Here's to Us

When I say I devoured this book that is probably an understatement-despite the heap of work for university I have at the moment I dropped everything when Here's To Us got delivered. For everyone whose been waiting for another peak into Ben & Arthur's world we got it, and boy is it worth it! I laughed, I cried, I fell in love again-and am currently bullying all my friends to read it so I have other people to gush about it with. So if you loved the first one, or are fans of Becky Albertalli or Adam Silvera individually I would recommend you reading this book. I promise you will not regret buying this <3

Firstly, I’m not a YA, I’m a Prof. However, this is such a great book. Every one of the characters, not just Art and Ben, are so well developed and well rounded. I absolutely loved this book and was so glad to see what happened to the characters after the finale of the first book. I Recommend the audiobook also, which is a fantastic listen. Suggested song for any movie version of the 1st book and sequel ‘Do you believe in Magic’ Extended version by Kylie Minogue - fits the magic of this book and the Wicked Wizard fantasy thread. Must read.

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS...* Sliding back into the lives of Ben and Arthur and Dylan and Ethan and all their other friends and family two years later is a joy in this sequel to the wonderul What If It's Us. Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera's prose shines, and is never better than in its dialogue, which always feels real and believable. That said, since it's essentially a Shakespearean comedy of errors, it labours the point and goes on about a hundred pages too long: when we know from pretty much page one that both Ben and Arthur still love each other, the journey to them reuniting soon goes beyond teasing to torturous. Don't get me wrong, that lightbulb moment is brilliant when it finally comes: Arthur's doorstep admission is a real punch-the-air moment, and the four- and further two-years-later codas are the fairytale ending you want them to be. But as good as thr writing is throughout, the 400 pages in between in which both main characters assume the other one couldn't possibly still be in love with them - however realistic - is too much. Still a very enjoyable book though, and I've got my fingers crossed that What If It's Us gets the long-mooted TV/film adaptation it deserves, with Here's To Us following suit.

It's been 2 years since Ben and Arthur had their adorable Post Office 'meet cute' in New York. Though they fell in love when Arthur returned home the physical distance put up an emotional wall and they drifted apart. Ben is in college but doesn't have much motivation or direction in his life. The joy from posting his online has gone as he has taken it down to rewrite as a book but he has lost his focus and love for the project and writing isn't the solace it once was. However, he does have a new writing partner called Mario who teaches him Spanish and makes out with him. He should be happy with these new developments but he can't get Arthur off his mind. Arthur is back in New York and is excited to be working and thriving in a new theatre production. He is missing his boyfriend Mickey but he knows their love is solid and can't wait to show him his wonderful New York life when he visits. Everything is sunshine and rainbows until Ben, his ex-boyfriend and pretty much the love of his short but fabulous life, turns up out of the blue. As Ben and Arthur try to create a new friendship while steadfastly focusing on their present lives and relationships, their connection and the love they once shared are hard to ignore. Did they give up too quickly and let the other go without a fight? Are they better off as friends and destined to share their lives with others? Or will the Universe give them one last big push to let them finally see that it's each other that they have been searching for and that they only need to take that leap to be happy? 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟. I felt that both characters have grown up a lot since book 1 but also could see that their fierce connection and attraction never wavered even when they tried hard to deny it. I was rooting for them throughout the story but it was challenging because I had a soft spot for both Mickey and Mario and didn't want to see them get hurt. Dylan and Samantha are the coolest couple in the book and need a shoutout too. Pain and heartache, love and joy along with a story about everything in-between.

I actually really loved this. At one point I couldn’t tell if their happy ending was going to be together or apart. I am so so happy they have a happy ending together. I definitely shed some tears towards the end because omg it was just was too sweet. I’m no book reviewer. But this book and the first is more than worth the read. I read both in three days and I loved reading them.

I can't believe it's been 2 years since What If Its Us...with so many sequels I tend to find I've completely forgotten the first book but not in this case. By the end of the first chapter everything had come flocking back! As you'd expect from Albertalli and Silvera the book is fantastic- I didn't want it to end, but when it did I actually cried. A beautiful love story.

The best way I could sum up this book is with Celine's, It's All coming back to me now. The highs and lows, and emotional rollercoaster of a story. It had me yelling the song out at the end, my partner wondered what the hell was wrong. As with Celine, Arthur and Ben will always be in my heart.

Such a great book following on from the first which was ‘What If It’s Us’ - I can’t help but feel emotionally connected to the characters and I was extremely heartbroken when the book ended leaving the characters behind. I love AS and BAs writing style which makes for a great read! Go buy it if you haven’t already!

El libro es la conclusión/segunda parte de "What if it's us?" por los mismos autores. Si bien el final es absolutamente predecible, incluso el título da una buena idea de cómo termina, lo cual es común en la mayoría de los libros YA, es una historia muy tierna que te empuja a continuar hasta el final.

Versão capa comum, entregue extremamente rápido e sem nenhum amassado ou defeito por conta do transporte. A capa comum é bem básica, senti falta de uma “orelha” e uma e um papel para a capa com melhor qualidade. Já tinha comprado o primeiro livro em capa comum e e veio com outro acabamento.

Fantastic book. The characters are so realistic that you feel like you actually know them. You are everything to work out. You could feel all the emotions. Very relatable! And the last 50 pages or so. What an ending!! Needed so much Kleenex. Looking forward to rereading this book and the first "What If It's Us". Highly recommend!

The book by Albertalli and Silvera is the continuarien of “What If It’s Us”, and it certainly lifts up to the expectations!

A heartfelt sequel to "What If It's Us", which delivers all of the joy and humour from the first book, but takes it to another level. I really loved "What If It's Us", but at the time of reading, wish it had gone a bit deeper. "Here's to Us" did that for me, exploring themes of love and loss, and being tortured by our own psyche and perceived beliefs. This was a pleasure to read, and hope to see it on screen at some point!