4.5

One of the best YA clean romance I’ve read in a long time! I was a little skeptical of the premise, but quickly feel in love with all of the characters! I could identify with all of them! I liked how the book had social media in it but wasn’t all consuming to where it felt like it would quickly become outdated. Normally I’m not a fan of books with strong cultural relevance. I also loved that there was more depth to each of the main characters and even the side characters had me tearing up! This book wasn’t afraid to deal with grief, anxiety, depression, identity, coming of age, friendship, and budding romance etc. I also loved the dynamic of a grieving grandfather navigating life with two grandchildren.

I also appreciated the strong push for family, representing a Jewish religious background (first fiction book I’ve read with that), very mild PDA, and little language. It’s so hard to find a good book that isn’t loaded with that. I also appreciated that this book did not feel like it was pushing an agenda on me, like a lot of YA and new release adult fiction books have felt recently.

Thank you Net Galley for the ADR in exchange for my honest review! I cannot wait to read more in the future from this author! Thanks for letting me read her debut novel!

One True Pastry? More like ONLY TOTALLY PERFECT.!

I’d like to start off by saying contemporary isn’t always my favorite, but it felt like this book was written for people like me: love books a little much, crave all things sweet, and just want to be wholly invested in their ships. Marisa Kanter wrote a fantastic novel that is unapologetically meant for today’s young adult reader and I am LIVING for it.

What I Like About You centers around Halle and her delicious book blog brand, One True Pasty where she is living the DREAM pairing handmade cupcakes with the ARCs and books she loves. She has everything figured out online: her friendships, her future, and it all is going perfectly until her online life crashes into her IRL. Literally. Her best friend online, Nash, lives in the town she just moved to take a break from her life traveling with her famous director parents. And she’s going to school with him. And he is kind of interested in her. Except, he knows her as Kels, the persona that she created to run her blog. And Halle doesn’t want to tell him quite yet that Kels is really Halle.

To say this book was “unputdownable” is an understatement. I fell in love so quickly with the fascinating writing style and the inclusion of chat messages, text messages, emails, and posts that were interjected throughout and between each chapter. I felt every bit as anxious as Halle did walking the fine line between being herself and keeping both parts of herself separate. She felt so real and I felt that many of her choices were ones I would make if I had been in the same situation. She was more dynamic than most characters I’ve read in recent books. I rooted for Halle, I felt for Halle, and I yelled at Halle, often all in the same chapter. This was easily one of my favorite reads so far this year.

I highly recommend this to anyone even if you aren’t totally in love with contemporary like me. If you love books and love reading, I think you’ll identify well with this book. It was definitely written for people like us about people like us. It even manages to stay relevant with current book Twitter drama, I couldn’t ask for anything more!

2.5 out of 5 stars, rounding up for rating

I'm not gonna lie, it was a slog to get through this book after a while. I was hoping for some sort of You've Got Mail type situation where two online best friends meet but neither one knows who the other is until one eventually finds out somehow and then agonizes over what to do. No, Nash doesn't hide who he is online, so when Halle moves in with her grandpa and runs into Nash at the local library, she IMMEDIATELY knows who she is. And because she's so embarrassed by her IRL self and constantly talks about her online Kels persona as if it's a different person, she just tries to avoid Nash in real life, like, 24/7, being constantly rude to him in the process.

I'm not going to spoil the book, but Halle tells Nash the truth way, way, way too late in the book. When the entire plot is based on a lie that I completely disagree with and can't even empathize with, it makes the book very unpleasant. I didn't even think the two characters had any chemistry, either. *sigh*

"What I Like About You" is this year's top choice for fans of "Geekerella", "Eliza and Her Monsters", and basically any YA novel or Book Blogger!

Halle Levitt is your average Jewish, book-loving, cupcake-baking high school senior. Except when she's online as Kels Roth, popular blogger of One True Pastry (OTP for short!). Halle dreams of following in her Grams' footsteps in working in publishing, particularly YA publishing. OTP helps her do that. She's made so many friends along the way, especially Nash, a webcomic artist who also runs a successful book blog. But when a move takes Halle to Middleton, Connecticut, a trip to the library gives her the shock of a lifetime: Nash lives in her new town.

Fearing that he would be disappointed in learning that Halle is Kels, Halle is determined to keep her distance and never let him know the truth. But that's hard when they keep getting drawn to each other, finding each other everywhere: homeroom, lunch, Shabbat services at the Temple... Can Halle keep her secret? Or will she tell Nash the truth?

This is a novel about many things. Grief, love, friendship, identity, the love of the written word, and cupcakes. So many cupcakes. I want to devour so many cupcakes right now...

But, seriously, identity. It is essentially the theme of "What I Like About You". I could write a ten-page essay on the theme of identity in this novel. Halle struggles to be Halle and Kels, but also wrestles with her Jewish identity, who she wants to be when she grows up, what she wants to be, and stresses how her beloved grandmother as well as her nontraditional upbringing shapes her and her career path. Halle is a teen who is slowly getting closer and closer to adulthood, and all the things that come with it: college, career, and how it affects her particular passion of YA novels. (YA novels are totally meant for teens, but that doesn't mean they should only be enjoyed by teens! Shout out to Kanter for how she handles this discussion!)

This is one of the year's best debuts, and Kanter's writing has me addicted; I am eager to see what will come next, and cannot wait for "What I Like About You" to be fully released into the world! (Find me on release day with a dozen cupcakes and re-reading!)

Also, I am still sobbing over the last lines of this book. They are so so perfect...

I'm a fan of this new genre of YA that has main characters living out a secondary life online. Halle runs a book blog, One True Pastry, under the alter ego Kels. She and her brother Ollie move into their grandfather's home in Connecticut after the loss of their grandmother. As Kels, Halle has a few strong friendships online, and no one knows her true identity. On her first day in Connecticut, Halle meets Nash, her internet best friend and doesn't tell him who she really is.

I think having Halle dragging out the secret of who she really is was incredibly frustrating, but then again, she's a teen dealing with some really heavy feelings. Overall, I liked it, and would recommend to those who like some drama in their YA reads.

"What I Like About You" is a YA romance novel by Marisa Kanter. This novel is based on the premise of two teenagers who frequently correspond through their blogs online who then, unknowingly, meet in real life. Halle is the first to realize who Nash really is, but she has an internal struggle regarding when or if to admit to him who she really is. I felt that the ending was rushed, but it was an overall cute book that teenagers will probably really enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I thought this book was just adorable! Halle runs a book blog, OTP (One True Pastry) under the pseudonym Kels and she has grown quite a following and has formed some pretty special friendships. Online, Kels has a best friend named Nash but they have never met IRL. When Halle and her brother Ollie move to Connecticut to spent the school year with their Gramps, Halle's two worlds intersect and she isn't sure how to handle it. Her first day in town she runs into Nash, her online bestie, but doesn't reveal who she is because she doesn't want to risk their friendship and future. The story then continues as Halley tries to keep her worlds separate without ruining relationships. While Halle struggles with her online/real life world, she is also dealing with the recent loss of her Gram and her Gramps who is struggling though his grief. The Jewish religion is also well implemented into this story as Halle and Ollie decided to embrace their religion and learn more about it . Halle's anxiety was also handled very well by the author. She struggles with social setting and the authors writes her panic attacks in a realistic and honest way. I really enjoyed this book and felt like it was a cute YA romance with a lot of different layers and heart.

[2.5 Stars]
So, What I Like About You was something I thought I was going to fall in love with as soon as I got it. The plot had the makings and structure of something great but in the end felt hollow and emotionless. Halle's character was fairly unlikeable until the end and it made my interest fade very quickly. I had no connection or interest in most of the characters. I kept wanting to know more about any of them but the information never came.

Some of the things that were done well in this book were the diverse rep on jewish teens and how people of all ages deal with grief and loss. I was impressed with the way Halle, Ollie, and their grandfather all dealt differently with the loss of the grandmother. It felt real and raw and organic.

Something that rubbed me wrong was the way Kanter wrote the internet bits. I found it glorified "cancel culture" without talking about the repercussions of jumping to conclusions about people on the internet. This is especially important since this book is written for teens who are often on the internet and are not always privy to checking sources or looking for the real facts rather than listening to hearsay.

Overall this isn't a book I would jump up and recommend right away but not something I'd outright dismiss.

The idea behind this book is very cute, but I found the book itself hard to read. The "love triangle" goes on for too long, and it gets to a point where it's more frustrating than cute. This is one of those books where you find yourself rolling your eyes at the main character instead of rooting for her.

As the book progresses and the main character begins to talk to the main boy as both herself and her online persona, I found myself disliking her instead of feeling sorry for her. When she gets confused about why the boy tells her two different things (one thing as herself and one as her online persona), it doesn't feel like a genuine, plot driving problem because it could easily be fixed if she would stop lying to him.

DNF'd about halfway through.

Did not finish. I had a difficult time getting through this one. I didn’t like the idea of somewhat cat fishing someone. It just wasn’t for me

𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲. The third point is Kels, Halle’s pseudonym persona that has an Instagram where she posts about books and cupcakes. Kels and Nash have known each other for years, but then Halle meets Nash irl, and things go downhill. Because while Halle starts to fall for the real Nash, he’s falling for Kels, who she can’t tell Nash about.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲. I love the secret identity online romance trope. But this book just couldn’t steal my heart.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲. They had their sweet moments, (and I got a couple laughs) but at times they said biting, mean remarks to each other, and so I can’t actually believe that they like each other.⁣⁣

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹. Like online dialogue casual. The characters even say acronyms: “irl.” Who does that? The writing style did match the content of the book. It’s all about Instagram, Twitter, texting, and there’s even a mention of bookstagram, which is pretty cool. So this book is super relevant, and it’s perfect for us bookstgrammers. So I did like that aspect.⁣⁣
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Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for an e-arc to review.⁣⁣

What makes a YA book great is when the author can get the tone and the voice of the characters <i>juuuust</i> right. Not too much tween. Not too Dawson’s Creek adult speak (I’m dating myself here with that, I know). Kanter nails it.

What I Like About You has it all and then some. Perfect for YA readers that are actually YA and perfect for all the rest too.

When I was approved for What I Like About You, I immediately started reading it because I was in need of a cute book. It was a good choice! What I Like About You was an incredibly cute read about books, cupcakes, and the bonds of Internet friendships.

Halle is a popular teen YA book blogger, which is relatable to say the least. It was interesting reading about her experiences in the online book community because I’ve lived through similar experiences. I think this book very accurately captures the work that goes into book blogging, especially as a teen who’s in school and about to make a decision that will decide their future.

One part I particularly enjoyed was the way Halle handled (internally, at least) a scandal involving the author of her favorite book. Basically, this author demeaned her teen audience, despite the fact that her book gained popularity because of the blogging efforts of Halle, a teen blogger. Halle then had to come to terms that she can watch the movie adaptation and disagree with the author because this book still means so much to her. I feel like this was very important and something some people refuse to accept: there are gray areas in cancel culture sometimes! (Obviously, this doesn’t apply to everything, especially since this instance doesn’t really have to do with the discrimination of marginalized voices.)

Halle and her brother had an A+ sibling dynamic honestly! They’re close and so supportive of each other; it was heartwarming to read. I also liked reading about her and her new friend group. They’re quick to welcome Halle into their fold. She also gets to experience Jewish culture more with them and her grandfather, something she hadn’t really been exposed to before. What I Like About You has a lot of Jewish representation, both culturally and religiously!

I liked Nash; he’s caring and outgoing. Halle pushes him away because she doesn’t want him to connect her to Kels, but he handles it with grace.

However, that leads me to my greatest issue with this book. I’ll preface this by saying that these are all personal preferences and not really the fault of the book. I just cannot stand books where Person A and Person B have an anonymous online relationship and then Person A meets (oblivious) Person B in real life, but Person A refuses to tell Person B who they are. (That’s probably why I loved Tweet Cute so much; the secret comes out fairly quickly.)

Anyways, I can usually get over it but Halle just kept refusing to tell Nash who she was. I know that there wouldn’t be a big reveal without him finding out dramatically but it got to the point where it was increasingly problematic. There were more factors in her decision, I should clarify, but she refused to tell him the truth over and over again, much to my annoyance. I will say that her brother pushes her to tell Nash several times and she kept putting it off, so there was a voice of reason somewhere in this book. I was just so irritated that it affected my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, however, What I Like About You was an adorable book. I liked reading about Halle’s hobbies (baking and reading!), and the characters all felt like real people. I definitely recommend it if you want a cute read.

IMPORTANT: Shiksa Review, written while my husband makes pork chops (not kidding).
The story is a bit much, but so much fun as well, especially for book lovers. Just be prepared for a crash course in Hebrew school while you're reading. I like that Marisa Kanter is passionate about cultural Jews connecting to the faith, but if you aren't expecting it, well, if feels like that first time you're at a seder and you don't know that Hebrew is left to right, not right to left when you go open your Haggadah.
All that aside, IRL v. online relationships are discussed. There's so much about grief and moving on, not to mention the difficulty of starting over at any age. There's first kisses, and school dances, college applications and book blogs, so if that's your thing, you'll love it.

3.75 stars

This is a super cute YA romance/identity exploration with a flawed m.c. and intriguing backdrop.

Halle - also known as Kels to her online following - is a high school senior who has an endearing younger brother, a charming but grief-stricken grandfather, a recently deceased grandmother, parents who are sort of famous as documentary film makers, and a blog called OneTruePastry, on which she chats about YA novels and cupcakes. Her troubles come from the fact that Halle and Kels are and are not the same person.

I really like this unique take - the IRL versus digital identities - on self-discovery. The concept is well executed, but I wish there had been some earlier resolutions and further explorations of the aftermath. It was...a long and frustrating wait getting the characters up-to-speed on what the readers know from the jump.

Despite minor frustrations, the concept and the characters really worked for me. I'm excited to read more from this author.

This is such a fun, romantic, delightful read! Kanter has such a fresh, authentic voice and I loved her debut. It feels like "You've Got Mail" for the modern teen. I love that Halle is a book blogger and think so many bookish teens and adults will relate to her. Nash is a dreamy love interest, too, and I appreciate the Jewish representation through both characters and how present that part of their lives is in the story. This book definitely made me hungry for cupcakes and want to curl up with another good book, in a meta sort of way. I look forward to enthusiastically recommending it!

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title What I Like About You

Author Marisa Kanter

Description from Amazon

Is it still a love triangle if there are only two people in it?

There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.

He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much as she does. And she never has to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him in real life. They can talk about anything…

Except who she really is.

Because online, Halle isn’t Halle—she’s Kels, the enigmatically cool creator of One True Pastry, a YA book blog that pairs epic custom cupcakes with covers and reviews. Kels has everything Halle doesn’t: friends, a growing platform, tons of confidence, and Nash.

That is, until Halle arrives to spend senior year in Gramps’s small town and finds herself face-to-face with real, human, not-behind-a-screen Nash. Nash, who is somehow everywhere she goes—in her classes, at the bakery, even at synagogue.

Nash who has no idea she’s actually Kels.

If Halle tells him who she is, it will ruin the non-awkward magic of their digital friendship. Not telling him though, means it can never be anything more. Because while she starts to fall for Nash as Halle…he’s in love with Kels.

Release Date April 7, 2020

Initial Thoughts

One of my goals for 2020 is to read more contemporary books. What could be more up my alley than a story about a book blogger who uses a pseudonym? Well, as you’ve noticed, I recently changed my name on Instagram and my blog from MK to Monica – here I am world!

Ok, enough about me. But, seriously, this book sounded super cute and it the exact reason I wanted to read more contemporary this year.

Some Things I Liked

Book blogging as a central theme. I loved that. It felt familiar and relatable. There were so many buzz words that I recognized and I loved feeling so close to the subject matter.
References to The Office. Ollie is my television soul mate because The Office is my go-to TV show for all background noise. As we speak, I’m watching The Promotion. Michael is calling Jim “Jimothy” and it’s perfect. Once again, I found myself relating so strongly to the characters in this book.
Emotional rollercoaster. I felt so many feelings when reading this! Happy for Halle when her bookish dreams were coming true, sad for Halle when she frustratingly refused to confess her identity to Nash, just the full spectrum and it was so well balanced. I often thought of contemporary as a genre filled with extremes, either terribly sad or dopily happy. This book had such a wide emotional range and I really enjoyed that.

Series Value

While I’d love to see a sequel about Halle and Nash, I think their story feels complete. I would, however, LOVE to see a Red Sox loving sequel about Ollie, Gramps, and their bro-adventures. I would read that in a heartbeat.

Final Thoughts

I loved this book. It was so cute and emotional and heartbreaking at moments (I’m not crying, you’re crying!). This is why I wanted to read contemporary. It’s books like this that make me happy to get out of my comfort zone.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord – if you liked the social media war aspects of this book as well as the hidden identities, check out this adorable rom-com by Emma Lord.
Lucky Caller by Emma Mills – if you liked the relationship between Halle/Kels and Nash, give this 2020 release by Emma Mills a try.
More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn – again, if you liked the relationships and social media elements of What I Like About You, try this upcoming release.

This story follows teen book blogger who moves to a new town and starts running into her internet BFF absolutely everywhere IRL--in class, at the library, at synagogue. The only problem is, he has no idea who she really is, and while he's in love with her online persona, she's falling for him in person. It was an adorable YA Rom-Com and I will be recommending it to Teen readers. I could totally see this being made into a Netflix flick! I think all bookworm teens will swoon over this book! Thank you NetGalley for providing an advance E-galley!

While this is certainly a book that will have most readers yelling "JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER," it is also a swoony romance, a fun and accurate portrayal of the online YA book community, and great representation of Jewish teens. Halle also has strong family relationships, and some of my favorite moments in the book were between her and her brother and her grandfather.