I was so sad when Talia Hibbert's Brown Sisters series came to an end, so was thrilled to get the chance to read her new YA novel! I was curious to see how her success in writing steamy adult romances would translate into this new release for a younger audience.

Full of her signature sense of humour and dry British wit that made the Brown books so popular and successful, we follow Celine (who reminded me of a young Chloe Brown) and Bradley's journey as academic rivals / ex-friends to lovers as they navigate their final year of school, whilst both competing in a cut-throat outdoors-based competition to win a prestigious scholarship and dealing with the unrelenting pressure to figure out their futures.

I'm a little older than the target audience for YA, but as a romance I still found it so enjoyable and engaging throughout - interactions between the diverse cast of characters are so heartwarming and funny, from cute relatable banter between friends and family, to Celine and Brad's more complex relationship arc as their feelings slowly develop for each other. Brad's personal struggles with OCD are addressed so thoughtfully - I appreciated that Hibbert normalises mental health struggles in so many of her romances and that her characters can be truly relatable for anyone facing similar issues.

I would highly recommend to all ages of readers who love a cute romcom with brilliantly memorable and unique characters - if you loved Hibbert's other books this needs to be top of your reading list ASAP once it's released in January.

THIS WAS SO CUTE I CANNOT. childhood best friends to enemies to academic rivals to secretly pining best friends to lovers?? sign. me. up. and it takes place in the scottish forests or whatever? AND has mental health representation?? yeah okay it was literally so so good!! the banter. i just. i loved both brad and celine so much and i related a lot to both of them which normally is not the case when i read romance books, so i really appreciated that. also the concept was really interesting. i would HIGHLY recommend this book. it is not one to miss.

The story hadn't even started yet and I already loved the book. That Glossary was brilliant. 😂

I had so much fun reading this! Talia Hibbert, you are a genius. There was so much wit, hilarious humor, snark and sass. Again, so much fun.

In this book we follow Celine and Brad, ex-bestfriends and current enemies, as they compete in a survival course to win a full scholarship. Being teamed up forces them to work together, not just to get through all the obstacles and challenges of the competition but through their personal ones as well.

Talia is known to write incredible characters of marginalized identities because she believes they need to have an honest and positive representation. Celine and Brad are shining examples, and I adored them both. Celine, strong, and smart, and unapologetically herself. Brad, seemingly perfect on the outside but works very hard to control is OCD and not let it run his life. His emotional intelligence is inspiring.

What a stunning YA debut! I hope you all put this on your radar if you read this genre 🙂

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚:
✨️ Ex-bestfriends to enemies to lovers
✨️ Grumpy/sunshine
✨️ Character with OCD
✨️ Bi-sexual character
✨️ *chef's kiss* banter and sass

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute, and greatly recommended! ✨️

Love the story line in this book especially how the author is able to talk about complex topics and adds adorableness and cuteness into the book. I really enjoyed the childhood to besties to enemies to lovers trope and I loved this book more than I thought I would! This romcom is one of a kind with its cuteness

I was very lucky to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Celine and Brad are ex-best friends who are both competing for a scholarship offered by Katherine Breakspear in her survival course. We watch as their relationship develops despite them doing their best to loath one another. But will they be together and what will their futures look like?

I had the best time reading this book. There were so many moments that left me giggling and laughing out loud.

I love both Celine and Brad. I love how Celine is who she is without being the ‘not like other girls’ type. I loved how kind Brad was and didn’t come off as the typical football player type.

Talia Hibbert has an amazing way of setting a scene through her character’s perspective that make reading this story so much fun. You truly get see how Celine and Brad both view their world.

The banter and interactions between Celine and Brad are works of art. I know that might sound over the top, but trust me. I have read other books were the main characters connection and interaction is not as well done as it is here. It feels so natural and fun between these two, that you get so attached to them together.

I really loved seeing these two interact and befriend the other BEP students. As well as their overall journey with trying to figure out life at their age. So many things to have just right yet still so many unknowns to come.

The emotional journey of Celine and Brad was beautiful. How they both had to ask themselves what they wanted for their futures not just careers but in their relationship together.

I also would like to say thank you to Talia Hibbert for her representation of OCD in this book. It was comforting to read and relate to Brad’s experience with OCD.

Would recommend this book to anyone who wants a fun YA rom-com and just wants to read something warm and happy with realistic characters.

CW: ocd, parental abandonment

I've been on a YA enemies to lovers kick and I am not even sorry about it. This book was just what I was looking for. Friends to Enemies to Lovers done right. Celine and Bradley were friends, but then he got popular and left her in the dust. She's not still mad, much. Bradley was dropped by Celine when he dared to have other friends than just her. They both have reasons to be mad at the other, but maybe, just maybe they can put their differences aside to come out winners.
Both of them have signed up for a scholarship expedition and they both want it for very different reasons. The fact remains, Bradley and Celine just need to get along to make it through this, maybe even be friends and then they can get on with their lives. As fate keeps pushing them closer and closer, do they give into the feelings they know they hide deep down or do they save themselves the embarassment because it would never last anyways.
I loved how both of them took chances, learned what they really wanted and did things for themselves and not what everyone else wanted for them. Bradley was just the sweetest though, I wanted to hug him!
Thank you to Talia Hibbert, Netgalley and Random House, Joy Revolution for an early copy.

This was my first read by this author and I can say that this was a good read. The cover was by far my favorite thing and the book itself was funny, snarky and cute. Honestly the banter was the best thing in the book the romantic tension was built but it played out in the end.

This made for the perfect easy-to-read book to help me try to shrug off the reading slump I've been in the past few months. This was full of the delightful humor and fun I'm familiar with from the previous Hibbert book I've read. I was able to breeze through this fairly easily during a slow work day despite my brain's recent aversion to reading anything for more than a few chapters. Even if you're not usually a YA reader, I would definitely recommend this one if you're a fan of Hibbert's previous works.

This was such a cute book! Brad and Celine were friends but now they are most defiantly enemies, each with their own demons to carry that may or may not be keeping them from realizing that they most defiantly do not actually hate each other😍. Brad’s OCD sometimes causes him to think of EVERY worst case scenario unbidden but I loved how his character showed the mental process of working through this (thanks to years of therapy) and made him even more relatable. Celine is trying to deal with her dad’s abandonment but she may have to admit that she is making plans for all the wrong reasons, like showing him what he has lost! As these two hurtle towards love they grow together and as individuals in the most lovely way!

Two childhood best friends-turned-enemies end up in a prestigious wilderness program together during their last year of high school. When they’re forced to work together to try to win one of the grand prize scholarships, Celine and Bradley can’t help but dig up the past and confront their true feelings for each other.

I loved Talia Hibbert’s The Brown Sisters trilogy, so of course I couldn’t wait to read her debut YA romcom. This book was adorable and literally had me laughing out loud. If you’re looking for a feel good book that also has some depth, look no further. On a side note, I also appreciated the glossary of British terms for the American reader that was included at the beginning.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Children’s Books, and Joy Revolution for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Talia Hibbert tackles complex feelings with grace and class. She is the queen of healthy vulnerability and happily ever afters, and this book is in keeping with that tradition. I love Brad's emotional intelligence and his honesty. Celine is hilarious and grows so much. I loved their story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

I’m 50% in the book I really feel like it boring. I enjoy the character’s personality but I have wait something exciting to come it not there. I love the book cover very nice.

Talia Hibbert never disappoints. This book is hilarious, adorable, and snarky. I love the grumpy/sunshine trope, even more when it’s paired with rivals to lovers. I wish I had had this book as a teen but I’m so excited for the teens who will get to have it now.

Celine is a popular TikToker whose page talks about conspiracy theories but that popularity doesn't quite trickle into real life. Bradley is the super popular kid that everyone loves. He's the poster kid for confidence on the outside even though he has a secret that he's not confident enough to share. He and Celine were once close, bonded by their shared "weirdness." But when Brad suddenly becomes popular and "outgrows being weird," something happens between them that ends their friendship for good. Or does it?

This is my first Talia Hibbert book, and I am so sad to say that because this was everything I could have ever imagined and more. I devoured it in a matter of hours staying up way past my bedtime because I just couldn't put it down. It was relatable, inspiring, and so stinking funny! It was a (somewhat) lighthearted read. I could see so much of my teenage self in both Celine and Bradley and that caused me to be deeply invested in their stories. I wanted them both to succeed and be happy.

The banter in this book was literal perfection. I laughed so much and could really feel the romantic tension build. It was also a breath of fresh air for the male MC to be open and in touch with his feelings. Although the miscommunication trope was technically in there, it wasn't overdone and I really appreciated that.

One thing I also really loved was that therapy was normalized in this book. As someone who put it off for years due to the stigma that can come with it, it was refreshing to see these teens so open to it.

I highly recommend this read if you enjoy: enemies to lovers, second chance love, slow burn love, and lots of banter.

Thank you to Joy Revolution and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! This is one that I will definitely be adding to my bookshelves once released.

Review will be posted to my Instagram @readingwithtrey on Tuesday, December 20.

I wanted to enjoy this but was overly unimpressed with the relationships, the dynamic, and the plot felt convoluted.

I loved Talia Hibbert’s previous novels highlighting each of the Brown sisters.. so when I saw she had a new YA novel I was so excited to read it! As always, Hibbert creates multifaceted characters with layered motivations and authentic flaws. And again.. as always the banter between Celine and Bradley was PERFECTION!

It's official, everyone. I have found my new favorite Talia Hibbert book. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute was witty, touching, and so freaking adorable, aka everything that I expected it to be. It's no secret that Talia Hibbert writes the most hilarious humor into her books (I still really think that British humor just makes things 100x funnier), and in Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute, I was quite literally laughing out loud at Celine and Brad's inner thoughts, hijinks in the woods, and their interactions with their friends and family. The humorous dialogue in this book is TOP TIER, and I'm not just talking about the whip-smart banter between Celine and Brad.

Speaking of which, the chemistry between Celine and Brad was through the roof!! This is the first academic rivals to lovers book I've read where the tension between the main characters was more on the sweet side, and it was the cutest thing ever. Celine and Brad are best friends turned enemies turned friends to lovers and that arc was developed so naturally. I could feel the memories and sentiment between the two ex-best friends throughout the novel, something that many best friends to lovers novels have a hard time portraying in my opinion. I also LOVE that this book was dual-POV because most academic rivals to lovers books are single-POV. This book demonstrated how great an academic rivals to lovers book can be in dual-POV, with both main characters feeling frustrated and flustered over their growing feelings of their supposed academic rival.

Lastly, one of my main highlights for this novel was definitely the portrayal of Brad's OCD. I've never read a book where a main character had OCD, and I felt like Talia Hibbert's descriptions of OCD did a great job of challenging the stereotypes and preconceived notions that people have about having OCD. The way that Celine supported Brad and his OCD was super sweet. That's what real love looks like 🥺.

This book gets 5 big stars for me and you'll *definitely* love it if you're a Talia Hibbert or YA romance fan. Go pre-order Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute before it comes out in January!

Listen, it's no secret that I stan Talia Hibbert. Everything she produces is gold. I was a liiiitle apprehensive to read her YA (because I'm really about that smut) but I should never have doubted her! The characters were loveable, .the tension was perfect, the humor made me giggle, and difficult/sensitive topics were handled so well. It was a perfect romcom to brighten up any day, in my opinion. As always....run, don't walk, to pick up anything Talia Hibbert writes!

Oh how I've missed Talia Hibbert's writing! She always writes books that make me laugh out loud, and her characters feel so real and relatable. This is her first YA book that I've read, and I hope that she writes more in the future because I think her writing style fits perfectly for the genre.

2.5 stars. I love Talia’s other work, but this was not it. The pop culture references were PAINFUL. Tiktok is an actual plot point, and they mention it constantly, even in the first paragraph. Plus, The characters were very cliche and forgettable, except for Bradley who was a bit better