This book was a really cute story of forever friends realizing they’ve spent their whole lives pining over each other. In a slightly less typical boy is a hopeless romantic and girl is a cynic, Harper and Theo make a pact to teach each other new skills. While Theo helps Harper with vocabulary for her SATs, Harper tries to teach Theo how not to fall in love.

In typical rom com fashion, Harper realizes that in helping Theo how not to fall so easily, she’s learned more about falling in love.

The only reason I docked this book is because there is a lot of sexual tension in a way that felt too old for the 17 year old characters. I think if they had been graduating college instead of high school the story would have worked better.

How Not To Fall In Love is a very cute Young Adult romance book. Harper stopped believing in true love after her heart was broken. Her best friend Theo is the complete opposite and falls in love by going on one date. So, when Harper realizes she's falling for her best friend things start to get interesting for the two of them. Great characters and an adorable story I really enjoyed this book.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Harper and Theo have grown up as best friends and neighbours. She falls for the wrong guys and gets hurt so now doesn't get attached to anyone. He falls in love too fast and scares girls off. In exchange for Theo's help in boosting her vocabulary ahead of her big exams, Harper agrees to teach him "How Not To Fall in Love".

I don't read romantic books often so this was a refreshing change for me. I liked all of the characters and especially enjoyed the relationship between Harper and her hard-working Mum. I must admit that I worked out where the story was going pretty quickly but it was a sweet journey.

This is such a sweet love story. Harper works at her mom's wedding shop and has become a bit jaded about love, especially when she sees so many brides losing their tempers over all the little details involved in wedding planning. Her best friend, Theo, is one who falls in love at the first sign of interest from a girl. Harper decides one evening while listening to Theo complain about yet another girl who broke his heart (after only a few days) that he needs lessons on how not to fall in love. Theo, not knowing Harper's secret shame over a summer romance from the pervious year that ended sadly, insists that he won't take lessons from anyone who hasn't been in love. The challenge: Harper will start a relationship with the cute boy who works out across the street from the bridal shop, and Theo will go out on dates and not fall in love before the date is over. What these two friends come to realize is that love sometimes surprises you, and sometimes the best way to fall in love is to not realize that it's happening at all.

A strong teen girl fighting her fears of romance and entanglement, using her mother's bridal shop clients as an excuse to be anything but them. A classic and enjoyable story with well developed characters. I loved the setting and the protagonist, although did not enjoy the mother being presented as a simpleton, which is all too common in this genre. Teens are presented as modern but mothers are still written as though they had the mindset and education of a woman in the 50s. Nevertheless, this book is easily consumed and enjoyed. Perfect for older teens.

Loved the normalized healthy atmosphere of the relationships between everyone in this book. The amount of healthy sex positivity from the parents was refreshing. Not even close to as cheesy as I thought it would be..it was so much more than that

Sweet and just the right amount of sappy, this delightful YA rom com hit all the right notes. From busy moms who always have time for their daughters, to coworkers who become family, next door neighbors who share history, and cute new guys that work out across the street, Harper knows more about love than she is willing to admit.

A delightful YA romance, perfect for fans of WE CAN'T KEEP MEETING LIKE THIS. A cynical bridal dress shop assistant and her big-gestures best friend make a deal to give each other lessons on love... Note that this contains more explicit sex than most YA, including sex-positive YA.

Such an adorable YA book! I like the development of characters and how the story progresses. My only qualm is that I wish we got to see Theo and Harper talk out their feelings and situation more, since a majority of it is just Harper at war with herself and then a resolution. Other than that, it was such a fun and much-needed read.

What a cute story! I love Theos character with his quirky personality and his heart on his sleeve. Harper of course doubts herself constantly which creates so many miscommunications which keep the suspense of who she will end up with.
It s a well written easy read.
My only complaint is the constant assumptions made by the characters that eventually lead to decisions or statements that could have been avoided by just saying what they were feeling or thinking. That does lead to a couple interesting twists in the story though.
It’s a great good old fashioned teen love story.

This was cute and a perfect YA rom-com type book. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles or friends to lovers tropes and this included both. But for what it was it was perfect. I felt like the relationships set healthy boundaries and overall were quite good examples for teenagers girls.

The main character Harper was like able even if it was a love triangle. Honestly it was just an enjoyable read and I would recommend to teen girls, but it wasn’t really a YA adults would like too IN MY OPINION.

3.5/5 thank you netgalley for the advanced copy.

At the very beginning I felt Harper was relatable. She’s smart and funny. She is cynical about love after having witnessed bridezilla after bridezilla lose their minds in her mom’s dress shop. However I quickly became less than impressed with her when she accompanied her friend Theo into their Treehouse of Safety, where no one is allowed to poke fun at one another, and she proceeds to mock him for being upset over a breakup. Not cool. At best that’s really bad friending, and at worst a total violation of their code (which somehow goes completely unacknowledged by either character). So, yeah, that didn’t make a whole lot of sense and made me feel disappointed in Harper. And for most of the book she continues to be dismissive and a little judgmental of Theo and his “nerdy” interests. By the end, Harper redeems herself a bit in this regard and learns a lot of lessons but not without leaving damage in her wake.

I’m not a big fan of stories that have a MC dating someone - a very *wonderful, thoughtful and kind* someone - the entire time only to have this person get dumped and have their heart broken for the You’ve Always Been Here But I’m Only Just Noticing You Now best friend. There’s better ways of doing the Friends To Lovers trope, imo. So this really wasn’t for me.

However there were several points that I did like a lot. I appreciated how much trust and respect there was between Harper and her mom. They had an amazing relationship that you don’t see often enough either in real life or in fiction. It’s nice to see a good example here.

Another thing I loved was that all parties (Harper, Felix, Theo, et al) were never not respectful to their partners while on dates and in intimate situations. There was always active listening going on and continuous consent seeking. A+ on that. Despite initial communication problems (mostly for plot purposes) there were plenty of examples of good communication happening in relationships.

The behavior demonstrated by the teenagers in this book (especially the boys) was impressive, like when both Theo and Felix were open with Harper about their feelings. And when Felix put a stop to an intimate moment with Harper when he realized she wasn’t as emotionally invested in their relationship as he was. I definitely want my teen reading books that model these kinds of healthy, respectful behaviors. Not only do we *not* see toxic behavior where there could so easily be plenty, but we get actual proper healthy examples of the right ways to do things. 👏🏼 I applaud that.

I also love how Harper, a self-proclaimed feminist, occasionally makes comments about things like the antiquated notion of a woman being given away at her wedding, handed from her father to her husband like a property transfer, and the significance of a bridal veil. 👏🏼 Go Harper.

3.5 stars out of 5. (Extra half-star for all the Don Quixote references.)

Thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for the ARC.

Almost all the characters felt likeable and real. A quick, delightful read filled with missed timing and poor communication, culminating in a lovely and expected end to a rom-com. I loved that it was set in a normal, safe and healthy atmosphere with supportive parents and a stable home. There were no villians, backstabbing friends, or elements of contrived drama, and it was extremely refreshing.

My only lament is that something with Felix and Harper wasn't quite lining up. The central issue is Harper's lack of communication. Harper clearly thinks things through, yet she let things get extremely hot and heated with Felix a month into dating and then everything halted with the word "girlfriend." The scene would have made more sense had it occurred before things got really hot and heavy. Also, if Felix felt that way, how had the word girlfriend not come up before, even teasingly or flirtatiously? Or in a conversation with Pippa or Theo, who loved to tease her?

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarion Books for the ARC.

This was a really fun read! The bridal store was a really fun backdrop to the story and I really enjoyed the characters. There were times Harper was sort of hard to relate to- she was pretty dense in seeing Theo’s affections. But, I did love their chemistry and watching her wake up to what was always there. Felix was a great guy too and I had to root for him some of the time (though I didn’t want him to be end game). So, hint of love triangle plus besties to lovers- got to love the tropes!! Overall an really fun, quick read with tons of character chemistry!

A hardened cynic and a hopeless romantic, best friends..... or maybe something more. Harper works at her mom’s wedding shop and after seeing so any relationship squabbles and after a particularly horrible break up she is convinced that she just doesn’t think romance is where its at. Her best friend Theo is the exact opposite, he is constantly falling in love and being dumped. He loves rom coms, is very sensitive, a bit of a dork and really into larping. He believes in loving as deeply as possible. After his most recent breakup Harper offers to teach him how not to fall in love and he makes a counter bet with her that she will fall in love with the guy that she starts going out with ( Felix, a super sweet and cute guy who works out at the gym across from her mom’s store that she’s been running into (literally)). However, the more Harper tries to help Theo work out his relationship the more she finds herself conflicted between her feelings for Felix.... and her relationship with Theo. It doesn’t help that Theo and Harper have always been close, physically and emotionally. After a weekend at one of Theo’s larp events, Harper starts to re-evaluate everything she feels.. and hopefully snag the right guy before its too late. This was a pretty cute romance read. It definitely works the friends to lovers thing well and the issues of mixed signals and messages between two people who are complete opposites but so close to one another that ruining their friendship is something neither of them wants to risk. Though there was a bit of a love triangle/ square (?) everything works out in the end and both guys were really sweet and nice guys, there was no issue with one being better than the other it was just sorting out feelings between someone new and someone who is a lifelong best friend. I had fun reading this and definitely would recommend it for anyone looking for a cute romance read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was a really cute, cliche-filled book that will absolutely hit the spot for somebody. As it's YA fiction, it's no surprise that the characters themselves are walking cliches: the quirky boy who is just SO unique and the girl who thinks she's a bit edgier than she actually is. Hey, I can relate! I definitely thought I was edgier and quirkier than I actually was in high school. and I've always loved a good cliche. However, looking at it from an adult lens, it's just a tad too cliche-y. I would probably recommend this is as a younger teen book thanks to the cheesiness.

While it's not personally my taste, I'm giving this book 4 stars because it is a YA novel and I can honestly see myself squealing over this when I was like 15. The book is well written and the plot is perfectly fluffy. A great summer read for teens who like the romance genre.

*3.5 Stars* - review to be posted on my blog on 11/22/21

Likes:
How Not to Fall in Love is a really quick, light hearted, young adult romance story. It’s about a girl named Harper who works at her mom’s bridal shop, helping her alter dresses for excited and stressed out brides. Being in the bridal industry has made Harper a cynic about love. It doesn’t help that her quirky best-friend and next door neighbor, Theo, falls in love easily and gets his heart broken often. So she tries to help him not fall so fast by giving him lessons in dating.

As for Harper she finally talks to Felix, her crush, and tries to show Theo how to keep things casual except it’s a bit challenging for Harper because Felix is perfect. Theo and Harper both date other people but it’s clear that the person Theo really likes is Harper. She’s pretty clueless about it until she thinks it’s too late for them.

I think I should note the boys in this book – cry! Yes, they both do and that’s rare to see in books. Theo is sensitive, very quirky, dorky, so smart and oh so cute. I can definitely see why Harper started falling for him – he seems to give really good hugs, emotional support and vocab lessons! They have such a cute friendship filled with affection. Felix, on the other hand is perfect as well, it just came down to who knew Harper the best, and that was Theo.

Random Notes:
Harper has to pick between two boys so if you aren’t into love triangles then you might not be into this love story.

I think the “lessons” Harper was supposed to help Theo with was kind of lost in the story. I didn’t see too many lessons going on, just some advice she’d give him about when to call a girl back and such. Also I thought it was weird that Harper was giving lessons when she only had one ex-boyfriend and wasn’t the dating type – it took her awhile to talk to Felix. For awhile all she did was stare at him from the shop window.

It’s a sex positive book which was nice because yes, teens do have intercourse. I’m glad Harper’s mom was there for her to talk about her love life.

I’m not a fan of this book cover! I really think they could make it as cute as the story is, at least.

Final Thoughts:
This one is a really quick read and I think it’s such a sweet love story between two best friends. I enjoyed Harper and Theo’s relationship a lot. I thought the love triangle was handled pretty well considering Felix was a good guy too and it was no fault of his that things didn’t work out – sometimes, that’s just the way it is in young love. If you like a friends to lovers romance story, you may enjoy this one.

Thank you, HMH Books for Young Readers and NetGalley, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How Not To Fall in Love was a quick read, cozy, and very delightful. The “friends-to-lovers” is my favorite trope ever, and I think the author did a great job here with the plot.

The first thing I loved was that Harper was working in a bridal shop and helped her mother. However, she witnessed too many weddings and her only relationship with a boy that “she thought was love, but he just let her down,” all of this made her feel that the whole marriage thing is pointless and weddings were a waste of money and effort. However, when she gets to meet up with Theo and deal with him more often, she starts having another thought.

I liked the rom-com and the unexpected twist. And I loved all the characters; they were likable and seemed natural to me.

Overall, this book nailed my five stars, and I recommend this book to everyone who likes sweet rom-com books.

How Not to Fall in Love was an adorable, quick, easy read. The characters were younger than I initially expected, but I enjoyed the book anyway. Thank you, NetGalley, for the eArc!

Harper is WAY to straight laced and serious for a teen, but I have known teens like that, she is absolutely a believable character! She works in her mom's bridal shop, helping with alterations, and trying to straighten out the business end of things, after mom made some not great business decisions. She has dealt with too many "bridezillas", between her past love life, and her experiences in the shop, Harper has become skeptical as to if love is a real thing.

Harpers best friend is Theo, the boy next door. Theo is a "word nerd", he plays the accordion, he is a LARPer, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. Theo falls in love, instantly, with every girl he dates, and gets his heart broken over and over again. Harper is there to pick up the pieces each time, but she decides that Theo needs to learn how to not fall in love, to protect his heart. However, the lessons start to backfire, and Harper finds herself falling in love.

I will say this, I felt that the outlook on teen sex was a little too laid back in this book. Harper apparently lost her virginity to a boy that she dated for 6 weeks, she almost has sex with a boy that she "dates" for less than a month (they went on a total of 2 dates, I think). All of the parents in the book seem to be okay with the sex, as long as they use protection. I am glad that using protection is mentioned every time sex is mentioned. It just felt like everyone was just a little too laid back about it

I like the premise of this book because the friends-to-lovers trope is one of my favorites. The male lead, Theo, is a character that you don't often see in YA romances---he is a LARPer, cries at rom-coms, and a word nerd while Harper, his best friend and next-door neighbor, is a hard-working, no-nonsense type of girl. I like both of them but their interactions didn't have the push-and-pull that gives you the feels.