Super cute and extremely well done YA contemporary romance. I loved the multiple narrators and thought Hibbert struck a great balance between Celine and Brad. The quirkiness of both characters was relatable (whether or not you share their exact quirks). I loved the growth, the reconnecting, the necessity of giving and accepting an apology. Also fun cast of supporting characters from family to friends.

This book fell flat for me but I really can't pinpoint why. It's taken me awhile to write this review because I'm not sure where it went wrong for me. I think it's because this is YA and I haven't really been feeling YA lately.

Overall, the banter was amazing. Hibbert has a way with words and right a story that has a wonderful sense of humor. I'm sure the issue is me and not with the book itself. I will absolutely give it another shot when I'm in the mood for YA.

Huge Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this copy.

I loved seeing the nerodiversity and representation in this book! Talia Hibbert writes amazing romance books and I loved how she put her own unique spin on a YA novel.

So everybody loves Talia Hibbert, but I’m not sure I’m one of those people. Her writing is just a bit weird to me. This was a fairly good book, but it was the writing that didn’t mesh with me. As well, the whole “sworn enemy” reason was a little bit far-fetched for me.

I’m hoping this is only a case of this being a YA Talia Hibbert!

Huge fan of the Browne sister books, but I was wary of her move to YA - well that was misguided. This book is phenomenal. She is an expert at writing strong characters with lots of chemistry.

Such a cute YA story! The representation in this book is amazing. A classic friends-to-enemies-to-lovers trope. Bradley and Celine were adorable and witty in every single way. Their banter was everything! I really enjoyed their friendly competition and the setting of the outdoor explorer scholarship program. An easy read with such relatable content.

This cute YA romance is cute with a message for teens that they need to trust themselves to choose what they want in life. Bradley has always like Celine and they have been friends since they were young until something happened when Celine walked away and didn’t look back. Throughout HS, they have been academic rivals, until an accident happens and Bradley chooses to help Celine by attending an informational session about a survival course to win a college scholarship. Not only to spend time with Celine, Bradley signs up for his own personal reasons. Celine is surprised but willing to be his friend to work together to survive this competition.

The chapters progress through the months of Bradley’s and Celine’s senior year as well as the survival program. Both characters face challenges in their life with family and personal issues. They are portrayed as typical flawed teenagers trying to figure out how they fit within their world, who are their friends, and how to deal with their family expectations. I believe my students could relate to these two diverse characters. Plus, the humorous witty banter is entertaining. The only negative is that there was a lot of time spent on Bradley and Celine’s feeling about becoming more than friends where I would have liked them to face more challenges during the survival course.

Overall, I would recommend this book and thank Libro.fm for the audiobook and Netgalley for the advanced copy. BTW, the audiobook was well done and I think it helped in enjoying the book more.

Talia Hibbert's first YA romance was so cute! Former best friends turned enemies enter into a leadership meets survivalist program with the hopes of willing a college scholarship, but being together out in the woods reminds them of what they liked about each other in the first place. If only Celine's abandonment issues don't get in the way. Loved the complexity of the characters and the bi and OCD rep.

Thank you to Joy Revolution and NetGalley for the advance review copy; all opinions are my own.

This was everything I'd hoped for from a YA written by Talia Hibbert. Real human struggles, lovable yet flawed characters, growth and emotional tenderness. I loved the group dynamic while at the Brakespeare camp and seeing these two lower their guards and reconnect. It was feel good, snarky, smart, and sweet. A delight!

This book was the epitome of cute and cuddly. I LOVED the banter but I expected nothing less from Talia. I'm not a huge YA fan but couldn't pass up reading anything she writes. Although it's not my favorite I still absolutely loved it. I love the representation Talia puts in all her books. Like this woman is really feeding us when it comes to showcasing disabilities and love. I will highly (ahah get it) recommend this book to anyone who is found of her writing style.

Dnf @ 40%. This was very cute - and I would highly recommend to YA readers. I am just not a YA reader very often and am not clicking with this. Totally on me for requesting the book based on the author without realizing it was YA.

This book was such a cute YA and I think Hibbert knocked it out with loveable characters and wonderful character development. This book was so fun and cheeky, it had me smirking and laughing several times while reading. The banter between Celine and Bradley was so well developed, which I think comes from Hibbert’s previous writing of adult romances.

“Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute” by Talia Hibbert features diverse characters and a unique take on the classic enemies to lovers trope. The unique aspect of this story is that a good portion of it took place in the woods as part of a wilderness expedition as part of a college scholarship competition. All in all I’d give it a sold 4 stars.

Talia does it again! One of my favorite romance authors ever, Hibbert’s voice is stronger/ just as charming as ever here. This was adorable right off the bat and I loved this cast of characters. I the unique camping setting also added a really fun element to this friends to enemies to lovers story. Totally recommend for a YA romance!

SOOOOO GOOD! 5 STARS!!!

i’m always cautious of YA novels in general as an adult and lower my standards even more for YA novels from authors i love especially when they’ve never written ine before. but oh my gosh talia hibbert really hit it out of the park with this one! it was charming and funny and so wonderful!! i love hibbert’s adult novels and this one just did not fail me.

celine and bradley were such wonderful and well rounded characters who grew on me so quickly. the dual pov was everything to me and i loved reading about all their worries and thoughts. hibbert has such a wonderful way of writing her characters who are as sweet as they are funny and she didn’t miss a beat here. the premise of the book was also so interesting and the pacing was to my exact liking.

hibbert’s brown sisters novels have centered around characters who have invisible illnesses and i wasn’t surprised to read about bradley having OCD in this one. what continues to make my heart warm is the care that goes into the writing. it always amazes me!

bravo talia hibbert for your first YA novel, for what a success it clearly is, and for writing such a charming story about friendship, growing up, and love with such care.

also thanks netgalley for the arc!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
by Talia Hibbert. All opinions are my own.

Okay first and foremost, I am a huge fan of Talia Hibbert so I had high expectations for this. At the same time, I am not that into YA novels so that was my only reason to be hesitant. Thankfully that didn't even matter. I felt totally brought back to my high school self and the pressures of applying to universities, making new friends and navigating those social circles, and high school romances. Happy to say, Talia Hibbert has done it again. I am actually really hoping she does another YA novel.

Where do I begin with the actual story? Celine and Bradley are now sworn enemies, but it wasn't always that way. There was a time when they were paired at the hip and spent all their time together. As they begin their final year of high school, they get thrown together again when they have classes together and end up in a survival course in the woods in order to win a high profile scholarship. We get to learn about what tore them apart the first time and watch them slowly begin to trust each other again. Not only do they become friends again, but they realize they are each others first loves. Wonderful book. Also I can't finish this review without mentioning how wonderful it was to see the bisexual and OCD representation in the character Bradley. This is why I am a loyal Talia Hibbert fan!!! <3

Hibbert's foray into the YA genre is just as delightful as her popular adult series featuring the Brown sisters. Hoping she continues to write more YA. I love that her heroines are always so wonderfully body positive.

This was so good! I loved the banter between the two main characters. They had some real chemistry. I also really appreciated how the author wrote about Brad's OCD. It seems like there was a lot of care and research done by the author. Overall, a well-written, cute romance!

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

So excited to get to read Hibbert's first YA! Celine and Brad are an unlikely couple, which also makes their unlikely relationship work. The back and forth between them is half the fun of the book, and matches the dialogue from Hibbert's other novels in cleverness. I love how through both of our protagonists, we get a sense of being a teen again (regardless of if the reader is or not) and dealing with the many life facets that come your way. I also really appreciated the careful way she chose to represent OCD. There were a few moments that didn't quite hit for me, but overall, a very enjoyable read.