Begin Again by Emma Lord is a heartwarming and inspiring story about second chances, love, and ambition. The protagonist of this novel is Andie Rose, a young woman who transfers from community college to the prestigious Blue Ridge State University with the goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure. She brings her dreams and her turbulent relationship with Connor along for the ride. But when she learns that he has transferred to the same college as her, things get even more complicated. Meanwhile, Andie’s roommate Shay needs help finding a major and despite being known as “The Fixer” on campus, Andie isn’t sure how best to help her out.

However, all these complications lead Andie to discover something important about herself and the power of her own voice: through the school’s pirate radio station “the Squire” – created by her mother years before – she begins to realize that not all well-prepared ideas are necessarily good ones. Begin Again is an uplifting story about learning from mistakes, pushing past boundaries and trusting in yourself even when things seem difficult.

• Gilmore Girls-esque vibes: Begin Again is like a modern day take on those beloved seasons in Stars Hollow, but with its own unique twist.
• A gorgeous slow burn romance
• Bookstagrammer roommate vibes: Shay's passion for books is so incredibly relatable
• Queer representation done right: In addition to exploring themes of class and privilege, Begin Again also gives us a nuanced look into the struggles faced by queer characters. It touches on important topics without feeling preachy or heavy-handed.
• The perfect rom com read: With its witty dialogue, unforgettable characters, and heartfelt moments, this book is sure to delight any romantic comedy fan - it's got everything you're looking for!

Warning you will feel all the feels!

This was a cute YA read - I loved the characters and the quirky/unique take on a college/university experience.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-arc!

Something about me is that I am always going to enjoy a ya-contemporary romance book. There's something just so incredibly wholesome about them that will never get old. This one is no exception! Our main character Andie Rose has just finished her first semester at one of her hometown colleges when she gets accepted to transfer into the university where her parents met. She hopes to surprise her boyfriend who's attending that same university but when the semester starts Andie learns he transferred to the college where she previously attended to be together...Already off to a great start, Andie hopes to follow in the steps of her mom, starting with joining the school's ribbon competition. All the while, Andie's R.A., Miles, proves to be one of her biggest distractions although she can't really tell whether it's a good or bad thing.

Overall, I think this was a super cute and easy read and the slow burn between Andie and her love interest was so so good. Although I will always enjoy a good enemies to lovers, friends to lovers never fails to make my heart warm.

Rating: 3.75 !!

The quintessential college coming of age story with just the right amount of romance. Author Emma Lord gives Andie such a relatable voice that so many readers can find aspects of their own college experience in hers.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Overall this was a pleasant surprise for me. All four of the main characters were fantastic and their relationships and the setting really captured the college experience brilliantly. I rate books on a set of ten criteria, and this got an 89 overall from me, including 10s for Atmosphere, Main Characters, Relationships, and Successful Fulfillment of the Premise.
I will say, though, that I was concerned at the start by just how high (an unnecessarily so) the concept was: we had a long-distance relationship, shame at not getting into the college at first chance, trying to live up to her mother's legacy, dad drama, and the ribbon thing ... any two of those would have been plenty to explore in a single book and the beginning from felt too clogged to me. BUT, Emma Lord is a talented author and she made it work. There were also so minor quibbles with the internal timing within the book for me, but nothing that took me out of the story.
Despite these quibbles, this was a genuine treat for me.
A favorable review will be posted on my blog the week before the release date.

3.5 stars!

this was a really fun read about how difficult it can be to figure out who you want to be in life as a young adult. freshman transfer student andie rose thinks she has her whole life planned, down to the very last detail. she even transferred to her dream school to surprise her boyfriend! but when she arrives on campus, things quickly fall apart--her boyfriend has transferred back to her old school, work-study opportunities are rare, her statistics class is near impossible, and getting into the on-campus secret societies are more work than she thought. eventually andie has to decide if she wants to continue planning every part of her life out, or if she can learn to be content to change the plan or go without one entirely.
it's difficult to summarize this book because there is A LOT going on, which is probably my main complaint. it felt like there were so many plot lines and for the first third of the book i wasn't sure which one was going to be at the forefront. i thought we'd have more emphasis on the ribbon-getting and secret societies, but that faded to the background pretty quickly. once i figured out which plot threads were going to be more important, the book got much more enjoyable.
it still felt like a bit too much by the end of the book, there were a lot of things happening and lots to resolve, but overall i liked the characters, the journeys they went on, and the things they learned. i was reminded of the exciting yet scary uncertainty of having your whole adult life in front of you as a young college student, and it was fun to relive those days in a way.

thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!!

I love Emma Lord and have read several of her books now. When I saw that she was coming out with a new book I had to read it immediately.

Andie wants to go to Blue Ridge State so badly that she manages to get a transfer from her community college in the middle of her freshman year. She wants to change schools because her boyfriend, Connor, attends Blue Ridge and so did Andie's parents. Upon arriving at Blue Ridge Andie discovers that Connor has transferred to her community college and she's now alone. The school has contests to earn ribbons so that students can join secret societies and Andie is determined to earn a place for her and Connor in one of the societies. Andie begins meeting other students at Blue Ridge including her new RA, Milo, and her roommate, Shay. Before Andie knows it she's caught up in daily life at Blue Ridge and navigating some tricky situations.

I thought this was adorable but both Andie and Connor transferring schools to surprise the other seemed a little far fetched. I did enjoy the characters and Andie's connection to Blue Ridge with her parents having attended the school. The friend group that Andie finds comes together immediately and there's also a romance beginning. I thought the dynamics in the friend group were great and liked the instant chemistry between Andie and Milo. There were some very heartwarming moments as Andie learns to adjust to her new school and re-connect with her dad. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves a good YA novel!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

“Anything worth doing starts with a mess.”

Another delightful story from Emma Lord!

Andie transfers to her dream college, working to follow in her mother’s footsteps and be closer to her long term boyfriend. Unfortunately, things don’t go to plan and Andie has her work cut out for her - settling in, getting up to speed on the course work, and finding her own footing outside of her mom’s legacy. This does involve processing the grief of a parent’s passing due to cancer and cheating.

Check this one out if you’re looking for:
🎙️YA romance
🎙️ MC growing into her own
🎙️ An adorable, caffeine addicted hero
🎙️ Delightful, supportive friend group

Thank you to Wednesday books and Netgalley for this ARC! Begin Again is on shelves January 24, 2023

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this one. I stopped reading at about 25% and never convinced myself to return to it.

The premise of this story is sweet and relatable, and I can always appreciate a mix of Legally Blonde and Taylor Swift inspiration, but I found the relationship between Andie and her boyfriend to be a bit absurd from the beginning. My main problem in this book was Andie, who was a bit too obnoxious and corny of a character for me. I’m sure I could appreciate this as a younger reader, though, so I think this was a “just not for me” situation.

I might not have liked this book, but Emma Lord is still definitely an auto-read author for me.

Emma Lord has done it again 5 stars all the way I have loved everything she has written
I could easily have been read in an afternoon but of course life happens.

I loved this story from the bookstagram talk to the bagel shop I loved all the characters
Even though it is set in the college setting I think this was pretty clean and pre-teen would love it.

Make sure to pick up your copy next month Jan 2023

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would give 10 stars if I was aloud

What a cute fun read! I am definitely going to read more by this author…

With lots of hard work, Andie Rose manages to transfer to Blue Ridge State halfway during freshman year. Her life seems to be back on track, according to the incredibly detailed plan she has mapped out. Blue Ridge State is her dream college, and reunited with her boyfriend Connor. However, her plan quickly goes off track as it turns out that Connor has failed out of Blue Ridge State.

She tries to keep their failing relationship going, while also participating in the work study, trying to keep up with her classes and trying to participate in events to get into a sorority.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There were lots of fun characters, witty banter, and fun plot twists. Andie had a lot of emotional growth through this novel, which I really enjoyed.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC to read and review.

Did I just stumble upon a new YA favorite? Honestly...I think so!

Something about this book was just so perfect and I ended up reading it in under 24 hours which considering I just got out of a reading slump is amazing! I feel like YA novels can be a hit or miss for me but I ended up really enjoying the characters in this story, their development, and the various story aspects that added a bit more depth which I appreciated

I was able to relate to the protagonist, Andie, so much and I liked getting to see her personal growth as she found her place at Blue Ridge State. As someone who also likes to plan ahead and has a idealized trajectory of her life, I could relate to her a lot and I liked that the story kind of stuck to her hopes and dreams rather than completely changing her identity. I think this book also just hit so close because I am also going into my second semester of college so it was just spot on

I thought that the romance in this book was so cute and I absolutely loved Milo's character and their interactions with each other. I also loved the emphasis on the new friendships she made (all of the side characters were so fun!) and how Andie traversed her big transition into this new environment whilst also dealing with and facing her own personal and familial struggles

Overall, I just thought this was such a wonderful read with fun characters, heartfelt relationships, and relatable issues that I really connected with! An amazing story that I highly recommend!

Beautiful story about a young college woman trying to find her way at a school that’s full of her family history. I enjoyed watching her grow and build new friendships while letting go of the past.

Begin Again is the first book of Emma Lord's I've read and I thought it was entertaining and sweet, though it was quite predictable. Andie, the protagonist is a college freshman on a mission to fix other people's problems, when in reality, she's been neglecting her own life.... But she has just made a major life change by transferring from her home town's community college to the state school a couple hours away. How will her need to fix things for others manifest itself on this new campus? And will she realize her own life needs help, too before it's too late?

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I've not read this author before, but this book appealed to me being set in college rather than high school. Emma Lord is a talented and thoughtful writer.

Andie Bell has managed to get herself in to the state university as a freshman transfer from community College. She gets brought to campus by her 2 grandma's who have helped raise her since her mom passed away. Her dad is in the picture but he moved for his job and Andie feels abandoned by him. Andie is looking forward to surprising her boyfriend Connor with showing up on campus, only he has returned home to their small town to attend community College for reasons that are not honest. Andie quickly makes friends w her roommate Shay, her RA Milo and the whole floor in her dorm. The description of the students as being studious and serious were kind of hard to believe at a state college. I am not disparaging the state college education itself, but most 18-19 yr olds away from home do like to party on occasion. Andie struggles with her stats class though, and her imposter syndrome of belonging there. It's understandable but the root of her insecurities seem tied to 2 factors- competing w the ghost of her mother, and the boyfriend Connor. I know Andie doesn't have the foresight to see it yet, but as an older reader, there were red flags everywhere and including his mother. He wasn't even deserving as a friend to Andie, even though they grew up together, apparently he didn't understand how important Blue Ridge State was to her. Some gaslighting behavior and other causes for concern- that were opposite from her growing friendship with Milo. I adored her personality and go getter attitude, although being on air didn't come naturally to her at first. I really think Connor discouraged her after an embarrassing incident in grade school- so Andie leaned on her new friends. I loved her new friend group, even when Connor messed up and tried guilting Andie in to giving up her dream for him- oh hell no- finding things out about the truth of Connor's first semester and why he left. I was patiently awaiting for the romance between Milo and Andie to bloom. This book is appropriate for teens and adults as its PG13- no sex discussion at all.

4/5☆, TW for death of a parent, grief, coffee addiction, cheating, gaslighting behavior. Releases 1/24/23.

Since her mother passed away when she was a child, Andie has only ever wanted one thing: to join the same secret society her mother did in college. Thankfully, Andie is accepted into the college of her dreams as a transfer student, but everything is not as ideal as she imagined. She must learn to cope with a long distance relationship, a previously absent father trying to connect again, schoolwork that is piling up, finding a place to fit in at her new school, and the huge pressure of living up to her mother’s legacy.

I will admit that this book started out a little rough for me. Andie is a complicated main character to say the least, and I found her a little annoying towards the beginning of the novel. That being said, Andie’s character growth throughout the book ended up being my favorite part! Andie starts off as judgy, idealistic, and overly positive, to the point of being toxic. While these attributes weren’t very appealing, I think they ended up highlighting the ways in which Andie grows throughout the course of the novel.

Additionally, I enjoyed the depth of this book a lot! Andie’s grief for her mother plays a huge role in the novel, and I found that it added a lot to the story. She basically bases her entire life choices on what she thinks her mother would’ve done, and it was great to see her slowly realize that she does not have to be her mother to live up to her mother’s legacy. Similarly, I loved the way different characters connected with one another by sharing about loved ones they lost. At one point, Andie mentions that learning about things she didn’t previously know about her mother feels like discovering treasure. This, along with other sentiments she shares, were really relatable.

Furthermore, I thought the humor throughout the novel added a bit of lightheartedness to what would have otherwise been a somewhat depressing story. The characters all felt very three-dimensional and had a sense of humor unique to them.

Finally, I love a book that incorporates the title into the story in a meaningful way, and Emma Lord did this flawlessly in Begin Again. I won’t share details because it’s a feeling that is best experienced on your own while reading the book, but the way the title was tied into the story was perfect!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! If you like YA Contemporary or Romance, I highly recommend it!

I screamed with delight when I received an approval for this book. This book is a powerhouse narrative! Every single character came alive. Lord did aggravate one of my pet peeves by introducing the only Black character in the book as "Black" when she did not introduce any of the other characters by their "race." But I appreciate that Shay (the Black girl) was as complicated, as beautifully fleshed out, and as unique as the rest of the cast.
This novel mixes coming of age with romance. But it’s also more friendship heavy than romance heavy. And very family oriented. I'd say it takes the best elements of MG, YA, and new adult and mashes them into a thing of beauty. While there is a lot of attraction, there isn’t that typical sexual tension/focus on lust you see in some YA and adult romances. More than anything, this novel explores relationships – family, friendship, romantic – and the ways personalities, mistakes, forgiveness, and determination play into the ups and downs of them

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC

This relatable story about a girl who loves to college to be with her boyfriend only to find out he moved back home has a great spin to it. The whole time you’re trying to decide what she’s going to do in the story and her relationship with her boyfriend. I find this story to be so relatable to so many young adults in a similar situation. The growth of the main character is fun to watch her go from doing things for her boyfriend to finding out what really matters. A discovery of self is so important at that age!

I haven’t read any of Emma Lord’s previous books so this was my first book by her. I enjoyed it a lot and always with YA there are going to be very annoying and cringe dialogue or actions but I didn’t really get bothered by them. This was a heartfelt novel and I’m so glad I read this because I related to Andie and her fear of fitting in at new places.

In the beginning, I wasn’t a big fan of Andie, she’s in people's business but as the story progresses we get to see her past and vulnerabilities that made her the way she is. I loved her relationship with her friends. Shay and Val are good friends for her and I loved that they created a tight-knit friendship.

Connor is the worst! I truly hated him and I wish Andie had a little bit more confidence in her to break it off right away. Andie likes to think through everything and that is totally where we’re different lol. I’m so glad her relationship with Milo was at a solid point to rely on him. I also liked how she started opening up to her dad.

This was a very cute novel and I loved the ending. The growth in each character as they were learning more about themselves and the lives they want. I do plan on checking out more of Emma Lord’s books because it was so easy for me to get wrapped up in Andie’s life.

Easily my favorite is Emma Lord's books so far!
Even with the heavy topics of grief and loss being a prominent plot point, Begin Again still manages to have an easy, wholesome quality to it that has what I consider the EL brand. Lord doesn't shy from hard topics, but weaves them into uplifting advice and laugh out loud dialogue that you can't help but have the pain softened.

You have the sunny overachiever with the 10-year plan trying to follow in her deceased mom's footsteps. Her dad is a figure in the rearview and she's basically spent the high school years being raised by two grandmas, and as her boyfriend's parents pet project. But now she's at her parents alma mater. There's an underground radio station and trying to join a secret society and making new friends. Surrounded by a found family that will always be there, no matter how messy life gets