I made it a few chapters into this one, but it wasn't for me. I ended up putting it down. I don't read a lot of YA, and I prefer ones that have a bit more depth. This would have been a book that I appreciated from ages 13-20 though, and I recommend it for that group.

I don't feel comfortable rating it, but I can't post this review without a rating. Giving it three stars as an even medium.

I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Okay, I'm going to go ahead and apologize now for this very long rant of how much I loved this book!!!! I probably discovered Christine's youtube channel sometime in 2014. When I started getting super obsessed with books in 2012 I made a lot of friends on Goodreads that I was able to talk books with since I didn't really have many friends that read. Then in 2014, I found out about booktubers and Christine's channel was my favorite. I remember how much I could relate to her in my feelings about the books I loved. When I finish an amazing book I still to this day go find her reviews on youtube.

Anyways, when I found out that she was writing a book I knew I had to have it. It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2019. I was equally excited when I found out that I could request the arc on NetGalley! You can imagine my excitement when I was accepted for that arc. I seriously jumped up and down and did a little dance. I knew that I was going to love this book, and I did!!!

This book has everything you would ever want in a contemporary. Great lovable characters, misunderstandings, fun trips, amazing friendships, love, and a little bit of magic. In this story we follow Shane. Shane is on track to be come a doctor, and her parents couldn’t be prouder, but she is not completely happy about this. She feels like her college experience didn’t go as planned and she isn’t quite happy with how her life is right now. Shane finds out about a study abroad writing program that goes to London for a semester and decides that it is exactly what she needs.

Shane writes a list of what she has to do while on this trip, like making friends, being confident, and meeting a boy. She gets to cross everything off while in London, but the trip definitely wasn’t at all what she expected. She hits lots of bumps in the road, but they add to who she is. Again, this book just blew me away! I loved everything about it and didn’t want it to end!

The other day I watched Christine’s video about the audiobook and have decided in the next few months to listen to it! I am so excited to hear my favorite characters come to life! You definitely need to go out and get this book and read or listen immediately. After your done come back and read my spoilery review and let’s chat all this Again, But Better!!!!

DNF @13% (Stopped at chapter 7 exlusively)
I received an ARC copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has no impact on my review/thoughts.

First, let's get this out of the way. I like Christine Riccio and watch her youtube videos from time to time but this book was definitely not for me. Shane reminded me a lot of Christine even for the first seven chapters I read. However, what ticked me off was the way how Shane was SO obsessed with Pilot the moment he comes into the picture. It just doesn’t make sense. Maybe a crush but she was literally IN LOVE with the guy that she saw for a minute! It was definitely an insta-love trope there.

In chap 5, she likes freaking out that they are going to travel to another country to visit after having arrived just the day before and here she is falling in love with a guy that she met on the same day she arrived in London... and she's NOT freaking out about that (go figure).

I just can’t help but roll my eyes for the entire six chapters that I read. It was really boring for me and the writing/storytelling didn't mesh with me.

Pros: I enjoyed the writing style and am looking forward to seeing Christine grow as an author in future books. I really appreciated seeing the main character, Shane, grow in her journey and prove that this was more than just a love story.

Cons: The two timelines of the story were just so detached from one another, that to me, it felt like entirely different books. I also really hated how I couldn’t envision Shane as a character without seeing Christine. Every single aspect of Shane came from Christine and it was just too overbearing for me to look past.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Again, but Better follows Shane, a college student who is convinced that she’s been doing college all wrong. In an attempt to fix this, she decides to follow her dreams and take a semester abroad in London. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worst when her parents show up, and she starts to reconsider everything. Years later, a magical opportunity comes up, that could give her the chance to change everything.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I had a difficult time putting it down, because I wanted to know what would happen next with Shane. On the other hand, I wasn’t a huge fan of the first half of the book, because I found Shane’s internal monologue to be immature and annoying. On the third hand (yes, let’s pretend I have three hands), I really enjoyed the second part of the book when Shane started focusing on herself and her goals.

My favourite thing about this book was all the travelling that Shane did. I liked seeing London, Paris, Rome, and other European cities through Shane’s eyes, and this book made me want to do some travelling. I also liked the friendships that Shane made in the second half of the book, and I loved how much travelling and exploring she did with her roommates during their term abroad.

The other thing that I liked about this book was watching Shane mature. I liked when she started making decisions for herself, instead of trying to do what everyone else wanted her to do. I thought that she had great character development, and I went from not liking her much, to being inspired by her.

One thing I didn’t like about this book was all the pop culture references. I understand that sometimes pop culture references are useful and that they can make a story seem more real, but the amount in this book seemed excessive.

Overall, even though I enjoyed this book, it wasn’t the book for me. I think if I was a little bit younger, or still, in university, I would have enjoyed this book more. I do recommend this book to people in college or university who are unsure of what they want to do moving forward.

DNF at 4%

I'm really not feeling this writing style.

70% of the sentence begin in I, and the majority have filter phrases.

I've now gleaned the code to the kitchen (which was, in fact, buried in the blue folder paperwork), grabbed Sawyer, and settled in at the table to write. I want to write about my experience in England, so I've started working on a blog post about my first few hours here.

Hours that have been incredibly boring. She got her bags, got on a taxi, nearly fell down some steps because you can't have a YA novel without a clumsy MC, awkwardly met her new roomies, saw a cute boy (his name is Pilot, and his friend's name is Atticus—these are reasons enough for me to DNF), and went to an orientation where she was separated from her friends like a sheep being led towards the slaughter. But all this was related in a way that made me feel supremely disconnected from Shane, almost as if she's narrating it from outside her body.

Anywho, not for me, even though I was incredibly intrigued by the premise because I was kinda hoping for another awkward college coming of age story like Fangirl.

I'm sure others will enjoy it, but it's not intriguing me enough to continue.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Again, But Better is exactly what you would expect: a rom-com romp through Europe with a boisterous narration that carries you through giggles and heartbreak from start to finish.

Me, being an extremely picky reader when it comes to contemporaries, had my qualms and worries. But, more than anything I was excited to see another book internet personality being able to make their mark in the traditional publishing world. And it exactly met my expectations.

One thing this book excels at is its voice. It grabs you from the first page with the author’s unique and unmistakable mix of overzealousness, awkward charm, and silly commentary that she’s crafted to perfection. Shane feels so real and like you’ve been her friend your entire life; You feel for her struggles, choices, and decisions, and only want the best for her by the end of the story.

The rest of the characters, however, did fall a bit flat. Every one of them had defined characters and backstories, and it was a well-thought out and diverse cast, but there wasn’t anything particularly exciting about any of them, and none of them really lent anything to the overall story besides just extra bodies there. I wish I was able to see more of them, and maybe even see more of how Shane plays off of them and how their relationships affect the story as a whole.

Which then brings us to the love interest: Pilot. He unfortunately fell into the same predicament as the rest of the side characters. I never really felt anything for him, except for a couple of really well written scenes between him and Shane. But truthfully, if this book were just a story of personal discovery with a dash of romance instead of the other way around, I think I may have been completely head over heels for it.

What really caught me off guard and caused the scales to tip from an okay book to something good was the plot twist halfway through. It was well-executed and c=so far out of left field that I never saw it coming. It made the story so much more fun, and I found the second half of the book far more exciting and engaging than the first.

Above everything else, this is a book that Teen me needed. If someone put this book in my hands at age 16 I would’ve read it and cried and feel so incredibly seen. So, that also clearly factors into my opinion. While maybe it didn’t quite hit the mark for me now, I know its something that will touch the hearts of so many readers, and honestly, that’s what it’s all about isn’t it?

Christine Riccio, from PolandBannasBooks, was not the first YouTuber I ever saw, but definitely the most impactful on my reading, and eventual bookstagramming. She was either the second or third YouTuber I ever saw talk about books, and her passion and energy made me want to revisit my love for books and made me think that books could be "cool" and that maybe others were still interested in reading too. So when I heard she was not only writing a book, but getting it published, I knew I wanted to support it. That being said, I received an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review and all opinions are my own.

Again, But Better follows Shane, a college student who has lived a mostly unexciting life and who hasn't really enjoyed her life to the fullest, especially concerning college. She has tremendous pressure from her family to become a Doctor, even though she actually enjoys writing and wants to intern for a Travel Magazine. She goes on a Study Abroad trip to Europe with her parents under the impression that she will be interning/studying in a clinic.

Personally, I found the beginning to be rather dull and difficult to read as it felt very juvenile. The writing is very basic, and there's a lot of jumping around from one scene to the next that never felt very cohesive. The characters were difficult to relate to as we didn't see much about their lives apart from their interactions with Shane. And Shane seemed very awkward to the point where sometimes I found her interactions with her friends to be even too difficult to read.

Shane herself is very much like Christine, from enjoying Yoga, Taylor Swift, Harry Potter, reading in general, blogging, having an obviously Italian last name (Primaveri), and even having a relationship with her cousins that seemed more like a brother-sister bond. These huge similarities ended up making some very personal Shane moments feel as if I was reading Christine's diary at some points.

After the first 55%, the book got better in a big way.

It seemed very clear to me that the second half of the book had been rewritten or edited more times than the first, or that Christine's writing had developed enough over the time period writing the first half that the second half was much better.

The plot line picks up big time. The characters are less awkward. The dialog even gets better. I really can't stress enough how much the book changes after the first half to be such a great read.

I almost dnf'ed (did not finish and put the book down for good) during the first half several times. But as I received this book for review purposes I pushed my way through. And I'm glad I did, because I loved the twist in the second half, and I really loved the formatting and writing of the second half soooo much. It saddens me greatly that the first half was such a bust for me, since the second half was truly amazing.

One little thing that really bothered me that doesn't really have anything to do with the story, and was kind of necessary in order to make the story happen was the obvious privilege that Shane has. And what do I mean by that? Shane goes to Europe for a pretty decent amount of time (which is expensive) and has her parents pay for the whole trip under the guise that it's a medical internship when it's not. During her time there, she also asks her parents for money occasionally, and then throwing in that she "has money saved up from summer jobs." And I just wanted Shane to say just once how lucky and fortunate she was to even have the opportunity to go to Europe and study abroad. Maybe it was different for Shane, but when I was in college, study abroad worked out to be around $4,000 not including food, extra travel, or souvenirs and the likes.

Overall, I would give the first half a low 2 stars almost 1.5, and the second half a 4-4.5. I would recommend this book for fans of Christine and also those who fit in the younger YA category as it was mostly mild. I think those of us that fall into the "older" YA reader category might not enjoy this one as much.

Who hasn't thought about what it would be like to be able to go back in time and change the course your life has taken by altering some decisions. This book explores this question. It was very interesting and kept me engaged throughout.

ARC received from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I have never heard of or followed Christina Riccio. But, after learning that she is (or was?) a popular Booktuber this book made a lot more sense.

This basically seemed like a fictional homage to herself? Not sure. My biggest issue is that the writing was extremely juvenile, and the concept was not original. Like, at all. If she reviews and gushes about books for a living, I would've thought she'd want to come up with something more unique that stands apart from the rest. Guess not.

Shane Primaveri’s college experience hasn’t exactly gone as she’d hoped. Stuck in a major she’s not passionate about, she’s slogged through her first two years without making any real connections. When an opportunity to study creative writing in London appears, Shane lies to her parents and sets off to have her college experience the right away.

Again, But Better is a crossover NA novel by booktuber Christine Riccio (polandbananasbooks) and was one of my most anticipated reads of this year.
Let’s talk about why it was lukewarm for me.

What I Liked
The study abroad element. Do I think there are far too many stories about this experience set in Europe? Yes. Do I still fall for it almost every time? Absolutely. I’m a Sagittarius; wanderlust controls like, 80% of my emotions.
Shane’s (intended) major. There are a lot of creative main characters in YA, but they usually skew towards studying photography or painting. As a creative writer myself, I love seeing characters just as excited to build worlds with words as I am. Even though Shane was hiding it from her parents, her passion for writing really shone through and made me smile.
The twist. It happens about halfway through the book, and I should’ve known, honestly. I won’t say what it is (though I’m sure you can guess!) but it was an interesting concept that made the story even more fun.

What I Didn’t Like
The pacing. On one hand, this book can be easily read in maybe two sittings. It’s generally fast-paced and has enough going on to make you want to keep reading to see what happens next. On the other hand, sometimes things happen way too fast and suddenly things start going kind of slow and I’m sitting there with whiplash. We’re thrown into a scene and just when we get comfortable with it, there’s an abrupt cut to Shane’s diary entry detailing the rest of the day — which brings me to…
Telling and not showing. Much of this story takes place in European countries, and there’s understandably a lot to explore. Some of the descriptions were great, but others felt lacking and I could hardly build a picture in my head of the character’s surroundings and activities. One moment in particular is in Rome, where an *incident* occurs and once I was super invested in the moment, we’re ripped out of it and it suddenly cuts to Shane’s diary, which gives a bare bones detailing of the rest of the day. I was so excited to see what happened after that incident!
The romance. Can I even call it a romance for the first 50-something percent? It’s a bit more like an obsession. Shane develops a crush fairly quickly on a guy she sees on the first day of her exchange program, and I don’t… particularly… like him. Or the romance at all, for that matter. There’s a lot of attention on him that makes me a bit sad because Shane is in a whole other country trying to be braver and explore the world and she’s hung up on a guy she met within the first 0.5 seconds? Their relationship is also the catalyst for The Twist and I won’t lie, that hurts a little.
**SLIGHT SPOILERS??**
I thought that after the twist, Shane would focus on him a lot less, maybe even discard him from her life. Let’s be real: he deserves it. But that wasn’t the case at all, and as proud as I was of Shane for what she did in the second half of the book, I’m disappointed in her choice to keep this guy around.

Things I’m on the fence about
The dialogue. Some of it was just not a fun time to read, but some of it, like the banter between Shane and her love interest, felt easy and fun. While there were a few lines that felt unnatural and unrealistic, I think there were still a good chunk that felt pretty good.
This story reads so… young? Let’s not forget, friends: this is a New Adult book, NOT YA. Shane begins the story from age 20 and the story overall covers about six years after. Despite this, the story seemed to read a younger to me. Mostly, it was because of Shane. But on the other hand, I was relieved to see that Shane was closer to how I sounded at 20 (and honestly, probably still at 25) than most New Adult books that paint a person’s early twenties as a time of Sudden Maturity; I’ve always felt so out of place reading them even if I am their intended audience.

Overall Thoughts

I didn’t dislike this book, but I wasn’t crazy about it either. The premise was something I was really excited for, and while I was sort of disappointed in the end, I still had fun reading it and even feeling inspired to write as well! Christine’s writing is also blazing with potential, and there were moments where I was reading and just knew that I would be picking up her future books as well. I can’t wait to see what she writes in the future! It wasn’t really for me, but it could be for others!

If you’re a fan of The Summer I Turned Pretty or any Sarah Mlynowski books, I think you could give this a try for a light, easy, and fun read.

Christine Riccio is someone I’ve been following for years on Book Tube. Her bubbly personality really shines through in her first novel.

I have to say that YA literature is not my jam anymore. I am a 32-year-old woman and the genre doesn’t speak to me like it did before. I often get frustrated reading about teenagers acting like teenagers lol. That being said I enjoyed this book and related to the main character.

Shane is super smart and quirky and sometimes socially awkward but she knows what she wants and she came to London to chase her dream. To prove to her parents and to herself that she can go out into the world and make a career out of her passion for writing.

We get to experience day to day life with Shane as a student in London but also get to travel with her and her friends to a couple other spots in Europe.
It even felt a bit nostalgic in a random way. Reminded me of how I felt when I was a teenager and a new Mary Kate and Ashley movie would come out. ( Winning London and Passport to Paris are the best. But now I’m getting off topic.)

The narrative of this book was great. The writing was easy to follow and there were journal entries thrown in that added some extra charm.

The romance was very well developed and super cute. I was well invested and wanted to see where it was headed.

There was conflict in the book as well that was handled nicely. It was realistic and made me feel things. It wasn’t just some nonsense thrown into a book just to have some unnecessary drama if that makes sense at all.

And that’s just the first half of the book 😂 the first half would have been a wonderful full novel in and of itself but there was more.

I so want to give this five stars and please don’t hate me people of the internet but the second half felt a tad rushed and lacking a bit. The connection I had with the characters in the first half of the book was lost. The relationship also lost it’s allure for me.

Still a great book and I look forward to picking up more from Christine if she decides to publish anything further. I still would recommend this to people. It was enjoyable ☺️

A big thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’m glad I went into this book with mediocre expectations because those weren’t even met. I watch the author of this book on Booktube occasionally, but I don’t follow her closely, so I don’t think any personal biases have anything to do with how I felt about her book.

It felt like a bad knock off of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. We have a girl going abroad. She starts to like a guy who has a girlfriend. She ends up having feelings for him and he has them for her even though there is a girlfriend involved. It’s basically the same except in this book the characters aren’t flushed out whatsoever, there are too many popular culture references stuffed into the book, and there’s a time travel element.

Again, But Better had good ideas. I liked the idea of a girl being obsessed with a boy, that ruining her potential, and then her realizing that she needs to focus on herself. That’s a good idea if it’s done well. It was not done well. The MC is freakishly annoying. There are so many references in here to Cassandra Clare, Harry Potter, and Lost. We get it. You’re a fangirl. Also, her online name was FrenchWatermelon19 which is basically the same thing as the author’s PolandBananas20 username. She also goes on a soap box about how YouTube can change people’s lives. We get it. You are a part of the YouTube community and it has given you amazing opportunities.

This seems like a self published book. The fact that it isn’t makes me question the book publishing industry. There were so many references to people laughing/smirking/use a synonym for laughing here. People do not say things laughingly that often… come on. Hopefully they fixed the grammar errors at least, but I’m not holding my breath on that either.

I was VERY excited when I found out that Christine’s book was going to be published. I’ve been watching her writing vlogs from the very start and have enjoyed seeing her progress and all that. Unfortunately, I DFN’d after a few chapters. The main reason was that I’m not currently as into contemporary novels as I was a few months ago. Other reasons were the writing, the main character, and the setup.

The character, Shane, starts explaining how she left college in America to start fresh in the UK. She has social anxiety, so she didn’t have any friends back home and was planning on changing that abroad. I’m all for self-improvement and getting out of one’s comfort zone, but the moment she gets to the dorms she starts talking to her roommates and decides to go check out a boy. I was expecting her to take more time to adjust. It made her statement about social anxiety a bit less believable. Shane’s voice also wasn’t entirely my cup of tea. I know she is twenty, but her thoughts felt younger.

In a few months I’ll pick it up again and give it a try. I think people who are seeking a college-based story will love this and I definitely recommend it to contemporary lovers!

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book. The first half was a bit rough. The writing style came off a bit juvenile (but is better in the second half), There were parts that I got taken out of the story like with the similarities between Shane and Christine which felt like a self insert but I don’t take this as a negative too much as I felt christines energy works well for the tone this story is going for. Another nitpick I had was the amount of telling rather than showing that was in the traveling portions of the story which kind of made me feel more distant from the characters. But overall It’s a strong debut in my opinion and keep in mind that this is only Christine’s first book so there is room for improvement on her future projects

One of my favorite books of the year, and in my top five contemporaries of all time.

I started reading Again, but Better on March 26th and finished it on March 29th at 2am in the morning.

And that was after I had been in a real reading slump, barely being able to pick up a book, much less binge reading more than 200 pages into the early hours of the morning.

I’m writing this review so late because I was afraid of not being able to convey how much I loved this book. But I’m going to try anyway, because the release is tomorrow and I’m going to Christine Riccio’s book signing on Wednesday.

I read a fair amount of contemporaries and have connected with many of them, but never like this one (besides for Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, review below). The character of Shane feels so close to me, I feel enveloped in her thoughts and choices. This book feels so close and personal because it’s my worst fears and hopes and dreams and possibilities all wrapped into one story.

I never saw “Part 2” coming. I didn’t even guess where the story was going until I got to that page and screamed in my bed, at approximately 10pm. I didn’t stop reading after that. I had to know. This was also the first time in a long time when I read a book and did not guess the twist or the ending. I enjoy guessing what happens next and being right. But also, sometimes I get annoyed that some books or movies feel so predictable to me, I wish they would surprise me more. This book did surprise me. In the best way possible.

As I said I’m going to the signing on Wednesday, I pre-ordered the Barnes and Noble exclusive signed edition. But it won’t get here until this weekend, which means I’ll buy a second copy at the signing on Wednesday. Which I should be more annoyed about… but also I’ll be re-reading the finished copy and I’ll want to mark up my own copy. I’m so excited.

This book is my perfect cup of lavender earl gray tea. It’s the contemporary I’ve been waiting for. Thank you Christine for writing it. I’ve been watching Christine’s booktube videos on her channel: polandbananasBOOKS https://www.youtube.com/user/polandbananasBOOKS for years now. And I’ve watched every one of her “Writing Vlog” videos. They’ve inspired me that one day I can also get my stories out there, her persistence has inspired me on many levels. I’m so grateful that’s she’s also very open about her struggle with anxiety. Did I mention how excited I am for the signing on Wednesday?

https://soleildezwart.com/book-reviews/again-but-better-by-christine-riccio

*I WAS GIVEN THIS E-ARC FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*
DISCLAIMER= I’m not trashing anyone and these are my opinion on the books, just that.
To make this review easier and more coherent I’m going to bullet point through it:

• Main Character= Shane is literally Christine and that made the book seem a little like a fan fiction. At the beginning that was really throwing me off and it wouldn’t let me create a voice for Shane myself, just kind of spoon fed me Christine, which I wouldn’t have mind if it wouldn’t have been so obvious. I did like the progression of Shanes development into being herself.
• Love Interest and their relationship= Pilot, was a confusing character but with a purpose. I think there was a slacking effect of character development but there was nothing outstanding. There was chemistry with each other and I loved the cute and even funny moments. There was a problem in the first half of the book where I just couldn’t get behind the relationship and it was bothering me that even with the situation they were still flirting. I just hate books that include that, but that’s just personal.
• Side Characters= The friends were likable but could blend into the background. The characters that I was the most interested in were barely there and would barely talk, they were almost used as a plot device.
• Girl Hate= I read other people talking about girl hate in this book and yes there is an aspect of girl hate and it was extremely frustrating. So many characters were made to be described by one stereotypical feature and to drive the point through it was made sure to absolutely not like them.
• Time Frame= The time frame was very confusing, at least to me. I didn’t realize the year until almost halfway through the book. I didn’t see a clear set time in the beginning which had me working on context clues.
• Romance/Chemistry= I think the main romance itself was very instalove but the chemistry between the characters made it better, once again there are very sweet moments and a best friend attitude that I love when relationships had.
• Anxiety Rep= The anxiety was described as pretty severe and though the thoughts that were running through Shanes head was conformation I was disappointed that once she got into travel abroad she didn’t really talk about how she coped and it made it seem like it was just something that could’ve been a positive rep with showing bad anxiety that I don’t want to leave my room but look I do this and it helps me actually be out there.
• Overall: I struggled through the first half but I enjoyed the second half of this book too much to give it a 3 star. It’s a debut after all and I am excited to see what comes next. The family dynamic with college I think was really well done and Shane herself a had a great development

The book was certainly a self-insert, but I didn’t mind. Shane was a little over the top and that could be grating from time to time, but her awkwardness was relatable. I was impressed by how her voice differed in the two timelines, when she was 26, she sounded much older and it worked.

The references were heavy handed to the point where I started skimming whenever I saw the words “Angry Birds,” but that is a personal pet peeve.

Fans of the author’s YouTube channel will enjoy.

I gave this book 4 stars. Going into this book I had high expectations. I’ve been a longtime fan of Christine’s Youtube channel and knowing her, I figured she would have some high standards when it came to her own book. While I did enjoy the book and I think it was a good start, I do think she can do better. Since it is her first book I’m banking on the fact that her books are going to get progressively better., so I think 4 stars is a good place to start

It’s so weird going into this review because I know the proper way to refer to an author is by last name unless they are someone you personally know. The thing is Christine is known by her first name on Youtube so I’m a bit conflicted here. I feel like I should refer to her as Riccio because I don’t actually know her personally, but that feels strange. So warning I’m probably going to commit some faux pas in this review, but in the spirit of this book taking place in 2011, I will just say YOLO. Anyway, onto the actual book.

The book itself was really fun, I loved watching the character growth that Shane went through. The story itself I really loved and I actually wasn’t expecting. The first part of this book was kind of slow for me. I felt as though I was sort of strolling slowly through the first half. I thought the entire story was going to be like that, but halfway through, a wrench is thrown into that plan and the title makes complete sense. It’s funny, I thought at the beginning of the story that I knew what the title was referencing, but once we hit the halfway point I realized that that was not what it was about at all.

Shane is a character who I found incredibly relatable. Her personality is a lot more bubbly than mine, but I felt like I could relate to a lot of her experiences myself. As someone who is currently in University, majoring in English, I relate to a lot of the personal conflict Shane experienced. I often find myself kind of embarrassed and as though I need to explain myself whenever someone asks me what my major is because I feel like it’s this “fact” that English majors don’t give you opportunities and that you should choose something more lucrative like medicine or law. Like Shane, I like what I’m doing. Shane feels like she is being pushed in one direction by everyone around her while she’s hopelessly pushing against the grain.

I liked the message the story had about creativity and not letting society kill your creativity. A lot of people end up forced into jobs they hate because otherwise they won’t be seen as “successful”. I think that’s bullshit. I liked how the book went about showing us that.

I preordered a copy of this book because I just wanted to have it on my shelf. It got shipped early so I actually currently have a finished copy and I just have to say that they did such a good job with the cover. If I saw that on a shelf in a store I would probably buy it. I also really love that on the cover under the dust jacket it has a little watermelon engraving. It’s really cute.

Overall, I think it’s a fun twist on a YA contemporary romance novel. It was cute and awkward with a little something out of the ordinary for those of you who aren’t sure about just straight up contemporary novels. It’s got a twist, it’s a fun twist. I would recommend giving this one a read.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC of this novel. Regardless of the way I acquired the novel, the thoughts, opinions, and views stated in this review are completely unbiased and one hundred percent my own.

First of all, let's start off with a clean slate. I've followed this author since she was an OG booktuber, and I knew I'd be picking up her novel regardless of reviewer feedback. That does not, however, indicated how my own review will unfold. My feelings towards an author does not sway my opinion of their work. It is my belief that their work should stand alone, and that is how I intend to proceed.

Now that that's out of the way: I went into this novel basically ignorant of the plot. This technique is honestly becoming one of my favorite ways to jump into a new book. It forces me to let go of any expectations, and allows for the plot to deliver more surprises.

The first half of this novel followed what I would call a typical contemporary outline. We watch a group of students who have never met before, as they explore together on a study abroad trip to London. As someone who has not had the opportunity to travel, I ate up these sections of the book. The travel and first-time-explorer experiences of this novel really added to the appeal for me.

We rather quickly realize how naive or MC is, which I don't think was a bad choice but an honest one. The Shane we meet in the beginning of the novel was very relatable to the person I was when I started college. Her naivete is the most abundant in her blunders in all the relationships around her: the new boy, new friends, and most notably her parents.

The second half of the novel is where we deal with suspended disbelief. These sections had a tendency to take me out of the story. I felt like I wanted to look around and ask the person next to me, "Hey, where did this come from?" For a debut novel, this was an admirable attempt at suspended disbelieve, but I'm not sure it quite hit it's intended mark. It's part of the novel I try not to dwell on, because if I skim over it I'm able to get back into the story and focus more on the characters. The characters, dialogue, and descriptive text throughout the novel were very well done. If I hadn't known of the author, I'm not sure I could have guessed that this was her first novel based off of these writing choices alone.

Tiny spoiler ahead in three...two... I've got to comment on how clever this title is and how well it's played with in the novel. I thought Again, but Better was referencing the study abroad trip, and how Shane is trying to make new choices and a new life for herself. But boy oh boy, is the title again (HA) applied when we travel back in time to the study abroad trip, and it's this time that really counts.

Final thoughts: even though I thought the suspended disbelief wasn't executed in the best possible way, it didn't stop me from eating this story up. I wanted to watch Shane grow. I wanted to watch her make mistakes and learn from them. I wanted to watch her become who she was always meant to be. This was such a fun story, set in exactly the right time. College and the years after are so formative. I think as a society we expect everyone to have figured it out by the time they graduate. For some that's the case, but for others more self-exploration is needed, and this novel reminds readers that that's okay. This was such a great first novel for Christine. I can see where and why this novel receives criticism from other reviewers, but I just went with it and made it work (as best as I could) for me. I hope Christine keeps writing; I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.