As soon as I saw Fellner-Dominy was releasing another YA novel, I knew I needed to read it. I didn’t even read the blurb. So it was a pleasant surprise to be put in the same world as Announcing Trouble, and my excitement somehow grew even more. The author nails the fragile but exciting precipice of adulthood again with, How to Quit Your Crush.

Maya seemed to be a manifestation of anxiety. I found this critical (and it caused a few adorable scenes) in today’s world. Not just teens, but people of all ages, now more than ever it seems, are coming to grips on how to cope with anxiety, and it was neat to see it unfold so healthily in a book. Her growth in understanding those who think differently is another notable occurrence.

Anthony was a little sweet, a little profound, and a large boundary pusher. His paradoxical characteristics make him a unique and intriguing hero. His carefree nature (although much of it is exterior) often collide with his inability to move on from his dad’s untimely death. I enjoyed watching the layers peel off, and the wisdom come upon him. The way he sees ordinary “junk” was my very favorite part of him.

This book was excellent. Did it beat out Announcing Trouble? My sports-loving heart says no, but I am still so thankful to have read it. This author has a special touch with YA novels, and I hope to see more in the future.

Super cute book! I adore Amy Fellner Dominy's YA romances and this one, following up as a companion book to the characters from Announcing Trouble, was a delight to read. I will recommend these romances from Dominy to readers who love Kasie West, Sandhya Menon, Jenny Han - for those cute teen romances that don't get too steamy.

it's a well-established thing that i love a good opposites-attract type story. and that's exactly what we get in how to quit your crush. mai has plans, or at least she plans to follow the plans her family has laid out for her.

nowhere in these plans is anthony. popular and aimless, he has no plans. except every time he tangles with mai he wants more. but her future has never included a boy like him and she doesn't see how it could ever possibly work.

so maybe the way to quit each other is to plan the worst possible dates for one another. and maybe that just ends up backfiring.

this is a cute, fun story. just the kind of young adult goodness to escape the world with.

**how to quit your crush will publish on may 4, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (entangled: crush) in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.

This was pretty cute - classic opposites attract. I liked how the characters grew and learned to appreciate the other. A good book for a YA romance fan. I would definitely recommend to teens.

This was such a cute read and exactly what I needed! This story about Anthony and Mai was equal parts adorable and heartbreaking. I guess it's true that opposites attract - Mai is a valedictorian, gets straight A's whilst Anthony is the popular guy who everyone seems to love and who has no real plans for the future. They had a short fling which confused everyone as looking at them, you wouldn't expect them to be together, but the heart wants what the heart wants!

It made my heart ache when I read how much Mai's actions depend on her upbringing and her parents. Her plans for the future were pretty much dictated by them as she didn't want to disappoint them - choosing to date Anthony would definitely be a disappointment. Whereas Anthony wanted to live in the moment.

So when they came up with the idea of going on two dates which one of them would absolutely hate, they both thought that would be enough to make their feelings go away. But that's not exactly what happened...

All in all, it was a thought-provoking tale about the strength of love. It isn't something that you can just deny and get rid of and if you don't act upon it, you'll live to regret it.

I really enjoyed it!

Mai has her whole life organized and planned and does everything to please her demanding parents. SHe wants to be the ideal and perfect daughter but in the last vacation she ends up going out with her crush Anthony, a boy who, in her opinion, does not match either her or her parents' desires.

The point is that after enjoying a lot of good times together, Anthony is neither prepared nor willing to lose Mai and will do anything to win her over. Anthony is a boy who suffers from the recent loss of his father. He's one of the cutest guys I've ever read. Playful, gentle, sensitive, polite and handsome ... an ideal boyfriend and tries in every way to fit Mai's standards.

They end up getting involved again in a game of cat and rat and as they get closer and closer to each other they fall in love and what was a crush turns into something much stronger that will disrupt all of Mai's plans and Anthony's lack of plans.

Although I didn't like the way Mai treats Anthony in most of the book, I really liked how the writer managed to resolve the conflict point and loved the super cute ending.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

4/5 stars

Absolutely loved this story.
Anthony and Mai are complete opposites and they don't make sense on paper. Now, if they could only convince themselves of that and so they decide to have a 2 week fling to make each other hate the idea of being together. I LOVED this premise!
Anthony. I swooned so hard over this guy. And you just love him more and more as the story goes on.
Mai is a level headed, goal oriented gal ready to head off to college after graduating.
There are so many lessons that can be learned in this story and it's perfect for teenagers.
I just had so many feels and by the end, I was an emotional pile of mush.

"...different paths can still lead to the place I want to go."

Don't let the genre or the cover of this book fool you; Dominy hits you a bit hard between the pages.

Maya Senn is struggling with living up to expectations. She has her life planned out to meet those expectations, too. Anthony Adams makes her heart & body feel "things" that they shouldn't. As they spend time together getting rid of their crush, Maya soon realises that she is herself the most with the one guy she should never want, but he's so much her opposite that she knows he's not ever going to be in her life for the long haul... Right?

"But if you live afraid, you're not really living. That's no future at all."

Anthony knows all too well that life never goes according to plan, so he lives in the moment, believing that lower expectations would protect his heart better. Yet, Maya & her annoying way of planning out everything and avoiding risks keep him wishing his heart were freer to love. Can he convince her to choose him while still keeping the essence of who she truly is?

Anthony & Maya's story is sweet and poignant. On the cusp of adulthood, they each are carrying around some heavy baggage. While they struggle with their burdens, it was entertaining to watch them fall for each other and practice some heavy denial along the way. It was heartwarming to watch as their characters developed, and as they accepted that they couldn't change each other, but could love each other for the things that kept drawing them closer over & over.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book.

How to Quit Your Crush is a standalone young adult contemporary romance by Amy Fellner Dominy. It is set in the same world as her YA contemporary romance, Announcing Trouble. I really enjoyed Announcing Trouble and was super excited to dive back into this world to get Mai and Anthony’s story. But don’t worry- if you are new to this world, you don’t need to read Announcing Trouble first to be able to enjoy How to Quit Your Crush. And I think I enjoyed this one a little more than Announcing Trouble (though it was close!)

Mai and Anthony were characters I wanted to know more about after I finished Announcing Trouble and I was super excited when I heard they would be getting their own story. This was a classic case of opposites attracting. However; with Mai and Anthony they both admit to their crush, but they want to get over the other one. Insert one genius (??) plan to try and out “bad-date” each other. What follows is a super cute, completely hilarious romp over a series of bad and even worse bad dates. I absolutely loved the two of them together. They are so opposite in many ways, but they still have plenty of levels and topics to connect on.

How to quit your Crush is pure fun, perfect for spring and summertime! I loved the banter that Mai and Anthony share, but there are plenty of genuine warm and fuzzy heartfelt moments that made me really connect with each of them. Watching them try to decide they were truly over the other made me smile and shake my head several times, and seeing some of the things they would do just to be near each other had me rooting for these two hard core. If you are looking for a cute, funny romance How to Quit Your Crush is a winner! I loved this book!

I love this book so much. I love the characters, the flirty banter, and just the whole story. It’s an enemies to “lovers” story with a little something extra. Mai is driven. And that’s an understatement. She has a plan for everything, knows what she will do with her life down to the most minute detail, and absolutely doesn’t take risks. There are reasons for this, reasons that make Mai so much more than a one-dimensional character. Anthony is the complete opposite. For his own reasons, he is an inherent risk taker, he has no plan for his future, and lives life in the moment, never knowing what tomorrow may bring. What these two do have in common is an inexplicable attraction to one another that is one part chemistry and one part something neither of them truly understands. With Mai leaving for college soon and Anthony heading out on a quest with no particular plans beyond this, these two need to get each other out of their systems. They agree to a two-week immersion to really prove to themselves and each other why they’re so wrong together. Each plans alternating dates they absolutely know the other will hate, resulting in truly hilarious moments. But instead of pushing them further away, it appears to have the opposite effect. These two couldn’t be more different, but you know what they say — opposites attract!

Plot
The author does a great job of plotting the story so it never drags. The “hate” dates add comedy throughout and keep the story from even devolving into a sagging middle section. Instead, the pacing is spot on, and the character development and sprinkling of moments that help us understand the characters’ backstories is never tedious.

The Characters
The characters are the best part, and that’s saying something. Mai was hard for me to really identify with it first, but it didn’t take long for me to really get her on a much deeper level. As the only adopted child in her family, she not only looks different than her parents and brother, she feels different. She knows she was chosen, but she also knows she was abandoned by her birth parents. Her need for roots is so understandable, I just wanted to reach out and hug her so many times. Anthony recently lost his father to a short battle with cancer, proving that nothing in life is permanent. He believes in never looking to the future when you can live in the now, because the future isn’t guaranteed. While I’m more like Anthony naturally, rather than through circumstance, I found myself really empathizing with Mai. I was rooting for these two so hard from nearly the first chapter.

Top Five Things I Loved About HOW TO QUIT YOUR CRUSH
1. Mai. She’s so uptight she’s practically a statue, and yet there is so much underlying all of that which makes her easy to love.

2. Anthony. He’s my “live in the moment” soul mate, and I was pulling for him to unwind Mai the whole time.

3. Hiking. I live in Southern California, so hiking is pretty much a way of life here, too, although not nearly as hot as in Phoenix! I loved the trail scenes the most.

4. Chemistry. Mai and Anthony have it in spades and it was raw and refreshing.

5. Witty banter. The dialogue was among the best I’ve read in a long time.

Bottom Line
An adorable romance with amazing characters and many laugh-out-loud moments. One of my top reads of 2020 so far.

Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

How to Quit Your Crush by Amy Fellner Dominy is a sweet, fun, and delightful young adult contemporary romance and part of the Entangled Teen Crush series. Mai Senn is the high school valedictorian, and all round high achiever. Anthony Adams is an artist, and has no plans to go to college. Despite these two being opposites, they can't stay away from each other, even planning bad dates to get over each other. I really enjoyed this sweet story and all the emotions both Anthony and Mai went through. Teenagers can be so black and white about their opinions, but watching them see the gray shades is fun. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys the genre.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Every decision that Mai makes in her life is based on what those she cares about would think. Whether it comes to her studying, her plans for the future and the boy she likes. Anthony couldn’t be more different as he takes every day as it comes, his plans for the future include travelling and not school or a job.

Despite the differences between them they are drawn to each other. The come up with the perfect plan which includes two weeks of dates that are sure to turn into a horrible time but they may just find out what they are doing doesn’t matter as long as they are together.

They both have pasts that are impacting their present decisions which find themselves on opposite ends on the spectrum but together they find the perfect balance. As individuals these characters are compelling but being a couple makes them that much better.

I enjoyed Amy Fellner Dominy's YA baseball book Announcing Trouble last year so I was excited to read How to Quit Your Crush and see the characters again. I loved the opposites attract dynamic and am always a sucker for a handsome baseball player. I appreciated that this was truly an appropriate YA novel- the romance was sweet and pretty tame. The "bad dates" storyline was so cute and it was fun seeing their attraction and friendship grow along the way. I found How to Quit Your Crush to be enjoyable and a great way to pass the time while I am missing baseball.

School valedictorian Mai has a crush on baseball player Anthony, a match that makes no sense. But, then again, “crushes aren’t sensible.” In fact, the two of them are opposites. As Anthony says, “we have almost nothing in common - from the way we were brought up to the way we want to live our lives.” Nevertheless, when Anthony runs into Mai over spring break, she “woke something up in me. Made me feel human again.” When school goes back, Mai comes to her senses and breaks it off, even though (or especially because) she is still attracted to him. Anthony volunteers for a program Mai is attending because he figures that “I just need to spend more time with you, and all the ways we’re different are going to start bugging me.” Mai and Anthony decide that a two-week fling is just what they need to get over each other. So, they begin “planning dates … that we’ll love and the other person will hate.” Hmm, I wonder how that will work out for them.

The story is told alternately by Mai and Anthony, who are both beautifully flawed, totally likable and, in fact, perfect for each other. This book is cute, humorous, romantic, and full of baseball references. What’s not to love?

If you are in the mood for a YA romance that is finally about standing up for yourself despite your family's approval, then How to Quit Your Crush by Amy Fellner Dominy is the read for you. I have to admit that this was another slow-burn romance which seems to be the theme around here lately in the books I have read recently. I have to admit I wasn't keen on the main female lead but at least she finally came to her senses at the end after a bout of jealousy kicked through, but took her long enough. I also hated her parents especially when it was revealed what they both said while they thought she was sleeping when she was seven and got lost. I was so angry at them as it's like how dare they say that about their daughter, don't they have a caring bone in their bodies? Anyway, How to Quit Your Crush is about Maya aka Mai who has just recently graduated high school and is on her journey to bigger and better things - so she decides a clean break is what she needs and before things can go any further she breaks up with Anthony - her secret boyfriend. Thinking that the relationship wasn't important, she believes she can just move on without a thought but life and fate have different plans as she still loves Anthony and vice versa. Over the summer, the pair end up working at the same Community Cares project and decide that the only way they can move on is to make each other hate them and so they propose a two-week fling in which the other tries to ruin their views of the other. Of course, as we know this will have an opposite reaction as they become closer to one another learning each other's dark secrets. Can Maya stand up to her family before it's too late or will she lose the one person who has loved her for who she is true?
Find out in How to Quit Your Crush by Amy Fellner Dominy - a love/hate light YA romance by Entangled Crush.

Filled with swoon-worthy moments and pulling at your heartstrings, this book was definitely well written and very cute! I loved how Mai and Anthony's characters were each developed and went through growth. Usually its books like these that tackle challenges such as living up to high standards, and family grief that truly represent a teenager's life and make these romance heavy books realistic and fun to read. It really draws you into the reader, and there were several very well written scenes. I enjoyed this one!

You can't. I know, I know. You are thinking abojt all the crushes you've had and discarded. But think about it, you didn't quit it. You may have found a trait you hated. You may have found someone else to crush on. Or you just grew out of it.

No one has ever quit their crush. Mai and Anthony didn't do so well either!

Over achiever and top of eveything, Maya is valedictorian, super smart, and going places. In her mind, Anthony is absolutely appallingly her opposite.

I guess she never contemplated the saying opposites attract.

How to Quit Your Crush is an adorably sweet story with both our leads learning to be themselves instead of what they think they need to be. One bad date at a time...

"A tiny smile plays around his mouth. 'I try to think the worst about you, too. And then you smile at me.' "

How to Quit Your Crush by Amy Fellner Dominy is a young adult contemporary romance novel that is the perfect combination of witty banter and swoon-worthy one-liners. This book is perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Kasie West, creating the perfect combination of cutesy and steamy moments.

Mai is the smartest girl in school, on track to go to one of the best schools in the country. Her entire life is planned out in front of her and she won't let anything get in her way. Anthony hates making plans. He wants to spend his days travelling the world and wants nothing to tie him to one spot. Mai Senn and Anthony Adams shouldn't work together. But when the two decide to have a summer fling in order to combat their mutual attraction to each other things getting a little messy. A competition begins to plan dates they know the other will hate to help them realize they don't belong together. But what happens when they have more fun than they anticipated?

I personally found How to Quit Your Crush very enjoyable! The story was told from dual POVs and I really enjoyed reading from Anthony's perspective since it's very rare to read from the males POV in a teen ya romance. Reading his reactions and seeing his feelings develop throughout the course of the novel was endearing and made me appreciate Anthony and subsequently, his actions, so much more! The banter between the pair was perfect and definitely made me chuckle. Their attraction to each other felt very believable and I could easily follow along and understand the characters actions.

I also really enjoyed the individual path each character took throughout the story. Instead of only focusing on the romance, the characters also had to overcome personal struggles. The parents of both teens were prominent in the story and added a deeper layer of complexity that I was not expecting, but thoroughly enjoyed.

The only qualm I had with this novel was Mai. I personally didn't enjoy her as a main character, however, I feel like that might be the intention of the author. She is a type-A who does not want to stray from her aspirations, which I can respect. However, her inner-dialogue in particular seemed rather snobby and self-interested at times. Technically this book is the second in a series, however, it is about two separate character so the books can be read in any order. Therefore, I would be interested to see if I would feel the same way about Mai once I read the first book in this series: Announcing Trouble. Either way Mai grew as a character and I am happy with her character arch as a whole!

Overall, I give How to Quit Your Crush 4/5 Stars! The book was quick, fun, and I would definitely recommend it to others. It is the perfect book for reading outside this summer.

I'd like to thank Net Galley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“But if you live afraid, you’re not really living. That’s no future at all” (chapter 39).

I read this in a day. Honestly, I don’t even think I put it down after I picked it up. The premise was really new and fun for me, and the depth behind the characters and the things they wish for or are scared of was very engaging.

Mai’s has some trauma in her past that she holds tight to and allows to define what’s important to her. Her family doesn’t seem to realize this because they encourage this behavior with their overbearing ideals instead of encouraging her to discover who she is and give her space for that. As a result, she has a bit of an identity crisis as she starts transitioning into adulthood after graduating high school. What would her life look like without carefully laid plans she’s created with her family? And would being different make her adoptive parents not want her anymore?

Anthony doesn’t fit in Mai’s carefully laid plans, even though she can’t help but practically drool over him. He doesn’t want to think about the future, he doesn’t want to make plans, he doesn’t even want to go to college. He’s definitely not someone she could ever bring home to her parents. Anthony is fully aware that they just don’t fundamentally work. So why can’t he get her out of his head? Why does he want to kiss her so bad?

The two agree that they need to let this crush burn up by having a fling to effectively make themselves unattractive to the other. They plan dates with the intention of turning the other off, but it ends up being way more fun than annoying. In trying to have something light to turn each other off, they end up digging in deep and understanding each other’s fears. I never wanted to stop reading about these two. Their chemistry and their vulnerability really won my heart.

I read this book because I loved Mai as a side character in "Announcing Trouble," but that was nothing compared to her having her own book. Seeing her and Anthony together was perfect. I wished the book was longer, but only because I didn't want to stop reading it. I really hope there is more from this world.