This book had me grinning cheek to cheek!! Such a fun and cute YA . YA is usually hit or miss for me as an adult because i feel like sometimes the characters feel almost too young and whiney, but that was not the case at all with Audre and Bash!! Both of their personal struggles felt so realistic and well executed. The mother/daughter teenage relationship was protested SO well and felt so reminiscent of my own teenage years. All around a lovely read!!

and MEGA bonus points for the audiobook!! both of our narrators were FABULOUS and i loved the dual narration!! petition for every book ever to have dual narration for real.

I’m going to start off with saying that I had no idea that Audre & Eva first appeared in Seven Days in June. This fact did not stop me from enjoying the book but did make me run out & check out the book so I can stay in this world a little while longer.

This was such a cute book that I had trouble putting it down. Both Audre and Bash felt like real teens making real teen decisions.

I recommend this book to both teens & adults, it is the perfect book to read on a summer afternoon.

Actual rating: 3.5☆

<i>Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing an ALC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

This was a really good upper ya romance, interesting characters that you could root for with undeniable chemistry and really good banter.

I just have to say the adults in this story sucked, and I did not know they were the main characters from seven days in June. Basically, I kind of despise them now, so I think that book is ruined for me.

Anyways I think this book had a great balance between the fun, light-hearted moments and the emotionally and heavy ones.

I won't spoil the book, but I disliked the third act break up (like always), but I got resolved quickly, and at least it was because of exterior reasons.

Audiobook: It was great, loved that it had two narrators and they were really good changing their voices depending on the character.

Tia Williams is a masterclass! You can't go wrong with her work. I love that we get to see more of Audre in this spinoff off of Six Days in June. I'll read anything that Tia Williams writes! Note for fans of Six Days in June -- this is a YA book!

I was gifted an audiobook ARC of this book through Netgalley. I voluntarily read it and am leaving an honest review.

I LOVED Audre in Seven Days in June and it was so great seeing her a bit older navigating life. You do not have to read Seven Days in June to read and understand this book. If you didn't read Seven Days in June you'll learn about the family history as Audre does which I thought was a really cool way to do things. This was very relatable and fun to read.

The audiobook narration was well done. No audiobook complaints.

I was excited about this book when it was announced since Audre was my favorite part about Seven Days in June. (Well besides being able to relate to Eva and her migraines.) I said I could wait til after pub day to read it but when the stellar early reviews started to pour in, I knew I couldn't wait! I'm so glad I listened when I did because it was the perfect little pick me up! We already Tia Williams knows how to write a rom-com but a young adult one? Well, she nailed it! I was shaking my head at perfectionist Audre, blushing at Bash, and yelling at Eva! I had a good old time with this one. Williams can surely pull all of the those emotions from me along with laughter! The audiobook production was top tier! The casting was perfect. Just like I would have imagined what those characters sounded like. Plus, the special additions like the texting sound effects just wrapped in a bow for me. Would highly recommend for teens and adults alike! Can't wait to read whatever's next for Williams!

4.25

Audre & Bash Are Just Friends is the kind of book that makes you shout “JUST KISS ALREADY” about 42 times before realizing, oh right, feelings are hard. Audre is a messy, brilliant Black bi girl recovering from heartbreak and planning her future. Bash is a poet-boy with more baggage than an international flight, and a fear of ruining a good thing, which is precisely what their maybe-something friendship is.

They bond over food and the comforting chaos of shared trauma, all while ignoring the fact that they’re obviously falling in love. It’s a slow burn with sharp edges, featuring mental health themes, identity exploration, and lots of “will they/won’t they” tension that’s less Ross & Rachel and more therapy & tacos.

Overall, it’s heartfelt, tender, and messy in all the right ways. You’ll root for them, cry with them, and maybe text your own “just a friend” after.

Audre & Bash Are Just Friends was such a fun, heartfelt read! Tia Williams really nailed the teen voice, and I loved how she touched on real stuff like family, friendship, and mental health without it ever feeling heavy. Audre and Bash had me really invested in them separately and together. It’s the kind of YA that feels super real but still has humor and heart. Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

Wow I was so suprised to love this because I was not expecting to come into this book and be prepared for YA but I was blown away. Audre is my girl and is so relatable and Bash my bookie I hate what he has gone through, but he's such a great and supportive character. I didn't like how it felt like a 180 degree flip with Shane and Eva as parents, especially since her dad also abandoned her and it never really got better. But overall, would highly recommend and it was a fun read.

Tia Williams created such a unique Seven Days In June spinoff with Audre & Bash Are Just Friends!

I adored that this is an interconnected standalone as it was fun getting to revisit characters I already knew within an altogether new light and context. Although Seven Days In June was an adult romance, this is a YA story featuring Eva's daughter, Audre, and Bash, Audre's “fun consultant” turned love interest.

I know this should be all teen angst-y but I didn't appreciate Audre's view of Eva. Although their conflict was very true to life, I didn't enjoy it within this story and felt it would cause more harm than good to Audre long term (and was maybe slightly out of character for Eva). Although this is very on-trend within the world Williams has created for the Mercy women, this YA is substantially steamier and drug laden than I would necessarily agree with. Undoubtedly, younger readers will be able to easily relate to the heartbreak which is perfectly portrayed.

Use of this third person perspective is such a hard reach to feel chemistry and connection, and I wish this was written from a first person narrative instead. The random perspectives added from Audre's best friend took me out of the main story of the budding relationship between Audre and Bash. I did thoroughly enjoy that readers got both Audre and Bash's perspectives, which I can especially see being a benefit for younger readers.

I loved that there were dual narrators, especially as I haven't read many (any?) YA books that are performed in this way. Jordan Cobb and Torian Brackett were great choices - sounding age-appropriate and fun, with lively voices!

Overall, Williams remains true to her writing formula: strong female character with traumatic past + swoony male character + lyrical writing + lots of pop culture references... but this one still doesn't come close to beating A Love Song For Ricki Wilde as my favourite!

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Little, Brown Young Readers for the complimentary audio copy to read and review.

4.5★
Audre and Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams is an emotional young adult romance about two teenagers going through rough family dynamics and how they cope as human beings.

Eva, Shane, and Audrey are the same characters in Seven Days in June, but there is no need to read that book before this one. However, it did make it so much more enjoyable. All the characters in this novel felt real. They were likeable while still human.

Sometimes I feel like I can't relate to young adult novels because of disconnectuons, and while this book is definitely for teens, I still enjoyed it as an adult. There are topics of panic attacks, domestic abuse, and other serious topics that even adults can relate to.

It is official I will read anything by Tia Williams

Thank you Netgalley and Hatchette Audio for an ARC of this audio book. I am so happy I got the chance to listen to this book.

Well, this was a delight.

I loved the Brooklyn setting, the diverse set of main, and secondary characters, and both MC’s familial history.

I wish the main characters got more reconciliation with their parental units. I know it’s not always ‘real life’, but I’m a sucker for a good redemption arc, or – at the very least – petty comeuppance.

I did not read Seven Days in June, where we first meet Audre, but, while I’m sure I missed something, I really think this book worked as a standalone.

What an amazing companion to Seven Days in June. Tia Williams has such a gift for writing emotionally rich characters, and this book is no exception. You can really tell she has a strong relationship with her daughter(s), because the dynamic between Eva and Audre felt so real and full of love. Their connection was one of my favorite parts of the story.

There were several moments when I completely forgot this was a YA novel. The writing never talked down to the reader, and the emotional depth carried just as much weight as any adult fiction. I was intrigued from the very beginning and couldn’t put it down. The pacing kept me engaged throughout, and the story struck such a perfect balance between humor, heartache, and healing.

The duet narration was the cherry on top. Both narrators brought so much life to the characters, and hearing their voices made the emotions land even harder.

Dreaded writing this because I'm in the minority, but... nope nope nope.

I usually steer clear of adult romance authors dabbling in YA, and Audre and Bash Are Just Friends reminded me exactly why. This book feels less like a story for teens and more like a romance novel dressed up in YA clothing—written for adult readers who already love Tia Williams, not for actual young adults.

I finished reading this ahead of release, but held off on writing this review until after I wrapped up proctoring AP exams, thinking maybe I needed time to sit with the book and hear feedback from other folks who were going to be posting reviews about it. I even went back to re-listen to the audiobook, hoping I’d missed something. Re-listening to the audiobook was a mistake because I just ended up more annoyed.

As someone who works closely with teens, and loves reading YA novels to put more books into their hands: This book doesn’t feel like it understands—or even respects—its target audience.

Audre and Bash Are Just Friends doesn't read like actual teen life. Instead, it felt like someone throwing every “teen issue” they could think of into one story: mental health, drug use, navigating sexual identity, being Black in a white school, scandalous video recording, hustle culture, and more—and honestly, all of that is packed into just the FIRST chapter.

It tries way too hard to be relevant, leaning heavily on stereotypes of how we think teens behave rather than how they actually act, talk, or think.

The adults in the story? HATED THEM. Having annoying teenagers coupled with neglectful, self-absorbed parents made me like the book even less.

Overall, there are glimpses of potential—a strong premise, a charming title, and moments that could have landed if they hadn’t been buried under the weight of everything else.

At best, this is a Tia Williams-style romance shoehorned into a YA format. At worst, it’s a missed opportunity to portray a first love in a teen voice that feels honest and true. I didn’t hate the idea—but the execution left me rolling my eyes, and frankly, kind of mad.

I really, thoroughly enjoyed AUDRE & BASH ARE JUDT FRIENDS. I’d say it’s a true YA book - the voice and plot are going to be really relatable to YA readers, and so many elements of this story and the characters will resonate with a wide range of readers. Even though I’m just an A (adult!), I got totally immersed and invested in Audre and Bash’s individual and collective arcs. I also really appreciated the ways in which Tia Williams explored tough topics that a lot of kids have to navigate, including friendships, blended families, mental health, and more.

I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who loves YA, substantive romance, and a little humor and lightheartedness. I found Audre & Bash Are Just Friends to be very witty and a super fun read! Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I may be in the minority, but this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. I didn’t get very far into it because I really didn’t care for Audre. Life is too short to read things that don’t resonate. The narration was fine but the story wasn’t for me though someone else might really enjoy it.

Tia Williams’ YA debut is funny, swoony, and emotionally rich. Told in alternating POVs between Audre Mercy-Moore (daughter of Eva from Seven Days in June) and Bash, this novel can be read as a standalone, but fans of Williams’ adult work will appreciate the connection.

What absolutely makes the audiobook experience is the narration by Jordan Cobb and Torian Brackett. Their performances are stellar—flirtatious, vulnerable, and full of chemistry. At times, it didn’t feel like I was listening to a book at all, but rather like I was the third person in the room. The banter, both written and acted, is sharp and hilarious.

Audre and Bash’s friendship-to-romance arc is paced so perfectly and with such depth that it felt real. I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did, but it’s easily one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far. Sometimes I struggle with current YA, especially when heavy on Gen Z slang, but this one hits different. ;)

Some sections—like the text exchanges or excerpts from Audre’s book—reminded me of The Princess Diaries (which I adored), especially in the voice and humor.

If I had one critique, it’s that Reshma’s subplot felt a bit tacked on. Her storyline had potential, but might’ve worked better as its own book.

While this is definitely YA, I’d recommend it for readers 15+, given some of the content and themes. And one last note: the cover art? Chef’s kiss. Completely perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio | Little, Brown Young Readers, and Tia Williams for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audre is trying to get into Stanford she thinks if she a self help book for teens it will help her her in. She’s having issues with her writing and decided she should hire Bash one of the most talked about and highest boy at school to help her have some fun in her life. The more these two get to know eachother the closer they get!!!

The book I wish I had when I was younger Audre and Bash is the cutest book ever!!!! Audre is super relatable, so smart and definitely wise beyond her years and Bash I wish I could hug him my heart aches for him when we learned more about him. These two are so perfect for eachother if you watched the show Forever on Netflix you will eat this book up! It has similar vibes

4.5
This book was so cute! It’s a young adult love story that is insanely relatable through one character or another. Whether it brings you memory of a time before, or it sheds light to something happening now, it is such a relatable story. One thing I did appreciate so much was that you could read this story without having read the story of Audre’s mom Eva in ‘Seven Days in June’. I will a HUNDRED percent be reading that book based on the glimpse of Eva you get from this one. Audre is the atypical older child that is just perfect for her mom to not cause issues and when the issues come the mom freaks out because she never had issues and now doesn’t know what to do. I felt bad for her but I was happy she was actually being a child. Bash was a good kid too. His story was so filled with trauma. It was nice to see he actually grew up to be good to himself. It’s just a lovely story that I highly recommend. I haven’t read Tia Williams work just yet, but I will definitely be reading it now.

Thanks to @HachetteAudio and @NetGalley for the advance listener copy! I really enjoyed this book. The narrators were great, and the story kept me interested the whole time.

The book follows Audre and Bash, two teens from very different backgrounds who slowly build a close connection. They’re both dealing with tough issues like distant or neglectful parents, blended families, feeling unwanted, and more. Even though the story covers serious topics, it still felt fun and easy to listen to. I think the author did a great job making these experiences feel real and relatable for teens.

There is some underage drinking and marijuana use in the book, but it didn’t feel like it was encouraging it—it just felt like a realistic part of teen life.

I loved how the relationship between Audre and Bash developed. Their love story was sweet and thoughtful, and both characters showed real growth by the end. This was my first book by Tia Williams, and I liked it so much I want to read Seven Days in June, which is about Audre’s mom.

A really strong, emotional YA romance that I’d definitely recommend.