My Return to the Walter Boys is the second book in the series and picks up where we last saw Jackie leaving to spend the summer in New York. Now that the summer is over, Jackie returns to the ranch that is full of mischief, chaos, and some real love drama. Needing to come to terms with her feelings for Cole is Jackies first priority but she needs to make sure she doesn’t hurt the family that she has grown to love so much.
This is a cute, quick fun read that is sure to put a smile on your face!
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for my ARC.

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.

I’ve been waiting for this book for so long and I’m so glad we finally have a sequel! I love these characters and the author did not disappoint in delivering a great story. Jackie is such an interesting character to me whom I love so much. This book is written really well and I enjoyed every moment.

Upon seeing this sequel, I was SO excited to see what happened with Jackie and the ranch!! And let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed - it was plenty of that same nostalgic, feel-good romcom energy from the first!

I thought Novak did a great job with this sequel, and she is a PRO at setting the scene and building a fictional world! It was easy to get lost in the description and envision myself there without it being too dragged out or taking away from the characters and main storyline. That being said, I felt like the plot was missing something...tension? Suspense? Everything flowed well but I found myself losing interest at times as there was no buildup or conflict that added to the plotline.

Overall, this was a cute, quick, and enjoyable read that made for a great sequel! Thanks so much for the ARC!

Ali Novak has done it again! My Return to the Walter Boys was the perfect follow up. I loved it! Pick it up now!

I enjoyed the first book in this series and was looking forward to reading the sequel. It didn't disappoint!

In this book, Jackie has returned to Colorado after spending the summer in New York, away from the Walter family and, in particular, away from Cole Walter. Will anything be the same when she returns or will time and distance have changed everything? When she returns for the new school year, Jackie finds many things have changed, including the attitudes of several of the Walter boys. The family dynamics are no longer the same and she needs to get to the bottom of what is going on with a number of the boys she now thinks of as family. She also has to face Cole who she purposely has kept at a distance over the summer.

A wonderful sequel which does justice to the continuing story, about a busy, loving family doing their best to work through all the issues that life throws their way. I loved that in this sequel, some of the characters path wasn't smooth which often reflects the reality of blended families. A great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the chance to read and review this book

3.5/5

Returning to the chaos, charm, and emotional whirlwind of the Walter household felt like diving back into a sun-drenched summer memory—equal parts nostalgic and unpredictable. Ali Novak’s sequel doesn’t just revisit familiar faces, it deepens them, and lets us sit with the messy, honest realities of growing up, grieving, and figuring out what (and who) we want.

Let’s talk Jackie. She’s a rollercoaster this time around—sometimes frustrating, sometimes relatable, but always real. Her grief and emotional whiplash aren't just plot devices; they’re part of her healing process. It’s not clean or linear, and that’s the point. Sure, there were moments I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and ask, “Girl, what do you actually want?” But the back-and-forth with Cole felt emotionally grounded. She’s not just navigating romance—she’s learning how to feel safe again. And speaking of Cole—this boy. A little older, a little wiser, and still utterly smitten. He’s grown since book one, taking more responsibility and showing a softer, more thoughtful side. Was I lowkey waiting for him to put up more of a fight when Jackie returned from New York? Absolutely. But even so, he brought the quiet kind of swoon that YA dreams are made of.

What really stood out in this sequel was the glow-up in worldbuilding. The scenes had this golden, almost cinematic quality to them—like snapshots of a summer you never had but wish you did. The vibes? Immaculate. Plus, side characters like Isaac and Nathan got the love they deserved, making the story feel bigger than just Jackie and Cole.

My one gripe? I wanted more tension. More stakes. More “oh no they didn’t” moments. The emotional beats were there, but the plot could’ve used a few extra curveballs to really keep me on edge. Still, My Return to the Walter Boys feels like catching up with old friends—chaotic, emotional, a little confusing, but ultimately worth the trip. Whether Novak was writing this as a natural continuation or subtly syncing with the show’s upcoming season, I’m just glad we got more of this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

After watching the first series, I knew I had to read the books. I'm content with how the book sorts out problems that the Walter family has. It definitely gives more insight into the other characters. I can easily say that Cole is a ride or die character. HAHA. Some of Jackie's fears were a little back and forth and seemed more childish than before, but I think it makes sense for a teenager.
I live for the mischief that the boys get into! I hope that I handle my kids' trouble as well as George and Katherine handle the Walter clan's. I have to say, one of my favorite aspects of the books is just to see how they punish the kids for a multitude of problems.
I really hope there is a book 3 because this book didn't seem quite finished. I'm really excited to see how the tv show puts this book into film.

I read "My Life with the Walter Boys" when it first came out, so a long time ago. This book does a good job of continuing the story, but I found that Jackie and Cole were somewhat immature and didn't communicate effectively. I loved revisiting some of the other characters, though, 3.25 stars for nostalgia!

rating 4 ⭐️

yes yes yes! this book definitely fed me more with the romance and more character stories and i loved jackie so much more this book. i love where this book leaves off it left me feeling very content.

honestly comparing this book and book one…cole in this book can GET IT ANYDAY. he’s so gentle and sweet to her. and does he have attitude sometimes…sure but that’s so relatable 😭

the only thing that got me was how finicky jackie was about what she wanted but i get it. doesn’t mean it didn’t irritate me though lmao. anywho i absolutely loved this. it was such a fun and refreshing read and a great continuation to something i started SO LONG AGO.

I was so excited to return to the Walter family after watching the first season of My Life With the Walter Boys! Then to get to be an ARC reader...I was STOKED! While the story didn't disappoint it also wasn't what I was hoping to see. It's a cliche story from the start but I love that about it because it brings the emotional side to it as well and give it more depth. While there was a lot of emotion in the second book I felt like the story line we know, and love was lacking. It was just a bit blah compared to what I wanted. I am a big Cole fan, and I struggled to picture and grasp the different moments they had at first with the community event and his clingy ways. Then to see the constant on one day and off the next relationship that they had somewhat ruined it for me. There is figuring yourself out before the happily ever after and then there is just playing games. A lot of this started with Cole not going to college. In my opinion by taking away the love triangle adding distance to the relationship could have helped but there just wasn't enough to the actual physical story just the emotional threads. I am excited to see how they portray this out in season 2 of the show and if we will see anything different. It was still a good story, and I would recommend it since a lot of my thoughts are opinionated, but I wouldn't rave about it to everyone I know! Hopefully we will see an exciting book 3 with the future shown at some point!

I have been waiting to know how this story continues! I was so excited to be selected to read this arc! It was cute and easy to read. I love how smooth and swoon worthy Cole is. I do feel like Cole and Jackie were both still very immature and a lot of their problems could have been solved just with simple communication. However, the ending was so sweet. And I loved that Jackie found a way to show Cole a part of her.

3.25 ⭐️ – Not bad, not amazing, just... there.

Okay so, My Return to the Walter Boys wasn’t terrible, but it definitely didn’t blow me away either. It had its moments—there were a few cute scenes that made me smile, and I’ll admit, the nostalgia factor of revisiting these characters almost made me emotional a couple times. Almost.
But let’s be real... this felt more like a sequel we didn’t need but got anyway. Like the kind you read because you’re already invested and curious, not because you're dying to know what happens next.
The pacing dragged in parts, and some character decisions had me internally screaming “WHY.” I’m all for angsty tension and complicated feelings, but some of the drama here felt a little forced and just didn’t hit the way it was probably meant to.
Also—and maybe it’s just me—but the magic that made The Walter Boys fun and chaotic in the first place? Kind of fizzled out here. I missed that spark.
Still, if you were obsessed with the first book and just need to see where everyone ends up, this might give you a tiny sense of closure. Just don’t go in expecting fireworks.
Would I re-read? Probably not.
Would I recommend? Only if you’re already deep in the Walter Boys world.

I have been waiting for this book ever since I read My Life with the Walter Boys a couple of years ago. It was nice to be back in Colorado with the Walter family. Jackie and Cole’s relationship was also developed well. I loved the chemistry and banter between them. It was also good to see Jackie working through her grief and developing more as a character.



Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC!

📖 𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙤𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝘼𝙡𝙞 𝙉𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙠

“𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘵? 𝘈𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘦, 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.”

This was such a fun and nostalgic read! I loved the original book but had so many questions after the ending. This story was great for showing us how everyone changed after a summer a part.

There was a ton of back and forth between Cole and Jackie. I think it’s pretty realistic that two teens would struggle with a long distance relationship on top of Jackie still trying to cope with her grief.

I love Cole, he has his issues and hang ups but at his core he cares about his family and Jackie so much. I love how he cares for his younger siblings.

This book definitely leaned more new adult in the spice category and I really liked that!

“𝘖𝘩, 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱,” 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴. “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘣𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴.”
“𝘖𝘣𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺, 𝘩𝘶𝘩?”
“𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘩, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴.” 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘵.
“𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭.”

Seeing all of the Walter’s again was awesome! I am so curious as to what’s going on with Isaac. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he gets his own book because I freaking love him.

If you loved the original book, it’s time to revisit the Walter’s!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
❤️‍🩹 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘴
✨ 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦
🤭 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
💌 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭
🫶🏼 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺
❤️‍🔥 𝘚𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵

What a fun sequel and return to Ali Novak's acclaimed Walter Boys series! I was actually anticipating this even more after I watched the series in comparison to the book, and I will say it was pretty nice!

I thought this book was alot of fun to read, and was an appropriate continuation of what Jackie and Cole were up to next.

Pros:

- The overall vibes and worldbuilding.

These aspects were alot of fun to read about because it has improved from the first book. The scenes and location were easy to visualize in my head, and the energy gave very summery, and the innocence of young teens in high school // beginning of college.

- Fleshed out side characters.

I think this book shows the characters in a more fleshed out way, especially for Issac and Nathan who are still trying their best to navigate the world in the best way they can with the inner and outer turmoils they face.

- Cole.

A typical teenage // YA hearthrob just trying his best to make a life for himself and the girl he is head over heels for. He has also improved alot for the first book, at least for his age and taking accountability for the direction he wants to go Although, I do wish he fought for Jackie a little bit harder after she came back from New York. I mean, if someone ghosted me, I would want to know why. But, the cirumstances of Jackie's life make it completely understandable.

Cons:

Jackie's attitude and motivations.

Jackie was ia bit of a rollercoaster character to read throughout this book, especially her overall motives.

At first, she doesn't want a relationship with Cole at all because of her past family trauma, but then, she wants all the benefits of being with Cole without being in a relationship? I thought this was really werid because about 50% of the time, I was like, dude Jackie. What is it you actually want and should communicate better? Don't get me wrong, the interactions of Cole and Jackie are very very cute, I just wish there was a bit more sense put into Jackie's character.

Overall, this was a 3,5 stars. I wish there was more hurdles for Jackie and Cole to overcome so more angst and tension was added to the plot, but it was a decent follow up to the first book!

Now that the show has been renewed for a second season, I was so excited when I found out that Ali Novak is releasing a second book to the Walter Boys series!!😍😍😍

After spending her summer in New York, Jackie comes back to live with the Walters at the ranch in time for the new school year to begin. The whole point of her going to New York was to get some space and spend some time in her hometown. Now that's she back, she's forced to see one person again...Cole Walter. After their goodbye kiss, Jackie does not know where things will go from here. Jackie cut communication throughout the summer because being in her hometown meant facing the grief of losing her family one-on-one, it was a lot to handle. But now that they'll be living under one roof, Jackie has no choice but to face Cole. As much as Jackie may be into Cole, what if things don't work out, and Jackie loses the Walter family altogether due to her failed relationship with Cole? Jackie feels she has to decide between Cole and the Walter family...or does she? Maybe Jackie's just afraid of falling in love after everything she's been through? As if that's not enough, there's been more chaos than usual when it comes to the Walter family. Nathan doesn't run anymore? Isaac is acting more rebellious than usual...hmmm. Is Alex in a new relationship? READ THIS BOOK TO FIND OUT. IT WAS SO NICE TO READ ABOUT THE WALTER BOYS AGAIN😍😍😍

I ALSO RECOMMEND THE FIRST BOOK TO THE WALTER BOYS SERIES IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT YET.

With the way the first book ended—and season one of the show—I’ll admit I’ve been DYING to get back into this world, and this second book absolutely did not disappoint. Jackie continues to be one of the strongest, young FMCs I’ve ever read, and the Walter family continues to be absolutely chaotic in the best possible way. I loved seeing how everyone had grown up in the months Jackie was gone, how relationships grew and faltered. All around, YA romance lovers will absolutely devour these books!

The second installment of the My Life With the Walter Boys series was an engaging read that paired well with the first book in the series. The emotional insight into the characters is well developed in this novel. I loved how Ali Novak expanded the depth of the characters beyond what was present in the first book. The intensity and chemistry of the relationship between Cole and Jackie increased throughout the book leading to an emotional final chapter when they finally made up. After reading this book, I am looking forward to watching the second season of the Netflix adaptation of this series!

I absolutely adore this series - I devoured this book, and it's such a cute, fun, drama-filled adventure - and set in Colorado, so what more can you ask!

My Return to the Walter Boys follows Jackie as she returns to Colorado following a summer of grieving and rediscovering herself in New York. With Alex now in a relationship and Cole wanting more from her, Jackie must once against balance her grief, future goals, and the feelings of all 14 Walter Boys in this exciting but drama-filled book.

I absolutely love this universe and was so thrilled to hear another book was coming out. Jackie feels super relatable to me, and I think a lot of the lessons she learns were lessons I needed post-grad, so it's both fun and enlightening to watch her go on this journey. I have always been Team Cole, but all the Walters are such sweethearts and I just want to live in Colorado with them all.

Overall, I had a great time reading this YA book - if you're looking for a book about finding yourself and overcoming grief alongside friendship and relationship drama, you would love this one - the gorgeous setting is just an added bonus.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks fire for the arc copy.