Day’s YA: IN TIME WITH YOU

IN TIME WITH YOU by Kristin Dwyer
9781250355133
3/3/2026
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

Egalley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Nieve Monroe is nineteen years old, and she’s standing at her boyfriend’s funeral. She knows everyone there blames her for Carter’s death. Even Carter’s best friend, Max. Even Nieve herself, sometimes. After all, Carter drowned while saving Nieve’s life. After the funeral, Nieve attempts to go back to school, but she’s too devastated and can’t pull herself back together. So Nieve and her cousin Linden go home to the grandmother who raised them. Grandee has always been a bit eccentric—she believes colors have specific meanings, tells strange stories of magic and make believe, and runs a farm full of sheep named after Gilmore Girls characters.

The next morning, Nieve wakes up on the first day of college, one year before. She suddenly has a second chance at freshman year, and she’s determined to make sure Carter survives this time. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to ensure Carter doesn’t end up following her into that river at the end of the year, but that means distancing herself from him, which breaks her heart in a different way. What she didn’t expect was to grow closer to Carter’s best friend, Max, who never liked Nieve in the first timeline. But this time around, things are different, and Nieve must leave her past behind in order to fully embrace this new future.

Kristin Dwyer is beloved within the YA community for her beautiful and emotional stories, and I’m thrilled to report that IN TIME WITH YOU is Dwyer at her very best. The writing is impeccable, the plot will pull at your heartstrings, and the simplicity of the magic woven throughout the pages is enchanting. Dwyer tackles Nieve’s grief with an expert—but gentle—hand; readers journey right alongside Nieve as she navigates her way through her heartbreak, from denial, to anger, and eventually, acceptance. Anyone who has had their heart broken will be able to relate to Nieve on a personal level. 

I also loved watching Nieve experience her first (and second) love. The romance is exceptionally heartwarming, and Nieve and Max have undeniable chemistry. Ultimately this is a book about second chances, and it ends on a hopeful note. If books like YOU’VE REACHED SAM by Dustin Thao or IF I STAY by Gayle Forman are your idea of a good time, this one is sure to sweep you off your feet and leave you in tears.

“Aching realism is balanced with luminous magic, and Dwyer’s prose feels painted rather than written: Her language shimmers with sensory detail and emotional honesty . . . A lyrical exploration of grief, art, and what remains when love runs out of time.”
—Kirkus Reviews

Happy reading!
<3 Emily

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