Y'all have no idea how unfairly, indubitably, incredibly CUTE this YA romance was! Bradley and Celine have the sort of young adult charm that makes your teeth rot from smiling so much. They're sweet and wholesome, witty as can be, yet also nuanced because of some emotionally avoidant tendencies, abandonment issues, and super real struggles with OCD they face.

For those of you who, like me, are no longer teens, this story was ripe with first love nostalgia and I think you'll enjoy being able to sink into that. Personally, it thrust me back to a simpler, rather innocent, yet altogether more confusing time when intensity of emotion still ran high and every new flutter of my heartbeat could be felt keenly with a rushing vibrancy that painted life and romance in hues strong enough to taste. I enjoyed being swept up in that again. Remembering how one look, one moment, or one misspoken word could feel like the end of the whole world as I knew it.

(Sometimes I still grow wistful for those days of old.)

I also liked that this read like a coming of age tale as well a romance, with Brad and Celine each coming to grips with who they were and what they wanted, not just with each other, but also with themselves and their own plans for the future after high school. The wilderness scholarship competition was purposeful in helping them revaluate a lot of things in their lives. Firstly, it propelled them together, forcing them to acknowledge old hurts and mistakes they made in the past as childhood besties who then became academic rivals so they could arrive somewhere new and improved and smoochy-smoochy in the present. Secondly, it had them look at all the real reasons behind why they were pursuing a particular area of study. For Celine, that meant dealing with feelings she had about her father, who abandoned her as a kid. For Brad, that meant owning up to wanting to be a writer instead of a lawyer. Thirdly, it showed them that part of growing up is learning how to leap forward with faith with those who are worth it and how to adjust to new circumstances.

All in all, this was a solid YA debut from Hibbert. I'm so glad she ventured into the genre and am looking forward to seeing what else she contributes to it in the future!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Joy Revolution for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Given Hibbert's steamier adult romance titles, I was intrigued to see what she would do with YA fiction. In this book, we see conspiracy-theory Tik-Tokker Celine and her ex-BFF, popular footballer Bradley thrown together in an enrichment program and scholarship competition. They each have their own reasons for wanting to win the scholarships and carve their own educational paths, but more than all, they want to beat each other. Opening the book as former friends and now nemesis, Celine and Brad circle back to friends and eventually something more, all while surviving the woods, parents, and university applications.

This was an extremely solid YA read, with good pacing and balance of character-driven and plot-driven elements. It had great representation, with a take-no-prisoners plus-size female lead, and a cinnamon roll athlete managing his OCD--and even discussions about being some of the black students at their school. The thrown-into-the-woods camping competition experience was reminiscent of Happiness for Beginners by Katharine Center, though the similarities end there. Overall, I enjoyed the book.

Thanks to Random House Children's for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 8/10

thank you lots to the publisher and to netgalley for the early copy of this book!

4.25 stars!

sooooo cute. this book is just so so so cute! what a perfect little nugget of ya joy that truly made me smile <3

celine and brad used to be childhood besties until brad got cool and celine didn’t (even though she is so cool to me and we would be friends, just to be clear). since then, they have engaged themselves in an academic rivalry full of aggressive (and completely un-flirty) banter. when they both get selected for an elite scholarship competition/camping expedition… well i think you know where this is headed!

their dynamic is so so sweet and having both their povs was absolutely perfect for this book specifically. brads struggle with ocd is so carefully done and i personally loved how while it was present and did bring him hardships, he also used lots of coping mechanisms on page and showed that a full life can still be had (good mental health representation rocks!!!)

i liked how honest and real their thoughts were and how they had real reasons for everything they did. and yet it was still full of the bubbly adorable stuff that makes ya so fun!

my only wish - and who would ever think i would say this? - that there was a little more camping? i think having them go back and forth from school to camp was very fun but all the camp moments were so charming i wanted a few more scenes/to learn about a few more of their tasks.

the writing was so charming, i wanted the characters to be happy as if they were my own children, and i loved the mental health rep. overall a perfectly sweet ya read that i would 10000% recommended!!!

cws: parental abandonment, ocd (struggles/thoughts on page), brief one-line mention of off-page lesbophobia

This book had no business being this cute and wholesome 😪

such a delightful and fun YA read that portrayed the anxiety and nerves of being a teen and falling in love for the first time, amongst many other serious topics.

I already knew I was going to love this book when I read the glossary. I truly don’t remember the last time a book made me laugh out loud as many times as this !!

A definite must read for 2023 !!

Childhood friends to enemies to academic rivalry to lovers written by Talia Hibbert, the Queen of banters!? Heck yeah!

At first, I was hesitant to request the ARC since I'm not really into YA contemporary romance but it's Hibbert, and I know I will like it as much as I enjoyed her adult books! And I wasn't wrong! I enjoyed the banters, the representations in this book, the talk about mental health, the pressure from parents, and so on!

Both Brad and Celine were amazing! Celine was a fat Black girl who is so stubborn but it's all because she's just trying to keep her heart safe after her Dad left her family for his mistress and then her ex-bestie Brad. I can understand why she build a wall and suppressed her actual feelings.

Brad was a bisexual boy and has OCD. I really love the OCD rep in this book. I have it myself, and nobody knows because I feel embarrassed by it. People always think that when you can't go to a public toilet they said that you were just acting like a princess. If I could I would. How many times have my Grandparents asked me to stay at their house for me to say no a million times? I don't wanna make them sad, but staying at other people's houses will cause me to have a mental breakdown.

Seeing Brad dealing with his OCD when his thoughts spiral and then trying to soothe himself in a realistic way made me happy. Plus the fact that Celine didn't bother and fully understand him is just heartwarming for me. And at the end of the book, they grew so much, not just in terms of love life but everything! I also love the side characters, they were all fun and adorable!

One thing that I wished is deep dive more is the relationship between Celine and her Dad.

TW: cheating parent (mentioned), parental abandonment.

Thank you so much to Joy Revolution Books & TBR and Beyond Tours for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As steamy as Talia Hibbert's adult romance novels are, this is just as sweet and adorable. British teens Bradley and Celine were once best friends, but changes as teenagers turned them into frenemies. Now, as they look forward towards their future and try to figure out what to do next, they end up participating together in a highly coveted wilderness survival challenge. They're forced to put aside their differences in order to work together, and they soon realize that their feelings for each other are stronger than merely putting up with each other. With strong characters, a thoughtful take on mental health, and growing friendships and more, this will surely win you over!

I really adored this, as I do all things from Talia Hibbert. Obviously, as a YA novel it doesn't have some of my favorite aspects of her novels (😉) but I enjoyed it none the less. Easy ready, and *very* cute!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've read (and loved) several of Talia Hibbert's books, so I knew I had to pick this one up as soon as I saw it. As expected, it didn't disappoint, and I'd give it a solid 4.5 stars! As a big fan of academic rivals-to-lovers stories, I found the relationship between Celine and Bradley to be incredibly engaging. The plot and characters also felt realistic in terms of pacing and the issues that they faced both individually and together. As always, Hibbert tackles more serious topics like OCD, parental estrangement, and career choices without failing to maintain a lighthearted, banter-filled energy throughout the story. I highly, highly recommend this, and am looking forward to her next publication!

Talia Hibbert is the queen of banter. This was such a cute story about friends become enemies become a couple. Both Brad and Celine go through a lot and become better versions of themselves throughout the development. I really enjoyed the story, it was a great YA romance read and very age appropriate. I wish there was a bit more of the outdoor element, but the story is wonderful! The side characters are also all really great and really add to the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Joy Revolution for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Joy Revolution/Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Talia- straight to jail for stealing my heart, once again with Celine and Brad. HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM?

The combination of Talia’s top notch banter with a mix of enemies to lovers and academic rivals gives you this incredible story that you won’t want to put down. This was the perfect amount of loathing to a slow burn love that I was eating up the entire time.

As someone with an estranged father, Celine’s journey was raw and real with those emotions (I don’t want to fully give it away). I felt her pain and sadness. As I don’t suffer from OCD, I won’t comment on the representation as it’s not my place. But, both characters are well fleshed out and the side characters make this a fun, found family in the end. I absolutely adored every piece of this book and putting it down was the hardest thing to do. I couldn’t get enough.

Talia Hibbert’s debut YA novel is an absolute smash and I can’t wait for the next one!

This follows Celine and Brad during their last year of high school.

Celine is a conspiracy theorist that has a social media following. She’s unique, quirky and has her future planned out step by step. She is very selective of the people she shares things with and has only a few friends.

Brad is Mr. EVERYTHING. He’s popular, athletic, handsome and funny. Everyone is instantly drawn to him and his personality but under the surface he struggles with OCD and obtrusive thoughts. He is adorable in this story. You will fall in love with his character!

They are ex-best friends thrown together in a competition for a scholarship. You see each one of them grow and make choices for the future. It’s a cute one!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this opportunity! I really enjoyed it.

Short synopsis: Celine and Brad, two former childhood friends turned enemies, decide to work together for a chance to win a prestigious scholarship that could help them go to the college of their dreams.

Thoughts: I am a huge fan of British humor and love how Talia Hibbert always writes hilarious dialogue and includes quirky characters in her stories. There were times I had to remind myself that this was a YA book and immature banter and more childlike internal thoughts are expected. When I did make that connection to what it’s like to be 18, the progression of Celine and Brad’s relationship felt natural and authentic. What I loved most was the OCD representation, which I feel does not often get written into books, and the discussion around therapy. The audiobook for this was fantastic! Narrated by Amina Korma and Jonathan Andrew, it was easy to get into the story, laugh and just enjoy!

Read if you like:
-YA reads
-Academic rivals to lovers
-All things British
-Mental health rep

Thank you Random House!! Out 1/3/23

* Thanks to NetGally and Talia Hibbert for an eARC of Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute! **

This was so cute! I'm used to Hibbert's adult romance, so I wasn't sure how she'd balance that for a YA audience, but I thought she did great bringing in an appropriate amount of spice.
Celine and Bradley are undoubtedly perfect for each other, and their enemies to friends to lovers dynamic works so well on the page. I was rooting for Bradley's slowly but surely method with Celine the whole time!
Other things Hibbert does well:
- handling Bradley's OCD, including talking about therapy and coping mechanisms in a positive way
- navigating new adult-ish relationships after trauma (Celine with Bradley after her dad)
Things I was missing:
- obviously most of the story centers around BEP, but I wish we had gotten more of Celine's mom, Neneh. She seems amazing and like a strong force in Celine's like, and I would have liked to see more of that, like we got quite a bit of Bradley's dad

Big thanks to Joy Revolution for the ARC of this book. This review is being given honestly and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

CWs: parental abandonment, living with and managing OCD, school/career anxiety

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this book, except can it be longer? Like give me more Brad and Celine rn pls.

Literally 3 pages in and it felt like a big warm hug, and I did not realize how much I loved and missed Talia’s writing. This book was literally unfairly cute and had me kicking my feet and giggling the whole time. Brad and Celine are ex-best friends turned enemies who are forced to hang out together when they both enter into the same scholarship competition. This gives them both a chance to reflect on the events that led to their falling out and finally come to an agreement to be each other’s support while away on their expeditions (per the scholarship program). Over the course of the book we see a lot of sides to our MCs and especially their own personal growth. Celine comes to terms and grows on some emotional/private matters as well as Bradley and they both just were so awesome and grew so much that I was so happy for them.

I will say that the blurb is a little misleading because the whole book is not them trying to survive in the wilderness and those survival scenes in the wilderness were kind of glossed over (the actual survival skills part). I literally could not put this book down and had so much fun hearing Talia’s voice and the BANTER!! Dear god, the banter in this was SO good, I was laughing non-stop at these two and could not get enough.

I think everyone should preorder and read this book because I ate this up in one day. ALSO, to anyone who read the Brown Sisters, you will love this too.

You guyyyyys. This was so wonderful. Thank you so much to Talia and her team for allowing me to read this ARC!

I was SO excited when I heard Talia was doing a YA romcom. I love love love her Brown sisters series and read them often. So I knew she’d bring the same energy and humor to this book as she has in her others.

This book had me laughing constantly. I’m not surprised at all because Talia is so hilarious and writes in such a way that it is just effortlessly humorous. I really enjoy this aspect of her books.

There was also lots of digging into trauma and mental illness. There was really solid representation of OCD in this book, which was nice. That’s another thing Talia does so well. She always treats her characters so well and their backstories so well. There was a lot of trauma Celine had to begin to work through before getting to the place were she was ready to trust Bradley and that was so good to experience with her.

Bradley is a sweetheart and I loved him this whole book. So precious and kind and I just want to hug him.

Overall,
This book was a 5 star read for me and I would recommend it to absolutely anyone. I loved
It so much

This book marks Talia Hibbert's debut into YA--and boy she does not disappoint. This is such a perfect blend of fun romance and banter, adventures, and real life problems. The MCs are both incredibly endearing and I couldn't stop screaming from their cuteness.

A big issue I have with contemporary YAs is that they either explore so much of the mundane day-to-day events you're just exhausted (although maybe having left high school I derive no actual pleasure from just hearing about basic HSer problems) or they swing the complete opposite way and you get incredibly unrealistic scenarios. Talia Hibbert is able to set up a believable way--a camping expedition in the guise of a scholarship competition-- to break up the monotony of daily HS life without having some wild escapades. I really enjoyed the pacing of the book...Talia ensures that each event is fully detailed and pushes some form of character/plot development without getting too slow Nothing is dragged out for too long, and if I were to describe the perfect timeline for this book, Talia follows it exactly.

And while at some points you're like "what are you doingggg" to the MCs, Talia does a REALLY good job of making sure you understand that these are just high schoolers who don't know better without making them seem like dumb immature kids. The character development is impeccable, and you'll be rooting for these adorable kids all day long.

Talia Hibbert's writing style is refreshingly honest and real. The main characters, and their groups of friends, feel like real teens dealing with real life. Not some caricatures of teens that often happens in YA.

Both of these characters are dealing with their own very real issues, and honestly, every kid is dealing with issues. I liked how the author gently introduced the idea of therapy into the discourse. We forget it's not just adults who need to talk to someone.

But also....

This is in fact a really cute story that I couldn't put down! My students are going to love it!

"Even if neither of us ever did anything interesting in our entire lives, it wouldn't matter. You don't need to be special or significant to have value. You're just important, always, and people either see that or they don't. They either love you, or they don't." (130)

“Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute” screams Talia Hibbert. This book holds all of the wit and hilariously intelligent banter that she is known for. Although this is the authors first foray into Young Adult, you would not have guessed it, because it was really well done.

There are several reasons that I rated this at only 2 stars, but a lot of it comes down to taste. Firstly, the female MC was thoroughly unlikable, she wasn’t slated as a nice person with good motives, which made her character development very unbelievable and I found myself not caring if she got a happily ever after or not. This is not an uncommon theme in Talia Hibbert books though and in the past I have found myself struggling with the female lead and feeling bad for the male MCs. Brad was such a nice and well-rounded character, whereas Celine was just awful. Sure she was witty and had a traumatic past, but she just was not likable or a good person. Secondly, I have a real problem with the whole challenge process being based on glamping, it is not like they are roughing it in the woods. Why would anyone get a scholarship for that? It just was not well thought out and tacky. Lastly, the ending was just too fairytale-like with everything neatly wrapped up in a bow. It was unbelievable to be honest.

I do think that all the die hard Talia Hibbert fans will love this book for all the reasons that they normally love her books. There was a lot of great dialogue and it had depth with some great representation of OCD. In general, I love Hibbert’s writing style and flare, but unfortunately, portions of the plot and some of the characters flaws just did not sit well with me and it ended up being a bit of a slog to get through.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's for this e-Arc. This was such a good solid YA read. I have read The Brown Sisters series by Talia Hibbert and I loved it so this was a no brainer. I aint gonna lie the other series was spicy so I was like YA huh but the transition was flawless while still highlighting on mental health. I love how the author showcases and is so open about stuff that has been taboo for so long and brings different ways to see it. Loved this book and cant wait to continue reading from Talia Hibbert

I love Talia Hibbert and this YA book is very sweet!! Definitely a YA appropriate book, possibly even younger...not at all spicy!