Maybe Meant to Be

There is so much encouragement in this story to be who you're meant to be and to accept others as they're meant be. I loved the growth and development among the characters and the friendships and relationships that came out of it. The audiobook is a joy to listen to and very well done. Everyone should read this book.

Yesterday was the re-release day for K.L. Walther’s young adult romance book “Maybe Meant to Be”. This was formerly titled “If We Were Us” and originally released in 2020. Somehow both of these titles fit the story perfectly… This book is about young love, first love and self-love. The relationships are beautiful, wholesome and heartbreaking. I was reminded about how big and raw emotions feel at this age, and how intense the social pressure to fit in can feel. Listening to the story had me feeling so nostalgic for high school, even if my school wasn’t nearly as cool as Bexley. The author did a sensational job with the describing details of dorm life, cultivating the romantic gestures- both big and small, as well as establishing the close friendships.Set at a New England boarding school, we follow four main characters- Charlie, Sage, Nick and Luke through their final year before heading to college. Charlie Carmichael is the big shot on campus- he is a hockey star, lead in the school play and notorious heartbreaker, having dated almost every girl at the school for at least five minutes. His best friend since childhood is Sage Morgan, equally popular senior girl. Everyone at the Bexley School and even their families believe that Sage Morgan and Charlie Carmichael are meant to be, despite Charlie’s many flings and the fact that Sage has never had a real relationship. If Charlie and Sage are meant to be, why can't Sage stop kissing Charlie's brother? And why can't Charlie stop thinking about kissing the new boy at school? The duo will need to rely on each other and their lifelong friendship to figure things out with the boys they love.I really enjoyed the audiobook version as it was narrated by Alexa Elmy and Graham Halstead and is told in a dual POV from Charlie and Sage’s perspectives. My favorite character shifted throughout the story from Nick to Luke to Sage to Charlie, but by the end I decided that there is no way you could get me to choose 😂 I love them all!I am officially a K.L. Walther stan having read The Summer of Broken Rules earlier this year. (And loved it!) I will be adding her latest book, What Happens After Midnight (released June 27, 2023) to my TBR this fall.Huge thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of the audiobook of Maybe Meant to Be.

Honestly, I am a big fan of K.L. Walther but this one fell flat for me.Charlie and Sage are best friends since, well, birth. They're all attending a boarding school and preparing for college. Charlie and his twin brother, Nick are school athletes. Luke is a new student; he's doing a senior year victory lap because he doesn't know what he wants to do next.The story just kind of drops you in the middle of their relationships. I felt like I was missing some important information right from the get-go. I also had trouble with Charlie and Sage's friendship and all the secrets between them. As best friends went, they really didn't seem to trust each other enough to share what was most important to them which was very frustrating at times.

I LOVE EVERYTHING CHARACTER! Nick is so sweet. Charlie, Nick, and Morgan’s friendship is the best. I love childhood best friends to lovers. Luke made a perfect addition to the group I love them all! Kl Walther can do no wrong

Enjoyed this book, which for me is the purpose of reading! Love the setting as a former boarding school kid, and enjoyed the general premise.

This is the same book as IF We Were Us. The book cover and title has changed. My teen was disappointed since she has already bought this book. Sending back this book.

It has been an absolute joy to get lost in this world with these relatable, easy-to-root-for characters. Though this seems like a stand-alone, I would love to follow these characters to see what comes next for them!‘If We Were Us’ is part coming-out, part coming-of-age, and full of fun teenage antics which can only be found in an environment with minimal supervision, such as a boarding school. Teenagers go through a lot between keeping up with grades, peer expectations, and trying to figure themselves out, both for right now and in terms of what they want to do for the rest of their lives. It’s fantastic to see this play out in our characters without intrusive influence from parents and teachers.This quartet gave me all the feels and I can’t recommend it highly enough. #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

This book was so boring.