Whenever You’re Ready

I loved Rachel Runya Katz‘s 2023 debut, Thank You for Sharing, and have been wanting to read her more recent books. Before I get to her newest release, I decided to catch up on last year’s Whenever You’re Ready.

For years, Nia, Jade, and Michal were best friends. Later, Jade’s twin brother Jonah was part of the mix, eventually dating Michal. But then life-of-the-party Michal was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Before she passed away, she left behind letters for Nia and Jade to open on each birthday after. Now, three years later and as Nia and Jade are turning 29, Michal has left them with a bucket-list to-do item: go on a Southern Jewish Heritage Tour. With Jonah and his dog joining on the trip, Jade and Nia start to rebuild their fractured friendship… and finally admit the deeper feelings they’ve harbored for each other for years.

What I Liked:

• Friend group done well! I loved getting to see the years-long friendship between Michal, Nia, Jade, and Jonah. Their dynamics are so well done and feel completely real. Now that Michal is gone, the remaining three have a difficult relationship with each other, balancing their grief over the loss, but also learning how to lean on each other and find joy again.
• Learning to communicate with each other—as siblings, friends, and romantic partners. Related to the friendship dynamics, I also liked how the author portrays their communication issues with each other. Twins Jade and Jonah bicker as only siblings can; Nia tries to keep the peace even while keeping some secrets. It isn’t until the end that the emotional volcano erupts, and they have to find a way to regain their trust and open, honest communication.
• Jewish heritage. Throughout this novel, present-day Nia, Jade, and Jonah are on a road trip around Georgia and South Carolina, learning about their Jewish heritage. It’s written to feel like we’re on the tour with them, going to museums and other locations along with the characters. What they learn isn’t always comfortable, especially seeing a history of racism among their Jewish ancestors. All three are multi-racial, with Jade and Jonah being Black, so this new knowledge hits especially hard. I’m not Jewish, but I enjoyed learning more about the religion and heritage here.
• Luna the dog. She may have severe motion sickness, but she’s a good dog!

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• It’s really sad. This isn’t actually an issue with the book; I just wasn’t in the right head space to be able to fully enjoy a book centered around such tragic loss. The beginning was hard to get through, but as the characters slowly move forward, it became an easier and more hopeful read.

Final Thoughts

Whenever You’re Ready is an emotional novel about friendship, heritage, loss, and learning to find joy and love again after it all. It weaves in a lot of important themes, making the characters feel real and relatable. This was my second time reading Rachel Runya Katz, and I’m excited to read her latest book, Isn’t It Obvious?

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Whenever You’re Ready here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Whenever You’re Ready by Rachel Runya Katz
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	Georgia; South Carolina; New York
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	September 10, 2024
Publisher	St. Martin’s Griffin

Official Summary

“Is it okay to say that Rachel Runya Katz’s characters are always so hot to me? The slow burn tension between Jade and Nia was off the charts.” – Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers

After reconnecting on a road trip, two friends must decide if love is the ultimate risk worth taking in this funny, emotional sapphic romance.

Nia and Jade had been inseparable ever since their best friend, Michal, introduced them at her tenth birthday party. But now it’s been three years since Michal died of cancer— since the brutal fight Nia and Jade had in the weeks after— and they’re barely on speaking terms.

Until Nia reads a letter Michal wrote for her 29th birthday, asking her and Jade to go on the southern Jewish history road trip they’d planned before she died. To add to the complications, Michal’s then-boyfriend and Jade’s twin brother, Jonah, joins the trip. Despite the years apart and Jade and Jonah’s strained relationship, any awkwardness quickly disappears as it becomes clear how much Nia and Jade have missed each other.

Unfortunately, old issues soon arise. Nia has been in love with Jade since they were teenagers, and Jade has been so committed to their friendship that she never let herself consider something more. As the stops pass, tensions mount, running high until Nia and Jade are forced to confront what happened three years ago, their feelings for one another, and even their respective relationships with Jonah.

Rachel Runya Katz’s Whenever You’re Ready is about family, friendship, and the kind of first love that could last a lifetime—if only you are willing to take a chance.

“Poignant, tender, and swoony, Whenever You’re Ready is an instant favorite from an auto-buy author.” – Alison Cochrun, Lambda award-winning author of Kiss Her Once for Me and Here We Go Again