I received a digital advance reader’s copy (ARC) of If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

In If You’ll Have Me, Momo is eager to help her friends, but perhaps is a little too trusting. However, when she meets PG, the gorgeous but enigmatic girl known for having casual hook-ups all across college campus, Momo knows she needs to be careful—though that doesn’t stop her from thinking that PG is absolutely gorgeous. So when a chance meeting between them begins a tentative friendship, Momo is determined they’re going to be friends, not girlfriends. They’re so different, after all, and Momo’s never really dated. But as they get to know each other better, Momo might not be able to keep that promise to herself after all.

This is a cute graphic novel! Firstly, I love the art style, which is very dynamic and expressive. The characters’ expressions are fantastic, and their design in general is delightful to look at. I also think the layout of this graphic novel was really easy to follow, especially when there were setting changes and time jumps. This isn’t always the case for me with graphic novels, so this was nice.

I think that some of the plot, especially the parts involving PG’s childhood friend and Momo’s protective bestie, could have been fleshed out a bit more. I wanted to know a bit more about these things; the pacing felt a little off sometimes. The parts focusing on Momo and PG’s developing relationship were great, but I think overall this needed a little bit of restructuring.

That said, this is still so charming! It’s sweet to watch how they get together (oh, uh, spoilers, I guess), and how they navigate their insecurities and uncertainties around the relationship. This book can definitely join the shelves next to Heartstopper, as another example of a pretty healthy queer romantic relationship. It also has some lovely themes about friendship and self-esteem that are good for young adults especially to read.

In the end, If You’ll Have Me is a sweet story, full of fantastic art, nice characters, and a heartwarming plot. It’s not perfect, but still a very admirable first book from a promising author. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more of her work in the future.

If You’ll Have Me is available now!