Brad's a footballer and also a bi king with OCD (literally, not as an overused colloquialism). Celine's at the top of her class with no patience for nonsense and a multistep plan for success that will make her father hopefully cry in defeat and shame one day. And together, they prove that former friends make the bitterest of enemies. Four years ago, their friendship fell apart. Now, they vie for academic prowess and snipe at each other whenever forced into contact.

Our combatants get caught snooping in the library when they're supposed to be completing extra philosophy work. Celine falls, and Brad catches but then drops her. Consumed by guilt over her now broken wrist, Brad offers to drive her to a meeting about a wilderness program run by her idol-- a successful, famous lawyer who serves as the blueprint for all of Celine's dreams. When Brad hears about the competitive university scholarships offered to the top three students at the end of the program, he's inspired to apply, too. This provides ample new fuel for their rivalry.

As the two head into the woods to prove their skills in leadership, teamwork, creativity, etc., they start to reconsider their dynamic. It's also the kind of opportunity that makes them reflect on a lot of the other habits that might not be serving them well. In Brad's case, he wants to be a writer (the Murderbot reference had me like *heart eyes*) but has second-guessed himself into a corner. His mental health has been a cause for worry in the past, and he doesn't want to make a career choice that would revive that experience for her parents. For Celine, there's the matter of how her whole carefully planned life trajectory is aimed at sweet, sweet revenge on her adulterous, abandoning father. This is only one aspect of her general lack of introspection when it comes to anything feelings-related. Celine's two moods as she sees them are "pissed and fine." And while this contributes to her general fierceness, it might not be so great for her mental health.

Hibbert has maybe never been funnier (sure, I always say that, but what if this time it's true?). The book kicks off with a glossary to explain British terms, and even her definitions made me giggle. The banter is no-holds-barred, and Celine's prim, grumpy thoughts are a wonderland of laughs. Laser-focused on her goals, Celine barrels forward with style, but her pointed lack of self-reflection is not only inherently funny but also amplified by Hibbert's keen turns of phrase. She coins several fusion words that I hope will be all the rage to capture the confusing, silly little feelings that plague us. A personal favorite is "sadbarrassment," which feels highly relevant to many situations.

This is a cute ya story that captures growing up in a fun, big-hearted way. There's a sweet romance that takes you on a journey, powerful friendships, and thoughtful family dynamics. In addition to her signature humor, Hibbert treats us to her talent for embracing big life struggles rather than cutting them out in favor of happily ever after. I highly recommend this for fans of the author, whether you typically go for ya stories or not. And genre fans will definitely be happy with this story of not only teen angst but also full personhood (the teacher in me loves to see it). Thanks to Joy Revolution for my copy to read and review!

I initially had my reservations regarding Talia Hibbert writing a YA book after reading through her Brown Sisters trilogy - HOWEVER, this was such a fun read. She writes wonderful character dynamics and such sweet, funny romance. I found myself tearing through this story and absolutely enjoyed it.

I feel like as I’ve gotten older, I have a more challenging time at reading YA. I’ve become so picky! However, this felt authentic and not the least bit juvenile. It felt funny, and real, and she continues to do a great job at world-building and character/relationship dynamics.

Huge fan of Talia Hibbert! My first books of hers were the Brown Sisters, and I was excited to see her dive into a YA romance!

This one definitely did not disappoint. Unfairly cute?? Yep! Great chemistry and banter between Celine and Bradley ✨🫶🏻

Hi Again,

It’s the start of another busy week and a new month, March flew by in a blur and now we are in April. I had a great final week in terms of reading in March (reading or DNFing 5 books in 5 days). I kind of hope to keep this trend up as the year continues as it allows me to get through so many great reads. I will be talking about a lot of those great reads soon but in the meantime, let’s talk about Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute. (Before we jump to spoilers this was not a part of my 5 books in 5 days but I did end up DNFing it, so my thoughts below will only focus on what I actually read).

SPOILERS AHEAD

Bradley and Celine both attend the same school but they are complete opposites. They have a fierce academic rivalry and have no nice feelings towards one another. In the past they were friends but now they can not stand each other. What happened with their friendship to make things so bad that they are now rivals?

I did not get super far into this book, but I did read more about it when I chose DNF. Ultimately as I was reading this book I just kept feeling really disconnected from the story/characters (and I think that is totally on me). Something about the book was just not clicking for me. I will be continuing to try books by this author (I did read the first Chloe Brown book when it came out)! But in the meantime let me know in the comments if you have read this book and what your thoughts are.

Goodreads Rating: 1 Star (DNF)

Hibbert brilliantly captured the voice of two witty young adults while still retaining her signature style that is found in her romances. I loved the dry humor and sarcastic banter between Celine and Bradley, and I appreciate how much of this banter we get starting at the very beginning of the book. There’s also lots of family and friend dynamics that help give us a well-rounded picture of our two protagonists, and there’s superb and tangible character work in Bradley and Celine. Hibbert has a true mastery of language, romance, and character, and I look forward to more of her work in YA Romance.

I didn't realize this book was YA! I did not finish it.

I didn't realize this book was YA! I did not finish it.

This was such a cute YA book! Thank you netgally for this arc. I enjoyed reading their story! Talia Hibbert always writes adorable stories but with depth and emotion.

A friends-to-enemies-to-friends YA romance, with ex-high-school besties making a tentative truce in the name of working together to secure a prestigious scholarship. As in her adult novels, Hibbert folds in themes of neurodivergence within a diverse and multi-layered cast of characters as both MCs learn more about themselves--and each other--and what it means to come of age.

Truly a master class in YA romance and a book that made Talia Hilbert an auto-buy author for me. I never thought a YA romance would have me kicking my feet like this, but here I am. Such a sweet read.

🌸I find it highly suspicious how unfairly cute this book turned out to be. (Corny? Yes ik lol) Did I read the ebook and went out and bought the physical so I can tab? Yes, yes I did 🥰
🌸According to Celine Bangura, she and Bradley Graeme have always been enemies except for when they weren’t and were actually BFFs, and now she’s not quite sure what they are. When they’re both selected to participate in a survival retreat to win a scholarship they realize that they have to work together. In order to do so effectively, they decide to put their rivalry aside and call a truce. Eventually their truce turns into a friendship that have both characters questioning their feelings.
🌸I like how realistic the dialogue and interactions between the characters were. I liked how we followed the characters in their everyday lives as teens and saw their other friendships without losing the plot. Because of that you also come to love the other side characters and the friend group they created.
🌸It was beautiful seeing how supportive the characters were to each other when it came to their mental health and personal struggles. I loved how Talia handled each character and their mental health/struggles with care and didn’t seem to just throw them out there to show representation. You really got to understand how they were affected and how they coped.
🌸I also liked that the romance wasn’t the main plot of the book and that Talia put a lot of emphasis on the characters’ self development by choosing themselves and what they love over pleasing others and succumbing under parental pressure.
🌸The one thing I disliked was the miscommunication that happened but I’m happy it wasn’t dragged out several chapters and it was resolved very quickly.
🌸Overall super cute read would I read it again? Absolutely.
🌸Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

this was SUCH a fun romance novel! i laughed, i (almost) cried, i screamed! i got so attached to these characters. I hope talia writes more YA novels!

It's been awhile since I've read this book but I know I really enjoyed it. I hope to be better about reading books when they are published and making sure to review them on netgalley when I finish them. Thank you for understanding.

I will admit that this book took me a little bit to get into, but once I did I was hooked. This book was so cute, and the banter between the two main characters was so fun. I also really appreciated the mental health representation with conversations around OCD and therapy.

I don't read a lot of YA, but this is one I really enjoyed!

So I found this one to be a little too YA for my taste - the characters make some interesting choices, but this is quite literally a YA so it is probably written for the perfect audience. (They do mention sex and curse a few times but nothing crazy so it probably fits the high school age perfectly) Outside of the YA, this one was super cute and had me laughing out loud. Highly recommend for the adult readers who need a break from steam or people who just love a good rom com.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this story. My review can be found on storygraph, goodreads, amazon, barnes & noble and my instagram (@manymerrybooks).

This was super cute - it did take me a while to get into. At about 20% in i couldn’t put it down and was rooting for all the characters at the camp to get the scholarships they were going after.

I felt that the author did a great job at making the problems the characters were facing extremely accurate to the age they were in. Relationships and friendships do change during school and age transitions and the struggles the MCs were having were accurate and normal for their age.

I tend to not enjoy YA books because they’re not realistic or accurate to what teenagers go through, and this book was realistic and still extremely enjoyable.

I will definitely be revisiting this author.

5 Stars: I loved it

Genre: YA, Romance

You may like this book if you like:
Emma by Jane Austen
To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han
Lovely Complex (Anime)

Summary: Celine and Brad have been ex best friends and mortal enemies since a fight in their youth. Their interactions consist mainly of petty insults and academic rivalry until the two apply for a survival course in the woods that could result in a full ride scholarship for the top “explorer”. As they work together to win, they heal their bond and their relationship grows into something different and new.

Thoughts: This book was wholesome and adorable. The whole cast of characters was great. Our two main characters, Celine and Brad, are very lovable but also struggled with issues such mental illness and abandonment which I thought were handled with care. I loved the banter between Celine and Brad, I thought they were very funny and literally laughed out loud at times. Their relationship is very sweet and tender. I wouldn’t say this book was exciting per se but it was cozy without being boring.

While I’m not the demographic for this book, I legitimately enjoyed reading this as an adult and I’m sure I would’ve liked it had I read it as a teen. Talia Hibbert has flawlessly transitioned her style from adult romance to YA romance. I’m not sure there’s a book by Talia Hibbert that I wouldn’t love at this point.

"Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute" by Talia Hibbert is a delightful romantic comedy that is as charming as it is heartwarming. The novel follows the unlikely love story between its endearing protagonists, whose initial animosity soon gives way to sizzling chemistry and undeniable attraction. With her trademark wit and humor, Hibbert crafts a tale filled with laugh-out-loud moments, swoon-worthy romance, and genuine emotion. Readers will find themselves rooting for the quirky yet lovable characters as they navigate the ups and downs of love and relationships. "Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute" is a feel-good read that is sure to leave a smile on your face long after you've turned the final page.

I think my opinions on this book are more to do with me not being interested in YA contemporary romance anymore rather than the book having inherent problems. I generally love Talia Hibbert but there was just something with this that did not click for me. I liked the characters and thought the chemistry was decent, but I found myself not loving it as much as I had hoped to.

I enjoy everything I’ve read from Talia Hibbert, and this was no exception. Though I don’t read tons of YA anymore, I did have a pretty good time with this one. It did drag a bit in the middle, and I thought it was a tad too long, but overall a fun read.

Talia Hibbert does not disappoint with her foray into YA literature. Her characters are fully realized and I loved watching their growth from rivals to lovers. I will read anything she writes.