Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an e-galley of Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute.

Talia Hibbert's YA debut does not disappoint! The relatability of her characters transcends her writing and I loved Bradley and Celine as much as Chloe and Red.

Celine has a plan and a path. Bradley has the weight of his parent's expectations. When they both decide to sign up for the same survival course, their already precarious friendship will be put to the test. Will they make it out of this competition better together or stronger apart?

This is an utterly delightful YA romcom, which is not the least bit surprising considering Talia Hibbert pretty much never misses with any of her books, from indie to traditionally published romances, and now she's more than proven herself in the YA demographic. I cannot wait to get a hard copy of this.

It was such a joy to be back in Talia Hibbert's writing! I was so excited to read her YA debut but I was nervous, especially because she's so well known for her steamy adult romances. But her character-building and witty banter were still present throughout! This was so great and I'm excited to read anything and everything by Talia Hibbert!

4.5 stars

I won't lie, I was nervous about this book when I first heard about it. I love Talia Hibbert for her romance books, as in her steamy, adult romance so when I heard that she was writing a YA romance, I was...skeptical. I used to love YA and still do from time to time but obviously as a woman in her twenties I'm not really the target audience and it doesn't really have a lot of the elements that I look for when I'm reading a book. However, I am glad that I gave this book a chance because I actually really, really enjoyed it!

I think my favorite part of this book was the reverse grumpy/sunshine trope and how both characters grew so beautifully throughout the book. Of course I would love an ending that gave us more of a glimpse into their future and to see them as adults, living their dream lives but for some reason, HFN endings seem to be popular with contemporary YA so I wasn't too shocked or disappointed. I think this book showed me that no matter what Talia Hibbert writes, chances are I'm going to love it (and you will too).

I’ve missed Talia Hibbert’s writing and characters so much! This was truly a very cute and fun read. The cast of characters were great and in true Hibbert fashion, the dialogue was so funny and charming. Thanks netgally for the e-arc!

Absolutely adorable and I loved it. I highlighted so many sections, but I ended up wanting more at the end!

Title -- amazing.
Cover -- amazing.
Characters -- amazing.
Talia Hibbert's writing -- amazing.

The only reason I couldn't give this one five stars is because Talia's adult books are so good that I was missing the steam in this YA debut! But so excited for her incredible wit and charming characters to read a new audience.

Fan of Talia Hibbert I liked her books and this is her 1st YA book and thankfully Netgalley and the publisher approved my ARC. Honestly, I am not a fan of enemies to lovers trope at first I did not like it, so much fighting and a little bit annoyed because it's more on the teenage side but definitely its for them, young readers will love it. As I dive in to the story it was good. The characters were fighting for what they want in life, typically wanting to achieve their goals and studies and hiding feelings that young adult readers will definitely relate to.

This was so cute!
Friends to (academic) rivals to lovers

Somehow I didn't realize this was YA until after I started it (this is what I get for avoiding blurbs like the plague) .
Having read The Brown Sisters trilogy, I assumed this was going to be adult. And I'm kind of glad I did because I might not have picked this up otherwise and that would have been an injustice.

I am obsessed with Talias writing and her ability to create these multifaceted characters. Celine and Bradley are so sweet, I absolutely love them and the way they support each other. They have made me see what people love about friends-to-lovers.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 starts rounded up

Okay…. I was hooked from start to finish. I absolutely ADORED this book!

Celine and Brad are so precious. I’m not usually a fan of childhood friends to lovers books, but this one DELIVERED. The banter had me cracking up the entire time.

The pacing was great— I was intrigued on why they stopped being friends, and I thought the timing on when that all was revealed was perfect. And I loved how we got to see them actually be together, instead of how in some books it’s all buildup and then they date for like a page and then it’s over.

I have such a crush on Brad. He is so sweet and quirky and caring and serious and funny. What a sweet baby that I just want to squeeze and reassure that everything will be okay.

Celine was irritating at first, but as I got to know her I really came to respect her. She is so sassy and bossy and she knows it, but she’s never mean or dishonest. Her conspiracy TikToks were so funny, I need HowCelineSeesIt to be a real channel.

I loved all the side characters too. I am SO here for supportive families, so Brad and Celine’s families just melted my heart. Minnie is such a good, empowering friend to Celine and I love her for that. Jordan is the most precious bro friend probably ever, and Donno was a great foil to Brad.

Overall: this was a solid read! I genuinely loved it. I read it while stuck in bed with the flu, and it was the perfect escape to the Scottish forest. If you want something sweet and light and somewhat free of pointless drama, this is for you!

I LOVED this book. The representation for both sexual orientation and mental illness. I loved the friendship they shared and the development of their character and their love. I would HIGHLY recommend this book!!

I really enjoyed this YA book! It’s not my typical genre but it was a fantastic deviation from my typical reads

I fell madly in love with Talia Hibbert when so many others did. When I devoured the Brown Sisters books. So to see her first Young Adult novel? How could I not jump at the chance to read this!

This ADORABLE rom-com is enemies to lovers and grumpy sunshine tropes in the most perfect way. And as always, Ms. Hibbert weaves a chronic (mental) illness into her lead character naturally. For so many of us, this is what drew us to her work to begin with, and she's done it again!

I'm so thrilled to have one of her books that I can recommend to younger readers! Talia Hibbert has done it again <3

I knew I would love it, and I love it when I'm right.

I'm a huge fan of Hibbert’s “Brown Sisters" series, and I jumped at the chance to read her YA debut (via Nicola and David Yoon’s new publishing house). Wit, banter, and charm are Hibbert’s modus operandi, and it's in no short supply here. Like with her adult books, I found the beginning a bit slow, but once Celine and Bradley get to the wilderness expedition, it picks up into ideal rom-com territory.

Speaking of, Celine and Bradley are an exemplary "black cat GF and golden retriever BF” pair. They have right proper banter (Love Island? Anyone?) and their progression to romantic love is believable. Some of the side characters are a bit two-dimensional, but they are entertaining, none the less.

You know when a YA character has a mental illness, like OCD or anxiety, and it's obvious that the author threw that in for relatability, and not for actual development or representation? Not here, my friends. Bradley has OCD, and Hibbert blends this in seamlessly.

Have I mentioned that it's also riotously funny? Because it's so damn funny.

I. Love. This. Book. !!!

I was so excited to see Talia Hibbert writing YA (I loooved Chloe Brown), and she did not disappoint!

Two very bright high school seniors, Celine and Brad, used to be best friends, but now are archenemies who totally despise each other (or do they?😉). With University right around the corner, they end up competing for a scholarship by participating in a survival course in the woods.

The witty banter in this book was perfection, along with the realistic stressors that high school students deal with entering the next steps of their lives. Also, the OCD rep was great. I don’t see much of that in books, and I really appreciated it.

Read if…
- you enjoy enemies to lovers
- you like educational settings/topics
- you like Talia’s other work

5/5 stars and I highly recommend!

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is the novel that you’ll need/ want to be reading heading into the new year. This enemies to friends to lovers young adult story is a hit!

Bradley Graeme is the perfect football player athlete who cannot do anything wrong. Or so it seems to ex best friend Celine Bangura.

Celina is the TikToker who is obsessed with conspiracy theories and Katharine Breakspeare. Learning that Breakspeare his opened up her academy to those still in school, she quickly signs up and is accepted to take part in an adventure of a lifetime. While camping and nature may not be in her skill suit, she will not let anyone tell her no. Especially not Bradley Graeme, who as fate has it is also in the program.

Both are made to work together to win the grand prize of an internship and more if they reach the end of the outdoor adventure. Yet as they continue to be successful, each realizes that they may be wrong about one another and what happened in the past. Let the games begin.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is one of my favorite young adult reads of the year. The care that Hibbert showed as the crafted Bradley and his OCD made me a fan of hers. Both characters viewpoints are told in depth and were brought to a satisfying end.

I finally understand why people love Talia Hibbert so much, and I will be reading the Brown Sisters books very soon now that I understand her brilliance. This book was an absolute delight; it is endlessly witty, incredibly fun, and just wonderful and amazing and spectacular.

Ooooooh (probably should not start an official review this way but I just can’t help it). I was so intrigued by Talia Hibbert writing YA but she did not disappoint.

I thoroughly enjoyed Celine and Bradley. Celine is a social media presence in a book that doesn’t make me want to poke my eyeballs out. (This is a feat!) and Bradley is an athlete/boy next door who has his own demons.

It hits on great thinking points for teens- my favorite being the question of “what is fueling my ambitions?”

It’s snark. It’s friendship. It’s betrayal.

“Because what’s the point of believing in everyone’s else’s vision if I don’t believe in my own?”

Side bar; I am very excited to learn about Joy Revolution

This book! It should come as no surprise to any fan of Hibbert’s, but this book is perfection. She continues to represent disability and mental health with compassion, building a rich reality that shows the full human. This book still brings all the sweetness, the rapport, the banter, all of the stuff that shines in her adult romance but in a sweet, real YA package. Recommend for teens and adults both who enjoy the combo of friends to more, “enemies” to more, etc… I loved rooting for Celine & Bradley ❤️

Rating 3.5

I liked the characters and their relationship. I think they had a lot of growth throughout the book. I didn't realize this was YA, but I didn't mind it. The pacing was a little off and I think that the competition should have been a bigger part of the book, but other than that, i liked it.