HERE’S TO US By Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Here's to Us by Adam Silvera, Becky AlbertalliSeries: What If It's Us #2
Published by Quill Tree Books on 12/28/21
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 428
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Ben survived freshman year of college, but he’s feeling more stuck than ever. His classes are a slog, his part-time job working with his father is even worse, and his best friend Dylan’s been acting weird for weeks. Ben’s only real bright spot is his writing partner Mario, who’s been giving him a lot of Spanish lessons and even more kisses. Mario’s big Hollywood dreams make Ben start to dream bigger—and the choices he makes now could be the key to reshaping his future. So why can’t he stop thinking about a certain boy from his past?
Arthur is back in New York City for the first time in two years, ready to take the theater world by a storm as the world’s best . . . intern to the assistant of an off-off-Broadway director. Of course, it sucks to be spending the summer apart from his sweet, reliable boyfriend, Mikey, but he knows their relationship is strong enough to weather the distance. Which is why it’s no big deal when his ex-boyfriend Ben stumbles back into the picture. And it’s definitely fine that Ben’s blissfully happy with some mystery boy. First loves are special, but it’s way too late for what-ifs. Right?
Even as the boys try to shake off the past, they keep running into each other in the present. Is this the universe trying to tell them there’s a do-over in their future?
Short and Sweet Review
It’s been awhile since we’ve seen our characters Ben and Arthur and it’s also been awhile since they’ve seen each other. Ben just finished his first year at college and is dating Mario who has big dreams of moving to Hollywood and wants Ben to come with. Arthur is back in New York for the first time in two years and is going to be an intern for an off broadway director. Arthur has also moved on and is dating Mikey but they learn long distance is hard. When Ben and Arthur run into each other they have to navigate having old feelings arise and figuring out if the universe is telling them something.
Two years have passed since What If It’s Us and our characters are in different stages of their lives and they haven’t communicated much. Ben is still writing and he also just finished his first year in college and even though it went well he doesn’t think it’s for him. Arthur is back in New York for his internship which is a huge deal for him. When Ben and Arthur reconnect it’s like old times but it’s also a bit awkward because they both have boyfriends. There’s a lot of double and triple date that take place and I loved that we could see the dynamic and how the vibes were when everyone was together. We can see Ben and Arthur still have feelings for each other and are trying to ignore them because of their relationships. I think the friends that our two main characters have help with sorting out the feelings and all the venting that needs to take place. Dylan is back and he’s comedic relief and he still has a very unfiltered dialogue. The biggest thing Ben and Arthur have to work through in this book is their relationships with their new boyfriends and the lingering feelings they have for each other. Do they continue to move on or rekindle things? I think the book is predictable in what would happen and it kind of sucks for the current boyfriends but I could see the ending happening. I thought the epilogue was super cute and very fitting for Ben and Arthur.
Overall, this sequel was great and really gives hope for those looking for a second chance and reconnecting with someone. Ben and Arthur’s stories really come full circle and even if it’s predictable it was still a cute story that just makes you want to see how everything will unfold. If you’re in the mood for a romance set in the big city check this book and the first one out!