Listen up, YA fans — Emma Lord has done it again!!!

🎙 REVIEW: BEGIN AGAIN 🎙

By Emma Lord

📖 SUMMARY: Andie Rose’s life plan is back on track — she just transferred to her parents’ alma mater, Blue Ridge State, where she’ll be with her boyfriend, get to participate in on-campus activities, and start her path to a stellar career. Her mom, who passed away a few years ago, started the legendary campus radio personality as a student, and Andie can’t wait to follow in her footsteps. But the plan goes awry when she discovers that her boyfriend actually transferred OUT of Blue Ridge State to be with her, and she seriously underestimated the workload of her new classes. Things start to look up when she takes on the role of the anonymous Squire on the campus radio station, and with the help of Milo, her cute RA, she starts to find her place in her new home.

💭 THOUGHTS: Emma Lord does not fail! I absolutely adore her main characters/narrators, and Andie is no exception. Who can’t relate to arriving at college with grand plans, only to have life not work out that way… I know I can! The anonymous radio personality aspect of the story is so fun. Something that Emma does really well is writing side characters with legitimate storylines of their own, which I loved following along with almost as much as the Andie and Milo storyline. The audio was great to listen to — really felt like I was listening to a college freshman!

✨ MADE ME FEEL: nostalgic, giggly, ready to pick up a mic and be a radio host

👍 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you like college campus stories but want one that’s more lighthearted than normal

Thank you Wednesday Books and MacMillan Audio for the #gifted eARC/audiobook of BEGIN AGAIN!

Emma Lord is back again with another fantastic YA coming-of-age book. BEGIN AGAIN follows freshman Andie has she transfers to Blue Ridge State aka her dream college. She’s so thrilled to be joining her longtime boyfriend at school and to become a part of the university that her late mother loved so much. After a bumpy start, Andie slowly finds her place and her people.

BEGIN AGAIN made me nostalgic for my freshman year of college. I loved that rush of being independent for the first time and figuring out my interests, meeting new friends who quickly become like family, and falling in love.

I think both teens and adults will really enjoy this one. Her characters are relatable and charming. You can’t help but root for everything to work out for them.

I tandem read/listened to BEGIN AGAIN and really enjoyed both formats. My main complaint for the audio was the voices that the narrator used for Valeria and Shay. It was like a really weird accent for each of them and I had a hard time reconciling that with how I heard those characters talk in my head when I was reading.

BEGIN AGAIN comes out on 1/24/23!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5252749472
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnj1jcZrXZU/

Begin Again by Emma Lord

I’ve read 3 books by this author and I have to say she definitely has a style and formula. Unfortunately I don’t think it’s for me. Her books are enjoyable but always leave me wanting a bit more.

This story follows a freshman in college as she transfers to a new university for second semester. It is a coming of age story, about finding yourself amongst a tidal wave of pressure, expectations and new friendships.

I liked the characters well enough, I think my problem was that nothing really happened. It was a slow, introspective character driven novel. This is YA so it may just be that I’m not the target audience and did not relate to the story.

Overall I do think this author is very popular and I can see the appeal. I’m not sure why it took me 3 books to wonder why I keep trying to love these books, they just aren’t connecting.

4.5/5 stars!
Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook early release copy of this novel! I really enjoyed it, much more than I anticipated. This brought me back to my undergrad years, dreaming big dreams and looking to find my place in such a new world. I wish I had this book to read when I was a freshman, I think it would have been such a great comfort! Highly recommend. For any high schooler coming of age into the next chapter of their lives, this is for you. There is something in this for everyone though.

I think I loved this book more than her previous works! I enjoyed to read the fresh perspective to the college life! There were no regular cliches in this book. Characters are flawed, making mistakes, dealing with their own baggage and all of them are so much likable.

Audiobook Review - This is another fantastic YA book from Emma Lord. The characters were fully fleshed out and likeable. Lord has created an awesome fictional college with fantastic student activities that will make readers want to go there. Andie is a likeable character that readers will root for as she navigates transferring to a new school, making new friends and discovering what she really wants from her college experience. A must have for all YA collections.

Begin Again follows Andie Rose, a second-semester transfer student at her dream college. Blue Ridge State is highly competitive but holds a special place in her heart. Her parents met there, and since her mother passed away when she was a tween, she wants to reconnect with her mother's past.

Andie has other ambitions, too. Her goal is to major in psychology and eventually become a self-help figure. It's within reach, and nothing can stop her.

But when she arrives on campus, her plans come to a screeching halt. Her boyfriend, Connor, transferred out of Blue Ridge and back to their local community college. She's also struggling in her statistics class. Plus, she's at a loss with how to help her roommate Shay pick a major or her R.A. Milo kick his caffeine habit.

Throughout the book, Andie experiences the kind of growth someone can only hope to have once they're out on their own. I love a contemporary with a good friend group, and Emma Lord has done an excellent job with this.

My only problem with this book was the conflict near the end of the story. I saw some of it coming from a mile away, but some miscommunication could have been resolved much faster.

Begin Again is heartwarming, cute, and one of the best YA contemporaries I've read in a long time. I recommend it to anyone looking for something on the light academia side of fiction. (Also, the Taylor Swift references!!!)

I also really enjoyed the narrator. Georgina Sadler truly brought Andie to life.

Thank you to Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a medium-paced, romance for young adults this book is absolutely for you. Was this book perfect? No. But did it leave you with a smile on your face hoping to learn just as much about yourself, as Andie did? Yeah, it did. If you ever wanted to know what going to college will be like, how there will be amazing moments, and sad moments…then read this book. Lord does an amazing job setting realistic viewpoints of the college experience and truly doesn’t gloss over much of anything.

I loved the journey Andie took to find herself away from home, even if it was unintentionally done. The lessons these characters face really sit with you during and after the book. It had my heart hurting and laughing throughout. And isn’t that exactly what you want in a book?

The supporting characters were some of my favorites, but the grannies won by a landslide! Because while sassy and straightforward, you always got the sense they would drop everything and be there for Andie. They were a warm hug when things were getting too heavy and I loved that feeling.

My dislikes are more nitpicky and personal, more than a ‘dig’ at the book. I am not fond of miscommunication or a lack of communication. I know the characters are freshmen/ sophomores in college, I just struggle with the fact that people in a relationship wouldn’t pick up the phone and talk to each other, or even text, more so than was alluded to through the book.

Lastly the pacing seemed off in places to me. There were parts that read a bit slow-paced, instead of the medium-pace the rest of the book sets, and I couldn’t tell if that was intentionally done due to the scenes, or if it was unintentional. Either way, for me, it just didn’t read smoothly.

Emma Lord has killed it again with another book. This adorable YA book was filed with friends, adventures and lots of snack cakes. When the main character transfers to her parents alma mater and also the school where her boyfriend currently attends. Andie has a plan in mind and it quickly goes awry. I adored Andie and all the other characters in Andies orbit.

DNF at 50%

This one pains me because I have absolutely loved Emma Lord's previous books. However, I found the pacing of this one to be incredibly slow, and I just got tired of the girl pining for her long distance boyfriend when it's clear that she is much better off without him. I still plan on reading Lord's future books, but this one was a miss for me.

I LOVED this book! The characters were so well developed & so enjoyable to read about! The friendship between the all nighters was so heart warming! I especially loved how Andie found herself & realized she was enough just being herself and she belonged right where she was! This will be a repeat read for sure!

This is an adorable story about a girl who finally gets into the college that her mother attended many years ago. I really enjoyed the main character (aside from her substitute swear words) and the story of it all! I would classify this book as a coming of age story/contemporary rom com. This book is definitely a feel good story.

I felt that this book had two very minor flaws, the pacing felt slightly off in some spots. Sometimes things felt beautifully explained and fleshed and sometimes they felt rushed. Which I felt messed with the pacing.

However, this book is SO ADORABLE! And now I need to read all of the authors back log because it ruled enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

Sometimes I just need a YA romance in my life, and Emma Lord is one of my favorites. I loved You Have a Match and Tweet Cute so much, and Begin Again was everything I wanted it to be. Her writing style is perfect, without a lot of trite, overdone, eye-rolling prose, and her characters are always endearing!

This was such a treat and a delight! I knew right after reading TWEET CUTE, but I am even more certain now - Emma Lord is one of THE authors to watch out for in the YA contemporary space; if you see her name on a cover you simply know it's going to deliver.
I loved every aspect of this story - the tender and exciting journey of a found family coming together, the healing from childhood trauma and being able to grow into a more adjusted adult with those who've been at your side all along, the closure from chasing the traces left of a lost one, and the wholesome, heartwarming romance. Andie was the kind of character you just want to take to the side, tell to take a break, give a hug and a hot chocolate. She was such an endearing golden retriever over achiever people pleaser and I couldn't not root for her journey of learning her value and asking those around her to respect who she is and what she needs.
I am also one to enjoy a grumpy x sunshine romance, and there is something very comforting about a love interest pretending to be grumpier than he actually is and the way they balance out such a high energy pretty protagonist.
I LOVED this and can see myself recommending it often!
The narration also really helped the story come to life and brought it all together. It was such a delightful listen that I couldn't bring myself to pause it no matter what I was doing.

3.25 stars

I came for the new college-life experience and stayed for the Bookstagram references. There were parts that were a bit over the top (like Andie choosing strange snack choices as swear words and a race to collect ribbons that I didn’t fully understand), but I enjoyed the character growth that Andie went through and watching her relationship with her dad as they worked through past hurts.

Read if you like:
Campus life
Coming of age stories
Flawed characters
Stories featuring Bookstagram
Female empowerment

Thank you Wednesday Books for a digital ARC and ALC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Where to begin with, Begin Again. This is a cute YA novel and coming of age story. It’s about how our main character Andie finds herself starting college. More importantly the college her mom (and dad) went to. She’s faced with the challenge of discovering who she really is and if she can do it all on her own.

I did enjoy this story. It didn’t make me very emotional or feel super connected to what was happening, but it was definitely a cute story that was a nice in between book since I’ve been reading so many emotional books lately. Definitely an easy/chill read if that’s what you’re looking for! I would definitely read more of this authors books! I also really liked the person who narrated this audio book.

I was excited for another Emma Lord book. This was a quick fun read. There were no regular cliches in this book. It was a realistic view of collage life. Characters are flawed, making mistakes, dealing with their own issues and all of them are likable. Minimal language

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. Emma Lord always does a great job with YA romance. I love her balance of coming of age and romance. Starting college is never easy and I enjoyed how Andie found her tribe at the same time herself. Her friendships with the characters added depth to the story. Andie was a bit goody for me and I enjoyed seeing her growth.

Begin Again is an enjoyable cotton candy, happy fluff read. It was sweet, thoughtful, relatable, and full of heart - everything a YA romance should be.

The characters were endearing, I enjoyed the friendship they built and I especially appreciated that Connor didn’t come between them. He was def the worst part of the book, like so obviously a terrible human. I’m glad it didn’t take any longer in the story than it did for Andie to figure that out, and at least it never felt like he was her big reason for making the choices she did - even if she did have to go through some growing pains to figure out what her real motivations actually were and how to start making choices that were best for her and what she really wanted.

Loved the audiobook narration, especially with Andie’s food-swears…the narrator did a great job of making that really funny where it could have been annoying. This was my first Emma Lord book and it didn’t disappoint, I’m looking forward to reading her previous books now.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Begin Again and another excellent book written by author Emma Lord. I have listened to all her books, and each one blows me away. Great storylines and excellent characters always leave you thinking.