I hate to be that one person that gives a negative review, but honestly, this book was such a disappointment.

As many people know, I tend to be a cover-buyer, so as soon as my eyes saw this gorgeous bookish lavender beauty, I knew I just HAD to read it. Plus, it reminded me a lot of Today Tonight Tomorrow (an *amazing* YA academic rivals to lovers book) AND was written by Wibbroka, famed authors of Always Never Yours (a personal favorite of mine!)

However, it just really wasn't for me. Alison and Ethan spent waaaaaayyyyy too much time hating each other, and honestly really came across as whiny and plain. IMO, neither of them deserved to go to Harvard with all of their immaturity.

Since I didn't actively hate it, just was more disappointed, I'll give it 2.5 stars. Hopefully this is just a fluke for Wibbroka!

In short, what’s not to love about a high school contemporary romance inspired by Shakespeare + the authors’ real life experience?
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So I did love it. My guess is this one is based on Much Ado About Nothing, but don’t take that to the bank. It’s been about 15 years since I read it. 😛 That being said, the characters drove me crazy at first but after knowing that’s the way you were supposed to feel, I grew to love them.So I did love it. My guess is this one is based on Much Ado About Nothing, but don’t take that to the bank. It’s been about 15 years since I read it. 😛 That being said, the characters drove me crazy at first but after knowing that’s the way you were supposed to feel, I grew to love them. I think that was the whole point though, you were annoyed by their behavior and were internally screaming at them to change what they were doing and just admit they liked the other already!

I thought this book was so relatable and such a fast read because you were invested in the characters. Definitely recommend, and another great read from Wibbroka!

I was not the biggest fan of this, but I think it is because I am definitely growing out of the young adult genre. I am more of a romance reader now.

Ok wow I don’t know why I didn’t read this sooner! This was such a cute sweet enemies to lovers book. Very well written and I’m so sad it’s over! I want more!!

I normally like enemies to lovers stories. But I found no chemistry between Alison and Ethan. All I got from them was a toxic relationship and I really wanted to stop reading. I hope others find this book enjoyable but it didn't hit the mark for me.

This was a super cute enemies-to-lovers YA romance! I really enjoyed the main characters' academic rivalries -- the perfect lighthearted read to put you in the back-to-school mood!

Two high schoolers, Alison Sanger and Ethan Molloy have competed against each other and every possible way for years. As sworn enemies working together results in many arguments and tension. As they are forced to work together, they actually start to grow closer. I really enjoyed this book. It had humor, characters that felt real, and an entertaining plot that kept me intrigued. The tension between Alison and Ethan is some of the best-written tension I've read. My favorite part of this book was all the sides of the characters we got to see. Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinTeen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️

What’s Not To Love is a Rivals to lovers/ enemies to lovers story. We follow 2 high school students at the top of their class as they constantly compete with each other to outdo one another. Wether it’s their grades, or in just regular assignments, these two just can’t work together since they are always competing. Their principal assigns them the task of planning a high school reunion for previous alumni with the promise of giving them a recommendation to Harvard. So now Allison and Ethan have to try to work together to pull off the a great reunion celebration.

Pros for me- it was cute! I did like their banter. The characters were witty and this definitely reminded me of Never Have I Ever which is a great show on Netflix. Loved the tension between the main characters, as well as how they handled conflicts between them, after some character growth of course.

Cons- the main character (who’s point of view we follow) is pretty unlikable. She is pretty judgmental and rude towards her older sister and can come off as pretty self centered. I wish we would have seen more growth from her in the book

Overall this was a cute book and if your a fan of Never Have I Ever on Netflix, I think you would enjoy this.

Thanks to netgalley and penguin teen for my E-arc

This was a sweet story if your looking for something to sit back and relax with. Though it wasn't all fluff, it also touches a lot on living life your way not someone else's way. Its ok to be different and not follow the crowd if that's what makes you happy. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet romance and can't wait to read more from this author pair!

I don't read a lot of YA contemporaries anymore but I really enjoyed this one. It really was an enemies to lovers with a fun academic plot that reminded me a LOT of Gilmore Girls. I actually had a hard time not pulling similarities between What's Not to Love and Gilmore Girls. The constant fighting between rivals within an academic setting, all the way down to both wanting to get into Harvard. The high school romance, the best friend that is completely different from our main character. The side characters also gave us a lot within the book as well, a sister who's life isn't quite what she expected after graduation and trying to find a new path, older parents of a teen and just the fun though drama filled life of school, love and family.

Alison, our main protagonist is a really interesting character. She almost seems too mature for her age, but in her struggle to appear mature and more grown up than she is, it comes off as immature. She's so sure she has everything figured out, including those around her. She has a hard time grasping and understanding when her sister comes back home after a bad break up and realizing that she wasn't doing what she wanted with her career. Alison almost takes her sister's failure or turn in life personally and it all comes down to her own insecurities of herself and how afraid she is for the future of the unknown. This is something I think a lot of high schoolers and college graduates can relate to, even if they aren't on the honor roll path.

Ethan is also an interesting character that I wish we would have gotten more of. I understand that this book is Alison's POV, but his character is complex and we only get snippets of how deep his character is. I kept waiting for the ball to drop, for some interesting life event or realization for his behavior. Though we did get a bit of how he's aimless, we don't get much more than that, which I found a tad disappointing.

I enjoyed how the 'romance' took place. How hard it was, how complicated it was and how difficult it was for these two characters to come to terms with the nature of their relationship changing. It wasn't rushed and had ups and downs, which I appreciated.

Alison's bestfriend Dylan is Bi and we get a lot of her within the book. How she struggles with her ex girlfriend-girlfriend-ex girlfriend. When she goes on a date with a guy who is more interested in her relationship with another girl than with his relationship with her as a person. And then we get Alison and Dylan's ups and downs throughout the book.

I felt this book captured a lot of what high school was for me, and what I'm assuming is for others now that I'm an adult. It had drama, but not too much, dealt with school, after school clubs, relationships, family and friendships. It was nice to see a competition that wasn't focused around sports. It was really refreshing as one of the first YA contemporaries I've picked up in a while. Makes me want to pick up another one!

My apologies in advance for this very late review. I finished it a few months ago, wanted to process for a day, and that day turned into several months. So, this review will not be the most detailed of reviews.

What’s Not to Love by Emily Wibbrley and Austin Siegemund-Broka was a quite enjoyable listen and read.

I found the tension of the enemies to lovers’ trope very intense. For the most part I enjoyed it. There were a few parts they seemed extra mean and little out of hand. In some ways I wondered if two people could really see through some of the meanness.

I enjoyed the overall story. I thought the story was well paced and was never dull. The only thing I did not particularly enjoy was how much it seemed to glorify high school.

As people, I did not care for either of these characters in particular. However, for the story, I felt they worked really well.

Lastly, I went between an eARC and an advanced audiobook. I far preferred the audiobook. I thought Elizabeth Cottle did a fantastic job with her narration. Each of the voices was extremely distinct, and I always knew who was talking. Once I really got going with the audiobook I zippd right through.

I would easily recommend this to people who love romantic comedies and enemies to lovers. I feel if you are knew to audiobooks, Cottle’s narration of this is a clear place to start.

I received an eARC (Penguin) and advanced audiobook (Dreamscape Media) copy through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

I tried. I wanted to love this. It sounds promising...but i just couldn't get through it.

Perhaps it's simply because I don't fit the demographic for it? I'm not sure. I just couldn't keep trucking on.

I HATE giving reviews like this. However, just because this wasn't for me does not mean it's not for others. That's the beauty of books.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest.

What's Not to Love is a fun, enemies-to-lovers YA rom-com that is also the love story that I needed when I was 17. It's the story of two longtime rivals, Alison Sanger and Ethan Molloy, who are competing for valedictorian at their high school and eventually realize that their rivalry has given way to intense attraction. I was once a teenage overachiever like Alison and Ethan, and have never felt myself so reflected in an overachiever character like I did in What's Not to Love. Alison narrates the story, and her experiences echoed my own in high school. Like she was, I was constantly told that I had to "let loose" and "have fun", and was obsessed with looking and being perceived as professional and mature (I still rarely wear T-shirts, and still think that athletic clothes should be relegated to gyms, but that's beside the point).

I love that even though Alison realizes that she still has a lot of growing to do as a person, Siegemund-Broka and Wibberley still allowed her to be serious and academic-oriented. What's Not to Love also deals with failure and the difficulty that those of us who have been praised for our intelligence from a young age have with accepting and working through it. As all of these things are going on in the background, Alison is also navigating a years-long rivalry with her intellectual equal, Ethan, and coming to the shocking realization that maybe she doesn't want to constantly compete with him anymore. Alison and Ethan's romance is the slowest of slow burns, but their banter and sexual tension is top-notch. I loved how over-the-top they both could be at times, and the way that they took their rivalry so seriously was hilarious.

What's Not to Love also has shades of the forced proximity trope, which is my second favorite romance trope behind enemies-to-lovers. Not only do Alison and Ethan have all of the same AP classes and extracurriculars, they are forced to work together to plan their high school's ten-year reunion, and the issues that stem from that were so funny. From their differing visions of the reunion to their not being taking seriously because they're teenagers, it was all very realistic and down-to-earth.

Overall, this was a gem of a novel and I can't wait to see what Siegemund-Broka and Wibberley come up with next.

“Miss me that much?” “Like I’d miss a hangnail, Sanger”

Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This review is based on an unfinished copy of the book & any quotes included are subject to change.

Overall Rating: 4 / 5
Plot: 4 / 5
Writing: 4 / 5
Characters: 3.5 / 5
Setting: 5 / 5
Romance: 4.5 / 5

Alison Sanger and Ethan Molloy have competed in everything since freshman year- grades, extracurriculars, APs, the list goes on. No matter is too trivial to spark a competition. Senior year has arrived, and both have eyes on becoming valedictorian and getting into Harvard, kicking their rivalry into high gear. But when their principal offers to give them a recommendation to Harvard if they work together to plan a class reunion, neither can pass up the opportunity. Tension and feelings build the longer they’re forced to spend time together.


Academic enemies-to-lovers isn’t something I knew I needed in a book until now. I was hesitant to pick this one up, but I’m so glad I did! I devoured What’s Not to Love super quickly. This book delivered on witty banter and I loved the tension between Alison and Ethan.
I adore books with a high school setting and enemies-to-lovers. What’s Not to Love combined the two and gave readers an academic rivalry. Additionally, I love the forced-proximity/forced-to-work-together trope and watching the gradual buildup of tension between the characters.

One of my favorite things about contemporaries is watching the main character grow. Alison is far from perfect and could be frustrating at times, but I enjoyed experiencing her character development. Watching her mindset change throughout the story was rewarding. Alison is a super goal-motivated character, and it was nice to have a character who is certain about what they want.

Rep: bisexual side character

I love this book sooo much! I’ve read other enemies to lovers contemporaries that have been okay, but this one has to be one of my favorites. The relationship growth was done so well. Sometimes the change seems too sudden or doesn’t make sense, but Emily and Austin did an amazing job portraying this trope. I especially love that their love story is similar to this one. I don’t know where the heck I have been, but this is the first book that I’ve read by these 2 authors, but didn’t not the last. I’m about to order their other books and binge them asap!

Okay, back to the book. From the first few pages, I was hooked. Alison is such an interesting character. She knows exactly what she wants, and does what she has to get it. She is not your average teenager. Ethan is very similar but what drives him is a lot different than what drives Alison. Both these characters grow and learn and I love it! I enjoyed the whole newspaper side of this story. It was interesting seeing how serious these students get over the school newspaper. I don’t remember my high school newspaper at all, so this aspect of the book was fun to read. I couldn’t get enough of these characters and their story and was so sad when it was over.

What's Not To Love

There is nothing I enjoy more than an enemies to love trope and this time in an academia - young adult high school setting. This super cute romcom is so much fun to read that had everything I needed and wanted in a young adult contemporary romcom that made me turn those pages for the swoon worthy romance and young love.

Alison Sanger and Ethan Molloy had the perfect scenario of hating each other with tough competitive spirit in their advanced placement courses, extracurricular activities as these over-achieving high school seniors compete for the top spot for their Ivy League dreams.

I really enjoyed this one! Pick this one up for your next YA read.

I picked up What’s Not to Love for two reasons: 1) I’ve enjoyed the other novels from Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka and 2) this is a rivals-to-something-more romance. Alison and Ethan have been competing at everything since high school began, each one determined to outdo the other in all things including garnering the title of valedictorian and getting into Harvard. When they’re assigned the task of co-planning a ten-year reunion for their high school’s alumni with the promise of a potential Harvard recommendation, the rivals agree to take on the job. But spending more time together might just be the thing they need in order to actually understand each other a little better and see past their rivalry. Now, admittedly, this isn’t my favorite Wibbroka read. It dragged a bit in the middle, leaned a bit too heavily into the rivals-to-lovers tropes and Alison was so, so frustrating for a big chunk of the book (I tried to exercise patience, since she is young after all). However, Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka demonstrate their ability, yet again, to take plot tropes and character types and whip them into a readable, relatable story. What’s Not to Love, in particular, appealed to my personal nostalgia about my senior year in high school, though my experience was very different from these two. Ultimately, it was a likable read, though is very much my least favorite from these authors so far.

I enjoyed "What's Not to Love" to an extent that I haven't recently in YA Contemporary books. This story resonated remarkably with me because as a current high school student, I related to the main character an unexplainable amount. She seemed so similar to me. Allison's goal is to get into Harvard because that's been her dream ever since she was young, and she's sacrificed most of her high school life to satisfy that dream. She saw high school as something that's just a bridge to college, but by the end, she realizes how much more she was expected to enjoy high school. I think that I'm just like her, because since the first day of high school, I've been cherishing the day that I get to leave my school and the people in it, which is very sad to hear about. Allison and Ethan's story along with how their young lives were parallel connecting to their driver's ed teacher was so interesting! I loved the story, and loved the characters!

It's quite interesting that Wibbroka always seems to represent me in all of their books. Literally I always end up resonating with each one of their characters. I don't know if it's just because I'm in high school, and their characters are in high school, but I always do find my personality in their books. With What's Not to Love, I related to Allison so much, that it's kind of funny. Both Emma Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka captivate their readers in the best of ways with strong and flawed characters, who are the one's readers tend to enjoy reading about the most!

Will be posted on Forever Young Adult www.foreveryoungadult.com / Instagram

BOOK REPORT for What’s Not to Love by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Cover Story: Brown Bag It
BFF Charm: Eventually
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Talky Talk: Based On A True Story
Bonus Factors: Party Planning, Awesome Parents Award
Relationship Status: My Favorite Study Buddy


Cover Story: Brown Bag It
I appreciate the commitment to a continual aesthetic for each of their (unrelated) books, but this is probably the worst one. Aside from the fact that I’d rather picture the characters myself—feel free to use my mental images of Logan and Rory simply because of the newspaper connection, or, you know, do you—I’m pretty sure Ethan is only ever referenced as wearing, like, chinos, and Allison would never look so hot-girl cute. (No offense to Allison, but even she would say her sartorial choices lean more mid-thirties working girl professional.)

The Deal:
Allison’s current goals through her final semester of high school: get into Harvard, become valedictorian, win a prestigious journalism award as editor for her school paper, and beat Ethan at everything he does. Ethan has been the boy-sized thorn in her side since they clashed in freshmen English, and over the last four years they’ve gone head-to-head in school projects, Student Government, the paper, exams—you name it. Teachers rue the day Allison and Ethan are assigned to their classes; even the principal avoids making eye contact when she can. Allison knows their extreme competitiveness probably isn’t the healthiest thing in the world, but the sweet success of beating a jerk like Ethan is part of what drives her to her best.
When they’re forced to work together on an unavoidable assignment from the principal herself, Allison realizes that her combative relationship with Ethan has to change or the only thing that’s going up in flames will be her sanity.

BFF Charm: Eventually
Oh, Allison. Girl needs to UNCLENCH. I totally admire her drive and iron-will because god knows I was a world-class procrastinator who somehow managed to pull off being a good student despite that, but I was never at her level. As her mom puts it, she’s 17 going on 35, and consequently Allison gets very frustrated when she feels like she’s being talked down to because of her perceived maturity level. She also fields those warnings that she’s going to regret missing out on all the “typical” high school things like parties and beach bashes in favor of studying and pulling all-nighters during production week at the paper and says, eff that, I do my thing. And you know what? I fully understood her there. Not everyone finds fulfillment in the same things. I also felt like I was never the same age as my peers and wanted to be taken seriously.
But. Allison is also judging people with limited world experience, and as a mid-thirties person, I can also agree with her mom that despite Allison’s general maturity, she’s still seventeen and doesn’t freaking know everything. So I was fine with her getting put in her place now and then. Not everyone is going to like her—she’s prickly, she can be myopic, and she doesn’t suffer fools—but you’re never gonna be everyone’s BFF, so why try, right?

Swoonworthy Scale: 8
This isn’t going to be a romance for everyone, because Ethan and Allison can be very unlikeable and, frankly, a bit insane with how competitive they are and the lengths they’re willing to go to win. Without a POV in the novel, Ethan at first can be quite enigmatic—what is he truly thinking behind those smirks and unreadable glares? But, y’all, although I would never put up with their nonsense IRL (bless Allison’s BFF, Dylan, for putting up with as much as she did), I loved it in the book. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing where all that tension ends up. What I think saves this from being a completely toxic relationship is that when real feelings start to develop, Allison and Ethan do change the way they treat one another.

Talky Talk: Based On A True Story
Knowing this love story was loosely based on the authors' relationship strangely made me more invested in Allison and Ethan's journey. It sounds like they had a much less tumultuous rivalry, which is a real-life good thing but, I gotta say, I thoroughly enjoyed the mental warfare that led to some delicious, angst-filled moments. And as someone who also met her husband at seventeen, I have a soft-spot for young love that works out.
My favorite part about Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka's writing is how real and messy their characters are. They can be immature teenagers, sure, but there's also this glimpse of the kind of cool-ass person they will grow up to be after they've gone through more life lessons. There were so many little moments I could relate to like Allison’s maturity issues above, or Ethan's self-doubt about figuring out his life, especially in the face of Allison's certainty. Neither are perfect, but dang it if I wasn't rooting for them to make each other happy and find what they wanted from life.

Bonus Factor: Party Planning
Ethan and Allison are tasked with planning a ten-year reunion on a very limited budget, and while, very often, event coordinating can be a total logistical nightmare…I also love organization and seeing everyone have a great time at a fun event. What can I say? Sometimes I like a good challenge.

Bonus Factor: Awesome Parents Award
Allison’s sister is seven years older than she is, so her parents are a little older than most of her friends’ and have a very laissez-faire attitude towards raising her. It drives her a little nuts, but obviously, for the most part, she’s a good kid, so they must’ve done something right. I’d like to be a cool parent one day who takes bets on when their kid will date their hot rival.

Relationship Status: My Favorite Study Buddy
It’s hard to find someone who gets you and the way you like things done. You don’t highlight entire paragraphs in your textbook, and I am very liberal in sharing my chemistry notes. It’s a match made in homeroom. When people see us pull our books and study guides they know to leave us alone, because once we start we are going to be pulling an all-nighter.

This is a must read for everyone especially YA students. What a sweeping romance with the trope of enemies to lovers that will take your heart on a journey!!