The relationship between Oliver & Ben was so bittersweet; I loved it.
The mystery of their connection had me making all kinds of guesses on what is going on. The ending stole my heart away. Absolutely beautiful.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review. This stunning sequel to you’ve reached sam tugs at all the heartstrings while making you feel warm and fuzzy inside. although this book is nowhere near as heartbreaking as you’ve reached sam i found it an interesting exploration of grief,healing, and the infinite possibilities of life. this book is the literal definition of i’ll find you in every lifetime. my only complaint is that the parallel universe part of this book isn’t really explained all that well but it definitely doesn’t take away anything from this book. i can’t wait for it to come out in the fall so everyone can experience it!!

Oliver copes with the death of his best friend by sending text to his friends old phone number. Unbeknown to him, someone else now has this number and has been reading these secret text. This leads them to meeting and growing a relationship with each other. The cause of the glitch that let them have time together is the very same thing that could destroy everything they’ve built with each other.

You have no idea how excited I was to be able to read this ARC. Dustin Thao has become one of my favorite authors. He deals with the characters grief and emotions in an accurate way that makes the reader feel everything that those character feels. I was worried this book would make me cry and it did. The majority of this book wasn’t as sad as the others that this author has written but the ending did make me cry a mix of sad and happy tears. I feel conflicted over how it ended and wish the ending was more detailed but nonetheless I loved it.

The relationship between Oliver and Ben was so beautiful and sweet. I loved getting to see their relationship blossom and see the way they both made an impact in both their lives. The dates they went on were so cute.

The friendship between Julie and Oliver was strong. They both delt with the grief differently but were able to rely on each other after Sam’s death.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one will stick with me, but damn if I didn’t want more! I understand it was meant to be an open ending, but these two were so sweet I need more to know they’re ok and make it back to each other fully! This book takes you on a RIDE, and I won’t be able to shake it I know that much!

4 stars

You’ve Found Oliver is a soft, thoughtful story about grief and learning how to let go without forgetting. Oliver is mourning the loss of his best friend. He’s still hung up on the past and unsure how to imagine a future without Sam. When a call to Sam’s old number unexpectedly connects him with Ben, what follows is a gentle and sincere romance that builds through small moments.

Ben and Oliver have great a great connection, and I loved how their relationship developed with patience, warmth, and a touch of playfulness.
Their relationship is filled with nerdy references, music, and stargazing.

There’s an element that adds something unexpected to the narrative. While I saw the direction it was heading pretty early, it didn’t take away from the emotional impact or points of the story that healing doesn’t mean forgetting, and love can coexist with loss.

This wasn’t a full-on tearjerker for me like I anticipated it being, but it was still emotional. If you like character-driven stories that explore loss and grief, a hint of magical realism, and a deeply sweet romance, this one is worth picking up.

Screaming over this. This was so great, honestly better than the first. Made me tear up at the end! I love the style of writing and the cover is just gorgeous!! I loved how Oliver's feelings were portrayed and the whole aspect of right person wrong time(line) was just beautiful.

I loved it. I loved the writing and the time travel aspect of the book.. I also think you will liked this book if you read Opposite of Always. I loved the characters. I also love how it connected the first book You'll Find Sam. Overall, I think that this book is awesome in every way. I also loved how diversity in the book and loved the new relationship the readers got to explore.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

Oliver is still mourning the loss of his friend Sam. He texts Sam's phone as a way to still feel connected to him. One day he accidentally hits the call button and someone answers the phone. This starts a beautiful and wholesome relationship which helps push Oliver towards healing. This is such a bittersweet and heart-warming book. Oliver and Ben are the best and I became invested almost immediately. I highly recommend this book. It is age appropriate for young adults and it is a good representation of grief and healing

Dustin Thao delivers a deeply emotional and beautifully written novel in You’ve Found Oliver, a story that gracefully explores grief, healing, and the quiet power of human connection. Through the heartfelt bond that grows between Oliver and Ben—born from anonymous texts and shaped by mutual loss—the book captures the ache of mourning and the unexpected light of new love. With lyrical prose, a compelling twist, and characters full of vulnerability and warmth, this standalone sequel to You’ve Reached Sam is both devastating and comforting. Thao masterfully balances heartbreak with hope, creating a story that resonates long after the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dustin Thao for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

You’ve Found Oliver is a tender, emotionally resonant story that weaves themes of grief, healing, and unexpected connections. Dustin Thao blends supernatural elements with grounded emotion to explore what it means to hold on and when it's time to let go. Oliver is vulnerable, witty, and deeply empathetic, even when the world hasn’t been kind to him. His journey from loss and isolation toward self-discovery and love is both heart-wrenching and hopeful. The romance between Oliver and Ben builds slowly through shared pain and quiet moments and becomes something really special.

I adored this book! I think what I love the most is how this didn’t shatter me completely like “You’ve Reached Sam” did. I found that this book felt more real and raw in its own way.

After struggling with the grief of losing his best friend Sam, Oliver hasn’t found it in himself to be able to fully let go. In doing so, he finds himself continuously sharing his thoughts, feelings, and day-to-day adventures by texting Sam’s old number. I admired that Oliver was sane enough to realize that what he was doing wasn’t healthy or good for himself.

With that being said, he decided to stop the communication altogether but accidentally called the number and someone picked up.. but it wasn’t Sam.. it was someone new - someone new, mysterious and intriguing that knew more than anyone due to Oliver’s rants. Someone named Ben. And Oliver found that he didn’t want to let this newcomer go - and neither did Ben

The two formed a friendship that was wholesome, fun and altogether cute. The magical realism was a twist that I did not expect but it was exciting nonetheless.

Oliver’s character was so relatable and fun in a YA read. I didn’t mind the writing and found it much easier to follow along as it felt more personal. I love, love, looove on page texts as you can feel the emotions and just feel more connected with the characters.

To be published September 30, 2025.

Oliver, the main character, was likeable and there will always be a soft spot for him. He's mourning the loss of his best friend Sam and so he texts his old number every so often and then one day, he accidentally hits the call button and someone answers. Ben is gentle and kind and while there's a cosmic force separating them, I love that Oliver has so much faith that the invisible string theory is real.

Dustin Thao brought the same energy as You've Reached Sam, though I would argue that these could be read as standalones (but I did speed read the first one when this one became available on Netgalley)

I do think the ending wrapped up rather quickly and there are some bits and bobs that could have been wrapped up with just a littleeee more but since there is still some time before this is actually published, maybe there's a chance.

I really enjoyed this book! The plot was great, the characters were so fun, and the story was really entertaining.

Oliver was a great main character, he was so funny and entertaining to read about. He was such a great character, and kept being nice to people even if they treated him so badly.

Ben was such a great love interest too. I thought there was just so much character between these two characters.

The story was very fun and cute. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who wants a cute and supernatural romance. The story was quick paced and had me hooked most of the time, especially in the last half.

There were a few things that I thought were sort of left a loose ends that were left, I’m not gonna put them in this review because the book hasn’t come out yet, but I thought they probably could have been summed up in just a few more pages.

All in all, this book was really good, and I think you would definitely like it if you like You’ve Reached Sam.

This felt like the kind of story I reach for when I want something quiet and full of heart. Oliver’s grief is tender and real, and the connection with Ben unfolds in a way that feels gentle and true.
If you’re drawn to stories about loss, memory, and the slow work of healing, this one is worth picking up. It’s soft, a little sad, and quietly hopeful.

Cute boy meets boy, boy loses boy novel. Great spin with the plot for the meeting and losing.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this ebook arc to read. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Net Galley and Penguin Young Readers Group | Dutton Books for Young Readers for the ARC. I loved the first book, so I was apprehensive about what this book might bring, but I was not disappointed! This is a must read!

A sweet, young adult book about finding love with a sci-fi twist. I enjoyed reading about decisions needing to be made and parallel timelines, however, I wasn't as emotionally involved as I was with the character Sam's story.

a new to me author that will most likely never be touched again. the writing is so ridiculously stunted and simple that it felt like i was reading bullet point summaries of the scenes, rather than the actual scenes themselves. i feel this book reads closer to middle grade than YA and needs heavy editing for anything to sound fluid. it's a shame, because the concept of the book is so interesting.

This book was magic! I loved it. All the feels. Huge thank you for the ARC! I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give away the beauty and magic of the story. This is a book I will highly recommend to everyone.

This was such a heartwarming story! Oliver and Ben were so cute together. I loved their texting and banter. I thought I pieced together the ending pretty early but that didn’t take away any of the sweetness or emotional impact. This was a touching romance that carefully explores grief and healing.