Hate to love, fake dating and a cute sapphic romance? Count me in.
To be honest? This was nothing like I thought it would be though!
My usual hate to love includes a lot of banter until they finally admit everything was simply sexual tension and they find each other very hot since ever. That was not it. 😂
They really HATED each other. Couldn’t stand the other and we’re really very mean sometimes.
For me it took a little too long for them to finally cut it and start talking like normal people, because it only happened after an incident at a party around 50% of the book was already over.
After that I started to like them a lot more together. I also absolutely loved the side characters and the whole „three sisters“ thing going on! Honey-Belle has a horrible name, but her character was exactly like her name, very sweet!

But it also turned out to be more than a hate to love romance!
This book is a lot about healing and coming back from toxic relationships. I wasn’t expecting that at all. And while I appreciate this topic in a YA book and also the fact that Scottie wanted to first take care of herself and her own needs and feelings it took a little away from the romance part of the book for me. I just didn’t get why they would stop talking at all for weeks/month(?). It’s okay to still talk to someone you like while still figuring things out for yourself without dating them immediately?
This part was a little dragging in my opinion. Kelly Quindlens books so far are all super slowburn romances, and I mostly don’t mind, but this part just wasn’t very exciting to read for me and all the additional drama in the end was also a little too over the top for me.
I loved the ending though, it was VERY very cheesy and made me tear up and laugh at the same time. It was very fitting for the book and the whole 90s movies and 80s music theme.

All in all it was a super american cliche highschool movie with cheerleaders, jocks, mean girls and the obligatory dance scene...but in queer and in book form. If you’re into that you will absolutely love this! It’s a super quick and fun read.

She Drives Me Crazy was extremely sweet, and it was a delight to read. It included some of my favorite tropes, and it managed to be both funny and thought provoking. This is a great read if you love books that deal with recovering from toxic relationships and the journey to self-acceptance and love. Both the main character, Scottie, and her love interest, Irene, were very relatable, and their relationship seemed realistic, while still being cute. However, I would've loved if the book would've explored the Charlotte's intentions and motivations a little more. The book did sort of explain why Charlotte did what she did at a surface level, but I just wish the readers were given a clearer insight on what she was thinking. Despite that, this book was charming and endearing, and I definitely recommend it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

She Drives Me Crazy is a fun and quirky sapphic YA that I enjoyed every minute of reading! Scottie and Irene are such wonderful characters and I loved the way the story unfolded to reveal more about them, both to the reader and to each other. Kelly Quindlen also lets her characters make mistakes and deal with emotions in ways that feel deeply realistic, taking the story to where it needs to go while also letting the journey to get there be bumpy at times. I particularly found Scottie and Tally's journey together as characters to be really meaningful as Scottie slowly learns how to get over her ex. The story itself was super fun and I quickly fell in love with all the lovely characters in Scottie and Irene's life and the friendships they were part of. I also absolutely loved the banter between Scottie and Irene as they slowly got to better know each other. Many thanks to Kelly Quindlen for writing another wonderful sapphic book that is sweet and fun and filled with messy and kind characters. I loved it!

Very cute romcom novel with very enjoyable characters! I’m always nervous to read romance YA because it can often be written very poorly. However, this book was quick-paced, funny, cute, and full of sweet little cliche moments that I thoroughly enjoyed. Yes, it was corny. But I still liked it all the same. A good quick read, full of wonderful LGBTQ rep!

3.5! This was a really cute read! It includes the fake dating and enemies to lovers tropes. I really enjoyed the writing style. I loved how this book tackled the theme of jealously and grief after a breakup. I also liked how it handled the feelings after getting out of a toxic relationship and how it's not always black and white. Both characters took time to heal and acknowledged that the other was deserving of their best self.
However, a few things in this book stopped me from absolutely loving it.
I had a problem with how the fake dating came into place. It never sat right with me how Scottie paid Irene to come out. I know it was stressed that Irene made the decision, but due to the circumstances it kind of felt like she had no other choice. On top of that, these two really despised each other, and while I never saw the moment where the two clicked into something more, it felt a like a 180. Scottie was unnecessarily rude to Irene and she just didn't deserve any of it.
Of course, it was made up for by the end, but I was still really salty towards Scottie. Irene was the best character. All in all really cute and quick read.

Archenemies to lovers is my FAVORITE trope, and Quindlen really nails it with this book. This book was fantastic. Scottie is on the girl's basketball team and Irene is the head cheerleader for their school. Irene previously embarrassed Scottie in front of everyone by having her car towed at a party, and Scottie and Irene have been enemies since. However, after a rear-end in a parking lot, they devise a plan to help each other out by FAKE DATING (my second favorite trope). What ensues is a big learning experience for both Scottie and Irene; how to be open and vulnerable, how to grieve and heal from heartbreak, how to let go, and learn to love again. This is definitely a great book and once I hope to see people enjoying and reading when it comes out!

Scottie is a basketball player who is still in love with her ex. Irene is a cheerleader who is trying her best to not only prove to her family that cheerleading is an important sport but to prove that she is more than just a cheerleader. Scottie crashes into Irene’s car and thus begins the fake dating, enemies to lovers, rom com. Scottie offers to pay Irene money to fix her car and in exchange Irene would pretend to date her so Scottie could make her ex jealous. The only problem is that they are enemies. Irene is a funny and really mindful and sweet person as you get to know her.I absolutely fell in love with her. Scottie has a LOT to work through and its a bit messy but in the end it all works out. I loved their friends though, Honey-Belle was a sweetheart! I love getting read about sport sapphics and its so nice to read about supportive parents and families. Overall, it was a nice read.

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Being 28, almost 29, sometimes contemporary YA can miss the mark for me. Especially in a high school setting. However, I have no complaints about She Drives Me Crazy.

We first meet Scottie, an out lesbian girl who is still reeling from a breakup with her first love and trying to make the most of her senior year. But when an accident with a 'popular' girl occurs in the high school parking lot, suddenly a lot more attention is on her. Including her ex-girlfriend. Scottie decides to make the most of it, even if Irene is a girl that had her car towed the year before out of spite.

What ensues is a heartfelt story of finding yourself again after losing yourself in a relationship, a story of acceptance and family and friendships. The banter between the two girls is quick and sharp, but it is never malicious even at their worst. I really enjoyed the sincerity between Irene and Scottie because they're never anything but themselves with each other. Irene is also a cheerleader fighting her own battle to be recognized for the athleticism involved in the sport, which as a former cheerleader myself I can attest is very much true!

I also really appreciated a F/F YA that isn't about coming out, but about healthy relationships. It's a great find and one I look forward to seeing on the shelves!

Highlights:
-Sapphic
-Enemies-to-lovers
-Fake dating
-Sports rivalry
-Biracial couple
-Discusses and highlights cheerleading as a sport and cheerleaders as athletes.

Cute sapphic romance with lots of angst. Scottie is a basketball player, Irene is a cheerleader and they both believe they have a good idea of who each other are, but there may just be more that meets the eye with both of them. They get into a fender bender and now Scottie has to drive Irene to school. Just when it's about to end, Scottie comes up with a deal that'll help them both out. They fake date so Scottie can make her ex she's still pining over jealous and Irene can pay for the damages of her car. Easy to manage without catching feelings right?... WRONG.

This book was short and sweet. Also this cover is 😍


**Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**.

5/5

The sapphic enemies-to-lovers and fake dating sports rom-com the world deserves. In this quintessential YA contemporary, two arch rivals strike a bargain, after a fender bender presents them both with an unexpected opportunity. Scottie wants payback. Her girlfriend dumped her right before transferring schools and she has to play against her basketball team every weekend. Enter Irene, captain of the cheerleading team, and Scottie’s salvation. Irene wants nothing more than to be taken seriously by the people in her life, but needs money to pay for the damage inflicted on her car, and Scottie’s offering. The catch: Irene has to date Scottie publicly for four months, and no sooner. It might not be the perfect situation, but stranger things have happened, and with these two at the wheel, who knows what will result.

Kelly Quindlen has done it again folks, and I’m beginning to wonder why I am even surprised at this point. This whole book was just a love letter to the queer community through the form of an 80’s style romantic comedy and I am here for it. The exploration of forgiveness and moving on from first love is such a force for good in this novel. Tie that in with queer characters that simply exist in their own space and you get to the bottom of why I adored this, and the authors previous work, Late to the Party. Both have such different vibes, but are amazing illustrations of the kind of books I’d love to see more of within the YA contemporary genre. Specifically queer stories. She Drives me Crazy gives a raw and honest look into high school relationships and a loss of self worth that sometimes accompanies giving all of yourself to another person. Scottie’s emotional journey is one that I think a lot of people will be able to relate to, and I’m so glad time was taken to thoroughly examine every side of it. While this book does serve playful banter with a side of sapphic angst, there are some more deeper moments that make it the perfect kind of nod to the 80’s romantic comedy. In fact, this gave me such a strong Dirty Dancing meets Say Anything vibe, which the author definitely intended to come across while reading. It’s got an epic soundtrack, funny background characters, and the classic big romantic gesture that is a part of any of these films. This book really is the whole package. Snarky and humorous, with the best execution of the fake dating trope I have read in a long time. Maybe it’s the fact that this whole book revolved around two enemies inconveniently falling in love and becoming a lesbian power couple, but it's unrelated that it’s also one of the best contemporaries I have read this year. What else is there to say other than big romantic gestures are clearly superior and will be making a comeback after this book releases. I will it to be so.

Trigger warnings: homophobia, homophobic language, alcohol consumption (underage)

This book was so much fun to read! The drama of high school sports, relationships, and social media was the perfect combination in this fun YA romance. A diverse cast, lots of emotional character growth, and an enemies to lovers trope were exactly what I needed- I couldn't recommend this book more! I did knock it down 1⭐️ because some of the antagonists' actions felt repetitive and unnecessary.

Trigger warnings: moderate bullying and homophobia, brief mention of a car accident

Oh man, this book was a joy to read. Silly and lighthearted, while also reminding us not to judge too quickly. The book follows Scottie, who is guided by her own heartbreak into make some questionably ethical choices after a (literal) run in with Irene, her cheerleading nemesis, leading to a fake dating ploy to get revenge on Scottie’s ex-girlfriend. Cue the enemies-to-lovers trope, but make it gay. I was sold by the description, but the book itself solidified that. Their banter, as well most of this book, had me giggling like I was in high school again. As an adult queer woman, this is what I wish I could have read as a 17-year-old. With queerness not being catastrophic, just a part of life and all its drama.

While it was delightfully campy, I loved watching Scottie grow as she worked through her feelings in regards to a toxic ex, and towards her own self-worth. Quindlen gave us a gem here, filled with high school in all its glory: sports, rivalries, dumb decisions, growth, young love, and more. I read it in a day and will be picking up my own copy when I can!

Quindlen keeps upping the bar for contemporary YA!

Scottie is devastated over a breakup. Her archnemesis, Irene, is forced to carpool with her. Suddenly, Scottie has the genuine idea - fake-date Irene to help her win the Student Athlete of the Year award *and* piss off Scottie's ex because what can possibly go wrong other than catching real feelings?

Scottie and Irene have impressive chemistry on-page, as frenemies and fake girlfriends. They banter in the car over their poor music choices, find ways to tease each other and the fact that everyone can see it only makes their denial more amusing. Their development as enemies-frenemies/fake girlfriends-to actual girlfriends was a delight to watch because of how each girl learns how to break down their respective barriers. Quindlen does a phenomenal job about what it takes to open your heart and heal after an awful break-up. With distinct background characters (I heart Honey-Belle's relentless optimism) and the time-honored theme of loving yourself, this novel is the perfect happy read.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was so cute! Fake dating and enemies to lovers are two of my favorite tropes, so I loved how they were both included! I really enjoyed all of the family relationships, especially Scottie’s relationship with her sisters! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cute, quick read!

I'm gonna be honest: Early on in the story, I had no idea how I was going to end up rooting for Scottie and Irene. I've always loved the enemies-to-lovers trope (and the fake dating trope!), but even I couldn't fathom how these two nemeses could ever even become FRIENDS, let alone girlfriends. That's how you know Kelly Quindlen is talented, because about halfway through this book, everything changed, and I began to hardcore ship this couple. It no longer surprised me that Scottie would fall in love with Irene, simply because I, too, had fallen in love with Irene. (Seriously, she is perfect. I would die for her.)

This is such a fun, campy, cute read. It's so nice to read a story about two female leads fall for each other, especially since it feels like there's still so little sapphic fiction out there that actually gets published. Also, open communication! Healthy coping mechanisms! Actual self-awareness and self-care! It's especially nice to see this in a young adult novel, where it might very well prove useful to some of its readers.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that this book exceeded my expectations and that I would 100% recommend it if you're looking for a light, breezy read.

After I loved this author’s Late to the Party, I was already excited for her next release, but then I read the premise. This book gave me so much that I didn’t even know I needed. She Drives Me Crazy was such a fun f/f hate-to-love sports romance with fake dating!

Scottie is having one of the worst days of her life: first, she loses her basketball game against her recent ex whom she’s still in love with. Then she gets into a fender-bender with Irene, the head cheerleader against whom she’s held a grudge for the past year. When their moms force them to carpool, the two of them must spend time with each other. Eventually, Scottie bribes Irene into a fake dating scheme to make her ex jealous and to make her basketball team more popular.

This book was so much fun! I know that the “fake dating” and “hate-to-love” tropes combined can rely too much on either one without any real character development, but this book manages to balance all three aspects. It’s also a bit campy, but that’s what makes it fun! Fake dating is best when it’s humorous, honestly. Also, this is a gay sports book! Scottie is a basketball player, and Irene is a cheerleader.

I loved the characters! Scottie’s family is super supportive of her, as is Irene’s family. Their friends are always there for them as well. I liked that Scottie and her best friend Danielle both help each other realize what’s best for themselves. As for representation, Scottie is a lesbian, as is Irene. Irene is also Indian-American, and Danielle is Black.

Scottie and Irene’s dynamic is so great as well. Scottie hates her after she pulled a mean prank on her; Irene in general is blunt and upfront. Their banter is fun, and I liked their scenes!

I liked that this book leans into some of its stereotypes instead of making these characters one-dimensional. At first, Irene seems like a stereotypical mean girl, but as we get to know her, we see that she’s more than that without sacrificing the fact that she is a bit mean. While Irene’s best friend Honey-Belle seems like a typical airhead cheerleader at first, it’s clear that she holds a lot of emotional intelligence. Especially since they’re cheerleaders, people, including Scottie, hold this idea of who they are in their heads and refuse to see that they’re more than what’s on the surface.

Like I said before, this book has great character development. Scottie’s ploy of fake dating is an attempt to make her ex Tally jealous, but she also must get over Tally while doing so. She knows, logically, that Tally was toxic and manipulative, but she still has trouble letting her go. Throughout the book, the other characters, including Irene, help her to acknowledge her feelings and to move on. She also has to face the fact that Irene is more three-dimensional than what she initially envisioned her as.

She Drives Me Crazy is both fun and heartwarming. I loved the characters, as well as the fact that this book fleshes out otherwise stereotypical characters. If you enjoy f/f fake dating stories with hate-to-love and a sports romance, She Drives Me Crazy is the book for you!

She Drives Me Crazy is about two high school girls who start out disliking each other. Circumstances throw them together, and for various reasons they decide to pretend to be in a relationship. It’s a cute, LGBTQ+ romance that touches on other topics like women in sports, how to move on from someone you love, and coming out. I really enjoyed the story and would recommend it.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about this book!!! The cover alone is amazing, and had my expectations up very high. I am so so excited to say that my expectations were exceeded. I love the underlying political commentary that rears its head a few times, which I think is necessary for any LGBT book featuring women of color. There will be times, mostly in the beginning, when you will hate the protagonist, but you will ultimately come to love both her and the love interest. This book covers important topics such as abusive relationships, racism, and sexism, all of which are tackled beautifully. This romance is delicious, and the character development strengthens through and aside from the romance, which is perfect for any good romance novel. I'm absolutely in love iwht everything about this book, and I hope you all go read it ASAP!

Where do I begin with this gorgeous book. Kelly’s take on teen queer love has been incredible. The lead characters, Irene and Scottie are two of my favorite characters so far. There is so much more than meets the eye. There is so much depth to them. Both Irene and Scottie are so great at surprising the reader. They are part of my heart and mind now. I want everyone to read this book and put themselves in the emotional shoes of the two girls as well as the other characters such as Honey-Belle and Danielle. Everyone has their own stories and insecurities. There is so much love between all these exceptional characters and the friendship that form will last forever. The families of the lead girls are incredible. They are understanding, loving and loyal.

I applaud Kelly on this novel and I cannot wait to what else is in store. I am so glad to see more LGBTQIA+ books be published each other. We need good stories that are inclusive and full of light.

-Rebeca

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. "She Drives Me Crazy" is a YA-coming-of-age novel, about our main character Scottie, in her senior year of high school. Suffering from heartbreak after her ex-girlfriend Tally breaks up with her and moves schools, Scottie becomes dead-set on finding any way to make her jealous. In a stroke of luck, the most popular cheerleader in school, Irene, agrees to pretend to date her. The only problem is that they can't stand each other. My initial thoughts on this book were super positive. I was so excited and drawn in by the cover art and the description. I mean it's a book about cheerleaders, fake dating, and enemies to lovers. I could not wait to start reading, Except, most times I found the story very hard to enjoy because of how out-of-touch the writing of these high schoolers was. It felt like what teens in movies are written like, except at least 20 percent more dramatic. That being said, I did enjoy the relationship. It was sweet and cute. I love Irene and her clever retorts and how smart and mindful she was as a person. I was mostly disappointed by the general lack of sports. I was expecting basketball and cheering to play a more important role than it ended up being, I kept waiting for some exciting gameplay. There was only a chapter or two of actual cheering and basketball. The relationship with Scottie and her siblings bothered me as well and struck me as unrealistic. They never really fight or yell at each other. It just doesn't feel like actual siblings whenever they interact. And the youngest, who's in middle school was depicted as sweet, caring, and innocent, even though she's 13. It's a cute read, but some parts stopped me from being able to enjoy it to its full extent. I enjoyed the diversity in the book, but one thing that kept nagging at me is how they never say the word lesbian, they always say gay, now this isn't bringing the book down any stars or anything, but lesbian is not a dirty word, and the fact that it was not used, even though this is a wlw book, where neither of them expresses interest in men, slightly annoys me.