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Audre & Bash Are Just Friends

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This sweet, funny, electrifying romance stars sixteen-year-old Audre Mercy-Moore, first introduced in the NYT bestseller, Seven Days in June. Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Nicola Yoon!

MEET AUDRE. Junior class president. Debate team captain. Unofficial student therapist. Desperately in need of a good time.

MEET BASH. Mysterious new senior. Everybody’s crush. Tall, floppy, great taste in jewelry. King of having a good time.

It’s the last day of school at Cheshire Prep, Brooklyn’s elite academy—and Audre Mercy-Moore’s life is a mess. Her dad cancelled her annual summer visit to his Malibu beach house. Now? She’s stuck in a claustrophobic apartment with her mom, stepdad, and one-year-old sister (aka the Goblin Baby).

Under these conditions, she’ll never finish writing her self-help book—ie, the key to winning over Stanford’s admissions board.

Cut to Bash Henry! Audre hires him to be her “fun consultant.� His job? To help her complete the Experience Challenge—her list of five wild dares designed to give her juicy book material. She’ll get inspo; he’ll get paid. Everybody wins.

He isn’t boyfriend material. And she’s not looking for one. Can they stay professional despite their obvious connection?

SCORCHING-HOT SUMMER. SCORCHING-HOT CHEMISTRY. But Audre and Bash can’t forget—they’re just friends.

384 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 2025

290 people are currently reading
18249 people want to read

About the author

Tia Williams

28books5,430followers
Tia Williams began her career as a beauty editor for magazines including Elle, Glamour, Lucky, Teen People, and Essence. In 2004, she pioneered the beauty blog industry with her award-winning site, Shake Your Beauty - and published her debut novel, The Accidental Diva. She went on to pen two young adult novels: It Chicks, and Sixteen Candles. Her 2016 bestseller, The Perfect Find, is being adapted for a Netflix film starring Gabrielle Union � and her latest novel, Seven Days in June, debuts in June 2021. Tia is currently an Editorial Director at Estee Lauder Companies, and lives with her daughter and husband in Brooklyn.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 528 reviews
Profile Image for Kezia Duah.
493 reviews527 followers
May 12, 2025
Audre and Bash are definitely not just friends. They’re stinking cute🤧🥰😭

If you haven’t read Seven Days in June, don’t worry! You can still read this and totally enjoy it. I say that confidently because, honestly, I don’t remember much from that book (as usual), and this was still such a fun, enjoyable read.

That said, I did love how memories of Eva and Shane’s story started coming back to me as I went along. It really helped elevate the experience. I found myself understanding Eva so much more, especially whenever she was being super overprotective of my baby girl, Audre.

The mother-daughter relationship in this book was everything. I never felt like I had to “choose a side.� I just got where everyone was coming from, and that made it so easy to root for them both. I loved the growth they each had by the end. So, so satisfying!!

Now, Audre and Bash!! OMG!! They have my whole heart. They are absolutely meant for each other. Audre is way too mature for her age, and I found it so adorable every time she’d say something that had me literally questioning how old she was. Wise beyond her years, that one. I hated that she felt this overwhelming pressure to be perfect, but I completely understood where it came from. It made her super relatable to me and hopefully to a lot of other readers, too. And her adjusting to some massive changes in her life probably also relatable to many.

Bash, on the other hand, isn’t really a perfectionist, but his life is heavy. And as more about him was revealed, my heart genuinely ached for him. Audre and Bash balanced each other out so beautifully. They became each other’s light, and it felt like something they both needed. I was totally in sync with their journey from friends to something more, and it just felt so natural.

There were a few things in the book that had me raising an eyebrow. Mainly because the characters are young and this is YA. But hey, teenagers are probably out here doing wild things anyway, so maybe I’m just being naive. I let it go. Nothing major enough to take away any stars.

This one’s definitely going on my 2025 favorites list, and I seriously can’t wait to read whatever Williams writes next.

Profile Image for cora .
123 reviews150 followers
May 5, 2025
oh this was so much fun.

the book follows audre, who hires the school’s hottest boy to be her “fun consultant� over the summer, and obviously they're just friends.
you already know how that goes.

i didn’t expect to love this as much as i did. me and YA don’t always vibe, especially when gen z slang is involved, but this was just adorable. i ate it up.

audre and bash are both so awkward and flustered around each other and i could feel their butterflies. they were so shy and soft and i loved them.
and their texts??? stop!!

bash: smiles are contagious, too. yours is, at least.
audre: wait what
bash: when u smile, i wanna smile, too.

if you don’t think that’s cute, you’re lying 😭

bash honestly stole the show for me. he’s literally described as “everyone’s crush,� and i believed it. he’s sweet and funny and chill and just the kind of person people want to be around. but he also has this really emotional backstory that made me love him even more. i loved how he stayed kind and soft even after everything he’s been through. and he was so down bad for audre.

“What was i supposed to say to you? That not being near you feels pointless, like wasted time? That every kiss I don't give you burns a fucking hole in me?�

as i said. down bad.

aside from the romance, this book actually went deeper than i expected. it talks about race, gender, sexuality, and mental health, but also family stuff—complicated, toxic family dynamics. audre’s relationship with her mom was especially rough. her mom, eva (yes from Seven Days in June), is remarried now, has a new baby, and suddenly audre feels like an afterthought. she’s also pressured by her mom to be perfect and reliable.

“What about what I want, thought Audre. or what do I need? I'm a whole person with a life, not an extension of you.�

i really liked this. probably because i relate so much to her.

also, this book is funny. like actually funny. i have never laughed so hard reading YA. there’s a scene where audre’s drunk and freestyle rapping and it should’ve made me want to crawl out of my skin, but i found it hilarious. and i cringe easily. somehow this book didn’t make me cringe once.

other little things i loved:

� them doing her “experience challenge� list together = so cute

� bash being shocked by how beautiful she is every five seconds

“Each time we hang out, I feel like something important happened.� � sobbing.

“You’re the prettiest girl here.� YES SHE IS.

what didn’t work for me:

i didn’t really care about reshma’s pov (audre’s best friend). it wasn’t bad, but it didn’t add much and i kept wanting to get back to audre & bash.

the ending was rushed. the main conflict got solved in like, a page? i needed more closure, especially with her mom. that was such a huge part of audre’s story and it kinda just disappeared. i also wanted to see more of these two sweethearts together.

overall though, this was adorable and had way more emotional depth than i expected. a solid 4 stars. if you like YA romances with actual feelings, cute and relatable characters, and a little real-life messiness mixed in, read this.
Profile Image for nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊  ݁ ..
808 reviews272 followers
June 4, 2025
"...making the ‘right� choices doesn’t guarantee you a happy ending. So, follow your own path. Take chances, be wild, make mistakes, get messy, be colorful. Be true to whoever you are.�

4.25 �

this was a fun, refreshing YA contemp read with distinct characters and a renewed exploration of coming-of-age stories.

audre is the therapist friend; even moreso, she's *the* therapist of her peers. everyone knows to go to her for advice, and she loves it. as an aspiring therapist it gives her practice - and maybe she enjoys the aspect of control. it's hard living up to a supermom and supergrandma (does it stress her out to the point of hiding her burnout and panic attacks? yeah but they don't know that).

bash is the complete opposite. he's the new guy in the neighborhood, he's go with the flow, he's an aspiring tattoo artist, a mystery swirling in rumors and hearsay. when audre realizes she needs more real life experience to practically apply to her therapy (and college app essay), she decides bash is just the guy to help her complete her checklist of a live out loud summer.

but neither of them were planning on falling for each other.

a cute concept well-executed with laugh-out-loud moments, emotional discoveries, and newfound sense of identity while riding the highs (and lows) of young love.

i liked the portrayal of complex family dynamics and the effect they can have on a kid's psyche, esp with parents who put pressure on their kids to live up to a high standard. audre and bash were super cute and even reshma and clio had their moments.

it also made me really nostalgic for living in nyc, i can't even imagine the experience of growing up there as a teen.

this was my first read by tia williams, and i will definitely give more of her books a try!
Profile Image for Fernanda.
183 reviews23 followers
May 16, 2025
This is a good year for ya romance, first I'll Pretend You're Mine and now Audre and Bash, both perfect five star reads. I don't usually gravitate towards ya romance, but this one intrigued me because to this day seven days in june is still my favourite romance book, and Tia's latest book was also great.
I went in expecting a good book, but not knowing if it would live up to her adult work and I was pleasantly surprised. It is ya but you can tell the author has experience handling darker topics and I makes the book feel more emotional and gives a certain depth to the characters. When they were disagreeing I wanted to pick a side so bad but I understood both perspectives so it was conflicting, but it also made the book feel very real.
We follow Eva's, the main character in seven days in June, daughter while she deals with finding love and dealing with high expectations and anxiety. It is a brilliant book, I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Justine.
147 reviews5 followers
Want to read
November 22, 2024
SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE LOVERS, WAKE UP!!!🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣�

I'm soooo pumped for not only a new book by my queen Tia Williams but this one being a YA romance novel about Eva's daughter Audre finding love????? LFG!!!!!!
Profile Image for Demetrius.
375 reviews22 followers
May 9, 2025
I LOVE this book so much. It made me feel good on the inside. 🥰 Honestly, reading this makes me want to go back and read Seven Days in June, just for the feels!

P.S. The text messages between Audre and Bash were my favorite part of the book. 😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I recommend this book to anyone who's looking for something to read that will make them feel good. 🥰
Profile Image for Surajat Debbie.
188 reviews92 followers
Want to read
January 31, 2025
Can’t believe Audre is getting her own story 🥹
Profile Image for DianaRose.
548 reviews55 followers
April 23, 2025
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!!

all of the stars � i even loved this more than seven days in june, which i ate up. admittedly, i didn’t realize that this was a companion ya novel to seven days in june until audre was describing her mom and i went, “hey! that sounds a lot like eva…� perhaps i need to read descriptions more often� (granted i saw a new tia williams and needed to read it)

i really enjoyed audre & bash are just friends � it was chaotic, teenage fun but still tackled serious issues and of course had the perfect amount of summer romance and teen angst.

and for the audio?! fantastic � i always love a dual narration and both narrators were fantastic. i also loved the little sound effects here and there.

overall, instant five stars!!
Profile Image for Octavia.
357 reviews73 followers
June 9, 2025

~ "EVERYTHING CHANGES, NOTHING WILL BE THE SAME A YEAR FROM NOW" ~ �


"Normal People weren't this striking."

This novel instantly screams DRAMATIC within the first chapter. At first, I seriously didn't know what
to think about any of it and was seriously considering not finishing at all. I chose the audiobook version since my days are beyond busy lately. All the same, I am thrilled to remain focused on the author's name, Tia Williams.

'Audre & Bash Are Just Friends' is this author's first YA novel. I always look forward to her positive, creative work. To continue a Journey with her characters is Pure Joy! I was flooded with Initial Excitements with this new release thanks to this novel being sort of a pin-off with previous characters from Tia Williams' novel that I just ADORE, 'Seven Days in June.' Yessss! she brings
back Shane and Eva as the Parents. And, this is the coming-of-age story of their daughter, Audre Mercy-Moore.

Interestingly, readers come to learn the deep, emotional family stories of 2 completely different teens: Audre & Bash Henry. Audre is forced to spend the summer in Brooklyn since her Father cancels their annual "Dadifornia" (California) trip. At the same time, we learn Bash is the new kid on the block at Audre's school (from California) who has recently moved to Brooklyn...

This Novel...Talking about Over dramatic and Lovable ALL in one 🩷🩵.

This time, Tia Williams has penned another Great experience to show young readers how miscommunication and/or no communication can affect others. As this author began to peel more layers from her characters, this novel became that much more riveting with the
ways she allows readers to understand the True complexity of Audre & Bash's character.

Bash: 🩵
* Dad approved all his clothes
* He'd never eaten a meal that wasn't planned by his coaches
* He knew how it felt to drown under everyone's expectations

Audre: 🩷
* Thinks of Bash as an Earth Angel
* Thinks of Bash as not the most "Open" person
* Suspected Bash only had 2 brain cells in his head

I can't even take the time to touch on all of Audre's friends and the other names ---> Pink Crocs, Witchy tote. lol


Readers will also notice ways Tia Williams digs Deeper into the dynamics of Audre's Family as a result of her circumstances; including babysitting her little sister. The "Emotional Rawness" with her Mother, Eva permits the storyline to unfold their Talk; uncovering how Eva still struggles with her own trauma and possibly the abandonment times of Shane in her previous novel. This Author! This Author! This is why is Love her novels....
** Questions began to churn. **

Lastly, at 17% ... Tia Williams displays how she Works her magic with writing. As she goes into the stage of the Audre and Ellison Escapade, this could possibly represent itself as an Experience for readers once again. This author has an Exceptional way of involving readers into a Deep, Imaginative Engagement with the story.

Vivid Imagery and Narrative Empathy: Over.The.Top 🔥
At one point of the book, I literally was picturing a Book walking around in Stilettos
every time I heard Reshma's voice. lol LOVED it 💎.

As Always, Tia Williams has Nailed it Again!

~ Shane and Eva ❤️‍🔥~





Profile Image for Darriona.
121 reviews32 followers
May 3, 2025
Thank you to Hachette audio and Libro.fm for this ALC. This audio book was fantastic and I am obsessed with the duet style of narration!!!

I'm so glad Tia Williams wrote this. I am a huge fan of Seven Days In June and Audre was a favorite in that book, so I was really excited when it was announced that Audre would be getting her own romance. This book was not only cute and heartwarming, but also hilarious. It was such a fun story and Audre and Bash were absolutely adorable!

Audre was a delight as usual. She still a teenage therapist and absolutely brilliant. My earth sign queen. Her and Bash were very different yet similar in ways. It was fun to see their bond develop as Bash taught Audre how to live a little for the summer. I feel like they were able to really balance each other out. I also really liked Bash’s character because everyone made these crazy assumptions about him when he was just a chill guy LOL. He had his own stuff going own that made him the way he was, but he was a good kid and really good for Audre. They were just overall really cute.

It was nice to get acquainted with Eva and Shane again and catch up with them and their new lore. We got to see them in a different light post-SDIJ and it was nice. I also found it hilarious to see Shane’s father figure moments. Eva is still my girl, but I can’t say she didn’t work my nerves at times in this book. She was being a true helicopter mom. But given what we know about her past from Seven Days In June, I definitely understood why she was acting like that. (She was lowkey like that in SDIJ too quiet as kept, so it wasn't that shocking to me lmao). It was annoying at times, but not enough to take away from the book overall.

I loved this book and these characters are my actual family.
Profile Image for Sandy (Sandy.Reads).
743 reviews395 followers
May 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.25 stars)

I was so excited to dive back in and see how my girl Audre was doing, especially after getting glimpses of her in Seven Days in June. She’s always felt like a character who needed to break out of her shell, and this book gives her the chance to do just that. Enter Bash, the perfect guy to help her take that leap. Their chemistry is undeniable, but what really hooked me was how both of them are navigating identity, belonging, and family dynamics in ways that feel honest and layered.

Both Audre and Bash are trying to figure out where they fit in their families, and through their growing friendship (and eventual relationship), they also begin to find themselves. Watching them slowly open up to each other and become anchors in each other’s lives was such a joy. I also appreciated the depth of their individual arcs, especially how their relationships with family members evolved throughout the book.

This is a fantastic YA story, heartfelt, romantic, and full of that messy, beautiful emotional growth teens go through. I’m really looking forward to adding this one to my classroom library in the fall. I know my students will love it just as much as I did!

Thank you, Libro FM for the ALC
Profile Image for Karin.
379 reviews19 followers
April 28, 2025
This was a great YA romance!! It is definitely an older YA book, with lots of different issues addressed. It was so fun to get to go back into the “Seven Days in June� world and see how much Audre has grown up!
Profile Image for Բⲹ❁.
400 reviews58 followers
May 17, 2025
the audiobook is excellent!! duet style narration was done perfectly. 10/10

the story... was meh. the romance was very sweet. i liked both audre×bash but something was missing.

+ i hated eva×shane (audre's mom + step dad from six days of june) i truly do not understand what possessed tia to do that to eva×shane's character arcs.
Profile Image for Azanta (azantareads).
302 reviews514 followers
February 20, 2025
wait actually stop right now because this was so FREAKING cute. i really really loved this book and it might be one of my new favorite YA romcoms. Tia nailed the banter and portraying her Gen Z characters without making it sound cringe. cute!!!!
Profile Image for Courtney N.
167 reviews45 followers
April 21, 2025
5 stars! ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC!

She does it again! When I first heard Tia Williams was going to write an entire book about Audre (Eva Mercy’s daughter from Tia’s previous novel Seven Days in June) I almost tipped over with excitement. I was an Audre stan from day one. Now I’m here having just finished the audio and happy to say that this did not disappoint one bit!

💫 Before going into book specifics, I was lucky enough to listen to this audio early and it was a great time. The narrations were extremely well done, easy on the ears and easy to follow. With two narrators (one male, one female) (Jordan Cobb, Torian Brackett) each character had a distinct voice and a full personality that had me feeling all the feels and laughing all the laughs.

💫 Now for the story! THIS book was YA romance done perfectly. It was fun, quirky and humorous while also being emotional, explorative, representative and deeply insightful. I was so immersed in the minds and hearts of Audre and Bash and to be honest, I could go right back and spend a little more time there. (Please Tia, pull a Bolu Babalola and write a book about Audre and Bash in the future!)

💗 What I liked:
- Representation! There was so much representation of different communities, race, family dynamics, mental health, etc. in this book. I can’t get into all of it without giving spoilers but I found it to be super modern and super encompassing of what being a teenager in NYC is like.
- The writing. I’ll say it 1,000 times, Tia William’s has a pen that leaves me in awe. Her words will always suck me in, make me pull out my highlighter, teach me something, make me laugh all while it feels like reading poetry in a beautiful garden.
- The plot! This was a really creative way to set up a romance with some in and outs and twists that made it a bigger story than just the romance.
- POV switching. This is done so intentionally that the pace and flow make the book a breeze to get through.
- The characters. Wow wow wow, I love these characters and all their complexities. Audre? We knew she would be brilliant and funny but her character arc and the realizations she comes were so great. And Bash! He’s absolutely a new favorite character of mine. I found his back story to be extremely compelling, his personality so endearing, unique and fresh. Eva and Shane were perfectly complex (and even though they got me in my angry bag a little bit they were realistic and loveable as always). And all of the side characters offered depth and fun dynamics.
- I absolutely loved how much of Seven Days in June carried over into this novel. I won’t give spoilers but it was fun and satisfying to watch some crossover elements play out.
- All of the relationship dynamics. The romances, the friendships, the family, the peers. All of it.

🤍 What I could critique if I had to:
- Though satisfying, I think the ending did wrap up a bit quickly. I would have liked to see a little more resolve between some of the characters and maybe even some follow up on some smaller plot points (for example Audre’s dad).

Okay, now I’m branching into essay territory so I will wrap it up. This was such a great read and I highly highly recommend for those in the market for a really well-done YA romance.
Profile Image for whatkelseysreading.
497 reviews382 followers
May 1, 2025
Tia Williams how I love thee!!🫶

Seven Days in June is one of my favorite romances so I was thrilled to see Audre (Eva’s daughter) was getting her own book! And it was wonderful!!🥹

Audre is still “therapizing� all her friends while silently struggling with panic attacks herself. Her life is not going according to plan and she doesn’t know what to do about it! Her best friend makes her a summer dare list and who better help her complete it than the new hottie in town?! Enter, Bash😮‍�

Audre & Bash have such great chemistry and I just adored watching them go from friends to more than🤭they can both open up with one another, they can relax and have fun without needing to uphold their public personas!! This YA romance was one I could get behind👏

BUT in true Tia Williams fashion it also tackled tougher topics like generational trauma and the weight of familial expectations!

The audiobook for this was soooo good with duet narrations and sound effects for things like the on-page texting! Highly recommend!💯🎧

I didn’t love how quickly it all wrapped up - I would’ve loved to see more of that work being put in! Plus Reshma’s random POV chapters threw off the ~flow~ but overall another win!
Profile Image for emanislibrary.
50 reviews20 followers
May 20, 2025
Thank you to Little Brown/Hachette for the ARC of this book.

I loved this book. Tia Williams can do no wrong in my eyes when it comes to contemporary romance and this YA romance is no different. If you don’t like slang or pop culture references feel free to stay away from this book bc you won’t enjoy it.

This was just so cute and wholesome, I love Audre so much and watching her learn to enjoy herself and be more than a responsible, mini therapist, golden child. The relationship between her & Bash developed in a way that feels very true to teenage love. I flew through this book, which is saying something because I’ve been in the pits of hell in a reading slump.


Eva IS a bit insufferable in this book and i tried to understand from the perspective of a mother, but it was still frustrating to read some of their interactions and know how Audre was feeling in this transition from being an only child to being a sibling and feeling lost. I’ve seen people say this book made them hate Eva & Shane, but I don’t feel that way. Parents don’t always get everything right.

Overall I had a great time with this book and I hope we get more of the Tia Williams extended universe in another book because I’m emotionally attached to these characters.
Profile Image for Camryn O'Conner.
651 reviews42 followers
May 20, 2025
What an amazing companion to Seven Days in June. Tia Williams has such a gift for writing emotionally rich characters, and this book is no exception. You can really tell she has a strong relationship with her daughter(s), because the dynamic between Eva and Audre felt so real and full of love. Their connection was one of my favorite parts of the story.

There were several moments when I completely forgot this was a YA novel. The writing never talked down to the reader, and the emotional depth carried just as much weight as any adult fiction. I was intrigued from the very beginning and couldn’t put it down. The pacing kept me engaged throughout, and the story struck such a perfect balance between humor, heartache, and healing.

The duet narration was the cherry on top. Both narrators brought so much life to the characters, and hearing their voices made the emotions land even harder.
Profile Image for Neek Brown.
70 reviews13 followers
May 6, 2025
Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for the ARC.
All opinions are my own.

"Audre and Bash Are Just Friends" by Tia Williams is an evocative young adult novel that resonates with readers of all ages. With its authentic portrayal of teenage struggles and triumphs, the story gently transported me back to my own high school years, making it a truly nostalgic experience.

Audre's journey of self-discovery is at the heart of this narrative. Her evolution from a confused young girl to someone who finds her own voice and identity is beautifully portrayed. This transformation is both inspiring and relatable, highlighting the universal struggle of finding oneself amidst the chaos of adolescence. As I read, I found myself wanting to hug Audre for her vulnerability and courage, while also wanting to shake her in moments of frustration. Her struggles with self-esteem and friendship were depicted so vividly that they resonated with my own teenage experiences.

Bash, on the other hand, is a standout character whose depth and development added richness to the story. His complex layers and the gradual unfolding of his true self made me root for him even more as the story progressed. Bash's interactions with Audre are filled with genuine emotion and complexity, adding a layer of realism to their "just friends" relationship that is both engaging and endearing.

Despite being targeted towards a young adult audience, "Audre and Bash Are Just Friends" tackles heavy topics that both teenagers and adults can relate to. Themes of identity, friendship, and self-discovery are explored with maturity and depth, making the novel a meaningful read for anyone who has ever struggled to find their place in the world.

Tia Williams once again delivers an amazing story that captivates and resonates on many levels. Her ability to craft relatable characters and genuine narratives is truly commendable, making "Audre and Bash Are Just Friends" a must-read for anyone who enjoys a heartfelt and impactful story. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for an emotional journey and a reminder of the challenges and triumphs of adolescence
Profile Image for chasc.taylor_reads.
297 reviews14 followers
May 11, 2025
This was a very cute YA romance. If you loved Eva and Audre in Seven Days of June, this is for you! I will say the pop culture references were a bit much for me personally and I didn’t care for Reshma’s storyline, but all in all a solid book from Tia Williams.
Profile Image for Jordyn Pace.
326 reviews47 followers
May 4, 2025
4.5 - Tia Williams come collect your flowers because this was a YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE!! This book just reminded me why I love this subgenre when it's done well, sometimes more than adult romance. The drama, the Black representation, the teen angst, the mental health rep, the banter and flirting of Audre and Bash!! I ate it up!! They were so cute together and so supportive of each other. But I also loved following both of them on their own paths and journey to becoming more secure in themselves.

Andre and Bash is a spinoff from Tia Williams' very popular book Seven Days in June. Audre is the teenage daughter of Eva and she gets her own little romance and character development. Audre is at the end of high school, stressed about applying to colleges and trying to maintain her ambitious academic rigor, while also dealing with strife at home with her changing family. Her mom has just married her step dad Shane and they had a new baby and Audre is left feeling very out of place at home. When she gets stuck in Brooklyn for the summer, she decides to let loose and let Bash, the new playboy in town, show her how to stress less and have fun, as inspiration for the book she is attempting to write.

This book had all the magic that makes YA romance books the best. Sometimes I think older authors can struggle a bit with YA, because of their age it is hard to write teenagers authentically. Tia Williams made these teenagers feel REAL and actually acting their age. Both Audre and Bash are dealing with their own struggles, with their families, growing up and trying to choose a career, and dealing with young love and their sexuality. I really connected to Audre, as someone who also was overly ambitious and struggled with trying to do everything when I was a teenager. I LOVED the banter between Audre and Bash and their chemistry. Overall, this was a fantastic YA romance and will be such a fun romance to read this summer!!

Thank you to Little Brown & Co Young Readers for the free early copy!!
Profile Image for Cydney.
365 reviews14 followers
May 4, 2025
Wait, why is this one of the best books I've ever read in my life?

Audre & Bash are two extraordinarily dynamic characters with deeply layered stories, emotions, and growth arcs, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way they were written. All the charm, wit, and genuine connection that Tia Williams serves in her other books is present here on a much more appropriate, digestible scale for a young adult audience, but it is definitely upper YA due to the language and underage substance use. However, that's not at all uncommon for kids this age in the area they live in with the access and resources they have to partake in these things, so it didn't really bother me at all—I wanted to state that for any parents to kids outside of the upper YA age range curious about its appropriateness for kids between 12-15—I was reading much more adult novels than this at that age LOL.

A (sort of) continuation to Seven Days in June, Audre has grown from a tenacious, omniscient child to a tenacious, omniscient, anxiety-ridden teenager who feels like she is cracking under the pressure placed on her to excel and be great by her parents, and the pressure she's placed on herself to prosper and achieve great things. She is also really struggling with feeling like she's lost her mother as her best friend as Eva balances a new marriage to Shane, a new baby named Alice (The Goblin™️), and writing a memoir about their matrilineage. She seeks out the help of the cute boy in school who has a reputation for being a bad boy to help her relax and check off daring things to do on a list she made with her best friend Reshma. Bash is living with secrets of his own and has placed a lot of pressure on himself to be a certain way and accomplish certain things to avoid failing like his father expects him to.

Without spoiling anything, I really enjoyed the social commentary within this book on several topics and didn't find them to be heavy-handed. They were very responsibly written and balanced out with a healthy amount of humor. This is a true romcom with a sweet, engaging love story that heats up but doesn't boil over, flawed characters you root for, and a supporting cast of characters who feel alive and interesting in their own right. I need Reshma to get her own book, and I wouldn't be mad if Williams decides to write Audre & Bash their very own adult love story…hint hint, nudge nudge.

The narration was lively and fun! It is a dynamic duet narration and the narrators did a wonderful job sounding like teenagers, especially the male narrator. I wish I could read this for the first time again already!

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Little, Brown Young Readers, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC!

5 ⭐️s
🚨 Pub Date: 05/06/25
Profile Image for Lit_Vibrations .
363 reviews34 followers
May 7, 2025
Special thanks to the author @tiawilliamswrites & @coloredpagesbt @thenovlfor my gifted copy‼️

Tia Williams gave us a YA romance novel and believe me when I say it does not disappoint. It was super cute, warm-hearted, and definitely made me laugh. The pacing was perfect, I loved the representation, and the authors approach with the book.

Audre was such a well-rounded character who was full of life, a little unsure of herself, and was still trying to find her place in the world. With dreams of becoming a future therapist she decides to write a self-help book to better her chances of getting into Stanford. But being that she’s barely experienced most things teen girls her age have already she seeks help from Bash Henry her “fun consultant� who also happens to be really cute.

The chemistry was there from the moment Audre and Bash crossed paths. I knew being friends and keeping it strictly business would only last so long. Both characters had strained relationships with their parents. Audre’s mom was a little over the top sometimes and a few of their interactions made me laugh. I felt bad for Bash he didn’t have the best mother and his father basically disowned him. But Audre and Bash were basically the missing piece to each other’s puzzle. He helped her see her true potential and she helped him realize it’s okay to fall in love.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and mostly all of the characters were lovable. Exploring the complexities of teenage life, parent-child dynamics, self-acceptance, first love, and healing broken relationships the author made everything in the book flow perfectly. If this isn’t on your TBR highly recommend you add it‼️
Profile Image for Seth Betzler.
87 reviews61 followers
May 11, 2025
What a wonderful story, Audre, the precocious star of Seven Days in June shines in her own love story where her and Bash are definitely just friends. Tia Williams can write anything and I will eat it up everytime. In Audre & Bash, Tia has crafted such an authentic youthful voice that makes these characters leap off the page, both relatable and gripping for the target audience. She also blends her perfect balance of the harsher realities of life here within the scope of the YA world in what feels like a perfect companion to her adult novel, Seven Days in June. It’s rare we get to see characters and stories from a new perspective and here it’s done so well. I also love how this story deals with the realities of being a teenager in terms of school and home, friendship and romance - the strained relationship between Audre and Eva, her friendship with Reshma, and her falling for Bash - each of these threads woven so perfectly it really felt like we got the full scope of Audre’s world, her challenges, and we got see her overcome them. A beautiful tale of what it means to let go as a teen, let yourself have a little fun (not too much), all while being yourself. I love Audre so much and am so happy we got her story.

Taylor Swift songs: Fearless, Enchanted, I’m Only Me When I’m With You, Sparks Fly, Mine, Change, Never Grow Up, A Place in this World
Profile Image for AlexTRBG.
203 reviews12 followers
May 17, 2025
Thank you so much to Tia and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the free advanced e-copy! 🙏🏽

I’m literally crying my eyes out as I write this. Omfg! This was everything I didn’t even know I needed 😭💕

Tia Williams does it again, no surprises there! Reading about Audre and Bash just being friends and falling headfirst for each other was one of the sweetest and most healing stories I’ve ever read in my life. Like my adult self and my inner child are both so freaking happy right now 😮‍💨💕💕�

Knowing how much I loved Seven Days in June, I knew this book was going to be something else. But I had no idea how much it would actually mean to me. Growing up the way I did, I felt so much like Audre. I felt ruled by this unobtainable idea of perfection and I felt so isolated by it. I had no way to express it back then and no real books or stories that helped me understand what was going on. And like Audre, I also felt like no one understood me and like my mom was my main opp. ( I swear I talk about this all the time but there really should be more studies about why/how all teenage girls go through this weird period of hating tf out of your mom/parent 😅🤦🏽‍♀�) That was one of the wildest points about this book tbh, watching the beef between Eva and Audre grow. Like wow I literally love both characters so much in their own ways. But seeing them not get along was really emotional for me bc I truly understood both sides as a former child and now adult.

And then there’s Bash. Sweet sweet Bash 😭💕. His character truly broke my heart. I’ve also felt hurt like he did and not accepted by the people who you thought was supposed to love you unconditionally. And seeing him say F all of it and do whatever tf made him happy was everything. I felt such kinship with that spirit fr.

But seeing Audre and Bash connect and form this bond was so heartwarming and healing. Like ngl, I would’ve done anything to have something like that when I was in high school 😭💕 Audre and Bash were literally soulmates just like Eva and Shane were! And their connection was so deep and next level 😮‍� seriously summer time love at its finest! I almost bout lost it every time they linked up to tackle a challenge off Audre’s list or simply enjoyed the others company. I literally felt all the feels with this just like Seven Says in June � but soooo much healthier fr 😅🙃

And I can’t end this review without mentioning how good it was revisiting Tia’s NYC world and seeing Eva and Shane (+ Baby Alice 🫶🏽) again 🥲 It was so heartwarming to see how much their family had grown, but I also loved that Tia kept it real and showed that even with their happy ending, there’s still work to be done to ensure everyone in their new family unit is okay. I appreciated that so much.

All in all, my heart feels so full rn it’s crazy 😅 I know I spazzed with this review, but what can I say? I love anything Tia writes atp 🙂‍↕️🫶� this book was beyond good. Probably one of the best ya books I’ve ever read.
Profile Image for Ayushi (bookwormbullet).
748 reviews1,203 followers
February 28, 2025
Audre & Bash was such an EXCELLENT read!! I'm not surprised at all because Tia Williams' writing is always so perfect. This book was utterly hilarious. Tia Williams is very good at inserting very ridiculous and sometimes hyperbolic statements that describe a character, set a scene, or reference a moment in pop culture. I highlighted so many of these and found myself laughing so many times throughout this book.

Speaking to the romance between Audre and Bash, Audre was perhaps my favorite character in Seven Days in June. I was so pleased to find out that we would be getting a YA romance following her. From the first page, I fell in love with the characters in this book and the sweet friendship-turned-romance between her and Bash. This book felt like a true teen romance. From the very accurate Gen-Z slang to the confusing and innocent feelings of your first love to the friendship fights to the overly annoying parents, I can easily see so many teens relating to this story. I definitely found myself swooning over Bash’s confessions and inner monologue about Audre! The tension & chemistry between the two of them was through the roof. The tattoo parlor scene—HELLO?!

Overall, I feel like Tia did an excellent job of putting the reader in the shoes of teen Audre (who was a fiesty 12-year-old in Seven Days in June). It was so interesting and heartwarming to see her perspective of Eva and Shane after learning about their story in Seven Days in June. I cannot recommend this book enough for Tia Williams fans and YA readers overall. This is easily going up on my list of all-time favorite YA romances!

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Profile Image for Latoya (jamaicangirlreads).
197 reviews35 followers
May 7, 2025
absolutely adorable! I just want to give Audre and Bash a hug, especially Bash. as I read this book I kept thinking about how you never really know what a person has been through or is going through, we often just see what they show on the outside and make judgments from that. poor Bash, I loved him. the side characters/friends were awesome!
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