One of the best (and most refreshing things) about Tweet Cute is that there aren't really any specific tropes (besides rivals to lovers) that are guaranteed to make me like the book. There's just really really good writing.

Of course, there are some elements that I really enjoy:

knowing someone (little habits, daily routine) by proximity
sassy smart-alecks
swim team!
genuine emotional conflict over like,, normal things??
mutual admiration


Let's talk about the romance now.

Both Pepper and Jack (PepperJack is the cutest ship name ever btw) are really well developed in their own ways separate from any romance... which isn't something I've seen a lot of in contemporary romances and feels weird to say considering their whole rivalry is based on family drama. Probably only in RWRB and Mary H.K. Choi's books -- but even then in comparison to Tweet Cute, the individual struggles of those characters are still about how it'll affect their romantic relationships. 

Pepper's problems with her family, beyond the setting up circumstances, don't really have anything to do with Jack or how their relationship grows. It has to do with their own development and only because Pepper and Jack are the people in their relationship does it have anything to do with that.

They admire each other and maybe this is just my experience speaking but this might be the most realistic flirty interaction I've seen between characters in a good long while. So wholesome. Also, I have never seen someone teeter on the edge of a confession for so. long.

All in all, one of the best books I read last year and a definite favorite (will reread ASAP).

Tweet Cute is Emma Lord’s debut novel, a young adult contemporary romantic comedy about two teens (Pepper and Jack) who manage the Twitter accounts for their family’s respective food businesses (Pepper’s family created Big League Burger, while Jack’s family owns a deli) and find themselves head to head online. The two of them also happen to attend the same private school and, unknown to them, have become confidantes via an anonymous chat app.

Based on this description alone, you can likely imagine the shenanigans that ensue. Lord does a great job balancing the humor and heart of this story as it unfolds, and I found myself smiling, cringing and tearing up in turn. The story is also set in New York City, which automatically made it even more special to read. And Lord goes out of her way to mention so much delicious food (Grilled cheese! Milkshakes! Monster Cakes! Kitchen Sink Macaroons! I just want them all!) that inspired major cravings.

But what truly makes Tweet Cute special, and what personally sold me on it, were our two main characters: Pepper and Jack. They both felt like real people that I would’ve been friends with as a teen. I really appreciated the individuality afforded to them both, as well as the fact that they each had to go through an entire process of understanding themselves and their relationships better as the novel progressed. There were specific aspects for each that I found relatable (Pepper sorting out what she actually wants versus what she thinks is expected of her; Jack dealing with internal upheaval over how his parents treat him versus their treatment of his twin) too, and that certainly helped me really get invested in each of their stories. (Also, their friendship and romance is the cutest thing ever, and I am on the #PepperJack ship for sure.)

I’m really just here to affirm that this novel is delightful! It’s one of the best books I’ve read so far in 2020, hands down, and I am very much looking forward to anything Lord will be releasing next.

Tweet Cute is the debut novel for Emma Lord and it’s a more modern take on the classic ‘meet cute’ trope. This story is about expectations, family, perspective and about finding yourself and what you want to do in the middle of all of that.

The first half was a bit slow-paced and it took me a while to get through it, which is why I can’t rate this higher than 4 stars.

I really liked the two main characters, Pepper and Jack, for a whole lot of different reasons, but mainly because they were what really pulled me into the story and made me want to keep reading it.

Pepper is the over-achieving, swim team captain, blogger, baker and professional tweeter. It’s clear from the very first page that Pepper is trying her hardest to live up to the expectations she has set for herself and the expectations she thinks others have for her, and she might be drowning a bit. She’s been so focused on this for the past four years, that she has no friends, has barely left the periphery of her house-school area and it’s clear she doesn’t even really know what she wants.

She was funny and adorable and I would love to try her recipes (though I’m also slightly scared of them) and I can relate a lot to her about a lot of things.

Jack was so thoughtful, dedicated to his family and subtly awesome. He’s not your typical male main character, though I won’t say he was really unique and original either. (Sorry, I just liked Pepper more.)

These two’s family businesses get into a twitter war that ends up bringing them together (not a spoiler, just a very predictable novel let’s be honest). The social media aspect of the novel was fun and interesting, especially because neither of the main characters have a big presence online. Plus, it was adorably modern with the fanfiction references and shipping!

There were some plot twists with their families and friends in the end (that I won’t spoil) and it kind of made me think that sometimes we just take things the wrong way and that we should just be more honest.

Overall, I loved how modern it was, and it was fun, and such an adorable story. I recommend it!

I just can't get over how cute and sweet this book was. There are stakes, but there's nothing but people with good intentions on both sides. There are complex relationships and flawed people, but there was heart in every single one of them.

It's lighthearted, so if you need something more down to earth, it might not be your best match. But if you need something sweet to lift the soul? Tweet cute is the book for you. It's fun, it's witty, and so darn lovable.

Title: Tweet Cute
Author: Emma Lord
Pub. Date: January 21, 2020
Rating: 5

I want to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for gifting me an eARC of this book and allowing me to take part in the blog tour. As always, this will be a spoiler free review, and all opinions are my own honest ones.

I went into this book expecting to really enjoy it, really like it. What I didn’t expect was to stay up until 4:30 AM grossly immersed and utterly in love with this book. I literally did not stop reading it until I hit the end, and only then did I look at the clock and think ‘shit…I have to get up in four hours’…this past Saturday was rough. The lack of sleep was totally worth it, because getting that lost in a book is the best feeling ever…even if you’re a zombie for the rest of the day.

If you’re a fan of the movie, You’ve Got Mail, or you enjoyed Tiana Smith’s How to Speak Boy or Brigid Kemmerer’s Letter’s to the Lost you aren’t going to want to miss this book. It has it all, unrequited love in an online chat room, a social media Twitter war, budding romance between two school friends and so much drama that Emma expertly weaves together to tell an engaging and funny story.
Between the snarky tweets full of memes and backtalk, to the constant ribbing between Pepper and Jack, and the near soul bearing moments between Wolf and Bluebird – you’re automatically hooked.
Speaking of Jack and Pepper, I loved them. I loved their chemistry, on and off the screen. I loved how well they complimented each other, even when they were mercilessly roasting each other. Even individually, their relationships were real, and hard, and full of overbearing parents and the pressures of trying to be a teen. Individually they deal with so much and when they come out the other side…well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out how it all ends, and where they end up. Trust me, you want to know.
Pepper has to deal with so much, and I’m amazed she was able to function. From trying to stay at the top of her class, college interviewing, Social Media managing, baking (I really want to try Monster Cake), blogging and an overbearing mother, life isn’t exactly easy for her.
Jack has similar pressures, feeling like he’s the second-best twin – forever in his golden brother’s shadow, college and what he wants to do in life, and feeling guilty about wanting things other than to take over Girl Cheesing.
Between sending snarky tweets and chatting about swimming and bearing their souls, Jack and Pepper feel like such real representations of teens. It made it really easy to relate to them. I remember the pressures of high school, and trying to figure out what my place in the world might be and how I would fit in. It’s stressful, and I think Emma captured that feeling perfectly. Especially the parts where Pepper and Jack have arguments all because of miscommunication. Emotions run high when you’re a teen and sometimes your first reaction is a bad one. They learn quickly and are able to smooth things over, so there’s that. They’re more mature than a lot of teens (lol).
I feel like I’m running out of things to say. I thought this review was going to be super easy and quick to write. I loved the book, I want everyone to read it, but I guess my thoughts are still stuck on the let me shove this book at your face and demand you read it while I scream about how much I loved it and how much you’ll love it if you give it a chance. And the characters – the setting – just everything about this book is so fun and enjoyable and you’ll love it. Trust. Me.
Yes, I know that’s so helpful, but don’t we all just want to be able to dive into a book, and forget that the real world exists for a bit and just wholly occupy our minds with something else? Isn’t that what we all strive for when reading books? For me, Tweet Cute did that. I was able to get sucked into the snarky, fun, dramatics that is Pepper and Jack’s life and I’m thrilled that everyone gets to now read it.
If you’re looking for a fun, dramatic rom com, with tweet wars, anonymous online chat friends, and romance, you’re not going to want to miss this book. You’re not going to want to miss falling in love with Jack and Pepper’s easy banter and great chemistry. Out today, so make sure you pick up your copy of Tweet Cute!

Super cute read! I love the movie "You've Got Mail" and this story is reminiscent of it. The main characters were great, I laughed out loud quite a few times. Highly recommended YA read!

I devoured this book, and considering the story is centered around a war over grilled cheese, I find that extremely fitting. Not to mention the story is a rom-com of epic proportions and one that left me extremely satiated and happily satisfied. I promise this will be the last of the intentional food related puns and references.

Tweet Cute is adorable and impossible to put down. Emma Lord thoroughly captivates as she spins the story of two teens fighting for family and as also for what they'd like their futures to be. The story is witty and engaging and still makes me smile when I think about it months later!

I adored Pepper and Jack and could completely relate to them. Pepper's uncertainty of life after high school and her doubts about what was happening in her family made me ache to give her a hug. And as someone whose parents owned a small business, I could understand Jack's frustrations with his father for not wanting to innovate and fight against a larger entity threatening their existence, even if he didn't see the looming danger. I loved seeing their interactions at school and then the tweets they exchanged were highly entertaining and humorous. Watching them grow with confidence and handle challenges both external and internal, was very rewarding.

Emma Lord's debut is a must read for romantic comedy readers. The many pop culture references made me nostalgic as much as the food descriptions made my mouth water. Tweet Cute is brilliant and I can not wait to see what other amazing stories Emma brings us!

I love a good contemporary romance book. Because of this love I read a lot of them so it is hard for a book to impress me sometimes. The book will be off to a great start and then something will happen and it will take away that complete and utter love I had been feeling. The end might feel rushed, the “required” break up might happen too late and the payoff isn’t great. But when everything clicks I walk away feeling so happy and satisfied I can’t help but think about the book for a long time. Tweet Cute is one of those books. It a book that hit everything I love about a perfectly told YA contemporary romance and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Tweet Cute Is the story of Pepper and Jack, two teens that are sworn enemies. Pepper’s family owns a restaurant chain (Big League Burger) while Jack’s family owns a popular deli in New York. When Big League Burger steals the deli’s popular grilled cheese recipe a Twitter war breaks out and goes viral. Soon Pepper and Jack are going head to head on Twitter while unknowingly falling for each on another app. And as their Twitter war escalates they both start to realize falling for your enemy may not be that bad.

I truly cannot begin to explain how much I loved this unexpected gem of a book. Everything about it felt magical and perfect and reminded me why I love to read YA in the first place. Pepper and Jack (I giggle thinking about their names and cheese) had fantastic chemistry and amazing banter. They were both stuck in their family’s shadow, Jack with his twin brother and Pepper with her mom’s business. They were under extreme amounts of pressure and their fighting and online flirting was just what they needed. The slow burn romance between the two will have you screaming at the book telling them to stop fighting what is happening and I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tweet Cute feels like a book that was written just for you when you read it and I can’t stress enough how much I loved it and how much everyone should read it. Simply put this book was delightful. A MUST READ!

Well, that was precious. I didn't know how much I missed YA contemporaries until I read this one. Oh my goodness, what a sweet story! If you're looking for a light hearted romance with substance (ie: not just fluff) look no further. Jack and Pepper were such fun characters and I LOVED the You've Got Mail storyline. Highly recommend this one....especially for high school teachers!

My first thoughts on Tweet Cute?

Is it bad that I was already laughing on the first page? Pepper was just so relatable and the banter between her and her sister Paige was hilarious!

“Um, is the apartment on fire?”
“Nope, just my life.”

If that isn’t relatable, I don’t know what is. We’ve all had moments like that and Pepper showcases all of them. She is a teen who had been plucked out of home in Nashville and dropped into a private school in Manhattan! She’s completely focused on the school work (just to keep her away from the popular sharks and keep her head above water), but she had a secret.

She has a friend.

The only problem is that she doesn’t know who that friend is. All she knows is that they are a student at her school and that their username is called Wolf. I automatically got slight ‘Gossip Girl’ vibes mixed in with ‘Pretty Little Liars’. I love how quick Pepper is with her humour and how you tell that something is starting to develop between her and Wolf.

I won’t tell you who Wolf is because you’ll find out yourselves.

The other character I loved is Jack who seems to be battling with his image. He has a twin brother called Ethan who is super popular and smart and he is basically the class clown. I felt for him when I read that people initially smiled at him but then realised he wasn’t his brother.

I wish that I had had a grandma like Jack’s! Grandma Belly is so sweet and stern and sassy! Now I see where Jack gets it throughout the book.

There is so much that Emma Lord crams into this book and I love it! She’s actually teaching me bits about the US Education System that I didn’t know, though I did have to go and google a few words that I had no clue about. As a lover of Twitter and who chats using many random gifs, I love there is an intense battle over it! It’s just like every day life of anyone who uses a form of social media.

We become obsessed.

We retweet and comment to the latest trends/memes.

We respond to any viral tweets and go a little crazy when Twitter blows up at crazy real life things. It’s safe to say that it can be a scary, scary place and Emma has captured that perfectly. Tweets happen, things happen and you are made to see the people you’re reading about in a whole different light.

I think all of my blogger friends and social media people will find Tweet Cute hilarious because it is a little bit of a parody at times and you totally get what Pepper goes through. I know I’m being vague but I’m just subtly pushing you to buy the book when it comes out with each word I type!

Tweet Cute is a modern age love story about two high school seniors who are a having a public spat on twitter while falling in love with each other in another social app. The twist, they don't know each other much less that they happen to be schoolmates who tolerate one another. Tweet Cute is a wonderfully apt young adult romance that's both humorous, truthful and depicts young in love in the modern age.

You guys, I adored this book. It was so sweet and lovely and I could not get enough of it. I expected a light-hearted rom-com, which it was, but it was so much fuller than I had anticipated. The plot gave me some definite “You’ve Got Mail” vibes, but it really stands on its own with unique plays on a familiar story. The language was funny, relatable, and really evocative. The characters are incredibly charming and I fell in love with them. I related to both the over-achieving Pepper and the family-oriented goofball, Jack, in different ways. I felt super connected to them and I was VERY invested in their relationship. The build-up of their friendship to romance, and their fabulous flirty banter, was so strong and had me absolutely giddy by the end. This book was such a wonderful, heart-warming love story but it also delved pretty deeply into family dynamics and the pressures put on teenagers every day. It added a lot of depth to the story, and the characters, and made their love even more important and meaningful. I still feel flutters when I think of this book and I am really excited to share it with my other fellow romantics!

This was an IMMENSELY cute romance!! I hated putting it down ... and when I did have to, I found myself still thinking about the characters and the story! This novel is smart and sassy and realistic. Pepper and Jack are amazing characters. Really kicking myself for not getting to this one sooner. Thanks, Netgalley, for this arc!

I don't think it is an exaggeration for me to say that Tweet Cute has become one of my all-time favorite YA contemporary books.

Do you enjoy cheesy, witty, wholesome, sweet enemies-to-lovers books? If you do, then this one would be a great fit for you.

The story is told from a dual perspective, that of Pepper and Jack. Each teenager is dealing with their own set of pressures when they both get roped into a Twitter war.

Pepper is a driven young woman originally from Nashville. That's where her parents started Big League Burger as a mom-and-pop restaurant ten years ago. Once her family's business was franchised and became wildly successful, her family relocates to NYC. In order to deal with the loneliness and sense of loss she feels, Pepper throws herself into her studies, and becomes one of the top students at the elite private school she attends. Pepper runs a baking blog with her sister, is the captain of the girls swim team at school, and also helps Taffy, the social media manager for Big League Burger.

Jack is an intelligent young man who is trying to figure out his place in the world. He is a twin who always feels overshadowed by his brother at school and at home. He is the captain of his school's water polo team, and is the son of the owners of Girl Cheesing, a NYC institution known for its legendary sandwiches.

The events of Tweet Cute are set in motion when Big League Burger tweets about a new addition to their menu, "Grandma's Special." Deciding to ignore the wishes of his family, Jack decides to call out Big League Burger in a tweet accusing Big League Burger of stealing the name and recipe of their own sandwich. Hilarity and heartbreak ensue as both teens navigate the Twitter war behind the scenes, and also grow closer in person as they bond over the pressures in their lives.

I felt the main characters Pepper and Jack were very well developed. They depicted what a typical teenager might face while they are trying to figure out who they are and what they want out of life. The pacing and development of the story was very well done, and I was engaged the entire time. I am very impressed that this is a debut novel! I can't wait to see what Emma Lord has in store for us in the future.

I highly recommend this book!

A book that I was incredibly excited to read Tweet Cute as I thought the description was new and I expected something fun. Nothing remarkable about it or interesting. This book was unfortunately not interesting at all, almost bordered on boring. The social media war premise (which is what sold it for me) wasn't properly executed. It didn't feel fresh or new. The characters were unremarkable and I found it hard.to connect to their struggles. I couldn't wait for it to end. One of my most anticipated reads of 2020 but left me feeling let down.

You've got Pepper who is the overachiever, swim captain and loves to tweet. Her family is falling apart but the fast food joint that the family runs is booming due to Pepper's tweets.

Then you have Jack who's the class clown. His family runs a deli in New York and it's having money issues.

They start a tweeting feud reminiscent of Amanda Bynes vs anyone (I really was reaching to think of a Twitter feud, I was thinking of the Apple vs Mac commercial battle and that's the only one I care about). The two do this under the cover of their family's twitter accounts. As they do this, they talk on Jack's app and are falling for each other. As they start to fall for each other, people on the internet start shipping them when they get ousted.

So lets take away the fact the a teenager built an app that is good enough for people to message each other on like Discord, and that a major fast food chain only has one college grad running the social media page. Which is why Pepper runs it. Logic doesn't exist in this world. But it's really cute and it was a fun rom com. It's not especially deep or ground breaking, but like watching "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" or when "Harry Met Sally" it's just so cute and heartwarming it's all forgivable. This was the perfect fluff novel and it just made me really happy.

4/5 stars.
If you like fun rom coms, you'll enjoy this. It's just so adorable and fun.

**e-Arc provided by Netgalley, St. Marten's Press and Wednesday's Books in exchange for an honest review**

Pretty adorable story of two unlikely high school students who fall in love with the help of Twitter and a few of other social media outlets. This YA novel does a good job balancing the benefits social media can bring to our lives while still offering some cautionary advice about its potential pitfalls. In the end though, social media largely prevails as a force of good, in the right hands.

Pepper is a high-achieving senior, dedicated to earning a near perfect grade point average and bolstering her resume with extra curricular activities. On the side she helps her mother's burger business by offering advice on catchy memes and snarky tweets to the competition. Jack is a class clown who hides his intelligence and ambition under a mop of hair and a deliberately carefree facade. Deep down he's as intuitive and sensitive a hero as they come. But, it's high school and he and Pepper have roles to play that provide plenty of obstacles to a romance. Enter social media and the two can let down their guard and interact in all sorts of creative ways.

This is a story that makes good use of all sorts of virtual formats including tweets, memes, texts, blogging, Facetime, Instagram "shipping," and an app for secret chatrooms and hidden identities. Most of the novel splits its time among a few spaces: IRL, where we see Pepper and Jack awkwardly circle each other at school and swim team practice, as they explore the possibility of friendship or more; the virtual world of an online app called Weazel, where "Wolf" (aka Jack) and "Bluebird" (aka Pepper) circle each other to test the waters of friendship and more; and then, finally, Twitter, where Big League Burgers (aka Pepper) and Girl Cheesing (aka Jack) clapback in an effort to outdo each other in snark -- all while cloaking their interest in flirtation and more. The author does a nice job of juggling these spaces.

I did mention that social media in the right hands matters though, and so my least favorite aspects of the novel involve some instances of cyberbullying among teens, an icky display of texting inappropriate photos and the potential damage it can cause to a person's reputation, and finally, the weird misbehavior of adults who seem to know less about Internet protocol than the kids here.

All of mediums play pivotal roles in Pepper and Jack's romance, and in the end, it is the actual relationship between them that matters the most. There's a lot going on in this book, and it feels very relevant to our modern moment. I look forward to seeing where this author goes in her career since this is her debut

Pepper and Jack are two seniors at a Manhattan prep school. Pepper is a transplant to NYC, who arrived in NYC from Nashville with her mother. Her divorced parents own a family business turned corporation chain of burger restaurants. Jack is a life long New Yorker, a twin, and heir apparent of his family’s deli. A social media war erupts between the two businesses, with the teenagers at the helm of the tweets. Through all this they are also butting heads as members of the swim/dive teams, who need to work out pool time and coordinate a fundraiser. However, unbeknownst to them, they have a cordial/flirty relationship on an app that has been floating around their school. There are a lot of platforms they are juggling. First, there’s twitter. Second, the ‘Weazel’ app. Third, Pepper and her sister have a blog. There’s a lot of content these kids are creating!

Tweet Cute is in the genre of the full-of-coincidences-romantic-comedy, but in high school. The book is quite long and at times could use a few edits. All in all, a fun read.

I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.

Cute read! If you like your YA contemporaries with humor, heart, swoons and delight, Tweet Cute is the book for you. Don't miss it!

A huge thank you to Wednesday Books for reaching out to me about the blog tour! A free digital copy of the book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve had my eyes on this book ever since I saw it sold at auction. If I remember correctly, it was pitched as a modern-day "You’ve Got Mail", which is one of my favorite movies so of course I was instantly sold. So when I was asked to participate in the blog tour for this book, I immediately jumped on the chance! And I’m even happier to report that I really enjoyed this book.

This was a fun, quick, and entertaining read. I love seeing certain social media platforms work their way into stories, and the fact that this book included Twitter was really great. Not only that, but Jack built an anonymous chat app which he and Pepper interact without knowing and… It’s so cute to read their conversations. I enjoyed the whole premise of this book, too, and found myself continually eager to return to this book. (I also read it while I was on holiday break, so… I actually had a lot of free time!) The fact that Pepper and Jack attend the same school, are nearly rivals, only to be spilling their hearts out to each other over the chat app… It’s like an enemies-to-lovers trope but with a twist though I struggled bit to understand why Pepper and Jack held a lot of animosity toward one another in the first place.

I loved that we get fleshed out characters, but they never failed to surprise me. I found a lot of both Pepper and Jack’s struggle relatable, but I also found most of their issues could have been worked out with some good ol’ fashioned communication. I also enjoyed the positive parent/child relationship in this book. A lot of times I think we get parents who are all the way on one side of the spectrum (aka horrible parents). I found Pepper’s mom to be in the middle, as she relied a lot of Pepper to handle the social media aspect of Big League Burger when there was actually a social media manager for the company. It put a lot of unnecessary pressure on Pepper, especially as she’s dealing with being an upperclassman and worrying about actual teen things. She puts up a different facade in front of her mom, dad, and older sister, Paige.

Jack, too, feels like he can’t be his true self, afraid he’ll disappoint his family who seem to depend on him so much. But he also has a lot of internal struggle when it comes to his “perfect” twin brother. When stuff hit the fan, this is where I liked Jack’s parents, and how they not only seemed like his friends but also actual parents, who pushed, punished, and challenged him.

If the fact that I said I looked toward to returning to this book didn’t seem like a compliment to the author, well, I’m telling you it is. I found myself incredibly engrossed, and I enjoyed the way the author writes quips and witty banter between Pepper and Jack. Also, can we appreciate for a moment that Pepper and Jack’s ship name can be Pepperjack? Like the cheese!!! And this is a grilled cheese Twitter war!!! I die.