I really wanted to like this because as a fellow book lover I was interested in reading about a character that also loves books. I am also trying to read more books with queer rep in then to diversify more but I found this a bit too slow for my liking.

I wish there had been a bit more indication of when povs swapped and a in the digital version, more differientation and better formatting for the emails. The big walls of closely spaced text was a bit hard to read at times.

I did like how in their email exchanges they really opened up and were able to find a friendship in that. I also like that their in person relationship was also able to slowly flourish after a somewhat rough start.

Overall, it wouldn’t be something I reread again but I enjoyed the diverse rep in this book.

I picked this up on a whim because Mackenzie loved it and also the author is the conversation partner at the Meryl Wilsner event I'm going to tomorrow, and I am SO glad I did. This was truly just a phenomenal book, I loved all these characters and their relationships with one another and what it had to say about family and just everything.

This one was a banger! I was hooked right from the disaster meet-cute.

Absolutely loved Yael and Ravi. It's classic enemies to lovers with some hidden identity (think You've Got Mail). I liked the showing of their relationship between Yael & Ravi and Elle & Kevin. The emails between Elle & Kevin were delightful while Yael & Kevin were romcom enemies to lovers goodness. Both characters felt realistic and readers are going to love them. The development of the romance was fantastic.

The amount of representation here is great. There's a diverse cast, queer rep and mental health rep too. I think the author did a fabulous job presenting these too. They were natural to the story and didn't feel like checking off a box.

Overall, a very enjoyable read!

I am still not entirely sure how much I enjoy podcasts/radio shows as an element in movies,
But I had a good time with this and will definitely check out more work from this author

Wasn’t a fan of this story, unfortunately. The writing just wasn’t my style. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

delightful! the real life/online aspect was balanced well and i loved the tension. really fun cast of characters, especially the kids. the third act, post-conflict, dragged a bit, especially since the beginning and middle were so fun. enjoyed the mental health rep and importance of family!!

When Yael wakes up to a man sneaking out her bedroom window, she does what any normal girl would do: berate him for ghosting her roommate. When this same man shows up to volunteer at the new queer book club in the high school library she works at, she is forced to work with him and accept his help. What she doesn't know is that Ravi is also Kevin, the guy she hired to help edit her podcast (which is also made under her own alias). As their secret identities begin to fall for each other, their IRL ones learn to put aside their differences and see each other as peers, and maybe even friends.

Rachel Runya Katz spins a heartfelt romance into a literal "laugh out loud" rom-com. Ravi and Yael are two strong personalities that learn to mesh together in such beautiful ways. They are beautiful representations of so many identities, showing how intersectional these communities are and how they all impact each other in different ways.

A very fun romance! I enjoyed the alternating perspectives, and the mistaken identity hijinx. I found myself rooting for the couple at this novel's center, and was satisfied with the conclusion.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rachel Runya Katz for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I went into this book a little blind but it quickly became an obsession. The emails back and forth made it so easy to binge. I loved the banter between Yael and Ravi both online & in person from the moment they met. Despite not reading a lot of books with LGBTQ representation in it to date, I do think this portrayed it beautifully (and within a school setting). Especially knowing that Yael is a High School librarian who creates a queer teen book club that she wishes existed when she was their age. I was also not expecting storylines focused on family, self discovery, and mental health weaved into the plot but I’m glad it did as it added lots of realness/depth into the book.

FYI the book is written in 3rd tense which I don’t typically gravitate towards. However, I am a sucker for a good dual POV.

5/5 stars ⭐️

I had the time of my life with this one, and cannot stop thinking about Yael and Ravi. This had all my favorite tropes, with the obvious one being hidden identity. The premise of it was interesting from the start and execution was everything I wanted. This is my first book by this author and I was genuinely blown away with how addicting of a read it was.

Yael is a high school librarian who runs an afterschool LGBTQ book club and has a “secret” podcast under the pseudonym, Elle. Elle hires Kevin (Ravi) as her “off-site” podcast editor to help ease the workload. The book starts off with a hilarious not-so meet-cute between Yael and Ravi that leads to them mutually hating each other. Then Yael discovers Ravi is the book club’s new volunteer and has to work with him. The fact that neither of them is aware they’re also working with each other’s podcast counterparts is what made this such a fun read🤭

I absolutely loved Yael and Ravi’s relationship. They have a classic enemies to lovers start in the story, but are obviously complete opposites as their podcast counterparts (who only communicated via email).

I also really appreciated the diversity in this book, the mental health rep, and exploration of queer identity through BIPOC characters in the public school system (which has always been relevant to current events).

The email threads as Elle/Kevin were an absolute treat and the interactions felt so natural as they became comfortable with each other. At the same time, Yael and Ravi also slowly start to understand each other through the book club interactions.

They were both so realistic and I couldn’t help but grow attached to them. Both Yael and Ravi’s experiences with their queer identity were different but I loved how they were comfortable in talking about it. The chemistry between them was absolutely sizzling and that buildup was so natural and satisfying. I loved how they communicated each other too. The third act conflict was tolerable because they were mature about navigating the issue and there were circumstances out of their control.

The eventual identity reveals were done so well and the author was so clever in pacing it perfectly. The title of book really delivered because everything was so obvious but neither Yael or Ravi had a clue until the clear signs.

I adored the references to the queer and diverse books they discussed in the book club and all the characters were so lovable! The family dynamics were wholesome and it was so touching to see Ravi’s interactions with Suresh and Mia. The only things I would loved to see more of was Yael’s family interactions and real podcast snippets because most of that happened off the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and the author for this ARC!

3.5 ⭐️

This is such a fun & quick read. I really enjoyed the writing and thought the characters / development was strong. However, something didn’t click for me unfortunately. I loved this more towards the beginning, but as I continued, I kinda wanted it to move a little quicker. Nonetheless, I recommend this!

Thank you to SMP for the advanced copy!

4.5/5

I don't think this is like a 4.5 star book that is going to stick with me FOREVER, but I had a great time reading it and I don't have any major complaints!

I am a sucker for two people who befriend each other online (here it is a tad different but basically online) and then don't like each other IRL. It was done so well here and I found the communication between these two to be so good?! Even though they don't share this ONE MAJOR THING like all the small moments that could built into issues they handled so maturely and I just loved it.

This is a very character driven novel, like plot??? what plot??? but I had a great time.

I will say 3rd present is not my favorite POV choice, but I liked this book enough to power through it!!

This book was SO good I just couldn’t put it down. The way Yael and Ravi would truly dislike each other in person while falling for each other via email was just so fun and (surprisingly) angsty that I just ate it up! The characters felt very genuine and we got to see both the good and the imperfect in them and that just made them really relatable. I was really rooting for them all the way and couldn’t stop reading. The story was simple but deep, without unnecessary drama and lots of fun! Highly recommend reading it!!

Side note: I might’ve not been the perfect target for this book as I don’t really enjoy heavy, real-life issues discussed in books, but I still really enjoyed it and loved the way these topics were presented.

3/5 stars

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I was having a great time reading the first third of the story. Then, I started getting bored as I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry between our two main characters, Ravi and Yael.

This was not a bad book, but it was not for me. I can see why people would enjoy it though!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

When you read a couple dozen romance books a year, you always hope (but never expect) to pick up one that really /really/ wows you. And Isn't It Obvious really /really/ wowed me.

There's nothing I can add to the premise of this book that I think you need to know past what is provided in the book summary, so just believe me when I say it's as good as it sounds. I miss Yael and Ravi already. :')

Isn't It Obvious felt like a love letter to Portland, OR. I rarely read books set in places I know and love, and feel the city is represented well. But I could vividly imagine Yael and Ravi on their various excursions around town. I'm almost scared of the potential this book has to make the wait for breakfast at Stepping Stone even longer than it already is.

Reading Isn't It Obvious felt like being wrapped up on the couch with my favorite snacks while watching a late 90s, early 2000s rom-com for the 100th time. It's hard to capture the magic of rom-coms from that era, but Katz nailed it and modernized it in a believable way. If there's a book I've read in the past few years that I want to see on the big screen, it's this one.

Feeling super grateful for the opportunity to read this book. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

What an absolute gem of a romcom! Isn’t It Obvious? is heartfelt, witty, and delightfully queer in all the best ways. I fell head over heels for Yael and Ravi from page one. This is one of those romances where you just know they’re meant to be together, and the anticipation is half the fun.

The writing sparkled with charm and authenticity. Katz has such a knack for witty banter and emotional nuance and it felt like the characters leapt right off the page. Yael and Ravi’s dynamic had me smiling, swooning, and even tearing up. And don’t even get me started on the queer book club scenes; they were pure serotonin. 🥹🌈

I also loved the layered diversity woven throughout the book. From queer representation to the cultural identities and mental health conversations, it was all handled with so much care and respect. It never felt tokenized; it just felt real.

This book flew by, and I already can’t wait to read more from Rachel Runya Katz. If you love the You’ve Got Mail trope, emotional depth, and swoony romance with a side of found family, you need this on your TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Runya Katz, and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC of this book.

This was such a cute romcom. Love the diversity of characters and LGBTQ+ representation. The scenes in the queer book club melted my heart.

The writing was so quick and witty and the characters felt so real and nuanced on the page. You are rooting for Ravi and Yael from the beginning and I sped through this story. Can’t wait to read more from the author!

Um. Wow. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! I could not get enough of Ravi and Yael! This really portrays real personal challenges and traumas in such a tender way. Rachel Runya Katz wrote this with so much care that you can feel it coming off the pages. I also loved that it accurately portrayed Portland! I’ll be buying this one in October and you should too 🫶🏼

This is a beautiful book but not quite for me. I found the writing style a little disruptive to my experience both in pacing and telling instead of showing. I also felt like there was perhaps a little much going on in this romance - the characters were very complex (which is great!) but giving plot points to every one of their qualities felt distracting and disruptive to the flow. That being said, I do love the characters and the amount of representation! This should be the norm! The "You've Got Mail" / email format is also very fun and I enjoyed the added layers it gave the story.