I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity

This was such a quick and sweet read. I ended up reading a large chunk of it while in a hotel and it was such a neat feeling, almost like my own Nebraska Dimension (just in Washington State). This was such a nice palette cleanser for me, and filled with queer joy. I truly loved reading this and experiencing Gabe and Arden's relationship, seeing it build and seeing them come back together with the help of their friends. This is truly such a fun book, and perfect to remind yourself of the joys of being queer.

I really enjoyed this. The whole missed connections and trying to find them while also finding ones self, and then how they were all intertwined. I also loved the growth both Gabe and Arden went through.

My only real critique was the text- / reddit- / email-only chapters sometimes took me out of the story, but overall, wasn't too detrimental to my enjoyment.

I liked how this book had a trans couple that were both transmen. The way they met was interesting as well, in the hotel when they were both moving to different states, and they just had amazing chemistry. Unfortunately, they did not get their contact information, and through this book, they are trying to find each other on social media because they are both obsessed with a band called Damaged Pixie Dream Boi. Their POV for their chapters is done well, showing their life and the people in it. The MCs, Arden and Gabe, were interesting when it came to their personalities and the friends they ended up making. I enjoyed the friends group they ended up making and how they were able to discover themselves. One of my favorite parts of the book is texting chapters, of they communicate with their friends after they moved to a different place. Arden is moving from LA to Michigan, and Gabe is moving from Illinois to LA. Just trying to find each other on social media forums of Damaged Pixie Dream Boi was wild to me because of how they just met once, but did not give up on finding each other. The way they end up finding each other is just something you just got to read for yourself. I loved some of the side characters, specifically Brian. I do love his fascination with birds' top-tier character. This book got me feeling all the emotions.


Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off: I read The In-Between Bookstore and enjoyed it, generally, but did forget that Underhill writes YA. YA is very hit or miss for me, and this was a miss. The characters were similar and there were too many of them, the B and C plots got very muddled and I think the plot itself, while a very cute concept, was hurt by the addition of DPDB.

Underhill tried a major undertaking, and there were points I thought he did well. The concept felt original, nuanced, and cohesive (though I did find the end of the book to be too perfect). I think there was just enough connection to make the meet-cute realistic and the meet-up tangible. The characters were lovable forms of people but there were so many of them it was hard to keep track and I didn't find everything the characters did to be completely believable.

This was such a fun read. I literally was smiling through most of it!

This was a chance meeting between two main characters, who just clicked, as they were both moving across the country (in different directions).

This had a misconnection vibe to it that just kept giving. All of the characters in this book were a delight, and we definitely saw some coming of age struggles as teens make school switches in the middle of a school year, especially for queer/trans kids.

This book really left a lot open at the end, and it felt so very hopeful.

A sweet romantic story. I really enjoyed this book! I love a good rom com that has me laughing and smiling the whole time! I really enjoy Edward’s writing style! I’m looking forward to reading more of his books!

Thank you NetGalley, Edward, and HarperCollins Children's Books for the eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so, so much! It was very fast paced, but it had perfect pacing for the story it was telling. I really enjoyed all of the different characters and the story was super cute. I definitely think more books like this are needed! It reminded me a lot of You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan, another book about queer friendship.

This book was a nice and easy read about two trans boys trying to find each other after meeting by happenstance. While I enjoyed this book, the romance wasn't the strongest for me. Normally, I don't enjoy romances that involve love at first sight or just love at first meeting, and that was a great part of Arden and Gabe's relationship. What spoke to me was the friends our characters made in their new schools, and seeing them grow a little more.

As an anxious person, the message about how we need to be realistic when we want to have relationships with others, instead of expecting things to be perfect like a fantasy, really spoke to me. I also think it's an important message for teens who are already either having crushes or having their first relationships.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love Edward's books. He is an auto-read author for me. A tale of missed connections between two trans boys is everything I need. Edward's writing always brings a smile to my face and I can't wait to read more and more from him!

4 stars

Edward Underhill has produced another charming YA romance with solid representation and intriguing development. This newest effort will please incoming fans and those looking to keep connecting with characters who are very much like and unlike them (windows and mirrors, of course).

Arden and Gabe are both on literal journeys toward big life changes. They meet (cute!) during that journey and have an interaction that is memorable, smile inducing, and almost supernatural in its seeming perfection. To hang on to this feeling, they make a choice that requires readers to set aside any awareness they have of young people in 2025 and leave each other without sharing contact info. I get why this is necessary for the novel, which goes on to focus on missed connections, but the whole time I was reading, I struggled to think of actual folks at this time and of this age would would not have exchanged some kind of info early on in this meeting. It's a clever twist, but some suspension of disbelief is necessary in my opinion.

The good news is that once the two meet, a heartwarming attempt to reconnect evolves. It's impossible not to root for both characters and to want to see them be successful not only in their obvious quests but also in their familial struggles, personal identity explorations, and new lives in new locations.

I've enjoyed books by this author previously, and I'll be adding this one to the list of recommendations for students.

In Case You Read This is a truly special story celebrating young Queer joy in a time when we so desperately need to support it. Underhill, once again, creates the silliest, most exciting LGBTQ journey, making sure every letter of that acronym is represented. This is accomplished through both literal GSA's, but also characters of varying identities cropping up in the most unlikely of places. For me, his adventures are reminiscent of Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares or Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. It encapsulates the sort of quirky antics in the name of teenage romance only so many of us are lucky enough to experience, but we all dream about growing up.
Our characters first connect in a magical liminal space when they both have quite serious things going on that they’d rather not face. Through the course of our story, they learn the importance of the real, and the necessity of putting the work in to maintain meaningful relationships. This story is told in dual POVs with varying formats including text threads and online message boards. It’s easily digestible for many level readers. As a teen librarian, I can't emphasize enough how seen certain kids will feel when reading this book. At the end of the day, while it touches on LGBT struggles, it's primarily about the adolescent experience of building an identity and fitting in somewhere new. This is a fun ride in the world of online fandom and the thrill that comes with being part of something greater,

This was a very quick read, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I always love to see more lighthearted queer, and especially trans, YA books, and this definitely delivers. It was lovely to follow two trans teens, who both have their lives disrupted by a big move, but both in a very different way. I loved the nuanced approach of what it's like being trans in a small town or a big city. I also loved the focus on friendship, and especially making new friends. I just didn't feel as convinced by the romance - I didn't really feel the romantic chemistry. I also felt like this book was too short to properly flesh out two main storylines, which left everything kind of surface-level. Overall, I enjoyed this, but I thought this lacked the charm of This Day Changes Everything.

"In Case You Read This" is delightful, engaging, and authentic. Edward Underhill knows how to write, and the main characters, Arden and Gabe, are fully fleshed out and people you want to root for. Although their connection takes center stage, other relationships with family and friends balance out the larger story. All in all, this is a rom-com that is fun and insightful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Pub Date: May 20, 2025.

#InCaseYouReadThis

Edward Underhill has become a reliable new author for fun, sweet queer romances and this newest book is no exception! This is a solidly sweet, romantic little story. It's a missed connections story of two boys who have a sweet encounter in a middle-of-nowhere hotel and then go their separate ways without trading contact information. Nothing remarkable or extraordinary is happening in this book, but that's okay - we deserve more trans-led YA books that are just fluffy and romantic!

loved it very well done queer romance good vibes throughout. would definitely recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.!

I saw a queer book that takes place in Michigan and I knew I was picking it up! (But be aware only a bit of the story takes place there with the change in povs lol).

I did overall love this book and it just solidified the fact that I need to pick up the rest of the authors work! I'll admit I wasn't feeling too sure at the beginning as the teenager angst was coming off very strong, but I quickly fell in love with the characters.

I loved the side characters and getting to see a bit of the found family trope, but I do wish they could've gotten a bit more page time. There's one scene that I think could've beeb stronger if the sc was more established.

It didn't bother me too much while reading, but I did realize afterward that it was difficult to distinguish the two MC's sometimes aside from what state they were in (meaning their personalities and interests are all very similar).

I enjoyed the realness of the romantic, platonic, and familial relationships as well. Things aren't always perfect and that's totally okay.

Going into it, I was worried the cover looked a bit too dark for the content (thought it would be mostly a romcom) but due to the set up, there was less romance in it making it kind of work. When the romance was there it was perfect, I was giggling and kicking my feet lol.

If you're looking for a cute book with pretty low stakes I would recommend it!

Bittersweet and beautifully queer, In Case You Read This is a love letter to missed connections, second chances, and the messy, magical journey of self-discovery. Edward Underhill weaves emotion and introspection into every page, creating a story that lingers long after the final chapter. Perfect for fans of heartfelt contemporaries with a dash of mystery and a whole lot of heart.

I was very intrigued by the missed connection premise in this story and I loved its execution. I really liked both our main characters and the queer friend groups on both sides. I enjoyed both characters growth and the reflection on real life isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t have to be.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Edward Underhill is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors for queer YA romcoms. While I wasn’t a huge fan of his pivot to adult fantasy earlier this year, In Case You Read This sounded very promising. And upon reading it, I think it just might be my favorite book of his yet.
I love the serendipity at the heart of this, with Arden and Gabe being from California and the Midwest, respectively, and moving vaguely to each other’s region of the US, meeting midway in Nebraska. And while their mutual neglect to impart identifying information to the other during this encounter was a tad frustrating, I kind of liked it too, because it was realistic; they didn’t consider the potential impact of the connection and wanting to stay in contact until after they no longer were in each other’s proximity.
I loved the journey they took to find one another, as they tried to use the band connection to find any possible link, but neither was searching on the same sites as the other person. Additionally, it really shows you that, as valuable as fandom connections are, the community being spread out across many different platforms (and some of these becoming inactive for whatever reason), causes a lot of fracturing and you end up losing people. That really hit hard, not only in the context of these two and their constant search for each other in the wrong places, but in general with the increasing corruption of social media sites at the hands of corporate overlords.
And with Arden and Gabe spending so much time apart, I appreciate how Underhill was still able to make the romantic arc feel central in their motivations, through the search and their desire to reunite in some form. The narrative also beautifully incorporates other plotlines, with each of them having issues with their respective families that play out over the course of the book (fortunately neither concerns rejection for being trans, so no worries on that front), as well as forming new friendships, while maintaining old ones. I loved how the friend groups eventually merged as a result of their growing involvement in Gabe and Arden’s quests to find each other, with chance (and proximity) once again playing a role in making it happen.
This was an absolutely delightful book, and I’d recommend it to readers in search of a whimsical, queer and trans-affirming romcom.

3.5 ⭐️

In Case You Read This is a sweet teen trans story of accepting yourself, finding new friend groups, and finding the boy you left after one night in Nebraska. It's dual POV and both boys are pre-T but are out to their friends and family who are accepting of them. They meet for one night in Nebraska for a few magical hours bonding over a shared identity and a shared favorite band. However, they don't exchange numbers and spend much of the book searching for each other on opposite social media platforms. Because of this, the pacing of the book is off. It takes place from March to July broken up with chapters consisting of texts and internet posts.

They live opposite lives as Gabe moves from a small town in Illinois to Pasadena while Arden moves from LA (Burbank) to a small town in Michigan. It explores the difference between starting a new school in a small town versus a large one. The book takes on a positive note as it shows the joy that comes with being trans as they both find queer friend groups. It also doesn't shy away from discussing dysphoria and hoping they look like a boy enough. There really isn't any transphobia which I loved since a lot of books focus on the struggles rather than the joy.