With and Without You

February 1, 2022
Siena and Patrick have been together so long their friends regard them as a single unit. As they head toward senior year, Siena feels trapped and decides to break up with Patrick during their weekly coffee date. But Patrick has his own shocking development to reveal: His family is moving from Phoenix to Austin. Thrown off guard, Siena takes Patrick up on his offer to try the long-distance thing, presuming the relationship will fizzle out and she won't have to be the heartbreaker after all. As the school year unfolds, the two exchange texts, schedule holiday visits, and create new social circles. The relationship Siena once saw as stale expands as well, giving her a lot to ponder as college looms. Told from Siena's point of view, the novel takes a while to really start humming. Siena's complaints about the perfectly decent Patrick grow tiresome; readers may check out before the worm turns and the authors start flipping new cards. Once things get going, the novel becomes a reasonably well-sketched rendering of young love evolving, but there's a lot of padding to get through first. The pacing and character shading are the novel's weakest points: Patrick never really pops as a real person, and Siena, desperate to figure out her new identity, comes off as whiny. She ultimately settles on a new pursuit that feels like it comes out of the blue rather than organically emerging from her personality. Siena and Patrick are presumed White. A well-intentioned misfire. (Romance. 14-18)

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April 1, 2022

Gr 9 Up-This book tackles the tumultuous struggles that come with a long distance relationship. High school seniors Siena and Patrick are romance goals, and considered the one couple that will probably be together forever. For Siena, this begins to mess with her mind, and with college and other goals after high school looming, she considers breaking up with Patrick. Yet when Patrick announces that his family is moving out of state for his senior year, Siena decides to give a long distance relationship a shot instead. What follows is a gorgeous story, where Siena tries her hardest to believe that maybe this long distance thing is honestly not worth the trouble; still, every time she visits Patrick or they reconnect, she seems to love him even more. This novel, while extremely romantic, also explores the strength that comes with trying to keep a relationship alive despite distance, especially when there's a true connection. VERDICT Filled with moments that will make readers' hearts swell, and relatable emotional struggles, this is a perfect story for those who believe that young love can be true love.-Aurora Dominguez

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 20, 2022
In Siegemund-Broka and Wibberley’s (What’s Not to Love) latest swoony collaboration, high school sweethearts on the brink of change embark on a long-distance relationship. Siena and Patrick, both cued as white, have been dating for the past three years, and everyone insists that they are made for each other. With college looming, however, Siena worries that spending the rest of their lives having only ever dated one person is holding them back from their futures, and she resolves to break up with Patrick. But when Patrick’s family abruptly leaves Arizona for Texas, Siena, assuming their relationship will naturally fizzle when faced with time and separation, decides they’ll give long-distance a shot. Together, through misunderstandings and an unpredictable transition into adulthood, they must determine whether their future has room for the people they’ve been together and the people they want to become. Supporting characters often act solely as sounding boards for the protagonists’ relationship, and the novel’s episodic narrative, told from Siena’s occasionally meandering perspective, can feel disjointed. Nevertheless, Siena and Patrick’s relationship dynamic feels live-in, their banter is engaging, and their growth is effortlessly romantic, making for a tender, cozy read. Ages 14–up. Agent: Katie Shea Boutillier, Donald Maass Literary.