Tweet Cute tells the story of Jack and Pepper, two teenagers deeply connected to their families' businesses. They attend the same school, and they're friends under the anonymity of a smartphone app. However, when Pepper's family restaurant starts selling a sandwich similar to Jack's, they start a corporate Twitter war.

I wanted to fly through this story, but life didn't allow it. Tweet Cute has a lot of my favorite tropes in romance, like enemies to friends to lovers, falling in love with each other twice, and family working against the main couple.

If you've been following me for a while, you know the only social media platform where I am truly active is Twitter. So I was sold the moment I saw the title.

Social media related plots are also something I enjoy in contemporary stories. It is such a big part of our life now, how can so many YA contemporaries ignore it?

One day I will stop feeling emotional about Jack and Pepper. This book came to me at the PERFECT time, because I connected with their struggles so damn much, it made me cry.

🍰 Pepper is my favorite just because we share the same name (my last name is legit Pepper in Portuguese). She carries the weight of the world on her shoulders because she puts it there. She's trying to get the best grades but doesn't know what to aim for in the future. On top of that, she's the glue of her family, and its well being is dependent on how well she is. And I'm in the same place in my life. But she grows, and she keeps going, and she takes steps to find her way. It's the most we can expect from anyone.

📱 Jack lives in his twin brother's shadow. He wants to live up to Ethan's legacy, and show his parents he has potential too. Unlike Pepper, Jack knows what he wants to do with his life. But his family keeps forcing the future of the family business on him. And yes, I cried because of this. Jack, I feel you so much, my boy. He is smart, he's a good person, he's always there for Pepper, and he needs to embrace who he is and show himself to others.

Apart from Jack and Pepper, there isn't much development into the secondary characters. But that isn't the point of the book since it's their love story. I'm good with it.

Pepper and Jack are OTP material. They barely know each other at school but tell each other everything on an anonymous app. One point for them already. Then stuff happens, and they start a Twitter war while building a friendship. Two points. And then they start developing feelings in person and on the app, without knowing they're the same person. Three points, SOLD!

Together, they're a force to be reckoned with. Pepper is Jack's safe space. She lets him forget his problems, and she sees him for who he truly is. And he needs that so much. On the other hand, Jack challenges Pepper to embrace her reality and find a way to her life. He takes her out of her comfort zone. They are exactly what they need at the right time.

Better than the romantic relationship (GASP), it was the messy but real family dynamics.

Pepper and her mom have a complicated relationship. It's deeply affected by the divorce and her mother's messy relationship with her older sister. But, in the end, everyone is supportive of each other, and that's what family is all about.

Jack and his brother needed better closure. They believe they live in each other's shadow, especially when it comes to their parent's opinions of them. But they just needed to open up and show themselves. That's all it takes.

Tweet Cute is probably my favorite YA romance of the year</strong> (it's not like I read many, though). This is a cute love story with unexpected deep themes. It's about being more than what you look like, and learn to open yourself up to other people and the world.

I was so excited when I was asked to join the TWEET CUTE blog tour! I've been looking forward to this book ever since it was first announced, and the early glowing reviews from friends only furthered my interest. Needless to say, I had high hopes and expectations... so luckily this book delivered.

The story follows a few different elements involving our lead pair getting to know each other, so try to keep up. Big League Burger is a rising star in the fast food business now, but Pepper remembers when it was just a family-owned burger joint in Nashville, owned and operated by her parents. When business takes off and they start franchising, competing with the likes of McDonalds and Burger King, she moves to NYC with her now-divorced mom to run the show. She's often responsible for the lighthearted, witty tweets and jabs from the company on social media. Enter Jack, the son of family-owned NYC deli Girl Cheesing. It's been in the family for generations and he's due to take over (not his twin Ethan, but that's a whole other thing!). When he discovers the Big League Burger has not only stolen their grandma's NYC-famous grilled cheese recipe, they've also stolen the name of it too, he starts an unexpected Twitter war with the burger company... and therefore Pepper... in the process. Meanwhile, the two are unknowingly chatting it up anonymously on an app that Jack developed for their private school. AND on top of that, they're forced to work together IRL on the swim/dive team fundraising.

Honestly, it sounds like a lot going on, and it did feel like it at first. After the book gets going and some things are on the table (like their identities when it comes to the food Twitter war), it doesn't feel as busy. It was so nice to see them get to know each other and realize feelings in real life and on the app at the same time. They both had fully fleshed out family lives, personalities, hopes and dreams for the future, and issues to deal with. I loved being able to read both of their perspectives. It was also refreshing to read a romance where, despite the initial secrecy and dramatics, the author didn't rely on miscommunication to further the narrative. It's done way too often in YA novels especially, where you just want to yell "STOP ASSUMING THE WORST" at the characters. There was at least one opportunity where Lord could have introduced lack of communication as a cheap way of including more conflict, and she deftly avoided it. I loved it!

As I alluded to a little bit earlier, there were a lot of different places that these two were falling for each other and/or talking, so it felt like too many elements at first. This declined over time and felt pretty seamless because the Twitter war took over in their real lives, while the chat aspect was completely separate. It was fun to see the hints of them almost revealing things to each other, which obviously would have saved them a lot of time, but would have been way less of a book. ;) My only other issue is that, with most contemporary books based around the internet and social media, you wonder how it may hold up over time. If you think of You Got Mail and other anonymous pen pal stories and how THEY have held up, I think you'll agree that this is probably a universal trope that will take on new life as new technology and means of communication crop up over the years. I love topical books and hope that this element works well in the future!

Overall, this was such a shiptastic story. I'm a huge fan of hate-to-love and the anonymous pen pal tropes, which is why I was drawn to this one in the first place. It completely hit everything I look for in those books and I highly recommend reading it when it comes out tomorrow!

I flew through this. Once I started I could barely stop. I finished it after 6 am, having read all night.
It was adorable and filled with awesome pop culture references and just engaged me from the first page to the last. It was clever, well written and funny. And my mouth watered from beginning to end. This is a call to Emma Lord. If you have some of those recipes you mentioned, I would love them. I'll bake them aaaaaaaaaaall.
It was just a great coming of age story, but also a great romance with amazing banter. I can do nothing but warmly recommend it.

Pepper and Jack are THE couple of 2020 and it'll be hard to take their crown away. This book had everything (and more) that I want in a contemporary.

Humor, fun, enemies to lovers, twitter, sarcasm, and a cute as hell slow burn romance.

I thoroughly enjoyed every second of reading this and will be re-reading this again and again. I feel like everyone in this book had their own distinct voice, arc, and traits that made them unique and fresh.

This is the book that YA contemporary needed and an amazing debut from an author I am already highly anticipated a second book from.

Warning: don't read this book while hungry!
The many food references had me drooling throughout the book. I need monster cake asap. Also, a one of grandma's grilled cheeses. Like the title suggests, this book was so cute. I loved Pepperjack! I thought the multiple levels of unveiling their identities to each other worked well. Tweet Cute was a modern, original take on a YA romance story. I had been anxiously awaiting the release of this book since I found Emma Lord on Twitter months ago.

This was an adorable feel good book that had me giggling and gasping throughout. The story follows Pepper and Jack's Twitter war (defending their respective family businesses). There is some serious sass and hilarity inevitably ensues. Tweet Cute features relatable characters who you can't help but root for. I cannot wait to have a finished copy on my bookshelf for when I need a mood lift.

This was the cutest YA contemporary romance I've read in awhile!!

The romance, the mistaken identity, the witty banter, the character growth, the food, and the desserts all wrapped up into probably my favorite contemporary of the year (and it's January so that's saying a lot). I'm blown away that this is Emma Lord's debut novel and I will for sure be picking up any future novels she puts out!

Fantastic read! The characters were very fleshed out, and the social media / meme culture was extremely relevant and accurate, which made the story so much more enjoyable. I really flew through this book; the writing was smooth, and the dialogue was both believable and funny. I would absolutely read another book by this author; her storytelling is so engaging and fun!

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord is a cute romance. It digs deep into two families' lives and their restaurant businesses. Love life can be messy when a former lover takes their past love's hard work and passes it off as his own. But lo and behold, she fights back. What neither of them expected was for their kids to get involved as deeply as they did. War was on with these two families. Their kids were superb at the tweet wars. In fact, they were so good, they perfectly suited each other more than they liked. A bubbling romance soon escalates unexpectedly and their parents are not liking it at all. Education, romance, revenge, and work are major themes of this book. It was entertaining, a bit slow in spots but otherwise, a good read. It was a cozy romantic read.

Tweet Cute is fabulous! A modern day rom com that is totally relatable! Quick fun hilarious romance with lots of clever witty dialogue and connections. Perfect beach read or anytime escape read - its' on Classy Mommy's Must Read Read List for 2020.

This book is so adorable! Tweet Cute follows the Pepper and Jack in a twitter war over Grilled Cheese. (Pepperjack, get it?) It's hilarious, charming and totally swoon worthy. It's full of heart and wonderful characters. I loved every second of this book.

(Warning you will get dessert craving while reading, might want to have snacks on hand!) g

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord is a lovely lighthearted young adult romance. A fun fast-paced read that is sure to brighten your day and leave you wanting more. This book was fun to read with just the right amount of serious to pull you in. The characters where charming, funny, and easy to relate to. You will fall in love them by the end of the story. Overall, Tweet Cute is a lovely romance that is perfect read to brighten you mood for the New Year.

I rarely read YA novels...but every once in awhile, the heart needs something light, fluffy, and adorable.

This book was the perfect answer for my need of the cutesy. The story line isn't new...and it's predictable.

But it's so much fun.

I laughed out loud quite a few times at the smarmy thoughts our two protagonists, Jack & Pepper, had. Told from both their points of view, these "frenemies" are sickeningly sweet. Just like all the crazy mouth-watering desserts and pastries described throughout the story.

Full of pop culture references and social media snark, I was truly entertained.

3.5 stars rounded down

**Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Months ago I had a wild hair and wanted to read a rom-com. This is the one I gravitated toward.
A boy and a girl in the same school, developing a relationship over a social media site while also having huge problems with each other face-t0-face. While they're under aliases online, they develop a fondness for each other through the stresses of school and extracurricular activities, including crappy home lives.

I gave this one 3 stars because I didn't appreciate the brashness of the writing style. I would have enjoyed it more if the style changed between the boy and the girl. Same writing style, same annoying pessimism throughout. I found myself annoyed with certain characters, more specifically the family members of the main characters. What terrible examples! As the story progressed I just didn't care what was happening anymore.

I’ve officially reached that age where I can’t even really pretend YA could be aimed at me, anymore. That doesn’t mean, though, that I can’t thoroughly enjoy a well-written story in its time! And Tweet Cute? Well – this one’s a greatly-written story!

The story
Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

The opinion
In many ways, this book managed to defeat my expectations from the get-go. For starters, there was a depth to the side-characters that isn’t too common in a lot of YA.

Beyond that, though, the author managed to keep a plot that could easily have been a plain retelling of You’ve Got Mail interesting, not only by switching book shops for a deli and a burger chain and a stubborn Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks for quirky teenagers. The relationship between Jack and his twin brother, for example, was so well balanced, and added a lovely layer for his motivation, both as an app developer and as Pepper’s friend.

Sibling love and rivalry is a recurring theme, because Pepper, too, has her own share of those to deal with. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, an author who manages to get the intricacies and delicacies of sibling-hood that right? Well, it’ll always be a huge plus for me!

Add in someone who actually gets the possibilities of social media, capturing that feeling of “searching” for something – whether it’s who you are, what your future is, or who you like – as a teen, and of course: some great meme-usage? I flew through this book in a matter of hours!

The rating: 4/5
All in all, Tweet Cute is one of those reads that will be just familiar enough to be relaxing. It has just enough twists and turns that the plot will never bore you. And the writing’s done in such a way that all of that is brought in a truly captivating manner. The best possible reading-start I could have wished for 2020!

-Saar

The complicated web that Pepper and Jack weave for themselves --on Twitter, on Weazel, in real life-- was an entertaining read, but my favorite part of this book was the nuance. No one is ever totally in the right or totally in the wrong, even Pepper's incredibly difficult mom. And on top of that, Lord writes delightful chemistry and banter between her main characters and all the food sounded so good, I was hungry the whole time. A great pick for teens who love romantic comedies, food, or Twitter drama.

This was exactly the YA sweet romance I needed to start the year off on a good note. Emma Lord is very talented at writing witty and sassy dialogue- but unlike many YA novels, this one had protagonists that seemed fairly believably teen-like. The words snap on the page and although it's hyper contemporary- being about a literal twitter war - I think it will remain relevant for a while. The chemistry sizzles and I loved the inclusion of some of the crummy moments of new like to love. Some of the plot points passed by really fast (I, for one, would die if I became a meme, and I wouldn't be over it in three pages) but in general it was well-paced. And for a book that only goes to kissing, this was pretty dreamy!

Four baking-loving, satisfyingly funny stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for this unbiased review.

this book is was so cute!! i enjoyed every second.

pepperjack is an adorable ship name. i genuinely don’t think i’ve read, or even heard of, a book similar to this one.
10/10 would read again.

thank you for the opportunity to review this book!

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This sweet " tug of war" romance between two high school teens, Pepper and Jack, was a fun quick read. Very well written and deals with relatable issues: the main characters each have to navigate around the demands of their families, as well as the rivalry between their respective families' restaurants in order to find a path to true love..

This book was interesting. Pepper and Jack are kind of friends and kind of enemies. They don't realize they are enemies for a while though.

This is a kind of Romeo and Juliet retelling. It is also a kind of confusing book. So it goes back and forth between Jack and Pepper's points of view. As a recent transplant to Nashville I loved hearing some of the background based around it. There were a few moments where I wasn't sure who was talking or what was going on but it wasn't a huge issue for me. I mean it wouldn't be an R & J retelling without some confusion.

This was my first book by this author and I will definitely be looking forward to reading more by her. She has a unique style and I truly enjoyed it. Thank you for writing an amazing book.