Maybe We're Meant to Last

Miller, G.F. Maybe We're Meant to Last (#3)

November 3, 2026 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

After their epically horrible attempt at dating in 8th grade that was chronicled in Not If You Break Up With Me First, Eve and Andrew are trying their best to maintain a strict adherence to being friends, but it's hard because they both still have a crush on the other. Andrew has been away in Turkey and at band camp, and Eve has spent a lot of time training to make the high school cheer leading squad, but when they finally are able to spend some time together, it's awkward. To make it even more so, Eve kisses Andrew without asking his permission, and then laughs it off as an attempt to have a first kiss so it's not difficult when they date others. Andrew is more confused than ever and gets no help from an AI chatbot. Eve just kicks herself, avoids Andrew, and tries to follow her rules for how to stay in the friend zone. Complicating matters is the fact that Eve makes the cheerleading squad and struggles with some of the routines. She's afraid that the upper class man will judge her for hanging out with a member of the marching band, since there is a lot of bad blood between the two groups. Not only that, but Eve catches the eye of J.T., a very attractive senior football player. Andrew has to deal with Goth-like Claudette Ko (aka Koko) who flirts HARD with him and only reluctantly agrees to help him make Eve jealous after J.T. asks Eve to Homecoming at a disaster school bonfire that ends with the cheerleaders glitter bombing marching band members. Claudette goes to Game Galaxy with Andrew to try to crash Eve and J.T.'s first date, and agrees to go to Homecoming with him. J.T. is a good guy, and he can tell that Eve's affections lie elsewhere, but still goes to homecoming with her so she isn't left hanging and, as he tells her, he already bought a butter yellow shirt to match her dress. Andrew has a plan to win Eve back at the dance, but will it work? 

Strengths: Miller must have a direct line to see tweens and teens in action, because this is pitch perfect. All the angst, all the longing, all of the miscommunication. Should it be this hard for Eve and Andrew to get together? No. But do they put up understandable road blocks for themselves? Absolutely. I didn't enjoy watching Andrew consult a chatbot for dating advice, but this is probably painfully realistic, as was the line (from the E ARC) "he made an appointment with himself to overthink this from midnight to two a.m."! Eve, who was the one wronged the most when they broke up after dating, holds the harder line in trying to keep Andrew as a friend, so it made sense that she dated J.T., who was genuinely lovely, although I did worry that he had evil motives as a senior dating a freshman. Koko was terrifying, but it was such fun to watch Andrew join forces with her. Even the fighting between the band members and the sports players was understandable, given that the marching band had horrible uniforms and the cheerleaders brand new ones. (Even though cheerleaders often have to purchase their own gear.) The ending is happy, so I suppose even saying that is a spoiler. Adored this even more than the first two. 
Weaknesses: I think that Eve should have spent some time dating J.T., just from a life perspective. I loved that he wasn't a jerk; so many authors would have made him one. For the purposes of the story, it's good that she went back to Andrew, but realistically? Life doesn't work that way. Compare this to the ending of the original Wonder Years television show when the epilogue talks about how Winnie and Kevin went their separate ways. (Or not, because that aired in 1993. Sigh.)
What I really think: Miller's titles are terrifically popular in my library, so I have two of each book to keep up with demand. It's the sort of title that girls return to the library with their friend in tow who wants to check it out. Give to fans of Suzanne Nelson and Kasie West or, well, anybody!