This book was absolutely adorable! I loved that it was more about finding yourself and coming into your own with a side focus on romance. The characters are college age students but I feel like this book does a great job of reaching readers of all ages. There was something to relate to no matter your age.

Andie was an extremely likable character and I really enjoyed her friend group. Shay was my favorite side character!

This whole book just felt like a warm hug and is a realistic take on starting over when things aren't quite going as planned.

I would highly recommend this book and I thought the audio was great as well!

Emma Lord has done it again in what might just be her best book yet. I could not put down this college-age YA. It's a story busting with life, love, and all of their corresponding complications. Each character felt whole and complete. A quirky college setting, lovable characters, an underground radio show, a college club-based competition, a bagel shop, and so much growth. Please read this book.

(Also noting that I loved the audiobook narrator- wonderful performance!)

⭐️Rating: 4/5
✍🏼Author: Emma Lord
📖Genre: YA Contemporary, Romance

Summary:
This story is about Andie who is excited to surprise her boyfriend by enrolling in the same university. The university also holds a special connection to her late mother.

Andie’s plans don’t go as expected but along the way she goes through a journey of self discovery learning to make her own decisions, what she likes and what makes her happy. She finds family in a good friend group that consists of her roommate, Shay and RA, Milo.

They uplift her and encourage her through her journey and Andie even allows herself to find a deeper connection with Milo along the way.

At the core of this story is self discovery, love and new beginnings. I think it’s an important, fun and encouraging novel for young readers (especially those in college) who maybe going through a similar situation.

Being a swiftie, I also loved the title of the book and t-swift references 😉

I really enjoyed the audio narration, she had the perfect voice to help the listener navigate between the different characters.

Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books ajd Macmillan Audio for the ALC copy in exchange for my honest review.

At the beginning, I really wasn’t sure about this book. It started out very Disney Channel-esque. Over the top and a bit unrealistic. You still can’t convince me that two people in a relationship could have managed to transfer schools without the other knowing - that’s not an easy or short-lived task.

That being said, as the book progressed, it kept getting better and better! It was a little predictable at times, but I really didn’t mind. I’m not always a fan of characters that are chronic “fixers”, but I liked Andie quite a bit. She was more realistic and relatable, especially putting myself in the mind frame of an 18 year old girl.

I think if I listened to this book when I was in high school, I would’ve been obsessed. At 25, it didn’t resonate with me quite as much as it might have ten years ago. While it wasn’t necessarily life changing at this point, I quite enjoyed this audiobook and hope it’s met with success!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/ for the ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I'm a huge Emma Lord fan and this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I couldn't get into this one!

Andie decides to transfer into a work study program and psych major program to be with her boyfriend. Little does she know, her boyfriend transferred colleges to be with her! With a bookstagram roommate, a grumpy sunshine RA and some adventurous floor mates, Andie is in for a semester of fun.

What she doesn't expect is to fall back in love with randio broadcasting, something her mom started at the same career. As Andie continues throughout the semester, she's ready to begin again in more way than one.


** I listened to this story and couldn't get past the first 35%. This story was a slow start and did not continue to keep my interest. I'm hope for Lord's next album. **

Thank you MacMillian Audio and Wednesday Books for my alc/arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Andie Rose was devastated when she was wait listed for her dream school, Blue Ridge State, but she worked her butt off to transfer as a late entry. Hoping to surprise her boyfriend, she arrives at the school unexpectedly, and discovers that he has transferred out to her community college. Just when she thought things wouldn't get harder, she fails her first exam, her room mate needs a major, and she needs a job for the work study. And her RA, Milo, is always in her thoughts, as well as the mystical Knight who runs the pirate radio station. Andie runs her way ragged and soon finds she needs to begin again.

When I heard about this book, I knew it was one for me. I've loved Emma's previous books and the synopsis for Begin Again was more than enticing. I really appreciated Andie's story. She lost her mom when she was younger, and all she wanted was to be able to follow in her mothers footsteps, go to Blue Ridge State, gather the ribbons, and join one of the secret societies after her freshman year. Bad luck meant she didn't get in straight away, but she worked hard to transfer, and as soon as she arrived, she never stopped. She was doing everything: working, studying, gathering as many ribbons as possible, trying to find Shay a major, helping Milo, and keeping up with Connor. Really, it was no surprise when she burnt out. I hated seeing those chapters, but Andie was made of strong stuff, and she had the right people around her when she needed them. I knew Connor was a jerk, so wasn't surprised by that plot line, but thank god Andie had her wits about her. The epilogue was great, and it was lovely to see how the characters progressed from the ending of the book. Another great book by Emma.

This book was good, but nothing spectacular. I was excited that it was a YA featuring a college-aged MC, hoping it would make it more relatable. Instead the MC curses by saying her favourite foods? It was highly predictable, but an easy read.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press & MacMillan Audio for advance copies in exchange for an honest review.

Emma Lord has this unique way of bringing a theme into a YA romance that binds the story and the characters together. From grilled cheese to broadway, she creates this cohesive current in her books that keep me coming back for more. This story of Andie and her personal expectations for herself and others is sweet and honest and endearing. She transfers colleges mid freshman year to be with her boyfriend and to connect closer to her mom's past. But when she get there, nothing is as she expected. This story of found family and friendship and changing as life does and regrouping when you least expect or want to is so true but fun that it kept me reading and chattering with a friend throughout the book. I can't wait to pass this one on to my own teen readers.

Begin Again is a coming of age story about an 18 year old student transferring to her deceased mother’s alma mater and finding all of her carefully laid life plans quickly going awry.

There is no plot twist that leaves the reader in awe, no true long drawn out suspense in the love story, and no emotional battering that seems to be present in so many YA books lately. Yes, each of those elements are present to some degree, but not to the point that the reader feels as though they’re being hit over the head every minute. Instead, this is simply a sweet, funny story about a group of new friends.

Not usually a big fan of realistic fiction, I was surprised to find myself enjoying this book and even laughing out loud a couple of times. Some of the plot points and use of tropes had me rolling my eyes, but this was an easy, enjoyable read overall.

Review based on an ARC received from NetGalley.

I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this audiobook from Netgalley. #Netgalley

Author: Emma Lord
Narrator: Georgina Sadler

First and foremost: I highly recommend this book!

This book centers around Andie, a slightly neurotic, highly eccentric, and vibrant girl that is just starting college at her parents alma mater.

This book is a romance book, but it’s so much more too! - It’s a friendship book, it’s an importance-of-family book, it’s a find-yourself book, it’s a be courageous book, it’s an emotional intelligence book, and it’s a fun book.

I’ll be honest - I totally cried at one point. But, mostly I just connected with the characters

There’s a core group of friends that is so easy to cherish. They’ll feel like friends you’ve known forever.

I almost didn’t request this book because it looked a little too YA to me. But, that’s not the truth at all. There are truths, lessons, and quotes in this book that can help anyone.

I recommend this book to everyone. It’s pretty fantastic!

Oh, and the narrator is absotively, posilutely, fabutastic! She really does many voices well. I think I can safely do 4 voices if I really tried. This narrator has a voice for every character - it’s impressive!

What an absolutely adorable and uplifting story. This is my second read from Emma Lord and the writing is just so fun.

What I thought was going to be a story about a type a girl switching colleges to be with her boyfriend only to find out he switched school to attend hers, turned out to be so much more. I was expecting this to be more about the protagonist simply living for her boyfriend; his approval, helping him, getting them both back to a place where they are at the same school, but what I got was Andie living for herself, making friends, having experiences in a school where her parents attended.

Andie’s friend group is the best! She becomes besties with her roommate, Shay and catches the eye of Milo, the grumpy RA on her floor. And during the time we follow her, she grows so much. She learns what SHE wants, what makes her happy… WHO makes her happy.

This was a really uplifting, wholesome ya read that I loved so much.

I really enjoyed the audiobook narration. She voiced these sweet characters so well.

Emma Lord is the queen of young adult books and I loved this one! Andie is navigating college as a transfer student, juggling grades, a long distance relationship, and finding bits of her parents' past all around campus.

There is so much to love in this one as we see Andie grow, finding her way and recognizing she doesn't need to fix everyone else's problems and instead can focus on herself and her own goals. I loved the college campus setting and the friends she made, including her bookstagrammer roomie and sarcastic but sweet RA.

There are lots of moments of self-discovery, creating a found family, and making peace with the past that make this a perfect coming-of-age story (with a dash of charming romance). Highly recommend if you need a genuine and heartwarming read.

I especially loved the audiobook narration by Georgina Sadler.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for my advance copy in exchange for a review.

Overall I gave 4 stars...this was super cute and enjoyable, however I am absolutely not the right age range for this one! Sometimes YA works this mid-thirtys gal and sometimes it feels too young. Too young isn't bad as I am obviously not the YA target demographic, but this one definitely felt too young for me.

However, if you are thinking of getting this for a YA reader in your life: pick this one up!! It was delightful, cute, charming, and felt very relevant for 2022.

Thanks to Macmillan Young Listeners for the copy of this ARC. Georgina Sadler is a fantastic narrator so I was excited to listen! Unfortunately, this book was just a little too YA for me. I’ve loved the author’s past books (especially When You Get The Chance), but the all-knowing teenager and swearing with favorite foods are just things that don’t work well for me at this point in my life. Definitely great for an actual teenage audience, though!

Begin Again by Emma Lord is another amazing YA romance from one of my favorite authors. Andie Rose transfers to Blue Ridge State mid year to be with her longtime boyfriend Connor. Too bad he’s transferred back home to the local community college to be with her. So, on her own for the first time, Andie has to find her footing in a new place, surrounded by strangers, while still attempting to save an already strained long distance relationship.

I loved this story. It made me remember my first year at college, figuring out who I wanted to be, finding new friends that are still closer than family, wondering if I was going to be good enough. Lord does a great job of capturing those emotions and putting it all on the page. Andie and Milo are pure joy together, even though they’re both weighed down by grief and the heaviness of loss. She’s sunshine. He’s an over-caffeinated grump. Together, they’re perfect.

The publisher says ages 12-18 years, but I would put this one solidly on the older end of YA/the young end of NA. The main characters are 18-19 years old, and because of the subject matter and the language, I.certainly wouldn’t want my twelve year old reading it. (It’s crazy to think I have a twelve year old.)

I think I'm just slightly too old to be the target demographic for this book, as it comes across far too cutesy for me! That said, a nice and easy story with likeable characters and an engaging enough plot. I wish I liked it more.

Short synopsis: Andi transfers to another college to go to school with her boyfriend of 3 years, only to find out he transferred to her previous school. When all her best laid land seem to go awry, Andi realizes sometimes life doesn’t go as planned.

My thoughts: This is a sweet story about a girl trying her best to get as close to her recently deceased mom as she can.

I loved that Shea was a Bookstagrammer, and that her side of the room is reminiscent of what my house looks like. An over abundance of books, which makes book lovers like me completely and utterly happy.

And I’d grandmas were the best! So witty and loving, went out of their way to be the mother figure andi no longer had in her life.

This had so much talk of bagels, and food in general, that I found myself craving a good bagel smeared in cream cheese! Overall I liked the coming of age Ya read, but hoped for a little more romance:

The audio on this was done so well. I love when a narrator helps brings the characters to life and I felt like this one was done very well.

Read if you love:
- Diverse characters
- Food talk
- YA reads
- Coming of age stories
- Bookstagram

Short Synopsis: Begin Again is a coming-of-age YA college romance that follows Andie as she transfer from community college to the competitive Blue Ridge State. While she thinks she has it all planned out, her new experience offers many great surprises and unforgettable memories. With that, you see Andie grow as she finds true love, comes to terms with her past and figures out her purpose!

Thoughts: Emma Lord consistently writes great YA books. While this was not my favorite by her, there was a lot of fun to the story, which made it enjoyable and a quick listen. I enjoyed the full cast of characters, especially Andie’s bookish roommate Shay, the radio broadcasting pieces, the trivia nights and the budding romance with Andie’s RA Milo. However, I will say I was itching for more of the romance side-typical I know. I did a read/ audio combo and thought the audiobook was extremely well-done and engaging for a single POV story!

Read if you like:
-Coming of Age YA books
-College campus setting
-Booksatgrammers
-Bagel talk
-Radio broadcasting
-Great, supportive friends

Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and MacMillan Audio for providing me with an eARC and LRC in exchange for an honest review. This on is out 1/28!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

I love Emma Lord. Like, LOVE LOVE LOVE. I'm consistently blown away by how light each novel feels at the start, but how in depth the characters and scenarios really go. This book was no exception - it was phenomenal. I loved how Andie changed during the course of the novel - in relation to herself, her friends, and her family. In addition, the narrator was so easy to listen to!

Synopsis: Andie is a fixer and a planner. Upon transferring to her boyfriend’s college, Blue Ridge State, she has it all figured out. She’s going to major in psychology so that she can achieve her dream of becoming a famous self-help figure. Of course the best laid plans… Her relationship with Connor becomes more complicated when he shares that he, too, transferred colleges to her community college! Andie decides to make the most of her time at Blue Ridge State by helping her roommate, Shay, finally decide her major (easier said than done). There’s also Milo, her RA, who makes her question her ideas about love and relationships. Life as Andie knows it is quickly spiraling out of control. However, through her role as the anonymous Squire on the school’s pirate radio station, Andie finally begins to find her voice.

Thoughts: This was a cute new adult book that combines lightheartedness with the empowering journey of a young woman finding her way. There was a great and diverse cast of characters, and I enjoyed the variety of representation incorporated. One gripe I had was in Andie’s substitution of her favorite foods for swear words—it felt a bit juvenile for a college-aged student. I also had hope for a little more romance (and that’s saying a lot from me!). Still, this was a solid listen— the audiobook was well done.