what a cute YA contemporary romance. I loved it.
Our two main characters sucked me right into the plot, and I couldnt put it down. I am a sucker for enemies to lovers, and extra points for the banter!!

This was so nice. I was immediately pulled in by our two main characters. Loved their conflicts and how they weren’t solely consumed by each other but also focused on their futures. Just amazing. I loved the banter and while Celine got on my nerves bad I understood and was so happy for her when she finally figured out she’s better off not thinking about that man and Brad was a sweetheart loved how he was able to explain what he wanted to his parents and cel. I just about died of giggles at Trev catching cel in the middle of her love declaration for his son. SO CUTE LOVED IT

Talia Hibbert’s books are automatic reads for me as she always writes amazing books with non-neurotypical characters which I enjoy. If you’re looking for a sweet, funny YA read, look no further.

<I>"No. No, that's not what happened at all. Brad is not just a boy, he is a person -- he is an *important* person -- and it's okay to have feelings, even if those feelings are about people, even if those feelings come before perfection every so often. I know this. I believe this."</I>

TL;DR: A fun, fluffy-with-an-serious-edge rom-com read about Brad (charming, athletic, Mr. Popular who has OCD and is an aspiring author) and Celine (sarcastic, smarter-than-you-and-knows-it Cambridge Aspirant & Future Lawyer) who reconnect while "fighting" for a prestigious scholarship. Hibbert nails the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope (it's tricky to execute the "enemies" part without wading into this-is-toxic-and-unhealthy territory, but Hibbert's characters are relatable and real, and their "enemy-ship" is based on all-too-common-but-nonetheless-accurate adolescent misunderstandings and grievances).
<b><I>I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</b></I>

Vibes: 10 Things I Hate About You + Salute Your Shorts (IDK why! I kept thinking about this during the forest scenes)

Genre: YA Rom-Com

Romance Meter: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 ♡
We lean *heavily* into the romance on this one and I didn't mind at all.

Character MVP: Celine. Teenaged me would have related to her so much.

Verdict: 3.5 stars, rounding up, because (1) I thought Hibbert nailed the ending, and (2) this is a book Teenaged Me needed to have read and I would absolutely rec/gift it.

What I Loved:

✓ -- I loved Celine's character. I know that Brad is the sweet, charming guy, and he was endearing throughout the *whole* story (i.e., he wasn't revealed to have a toxic trait 3/4 of the way through, or did something stupid and out-of-character that made us as readers roll our eyes and go "well, that was unnecessary), but Celine spoke to me on a visceral level.
I loved that she was smart, and unapologetic about that.
I loved that she was flawed, and came to understand that.
I loved that she realized she needed to work on herself, and she did that.
And I loved that she realized that the pursuit of perfection doesn't mean anything if (1) you're doing it for the wrong reasons and (2) you don't have anyone by your side. Young Adult Me learned that lesson way too late, because it wasn't a story I saw enough of when I was younger.

✓ -- The other part that I really appreciated was the group dynamic of the Breakspeare scholars. The premise was you take this group of gifted and talent, Type-A, overachieving ambitious students and put them together to compete for a scholarship. But the emphasis really was on teamwork and being a functioning member of a group -- the douchey braggart was eliminated quickly, and the drama / conflict of the story didn't revolve around Celine (or Brad) getting into toxic competitions with the other scholars. The emphasis was on forging actual connections and friendships, and I really appreciated that.

✖️ -- The one thing I wanted more of was that Breakspeare content, though. It was such an integral part of the story -- it was what brought Brad and Celine together, it was the driving event of the plot -- but sometimes those scenes were glossed over really quickly in order to get back to the romance. And I get that it *is* a romance, so I understand why, but I would have liked to see more of the friendships outside the romance.

I'll definitely be picking up more of Talia Hibbert's books up over the summer though.

My goodness, I just love Talia Hibbert. Her writing is so great, it made me enjoy a YA novel. It was a really cute book, and even though I just finished it a couple of hours ago, I’ve already recommended it to my niece. I love that I’m 36 and could still find little things to relate to.

The relationship between Celine and Brad was really cute, and you could definitely feel that insecure teenage yearning. I didn’t miss the spice at all. I liked the progression of the characters. Not only within themselves and the core romantic relationship, but with their friends as well.

I have so many favorite things about the book. The first being that Talia takes on mental health issues, and it’s always so well done. They’re not made to feel bad, or weird about them, it’s just who they are and they’re accepted. I think the same goes for there being a plus size MC. Brad says she’s beautiful and it’s never in spite of her being large, or even because of it. It’s who she is, and she is beautiful.

Something so real that I loved about the book SEMI-SPOILER ALERT was that her relationship with her dad remained horrible and estranged. I think too many authors would have tried to give her a reconciliation with him, when more often than not, that is not the norm.

This book, as all of hers are, was so well done. I can safely say that Talia is an author that I will automatically buy, she’s just that great.

I have been a big Talia Hibbert fan for a while and was so excited to see her releasing a YA book! Her characters have the same wit, sarcasm, and charm as her adult characters, but still feel very authentically teenager.

The romance was cute, but being able to see the characters grow was so much more the focus. This self-discovery and self-acceptance is always great to see in a book aimed at teenagers. I hope to see more like this in the future.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute was a great book. I loved both main characters. I listened to the audio book, which made it ten times better. The accents helped move the story along for me. But this is a great coming-of-age story. They are considering their futures, college, love, family, and more. It’s a great book that I think all should read. It’s sometimes awkward between the two but, isn’t that how it's supposed to be? Fantastic book. I would recommend it to any of my friends.

Thank you so much @JoyRevBooks for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 03 January 2023)

SYNOPSIS | Celine is an overachiever who has set her sights on attending a survival retreat with the hopes of winning a lucrative university scholarship. The only problem is that her school rival is also going on the same retreat.

WHAT I LIKED:
- mental health (ocd) representation
- top notch witty banter
- discussion around being worth more than your achievements
- I think this is the first book that I've read where TikTok is explicitly mentioned

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- I didn't feel connected to the characters individually or the romance like I hoped I would
- we skipped huge chunks of the school year & this time could have been used to deepen the rivalry or build tension
- maybe YA romance just isn't my thing anymore but I felt like the genre choice worked against the romance here (it just felt very watered down)

3.5/5

Thank you Netgalley and Talia Hibbery for gifting me a copy of your book in return for my honest opinion.

This was indeed a very cute book, this was my first book by Talia Hibbert and it left me wanting more. Was it a good YA novel that hits on realistic topics that teens interact with in every day lives, yes but it just was a little dull to me. For me I feel like the pacing was off in places and the character development was lacking and I would have like to see a little more.

I loved how inclusive the novel is and how it touches on mental health. It was't preachy in anyway it was a really good picture of mental health and the struggles. I also like the banter in the book, at points I found myself laughing out loud with some of the lines while reading.

All in all a cute book, I wouldn't read it again but it had really get aspects to it that made parts special. While other parts were forgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and JoyRevolution for the ARC

“I love Bradley Graeme. As in, would give him a kidney, would wash his socks, would turn into a supervillain if he died.”

4.5/5 stars, rounded to 5!

Celine and Brad are best friends gone sour. Celine hates Brad, and the feeling seems to be mutual. Then Brad ‘accidentally’ fractures her wrist and signs up for her wilderness survival course to compete for a scholarship. They’re forced to work together to finish the challenges, digging up their past. Only, they can’t tell if the survival course is driving a further wedge between them or bringing them back together.

Talia Hibbert’s writing is so special. I don’t know how she animates these little characters she just makes up in her head so well. Celine is so wonderful and she feels like a real girl who I just want to give a hug. The handling of her issue with her dad is such a hopeful message. You don’t have to forgive and forget to earn peace, but you can release it, for your own sake. Her relationship with her mother and sister is so beautiful.

And Brad! Writers that can encapsulate what it must feel like in that person’s head are so insanely talented and sometimes Brad’s chapters feel very panicky and very intense, but that’s the genius of her writing. On top of that, Brad is lovely -- soft, bi, kind MMCs are so refreshing and I love him for it.

The side characters are also so wonderful (Raj and Aurora are *chef’s kiss*). Maybe I’m out of touch, having been out of high school a few years, but these interactions of the younger gen actually seemed genuine, as opposed to cringe-y as some authors make it.

Okay. The romance: The chemistry? Off the charts. The playful banter? Playful as hell. The flirting? Cheesing so hard because it’s. SO. CUTE. The pining? Unbelievable. Oh my God.

Anyway. TL;DR: This (magical) book is full of real, well-rounded characters and squeal-worthy, cheese-worthy romance and banter and pining. It handles sensitive topics well and has lots of rep that doesn’t feel like forced rep. This book is just a wonderful pot of cuteness and softness and I can’t recommend it enough!

This was absolutely adorable and Talia Hibbert can do no wrong. Whether it's adult romance or YA, Talia Hibbert just continues to hit it out of the park. The banter in this was perfect and I loved the different mental health and disability rep, especially the OCD portrayal. Talia Hibbert will continue to be an auto buy author for me.

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!