Gretchen feels like all her friends have other friends and are moving on without her. She hates change, might be falling for her best friend Sam and finds herself isolating more and more.
A case of stolen identity leads her to standup comedy, new and old friends, and a few kisses along the way!

I really enjoyed this book! It was engaging and actually had an unpredictable twist.

I liked the inclusion of many classic romcom tropes while also recognizing that some of them are not ideal foundations for relationships. I loved how Gretchen was a realistic high school comic: she had a lot to learn, many a awkward moments, and was not a once in a lifetime talent by the end.

I wish the ending hadn't been so rushed, but it is a fun and unique take on a coming of age story!

I think this book more than just a great story is just a great message as well. It was incredibly fun and a delight to sink my teeth into although I find its for a slightly younger audience.

This was an average YA contemporary novel with the typical tropes. I enjoyed the plot but it felt like something I have read before.

I absolutely loved The Girl Least Likely! I devoured the audiobook despite the synthetic voice (which weirdly worked for me this time), and cannot wait to purchase a physical copy for my shelves. This book surprised me, it didn't go in the direction I thought it would and had a twist that I didn't see coming. It's a cute coming of age story with plenty of jokes and it went by quickly.

A great narrorator. I was given the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed the narrator and all of their emotions. It is a cute young adult romance and mixes all the top tropes for rom com movies. It was a joy to listen too!

As a lover of comedy and rom-coms, this book was a delightful mix of humor and situational clichés which will delight teens as well as adults.

With the help of some classic rom-com tropes, Gretchen Wilder explores a different side of herself that she can’t seem to let show in front of those she knows and loves. Our teenage protagonist stumbles into the role of amateur comedian on a night out at a 21 and older club with her older sister and cousin. With the help of a fake ID, she steps into her alter ego known as Sabrina Martin. Because of this, she has to hide “Sabrina” from everyone who knows her as she prepares for a contest that could get her recognized by her stand up icon.

I really enjoyed this book! The pacing was great and the writing was easy to follow. The author did a fantastic job weaving in all of the fun rom-com tropes we know and love into one story about a girl discovering herself.

So, I went in knowing this was not a real narrator and I thought it would be ok.
It was not. Synthetic voices will never replace a real narrator who can infer emotions with tone and pitch.
It took me a long time to get thru this book because of it.
It's hard to rate a book when the story itself is damaged by the poor narration.
But I want to be fair to the author as well, and all the work she put into this book.
I give it a 3. This would have been a much better story with real narrators.

Mmmmmm thrhhere mmmmmm. Cccxccc. Lovenellyybby ybt. Theyeythy yy. Throwback f.dodosososod. Baby shark do do do do. Baby shark. Baby shark.

This book was alright, and relatable to a point. Shy and awkward Gretchen loves comedy and watching stand-up, but her introvert nature means that no one around her knows how funny she truly is. Until she sneaks into a bar, pretending to be an older woman, and performs her own stand-up.

The double life premise is fun, and the message behind this book is great. It is a story about embracing yourself and not putting yourself into a box based on how you think others perceive you. But, the story is overwrought and confusing, and I found myself picking up other books while reading this one.

Even though the audiobook had a synthetic voice, the story of the book was still amazing. Gretchen is such a fun, quirky, loveable character. She thinks she is the girl least likely but I LOVE HER and would love her as a friend forever and keep her in my pocket!!!!

This was so great because we just don’t have enough stories centered around standup as it is, but even less with girls being the standups. That’s what made this so great! And you wanted to know if she was going to get away with the whole charade, you know? And what would happen if she didn’t. It made for a really nice listen!

This one took awhile to get into just because the audiogalley was so robotic. But i did really like the full cast of characters. I liked that it wasn't as predictable as most YA books. But the most impressive was all the stand up spots the author wrote to have a range of people in the competition!

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel meets a YA romcom perfect for teens today.
🎤
Gretchen likes to be on the fringe of high school, never going to parties or making friends outside her long time BFF Sam. Only recently she’s started having feelings for him and has no clue what to do with them. One night before New Year’s Gretchen and her sisters drag her to a comedy club. Using a fake ID to get in, Gretchen somehow finds herself on stage doing stand up—and she’s pretty good at it too. Good enough to catch the attention of fellow comic and doorman, Jeremy. Unfortunately due to the fake ID Gretchen can’t really be herself around Jeremy, but her yearbook friend Ethan gets to hear all about her boy drama and gives her advice. Which boy will grab Gretchen’s heart in the end? This book is a romance but also more about finding yourself AND your voice.
🎤
Those who can write stand up that’s featured in books and movies are just so impressive to me. The author does such a great job of inserting humor onto every page of this YA romance I adored it and can’t wait to read more by her! P.S. The Office references were amazing!

CW: teen drinking

4.5 ⭐️

This audiobook was fine, I enjoyed the story but the narration wasn’t that great. I couldn’t really understand some of the things that were said as it was patchy; I had to go back multiple times. Overall, if you’re wanting to read this then I recommend the physical book.

Thank you for allowing me to review this title. The Girl Least Likely is a funny and charming rom-com where a girl who most wouldn't take a second glance at suddenly seems to be living in a rom-com - tropes and all. The characters are funny and heart warming. So many swoon worthy moments and a perfect ending. Love this one. Highly recommend.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I absolutely loved The Girl Least Likely! I devoured the audiobook despite the synthetic voice (which weirdly worked for me this time), and cannot wait to purchase a physical copy for my shelves. Also, if I enjoyed a computer-generated narrator, then I can only image how good the actual audiobook is going to be (which says a lot about the story itself)! Loutzenhiser has created a remarkable story with relatable characters that I would love to be friends with. Gretchen and Sam, Jeremy and the rest of the comedians, Ethan and Natalie - all of them were wonderfully well-written and left lasting impressions.

Gretchen had a seemingly predictable teenage experience... pretended to be someone else while waiting for the other shoe to drop. However, Loutzenhiser adds a few unexpected twists to the story that I did not see coming, and those small additions completely changed the story for me. Gretchen knew her secret identity couldn't last forever, but she enjoyed the anonymity while doing stand-up comedy. She could be anyone - say anything - and it wouldn't directly affect Gretchen. She was wrong of course, because pretending to be someone else was bound to backfire eventually, but she also learned a lot about herself along the way. I really enjoyed following Gretchen's journey and felt like I was a part of her story. I also liked seeing how her character evolved over the course of the book - everything felt authentic and sincere.

While there are multiple love interests in The Girl Least Likely, it never felt like a love triangle. One is an unrequited love, while the other is new and unpredictable. Gretchen uses comedy to sort through her thoughts and feelings - making jokes about her life and those involved - and learns a lot about her family, friendships, and her own pessimistic perspective. Stand-up gave her an opportunity to say her thoughts out loud and express emotions she would normally bury. She didn't feel the need to hide when she was behind a microphone or in front of strangers in an audience, and I thought it was a clever outlet for her fears and insecurities. It was wonderfully unique and so interesting to read about. I love comedy and stand-up specifically, so it was fun to see a character explore those in a YA book.

I'm 85% sure all of the comedians mentioned in this book (the ones that were characters themselves and not just references) were fictional, but I really wish they weren't. Loutzenhiser manages to be funny and write jokes for multiple people. We don't just see Gretchen being funny on and off the stage, but the other comedians participating in the competition, as well as a famous comedian that Gretchen loves. The author manages to write unique stories for each secondary character, while also making them funny in their own way. I loved how diverse their material was, and that each person had a different way of doing comedy. Really, really well done.

I thought I knew how this story was going to play out, but I was happy to be wrong! The conflict was wholly believable and not at all cringey (no annoying tropes here). I hate when a story unfolds in a cookie cutter way, so I was pleasantly surprised when Loutzenhiser veered off course and made Gretchen's experience something totally new and completely unforgettable. If you're looking for a book that will make you laugh, keep a perpetual smile on your face, and has characters you'll love to root for - definitely add The Girl Least Likely to your TBR!

Side note: I loved the references to Samantha Bee (Full Frontal) and Parks & Rec.

Gretchen has never been the spotlight kind of girl but rather the behind the scenes best-friend girl instead. But when she stumbles into a secret persona she realizes she may have been holding herself back. The Girl Least likely is a look into how we may see ourselves vs how the world sees us. Gretchen is every teenage girl who feels like she is overlooked and playing a supporting role in their own lives. I loved Gretchen and her search for who she is. Her humor and enduring love of rom-coms makes her a relatable character for readers. From the very start you cheer her on and want her to discover that her prince charming has always been right in front of her. I loved the complex relationships that she has with the side characters and the slow burn romance that came out of no where. The pace was steady and allowed for characters to develop with depth and complexity.

The plot was so cute and fun. We start with a coming of age story that is hilarious, humorous and relatable to all ages. I really enjoyed the relationships that Gretchen had throughout this book including her friendships and relationships. I really hope there is a sequel! Will be recommending to my book club!

I didn't realize that this was a voice galley--took me longer than anticipated to get through. Fully recommend the story, but not the audio galley :)