From the critically acclaimed author of Sunkissed comes a new swoony YA romance. Indy and Beau’s friendship is shattered, but getting accidentally locked in a bathroom together just might be what's needed to reconnect.
When the walls close in, the truth comes out.
When Indy’s life came crashing down, she made a no one could know. To the world, she’s still the same Indy—cool, calm, unshaken. But behind the scenes? It’s chaos.
Her tight-knit crew—Beau, Caroline, and Ava—were once her everything. Now they’re strangers she can’t seem to reach—especially Beau. And the only person she talks to these days is Cody, a skater-boy she used to think was so not her type. Funny how everything changes when your world flips upside down.
And then, as if things couldn’t get weirder, Indy finds herself literally stuck in a school bathroom with Beau. After months of silence, and there’s no escape. If they want out, they’ll have to face the messy truth about what happened between them and find a way back to what they once had. Or maybe even more . . .
When the walls close in, the truth comes out.
When Indy’s life came crashing down, she made a no one could know. To the world, she’s still the same Indy—cool, calm, unshaken. But behind the scenes? It’s chaos.
Her tight-knit crew—Beau, Caroline, and Ava—were once her everything. Now they’re strangers she can’t seem to reach—especially Beau. And the only person she talks to these days is Cody, a skater-boy she used to think was so not her type. Funny how everything changes when your world flips upside down.
And then, as if things couldn’t get weirder, Indy finds herself literally stuck in a school bathroom with Beau. After months of silence, and there’s no escape. If they want out, they’ll have to face the messy truth about what happened between them and find a way back to what they once had. Or maybe even more . . .
Title: Room To Breathe
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Random House Children's
Expected Publication Date: January 6 2026
Review:
Thank you to Random House Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Kasie West is really the queen of YA contemporary romance for me. I've been reading her books for a long time and each one truly hits one some great topics for teens and what they go through in their lives.
Indy's world has crashed around her. She has gone from top of her class to failing out and losing her friends in a matter of moments. Suddenly her perfect world comes crashing down around her when family drama threatens to upend her entire life. Because of the sensitive nature of the drama, she's unable to involve her friends and quickly loses them. When an unfortunate broken door has her and her best friend, Beau, trapped in a bathroom with no release in sight, she is forced to confront her demons and her attraction to her best friend.
West chose to tell this story in then and now altering chapters. It was a great way to give the background to all the characters, their friendships, and how the sudden change in Indy's family life affected those relationships. I will say I didn't truly believe that a teen would hold a secret as Indy did. While I understand she believed there were implications in others knowing her family's secret, I truly don't believe she would have kept it from her closest friends. Or at least not from Beau. But without that there would not have been the teen drama West is so practiced in inserting into her stories, so I did understand the need for it.
I love a good forced proximity story and West does it well. The idea of being stuck in a teacher's lounge bathroom with no escape is fun. It forces the characters to work through things they would not have otherwise addressed.
I will say I wasn't a huge fan of Indy. She was super selfish for me. But maybe that was what West was going for seeing as she had to keep this big secret from her closest people.
The romantic chemistry seemed just a bit forced in this story. I wanted to believe in it but it just didn't seem as well done as I have noted West doing in her prior stories. Beau and Indy definitely had the potential background for their relationship to grow into something, but them reconciling and having that change all in one night seems a bit far fetched.
There's something about YA stories that my brain just loves. Maybe it's the ease of how West writes them and truly makes you feel like you're in the lives of the characters. Or maybe it's not having to concentrate so hard to wrap my head around something that has me always going back to reading them. Whatever it is, it's enjoyable and fun and just a bit nostalgic as I think back to my teen years and the friendships and romances that happened then. If you're looking for a teen story with a bit of angst and lots of drama but ultimately a toss to how teen relationships grow and change, give this one a try!
Author:
I write YA and adult romance novels. I eat chocolate cinnamon bears. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. A few of my works are: SUNKISSED, PS I LIKE YOU, MOMENT OF TRUTH, WE MET LIKE THIS, and more. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.
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