I honestly went into this book thinking I wouldn't like it but I have never been more happy to be wrong. I absolutely adored it and ended up finding it hard to put down and very nearly finished it in one sitting.

Here we have the classic rivalry between two boarding schools; The Weston School (for girls) and The Winfield Academy (for boys). This rivalry/prank war has been going on for longer than anyone can remember, which is why its such a shock for Doe (self appointed Westfield leader of the war) when it comes to light that come next year the schools will be merging; and she naturally takes it upon herself to stop it.

The best part is that this book brings in two of my favourite troupes; enemies to lovers and fake dating. I will say I was surprised in the queer representation here as I find most books that have 'straight' relationship as the main one, the supporting characters tend to follow. So I was pleasantly surprised when there was queer rep and a lot of talk about how gendered schools alienate people who identify as non-binary or transgender. In reality, I wouldn't even say the love story is the only main story as there are lots of other moments and large events happening when Doe's love story kinda takes a back seat and I think that's why I loved it so much.

Can't wait till this book is out so I can actually go out and read a hard copy!

This book had so many things to love. Pranks, awesome friendships, funny banter, cute but evil boys. The one thing that was hard to read was the inappropriate teacher storyline. It felt off and now well placed in this book. It could have been left out of the book and I wouldn't have felt like anything was missing. I still really enjoyed it and look forward to other books from this author.

At first I was skeptical about the plot of the story. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes but usually not done well. This book went above and beyond completely dispelling all doubts.

This ending may have been one of my favorites all year for young adult books.

This book had so many tropes and elements that I absolutely love: enemies(ish) to lovers, boarding school setting, fake dating, etc. I was impressed that this was Markum's first novel. Mostly, the character develop was excellent. Doe grows so much from the beginning to the end of the story. This is not one of those cases where she is kind of a crappy friend but never learns from her mistakes. There was also amazing tension between the main character and her love interest. Simply, this book is a lot of fun and hits many of the marks for a compelling contemporary YA romance.

I want to thank Net Galley for an ARC of This May End Badly.
I truly enjoyed this book. If your looking for something light that will make you laugh you’ve found it! Doe was amazing! She was everything I like in a main character! I recommend this book 100%!!!

Let me start by saying this would have been a 5 star if Dorothy (Doe) didn't drive me nuts with how obsessed she was with the rivalry and merger. Her extreme obsession just drops off further into the story and it just felt off. The other girls in her friend circle were into the pranks but not so much the merger part. I did enjoy the pranks and also see there was a slight lesson with the merger. While Wells and Doe's relationship wasn't real to begin with you could see the possibilities. I must say I liked Wells a lot more than Doe. The story line of the predator may be a trigger to some but it was handled well in the book.

A fun, exciting read that I couldn’t put down! This book kept me on edge wondering what was coming next. The characters had depth and were enjoyable to learn about and connect with. A fun book I would definitely recommend for young adults!

This book was a delight. It felt like Veronica Mars meets Gossip Girl, both of which I enjoy. I definitely found myself getting lost in this book.

I felt that the main character Doe could be a little immature at times but she really grew towards the end of the book. Immaturity aside, Doe is a strong female lead and her connection with her friends is inspiring. The banter she has with Three and Wells made my heart happy and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.

I felt that Doe might have been better paired with a different love interest but Wells grew on me toward the end. It just seemed so set up and perfect for her to end up with one of the other boys.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and if you like YA Romance I’d recommend you check this one out.

I was unable to read / review this book as I was not able to download the ARC. It kept telling me the book already existed on my shelf. It is unfortunate as I was looking forward to reading it.

I really liked some things about this book! I thought the premise was really unique and the rivalry between a girls and boys school right next to each other was very clever. However, I found myself constantly wanting Doe and Three to get together, so I was thrown a little when the romance was strictly about Wells. Also, I know I’m a bit of a prude but I’m not a fan of reading teenagers using language like that. I’m sure lots of teenagers speak that way but I wasn’t one of them.

Doe was an extremely immature lead, and I found myself consistently frustrated by her behavior and selfishness. I was a fan of Wells, but the plot between him and Three felt contrived, and the ending and the plot points leading to it, while heartwarming, felt like an after thought of social commentary. Not my favorite, but middle schoolers and high schoolers will be able to relate.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

I didn’t peg myself for a comedic-fake boyfriend-prank wars themed Gossip Girl meets Riverdale mash up like novel yet here I am falling in love with it.

I have to say it. I have to… I had to write the names
Down…. There were too many of them and then they all had nicknames. And they were all thrown at me right away. I almost felt like I needed to make circles to encompass the cliques but I somehow refrained. Once I got a grip on the names I was able to really enjoy the novel.

Doe was one hell of a character. She gave me definite Blair Waldorf vibes. She has a passion and she didn’t budge away from it. Love takes a back seat to everything else.

Wells… I fell in love with him almost right away. And then I hated him and then loved him again. It’s funny how authors can do that to you.

This is a definite YA novel that’s geared towards the older population.

I received this novel from netgalley for am honest review.

I enjoyed this story. Great banter. I really loved the relationship between Doe and Wells. Entertaining from start to finish.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the type of YA I get lost in. I am sad it is over. Doe was a strong but flawed heroine and I loved her growth throughout the story. The rivalry between the schools was fun and the banter between everyone was next level. I love me some expert level banter. This book touched on serious issues yet it wasn't weighed down with them. Last but not least, Wells. I could have been very happy with a Wells in my high school days. I look forward to more from this author.

This book was such a cute read and was so much fun. Most of the time when it says YA, it's not TRUE Young Adult. This is a book that I would feel comfortable giving to my younger cousins or family friends to read. It's got the fun rivalry going between the boarding schools. It has a variety of diverse characters, a strong female lead, and of course, my favorites, fake dating AND enemies to lovers. The book also touches on a number of real life issues like bullying, sexual assault, dysfunctional families, among others.

This book was an absolute delight. Doe was a wonderful main character, flawed and absolutely making mistakes but still someone I was rooting for the whole time. The romance between her and Wells was lovely and warm. I would have loved to get his character development/reveals earlier in the narrative and kept expecting a big heart to heart between Doe and Three that didn't really come. That being said, I had a lot of fun reading this book and I think it's going to be a hit with all the gutsy, angry, funny teens.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Hilarious, hard to put down and a great YA read.

As a high school guidance counselor, I am drawn to stories about high school students. It was always fun to share a good story with my students who were usually surprised that I read YA books.

In this story two rival prep schools that have always pulled pranks on one another are merging. Winfield is an all-male school and Weston all-female. Our main character Dorothy ‘Doe’ and the other girls are hoping to get in a good last prank before the merge. Yep turns out to be one of those enemies to lovers’ stories.
Doe is a character that some will love and others will find themselves screaming at her to stop making poor choices.
A side story is that the history teacher Brian Tully is accused of being a sexual predator. He offers a mentorship program to the vulnerable but has other things in mind. Administration doesn’t believe the rumors and he continues to work as a teacher.
I know I am not the target audience and am sure teens are going to love Doe and the way she dealt with this situation. Additionally, I realize that was written before the Summer Olympics but I am hopeful that Simone Biles’ story about coming forward about being sexually abused will have a positive impact on both males and females and neither will feel threatened or ashamed to tell the truth.
True Doe’s approach does make for a good story

I applaud Ms. Markum on her debut novel. As a Guidance Counselor I like when YA authors not only tackle tough topics ~ areas that some teens are dealing with daily and additionally provide resources in hopes will be used if needed.
This is an early eGalley so the resources aren’t included but I am hopeful that by pub date they will be added.

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~ Wednesday Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 12, 2022

Samantha Markum’s This May End Badly is a delicious treat of a read, full of memorable characters, a hilarious plot, and just the right amount of heart-tugging realizations to give it depth, too.

Doe waltzes in to her senior year at her beloved boarding school ready to continue the ongoing prank war with their rival school, and not at all ready to think about college, moving on, or no longer basing her identity on her school. As a Weston girl, Doe follows the example set by school founder Mallory Weston, a strong feminist setting out to make space for women’s education in a male-dominated world. As the resident pranking mastermind, Doe leads her friends through pranks and verbal sparring matches with their male counterparts at Weston’s rival school, Winfield. But when news of the two school’s merger breaks, Doe has a new objective: stop the merger. When the opportunity to fake date her enemy’s cousin arises, Doe leaps at it…but the cost may be too high this time. As Doe spins lie after lie to try and save the school that was her salvation, she’s faced with a bigger issue than the merger. Doe has to decide where, exactly, her loyalties lie.

This book is engaging and engrossing from the beginning, immersing you in Doe’s world and showing just how high the stakes are. The writing is exquisite and humorous, establishing the voice of the novel. The plot is perfectly paced, each situation providing insight into these characters and their world. Every character is well-developed, from Doe’s friends to her rivals to the staff at each school.

The dialogue throughout this book is top-tier. From witty banter to heavy conversation to tongue-tied moments, each scene is full of realistic and believable dialogue. Doe serves as the first person narrator; her sarcastic comments and biting wit really set the tone for the book’s events.

The relationships between characters are absolutely perfect. The tricky balance of friendships with a new relationship is put under a microscope, a relatable conundrum with the added weight of a lie that makes the reader empathetic and worried for the main character simultaneously. Doe’s relationships with her friends are just as deeply explored as the relationship, a beautiful and necessary component many YA romances are missing.

The plot is full of lovable tropes, from enemies to lovers to fake dating to academia. They’re all flawlessly pulled off and well-integrated into the story, making the novel feel fuller with their presence. The plot does handle some delicate subjects, such as abuse, harassment, and grooming. These topics are thoughtfully handled and do not feel exploitative.

The addition of these tougher plot topics takes this book to the next level. Without them, the book is wonderful: funny, sweet, a total rom-com that leaves you feeling great. These realistic issues add depth to the story, raising the stakes and showing the characters what’s really worth fighting for.

I loved every moment of this book. The characters were incredibly enjoyable to spend time with, and living in their world was delightful. The heavier moments are well-balanced with the lighter ones, and you finish the book feeling empowered, hopeful, and already wanting to read it again.

This book gives me Jenny Han’s To All the Boys and Cruel Intentions vibes; if you’re a fan of either of those, I highly recommend checking this one out!

This May End Badly will be available April 12, 2022 from St. Martin’s Press. Thank you to Ms. Markum, Net Galley, and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy such that I could write this review.

I love reading fake dating books even though some end the same, with falling in real love. This book though had difficulty, she fell in love with her fake boyfriend but tried to keep it to herself until a teacher starts to inappropriately mess with a girl student, that’s when she decides that everything else don’t matter and she must work to help all the other female students.