This was cute! A quick, mostly lighthearted read about a pair of boys who cross paths because of their mutual love for a niche, queer band and who meet back up against all odds. Who hasn't dreamt of a love story like that? Especially those of us who grew up in the early 2010s Tumblr fandom era. Both boys are trans and while they do face dysphoria and very typical microaggressions around their identities, it's not the main focus of any of the book's plots, which I appreciate. It's nice to have characters that can just be trans without it eclipsing the whole story, but also without taking place in a fictional world where it almost doesn't even affect them.

DNF @25%

This was not the book for me. This style of YA just felt boring to me. If I was a teen I’d eat it up, but now it just doesn’t bring anything to the table and I did not want to keep reading. I loved the author’s other work so this was a shock to not enjoy this book,

I got an ARC of this book.

I adore Underhill. I have read almost everything he has put out. One of his books slipped by me, but I have it on hold at the library!

This was my least favorite of the books I have read though. It was a really cool premise. Having two trans guys living the eact opposite lives. A trans guy moving from a safe place to be trans to an unknown small town and a trans guy looking forward to being where he won't be the only openly trans person. The way that their lives are changing gives perspectives of being trans I have never seen before. Someone losing safety after having it, someone learning what its like to be trans where it is less accepted. Its always the trans person always being rejected and yearning to be somewhere else or already where it doesn't matter. So seeing a character have to navigate that was so cool (add if I lived in California and moved to Kansas and it was fun to see my life change shown).

I also loved that they were pre-everything trans guys. There were no name changes. There were no gender marker changes. These kids were going in with no legal of medical supports. The moms really tried to help their kids, but there is only so much they can do. Only so much cis moms can understand as well. It was really the story of two trans guys growing up. That was the part I really enjoyed. The way they grew and changed. The way they felt differently about being trans, while being very similar.

The parts I didn't like were all connected to the romance. What are the odds that a food truck line would be the reason they were able to figure out how to contact each other? It was just too big of a stretch for me. Then the actual romance between them was so thin. They just didn't seem to actually get to the romance and it was all built up in their heads. If there was a less far fetched coming back together, I think I could have forgiven the weaker romance, because I did want them together. I just also wanted to see it happen.

Overall, it was a fun book. Not the most romantic, but had some pretty amazing side characters.

Yet another solid Underhill book! I love books/media about fans so I find it so cute how Gabe and Arden begin their relationship with their favorite band.

Also side note, maybe I’m reading too much into this but, DPDB getting back together and literally forcing Arden and Gabe together is so cute!!

It’s so interesting to watch both boys essentially switch social lives. With Arden being an out and proud transgender man, LA provided so many opportunities. Ones that get flipped on their head when he is uprooted to Michigan. In contrast, Gabe, previously had his own struggles in a small town in Illinois. Finding his literal voice and confidence in LA.

I also like how realistic they are. After only previously seeing each other in person once for about two hours, they don’t immediately go to ultra romance. They both recognize they have to figure out what they are like together outside of the Nebraska Dimension.

Overall a great read!

While I LOVED this author's other books, I only liked this one. It was enjoyable and had elements I really liked, but I just didn't feel as invested in the characters. I would recommend this one for YA readers seeking a quick read with trans characters. If you enjoyed this one, definitely seek out the other books by this author, which I highly recommend!

Edward Underhill delivers an absolute heart-warmer with this joyful, funny, and deeply affirming trans rom-com. Centered on a serendipitous motel meet-cute between two boys in the middle of cross-country moves, This beautifully captures that dizzying, electric feeling of finding someone who just gets you—even if it’s only for one night.

Arden and Gabe are both in transition—literally and metaphorically. Arden’s leaving the vibrant queer community of L.A. for rural Michigan, dreading the loneliness that might follow. Gabe is heading to Pasadena with dreams of finally being fully out and himself, far from the small-town whispers he’s known all his life. When their paths cross at a motel in Nebraska, what could’ve been a forgettable pit stop becomes a life-shifting moment. They bond over music (Damaged Pixie Dream Boi supremacy), identity, and that gut-deep feeling that they’ve found someone special.

What follows is part swoony romance, part quest, as each boy struggles to adapt to their new worlds while wondering if that one unforgettable night meant as much to the other. It’s a story about missed connections, second chances, and the beautiful mess of being young, queer, and full of hope.

Underhill writes with warmth and humor, balancing the rom-com fluff with the very real struggles of trans teens navigating love, friendship, family, and selfhood. The found family vibes are strong, the representation is heartfelt, and the ending is just the right amount of swoon.

Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Julian Winters, this is a love story for the romantics, the dreamers, and anyone who’s ever believed the universe might be on their side.

I really wanted to love this, but it didn’t quite work for me. Some parts felt underdeveloped or hard to connect with, though I can see others enjoying the concept. Just not quite my cup of tea — and that’s okay!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — so far, YA is really where Edward Underhill shines. There’s so much endearment there, fondness, and this nostalgic quality that makes reading it as an adult easy and effortless. It doesn’t feel like what an adult thinks teenagers are like but a messy reality that Ive grown to appreciate.

I will be honest and say this wasn’t my favorite of his YA ventures but there’s definitely still a lot of heart to be found. Gabe and Arden are adorable and the two pining from a ling distance was incredibly sweet. I think it just felt a bit rushed and the third act didn’t really pack the punch I was hoping for. I’m not the biggest fan of a miscommunication trope in the last thirty pages of the book.

That being said, it’s overall a very lighthearted read and this sort of pining trope, is so engaging. The writing really elevates it for me and while there were a lot of characters, I didn’t feel too bogged down by them. I was definitely grinning at how cute some of the parts were. I think a lot of us would want a kind of chance meeting to find us.

I’ve followed Underhill’s work since his first novel and I’m so excited to see what else comes next. I’ll read every single one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest reviews.

Edward Underhill has mastered writing trans joy and heartfelt romantic stories that connect passion with people. This story follows fandom culture and missed connections and the universe finally turning to pull two people back together. I loved this book so much more than I expected to but every time I put this book down I immediately wanted to pick it back up. I'm so excited for whatever else Underhill publishes because it's solidified that it will be full of joy, hope and so so much love.

I'm an Edward Underhill fan, so I definitely had to pick up this book!

Arden is dreading the move from queer-friendly L.A. to a small Michigan town, while Gabe is eager to leave behind his stifling Illinois hometown for a fresh start in Pasadena. When they cross paths at a motel in Nebraska, a shared love of music, and the fact that they're both trans, sparks an instant connection. But after one unforgettable night, they part ways without full names or contact info. As they each navigate new challenges in unfamiliar places, they can’t stop thinking about that night and wonder if fate might bring them back together.

I feel like this book captured the emotions and angst of being a teenager suddenly uprooted from their life really well. This book is told from dual POVs, and we get an insight look into two trans teens, their thought processes, trying to make friends in a new state, and fall in love. Great read during Pride, but would definitely read anytime of the year.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Quill Tree Books for this eARC!

The character development in In Case You Read This is superb. I loved seeing Arden and Gabe not only open up to each other, in a rare moment of vulnerability, but also develop as themselves. We can see the ways in which both are struggling with these new homes, their family, and finding a space for themselves. For Arden, can he find a space where he can feel accepted as a queer person in this small town? And for Gabe will he be able to swim among the swarm and navigate his relationship with his sister? I loved witnessing their journey and failed attempts to connect.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!

In Case You Read This is such a beautiful and touching story. The entire time readers will be engaged in Arden and Gabe's tale, cheering them on in their daily lives and desperately hoping alongside them to see a reunion. The romance element is so well written, and while it is an element of the plot, it slowly develops and focuses on the basis of friendship and understanding.

Told from the perspectives of two characters, Arden is moving from a big city to a small town, while Gabe is doing the exact opposite. This brilliant plot device allows readers to see how the characters adjust to their new lives and how they find their way to lasting relationships. It also shows a snippet of how everyone's experience of coming out and being trans is different.

The inner monologues with anxiety and uncertainty are heartbreaking. Both are concerned not only about finding one another again but finding a place to fit in with their new communities. And Edward Underhill does not shy away from showing how some people will treat the characters, and how unfair some situations can become. But the underlying message of acceptance, love, and found family are the strongest elements of the story.

I could barely put it down In Case You Read This. I had to know if Arden and Gabe would reconnect and if the spark they first felt would still be there if they did. Edward Underhill is quickly becoming a favorite author. The LGBTQ+ representation and excellent writing are not to be missed.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. Both Arden and Gabe are moving to new areas and have a chance encounter at the hotel they’re both staying at. They get lost in their conversation yet completely forget to swap numbers. They both get settled and make friends. Sometimes you have to get lost to find yourself and life doesn’t always go as planned or how you think it should go.

This was a fun, lighthearted queer YA story that sees two trans boys meeting by chance in a roadside motel while their families are each crossing the country in opposite directions. While the two boys share one life-changing night, they lose track of one another the next day, only to manage to get connected again over a shared love of a pop band. Good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Tobly McSmith. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Gabe and Arden are both finishing their junior year of high school and both their families are moving across the country during spring break, but for very different reasons. They also each have very different feelings about their situation. Gabe is excited to move from a small Illinois town, where he only had a handful of friends, mostly people his more popular older sister had befriended who also took him in. Gabe’s hopeful that he’ll find more out, queer people to fill his social circle in Pasadena, California. However, Arden is devastated that his mother is moving him away from the place where everyone knows and understands he is transgender. Instead, due to her job loss, they are moving to live in her tiny Michigan hometown and it’s daunting. Especially so, because they’ll be living with Arden’s grandmother, who doesn’t seem to have any relationship with his mother. His mom moved out to LA to become a star, but instead got pregnant, and Arden’s dad died in a wreck shortly after Arden’s birth.

While staying at a random hotel in Nebraska, Gabe and Arden’s paths cross on their respective cross-country moves. They recognize a shared passion for a queer band on indefinite hiatus, Damaged Pixie Dream Boi, as well as their shared transgender experience. They spend several hours of amazing conversation developing an epic connection. True to their band’s anthem song, they decide to leave without exchanging any further identifying information besides their first names and the general areas they are moving.

But, that spark of connection is a flame that smolders–as does Gabe’s regret for letting Arden leave without even getting his social handles. Arden later regrets the same, both boys acknowledging their perfect night and wishing it could have been more.

As they settle into their new lives and homes, both Arden and Gabe navigate new friendships, relationships, and spaces. Microaggressions and struggles ensue, and their desire to return to that perfect Nebraska night grows. They each even reach out to old Damaged Pixie Dream Boi social networks, leaving random “In Case You Read This” messages giving details about how to find them in the real world. New and old friends learn about their respective struggles, and how they’d like to find each other again–even if just for a text friendship. And, their story gets traction–especially when news of a reunion show for Damaged Pixie Dream Boi gets announced.

This was a really thoughtful and encouraging story about building healthy relationships–in real life and in virtual space–for queer kids who can struggle to find community. Arden and Gabe aren’t isolated in their desires to belong, and that’s shared pretty candidly among their friend groups, which represent a lot of the LGBTQ spectrum. The book is built upon an audacious concept of serendipity, and I really started rooting for these characters from the beginning.

Sometimes, I feel like teen books read like sitcoms, but this story didn’t give that vibe. We have a good amount of build up into the climax, which has its own struggle to manage. The secondary characters, of which there are many, felt like real kids I might meet in any high school. Nobody is too perfect, or too emo, or too anything. Their intricate friend networks hold a lot of history and subtext, which brought the right amount of tension and drama. Arden and Gabe just want to live as they are without a lot of fuss, and are frustrated that fuss seems baked into the system in myriad ways.

That said, they do build unexpectedly strong, new friendships, which are important in and of themselves, and also because these friends help them to eventually reconnect. I honestly don’t want to reveal any more of the plot, because it’s lovely and awkward and adolescent and angsty and I felt absolutely tuned in to this mission, and Gabe and Arden’s journeys. I highly recommend this book for fans of YA with a dash of romance, and hope other readers will have the same glorious experience I did.

A joyous book highlighting trans joy, romance, and friendship! Arden & Gabe serendipitously meet in the lobby of a motel in Nebraska during cross country moves. They connect over the love for the same band and after settling into their homes across the country, they continue to work toward a reconnection. There is so much love and joy in this book, leaving the reader feeling empowered to live authentically. I remain a big fan of Edward Underhill!

Sincere thank to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, & Quill Tree Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved all Edward Underhill books and this one is no exception. The entire premise had me hooked from the start, and I loved the dual POV as we got to really experience each of the boys' lives as they were living in drastically different places. It also heavily dives into the queer experience of loving an indie artist that has queer members, and bonding with people over the music you love. Truly transported me back to my teenage years and finding connections through music, that have lasted for years, and meeting other queer people in somewhat unexpected places. Especially in online forums, where you're able to connect with people across the country (and the world!) with a similar interest.

Both teens are moving, Arden from CA to MI, Gabe from IL to CA. Arden has to grieve the life he is losing in Los Angeles, where his transness wasn't front and center, where he wasn't the only queer or trans person he knew, to move somewhere that he doesn't know how accepting they'll be, if at all. Gabe is the opposite, he's excited to move out to Pasadena after living in a small town where he knew no other queer people.

They meet in a motel in Nebraska, spending just a few hours together before separating, without trading numbers. So while they're acclimating to the changing family dynamics, new houses, new friends, new schools, they're also trying to find each other.

The found family is strong in this one! There are so many side characters and they brighten up the story. They are a part of their lives and they should be mentioned and celebrated. To see these communities that they are a part of sparks some queer joy and connection. Their groups are largely queer, and fully accept them for who they are.

The romance did take a bit of a background here, as a large part of the story is about this acclimation to their new locations and also trying to find each other. I love the characters and the bits of beginning chemistry we see them experience. I would love to see more of them and how their relationship progresses, but I'm glad they met each other, and found each other again.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC.

“In Case You Read This” by Edward Underhill is a really sweet and cozy trans rom-com. The story follows Arden, who is moving from queer-friendly Los Angeles to a small town in Michigan, and Gabe, who is leaving his small town in Illinois to start fresh in California. When they meet by chance at a motel in Nebraska, they instantly click as they bond over their shared identity and love for the same band. But after just one night together, they part ways without any way to find each other again. As they begin their new lives, they keep thinking about that one perfect night and wonder if it meant something more.

I picked this up during a tough reading slump, so I might not have been in the right headspace to fully enjoy it. Still, I think it is a lovely and heartfelt story. I really liked that it is a romance between two trans boys, which we do not see often enough. Arden's struggles with his family and Gabe's insecurity were very real and relatable. Sometimes I got their voices mixed up, but that could have just been me not focusing well. Overall, this book is warm, wholesome, and full of hope. It made me smile, and I know it will mean a lot to many queer readers.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

This was the quintessential YA summer read. It has it all- the slightly ridiculous meet cute (Nebraska motels have never been this glamorous), the boy band fandom that brings the MCs together (Damaged Pixie Dream Boi reminded me of my lovely lads from Oseman's I Was Born for This), and, of course, endearingly flawed main characters fumbling their way through the challenges life throws at them. Arden and Gabe were such lovable fools.

This is my first Edward Underhill novel and it was all the things I was promised- gentle, funny, and sweet. It felt like sugary snacks and dappled sunlight on a cool summer morning. Idyllic and fleeting.

A perfect read for a lazy afternoon if you want to laugh, smile, and feel giddy. I'll definitely be picking up another book by Underhill soon.

Everytime I hear of a new Edward Underhill novel my day is immediately better. In Case You Read This had all the heart you expect from an Underhill novel and the trans stories that we so desperately need in this day and age. I absolutely fell in love with both Gabe and Arden and was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to find each other. A fun romantic read!