I’m a big ol @taliahibbert fan - her Brown sisters series is SO good! So you can imagine my squeal when I got an advanced copy of her upcoming YA novel, Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute 🥰 huge thanks to Talia, @netgalley and @joyrevbooks for gifting me this early copy! It is out on Jan 3 and I highly recommend you preorder it!

I am not a huge YA reader, but this hit all the right notes for me. Hibbert’s signature wit, humor and smart writing shone through aquickly fell for Brad and Celine. They are former close friends turned enemies, though the why is different depending on who you ask (relatable tbh). We quickly learn that they are both highly motivated and dealing with a lot. Fate brings them together for an expedition competition with a massive prize: a university scholarship.

Both Brad and Celine are incredibly well developed and were fun to get to know and easy to root for. I shy away from YA because sometimes the characters and their stories feel very surface level and that couldn’t be further from the truth here. I devoured it and couldn’t stop smiling when I finished.

Make sure to pick it up on Jan 3!

#scottonreads #goodreads #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #netgalley #ya #taliahibbert #joyrevolution #joyrevolutionbooks

It’s deeply impolite to brush your elbow against someone else’s back; that someone else might accidentally suffer a momentary but overwhelming neurological collapse.

I really can’t stand this girl. I wonder how long I get to walk with her.

Sometimes talking to Giselle is like having an angel on each shoulder while the devil lives between your ears.

“Mate. Just marry her already.”
Not a bad idea. Wait, no, I am a teenager. I can’t get married; Mum would cry.

Talia Hibbert never fails. I've gotten through most of her backlist and she has ALWAYS been an absolute fucking legend. And it is that incredibleness and that she's my absolute number one author of all time, that I was never, even of a second, hesitant about how phenomenal this book would be, despite my deep distrust of most YA romances.

Bringing back one of my favorite tropes, and a Talia Hibbert staple, is the reverse grumpy-sunshine where HE'S the sunshine and SHE'S the grumpy. Get a Life, Chloe Brown was my first read with this trope and I have been an absolute goner for the trope (and the book and the series and the author) ever since.

Brad, sweet amazing Brad. Talia said that Brad is who she wishes she could be when it comes to managing her OCD and I just... that makes me so emotional. Not for any good or bad reason. simply because I love how honest that is. That's one thing I can always count on from her, and her books, honesty.

Celine, was a super interesting character to read about and it is the simple fact that she was written by Talia that I love her so much; any other author and I would've been rolling my eyes every time she was on the page which was like 80% of the time. I mean, a TikToker who's very genuinely into conspiracy theories? But Talia fucking Hibbert had to go and make her so amazing and powerful and REAL that I ended up absolutely adoring that child.

I read this book at the end of 2022, and my one and only resolution that I'd made was not to mince my words with people anymore; it's not worth the effort when I know they wouldn't, and don't, do the same for me. And look at what line caught my eye 3 days after I'd made this resolution:

"So what’s the point of mincing words? You know what trying to keep people comfortable gets you? Heartbreak."
- Brad
I think I stalk Talia Hibbert in my dreamscape, that's the only logical explanation.

MVP: Neneh Bangura, an icon

Thank you to NetGalley, Joy Revolution Books and Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really engaging. I loved the OCD representation that was clearly there but managed in a healthy way not only by the character but by the author as well.

The emotional intelligence and growth by both main characters throughout the book was so refreshing. They both made strides to being better people, but also realistically had it come slowly and in spurts.

The only thread that felt unfinished was the dad storyline. I felt like there should’ve been something else to resolve it since it carried such weight throughout the book. But perhaps that’s the point? Sometimes life doesn’t resolve and you have to make do with that is.

Such a cute YA from Talia. Well done.

Talia Hibbert does not disappoint in her YA debut.

Amazing chemistry ✅
Diverse representation ✅
Hilarious banter ✅

I fell in love with Celine and Bradley. Celine is driven, smart, sarcastic, and sometimes emotionally avoidant with a kind, vulnerable underside. Bradley is charming, sweet, athletic, and OCD. The mental health representation is nuanced and spot-on for both characters. I cheered them on as they went from ex-best friends to lovers and wanted to give them both a hug as they navigated personal challenges.

As a high school teacher, I can attest that Hibbert does a fantastic representation of today's teenagers. I'll definitely be recommending it to my students.

I received an ARC from Random House Children's and Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Received this ARC from Netgalley.

I thought this book was very cute. The forest environment was different & I appreciated that it wasn't the regular.

I've come to love Talia Hibbert's books and characters, so I knew I wanted to check out her debut YA novel. As usual, her characters are real and relatable, with insecurities and anxieties and other mental health conditions that so many people deal with.

This was an enemies-to-lovers, but with a little second chance romance mixed in? I enjoyed the dual-point of views from Celine and Bradley, which is always fun to get both perspectives and what the characters are thinking about the same situation.

I think if you've read and loved Hibbert's adult books, you will love this one too!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

Bradley and Celine are ex-best friends and nothing will change that, not even a survival course in the woods where the only people they know are each other. As they work as a team, not only will they have to get through surviving, but also maybe perhaps talking about their past and figuring out why this football (soccer for us Americans) and conspiracy-obsessed Tik Tokker are no longer friends.

I have to start by saying that I absolutely loved this book. I read the first 20% in one night and then the second night devoured the remainder of the book in one sitting. Some things that didn't make this a perfect five star for me was that I wanted more out of the competition portion and I wanted to see more of Bradley and Celine when they were best friends, but besides that I feel like Talia Hibbert scooped this out of my brain and made a perfect YA novel. I have read all of the Brown Sisters trilogy and so I already knew I loved her writing and her relationship building, but I do think Bradley is my favorite love interest of all of her books. I loved him so much, appreciated the OCD representation, and felt like he was a real person. Not to discount Celine either because I also felt like I knew exactly who she was, and I loved the journey we went on with them as a couple but also with their own self discovery. There's no one else I would trust more into a transition from adult to YA and I truly will read everything Talia Hibbert writes.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

To start out I want to thank NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest opinion. I initially requested this book because I have read The Brown Sisters Trilogy by Talia Hibbert and I really enjoyed her writing style and lead characters. I have to say that I was NOT disappointed with Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute.

I found this story to be a page-turner for sure. I absolutely loved Celine as the main character and her "enemy" Brad. I enjoyed that the characters were once friends and we find out why that changed for them. I found their enemy banter back and forth to be entertaining and quick-witted which I really appreciated. I find that sometimes teenage characters can be very drama-filled over foolish things but with these two characters, I did not find that to be the case. I loved that there was depth to them, they each had baggage to carry. Take Celine for example she was raised by a single mother because her father ditched them for another family and has nothing to do with his first family. That is some real trauma to have to deal with especially when growing up. Then look at Bradley who carries an OCD diagnosis as a teen boy and how well he deals with it. As someone who also deals with an OCD diagnosis, I found that Talia Hibbert wrote the illness in a very realistic way. I found that these difficulties did not stop the main characters from going after what they wanted and working toward their goals. In my opinion, I found that to be very refreshing.

If you are looking for a story that makes you feel for the characters and all their flaws then I would definitely recommend picking this book up. I truly enjoyed this story and will definitely be recommending it to people. In my opinion, Talia Hibbert has written another great book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Everything I have written above is entirely my own thoughts and opinions. Again I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

I’ll admit I was very surprised to hear Hibbert wrote a YA romance considering how spice forward her “Brown Sisters” series is but she’s a great author so I had to check this book out. For someone whose adult books are all over smutty BookTok this book is ridiculously wholesome; and I LOVED IT!!

Even with it being written as 2 alternating POVs this book is a quick read. The characters, Brad and Celine, are genuinely likable and relatable but they do have their idiosyncrasies to give them some depth. Big kudos to Hibbert for giving Brad supportive male friends which I don’t think we see a ton of in romance novels.

Overall, if you want something cute and light to read this is a good choice. I will say if you are NOT a regular YA reader you might find this book to be a bit superficial but it’s still a fun read and again, super wholesome!

Thank you to netgalley and Joy Revolution for a gifted e-arc in exchange for my review

What is there to say except that this book is tender and lovely and laugh-out-loud funny in the way that only Talia Hibbert can write? I loved Brad and Celine so so much, they are precious and just figuring things out and so large-hearted. I want everyone to read this book immediately

A full review will be published on January 6th @8:00pm on Instagram and Goodreads @abookwormsgarden.

At over 40, I'm well above the target demographic for this book and while I must say I prefer her Brown series, this story was cute and adorable and will leave you with all the warm fuzzies of the more adult versions. Celine is the strong and independent female character I've come to expect from this author, confident and comfortable in her own skin. She and Bradley were best friends growing up, but when there's a misunderstanding and she refuses to forgive him, they've grown apart. Now they're forced to work together in a program designed to help college bound teens succeed and even win a coveted scholarship. Time spent together hiking and camping in survival situations helps them work out their past and spark hope for a new kind of relationship. I love Bradley's character, so proud and confident on the outside, but dealing with crippling OCD and insecurity on the inside. He was such a sweet teddy bear character.
I'm so happy I got to read an advance reader copy of this book from Penguin Random House. This review is given voluntarily and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

4/5

It's been a while since I've read a truly YA book and I am pleasantly surprised! This book was cute and lighthearted with good pacing but also explored some heavier topics like mental health and absent parents at an age appropriate level. There was a mix of normal high school life alongside a competitive camping adventure and the switch between the two was balanced well. The main characters Brad and Celine were so adorable and experienced a lot of character growth. Their chemistry was electric and their transformation from enemies to friends to lovers was built up so beautifully! Overall this was a really enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to reading more by Talia Hibbert.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thalia Hibbert moved to young adult seamlessly. The book lives up to it's name- the second half of it, anyway. The protagonists were weird and wonderful, and the unlikely pairing is a new favorite.

(ARC from NetGalley) First of all, I have to say this would make a fantastic Netflix or Hulu original movie. This book had the sweetness of Heartstopper, but Talia Hibbert has this very distinct, teasing voice that shines through. We meet Bradley and Celine as enemies/academic rivals and slowly dive into their friendship breakup. Throughout a series of outdoorsy enrichment activities, Brad and Celine realize how they ended up this way and that they must be mature almost adults and emote (unfortunately).
This was an absolute delight and I can’t wait to see more from the Joy Revolution imprint.

P.S. Great representation of OCD!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Joy Revolution for the eARC in exchange for this honest review.

I have not read any of Talia Hibbert's other works (but I definitely will be now), but have read a lot of YA romance because my high school students are always looking for romcoms. I will be highly recommending this one to them and anyone else who needs a funny and charming YA Romance.

The story is told from both Celine and Brad's perspectives and takes place over their senior year of high school. Though they used to be friends and have now become enemies their banter is realistic and cute and you are rooting for them both from page one. They have a grumpy sunshine thing going on though Brad's sunshine is sometimes obscured by his OCD.

I loved the mental health representation of this book as it doesn't define Brad, but is instead just part of who he is. Both characters have family and personal obstacles to tackle on top of their wilderness expedition, but that brings more emotional depth to this story and makes them both more relatable. I don't want to spoil anything by saying more, but just read it.

I am not into camping in the slightest so I knew that in order for me to enjoy this, Talia was going to have to give it all she got. And I can genuinely say that she did. HSAUC is that laugh out loud and scrunch up your nose at the utter cuteness type of YA book. Not only is the pacing great, but it is really easy to fall in love with both Celine and Brad as people. I also really enjoyed the way she tackles an absentee parent. This is something I struggle to wrap my head around (the audacity of a human to abandon their children) so to see Celine’s very valid frustrations morph into some version of healing was beautiful to read. Kids can’t control what their parents do, but I truly admire those who let their parents mistake push them to be better versions of themselves. YA has been real hit or miss for me lately but the combo of Talia, Celine and Brad were definitely a hit! (less)

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Children's Joy Revolution for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and give my honest feedback.
This is my first Talia Hibbert book. I've heard her books were great but have never had a chance to read them.
I was really looking for a good way to end 2023. I wanted a fast read and this one fit the bill. The pace was perfect, the characters completely likeable, the story cute and romantic and funny! A great way to end the year for sure!
When I read the blurb for this book, I knew I had to request it. It just sounded like so much fun. And I was not wrong.
First, the characters. Hibbert does a fabulous job with character development. Even for those minor characters. Celine is a high achiever who says nothing will stand in her way of getting what she wants. Yet, she encounters a huge barrier she never knew was really there. Brad Mr. Popular who branched out and left Celine behind. Counter them with Jordan, Minnie, Aurora, Sophie, and Raj, and you have a group of amazing characters who help this story move along at a fast pace!
The plot is adorable. I am always down for a cute romance where you know in the end the characters will of course be together but you have to get through all their "stuff" first to get there. Inevitably there is the miscommunication and then the resolution. And it all gets tied up in a perfect little bow at the end.
I don't know much of England, just the London area, so I will say I was not able to really picture much in my mind but I don't think that took away from being able to form a picture I know is probably close.
I loved how the author put a little guide in the front of the book for us non-British chumps who may have had no idea what some of their colloquialisms mean. Honestly, I don't think I really would have needed it as it was easy to understand from the circumstances what things meant, but it was nice to have it in case I needed it.
I love me a good enemies (but really, were they ever truly that) to friends story! Overall, this was a truly enjoyable read and I'm glad I picked it up to end the year on a 5 star rating! I'll definitely be exploring Hibbert's other books.

HUGE fan of Talia Hibbert over here! I truly loved her Brown Sisters series and had high hopes for this as her first YA romance. It was good, but not my favorite.

The characters were lovable and I felt like I knew them really well. The tension between friends and a romantic relationship was great and not overdone like some novels are.

What really didn’t do it for me was the pacing. We skipped forward in time often and it left me feeling like I missed something. It bothered me enough that it lost 2 stars. I also didn’t connect with many of the minor characters, unfortunately. I wanted to know a little more about them.

Overall, this was good!

This was a cute story but it felt rushed to me. Celine and Brad went from hating to having feelings with no real reason why that I could tell. I love Talia's writing style but this didn't quite work for me.