Welcome to my tour stop for this new YA contemporary! Read my review below...
Every Borrowed Beat
By Erin Stewart
YA Contemporary
Audiobook, Hardcover & eBook, 352 Pages
March 11, 2025 by Delacorte Press
Summary
For fans of FIVE FEET APART, this emotional and romantic YA offers an unflinching look at not only the realities of heart failure, but at memory, grief, guilt, and what it means to live—in spite of another, because of another, for another. For yourself.
Sydney Wells should have died. She was supposed to die.
She never expected, after years of waiting, to receive a heart transplant. Now, seventeen-year-old Sydney doesn’t know what to do with her life. Her daily routine consisted of staying indoors, eating heart-healthy foods, and posting about her transplant list experiences on TheWaitingList with her long-distance BFF (and heart failure buddy) Chloe.
Now, Sydney latches onto the one thing that gives her learning as much as she can about the person whose heart she inherited. After finding the family of her likely-donor, Mia, Sydney falls deep into her world—and may also be falling for Mia’s best friend, Clayton.
But Sydney isn’t the only one hiding something. Mia’s brother Tanner won’t talk to Clayton, and Clayton won’t tell Mia why. And hundreds of miles away, Chloe’s health has taken a turn for the worse. Sydney needs to face what’s in her heart—the truth, the guilt, and the future—before it’s too late.
Content Warning: grief, organ transplant, survivor’s guilt
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My Review
EVERY BORROWED BEAT is a poignant story about a girl trying to be worthy of her borrowed heart and fine where she belongs. It's a story of self discovery, heartbreak, second chances, loss, friendship, first love and family. Highly recommended to YA contemporary fans!
I loved these imperfect, vulnerable, messy and sweet characters! I liked how relatable they all were with the rough situations they're in and the hard things they're facing while still being teenagers who make mistakes and are trying to figure things out. Sydney and Clayton were both so lost. I thought the romance was adorable and I liked that even though it definitely takes center stage in places it didn't fix everything or overshadow the other major pieces of this story. The author also did a fabulous job in making this story feel authentic, relatable and full of all the feels. It's a tough thing to write about. Being sick and needing a heart and someone else dying in order for you to live. She was sensitive and real and raw. It was inspiring and heartbreaking and messy.
In the end, was it what I wished for? This was such a heartfelt, beautiful story! Loveable characters, a genuine journey, and all the feels made for a relatable story that readers will love.
Content: Some mild swearing and some s-words.
Source: I received a complimentary copy through TBR and Beyond Tours, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
Erin is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern and a BYU undergraduate. Erin lives in Utah with her husband and three children.
Tour Schedule
Follow the tour here.
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