https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5186892609

One thing Talia Hibbert won't do? Miss.

This was the cutest little romcom. Talia has such a way of bringing characters to life and I felt like I was going through the rollercoaster with this pair! The ONLY reason I didn't give this a higher rating is because I just wasn't the target demographic, honestly. Back to new adult reads I go!

THAT being said - I would've loved this FAR more if I was a teenager or someone who likes a lighter read. If you want fluff + tension + a ton of kicking and squealing, this is for you!

I will admit that this did not work for me as well as Hibbert's adult romances. I read plenty of YA, but often they suffer from being so cute without the heft of an adult book. This one absolutely has heft, and a great deal of fun, but it just never fully clicked for me. That said, it is pretty funny. It is indeed very suspicious, and extremely cute. So if you find yourself interested in reading a fluffy and hilarious romance with a little bit of outdoor adventure and a lot of friends to enemies to lovers, this could be your jam. I also found that the treatment of OCD alone to be great- not only is it legit lived experience that informs the character, but it was perfectly expressed in a way that felt true and valid and also not an excuse.

Grumpy sunshine to the max. All the tropes. I have convinced myself into liking it more than I initially thought! 4 stars.

Absolutely adorable. A refreshing change from the cliche YA and I’m ace category with two lovable main characters. Could not ask for more from Talia Hibbert.

With references to Derry Girls and Vulfpeck, there’s no surprise that Talia Hibbert’s new YA romcom is a delightful treat. The story highlights youth who struggle with OCD, abandonment, and the constant need to strive for perfection. A best friend, to enemy, to lovers trope that will make your heart smile. Celine is a fierce bad ass, and Bradley is a sweet baby angel. When the two former best friends are forced to spend time together after several years, they quickly realize it might not be so easy to become friends again, as feelings start to get in the way. So funny, so delightful! I highly recommend :) thank you to Netgalley for an ARC copy of Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute!

This is my first Talia Hibbert book and I wanted to like it more than I did. I loved the concept but I really expected and wanted more camp/woodsy aspects than what we got. I also found the main character to be way too mean and aggressive for me to like it. I loved the diversity and awareness to many things such as OCD but overall this one wasn’t for me

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Author: Talia Hibbert

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: Plus Size Black MC, Black Bisexual Male MC with OCD, Black characters, Character with Dyslexia, Character with Celiac Disease, Queer Character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, romance, contemporary, UK set, rivals to lovers, wilderness exploration, LGBT, Black MCs, mental health

Publication Date: January 3, 2023

Genre: YA Romance

Age Relevance: 16+ (anxiety attacks, cursing, religion, underage alcohol consumption, abelism, sexual content, romance)

Explanation of Above: There are a couple of short scenes showing some anxiety and anxiety attacks as well as some OCD tendencies and talk, especially with germs, dirt, etc. There is some cursing in this book. There is one mention of underage alcohol consumption. There is one slightly abelist comment. There is slight sexual content mentioned and there is some romance.

Publisher: Joy Revolution

Pages: 336

Synopsis: Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He's a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption--yet, she's still not cool enough for the popular kids' table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that's how Celine sees it.)

These days, there's nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she's surprised to find Brad right beside her.

Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

Review: For the most part I thought this book was fun. I loved the rivals to lovers storyline and it was a great fast paced read. The book had amazingly well written characters and it was so easy to get into the mindset of the two MCs. The duel POV felt very well written and helped drive the plot forward a lot of the times. The character voices felt distinct and the world building was well done as well. I also loved that this was a British YA romance book as I don’t think I’ve read many of those.

However, I did have some slight issues. I felt like some of the plot was a bit rushed in the beginning and that the book finally felt in pace with itself towards the end. Some of the references are a bit dated in this book and some of the writing was a bit disjointed. The writing also, at points, felt a bit forced as well. I also had a tiny concern about one of the MC’s fascination with conspiracy theories. It’s brought up a bit, supposedly what made her “famous” on TikTok, but it’s never really shown in her personality and the pun of the title never really came through. As someone who’s also a bit of a conspiracy theorist, that was one of the main draws of the book to me and I’m kinda sad that didn’t shine more in the book. There’s also a very slippery slope when it comes to conspiracy theorists and extremists, which I thought could have used maybe some commentary.

Verdict: It was good overall!

I was given an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

Celine and Bradley are the ex best friends turned enemies and were they end up competing for the same college scholarship.

I really enjoyed this book and thought the wilderness part would have been more pronounced. However, parts felt rushed, the pacing was odd and I never at any point cared for the characters.

Bradley Graeme and Celine Bangura are rivals. They weren't always rivals but they are now and that's all that matters to them - or so they say.
Nobody talk to me unless it's to praise this book. I'll admit I was initially disappointed to see this was Young Adult because I've loved all of Talia Hibbert's adult romances and thought this would be a let down. How stupid was that!? I have learned my lesson and will never doubt Talia's genius ever again.
This was SO sweet. SO funny. SO tender and magical. I can't say how much I appreciated Bradley's OCD rep - and I appreciated even more that he had already learned how to cope with it. Sometimes OCD rep can be exhausting on my own mental health and can send me spiraling but this was such a refreshing and hopeful place for him to be coming from a place of management instead of drowning.
I cannot praise this enough. I'm obsessed.

Talia Hibbert has been on my radar for long, but I’ve been putting off reading her books just like the other books on my ever-growing TBR. With this book, I realized I need to get to them ASAP because Highly Suspicious & Unfairly Cute was the it book for me.

There’s so much goodness packed in this book I inhaled it in one day. If you are looking for a new YA Romance to start, go with this book.

Read Highly Suspicious & Unfairly Cute if you like-
• Camping
• Hate to Love
• Strong Family Bond
• Secret Relationship
• Grumpy Sunshine Romance


A huge thanks to TBR and Beyond Tours, Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the DRC!!

thank you to netgalley and random house children’s for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts :)

talia hibbert has done it again!!! highly suspicious was a fun, wholesome, good time of a ya romance <3 the characters were so lovable and the plot was just a fun time. i continue to be amazed by how well talia hibbert writes banter! really enjoyed my time reading this and can’t wait for more talia hibbert ya (hopefully) and adult romances in the future <3

guyssssss this book is the one 🥹

it’s so incredibly good and adorable, i found myself giggling and kicking my feet and it’s just so adolescent. i loveeee celine and brad so so much they’re relationship was one i could not only relate to but i found so fresh and rewarding. i loved it.

Based on the reviews I have seen, my opinion of this book is not the norm. All the other reviews I have seen have been 4+ stars. I went into it with such high expectations because I loved Talia Hibbert's other books but this just did not do it for me. Also, to be fair this is a YA and I am far passed the age of being considered a young adult.

I just could not connect with these characters which is such a shame because I have absolutely adored Talia's previous characters.

If you are in your early 20s I would say to give this one a go. If not, I think I'd stick to her other books.

I didn’t like this book as much as I anticipated I would but that’s probably because I didn’t like Bradley for just dumping Celine once he got popular and I was biased from the beginning. Talia Hibberts writing remains fantastic. Her ability to emerce the reader into an environment remains stellar. Overall, this was just okay for me but I definitely love Talia Hibbert and will read anything she writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Publishing for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to read this and while I did in the end enjoy the story I found it to be kind of slow since it didn’t really hold my attention so I had to really focus as I moved through the story. The characters were well written and it had great banter that I enjoyed but some parts just started to feel repetitive. Overall it was a cute and funny story just kind of drawn out.

First of all, I LOVE Talia Hibbert's writing, books, everything. So I was so very excited when I had the chance to review this arc. I can't tell you how adorable this book was! I loved being there with Celine and Bradley as they figure out their relationship...hate and love are often the other side of the same coin. This book has overcoming what you think you know and plan for yourself, sticking up for what you love, and camping. I also love how Talia brings forth something that so many people have and live with (OCD) and educates while having it seamlessly be a part of the story. This YA romance is just what you need to read this year.

4.5
I love me a Talia Hibbert novel.
I have to admit I’m not into YA anymore and that’s okay.
However I liked this story about Celine and Brad and the lines that had me laughing out loud. One of my favorites “not with these lashes. She bats her falsies at me (I think I feel a breeze)”

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review.

this was, indeed, unfairly cute.

i remember thinking to myself when i read my first talia hibbert book over a year ago that her voice would lend perfectly to YA. i am pleased to announce that i was correct. highly suspicious and unfairly cute is everything i love in a talia hibbert book: voicey, compulsively readable and full of heart. the humour is just as brilliant as always—only talia hibbert could have me giggling at a glossary! her characters are three dimensional and impossible not to root for and the main romance is equally compelling (and downright adorable).

Talia Hibbert is a must-read author for me. I requested an ARC for this book before realizing it was YA. When I finally noticed, I was a bit nervous. YA just hasn't been hitting right with me lately. But I had to give it a shot. And I'm so so so happy I did!

This was just pure fun, dripping with cheese and laughs. I found myself sneaking chances to pick up the book anytime I had a down moment—at the dentist's office, waiting in line, while my partner was in the bathroom at the bar. Anywhere!

I was so happy to see Talia Hibbert's strong voice carry over to this from her adult books. The wit and pace of her narration are so engaging and absolutely delightful.

And her characters are complex, three-dimensional beings—something I was scared would get lost in YA. But these young characters have so much going on in their lives, and they tackle those problems in a realistic, youthful way—often incorrectly. I loved seeing the mistakes and subsequent growth in each of our protagonists. This felt like a piece of their journey and that they would go on to entire lives afterward.

Overall, what a joy to read! I had so much fun and will be picking up anything from Talia Hibbert in the future—YA or adult—no questions asked!

I fell in love with Talia’s books with The Brown Sisters trilogy and this one did not disappoint! Her first YA novel it didn’t have the steam of her romances, but it had the chemistry and it was just so cute! So sweet and heart warming, I loved it!

I'm a huge fan of Talia Hibbert's adult romances, so I was super excited to pick up her YA debut. As a fan of both childhood friends-to-lovers and academic-rivals-to-lovers, I was always destined to fall in love with Bradley and Celine. Their banter is top notch. I actually don't know which character I related to more. Celine and I are both overachieving weirdos with control issues who get insecure trying to make new friends. Bradley and I are both bisexual aspiring authors, and though I don't have OCD, many of his symptoms are familiar from my own struggles with my anxiety disorder. They challenge and support each other so well, even when they think they're mortal enemies, and I cannot get enough of it.