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Losing Sam
New Recommended for ages 18+
Jess Miller is a focused, driven high school senior whose only goal is to get into the strict Christian college that her late mother attended. But when another student gets picked for early admission instead of her, she can see her dream slipping away.
With only two months left until winter break, Jess gets one final chance to prove herself to the board of admissions by doing a volunteer project at the local rehab center. Although it'll just be one more thing to add on top of her already packed academic and athletic schedule, she's determined to make it work and secure her spot at Trinity University.
That is, until she meets Sam, the charismatic and mysterious girl she's forced to volunteer with every day.
With time running out, and everything on the line, Jess must finally confront her inner demons and choose between what she's always known, and what her heart truly wants. And she has to do it before it's too late.
Jess Miller is a focused, driven high school senior whose only goal is to get into the strict Christian college that her late mother attended. But when another student gets picked for early admission instead of her, she can see her dream slipping away.
With only two months left until winter break, Jess gets one final chance to prove herself to the board of admissions by doing a volunteer project at the local rehab center. Although it'll just be one more thing to add on top of her already packed academic and athletic schedule, she's determined to make it work and secure her spot at Trinity University.
That is, until she meets Sam, the charismatic and mysterious girl she's forced to volunteer with every day.
With time running out, and everything on the line, Jess must finally confront her inner demons and choose between what she's always known, and what her heart truly wants. And she has to do it before it's too late.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 16, 2023
357 people are currently reading
4899 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 354 reviews
July 27, 2023
**'Telling a certain story should have the effects of drawing readers into your web of enticing ideas & emotions that signifies words that engages and even causes them to tremble with desire just to enjoy it..'
Elating read!
Honestly for a New Adult debut book it's really really good BUT Ms.Maser seems like she love using the word 'smirk' -- it was included over 1oo+ times --- the last chapter was an exception. Take out a lot and i mean a lot and it would have moved to 5 stars.
Still a highly recommended book #1 and i'm looking forward for book #2!
Elating read!
Honestly for a New Adult debut book it's really really good BUT Ms.Maser seems like she love using the word 'smirk' -- it was included over 1oo+ times --- the last chapter was an exception. Take out a lot and i mean a lot and it would have moved to 5 stars.
Still a highly recommended book #1 and i'm looking forward for book #2!
April 27, 2023
sequel. now.
April 26, 2023
First things first, let’s start by saving BRAVO to the author and this book. I just so happen to be finishing up a bunch of books and decided, lets keep it going and saw this one was sitting at #1 and went with it. It was a youth novel that was mature and endearing. I don’t know where to start but if this was a movie, I think I’d be first in line to watch it in theaters. Once I started reading it, I didn’t want to stop so my workday wasn’t productive, but my mind was being kept busy, my dinner didn’t get made but it was a cool night for take out because I was honestly captivated by the writing. It’s like I wanted more and more but the way it was written and put together was just, fine.
It’s full of complication and bad timing of course, but even though they were young, everything about Jess and Sam was just mature, full of understanding and though things were complicated between them, nothing felt complicated at all.
Jess is your average teenager striving to go off to college but struggling with her internal battles and aren’t we all? But the way her thought process was and strive made her just great. She was trying, she was calm, but she was a storm all at once and I loved that about her.
Sam was just Sam, mature, grown, articulate. She knew when to pick and choose her battles, she was a good person, and you just knew she was.
I loved everything from the clinic and to the families, whether it was small minor details or big ones, everything was just beautifully written and explained and I truly was just here for the ride.
I liked the ending but didn’t all at the same time, but it doesn’t change how amazing I truly thought this was, it’s been a long time since I’ve just been lost in words, writing, stories and details and I appreciate that.
I truly think this was worth the read and I have to say it’s definitely a top 5 2023 book for me.
It’s full of complication and bad timing of course, but even though they were young, everything about Jess and Sam was just mature, full of understanding and though things were complicated between them, nothing felt complicated at all.
Jess is your average teenager striving to go off to college but struggling with her internal battles and aren’t we all? But the way her thought process was and strive made her just great. She was trying, she was calm, but she was a storm all at once and I loved that about her.
Sam was just Sam, mature, grown, articulate. She knew when to pick and choose her battles, she was a good person, and you just knew she was.
I loved everything from the clinic and to the families, whether it was small minor details or big ones, everything was just beautifully written and explained and I truly was just here for the ride.
I liked the ending but didn’t all at the same time, but it doesn’t change how amazing I truly thought this was, it’s been a long time since I’ve just been lost in words, writing, stories and details and I appreciate that.
I truly think this was worth the read and I have to say it’s definitely a top 5 2023 book for me.
August 8, 2023
sam has the patience of a saint because oh my god that could not be me
November 10, 2023
I LOVED THIS AND NEED MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR IMMEDIATELY!!
April 25, 2023
WOW. Is all I have to say. I loved everything about this book. The emotional rollercoaster I just went on was never ending. My heart melted but also broke at the same time. This was so raw and I loved everything. I devoured this and will read everything this author publishes! Please tell me I can buy a physical copy soon!
May 22, 2025
UGH, this was angsty as hell. I loved it 😭
May 10, 2023
I very rarely give a 5 star review. To me, that means it's a pinnacle of sorts. Those books give you all the feelings, good or bad. They kind of spoil you for your next read because it will be so hard to top them. This is one of those books. This is categorized as YA, but the content is above that. It's more about that time of your life. Your first of so many realizations (love, self discovery, future path, sexual experiences etc) that help to shape you. This book is extremely well written & deals with topics of addiction & loss as well.
Do not hesitate to read this immediately, especially since it's available for free on KU.
Do not hesitate to read this immediately, especially since it's available for free on KU.
September 17, 2025
4 Stars
Losing Sam by Nicole Maser.
The story had all the markers of a young person’s self-discovery journey. It hit all the marks from the crushing on her female friend, the jealousy of someone else claiming their crush, the confusion and ambivalence why they are having such feelings etc etc. You know how it goes. It was textbook coming out. And I miss the simplicity of the familiar. Older coming out books used to be written this way but because of changes in style, time and writing fad, this type of basic formula used have been phased out I guess. In Losing Sam, the formula in its simplistic form is in full regalia.
The main character Jess whose point of view we were privy to exhibited all the hallmarks of a questioning teenager. What piqued my interest more was the other main character, Sam. Sam would have been classified as the typical “cool bad girl” main character what with the motorcycle and skipping school and that. However, Sam was different in a way because she was actually smart, like, MIT smart. In addition, it was later revealed that she was also athletic. She also seemed to get along with any social group she comes across with be it the jocks, the ex-drug addicts, etc. And to top it off, she was also genuinely understanding, accepting and level headed! Considering her background, you could justify her good nature by previously experiencing being on the other side and in turn shows other people empathy. She’s too perfect. It’s not a bad thing. I’m just stating that she’s too perfect as a supposedly flawed character with the cool bad girl persona.
In summary, the chemistry was good, the pacing was adequate. Although, some scenes were written too specifically and I thought it could have been omitted for a faster flower. All in all it was a wonderful read.
Losing Sam by Nicole Maser.
The story had all the markers of a young person’s self-discovery journey. It hit all the marks from the crushing on her female friend, the jealousy of someone else claiming their crush, the confusion and ambivalence why they are having such feelings etc etc. You know how it goes. It was textbook coming out. And I miss the simplicity of the familiar. Older coming out books used to be written this way but because of changes in style, time and writing fad, this type of basic formula used have been phased out I guess. In Losing Sam, the formula in its simplistic form is in full regalia.
The main character Jess whose point of view we were privy to exhibited all the hallmarks of a questioning teenager. What piqued my interest more was the other main character, Sam. Sam would have been classified as the typical “cool bad girl” main character what with the motorcycle and skipping school and that. However, Sam was different in a way because she was actually smart, like, MIT smart. In addition, it was later revealed that she was also athletic. She also seemed to get along with any social group she comes across with be it the jocks, the ex-drug addicts, etc. And to top it off, she was also genuinely understanding, accepting and level headed! Considering her background, you could justify her good nature by previously experiencing being on the other side and in turn shows other people empathy. She’s too perfect. It’s not a bad thing. I’m just stating that she’s too perfect as a supposedly flawed character with the cool bad girl persona.
In summary, the chemistry was good, the pacing was adequate. Although, some scenes were written too specifically and I thought it could have been omitted for a faster flower. All in all it was a wonderful read.
February 16, 2025
I expected a sad ending, instead I found a hopeful one. I'm glad I just got into this now that the sequel is out though, otherwise, this book would just have felt sadly vague.
April 26, 2023
it was pretty good, ending was mid
April 25, 2023
endearing
Beautifully written with grit, honesty and integrity. It takes courage to figure out who you are. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to see it. Living authentically doesn’t mean living easily. The tough choices we make often are the ones that shape our lives, our loves and our authentic selves.
Beautifully written with grit, honesty and integrity. It takes courage to figure out who you are. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to see it. Living authentically doesn’t mean living easily. The tough choices we make often are the ones that shape our lives, our loves and our authentic selves.
December 29, 2024
Masers books are always leaving me in an emotionally jumbled mess. Honestly I was a bit nervous to read this one because of some of the reviews commenting on the ending, but I loved Hearing Red so much that I needed to read something else by her. I don’t regret it, even if the dried tears beg me to say otherwise. While the ending is a bit ambiguous and not the traditional HEA, there is hope and maybe a hint at a sequel? God I really hope so, I need more of these two. Desperately. Please.
EDIT:
“Falling in love with Sam wasn’t a choice. It was like breathing. And denying it would mean sentencing herself to drown.”
Reread and yupp still fucking loved this book. Knew what was coming and still cried, and then smiled once the ending came around. Helped this time knowing there’s now a sequel out haha, will be reading that right away! I need that HEA asap please and thank you.
EDIT:
“Falling in love with Sam wasn’t a choice. It was like breathing. And denying it would mean sentencing herself to drown.”
Reread and yupp still fucking loved this book. Knew what was coming and still cried, and then smiled once the ending came around. Helped this time knowing there’s now a sequel out haha, will be reading that right away! I need that HEA asap please and thank you.
May 10, 2023
so much pain! so much acceptance!
when Jess says “I wish you’d done something horrible to me. Because then at least I’d get to hate you instead of hating myself.”
and Sam says “I don’t hate you,” Sam whispered. “I’m just ready to move on.”
to which Jess replies lightly laughing in exasperation “For some reason, that’s even worse.”
my heart broke a little for them!
I liked where they left things with each other and I hope we get to see their happy ending, considering it’s (maybe not the end), you know.
when Jess says “I wish you’d done something horrible to me. Because then at least I’d get to hate you instead of hating myself.”
and Sam says “I don’t hate you,” Sam whispered. “I’m just ready to move on.”
to which Jess replies lightly laughing in exasperation “For some reason, that’s even worse.”
my heart broke a little for them!
I liked where they left things with each other and I hope we get to see their happy ending, considering it’s (maybe not the end), you know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2025
A poor ending but fixed by the sequel.
I'll be honest I hate endings like this. You go through all the ups and downs and cheer them in only for them to not actually end up together and separated by thousands of miles. It feels so unfinished.
edit: I'm editing this review as my feelings have somewhat changed since the publication of a sequel. Alone this book is rather unsatisfying, with what I considered to be a terrible ending. With the sequel though? it's all just part of a beautiful journey of love, loss and reconnection.
I'll be honest I hate endings like this. You go through all the ups and downs and cheer them in only for them to not actually end up together and separated by thousands of miles. It feels so unfinished.
edit: I'm editing this review as my feelings have somewhat changed since the publication of a sequel. Alone this book is rather unsatisfying, with what I considered to be a terrible ending. With the sequel though? it's all just part of a beautiful journey of love, loss and reconnection.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2023
the rollercoaster of emotions this book put me through is genuinely not ok.
July 16, 2023
4/5
Well damn.
I cried a lot at the end, like a lottttt.
Personally I have moments when I didn't liked Jesse and also moments when I don't like Sam.
They were cute together and sweet, but they just had ways of fucking it up very fast.
It got me frustrated on the way the were keep hurting and avoiding eachother only to have the same talk and same reason for the misunderstandings.
It was very enjoyable
Well damn.
I cried a lot at the end, like a lottttt.
Personally I have moments when I didn't liked Jesse and also moments when I don't like Sam.
They were cute together and sweet, but they just had ways of fucking it up very fast.
It got me frustrated on the way the were keep hurting and avoiding eachother only to have the same talk and same reason for the misunderstandings.
It was very enjoyable
July 10, 2025
Wow! I’ve heard such good things about this book, and for good reason!! Hearing Red was my first introduction to this author and that book hit it out of the park. So I had zero doubt this book would do the same!
Lori Prince once again did a phenomenal job with the audiobook and helped bring all the emotions to life!
Written in third person with a single POV. Forced proximity , Toaster oven, Coming out, Students, Anxiety/Panic attacks , Coping with loss. 2x spicy scenes.
Lori Prince once again did a phenomenal job with the audiobook and helped bring all the emotions to life!
Written in third person with a single POV. Forced proximity , Toaster oven, Coming out, Students, Anxiety/Panic attacks , Coping with loss. 2x spicy scenes.
May 2, 2024
This book definitely wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. It had soooo much plot potential but it kind of snowballed. The characters weren’t overly engaging or likeable and I didn’t find myself rooting for the relationship at all.
August 30, 2025
3.75 stars rounded up
September 19, 2023
I finished this 3 days ago and forgot to mark it, but RTC
September 3, 2024
Oh God. Where to begin? Losing Sam was one of those books that I devoured in a matter of hours. I could not stop reading! And with the characters being eighteen year olds and in their final year of high school, I was surprised at how emotionally attached I got!
Jess lost her mother at a young age and has been working towards her goal of being accepted into the same college she attended. She is forced into a volunteer gig at a local addiction clinic, which is where she officially meets Sam.
Sam lost her mother to an overdose and has only recently moved back to town to live with her uncle. She is settled and working towards college acceptance as well. She spends her free time volunteering at the place she and her recieved help and guidance.
Jess isn’t Sam’s biggest fan to begin with, but Sam’s unwillingness to be anything but charming breaks down all of Jess’ walls. Pretty soon, the pair are talking and spending all of their spare time together, and it isn’t long before it’s clear there is a mutual attraction.
Sam is openly gay, where Jess hasn’t ever considered what it means to have feelings for another girl. And now, as much as she tries, she can’t stop her thinking about it.
Told in duel first-person POV, Maser's writing perfectly encapsulates teenage angst. Sam seems to have an infinite amount of understanding for an eighteen year old, but after her upbringing, her resilience seems to be one of her best assets.
Jess’ challenges when the path she has chosen begins to veer off course are relatable and relevant. The way the issues are resolved keeps those aspects of the story from being overly tumultuou, which keeps the balance between dramatic and angstu perfectly balanced.
Losing Sam gets five stars from me. The writing is exceptional and had me on the edge of my seat, wiping tears away and feeling completely engaged in the outcome of the two MCs.
Jess lost her mother at a young age and has been working towards her goal of being accepted into the same college she attended. She is forced into a volunteer gig at a local addiction clinic, which is where she officially meets Sam.
Sam lost her mother to an overdose and has only recently moved back to town to live with her uncle. She is settled and working towards college acceptance as well. She spends her free time volunteering at the place she and her recieved help and guidance.
Jess isn’t Sam’s biggest fan to begin with, but Sam’s unwillingness to be anything but charming breaks down all of Jess’ walls. Pretty soon, the pair are talking and spending all of their spare time together, and it isn’t long before it’s clear there is a mutual attraction.
Sam is openly gay, where Jess hasn’t ever considered what it means to have feelings for another girl. And now, as much as she tries, she can’t stop her thinking about it.
Told in duel first-person POV, Maser's writing perfectly encapsulates teenage angst. Sam seems to have an infinite amount of understanding for an eighteen year old, but after her upbringing, her resilience seems to be one of her best assets.
Jess’ challenges when the path she has chosen begins to veer off course are relatable and relevant. The way the issues are resolved keeps those aspects of the story from being overly tumultuou, which keeps the balance between dramatic and angstu perfectly balanced.
Losing Sam gets five stars from me. The writing is exceptional and had me on the edge of my seat, wiping tears away and feeling completely engaged in the outcome of the two MCs.
February 15, 2025
Losing Sam? More like Jerking Sam Around, amirite?
This was unfortunately a letdown for me because I expected better after reading Hearing Red. Without the special setting (the apocalypse), the characters seem very one-dimensional. Sam is perfect with the patience of a saint. She is an orphan, a bit of an outcast in their school, rides a motorcycle, is very comfortable with her sexuality, is a genius-level student awaiting early admission to MIT, spends all her time volunteering at the substance abuse workshops, has infinite patience with Jess endlessly jerking her around, is doing professional software coding projects to make money while in high school, can rebuild a motorcycle from junk parts by herself, and gets hit on my gay girls all the time. Literally zero faults or issues, or even depth. Jess, on the other hand, is a mess and is unable to have one single conversation with anyone because if she did, this book would be at least 100 pages shorter, honestly.
A lot of the negative reviews are about the ending but I went into this knowing it was a duology and so the story would likely not be wrapped up in book one. Even so, .
All in all, incredibly unsatisfying when the characters seem incredibly shallow and literally never have conversations with each other just for the book to be able to stretch out the drama.
This was unfortunately a letdown for me because I expected better after reading Hearing Red. Without the special setting (the apocalypse), the characters seem very one-dimensional. Sam is perfect with the patience of a saint. She is an orphan, a bit of an outcast in their school, rides a motorcycle, is very comfortable with her sexuality, is a genius-level student awaiting early admission to MIT, spends all her time volunteering at the substance abuse workshops, has infinite patience with Jess endlessly jerking her around, is doing professional software coding projects to make money while in high school, can rebuild a motorcycle from junk parts by herself, and gets hit on my gay girls all the time. Literally zero faults or issues, or even depth. Jess, on the other hand, is a mess and is unable to have one single conversation with anyone because if she did, this book would be at least 100 pages shorter, honestly.
A lot of the negative reviews are about the ending but I went into this knowing it was a duology and so the story would likely not be wrapped up in book one. Even so, .
All in all, incredibly unsatisfying when the characters seem incredibly shallow and literally never have conversations with each other just for the book to be able to stretch out the drama.
January 13, 2025
5/5
Where do I even start??
This the is second book I’ve read by the author, Nicole Maser. I was hoping it would be just as good as Hearing Red, and I was not disappointed.
Losing Sam had me captured from the start. In fact, I read it practically overnight. And when I say “practically overnight” I mean that I stayed up way too late reading it on a work night because I HAD to finish. I could not get my brain to shut off for the night until I had read that last page.
Nicole is fantastic at writing characters and dynamics that draw the reader in. I absolutely devour them. I think I’ve been putting off reading the next installment, Finding Jess, because I then what will I do with myself? I won’t have any new books by her to read.
My one critique is some of the wording I’m Losing Sam can feel a bit repetitive… I’m also going to be honest and say I didn’t really care. Heh.
Losing Sam one hundred percent made me a fan of Nicole Maser, and I’m confident Finding Jess won’t disappoint either.
5/5 would read again (and I rarely reread books because my TBR is a mile long!)
Where do I even start??
This the is second book I’ve read by the author, Nicole Maser. I was hoping it would be just as good as Hearing Red, and I was not disappointed.
Losing Sam had me captured from the start. In fact, I read it practically overnight. And when I say “practically overnight” I mean that I stayed up way too late reading it on a work night because I HAD to finish. I could not get my brain to shut off for the night until I had read that last page.
Nicole is fantastic at writing characters and dynamics that draw the reader in. I absolutely devour them. I think I’ve been putting off reading the next installment, Finding Jess, because I then what will I do with myself? I won’t have any new books by her to read.
My one critique is some of the wording I’m Losing Sam can feel a bit repetitive… I’m also going to be honest and say I didn’t really care. Heh.
Losing Sam one hundred percent made me a fan of Nicole Maser, and I’m confident Finding Jess won’t disappoint either.
5/5 would read again (and I rarely reread books because my TBR is a mile long!)
May 6, 2023
I loved it
Once I started this book, I could not put it down. When that happens, you know the author is doing something right. Jess and Sam’s relationship was really beautiful. Poor Jess struggled a lot with her feelings for Sam and her mother throughout the book but finally came around towards the end. With that being said, my favorite was Sam. Sam was a very strong and powerful character that I genuinely admired. Her strength was felt throughout the book. She went through so much and was still such a selfless, understanding, caring and kind person. The ending was bittersweet but overall an amazing book. I’m really hoping Nicole will continue the story with a second book.
Once I started this book, I could not put it down. When that happens, you know the author is doing something right. Jess and Sam’s relationship was really beautiful. Poor Jess struggled a lot with her feelings for Sam and her mother throughout the book but finally came around towards the end. With that being said, my favorite was Sam. Sam was a very strong and powerful character that I genuinely admired. Her strength was felt throughout the book. She went through so much and was still such a selfless, understanding, caring and kind person. The ending was bittersweet but overall an amazing book. I’m really hoping Nicole will continue the story with a second book.
April 27, 2023
This is a queer romance where both people are alive at the end. Fantastic. Spice level= mild. I could not do anything but read this book so I could know what happened because of the plot. It’s good. I found the book because of TikTok. Also happened to be lesbian visibility week. Ironic or iconic?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2023
if i was reading this when i was 12 and figuring out my sexuality i would’ve eaten this book UP!
it reminded me too much of wattpad.
a lot of it was just draaaggggingggg on.
but some parts were very enjoyable, i was just waiting for it to be over.
it reminded me too much of wattpad.
a lot of it was just draaaggggingggg on.
but some parts were very enjoyable, i was just waiting for it to be over.
January 4, 2024
So I absolutely loveddd this book. Nicole Maser KNOWS how to write in a way that makes you feel the tension, pain, love, etc. I felt like I was watching a movie. Also Nicole, you will be receiving my therapy bill after that shit you pulled in one of the chapters…
May 17, 2023
3.5
i think a lot of the issues they have in this book are trivial at best and could’ve been solved with a bit of communication
i think a lot of the issues they have in this book are trivial at best and could’ve been solved with a bit of communication
July 17, 2023
*2.5 wouldve been 100 pages shorter if they just talked to each other.
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