Content: mild profanity, non-graphic make out scenes

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book. It's all about girl power, but in the same way as To Best the Boys. The kind of girl power where people come together, regardless of gender, to make things happen. Good things. Right things. But girls are the catalysts, the main characters, and the heroes of the story.

This book was ok it really wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t my thing. It might be good for someone else. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

This book literally had everything I wanted in a book form - prank wars , fake dating , academic rivalry , dark academia, what could go wrong right ?

Samantha Markum did a clever job while writing friendships in the book , it was one of the best part of book , the rivalry school also had prank wars going , but I just wished we got to see more prank wars and the book started with it so it grabs me from the start .

The fake dating was a part of the book but it wasn't much balanced with other elements with the book just because there was too much going in I guess

The book is NOT 100% dark academia, it has boarding schools and thats the only dark academia aspect along with some school projects or classes


Thank you Wednesday books fr an arc !

Okay friends, ever have a novel where you don’t know how many stars to give it?

This one has my pendulum swinging, like a compass whose dial can’t seem to find North, trying to pin point where I land in rating This May End Badly. On the one hand the book is written well, with characters who feel like seniors on the cusp of adulthood. The fake dating is great with the hints of enemies to lovers trope intertwined with the fake relationship.

I think what doesn’t work for me are few things.

First, the school rivalry. I’ve never been a fan of the idea of pranking or the notion of one school is better than the other. And through most of the story some of Doe’s antic ideas are border line mean. In this equation, when it comes to pranking, it always escalates to eventually someone getting hurt. So why promote or be part of it? And I think the author realizes this because of how Doe’s friends react to her eventual moral unraveling.

Next, Doe herself isn’t a very likeable character. She’s a bit too cocky, self-centered, and egocentric. It seems to be her one goal to make sure everyone knows the rivalry between the two boarding schools and that her school is better than the other. She’ll go through great lengths to ensure this, which for the reader can become… exhausting.

Further, Markum has a lot going on in 384 pages. From the school and family rivalries, fake dating, to the main characters mental health, her friendships, as well as a predator teacher, is to say a lot. And I think raising awareness on academia misconduct and ensuring student safety is relevant, but my concern was how it played out in the overall story.

It felt like the author knew that some of the content that she wrote about would raise brows, where readers would begin to ask certain questions. And Markum’s side characters do just that, raising logical questions to Doe’s behavior with little results, because of Doe’s inability (prior to the ending) to see and understand what’s really going on. And further, as a parent, why aren’t parents more aware of what’s going on and doing something about it. But that’s actually a different topic of discussion altogether with the fact that this is all about a boarding school.

What’s my conclusion?

With fake dating that has moments of being utterly adorable, there’s a line though readers will have to draw in their head when reading This May End Badly. Whether or not they can see past a character who is taking risks that are harmful, dangerous, and egocentric while wondering if Doe will atone for her mistakes and actually change her ways at the books conclusion.

This May End Badly by Samantha Markum is the kind of novel you end up devouring because you just can’t put it down. It’s full of humor, mischief, and character growth. And I could see this being turned into a movie so easily because its pacing is so on-point.

Doe Saltpeter is kind of a legend The Weston School. She’s fiercely protective of the place where she’s felt at home the past three years, and fully engaged in continuing the century-long war against rival Winfield Academy. She even has a nemesis, Three, who she loves to one-up any chance she gets. When the announcement is made that the schools will be merging, Doe recruits her friends to ramp up the feud. And when Three’s cousin, Wells, suggests they fake date in order to get under Three’s skin, Doe agrees. But, when other more pressing matters are uncovered, and Doe’s feelings towards Wells turn more real, she’ll have to examine what’s really important and if being a diehard “Weston girl” is worth it.

One of the things that Markum does so deftly in this novel is to show genuine character growth. Initially, Doe is very single-minded in her endeavors, and when her worldview is challenged, she behaves in an authentically adolescent way. It’s kind of frustrating to read, but feels so real. Then, she evolves throughout the story. She recognizes her faults and begins to work through them. It’s wholly satisfying to navigate through that process with her.

Doe’s friends are also a compelling part of the narrative, as each challenge her in differing ways. Doe’s relationship with Wells also feels so achingly uncertain and real as they both work through the conflicting feelings they’re experiencing. This book took me back to the time when I was the characters’ age, but also engaged me as an adult. Also, the way that the girls (and the boys) band together when a teacher goes too far is powerful to read.

This is the kind of book that is so witty, engaging, and just plain fun, that you wouldn’t mind seeing it adapted. Do yourselves a favor and add it to your TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Many many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

fake dating, enemies to lovers set in exclusive, historic schools?? sign me up ALL DAY. The chaos, the rivalry, the will-they-or-won't-they drama, the friend groups?! I am here for all of this!!

Doe and her cohort are a blast to follow. They are fully developed young women and watching them reevaluate their stances on the "enemy" as the book progressed was really fun!

I did not expect this book to be as much of a gut-punch as it was. but my teacher's heart ached for the kids in this book. I hate that they did not think they could reach out to the adults in their circles for answers and help.

That being said, Markum balanced the fun aspects of a high-school rivalry with the darker events of the novel very well. It was a well-thought-out story and I would definitely read it again and recommend it to my students.

I DNF this book, but I refuse to give it one star because I did enjoy the first 100 pages of the book. The rest was just hard to get into. I'll reread it when it's debuted so I can finish it and give it the rating it deserves.

Pub date: April 12, 2022
Genre: young adult, coming of age, romance
In one sentence: Senior Dorothy "Doe" is dedicated to the Weston school - how far will she go to protect her school and her friends?

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The good: I really liked Doe's spirit and strength. Her fake dating relationship with Wells, a boy from neighboring school Winfield was amusing - he was a true sweetheart. I also liked Doe's friends - she has a great mix of diverse BFFs who seem like they'd be so much fun to hang out with.

What I didn't love: I didn't really understand why Doe cared so much about Weston and Winfield merging - her stubbornness was counterproductive. The last 25% of the book also got pretty dark (trigger warning: sexual assault), and it felt like a different book from the first 75%.

I think YA readers will enjoy getting to know Doe, but this isn't one I'd recommend to non-YA readers.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this in one sitting, I absolutely adored this book. It was such an easy and delightful read, I will definitely miss the characters. This book has everything you might need. Fake dating? check. Enemies to lovers? check. Dark academia? check. Pranks? check check check

The Quick Cut: A teen girl in her senior year at her all girls school is horrified when it's announced that they are combining with their rival, an all boys school. Drama ensues as she does what she has to in order to kill the deal.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the ARC for an honest review.

When we love someone or a place, it's safe to say that a common reaction is to be protective of it. It becomes a part of who we are and it's easy to move in order to protect it. For Doe, that place is Weston School for girls.

Doe (short for Dorothy) has spent the best years of her life at Weston School. It's a place that was built to give girls the chance at higher education, in a time when that was a rarity. Now, Weston girls spend their time in a prank war with the Winfield Academy boys. It's a centuries long tradition that Doe is determined to win for Weston when it's announced that the two schools are merging. Can Doe end the merger? Or will she just get herself in trouble?

I wish my high school years were this amazing. Why can't reality be this great?!?! Maybe it's just me, but I never had a rival school or prank wars when I was young. Seeing how that brings these people together for a common goal and become friends puts a smile on my face the entire time I was reading.

What I loved most about this book is how real it all felt. Yes, I know it's a work of fiction. However, everything from the rival schools to the characters were so well created. The strong history behind the schools? All of it made the story feel realistic and just made me more devoted a reader. I did find myself distracted at moments by all the subplots though. A more focused plot would have made this even more undeniable.

Doe is the main character and boy does she have her flaws. She's passionate and has devoted friends, but gets so single minded that she misses what is in front of her. She starts out with good intentions and face plants so badly, it's hard not to feel bad for her. It all plays into the importance of embracing change in your life though - and that's a life lesson that comes in handy for years to come.

This book also deals with topics like sexual harassment, so be prepared for that. It's not too graphic but it does come up in a big way in the main plotline.

A rival schools story that puts a smile on your face.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Omg this book was so good! The humor, witty banter, and romance was perfect. the main characters were endearing, frustratingly real, and relatable. I really liked the parental interaction and how there was also interesting family dynamics along with the school prank plot. One of the best ya contemporaries I’ve read this year. Great debut can’t wait to read the next one! Thank you to the publishers for an ARC.

I’m a sucker for prep school stories so I knew I had to request this one.

The thing I liked most about this story was Doe and Well’s relationship. They have fun together and their interactions kept the story lively. They fake date to get under the skin of Three (Doe’s arch enemy and Well’s cousin) but of course feelings get involved by the end of the book and Doe has to figure out a bunch of stuff. The romance was cute and I was invested in their relationship.

The characters are all flawed – Doe being our main character seems to be the most flawed. She is self-centered and selfish especially when it comes to keeping her school non co-ed. She’s spent her whole time at The Weston School pranking her rival Three and the Winfield boys. Wells, who is Three’s cousin, and Doe’s fake boyfriend has his own reasons for trying to get under Three’s skin and we learn that his upbringing wasn’t exactly perfect. Both Wells and Doe have messy families and I think that’s why they get along so well.

I like the diversity of Doe’s friends and I thought it was good of them to call her out on how she was acting. But I also liked how they tried to work things out afterwards. It shows Doe’s growth when she owned up to what she did and tried to fix things. When things are good between the girls though, they are a fun group!

Outside of Doe’s rivalry with Three, there are important issues being discussed in this story like feminism (Doe’s strong inclination to keep Weston an all-girls school/woman power) but other issues were brought up to like the rights and feelings of LGBT+ students on both Weston and Winfield campuses. Also how being a co-ed school could benefit the student body. Another pressing issue in the story is a teacher who is a predator and girls voices not being heard.

RANDOM NOTES~~
Content Warning: sexual harassment/assault

Kind of wished that with the teacher being a very known predator on campus, Doe and friends would have done something about it much sooner. I know it’s because they didn’t have concrete evidence and they probably didn’t think their complaints would be heard by higher-ups and that’s a sad reality – because it IS real. The administration in the story definitely came out saying it was a bold accusation against a staff member – predictable, realistic – but in this story, at least the girls and boys finally come together to take this teacher down. I wish it happened that easily in real life but as we know…it doesn’t happen that way.

Doe has tunnel vision and it’s focused on Three and making him as miserable as possible. I thought she was a bit obsessive about it and wish she would have let up a little but I’ve never hated that one so much before so maybe it was just hard to let go for her. Because what is she without the pranks and hating Three? Does is scared to find out but she does…and grows from learning more about herself.

FINAL THOUGHTS~~
Why you should read it:
*you like prep school rivalries
* it's a cute, fake dating romance
*I like how Doe grows and learns from her mistakes (it takes awhile though) but I like that she faces the consequences.

Why you might not want to read it:
*you are not into prank wars? lol…I can’t think of a reason

My Thoughts:

This story really held my attention and I read it in one sitting. It’s a a great story about friendship, falling in love, letting go of anger and channeling in into a cause that can rally everyone on both campuses.

This May End Badly aka This May Be Better Handled In Therapy.

Doe Saltpeter is a Weston Academy girl through and through, and that means upholding the long-standing rivalry with the all-boys Winfield Academy across the street. Her Winfield nemesis is none other than Nathaniel Wellborn III aka “Three,” a fellow Senior whose family helped found the school. Their vicious prank war hits new heights when it’s announced that the two schools will be merging next year. The news is especially hard for Doe, who found refuge in Weston and sees a dark future where rich, smug boys like Three take precedence over girls’ achievements.

The escalating prank war is Doe’s way of showing that Weston girls and Winfield boys don’t mix, but it’s also her way of personally poking at Three. When Three’s cousin, Wells, unexpectedly helps Doe concoct a fake dating plot that will help them both piss off Three and get their revenge against him… It can only go well, right?!

Let’s start with the pranks. I felt like these were pretty realistic and amusing things that teens could put off. Would there probably be more consequences for some of them? Sure, but they were still a good time and interspersed through the book well.

Doe and Wells’ chemistry worked for me. They had me smiling from their first interaction and I rooted for them right away, even as their situation got more complex and dramatic. That being said, they were really the only characters that had chemistry. Doe and her girl gang have their moments, but they’re those friends that actually hate each other. Other than their pranks, they don’t seem to support each other in much of anything and completely drop Doe as her scheme turns messy (and Doe is MESSY, though I didn’t hate that about her. Allow characters, especially young ones, to be messy!) and return when her skills are useful to their cause. Yes, friendships can be fraught, but this was next level and I could hardly stand any of them because of it.

Meanwhile, Wells’ only connections are his large family and (surprise!) they also all kinda hate each other. The author introduces elements like child abuse through extreme competition and just kinda leaves them there to exist without further exploration. Doe’s mom also presents Wells’ father’s former gambling addiction from over a decade ago as a potential threat to Doe??? Samantha Markum knew she needed drama, but she threw in too much for no good reason and failed to address it all adequately. I thought the Doe and Wells were supposed to largely be the respite from the real drama within the plot, but the novel had to remind us around every turn of how ~*~damaged~*~ they are. It felt a lot like fan fiction, in that sense.

A lot of reviewers seem shocked that the book has a storyline about a male teacher preying on female students, but it’s right there in the description. It’s inclusion doesn’t bother me, per se, but I don’t think it was laid out super well. After mountains of fake dating and Wellborn family drama, it was just kind of pigeonholed into the last quarter of the novel. There are some early hints, but it’s not touched upon enough to have the uprising over this teacher become *the central plot* in the last few chapters. It was great to see how Doe could put aside her petty drama and use her chaos for good when the adults in the institution were failing them, but it came in too late and thus felt out of place.

Despite knowing there was a darker storyline involved, I expected more of a lighthearted vibe overall. The cheery cover, prank war, and focus on falling in love in the description suggest a romcom, the predatory teacher subplot suggests dark academia. But the novel never firmly commits to either genre.It had it’s fun moments that I really enjoyed and dark moments that displayed the stark reality of being a teen girl, but it wasn’t enough to balance out the haphazard direction of the plot.

This book has two storylines. The first is a teenage girl's devotion to her school and her extreme dedication to the prank wars against a rival school. The second is her fake romance with a guy from the rival school, a bit designed just to annoy *another* guy at the rival school. Yikes.

I had some annoyance of my own early on with this book. I'm a grown woman and I am sometimes frustrated (irritated?) by foolish and angsty YA characters- and our heroine Doe is definitely foolish and angsty. Sigh.

Fortunately, she had some good introspective moments (and some significant natural consequences) and her growth was an important part of the storyline. I don't think that all of the puzzle pieces connect as cleanly as I like to see in my fiction, but I was hooked from about the 35% point, and stayed up late reading so that I could see how it ended, so maybe I'm nitpicking.

If angsty, foolish teenage girls who learn and grow are your thing, then definitely check this book out! My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book. #ThisMayEndBadly

This book was so good!! I’m a sucker for the fake dating trope so I was pretty much in from the synopsis but this story was so much more. It ended up being about fighting for what’s right even if you have to team up with people you don’t want to or having to deal with terrifying change. The relationship was adorable, the friendships were unbreakable, and the story was just overall wonderful!

This book was mediocre. The characters really needed more development. I'm still not sure why the main character went off the deep end after her parents divorce.. This reads like an amateur novel.

This book looks at boarding schools and prank wars and fake dating, all the things that are common in a YA romance novel. However, this novel does it very well. There is original humor and a bit of an original plot going on here that makes this one stand up above the heads of the others. In this book, there is a prank war going on between a couple of boarding schools that are set to merge at the start of next year. Doe and her friends set out to prove that is a bad idea which begins with some fake dating. However, when a teacher messes with a student, they have to decide if it's more important to win the prank war or to fight a bigger fight. I enjoyed the delicacy with which the author approached the topics at hand when they began to get serious. The characters were very real. I enjoyed this book very much.

So... this review is a struggle for me. I wanted to like this book so much! And if this book had been strictly what was pitched to me (an enemy-to-lovers/fake dating/ prank war) then I would have probably loved it, however this ended up being an extremely triggering story for me.

The parts of this story that I signed on for were actually really fun. I enjoyed the prank war, the fake dating was so full of tension, and the enemy to lovers slow burn had me in my feels.

TW and Spoilers ahead:
However, this story also featured homophobia, transphobia, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. As an omnisexual woman who is also an assault survivor, this was very rough on me mentally. At first the teacher (yes, it is a TEACHER) is just referred to as pervy and makes the girls uncomfortable. By the end of the book, it had devolved from a fun enemies-to-lovers book into a full on story of sexual assault and I felt sick to my stomach reading it. I ended up staying awake a good portion of the night due to the storyline bringing up my own history. It also played the narrative that the girls wanted to take care of the situation alone instead of bringing their parents into it (so they wouldn't overreact and pull the girls from school). This is such an unhealthy thing for young girls to be reading. It is so important for young women to know that they can (and should) go to their parents (or an authority figure whom they trust) if something like this ever happens to them.

This May End Badly is a mischievous and fast-paced contemporary romance. I am so happy I was approved for an ARC on Netgalley, because this book was magnificent. It has several fantastic tropes from fake-dating to prank wars. Doe is a Weston girl, ready to continue playing pranks on the annoying Winfield boys. However, this is the year that a merger between the two schools is announced. Doe and her friends decide they have to do all they can to show the schools that the merger is a bad idea. This may be Doe’s last chance to get back at her Winfield rival, Three. When Three’s cousin Wells agrees to work with her to annoy Three, the fake-dating games begin. Only Wells isn’t anything like Doe thought he would be and she may be forced to examine her deeply-held beliefs about what it means to be a Weston girl.

I loved the relationship between Doe and Wells! Wells is a great book boyfriend (I mean, he primarily hangs out in a bookstore!). Samantha Markum writes lovable and vivid characters. Doe has a single-minded focus, drive, and anger fueling her schemes. Doe has a close-knit and warm group of friends, which I always love to see. The relationships between the Weston girls and Winfield boys grow more nuanced as the story continues, with all of the characters growing. Doe also has strong relationships with her parents, which I feel is rare in boarding school stories. This May End Badly deals with a serious issue of students being sexually harassed by an authority figure. Doe and her friends work together to bring attention and action to this issue and refuse to let the incident be swept aside. I thought this was handled realistically and with care.

I loved the fake-dating, the pranks, and the romance of This May End Badly and would highly recommend you pick up a copy. Looking forward to reading whatever Samantha Markum writes next! This May End Badly releases on April 12, 2022. Thank you so much to Samantha Markum, Wednesday Books, 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, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

Wow, wow, wow! Seriously, when I first heard of This May End Badly, I didn't know if I could wait eight whole months. The moment I saw "fake dates" in the description, I was sold! I consider myself one of the most fortunate people in the world for having access to this book early.
This May End Badly revolves around Doe and Wells. They strike a bargain, and through fake dating, Doe plans to get under her nemesis's—Three—skin and Wells will get back his family heirloom from Three.
What I loved most about this book was Doe. She's such a unique and inspiring character, who's entertaining personality makes the story all the more enjoyable. Witty, sarcastic AND a good narrator! What more could a reader want?
Another aspect I enjoyed was how Markum tackles sexual assault, harassment and identity. I believe that authors should shed more light on these issues, all while providing an exciting story! Speaking of the story, it was just so good. I don't even know how to put it into words. This May End Badly keeps you on the edge of your seat with quips, laughable quotes, swoon-worthy romance, fun characters and, most importantly, an uplifting story.
In April 2022, I plan to re-read this book as soon as my pre-order comes in the mail. I suggest you all do the same and prepare yourselves for this gem of a tale!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.