i really liked this!

i have previously read ‘a love song for ricky wilde’ by this author, and while I didn’t enjoy the plot of that book, I did really enjoy the writing style. Tia Williams writing just hits so hard for me.

The pacing overall was good, but the last 80 pages or so didn’t really work that well in my opinion. I feel like Williams was trying to fit too much into the last part of this book, and the main conflict got solved in a pretty weird and rushed way. I would have really loved to have gotten some more development in Audre’s relationship with her mom, it seems like a lot of their problems remained unsolved.

Even though this is a romance, i feel like most of the book isn’t really about that. It’s about being a teen, generational trauma and touches upon issues surrounding race and mental illness. Tia Williams always packs an emotional punch into her books, which I really enjoy. This did make me want to pick up seven days in june, because the little tidbits we got of Eva and Shane in this book were very cute. They’re very flawed characters which makes them feel so real.

I’m going to give this 3.75 stars, rounding up. Because I feel the ending was lacking and rushed. I do love Tia Williams writing, seven days in june i’m coming for you next ;)

Thankyou to Quercus Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Audre & Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams @tiawilliamswrites is the BEST romance I’ve read this year.
Thanks so much to Tia, @quercusbooks and @netgalley for the arc.

U.K publication date was the 20th May, but honestly I took my time to read and re-read this. I was kicking my feet, shutting out the world and even shedding a tear over this.

I don’t normally read or love YA romance, but Audre & Bash are an easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and this really needs to be read by everyone at all ages 💕
If you read Seven Days in June a while ago, or you haven’t read it at all, it doesn’t matter at all and you can read and adore this on its own.

The writing was delicious, I ate every word up. I’ve never highlighted so many sentences in my kindle! This book is so funny, nostalgic, honest and open alongside covering important topics like family relationships, the pressure to succeed, friendships and coming of age.

This is far from a shallow romance and tackles topics like generational trauma, intersectionality and anticipatory grief. Through all all adversity, we read beautiful prose that shows us the many faces of love.

Mini blurb:
Audre - junior class president. Unofficial student president. Desperately in need of a good time.
Bash - mysterious new senior. Everybody’s crush. King of having a good time.
Audre’s dad cancelled her annual summer visit, now she’s stuck in a claustrophobic apartment with her mom, stepdad and 1 year old sister. Under these conditions, she’ll never finish her self help book - I.e the key to winning over Stanford’s admissions board. Cut to Bash Henry! Audre hires him to be her “fun consultant” his job? To help her complete her list of five wild dates designed to give her juicy book material. Can they stay professional despite their obvious connection?

I liked this book but I wasn’t completely blown away by it. It leaned more into the YA genre than I expected, but that aside, it’s really well written. One thing I absolutely loved was how diverse & inclusive the story is; there’s so much representation throughout. There are some really sweet moments & I especially enjoyed the interactions between Audre and Bash (I actually wish there had been more of them!)

★★½

screaming and or crying over this book it was everything I wanted and everything I needed I just loved it

I can understand the message that this book was trying to give. But I personally could not connect to the characters and struggled to root for Bash and Audre. I also did struggle with the narrative as it felt quite confusing and jumpy, which could be down to personal writing style preference. Although the book didn’t hit the mark for me I can see how it may appeal to others.

Such a wholesome story about first love, friendships, family and expectations.
I really enjoyed Seven Days in June so I was very excited to see Audre as the main character.
On the outside it looks like she has it all figured out, but on the inside she’s struggling. She feels out of control in every aspect of her life: her relationship with her mom, her college applications, her friendships, and being more honest with the people in her life.
In walks Bash who has struggles of his own and is floundering.
Somehow they meet and strike a deal that forces them together.
Not only did they instantly click, but they were vulnerable, possibly for the first time in their lives, with each other. The mental health discussions were done incredibly well.
I think the pace of this book was perfect. Their relationship was both deep and lighthearted, they truly brought out the best of each other.
I also loved seeing Eva and Shane again!! Seeing them through Audre’s eyes was a very different experience.

Even though I don’t really read YA contemporary romances anymore I really enjoyed this one!

This book was so incredibly cute! I really enjoyed Seven Days and June so knew I had to read Audre’s story! However, I don’t feel like you need to have read Seven Days in June in order to enjoy this book.
The mental health representation was done incredibly well. I found it was very well written for a YA book and the relationship between Audre and Bash had me reliving my teenage years

General thoughts
A cute YA romcom that will give you all the feels and thrills of teenage romance

Book overview:
Audre is the prefect inexperienced daughter of bestselling author Eva. She has decided to write a novel this summer to support her college application. Unfortunately one of her plans, fell through when her dad confirms that he can’t host her in California this summer break.
This leave her devastated , she doesn’t have a plan b! What is she going to do this summer break?
Her mom is no longer any fun, now that she is preoccupied with her little sister Alice.

Her best friend Reshma suggest that Audre live her best life by get some life experiences this summer. She constructs a list of dares for Audre to achieve this summer, all Audre needs, is a fun consultant, who can keep her accountable whilst reshma goes overseas for the summer.
This is where Bash ( a previous track star) comes into the equation. He is new to Brooklyn and has the reputation of the mysterious fun it guy. What people don’t know is that Bash is deeper than he seems. He is dealing with his own family hurt and neglect. Being in Brooklyn is a way to start fresh and forget his past. When Audre approaches him to be her fun consultant. He is more than happy to help.

What starts off as just friends, develops into a relationship that they both needed but didn’t expect.

Read the book to find out the many obstacle and challenges they had to overcome together.

4.5/5 stars

Loved this one!! Audre’s struggle with her mental health was written very well and I loveeeeeed Bash. Real yearning is back! Bash reminded me of Wes in Better than the Movies and I mean that as the biggest compliment. Didn’t really care for Reschma’s story though, and I feel like she was not as fleshed out of a character as I’d like. Great follow up to Seven Days in June!

“To find a best friend who was also infuriatingly pretty. A girl who was his first thought in the morning and his last before drifting off to sleep. A girl who ignited his brain and his heart.” 😍

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7a16a7fd-58a1-4d97-ab50-72548ff39355?redirect=true

Tia Williams (to me) can do no wrong.

I thoroughly enjoyed this YA (romance) novel. In the beginning I wanted to shake Audre so she can be honest to both parents, but to Eva at least about how she is feeling about; not having a proper bedroom anymore, not having her mum show up for her and no longer being the only child on her dads side either - of course resentment is going to grow.

Anyway, I adored her and bash’s blossoming friendship and it was fun reading their parts of the book. Reading the supposed little things that happen whilst we are in our teens and for us them being the end of the world lol as an adult is tickling. Because nothing is ever that deep.

I’m glad that Eva and Audre’s relationship has the chance to begin the healing process. And Eva’s acknowledgment.

Tia Williams does it again. Chefs kiss.

Seven days in June was one of my favourite books of 2021 so could wait for this one.

Audre's plans to visit her father in Malibu fall through, she's left to spend her summer in New York City with her mother, stepfather, and baby sister. Determined to make the most of her time, Audre enlists the help of Bash Henry, a charismatic new senior at her school, to assist her in completing an "Experience Challenge"—a list of five daring activities designed to provide authentic teenage experiences. As they embark on this adventure, their connection deepens, leading to a heartwarming exploration of friendship, identity, and self-discovery.
This one’s definitely going on my 2025 favourites list, and I seriously can’t wait to read

Audre & Bash are Just Friends brings us back to characters first introduced in Seven Days in June in a delightful YA spin-off centered around Eva’s now teen daughter Audre (who is still just as witty and loveable!).

When Audre decides the self-help book she’s writing to help with her college admissions could use some real world experience, she enlists the help of new kid Bash. Through completing Audre’s fun-list the two get closer, but their relationship is difficult to navigate with family drama and personal baggage on both sides complicating things.

I really loved how Audre’s character developed and her relationship with Bash was incredibly sweet. I was so stressed out about how Audre and Eva’s relationship had changed over the last few years, but it’s also kind of comforting in a way that these characters could go through a rough patch and come out stronger at the end.

Tia Williams also writes her male characters incredibly well. I love that she gives them nuance and perspective and storylines of their own, and they’re not there just to brood and pine after the female lead. Bash’s storyline was so well done, as was Shane’s in Seven Days in June.

I was approved for Audre and Bash are Just Friends on NetGalley right as I finished Seven Days in June and it was absolutely blissful to be able to finish one and slide right on into the next, but I do think Audre & Bash will hold its own incredibly well as a standalone (which is important, as the YA target audience probably won’t have read Seven Days in June!).

Overall this was a super enjoyable read and will be going right to the top of my YA recommendations list. Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book about Audrey and Bash. It's a book about living up to the expectations of your parents and the expectations you think they have. It's about what happens when you dare to live a little and let go of even just the slightest little bit of parental expectation. The book also covers panic attacks and chronic disease in a very respectful way.

I read Seven Days in June a couple of years ago and am absolutely thrilled to be back in this setting. Love, love, love that Audre got her own book.

This book is perfection! Cute characters with just enough plot twist to make you not entirely sure what will happen at the end. Loved the characters and will definitely feel happy recommending it to teen readers (which is not always the case with young adult novels). I haven’t read Eva and Shane’s story so I didn’t object to their characters like some other reviewers. The romance you have been looking for!

This book was an absolute treat to read!

Following on from Seven Days in June, this story follows Eva's daughter Audre and her mission to check off her 'life experience' bucket list through her summer break.

As someone who doesn't normally gravitate to YA romance, this was such a pleasant surprise!! I was giggling & kicking my feet through every awkward interaction. Highly recommend for a light, heart-warming read!

Thank you NetGalley & Quercus for the e-arc!

Firstly, I’d like to say thank you to netgalley and the publishers for gifting me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

after loving seven days in June, I was super excited when I first heard about this, especially as I am a fan of YA too! I absolutely loved getting to know Audre more as a character, especially now a few years had passed from seven days in June. I really enjoyed her as a FMC and connected to her easily. I think the insight into how her relationship with her mum (or mom I guess haha), Eva, had changed since we last saw it and the development that they had through this book was really well done and I think added a lot to the story. I also loved seeing Eva and Shane in this and seeing how their family had grown and what they were up to now!

but back to Audre’s story! I absolutely love the bucket list trope and think it always makes for a fun story and this was no exception. seeing audre and bash take on this list together was really enjoyable and bash was a great “funsultant”.

I think the overhanging mystery we had surrounding Bash’s character was an interesting dynamic, especially as i think he was extremely likeable as a character and blatantly seemed to be very caring from the beginning, despite rumours etc. so having this extra intrigue made his character a lot more 3 dimensional. overall I really felt for him as a character and enjoyed his presence in the book!

Audre and bash together were adorable and I was rooting for them the whole way through! I also enjoyed the other perspectives we got and the focus that brought to other relationships and also friendships.

the kind of “final conflict” I felt came a bit out of nowhere in terms of the character who set it into motion, I felt that we’d kind of passed that issue with the character and it felt a bit extreme for the current situation. however, i think it resolved nicely in the end.

I felt this was a more mature YA dealing with various issues and problems, but still super fun and light-hearted and I had a really good time reading it! Tia Williams’ writing and storytelling was amazing again!

Oh I loved this so much! Sometimes I pre-read YA romance for work and I find it to be a little lacking but this was absolutely delightful. Kicking feet and squealing through all of their awkward flirtation as their relationship develops. Highly recommend and will be purchasing immediately

oh this was so much fun.

the book follows audre, who hires the school’s hottest boy to be her “fun consultant” over the summer, and obviously they're just friends.
you already know how that goes.

i didn’t expect to love this as much as i did. me and YA don’t always vibe, especially when gen z slang is involved, but this was just adorable. i ate it up.

audre and bash are both so awkward and flustered around each other and i could feel their butterflies. they were so shy and soft and i loved them.
and their texts??? stop!!

bash: smiles are contagious, too. yours is, at least.
audre: wait what
bash: when u smile, i wanna smile, too.


if you don’t think that’s cute, you’re lying 😭

bash honestly stole the show for me. he’s literally described as “everyone’s crush,” and i believed it. he’s sweet and funny and chill and just the kind of person people want to be around. but he also has this really emotional backstory that made me love him even more. i loved how he stayed kind and soft even after everything he’s been through. and he was so down bad for audre.

“What was i supposed to say to you? That not being near you feels pointless, like wasted time? That every kiss I don't give you burns a fucking hole in me?”


as i said. down bad.

aside from the romance, this book actually went deeper than i expected. it talks about race, gender, sexuality, and mental health, but also family stuff—complicated, toxic family dynamics. audre’s relationship with her mom was especially rough. her mom, eva (yes from Seven Days in June), is remarried now, has a new baby, and suddenly audre feels like an afterthought. she’s also pressured by her mom to be perfect and reliable.

“What about what I want, thought Audre. or what do I need? I'm a whole person with a life, not an extension of you.”


i really liked this. probably because i relate so much to her.

also, this book is funny. like actually funny. i have never laughed so hard reading YA. there’s a scene where audre’s drunk and freestyle rapping and it should’ve made me want to crawl out of my skin, but i found it hilarious. and i cringe easily. somehow this book didn’t make me cringe once.

other little things i loved:

• them doing her “experience challenge” list together = so cute

• bash being shocked by how beautiful she is every five seconds

• “Each time we hang out, I feel like something important happened.” → sobbing.

• “You’re the prettiest girl here.” YES SHE IS.

what didn’t work for me:

i didn’t really care about reshma’s pov (audre’s best friend). it wasn’t bad, but it didn’t add much and i kept wanting to get back to audre & bash.

the ending was rushed. the main conflict got solved in like, a page? i needed more closure, especially with her mom. that was such a huge part of audre’s story and it kinda just disappeared. i also wanted to see more of these two sweethearts together.

overall though, this was adorable and had way more emotional depth than i expected. a solid 4 stars. if you like YA romances with actual feelings, cute and relatable characters, and a little real-life messiness mixed in, read this.

I loved Audre and I loved Bash, and I loved everything about their tender story. What a summer to remember!

This is one of those books where you feel so privileged to be allowed to read something this wonderful that you want everyone to go and read it. Right now. And Seven Days in June - Audre's mom's and stepdad's book - too!

Can't wait to go back to Brooklyn this summer - and this book made me feel like I was already there. All the stars!

First of all thank you so so much to NetGalley for allowing be to be an ARC reader for this book.

Unfortunately this one wasn’t my favourite, especially after loving seven days in june so so much. I personally just felt that being in Aubre’s POV that Eva and Shane’s characters were a little difficult to read and made me see some of my favourite characters differently. I know they had valid reasons to be the way they were and definitely redeemed themselves in the end, it still affected my reading experience.
It did feel like we were getting a lot of POV’s and way too much unnecessary drama.

On a more positive note, Audre and Bash’s friendship (+ more) was so cute to watch and follow along. I love characters with layered backstories so I enjoyed finally fully understanding their characters and how they respond to certain conflicts. I did personally relate to parts of Aubre’s character and loved seeing her go out of her comfort zone, and letting herself have some fun.

I wish this was a more positive review, I will always love this author and continue to read everything she publishes 🩷