DNF at 40%

thank you to leah johnson, george m johnson, their publishing team, and netgalley for the ARC.

unfortunately, this just didn’t work for me, and i found myself not really caring about what was happening. hence the DNF. nothing against the authors; i thought the premise behind the book was interesting. i just couldn’t relate to any of the characters, and honestly, i didn’t like any of the slang that was being used. i also didn’t really like how modern/internety/gen z the authors were trying to make the characters. i wish i could’ve enjoyed this, but sadly it’s a no from me.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book felt like home, as I'm from Indiana. It captured the essence of an Indiana city.

The dual pov was interesting. I liked seeing the story told through both sides, and how they were the same and different.

What a funny and endearing romcom for teen readers. I enjoyed both authors' previous releases so I had high hopes for There's Always Next Year. I'm a big fan of dual POV novels, and they smashed it out of the park! I highly recommend it for teen readers who are always looking for an entertaining wintery romance.

There’s Always Next Year delivers a refreshingly layered take on identity, scandal, and the chaos of growing up—without ever turning queerness into a plot device. The representation here is authentic and matter-of-fact, which makes it all the more impactful. Dominique and Andy are compelling leads, each facing their own version of what it means to be publicly exposed in a digital world. Their stories intersect in unexpected ways, and the alternating POV structure really works to show the nuance of each character's reality.

The scandal at the center of the book unfolds gradually, and while it doesn’t land with the explosive punch I expected, it still offers a thoughtful commentary on privacy, performance, and pressure. The romance is more of a subplot, and while it may not be the most fleshed out, it never tries to hijack the larger themes. What stands out is how both characters navigate their arcs with emotional honesty—chaotic mornings and all.

I appreciated how being queer is simply part of who these characters are, not the totality of the story being told. It’s a quick, meaningful read that blends voicey writing with a Gen Z lens on truth, image, and accountability. I’ll definitely be revisiting this one—and recommending it to readers who love character-driven stories with something to say.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily sharing this honest review.

I do enjoy the fact that this is a book with queer themes with out it being the main plot point of the book. the main characters are engaging and complex. they traverse the scandal in a relatable way. I do recommend this book and i will be rereading!

I was gifted an ARC copy and i am voluntarily leaving a review on it

There’s Always Next Year had all the ingredients for an emotional and engaging read, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite land for me. While I appreciated the themes and the unique dual-author perspective, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters on a deeper level. The story had moments of potential, but the emotional impact I was hoping for just didn’t hit. It’s a heartfelt book that may resonate more strongly with other readers, but for me, it ended up being just an okay experience.

What a great book with several different themes and topics wrapped in neatly! I am anticipating this release and would absolutely recommend it to friends.

This book is an alternating chapter POV where you have two characters, Dominique and Andy, facing similar but different challenges. Dominique made it big and moved to New York to become an influencer and model—except what you see online isn’t what is true. He’s actually struggling and about to take a deal to hopefully make some money and make it big again. It later turns out, this deal will also affect his family and community. Andy is a teen journalist who has found something big and is hoping to expose it before it’s all too late. In the midst of this, you have both characters realizing their love interests and finding out who they are along the way.

I liked that being queer wasn’t the entire plot of this as many books tend to be. It was simply a fact, even with them mentioning the very real struggles that queer people face. I did feel that the romance in here wasn’t fully fleshed out. Instead, what took center stage was the scandal. At that, you don’t really learn about this until about 55% into the book. And it felt like the authors were trying to build to this, but it didn’t shock me or stood out to me as much as I would like. I also was confused a bit by Andy’s morning, I just couldn’t comprehend what was going on. It was such a chaotic plot line I almost got lost. I enjoyed the theme of new year’s but also felt that if you were to remove the NYE party and food mentioned, it could’ve happened anytime of year.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and was an easy/fast read. I kept wanting to read and figure out how it ends.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An engaging leading duo plus complex and hard themes, handled with the care they deserve, merged together into this wonderfully written story.
A story full of emotion and care. All the stars for it!