of her siblings, and still trying to show up for school and running. Taylor is also dealing with a lot—between the pressure from her parents and her dad’s kidney disease, I felt stressed for her the whole time. This really felt like a coming-of-age story. Overall, I really appreciated the sapphic rep!

⭐️ Rating: 3.75 stars

🩷What You Can Expect
• YA sapphic romance
• Second chance + a little rivals to lovers
• Sports romance
• Slow burn
• Dual POV
• Coming-of-age

📅 Pub Date: May 20, 2025
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

E-ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!

Overall, this was a cute YA sapphic romance book. The diversity of the characters was refreshing along with the adorable rescue pups. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the plot itself as it seemed to be very slow-paced. I did enjoy the latter half of the book more since the miscommunication issue was getting solved. I wished there was more to the plentiful amount of minor characters since they were lacking backstories. This was a fun read and I definitely recommend it to those looking for a YA sapphic romance book.

Thank you to Farrar Straus Giroux Books for young readers/macmillan for a chance to read an e-arc of this book!
4.5 stars!
This book follows Mari and Taylor as they go from childhood friends to rivalries. They eventually, end up on the same-cross country team as one another and have to face their rocky history and learn to grow together while, also navigating feelings for each other and what that would mean for their friendship.
My Thoughts:
I LOVED the way the author wrote these characters! you can tell when reading that they put a lot of care into building up Mari and Taylors connection as well as building family dynamics for each of them and how that influenced their decisions in the story. personally, Taylors background felt more well-rounded than Mari's and I would have liked more scenes with Mari and her mother. I did enjoy the cross-country parts of the novel, it kept things entertaining while also, showing how the characters dealt with their own personal issues and issues with each other. however, certain parts felt rushed or just glazed over and I would have liked some more time with them. the move, for example, felt way too short. one minute, Mari's mother is telling her they were moving and the next she was already joining the team and reuniting with Taylor. Overall, I did love this story and would highly recommend it!

I enjoyed this one. I liked both of the main characters and the way this romance slowly developed. To be honest the focus was more on their friendship than romance, which I liked. I love estranged best friend stories and this one didn’t disappoint. I also liked the sports element and seeing these two go from rivals to having to work together on the same team. Also the dog walking? So cute. I’m jealous of all the adorable dogs they got to hang out with.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this ARC!!!

Another standout read! This slow-burn, friends-to-rivals-to-lovers YA sports romance brought just the right blend of emotion, tension, and charm. Mari and Taylor’s relationship felt incredibly authentic—the joy of their friendship, the sting of their falling out, and the tenderness of their romance all hit home. The heartbreak of losing a friend before anything romantic even begins is something so many of us have felt, and it made their journey even more powerful.

Another hit! This slow-burn, friends-to-rivals-to-lovers, ya, sports romance had all the drama, laughter, and romance I could ever want. I loved Mari and Taylor’s friendship and romance, and the drama of their friendship breakup is something almost all of us can relate to.

This one is perfect if you love slow-burn, because it’s actually slow burning in this one... but oh so good!

(Also, this cover? GORGEOUS)

Out of Step, Into You is a great story about friendship first and foremost, with romance as almost a side plot. I really like that aspect of it and the characters were pretty fun. The representation was amazing and well done. The only issue I had was that some of the plot points were kinda weird and I didn’t get them, but overall, a fun and enjoyable read.

Out of Step Into You isn’t just a story—it’s a whole vibe about how friendship shapes us, supports us, and challenges us in ways we don’t always expect. It’s a reminder that the bonds we build with others can be just as powerful as any romance—and that sometimes, friendship is the love story. Out of Step Into You is a tribute to the strength and complexity of true friendship.

4.75/5 ⭐️

I always love a YA sapphic read! It was so refreshing to see two black mains. I liked the story line and it was a quick read. Ive never read a running sports romance so this was interesting. I wish there were more dog scenes tho because it is on the cover so it seemed like a bigger portion would be on it

Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Out of Step, Into You by Ciera Burch is a beautifully written, heartwarming story that gracefully dances between vulnerability, identity, and first love. The characters feel real and relatable, with emotions that leap off the page. Burch has a gift for capturing the delicate yet powerful moments that shape young adulthood and queer self-discovery.

The pacing was smooth, and the chemistry between the leads kept me invested from beginning to end. I especially appreciated how Burch balanced personal growth and romance, making this story not just about falling in love with someone else—but with yourself too.

If you're looking for a thoughtful, feel-good read with depth and heart, this one’s for you.

Mari was a lot easier to connect with emotionally because you could feel her struggle to want to be a normal teenager, but have to deal with more responsibilities just so her family could stay afloat. I loved her loud and direct personality, especially the fact that she wasn’t afraid to call people out on their bullshit. Yes she didn’t always make the best decisions, but she did what she thought was right in the moment, and you feel sorry that she doesn’t have more support and parental figures to help guide her. I would have liked for there to be deeper conversations between Mari and her mom so that we could have better understood her mom’s motives and reasoning behind her decisions, especially regarding her dynamic with Mari and feelings towards asking for help. I also didn’t fully understand Mari’s relationship with Sarita, especially since most of the time she didn’t seem to even like being in her company. Taylor took a bit longer to support because she seemed so bitter and petty in the beginning. Once you get a real glimpse of her vulnerability regarding her anxiety, lack of sleep, and her struggle with her dad’s kidney disease diagnosis, she begins to grow on you. I didn’t understand why she put so much pressure on herself and feel the need to prove herself to her parents when it was clear that they loved her no matter what. Even though I understood her reasoning for wanting to pursue her (random) passion for gardening, I didn’t agree with the timing of her quitting right before the most important competition of the season.

In terms of Mari and Taylor’s friendship and build up to a relationship, I felt like it took way too long to get to the point, especially when the ending was so damn rushed. The reasoning for their miscommunication and why they broke off the friendship was stupid and shouldn’t have been blown up to the point that it was. For most of the story I felt like they either hated each other or were extremely awkward, avoidant, or tip toeing around each other so we didn’t really get a chance to see much “romance”. The only parts I really enjoyed with the both of them were when they were walking the dogs. While there were some cute moments of longing and rebuilding of trust, I just wanted more time with them as a couple and what comes after their rekindling. I want to know how they finish out the rest of high school, plans for college, what happens with Taylor’s dad’s remission, and if Mari and her mom are getting along better. Instead we are just left with a bunch of uncertainty and an unsatisfying ending that could have been solved with an epilogue or a couple added chapters to seal the deal on their relationship.

The plot to be honest was nothing special, and it definitely developed way too slowly. I didn't feel very connected to any of the side characters, other than maybe Jiani and Tiff towards the end. No one really had a stand out personality or felt developed enough. The romance just felt overshadowed by the emphasis on friendship. While I appreciated the diverse cast, cross country aspect, and heavy themes that were explored in a realistic manner, I can't help but feel like the rest just fell extremely flat and I wasn’t able to connect to the characters on a deep enough level like I had hoped.

pretty decent book in terms of the chemistry between the characters and plotting, but with a few big problems. i found mari's character, especially, a little underbaked and her character arc to be less than needed. 3 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thank you to Ciera Burch and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC of Out of Step, into You!

This YA romance about two friends separated by life and internal struggles demonstrated the challenges of adolescence well. Mari is supporting her paycheck-to-paycheck mother while taking care of her younger siblings; Taylor is trying to cope with her father's recurring health issues. Between the two of them, it's hard to find time to have patience for anything else, and when Mari moves back to Taylor's highschool, their reunion is far from understanding.

The character work in this story is honestly gorgeous. Every single person had a depth to them, which I adore. Taylor and Mari overall made a ton of sense, and their complexities definitely shone.

That said, it really didn't feel like a romance, and there's a lot that didn't seem to make it to the page that I would have liked. There wasn't much yearning or need between the two characters; their romance beats felt random; the tone of their conversations seemed to shift for no reason other than that they had spent more time together. Considering how well written the characters were, I really wish we'd gotten to see more of that in action and less within their own heads.

I'm really conflicted on this one, so I'm going to give it 3.5 but I'm rounding down. I think this book is excellent for people who love complex characters and like things a little more on the literary fiction side than the romance side.

Thank you again for the ARC!

Out of Step, Into You by Ciera Burch is about high schoolers Mari and Taylor. Mari and Taylor were best friends in middle school but had a falling out before high school. Now Mari is transferring to Taylor’s school and they have to deal with being teammates on the cross country team and unresolved feelings.

I liked how this book captured young adult feelings: the insecurities, the caught between being a kid and an adult, and the learning how to communicate. The author did a great job of making me feel those things with the characters.

I enjoyed the scenes where Mari and Taylor talked. While I appreciated the insight into their thoughts throughout the book, I would have liked to have seen more scenes of them together and rebuilding their relationship because they were well done when they occurred.

The lack of communication in this book was frustrating but it definitely felt on point for the age of the characters.

As a former athlete, I found the behavior of the coaches in this book a bit hard to believe.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book. I cared about the characters and I wanted to know what happened to them.

Thank you Ciera Burch, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was so delightful- what a read. It also does coming to age so well with how the relationships not only between the leads were built upon and shown throughout the story, but the friendships as well. I would definitely recommend this to audiences that want a quick go to love story!

4.5 ⭐️ this was such a great read, I finished it in maybe 3 sittings because I couldn’t put it down! YA Romance isn’t always a hit for me, but this one was amazing. Taylor and Mari were such complex characters, and I really felt like their lives & their struggles were fleshed out. You really see them grow as people when they reunite in high school.

I LOVED how much this book was centered on friendship. Not just between Taylor and Mari, but all their teammates from both schools too. You really see them repair their friendship the way it needed before they reopen any romantic relationship. I also liked how they explored family dynamics & just how different family was for Taylor and Mari, and how that impacted their relationship.

I was rooting for them and their families so hard and the ending was perfect

Out of Step, Into You by Ciera Burch is a sweet YA Romance about friendship and community. There’s so much in there about finding your people. I loved Taylor and Mari 😭 I really wanted them to just “be” teenagers. Mari shouldered so much responsibility for her family and Taylor was working overtime to prove herself, so they were both going through it. Mari’s Mom and Sarita were tapping on my last nerve the whole book 🙃 I was so happy the forced proximity got Mari and Taylor back in each other’s lives, and some time away from their individual stressors. I really appreciated how realistic their reconciliation timeline was (especially for teenagers… because they are in fact, early high school teenagers). In terms of the romance, it’s giving long glances and chaste kisses. Super sweet and endearing.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for early copy for review*

Unfortunately this was only okay. This book did not feel like a YA romance and instead felt like a contemporary. With this targeted to teens I don't expect spice, but I would love more pining before the character ultimately get together right before the book ends. So ignoring the romance tropes this books barely touches it also is fighting two difficult plots with our girls. Mari is basically a substitute mom for her younger siblings and Taylor is dealing with a sick parent. Only one of these plots is actually resolved so I'm left disappointed. Three stars is actually a generous rating for the age range that I am no longer part of. If you love sapphic romance novels I would skip this. There are better options out there.