It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

So so cute! I loved this sapphic romance that didn't shy away from family conflict, alcoholism, or anxiety. I loved the exploration of parental relationships, as well as the awkwardness of trying to tell a crush that you like them! This was truly a delight--charming without being cheesy.

There is no way I can describe this book if not dramatic.

As we start the book and introduce our main characters, we soon meet a problem. Molly, one of our main characters, has a crush on Cora. Cora has a crush on Alex, our other main character. And Alex? Isn’t interested in anyone but her ex.

I was really surprised by this love triangle (love square?) inclusion, but not fooled. It’s obvious from the description of this book how this story is going to go, and this book doesn’t fall off of that path.

I really liked the bits of the story that focused on Molly and Alex’s character development, such as Alex teaching Molly how to be smooth. I also really enjoyed the side characters for being so supportive of our main characters and helping them be the best they can be, especially Jim.

(Is it weird to say your favorite side character of a young adult romance is an old and jaded food truck owner?)

Unfortunately, I felt like this book was tackling too many hard-hitting stories without delving into them as much as it should. We’re sidetracked from the basic story to talk about racism, drug abuse, and abusive relationships. None of these subjects are really explored beyond a basic introduction, making the book feel as though its trying too hard for an angsty plotline without doling out the character development that comes from exploring these topics.

As much as I hate comparing books to other books (especially when one isn’t trying to be similar to another), I also want to point out for the purposes of this review that I read a very similar book just before reading this ARC. The main characters of these books look the same (a blonde and an Asian girl in college) and the blondes have similar family-related problems, which makes it a little hard to tell these books apart in the specific details. It was difficult for me, while reading this book, to not compare it to the book I had read previously and find it lacking in ways the other book excelled in. I know this has largely affected my somewhat negative views of this book and want to point this out solely to show why I am so nitpicky over this book.

No matter what, I do want to point out that I rated this book three stars, which personally means that I didn’t like it or hate it. While there are certain things about this book I felt like could have been omitted or made better, I also enjoyed other aspects of this book. If you find yourself extremely interested in this book, I would still recommend for you to pick it up and make your own judgements.

Okay so I'm going to start this review by saying that I think it is absolutely fucking adorable that the authors of this book are married and the acknowledgments are so freaking cute.

For the actual book, I will admit that it took me about 25% to really get invested but once I was there I was there. Alex and Molly are two college freshmen who are both just trying to get the girl of their dreams. Alex grew up poor with an alcoholic mom and right before she leaves for college her girlfriend tells her that she's really flighty and that she has to prove her love to her. So Alex spends this book coming up with a plan to show Natalie that she is worthy of her love and being in a relationship. Molly is quiet and anxious and shy and she's been in love with a girl named Cora for the last 4 years. The only problem is that she has never talked to Cora. They went to school together and Molly is determined to make an impression on her now that they're in college.

Alex originally sees Molly as an opportunity. She thinks that if she can get Molly together with Cora that it'll prove to Natalie that she is worth something and that she can talk to other girls without flirting with them. Molly kind of hates Alex at the beginning and is extremely reticent to take her up on her offer of dating help, but when she realizes that her mom is her only friend she realizes that Alex is her best chance at getting Cora.

Alex and Molly spend this book going through different trials getting Molly to have more confidence in herself, dealing with their relationships with their mothers, and becoming best friends. The only issue is that right when they both can get their girls, they realize they might have feelings for each other instead.

This book is a stellar enemies to lovers. I really enjoy it and would definitely recommend it. If I'm able to get my hands on an audio version I would definitely give it a reread. I especially loved Molly and the way that her anxiety was represented. She and Alex are such opposites in every way and seeing them realize that they compliment each other was great.

This is a new adult contemporary romance with no explicit scenes.

Rep: Korean American lesbian MC with anxiety, white lesbian MC, sapphic relationship. Secondary queer characters.

CW: alcoholism, mention of drunk driving, neglect and emotional abuse of a child from parent, gaslighting and manipulation, underage alcohol consumption.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I am unable to provide a full list of content warnings due to being unable to finish this book. Please educate yourself on the content warnings for this novel before reading.

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// Quick Statistics //
Overall: 2/5 Stars
Characters: 1/5 Stars
Writing: 2/5 Stars
Setting: 2/5 Stars
Plot: 3/5 Stars
Memorability: 2/5 Stars

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// Quick Review //
The first book I read by Rachael Lippincott was Five Feet Apart, and I loved it! So, I was very excited when I found out that Lippincott was writing a sapphic novel with their wife. I had high anticipations for She Gets the Girl but was, unfortunately, let down. Whether it’s my general dislike for rom-coms or whether the unrealistic characters threw me off, I was unable to finish reading this novel.

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// Other Information //
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 384 pages
Release Date: April 5, 2022
Series: None
Tags: Fiction, Young adult, Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQ+, Enemies to lovers, Lesbian, Rom-com (Romantic comedy), Sapphic

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// Characters //
One of my least favorite parts of this novel is its characters. I so desperately wanted to love the characters, yet they were incredibly too unrealistic and unrelatable for me to connect with or care about them.

Told in dual-POV, She Gets the Girl follows the stories of Alex and Molly, two gay women both leaving home to go to college in Pittsburgh. Just before leaving her hometown, Alex breaks up with her girlfriend as the result of an argument over Alex’s unwillingness to commit to a relationship. Molly on the other hand has a crush on Cora Myers, a girl who is totally cool yet practically doesn’t know Molly exists.

From the start it is very obvious that Molly and Alex will get together, it’s just a matter of how it happens. Before reading, I was looking forward to the hate-love relationship between the two that was promised. Unfortunately, even before the two characters met, I found myself indifferent to their lives and relationships. They both seemed dull, like there was something crucial missing to them that would have made them lively and realistic.

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// Writing and Setting //
The writing is not as compelling as I would have preferred. It’s your typical YA contemporary novel.

I found it appealing that the events of She Gets the Girl take place at a college, rather than high school (which seems to be very popular with YA novels). It was something fresh in an otherwise dull novel.

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// Plot //
The plot was what kept me reading as long as I did. I was struggling to get through the book, as it is very slow-paced and disjointed at first (for the first 20% of the book, at least). I only ended up reading to the 20% mark, because I was just so bored. However, I read that far for the promise of two new college students trying to get girlfriends but falling in love with each other instead.

I was excited when I first got the chance to read this book because of the premise, however, so many other issues were hard to overlook and made this book unreadable (for me at least).

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// Overall Review //
I’m not opposed to trying to read this novel again another time. There wasn’t necessarily anything wrong with it, it just wasn’t for me. I find that I hardly ever like contemporary novels, and especially not rom-coms. If I do, there has to be something unique about the book, it seems. Regardless, if you are a fan of Rachael Lippincott’s works and are looking for a sapphic rom-com to read, She Gets the Girl will be perfect for you.

Enemies-to-lovers and make it sapphic??? Yes, please. I loved this book; it was sweet, funny, emotional, and dealt with some sensitive issues like alcoholism and internalized racism in a very mature way.
“She Gets the Girl” is an adorable enemies-to-lovers style novel told from alternating perspectives of Alex and Molly, two freshman girls at university in Pittsburgh. Alex is trying to prove a point to her ex girlfriend that she can be someone who lets people in and someone who cares about other people than herself, and she’ll do it by helping Molly get the girl she’s been crushing over since the beginning of high school. Where Alex has plenty of experience and rocks the game of flirting, Molly is a virgin at eighteen (thanks for that, never-have-i-ever) and struggles to even say hello to the girl she’s practically in love with. 
After a rocky start to their relationship, Molly and Alex build their trust in each other, build a solid friendship, and both ultimately realize that the girls they’ve been pining over and trying to impress aren’t the ones they need to be with—it’s each other, the girl that already loves them for exactly who they are.
“She Gets the Girl” was cute as hell; Molly and Alex have great banter and you can feel the chemistry between them early enough in the book that not only does it feel like enemies-to-lovers, it also feels like a tender slow-burn/skinny love situation. 
This book is an absolutely wonderful sapphic YA novel; highly recommend.

I enjoyed reading this book! Having the chapters alternate between Molly and Alex helped me root for both of them. The strongest part of the book was their banter and how they support one other. Alex helps Molly work up the courage to ask her crush out on a date. In return, the former hopes to convince her ex-girlfriend is trustworthy and ready for a committed relationship. How Molly and Alex interact together from their school outings to their practice dating sessions were really fun. There were parts of the book that I felt could be improved such as how Molly's mom attitude toward her own heritage was addressed. Both girls wrestle with their complicated relationships with their moms. It's hard to touch upon heavy issues thoroughly, but I appreciate how ambitious the authors were. I also wished the girls had gotten to build their relationship for longer than just one month. They had great chemistry and the book was a great fluffy read. Just wish Molly and Alex had more time to realize they were falling for each other before confessing. Overall, I was impressed by the book! 4.5/5

This book is one of the best i’ve read this past year!! the relationship and character development is so palpable!

This was such a cute, fun read! I've been back and forth on whether or not I still enjoy YA contemporary romance, and this book convinced me that I still do when it's well written.

Alex's girlfriend breaks up with her the night before she leaves for college because Alex is too much of a flirt and she feels like she can't trust her. Alex decides to dedicate the first month to being as selfless as possible and not flirt with girls to show her girlfriend how serious she is about their relationship and win her back. Meanwhile, Molly is hoping college will be a chance to reinvent herself and finally win the heart of Cora, her high school crush who is attending the same college as her. The girls get off to a rough start when they meet at a party, but Alex decides the perfect way to win her girlfriend back is to use her flirting skills to teach Molly how to get Cora. As Alex and Molly each get closer to their individual crushes, they start to realize maybe they have feelings for each other instead.

This book was such a cute read!! It was the perfect slow build with just enough tension to keep you hooked. It was so well written, and included lots of my favorite tropes (enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine dynamic). I loved both of these characters equally but in very different ways. Overall this was such a fun read that I'll definitely be recommending.

SHE GETS THE GIRL is a sweet, funny sapphic YA romance with a lot of heart. Alex is a stone-cold heartbreaking smokeshow who never lets anyone close enough to learn about her alcoholic mom and deep-rooted commitment issues; Molly is an extremely awkward only-friend-is-her-mom naif who desperately wants to use college as a fresh start, one in which she makes real friends any maybe even talks to her longtime crush Cora. When Alex's girlfriend Natalie gives her an ultimatum, Alex decides to put her god-tier flirting skills to good use: she'll help Molly woo Cora, which will in turn show Nat how generous and trustworthy she can be. You can guess where the story goes from here -- but it's a delightful ride! Molly and Alex have such distinct, lovable voices, and their banter is genuinely funny without feeling false or corny. I particularly loved that none of the conflict in the novel stemmed from queerness; while there's a good bit of relationship struggles and parental conflict, none of it is based in homophobia, which is really refreshing. A truly charming sapphic rom-com!

DNF at 15%

I'm really sorry, but both of these characters are both unrealistic and not very likeable. I have a rule. If I'm not enthralled by page 50, it's time to put down the book. There are too many books on my to read list to waste time on a book I'm struggling with.

I've read SEVERAL books in-between starting "She Gets The Girl," and finally deciding to just DNF the book if that tells you something.

We always need LGBTQ representation but I wouldn't recommend this book to my friends or patrons unless they want a list of new LGBTQ titles.

When a book grabs you from the first page, you just KNOW it's going to be good. She Gets the Girl was such a book, one of those you read cover-to-cover in one (long) sitting because it is THAT GOOD.. I feel like I can run into Alex and Molly on campus at any moment. I can completely identify with Molly's awkwardness. With such dynamic writing and plot development, I look forward to many more books from Ms. Lippincott & Ms. Derrick.

*4.5

y'all!! this book is everything!!

she gets the girl is a dual-pov rom com about two girls - alex and molly - who meet at college in pittsburgh (they go to pitt!!). alex wants to prove to her ex that she's ready for a relationship, and molly wants to get her dream girl. despite getting off on the wrong foot, they decide to team up. but while they're trying to set each other up with different people, they don't realize they've fallen for each other...

i loved this book. seeing alex and molly slowly fall for each other was absolutely everything. it's giving hate (or mutual dislike?) to friends to lovers. the way they open up to each other and feel so safe & comfortable around each other made me so happy, and you can tell they work so well together. AND YES. THEY GO ROLLER SKATING.

they also grow significantly as individual characters, with molly dealing with her social anxiety and giving others a chance, and alex being able to open up emotionally and make herself a priority.

this book also covers topics like complicated familial relationships, career indecision, and internalized racism. all of these topics were treated with care and i feel like were addressed in a meaningful way and resolved in a realistic fashion.

ps: writing a book with your wife is an absolute girlboss move, thank you very much

TW: alcoholism, absent parent, racism (including internalized)

She Gets the Girl truly got my heart! This book was the cutest thing I've read in a while. I love how relatable the romance is between these girls and I am looking forward to recommending this one to my students.

I was in from the minute I saw the roller skates on the cover! As a derby girl, I’m always looking for skating related stories.

The characters Alex and Molly were amazing! I liked that we got to have both POVs so that you can either relate with one or the other (or both!)

The girls try to help either find the girl if their dreams but (spoiler alert!) end up falling in love in the process!

This is the first official WLW romance novel I’ve ever read, and I was SO excited to be approved to read and review it through netgalley. Thank you so much for my e-copy of this book, and for giving me the ability to share my thoughts with everyone. Let’s get into it!

Molly and Alex were extremely likable and relatable characters for me, and I seriously loved how polar opposite their personalities were to one another. I also loved getting to hear both of their unique POVs as it switched back and forth from Molly to Alex’s perspective each chapter. Watching them go from immediate enemies to friends, and seeing their relationship grow was incredible.

One of my favorite things about YA novels is their ability to transport me back to a younger time in my life, and this book did just that for me. I felt all the late teens/ early twenties emotions while reading, and remember exactly what it was like to desire my own autonomy and independence, while still knowing basically nothing about the real world and how to function within it.

This was such a fun, sweet, sapphic love story that made me smile, laugh, cry, and everything in between! I’ll definitely add a physical copy to my shelves when the book releases in April.

***** 5 Stars!

“Some things have to fall apart because they don’t belong together, but some things belong so much they could never break.”

First I would like to thank Simon and Schuster Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book. I am honored to have been given the chance to read it and give an honest review.

She Gets the Girl is the story of two girls during their freshman year of college. Alex Blackwood, a very headstrong girl who is a bit of a flirt, if there is one thing she knows it’s how to get the girl. Keeping the girl on the other hand…is a whole other story. Then we have Molly Parker, she is the type of girl who has complete control of her life, though she may be a little bit awkward towards everyone who isn’t her mom. She has been in love with the beautiful and cool Cora Myers for years, she just hasn’t actually spoken to her yet.

Both Alex and Molly start college with the desire for things to be different; Alex wanting to change her flirtatious ways and keep the girl she thinks she’s lucky to have and Molly who wants to gain more confidence--enough to actually speak to Cora for the first time and hopefully as her out on a date. When Alexa and Molly meet it’s clear the two are the exact opposites of one another, though despite their differences they realize they might have a common interest after all. Alex thinks if she volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, then she can prove to her ex that she’s not a selfish flirt. Alex is the last person Molly would go to for help, but she’s desperate and Alex clearly knows what she’s doing with girls, unlike her.

The two embark on their five-step plan to get their girls to fall for them; they both soon begin to wonder if maybe they’re the ones actually falling for each other.

I was so excited to have gotten approved for this arc! I absolutely adore Rachael Lippincott’s writing and I was beyond excited to hear she wrote this book with her wife! This book was absolutely adorable and I loved every moment of it! This book was so easy and fun to read, I devoured the entire thing faster than expected. I really enjoyed the fast pacing of this story and the banter between the two characters. These two characters were so complex and had so many struggles in their lives that they overcame throughout the course of the story. The romance between the two characters felt so natural and sweet, the chemistry and dynamic between them was so perfect and it was very enjoyable to read. I found myself rooting for their romance from the very start of the book!

Another thing I enjoyed about the book was how relatable the characters were, especially Molly. She was a character I could personally relate to very well and it was so comforting to read about a character that was so similar to myself. It is not often I see myself so completely in a character. Alex was also relatable in some ways for me as well, like how she often finds comfort in her books.

I adore how both of these characters were able to overcome so many of the struggles in their lives and build a strong foundation for both of them to stand on together. It was so clear that the authors put their heart into the pages of this book and the characters! This is by far one of my favorite romances that I’ve read this year and I hope more people get the chance to read this beautiful and charming book!

If you’re looking for an adorable enemies to lovers rom-com, then this is a book that I would highly recommend! I’m looking forward to reading more books by both of these very talented authors!

Synopsis:
Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of chaos and a whole lot of flirt. She knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the other hand…not so much. Molly Parker has everything in her life totally in control, except for her complete awkwardness with just about anyone besides her mom. She knows she’s in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. She just…hasn’t actually talked to her yet.

Alex and Molly don’t belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly’s hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all. Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she’s not a selfish flirt. That she’s ready for an actual commitment. And while Alex is the last person Molly would ever think she could trust, she can’t deny Alex knows what she’s doing with girls, unlike her.

As the two embark on their five-step plans to get their girls to fall for them, though, they both begin to wonder if maybe they’re the ones falling…for each other.

Review:
I had pretty low expectations for this because contemporary romance has not been too good to me recently, but DAMN this was amazing. Easily in my top 3 books of the year, and in my top 10 books of all time. It was everything I needed to get me out of a reading slump, and I finished it in one evening. I cannot wait for 'She Gets the Girl' to come out next year, so fellow sapphics and read and enjoy this lovely book :)

The characters were amazing. Usually, my biggest criticisms about books are for the characters, specifically the main characters, but I did not feel like there was anything about Alex and Molly that deserved to be called out. Both of them were relatable to me in different ways: Alex for having people make assumptions about her because of her appearance, and Molly for crushing on a girl and not having the guts to do anything about it. Not only were the main characters great, so were the side characters! I didn't expect to like Cora, since I shipped Molly and Alex from the beginning, but I still found her to be likable and well written. The characters of the girls' parents were also very well written, even though they weren't always the most likable. (Especially Molly's mother)

The plot was sooo good. It basically had all the tropes I love, plus it's sapphic. You can't improve upon this, in my opinion. Beautifully paced, with no plot holes or anything left un-addressed, this was perfect. I also think it's notable to mention that this book was kind. Nothing about it was difficult or jarring to read, and though I think books that tackle tough subjects are important, sometimes it's nice to have a respite from stories that are sad.

The writing was perfect. I think that it really encapsulated the voices of two teenagers in a realistic way. It was genuinely hard for me to put down. I'm not sure which of the narratives (Alex of Molly) I preferred reading about, since this was a dual POV. I think they both brought such important and differing things to the book. I enjoyed Alex's funny and whip-smart voice, while I also enjoyed Molly's more introspective and quiet narration.

Overall, Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick have written a cute, funny and Actually Good™ sapphic romantic comedy of errors.

Anticipation: 3.5: The cover is nice, but i'm not too sure about the plot
Enjoyment: 5: cAn I rAte ThIs BoOk A sIx

--> 5 stars

Thanks NetGalley for this eARC!
She Gets the Girl is a sweet YA contemporary romance. It definitely has She’s All That/10 Things I Hate About You vibes. I like the different dimensions of the main characters, Molly and Alex.

This was a fun and easy read… but I wouldn’t say that it was incredible. I read a lot of YA… and this definitely hit ‘young.’ If I were still in college, maybe I would’ve had a deeper connection.

This was such an unexpected sweet read! I loved both Alex and Molly’s journey. I read this in two days because I just had to keep going back to it. I related so much to Molly and how she needed someone to help her out of her shell. I enjoyed their journey of not liking each other, the becoming friends, and finally falling in love. I loved that exactly what they were both looking for was right in front of them. There was multiple issues such as alcoholism, racism, social anxiety, and more. But I felt that they were all dealt with appropriately and with care. I would easily read another book by this author because I liked this one so much! I will definitely be recommending this book closer to its pub day!