Release Date: November 18th, 2021

Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT+

Publisher: Quill Tree Books

Pages: 448

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to Quill Tree Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis

Ben has spent his first year of college working on his fantasy manuscript with his writing partner Mario, who is a great Spanish tutor, and an even better kisser. So why can’t he stop thinking about the fact that Arthur’s back in town two years after they called it quits?

Arthur is in New York for a dream internship on Broadway, with a boyfriend back at home that he couldn’t be happier with. But when he comes upon Ben cuddled up with a mystery boy, he starts to wonder if his feelings for Ben ever truly went away.

Even as the boys try to focus on their futures, they can’t seem to help running into each other in the present. Is the universe forcing them to question if they’re actually meant to be?

Possibly not. After all, things didn’t work the first time around.
Possibly yes. After all, the sparks are still flying.
Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and raise a glass.

Here’s to celebrating old friends!
Here’s to embracing new beginnings!
Here’s to believing in second chances!

Review

To be honest, I didn’t realize that What If It’s Us was getting a sequel and that we’d be returning to Ben and Arthur’s story. This was the first ARC I received as a bookseller, and upon getting my copy I was so ready to dive in.

Overall, this was a really cute story and conclusion (I think) to Ben and Arthur’s story and seeing where they’re at in their lives. I did find, however, that this book was just a tad too long. This isn’t a critique I often have for books, as I love being to delve into a story with all of the character development that comes with it. But in Here’s To Us, it just didn’t feel necessary. After a hundred pages or so both Ben and Arthur’s thoughts felt like they were on repeat, and it could have been condensed while retaining the same message.

If you found yourself attached to Ben and Arthur in the previous book and want more, you’ll likely enjoy Here’s To Us. It’s definitely for readers that want to spend more time with their favorite characters as they navigate their lives.

Goodreads |Bookshop