Member Reviews
This book is essentially an interracial and sapphic version of Love Don't Cost a Thing. The main character Scottie gets into a minor car accident with her nemesis Irene. Both of them are less than thrilled about having to carpool to school. Eventually Scottie sees it as an opportunity and comes up with a scheme to get back at her ex. In exchange for pretending to be in a relationship with her, Scottie offers Irene money to pay for the damage to her car. Irene desperately needs the money so she can continue to be a cheerleader, so she agrees. As they spend time together, their relationship develops beyond the original transaction.
A classic enemies to lovers plot meets diversity! Thank you!!! I really appreciate a different point of view, and although the plot isn't original, I enjoyed the progression of Scottie and Irene's relationship. The banter was cute, and the issues they dealt with were deep. Dealing with and healing from toxic relationships was a prominent topic and I think Kelly Quindlen did a great job navigating the reality of this struggle; while also making it clear that certain treatment should be unacceptable. I loved this story, and I can definitely see myself reading it again one day.
Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced eARC!
Really cute super cheesy romance that will remind you of your favorite 80s movie but hella queer. Also important themes explored relevant for teenagers and adults alike such as self love and moving on after a heartbreak. Also really loved the close friendship groups and the amazing family dynamic. I also love that it’s set in small town Georgia. The author got the culture just right. A fun and light read worth picking up!
I loved the concept of this book, I'm always down for a fake-dating storyline and I thought this was a cute, fun read. However, I never fully connected to the characters. They were fairly well developed but there was a lot of telling instead of showing and lots of time jumps that made it hard to connect. For instance, once Scottie and Irene start their fake dating scheme, you see a day or so of it and then we skip the next few weeks and only get a paragraph or so of information about it. Meaning by the time feelings start to develop between them, we haven’t gotten to experience a lot of their interactions and really see how they’ve changed. Having said that, the development of their relationship is nice in that it’s not insta love and I think it was well done for the most part. While I wanted a little more development of the characters and just to see and experience more with them, I do think the author did a great job with creating three-dimensional characters - they weren't just cardboard cutout cliches but they never reached their full depth I think because there wasn't enough time given to really dive into the characters. I did appreciated how the author wrapped things up, it was a happy and realistic ending. I just wanted a little bit more from the characters and the romance. It never made me swoon.
Also something about the relationship Scottie had with her family just didn’t feel quite... real? It was like the author was trying a little too hard with the whole supportive family thing. Which I’m not complaining about, I love seeing supportive families in YA books! I just don’t think it was given enough screen time and so it didn’t feel quite feel authentic.
The, for lack of a better word, "world building" was very campy and early 2000s romcom with the social structure and the popular girls and how invested everyone in the school was with them. Making it feel a little cringey and unrealistic but I can see where some people would enjoy that more than I did. I also was expecting more sports in this book which there isn't a whole lot. I didn't really mind that but if you're looking for a fun queer sports novel this doesn't have much of that aspect.
Overall, She Drives Me Crazy is a fun, quirky queer romcom that I would recommend if you’re looking for a light hearted summer read!
Shout out to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an earc in exchange for an honest review.
This is my consecutive fourth ARC where the theme is toxic relationships and have to say it's one of the ones that handles it best. This was not just a cutesy romcom as I expected it to be but also a much intense story of healing and moving forward.
A big part of the book is about Scottie moving on from her ex and healing from their toxic relationship. This book honestly portrays the messy process of getting over a breakup and describes how badly a abusive relationship can damage one's self esteem. And because it was honest and realistic, it was also sometimes very frustrating to watch Scottie pine over her awful ex. I didn't expect so much of this book to be focused on Scottie's obsession with her ex. It was understandable but really annoying when Irene and Scottie would be having a moment together and suddenly Scottie would start thinking about her ex girlfriend. I did like Scottie's character development and how she grows up and makes healthier decisions and gives herself time to grieve over her past relationship before jumping into a new one.
Scottie's love interest, Irene was the star of the book for me. She was charismatic and blew life into every single scene she was in. Also I just loved her banter with Scottie. They had amazing chemistry and were afreakingadorable together. The way they slowly went from hating each other to slowly and begrudgingly understanding and supporting each other was wonderful to read. They had the same bad experience of falling in love with with someone who treated them terribly which sorta helped them relate to each other better. And I loved their big gay journey from enemies to fake lovers to lovers.
The secondary characters were all great. I especially loved the wonderful and supportive tight-knit group of friends as I always do with Kelly Quindlen(excluding trashbag Clay from HNITS, of course.)
Overall, this is just as much a story about acknowledging one's self worth and moving on from a bad relationship as much as it is about falling in love again. I really liked it and definitely recommend it for the cutest enemies to lovers.
Receiving this book via e-arc was truly such a pleasant surprise. Whenever I request arcs, I mentally prepare myself not to receive them. I’m not an entirely famous blog, I don’t have a mass following, but I do put a lot of care into my arcs and I read insanely fast (373 books last year, boo-yah!). I like writing reviews. I like reading things early and being able to recommend them to people I know will like them. But this one, this one excited me because it was just a trope-fest for my little heart. I wasn’t expecting to be given access, but here we are, and here’s a review! Woohoo!
We follow Tally, basketball player, and Irene, cheerleader, who get embroiled in a fake dating scandal after they have a mild car accident. There are so many Hallmark level cliches in this book, and it made me love it all the more. Though it is a very cheesy book, it also touches a lot on grief, on reeling after going through a breakup. I wasn’t anticipating there to be something really heartfelt at the center of this book. I really appreciated that exploration and the way that you can be falling in love with someone while you’re still falling out of love with someone else. There’s also some depictions of really harrowing emotionally/verbally abusive relationships, so be aware of that.
One element of this book that made me really happy was that of the friendships and character dynamics. I think that the characters maybe could have been a little more fleshed out (they sometimes felt a little two-dimensional, with their only character traits being their extracurricular activities and their love interests), but I really enjoyed the way that the characters all found friendship because of their interactions. If you loved the friendship vibes in Paper Towns by John Green, you’ll love this book.
I am not entirely sure how the representation for this book shapes up. I would go and read some own reviewers who are represented in this book to make sure that the rep of your culture is alright. I didn’t see any glaring problems, as the author didn’t shy away from mentioning skin color (no dreaded “caramel” or “chocolate” skin here), and attempted to have a very diverse cast. I think there’s good intentions here, at the very least.
She Drives Me Crazy is a heartwarming story of sapphic in sports that is worth a read. I’ll be recommending it.
She Drives Me Crazy is such a fun romantic comedy! When Scottie and Irene accidentally back into each other in the parking lot, tempers are high. After losing a basketball game and being recently dumped by her girlfriend, the last person Scottie wants to see is Irene- a highly driven cheerleader and her nemesis. Once they realize they could help each other with their senior goals, a deal is struck. Scottie wants to make her ex-girlfriend jealous and the basketball team to finally have cheerleader support. Irene wants to win the best student athlete award and she thinks Scottie can help her get there. Fake-dating and enemies-to-lovers shenanigans ensues!
This is a sweet and enjoyable sapphic romance that hits all the right notes. I really loved the emphasis on mental health and how it takes time to be ready to date someone after the end of a relationship. She Drives Me Crazy examines the dangers of romanticizing people, toxic relationships, and how to be brave. If you love cheesy romance movies but wish they had a bit more depth or LGBTQ+ representation, then this is the book for you. She Drives Me Crazy is a fun and sweet story that you won’t want to miss! She Drives Me Crazy releases April 20, 2021. Thank you so much to Kelly Quindlen, Roaring Brook Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc.
after loving kelly quindlen’s late to the party, i knew i wanted to pick up she drives me crazy. especially reading what it had to offer: fake dating! sapphic sports gays! enemies to fake dating to catching feelings! an ode to 80’s romcoms!
and it absolutely delivered that and more.
quindlen has a way of writing the most honest teen characters. i loved scottie. i loved irene. and every supporting character was just as wonderful. maybe they aren't perfect. but they grow and they learn and i loved them.
this book also addresses the feelings that come from a relationship ending. about taking the time to heal from that. about how sometimes you don’t take that time—and it hurts not just you, but those around you. about figuring out how you can heal. what ways are wrong, and what ways are right.
it’s also about our perception of people. how we might see only the good or only the bad parts of them. about seeing how it isn’t always just one or the other. about how we can be wrong about how we see people. about how we grow from learning we are wrong.
seriously this book fits so many good things in its roughly 300 pages and i don’t want to talk about all of them because i just want y’all to see it for yourself. preorder this immediately.
Spoiler alert: I loved this enemies-to-lovers and fake dating YA lesbian romance. This book, set in small-town Georgia, was a refreshing read. Scottie is torn up after being dumped by her ex, a social-climbing basketball player who switches schools to play for a better team. Scottie has an altercation with Irene, a cheerleader, who comes out and is also trying to be the first cheerleader Student Athlete of the Year and win a cheerleading scholarship, despite everyone believing cheerleading to not be a real sport. Scottie and Irene agree to a fake dating scheme to make Scottie’s ex jealous, but they both end up catching feelings for each other.
This was such a fun book to read. I loved the small-town setting of Grandma Earl, Georgia. I loved how accepting the characters’ families were of their sexuality. It was really refreshing to read a book about gay teens without their sexuality being the main problem of the book. I enjoyed the hilarious snarky dialogue and the diverse cast of characters. I also loved the supportive parents who let their daughter know that her experience of heartbreak wasn’t insignificant just because she was a teenager. All in all, this was a compelling teen rom com and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Kelly Quindlen has become one of my favorite authors because I couldn’t get enough of her flawless and humorous writing. I am not ashamed to admit that I fell in love with the cozy and charming descriptions of the small town called Grandma Earl and I also have a soft spot in my heart for the down-to-earth characters who live there. This author has done a wonderful job of bringing Scottie and Irene’s differing personalities and their turbulent emotions to life for me. Even though this story was told from Scottie’s point of view, I didn’t feel as though the story was one-sided at all because the attitudes and the unique traits of the other characters came through loud and clear.
I don’t think there’s anything better than binge reading a hilarious young adult story that has flawed and relatable characters who are trying to sort out their emotional baggage and their unexpected attraction to each other. I’ve always been a certified book nerd and I don’t have an athletic bone in my body but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the basketball games and the practice sessions because I got to live vicariously through Scottie and her teammates. Plus, this story had enough angst and drama to keep me anchored to my couch for hours on end.
SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY is a great exploration of love, not only of the tropey bits (we all love a good "there's only one bed" scenario). but also of the journey it can take. I especially love the healthy viewpoint that Quindlen takes on love, even the toxic aftereffects. Read this book if you want a cute fluffy read that leaves you pondering over your past/current romantic relationships and the effects they have/have had on you.
Brb crying over how cute and campy this book is. It's full of friendship, sports, and falling in love after heartbreak. She Drives Me Crazy is so queer and lovely and it doesn't take itself too seriously. Also the cover is Incredible!
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Man, this was so heckin' cute! I would say this left me full of butterflies but I definitely think it's more akin to bumblebees.
Despite a somewhat slow start, this really picks up momentum about halfway through the book, which isn't so bad considering how short the book is. That is, however, where this lost a fifth star; the early pacing of the book could have used a little tightening, even despite the book's considerably short length.
That said, there is still a lot to love about this book. The characters are all really well fleshed out, interesting, and lovable. Irene was easily my favorite character, followed closely by Honey-Belle. We love a good cheerleader character 'round these parts.
I just think this did a really nice job of using tropes to its advantage. This has one of my favorite romance tropes, the fake relationship, and it falls into just about every good facet of the trope and basically none of the bad ones. My least favorite thing in fake relationship stories is when the characters start to catch feelings and our main character is determined not to ruin a good thing, so nobody acknowledges their feelings and it gets really annoying and messy for no reason. This book does not do that! Instead, the girls pride themselves on being honest with one another and their entire relationship is an adorable, frank thing thanks to Quindlen realizing nobody cares for that sort of drama, at least not these days.
Instead, the strain comes from Scottie not knowing how she feels and Irene feeling insecure about coming out of the closet. It's so fun and fresh and it makes this book a real treat.
As I said, once this book gets going, it is really a wonderful little read. It's romantic, funny, and also quite touching at times. This will certainly be just about any YA romance fan's cup of tea!
Going into this book I originally thought it would only involve an enemies to lovers trope, which I enjoy most of the time. HOWEVER, it quickly turned into a fake-dating situation which I absolutely live for in romances. Not to mention this story involves a f/f relationship and talks about different topics like coming out and sexism in sports! I really loved how the characters in this book felt like real teenagers instead of overly quirky movie characters. Not sure if this is the best YA romance I’ve read, but it definitely is up there.
She Drives Me Crazy is a queer enemies-to-lovers/fake-dating story. I don't know how I was supposed to pass it up.
Scottie Zajac is desperately trying to get over being dumped by her ex when Irene Abraham backs into her car. To avoid some parental awkwardness, the girls pretend to be friends while their parents work out the insurance details. Which would be fine except Scottie gets roped into carpooling with Irene until Irene's car can get fixed.
They spend a week antagonizing each other, until Scottie realizes Irene would be the perfect fake girlfriend to piss of her ex. Irene is beautiful, a cheerleader, and the most popular girl in school. And amazingly, she agrees to go along with it.
This book has two of my favorite tropes. But it executed them in a weirdly healthy way. Scottie and Irene have an antagonistic relationship that turns sweet but still playful. Their relationship progresses slowly, and acknowledges how hard it is for Scottie to move on.
Some of the language and references in this novel make it feel like it was meant for a slightly older crowd. Though it's a YA story, there are references to things like John Hughes movies, and I don't know that those references will resonate with younger teens.
Overall, it was a sweet and fun novel, and I enjoyed it.
~I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.~
Sapphic Enemies to Lovers? Fake Dating? Sports coming-of-age romantic comedy? Kelly Quindlen really created a book with all the components to just insert itself as one of my favorite books of 2021. This book is somehow simultaneously heartfelt, romantic, sassy, funny, and adorable. I honestly cried during this book which was so unexpected.
I think this book also is really honest about relationships and love, despite it hurting me, I think that certain discussions, especially the ones surrounding Scottie's relationship with her toxic-ex Tally, were really important to have, especially since 'getting over someone' and healing before or during a new relationship are topics that are oft not seen in YA books, when they're really important to think about and even more important to younger readers who might just be entering their first relationship or their first breakup.
This book definitely takes influence of the classic romantic-comedies of the 80's, it is a love letter to the decade and to the music and movies of the era. It contains heartfelt declarations of love, a town rivalry, some of my new favorite background (please someone give Honey-Belle a prize, I love her so much.) The writing is also just a treat, especially the dialogue, it felt like the way that actual young adults talk and interact, and not just an attempt to imitate Gen-Z speech by inserting references or 'the lingo'. Anyways, absolutely go pick up this book in April because it is an instant serotonin boost.
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Review on Goodreads: Up Now
Review on Instagram: 1-21-21
thank you so much netgallery for providing me an ARC of this book.
in many lgbt (notably sapphic books), you notice that the plot is always heavily centered on the coming out story. this book, however, doesn't do that. it's a new take on a cliched trope that everyone adores, but in the best way possible. its enemies to fake dating to lovers, which in on itself is absolutely enticing as a plot, but besides that its SUCH a good read! it's super well paced, keeps you entertained and laughing, but also sprinkles in serious scenes and incredible one liners that left me teary eyed.
another thing i loved is that you're not always cheering for the main character–the flawed aspects of scottie is exactly what kept me wanting to read. she fumbles the ball (get it? bc she plays basketball) and i love the way the other characters respond. not only do you fall in love with scottie and irene, but you really do grow to love each and every character–the family dynamic you see in between the friends and family only added to the entertainment.
all in all, definitely a must read! kelly quindlen has never missed and i can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy of this book. everyone read it!!!
This was an adorably cheesy little rom-com, and I loved every minute of it.
If you are looking for something original, this isn't it, but goodness gracious golly gee was it adorable.
Why should you read this, besides that gorgeous cover?
- enemies to lovers
- fake-dating trope
- and there was one bed!
I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down! I loved how flawless the writing was and how easy the characters were to read. I adored our main characters Scottie and Irene. Their flaws were front and center to this novel, and it really made them real.
Scottie herself is just coming out of a horrific break-up and isn't completely over it. Her situation was handled terrifically. Kelly Quindlen showcases the hardships and heartbreaks of first love through Scottie. Her character development was one of the highlights of this novel.
I can't say much about Irene's character since that would be considered spoilers, but something about having an Indian cheer captain just makes my heart so happy. As the reader, you see Irene grow throughout the novel and I loved seeing how multi-layered she was.
The only reason this isn't a 5 star read was that there was one aspect of the fake-dating arrangement that irked me. Other than think sticking point, I really loved this book!
This definitely should be on your preorder list :)
Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for the ARC of this book! All thoughts are my own.
My gay heart is SOARING right now. Oh my word. This was so cute, sweet, funny and heart warming I can not take it. I am in love with this book. I’ve never read a fake dating book about sporty lesbians but not that I have I need more. This was perfectly crafted and I loved it so much.
True rating: 4.5/5
I can’t not even begin to explain how much I loved Scottie and her fantastically crafted character arc. Her ability to become herself again was so wholesome. Irene is probably one of my favorite love interests I’ve ever read. I can’t get over it. How cute this was. The plot was well done. The writing was stellar. I loved seeing a group of friends like Scottie’s. Danielle, Kevin and Gunther were so supportive and loving. As were Scottie’s sisters. What a beautiful story. If you want a heartwarming, emotional, coming of age sapphic story- please pick this up. You won’t regret it. I mean ATHLETICS GAYS!! FAKE DATING!! What more could you want?
This is a cute and breezy YA romance that hits a number of tropes and plot points you'd expect, but that isn't a bad thing. Both Scottie and Irene have flaws and positives about them, and it was easy to root for them as a couple. I liked that Irene wasn't a stereotypical cheerleader who fit into a predictable box, and I also liked that through Scottie we got to explore true grief and loss of a relationship, and how it can make you do destructive things to yourself and to others. The story has a good amount of predictability, and a lot of the side characters aren't as fleshed out as perhaps they could have been. This wouldn't have been so bad had there not seemingly been efforts to dig a little deeper into some of these antagonists, but any character insight kind of got tossed to the side and forgotten about. But if you want something cute, feel good, and sweet, SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY will hit the right notes.
SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY was a fun foray into a genre I'm trying to explore a bit more. It's quick and breezy, and will assuredly make you smile.
Kelly Quindland is absolutely becoming one of my favorite YA authors. I love the way she portrays teens and how real and authentic they feel, and this book is no exception. It was one of my most anticipated books for 2021 that absolutely delivered. It features the phrase "gay Ginny Weasley" (if that doesn't make you want to read it, I'm not sure what will), amazing friendship vibes, supportive families, female athletes, and classic rom-com tropes all over the place. While it's a romantic and adorable romance, it's full of so much substance that it's a book I know I'll keep coming back to.