This was perfect!
This is one book I have been looking forward to and it didn't disappoint at all!
I geniunely did not think it would be as good as it was but alas I was wrong lol

I hope more is in store!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Finally answers to all of those burning questions we have all had since book one! The Netflix show only served to remind every one of how much was left unsaid and now finally we have the story we have been waiting for. In true reader fashion I must admit, I want more!

Just as good as the first one. Oh my gosh.

This is an exceptional duology that everyone needs to read! I could not put down either of the books!!

My life with the Walter Boys is my favorite read of the year so far! Thank you, Ali Novak! You know what you're doing!

I loved the dirt racing element in this book!! Considering my dad is a dirt race car driver, and I spend so much of my time at race tracks, I loved reading about it! I've never read a book where they went to a race track!!

Thank you, NetGalley.com, for the arc!! Make sure you guys check this book out when it releases on April 15th!!

Book one was great for my middle school readers, however this book moves into a high school territory.

When I first read My Life with the Walter Boys, I really enjoyed it. Maybe it was when I was reading it or the mood I was in, but the story was decent and I was able to look past Jackie choosing to not only date someone in the house where she was living but also to pit brothers against each other. Not so this time. The writing is good and certainly better than other Wattpad to published author conversions I have read that gained traction because of being brought to the small screen (ahem, Kissing Booth). And maybe the Netflix show had something to do with upping the creepy factor, but I just really struggled to enjoy the characters and the story. Jackie drove me nuts. Sure, she is still grieving, but she managed to grieve all through the first book and still start romances; this time, she seems to use her grief as a crutch to avoid feelings.

Cole was a true saint in his patience and willingness to help Jackie through all of this. I mean, he wasn't perfect by a long shot. But he seems to have grown up a bit more than she has and, as a result, came across as a more sympathetic character. The other thing that irritated me and contributed to my 1 star rating was that this felt sooooo long and drawn out. Very little really happens in this story and I wanted so much more meat,

All in all, a disappointment. I am not going to be reading more of the series after this. For someone who really enjoyed the first book, this may be enough to keep you satisfied. Just wasn't for me. And definitely do start with book 1 if you are new to the series, even if you watched the show and want to read on from the first season.

I am so glad that Ali Novak wrote a sequel to My Life with the Walter Boys! It was honestly everything I hoped it would be, too. I loved how the relationships have grown and developed and how Jackie was welcomed into the Walter family. I really enjoyed reading it and if you liked the first one, you’ll most likely like My Return to the Walter Boys, as well!

I was given an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

I was so excited to see Jackie's story continue! Watching her come to terms with her grief and allowing herself to feel it felt very authentic. Her core personality traits rang true as she struggled with her feelings for Cole and the rest of his family. I wish there was more clarification at the end, it felt like it just dropped off abruptly without wrapping up, but also without being a cliffhanger. Parker's sister relationship with Jackie was precious and I wanted more Jackie and Katherine moments! I want to see this story continue on, following Jackie through college!

Thank you NetGalley & Ali Novak for the ARC! I flew through this book and its first book in less than 24 hours- needless to say that I loved it! I liked the long awaited continuation of Jackie and Cole’s story- as well as seeing how Jackie helped the Walter siblings through their troubles, and just really became part of the family! I felt like everything just tied up in a sweet bow- aside from the fact that there was far too little of Danny :,). GREAT. READ.

I loved following the continuation of Jackie’s new life with the Walter’s! I recently read the first book and rewatched the show because I didn’t remember everything & there was a lot of differences but I still really enjoyed both! Im genuinely curious if this book was written just out of how Ali Novak wanted the story to continue, or if she wrote it similar to how season two of the show will go! I am excited to see the next season hit & to compare, but aside from that, I really enjoyed My Return To The Walter Boys and loved the direction it took!

There was a lot of back and forth between Jackie & Cole, and I know that’s usually where people get annoyed, but in my opinion it makes sense. Jackie is still grieving and was trying to figure out her own emotions before jumping into a relationship, after realizing thats what she was doing, and I respect that. She had her priorities of healing and was doing the best she could for her circumstances and managing her fears. There is no right way to grieve and at the end of the day, her story is more than just about the romance along the way, so I did not mind the back and forth because it showed the reality of ups & downs that people can face internally while grieving.

I loved seeing the sweet side of Cole the whole time, and I am very curious to see where the story continues to go if more books come out!

I give this book 3.5/5 complicated boyfriends!

I was excited to get the opportunity to read this book as an arc from NetGalley. I’ve read the first book and watched the TV show. Cole and Jackie are a pretty frustrating couple, but then I must remind myself they are also supposed to be 16 and 18 so I should probably cut them some slack.

This novel is super fast paced, I read through it in one day, which can we attributed to Ali’s writing. I was hooked from chapter one and I was rooting for our characters to work it out. My only issues with this book is the whiplash you get from both Jackie and Cole in regard to their relationship and each other, but return to my earlier comment, they are supposed to be kids. And I know when I was 16 I was hopeless!

Highlights of this story include;
The visit to the thrift shop
A phone call with Danny
Jackie working through her grief
Literally every time Isaac is present on the page. He is everything!

Fun read! Has me excited for season two of the show.

It was so good getting back into the world of the Walter Boys. This follow up to her "My Life with the Walter Boys" did a great job bringing you right back into the storyline.

It took me a moment to remember all the characters from the first book, and this story felt disjointed and forced for me. It was hard to understand Jackie’s reasoning for being on and off with Cole, and her moments with Isaac were too chaotic. But overall it was nice to be back with the Walter family. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an advanced copy.

Reread My Life with the Walter Boys before reading this one, which helped since I hadn't read it since at least 2015 or so.

I can tell it was written to sort of feed off the hype of the Netflix series (which I still haven't watched). I felt about it the same way I felt about most companion novels: I liked it for what it was, but didn't feel like it was necessary. I mean, it's been 13 years since the first book came out, so...

I did like how we delved into Jackie's grief. I remember rereading the first book and wondering more and more about that part of her life, so this companion novel did that well. I did get tired of the back and forth with Cole and his whole attitude and approach to just about everything. I honestly wanted Jackie to end up alone and work on herself. Maybe she did because I read a couple of ARCs off my Kindle when I didn't have a chance to catch up on reviews. Take that as you will.

Thanks, NG!

This book felt kind of forced. Like because of the tv series a second one had to be written. There was a lot of fluff in it and it just didn’t flow well. I also struggled with Jackie not wanting to be in a relationship because she needed to figure out her own stuff, to just suddenly being in one. It frustrated me that she wasn’t allowed to take the time she needed. I can usually read YA, but this one missed the mark for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

My Return to the Walter Boys by Ali Novak, is the sequel to My Life with the Walter Boys.
Jackie spent the summer in New York, and now she's back with the Walter family for the new schoolyear.
Much has chenged over the summer, but some things stayed the same.
Cole graduated from highschool, works at a garage and is off to college soon. Jackie enters her junior year at highschool, is still grieving her family and finding here footing.
A beautiful story about teenager with astounding maturity, a wonderful sequel to a fantastic first book. I recommend the book that deserves all the stars.

This book truly encapsulates teenage romance and how confusing love may be to teens. The grief in this book is portrayed well. Jackie is sculpted to be a more brave and independent person than the first book, and I really love seeing that growth.

I totally loved this book! It was a great sequel, so easy to read, I couldn't put it down. I'm definitely checking out the author's other stuff. Now I'm so hyped for the next Netflix season (if there is one)!

Imagine getting a continuation of a story 12 years later... Well, here you don’t have to—it just happened!

Let's start with the fact that I absolutely adore the TV show, and I read the original novel only days before the Netflix premiere. So when I saw My Return to the Walter Boys on NetGalley? I almost choked on nothing.

This book picks up right where the first one ends, then jumps ahead to the end summer—and honestly, it felt so nice knowing Ali Novak got the chance to revisit the Walter House and give us more.

To be completely honest, to me Cole and Jackie's relationship in this book was too emotional-swings-like? The letter tho? PLEASE!

You know who did not disappoint? ISAAC! If you know, you know, but let’s just say… here? He’s spicyyy!

A huge Thank You to NetGalley, SOURCEBOOKS Fire and Ali Novak for the ARC! It was so nice to step back into this world.

Thank you netgallery and to the author for this arc copy. This is my first ever arc.. so this is really special to me🥰
I give this book 3 stars! I still liked and enjoyed it very much! I read this book as a kid almost 11 years ago! And being able to read the 2nd book 11 years later I felt like a kid again lol! It’s also 3 stars because I’m not much of a YA reader it felt like it’s for the younger ones but I really wanted to know what happened from the ending of the first book and series. The tv show is a huge comfort show for me.

I enjoyed the relationship between Jackie and Cole for it to build up. I do feel like the ending was a little rushed. I wanted more details and more to the story what happens next…

I can’t wait to see how Netflix season 2 plays out


Favorite Quotes:

"Then there are days when you smile at me and I just...forget. All the pain fades away, and that makes me feel so damn guilty. How can I be heartbroken in one moment and happily kissing you the next?"

"You pushed through the pain so you could stay In the moment with me, and that means something,
Jackie."

"No, listen. This is gonna sound cheesy, but being with you makes me feel right in a way I haven't felt since playing football,"

If you liked the original story, My Life with the Walter Boys, then you will enjoy this book as well. This second book in the series picks up right where the original ended. Life is even more chaotic than the last book, and the drama never seems to end. It’s a fun read that will keep you hooked.