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.

My Return to the Walter Boys is just as good as the first one! I loved the romance, real life struggles, and the awareness it brings in how we all struggle with difficult situations in different ways.

After a summer in New York, Jackie returns to Colorado unsure of what her future holds in her relationship with Cole. When she returns, she is met with surprising reactions from a few of the Walter boys. Jackie must confront her grief of losing her family head on, as well as navigate the relationships with those that are close to her.

This is a great, quick read that left me wondering what will happen next!

The next chapter in My Life with the Walter Boys is almost here! My Return to the Walter boys comes out on Tuesday and I got the chance to read it in advance.

I knew about this book because my daughters love the show on Netflix and can’t wait for the next season to come out. We watched it together and so when I saw this available on Net Galley, I requested it right away.

Jackie is back on the ranch after spending her summer in NYC with Danny. She tries to readjust and navigate the murky waters of grief and relationships. Her and Cole have that same magnetic push and pull towards each other, and we start to see a sweeter side of his come out in this story.🥰

I primarily read romance novels, so this was like a fun palate cleanser- YA but it explores some harder themes, and had a little borderline spice I’d say- I was surprised it talked in detail about a few sexual encounters- nothing terrible, but it was a little more than I expected.

I am looking forward to seeing season 2 on Netflix! According to google, it should be coming out this year! 🤩

Themes:
❤️ Found Family
❤️ First Love
❤️ Coming of Age
❤️ High School
❤️ Small Town
❤️ Grumpy-Sunshine


Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 2

Thank you to Ali Novak, Source Books Fire, and Net Galley for the ARC copy!

At first, I was really looking forward to reading this book because I enjoyed the first book and the show. However, this one fell a little flat for me. The writing fell flat and was very surface level. I love Cole and Jackie, so reading about them was definitely rewarding, especially after the first book. I really wanted to love it, but the writing was subpar and took away from my overall enjoyment of the book. I would rate it a 3/5 stars because the plot was good, but the execution fell short.

Jackie & the Walter boys are back!.

I watched the tv show and then read book 1 (which was great) so obviously I needed to read book 2 as soon as possible. This book is perfect for young adults or adults looking for a good easy read that is heartfelt as well as exciting! This isn't my typical genre I would normally go for but I loved this series and can't wait for season 2 of the show!

This book is exactly the follow that I needed after the first one (and the series!)...and now I need ANOTHER follow up! I loved the characters in this book as much as I did in the first. The twists and turns of an adolescent relationship that may have staying power made my heart so happy and invested! We need another one, Ali Novak!

This follow up to My Life With the Walter Boys sees Jackie return to Colorado after being in New York for the summer. When Jackie left, she and Cole Walter had just admitted their feelings for each other, but returning to her family apartment in NYC brings up unresolved grief for Jackie, and she's not sure how to navigate her sadness and her feelings for Cole, causing her to shut him out for most of the time she's gone. When she returns, things are just as crazy as ever at the Walter house. Will Jackie be able to manage her feelings for Cole, her fear of losing another family, and her grief all at once?

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book!

This book felt like it picked right up where the first book left off. It was a great way to wrap up the story of Jackie and Cole!

Like many readers, my first introduction to Ali Novak's Walter Boys was the Netflix series based on it. I had no idea that it was fanfiction which had then been published after finding success online and likewise had no idea that fans of the original work had been clamoring for the sequel for so long. I'm glad I didn't have quite so long to wait.

Novak's writing has been polished in the intervening years and it was nice to return to Jackie and her complicated life. I am so eager to see My Return to the Walter Boys adapted and I hope that the ending leaves room for more Jackie in the future.

Full disclosure: I watched the Netflix series instead of reading Book 1. I could tell there were differences in the narratives, but I don't think that affected my enjoyment of My Return to the Walter Boys. This book was really cute! Great dialogue, some very funny moments, and the ups and downs of the teen romance kept the story moving. I particularly appreciated what a sulky little twerp Cole was at times, as I'm a sucker for flawed characters. I did think it ended a little abruptly--an epilogue would have been satisfying--but it left me wanting more, which can only be a good thing, right?

i think i would’ve enjoyed this book a lot more when i was younger, but at 22 it just felt very frustrating. obviously their relationship was more on the immature side because they’re literally teenagers, but a lot of it was just too geared towards a younger audience for me to enjoy. i like ali novak’s writing, and the book wasn’t bad, i’m just outgrowing YA romance 💔

First, I really did enjoy this book. The only reason why I won't be purchasing it for the teen collection at my library is because the teen librarian didn't purchase "My Life with the Walter Boys." With that being said, I was expecting more from this book. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I just felt like not a lot happened. We learned so much about the Walter family in the first book, and I felt like all of the family members were just kind of brushed over this go around, especially Nathan. I just wish things were flushed out more. If Novak plans on writing another installment then I take this all back. Maybe she'll flush out some things in the third book?

This was a page turner! I couldn’t stop reading it. Ali Novak’s writing style will keep you wanting more and more of the story. This reminded me of my teenage years, what a great narrative!. The story is very realistic and doesn’t sound like “that would never happen in real life” at all. The main plot between Jackie and Cole is captivating, however the subplots are not weak at all. Nathan’s and Isaac’s characters are very round and will make you want to know more about their lives. I recommend this book to anyone who like YA books and teenage romance with challenges.
I’m giving a 4.5/5 stars because the end of the book was very rushed for me. While I don’t know if there will be a third book, it felt like something was missing.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooksfire for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.
This book will be published on April 15th, 2025. Don’t miss out, it is worth every page!

In 2016, discovered this author.
It's been nearly 10 years since devoured "My Life with the Walter Boys" and her other series, Heartbreak Chronicles.

A testament to how much I enjoyed her writing was to maintain her name on my "ATF" (Authors to Follow) list. Despite the years that have flown by, her name remained in the hopes that future novels would make its way to readers.

Then this book came out...

She's grown up so much-Jackie, since we first met her. There's a level of emotional maturity and an introspection that appreciate in this character. Enjoyed her interaction with the Walter cousins and brother who had their own stories to share. The way the book ended seemed to imply a continuation of sorts in the series. Fingers crossed !

This ARC was provided by the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS Fire | Sourcebooks Fire , via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a perfect sequel to My Life with the Walter Boys. Every scene either picked up where we last left off in the story or explained the backstory enough that you wouldn’t have to necessarily read the first book. The story was easy to picture in my head and kept me engaged all the way to the end. This would be a great book for a mature high schooler or young adult.

This one just wasn't doing it for me personally. It was written very well, but I just feel there wasn't enough substance to the story. I know it's YA, but it felt very juvenile. There was a lot of arguing, drama.
So much back, and forth that I just didn't like, nor felt was needed really. Jackie really seems to date a lot within the Walter House. I feel like Nathan would better suit her. He seems less drama, complicated, and they seem to really click well. Personally I didn't care for the book as much as I thought I would. That's not to say this wouldn't be a great book for someone else. Just wasn't my cup of tea. But I'm very grateful for the early reading opportunity. Also want to make note that the reading level is 14-18 years. I do feel the topics covered is more 16 years and up depending on your parental opinion. Does cover some adult topics that I personally wouldn't let my 14 year old read about just yet.

Finally a sequel!! I have been waiting for one for what feels like eternity and thankfully this did not disappoint. For me this was the perfect way to tidy everything up. It was the perfect amount of romance and angst I had come to expect with the Walter boys.

Thank you Ali Novak, Sourcebooks Publishing, and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC. I read My Life With the Walter boys when I was in high school and loved it, so I was SO excited to get my hands on this. I had such a fun time reading this. It was just so nice to see all the characters again, and see what they were up to. I was also very happy to see more of Jackie and Cole. Like in the first book, they had such good chemistry and banter. I loved to see them finally get their timing right, and be happy together. It was also nice to get to learn more about some of the other Walter boys. I again, an so glad that I got to read this. My high school self is very happy right now!

Alvi Novak did an amazing conclusion to “My Life With the Walter Boys”. It’s a great YA novel that dips into grief, love, family and friendship. The story is overall light hearted and a nice pleasant read. There was more character insight to some of the “Walter Boys” you may have not learned much about in book 1, but also some insight into other characters you already love. Cough Cole cough.

I did feel like the book was slightly rushed, sitting at roughly 200 pages it was a very quick read and things could have been drawn out more. I do feel that this series could have been one big book.

I very much enjoyed this book! I loved the first book in the series and the TV show. It has such a fun, romantic, lighthearted story with some serious topics and hardship. I really enjoyed getting to see Jackie grow and learn more about herself while working through her grief. All while trying to figure out her love life. It’s fun to see her opening up and getting more comfortable and sassy with the family.