I’ll be honest, I started this book 3 times. The third time I really had to push myself to get into it. The first quarter of the book was hard to read. In the beginning I found the characters odd (but not in a charming way) and unlikable, luckily this perception did change for me. Also, you’re thrown right into the plot with no introduction and it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on and who is who. Once the story picks up speed and I had a better grasp on the characters and their relationships I was able to enjoy it more.

Celine and Bradley are both complex characters. At first I wasn’t the biggest fan of them but I soon grew to love them. I found it really interesting how they have certain personas they present to the world and certain aspects they try to keep hidden. I enjoyed watching Celine and Brad rebuild their friendship. The two of them knew everything about each other and were not able to hide from the other. Often YA books have instalove and it was a nice change to see a realistic, slower approach to having a crush and being in a relationship.

My favorite aspect of the book was the Breakspeare Explorer Program (BEP). The concept of the BEP was really interesting and I wish it was more of the focus. The central focus is really Celine, Brad and their growth. I would have appreciated it if more of the plot was about the program or Celine’s relationship with her estranged father. BEP is used as a vehicle to get Celine and Brad’s relationship rolling. The program was made out to be this rigorous camp but from the little that we read about it it didn’t seem that extreme.

I really enjoyed the friendship dynamics throughout the book, especially at the BEP. Everyone gets along (for the most part) and brings different assets to the group. It’s nice to see Celine be accepted for who she is and even admired. It’s also nice to see Brad be more of his true self and less of the jock front that he puts on in school. The kids at BEP seem like they might be the “outcasts” of their school but while in the program they found friends who accept them for who they are, quirks and all.

I can’t speak to the representation of OCD because that isn’t something I have personal experience with. The author did note that she has OCD so I’m guessing she gives an accurate description of what she has dealt with in her life. It was nice to see OCD being normalized and not stigmatized. Overall, it’s a really cute book that I think will resonate with many teens. I know there will be plenty of people who are able to connect with the characters. I would recommend this book to be added to most YA collections.

First, I'd like to thank NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is Talia's debut young adult novel, and even as someone who doesn't gravitate toward YA I thought it was good! I will be honest, I don't think this is a genre I'll make a point of dabbling in very often, but I really enjoyed how diverse the main and supporting characters were. I know that this story came from a personal place, and that was evident in the way she wrote Bradley, who lives with OCD.

It definitely felt geared toward young adults. As someone who is nearly 30, I had to keep reminding myself that, yes, when *I* was seventeen, I thought my giant crush on a boy would blossom into a beautiful love story and we'd live happily ever after. Of course, reading it doesn't feel realistic now with my years of heartbreak and experience, but I remember those feelings once upon a time, and Talia did a great job writing for that audience. Although I will say, these teenagers felt WAY more mature than most people at that age. But I've always been an old soul myself, so I get it.

The one thing that really missed for me was the absent father storyline. The buildup vs the payoff was just nowhere near even. While I love the journey Celine goes on from wanting to show her dad her worth, to realizing that her dreams have all been motivated by a need to prove something to a man who doesn't care, we don't really get a resolution in the end. And maybe that's the point! But it felt like we built up this entire moment of them seeing each other at this ball...for it to not happen. It's COMPLETELY possible that the final printed version was edited differently from the copy I read, but it just felt odd to me that the book ended and we simply stopped mentioning the dad. Even if it was just him watching Celine accept the internship with Katharine, I just think the resolution for that particular plot line was missing.

Overall, a pretty good read if you like YA! I've rated it a 3.5, rounding down to 3.

✔️ grumpy x sunshine trope
✔️ forced proximity
✔️ ex best friends
✔️ mental health representation
✔️ academic rivals to lovers
✔️ Dual POV
✔️ Figuring out life goals


the title lives up to its content! It's by far the cutest YA ever. I mean I've only read a couple of YAs but this made me giddy a lot!

Celine and Bradley used to be best friends and now enemies. Celine decides to sign up for a survival course in the woods that is offering a scholarship for uni to whoever wins. Brad decides to join her in the competition.

I kind of relate to these two because it's really hard to figure out what you really want in life. I’m 23 and i’m still figuring out 🧍🏽‍♀️

i’m so sorry talia, but i didn’t love this one. :(

Enemies Bradley and Celine are forced to work in close proximity together during a survival course in the wilderness, which leads to the rehashing of pasts, confrontation of true feelings, and reevaluation of futures that were previously unquestioned.

The premise of this was so compelling! I went in with such high expectations, but I found I was a bit let down. There were a few elements that did this in for me: pacing, setting, and repetition.

The story dragged for the first…maybe 60%? After the initial inciting incident, I was thinking to myself, “Okay, let’s get on with it, shall we?” But we didn’t really get on with it! Long-winded scenes made the chapters feel like such an undertaking, and I found myself spacing out constantly.

What a cool setting that I was so excited to experience through the eyes of Brad and Cel! But did I know where we were half the time? Nope. On multiple occasions I was wondering if I missed the part of them finishing the wilderness program? But they were in it basically the whole time? But it didn’t feel that way?

There was a lot of back and forth that ended up feeling so repetitive. The do-they-like-each-other-or-not, are-they-enemies-or-not, are-they-friends-or-not…all of it felt exhausting to keep up with.

I will say I loved that Brad and Cel each got their moment of clarity and got to grow as people, separate of one another. They inspired each other to uncover their deepest wants, but when it came down to it, they were their own independent people, and I think it’s important to write characters that way in a YA.

Thank you to Random House Children’s & NetGalley for the eARC!! (Sorry I didn’t finish the book before release.)

this was just pure happiness! The characters were so adorable and individual, I was so invested in Celine and brads relationship, and their journey towards each other. The chemistry between Celine and brad was stunning they were so perfect together and their banter had me laughing out loud at times.
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the mental health representation was written in the perfect, caring way that is the signature for Talia and I am so here for it. I am always down for a good adventure story and I was obsessed with all of the hiking and adventures that took place.
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overall I am obsessed with this, so excited to have started the year out with a banger.

Tysm to net gallery for the arc and letting me review this cutie of a book for my honest opinion!

First off i loved how cutesy this was and made me laugh at times, I love how we get some rep not only POC but OCD and getting help with having a therapist!
Celine is such a baddy with a huge following on tiktok, but definitely needed some therapy and needed to come out of her shell.
Bradley is a football hunk who has OCD and trying to get into law school.

When there’s this chance to get a scholarship from this BEP the two join and become enemies? Friends? Lovers? Just everything through this and realize what they “wanted” after highschool isn’t what they truly wanted, and they both made changes for better which made me so happy!

hope this is the future of YA literature. Talia’s Brown sisters series is one of my favorite adult romances, and I did everything I could to get my little gremlin hands on an ARC of her first YA—my favorite genre.

Firstly, I cannot express enough how much I love Joy Revolution. The premise, the creators, and the execution are absolutely phenomenal. These are stories that need to be told and loved and cherished, and HSUC is the perfect beginning.

Secondly, I saved this book for my first read of 2023 because I knew it would feel like home going into an uncertain year. And it did—even more than I anticipated. Brad is one of my favorite male leads to date. He is a ball of sunshine while still remaining appropriately teenaged. I have yet to read a representation of OCD as natural as Brad, and I’m in admiration of how Talia chose to use him as a conduit for her own experiences. Celine, as well, is unique and wonderful and wholly herself, flawed and self conscious and seventeen. Making her a conspiracy-theory-debunking TikTok star was brilliant. Putting these two in a forest was even better.

Everything about their relationship was gentle and healthy and heartwarming. I expected to enjoy this, and the result exceeded even that.

Now my librarian notes: With confidence I can recommend this book to teens of any age. It is sex-positive but still wholly appropriate for even younger teens (there is no sexual activity between the two main characters). Brad and Celine are both seventeen and feel maturely and realistically their age, though a bit of that may be because they are British, making it an easy transition to adult romance readers. The premise is fun and fresh and creates a clear plot timeline. Side characters are lovable (though Celine’s friend, Minnie, does seem to fade into the background), and reminded me of the Heartstopper group cast. The writing is exquisite, as always, punchy and thoughtful and humorous. I highlighted in equal amount lines that I want tattooed on my body AND ones that made me laugh out loud.

Overall, I loved this. It’s the new romance I’ll be pressing into the hands of my teens who love romance. Fills the same role as books by Nicola Yoon, Alice Oseman, Jenny Han, Sarah Dessen.

I was disappointed by this book. The description and title lead me to believe that it was a fun rom-com, but it was not. Brad had the potential to be a great male romantic lead, but Celine was a prickly main character that was difficult to care about. The contest both characters were participating in felt like an afterthought. Also, for a shorter book, the plot moves very slowly. I'm sure there are readers who will enjoy this book, but I am not one of them.

As a huge fan of The Brown Sisters series, I've been patiently waiting to read Talia Hibbert's young adult debut. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute was a really adorable read. As always, I enjoyed Talia's writing style — the witty banter and the quirky humour. I enjoyed the setting and the premise — although, I do wish we had more of a focus on the "survival course" aspect and was hoping for more outdoorsy activities. The romance was sweet and cute but I do feel like it fell a little flat for me — while it was sweet, I wanted a bit more chemistry between the two characters.

It was still an enjoyable read and I'm definitely looking forward to picking up more young adult books from Talia Hibbert in the future!

Celine Bagura is in her last year of high school and she has a plan: Make her father regret leaving their family when she wins a law scholarship at a competition his firm is sponsoring. What isn’t in her plan is her former best friend and now nemesis Bradley Graham back in her life, and she’s not hating it. Could she even be falling for him?

I’m a Talia Hibbert fan, and as an own voices author I also appreciated how she accurately represents OCD. Often in her books she represents and normalizes some form of neurodiversity and I love it. This was a great teen read.

Talia Hibbert Perfection

Brad and Celine are enemies who used to be friends but who probably also love each other.

I loved the representation of OCD and therapy as well as the discussions of parent abandonment and the impact it can have. These heavy issues were beautifully explored through a combination of honesty, humor, and understanding.

Both characters has fabulous inner monologues and self awareness that also still felt age appropriate. And their adorably sweet feelings for each other were perfect.

Talia Hibbert's first YA romance was a hit! I was super excited to see one of my all time favorite romance authors (Get A Life Chloe Brown Series), Talia Hibbert, had a January 2023 Release!! Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute did not disappoint.

High School Senior Celine is a type-A, valedictorian-esque, daughter of single mother Neneh (her lawyer father left as a child) who is determined to study corporate law in 'uni.' Her mentor, Katherine Breakspeare, has a camping expedition that will result in a full-ride scholarship and the BEST networking opportunities if she were to win (also Celine's dad is a corporate sponsor, perfect opportunity for Celine to show her dad how much he messed up). Celine's ex-best friend/mortal enemy Bradley Graeme also might join in on the expedition. Can they work together in order to survive the wilderness without sparks (romantic OR otherwise) flying?

SO CUTE.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoy Talia Hibbert’s writing and have loved the books in the Brown sisters trilogy so far, so knew that I had to read her new YA romance and it doesn’t disappoint! It was fun and witty and I really liked the characters. This is a book I would have loved to read when I was a teenager, it’s really just such a good YA romance.

I would recommend!

I love anything Talia Hibbert writes. And this was no different. As far as I know, this is her first YA. And if it isn't, it is the first of hers that I have read. She did such a good job with characters and such a fun plot. Enemies to lovers? Yes please! Rivals are so much fun! And you can feel the animosity slowly melt away the longer you read. There were a few instances of eye rolls when things were a little too political from the authors stand point. Like she had to add in stuff for worldly purposes. But that was just a few. And the book overshadowed it becoming an issue.

Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions contained within are my own.

Y’all know that I am, first and foremost, a reader of fantasy. It’s my home, my comfort genre. But in 2022, I started exploring a genre I hadn’t really delved into much: romance. In doing so, I discovered the work of Talia Hibbert, a Black romance author who writes some of the best banter (and steamy scenes…) I’ve read in my romance journey. So, when I discovered she was going to be having her YA romance debut in 2023, I was curious. Then I saw the cover, read the synopsis, and knew I wanted to get my hands on this book!

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is a friends to rivals to friends to lovers (say that five times fast…) romance that follows our two main characters, Celine and Bradley. Celine and Bradley used to be best friends when they were younger. Then, Bradley threw his lot in with the popular kids and Celine was having none of that, so they part ways. Not amicably, mind you. Now they are sworn enemies who constantly snipe at each other whenever they are within a five foot radius. So, imagine Celine’s surprise and disgust when Bradley ends up signing up for a survival camp right alongside her. Now, they need to work together and, wouldn’t you know it, silly feelings start to get in the way.

After reading this book, I can confirm that I want to read any romance that Talia Hibbert writes, whether it be adult or YA. The wit and charm that I always felt leaking from the pages of her adult romances transferred effortlessly into this YA offering! I loved the banter between Celine and Bradley and the inevitable tension that formed once they were back in each other’s orbit. It was wonderfully written to the point where I verbally said (to my phone as I was reading) “JUST KISS ALREADY!” Love when a romance has me rooting for the main couple so much that I get heated about it 😂 Honestly, I just love Talia Hibbert’s writing in general. It’s engaging, fun, and incredibly heartfelt.

She also knows how to craft some amazing characters! Celine and Bradley are both such fascinating leads in this story. They are interesting, complex, flawed, and just so human that you instantly become invested in their love story. I thoroughly enjoyed how much we get to see their internal struggles as they try and figure out not only their feelings for each other, but life stuff in general. I think that’s an important aspect to highlight in a romance geared towards teens, especially older ones who are at the same stage of life as our main characters. I know reading helped me to process complicated feelings about life and my future when I was that age and I think that this book is a great mix of that and escapism. It’s something I would gladly give to my own teenaged daughter to read and I think she would love it.

And can we talk about the great rep in this book?! We have two Black leads, which *chef’s kiss*, yes, more of that, please. We have casual queerness (you love to see it) and mental health rep. We have characters casually talking about therapy like it’s normal because it freakin’ is. This book is a smorgasbord of much needed and beautifully integrated representation that we need more of in YA books in general and certainly in YA romances. I, of course, can’t speak to the OCD rep as I don’t have it, but the author was recently diagnosed with OCD, so I like to imagine she handled it well.

Overall, this was a stunner of a book that had me feeling a lot of feelings as I sped through the pages. It was light and fun, but also touched on some important topics that I think are important to showcase in books for teens and young adults. The banter was A++, the tension was beautifully done, and I was invested in this love story. In the end, Talia Hibbert has found her way to my ‘favorite authors’ list and I cannot wait to read whatever she comes out with next!

This was such a cute book! I loved watching Brad and Celine’s love grow and was cheesing the whole book. It was my first by the author although I know she is pretty popular! So now I plan to read her other books because I loved this YA romance. Yay for my first read of the year being a good one. Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc 🫶🏽⁣
4/5 ⭐️

Ok.

I will admit that I’m not the intended audience for this ya romance. So take my review with a grain of salt.

I have read The Brown Sisters trilogy by the same author and was very excited for her YA debut. I was equally excited to see that one of the main characters has OCD. I was diagnosed with it last year and have struggled to get myself to a functioning point again. I will say the OCD rep was from the point of view of someone who has already received treatment and is closer to the “recovery” stage than I am or may ever be. I feel like Bradley’s state of mind is one I hope to aspire to one day.

What fell flat for me was the connection between Bradley and Celine. I felt like there was a lot of talking but not a lot of plot to keep me engaged. Also, the myriad of pop culture references took me out of the story. As I stated above, I’m not the intended audience. I feel like a teenager may love all the things I didn’t. I’m a huge Hibbert fan but I think I may stick to her adult romances.

It was very different for me reading a YA book from her instead of a adult romance BUT I still really liked the book and it’s told from two different perspectives. Only reason I didn’t rate it a five star is some areas of dialogue seemed choppy at times.

Talia Hibbert does not miss and that is a fact. This book was adorable, hilarious, and just overall perfect. It carries the signature Talia Hibbert charm which means these characters are going to be occupying my every waking thought for the next few months at least.

The ultimate goal for Celine Bangura is to get a scholarship and a good-paying job and to shove her success in her father’s face. Yet, the existence of Bradley Graeme proves to be a distraction for Celine in her ultimate goal. After these two former friends have a falling out, it results in an intense rivalry for Celine, but for Bradley, their falling out results in resentment. So, as these two become Breakspeare Explorers, they have to work with each other and try to succeed in gaining a full scholarship.

*Minor Spoilers*
I have to admit that I rarely read YA Romance, but Hibbert writes compelling protagonists. These two protagonists’ main worry is their future, especially with college expenses. Perhaps it is because I am pursuing my Master’s Degree, but I understand that gnawing anxiety regarding paying for school and navigating your life around paying back student loans…it is a struggle. Even though I am not too fond of the requirements associated with gaining the scholarship, during the Sherwood Forest expedition, our protagonists start talking about their falling out and becoming closer. Yet, Celine struggles with trust due to her father leaving the family and finds herself weary of trusting Bradley again. As Celine tries to scrutinize her reasoning for not trusting Bradley and rethinking her plan for vengeance against her father, Bradley struggles with his newfound feelings for Celine.

If you want a cute read about former friends turned enemies turned into a cute and supporting couple, this is the book for you.

Thanks again to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an