Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it.

This was a fun book and that's the main thing I can say about it. It didn't bring anything revolutionary to the table, the plot was predictable and the pace at times confusing. This doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, but on whether I would recommend it... let's say I could recommend this book or another hundred books with the same forgettable quality to them since they are all interchangeable.

The premise was fun and the writing was good. There was too much going on, however. It was just an okay book.

This book was a fun read, but I don't know that I would recommend it to others. The writing was pretty good and the story was fun at times, but it seemed like there was a LOT going on plot wise. There was a lottery winning, a love story, a found family, a tech start up, and workplace drama (plus some athletic drama?).

I'll definitely follow this author to see what else she puts out in the future, but I don't think I'd prioritize them. 2.5 stars rounded up. 0

It’s Silicon Valley meets the Ivy League in this new adult romantic comedy starring a computer hacker moonlighting as a prankster and an angry basketball player who just wants his underwear back. When Max's prank goes too far and Aaron gets kicked off the basketball team, he feels bad about it, but he still needs to focus on his goal: his code and his start-up. But Max and Aaron end up bumping into each other and hanging out. Could this turn into something more?

I liked Max's outstanding, infectious personality. He was weird and he owned it. I also liked how Aaron wasn't your "typical sports guy", he was on the shy/quiet side, especially when it came to Max. The chemistry between both characters is there, and I loved their friends, although they felt flat in comparison to the main 2 characters. Overall, a good read!

I rate this book 3.5 🌟

I'd like to say a huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A pleasant light read!

Year of the Jackal takes place in the same university with Jackals Wild, but it's not a sequel, it's an independent story.

It's over the top, exaggerated, dramatic, full of dumb college shenanigans and huge stakes meeting silly pranks.

There were some parts of the story that were needless or kind of stalky and the money floating around were completely unbelievable.

The romance is cute, toying with the idea of going steamy but not getting there.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a sweet story of opposites attracting. I enjoyed both characters and their relationship. It was a lighthearted read that had me smiling. I do wish we could have really learned more about some side charters but would enjoy spin off books. The ending felt slightly rushed but not bad in the least. Aaron is a great character that left me wanting to know more and to see his growth. Once he is suspended from the team they all vanish and we never REALLY go back to that except a few random moments. It seemed like it should have been a bigger deal than it was portrayed. Overall it was sweet, fun, easy read that could lead to great spin off books of the other characters!

I really enjoyed this story and especially Max!

The pacing was a little bit of a struggle for me - I felt it considerably slowed down a few chapters into the story.

I loved all the tech references.

I really enjoyed this and the character development in the first third, however I felt the first few paragraphs were quite a cold turkey open, and it could help to add a few more clear details to add who people are as I found I forgot who was who at the beginning!

"Year of the Jackal" was a nice, cute, quick read about two college students (a computer-nerd, who wants to bring his startup to great heights, and a basketball player with existing chances to play for the nfl) who meet on the wrong footing but soon have more in common than they thought. This novel is written in 2 third person povs.
I really liked the setting and the strange connection that appeared between Aaron and Max, but I must say, the characters lacked of depth. The reader nearly gets any information about them except the new ones that conclude from the novel itself, that was kind of frustrading.
But all in all the novel is great for quick entertainment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book before release.

The first couple of chapters were great and I was really into it and then it immediately slowed down and was just kind of boring.
I was having to force myself to keep coming back to it after I’d finish a chapter.
25% in and I just can’t keep going. I’m not enjoying it enough to continue, sadly.

Maybe I’ll come back to it one day and try and finish it because it wasn’t that something happened to make me not like it, it’s that nothing was happening.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Year of the Jackal by Abby Kaitz. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

I enjoyed Aaron and Max's relationships. They had good communication skills for the most part. Even with the third act breakup, it was overcome with a bit of character growth and a few romantic gestures. My only negative was I didn't enjoy the business start-up story arc. And that is just a personal disinterest in this topic as a storyline. I give this story a solid 3.5/5 stars. It was an easy fluffy romance.

DNF for me. The mix of "ivy league meets silicon valley" is what drew me in but I didn't feel it delivered as well as it could have. There was too much tech speak for a general audience. I understand that was part of the plot, but coding descriptions definitely distracted from the relationships building and what I actually cared about. The characters.

The characters are strong and held me for a while, but weren't motivating enough to finish.
I wanted to care about Max and Aaron, but at times (especially in the begining) they felt like caricatures and cliches. I couldn't get past it. At times I just felt bad for Aaron losing what was important to him and gaining Max who just seemed to enjoy storing the pot.

Just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean it isn't for anyone. Read if you like:

Enemies to lovers
Quirky side characters
Strong relationships
Filipino Rep
LGBTQIA+ rep

The Year of the Jackal is a college enemies to lovers story, with a mix of basketball and tech start up sprinkled in.

The basis of the story was very unique and I enjoyed the friendship between the characters, and how individual relationships developed over the course of the book.

The romance between Max and Aaron was heartfelt and fun. Max is one of the most interesting lead characters I've had the pleasure to read about in quite awhile.

I felt the book was a perfect length and it was wrapped up well in a way that felt like good closure for each storyline.

Bonus points for Max's grandfather! The times we got to hear from him genuinely made me laugh out look.

I recommend this book for it's humor, romance, interpersonal relationships, and compelling storylines!

I had a decently fun time with this, a few issues aside.

I was really drawn in at first, I loved their characters and the way they were written. Max in particular was great, really charming and funny. Aaron was the requisite grumpy love interest, but even he had a little hidden depth to him. I love a good enemies to lovers trope, and while this one definitely fit that there wasn't quite enough romance for my liking.

The book itself is pretty short, but for some reason it felt much longer than it was. It might have had something to do with the tech bro startup plot, which in my opinion took away from the time to develop Max and Aaron more together.

The book really shines with its side characters though, there's a bit of a Gilmore Girls feel with all the insane side characters crammed into one town. It added a bit of silliness to the book that helped offset more of the tech speak side of it.

Overall, it was an entertaining read that just that didn't quite reinvent the wheel for me personally.

*3.5

I enjoyed this but I wish it focused on the romance more. I understand that the plot was about their startup but I feel like it had way too much tech speak. Aaron and Max spent time together but it felt as though the writing just flew past it and we didn't see them actually spend time together.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This books started with an action sequence that pulled me right in. Max is a sophomore at Bramburgh University (mascot: Jackals) and builds/designs VR games but has resorted to pulling pranks as a side hustle.

His latest prank involves the star basketball player and his lucky underwear. Aaron chases him down and they get in a scuffle that is caught on video. The video gets out and he is suspended from the team.

Zach, Jared and Winnie are great supporting characters but this is really a one man show.
They’re working together on a VR startup and need the money and a marketing person…

Max spends his free time (outside of school, building a startup and other hobbies) cyber stalking his sperm donor Dad.

When they are accepted into an entrepreneurial accelerator things get wild.

Read if you like:
Quirky characters
Outlandish plots
STEM majors
LGBTQIA romance
AAPI rep and lunar calendars
Lottery tickets
NCAA basketball

Year of the Jackal by Abby Kaitz was a sweet story about discovering what you want from life and finding love at the same time. College is a time in many people's lives where they can stop wanting what their families want, explore experiences they have never had access to before, make lifelong friendships, and discover who you want to be. It is a terrifying but exciting time. A little money along the way doesn't hurt! This is what the characters in this story discover.

This book opens with a scene that could come from any college movie. The jokester character plays a trick on a serious character and the two end up liking one another. Opposite attract, right? However, the story quickly evolves into a journey of following passion projects and supporting your friends. This love story feels so natural, as two characters pass through initial stages of attraction and end up having the kinds of feelings that persevere through conflict, fear, and change.

The book contains a lot of technical computer language and terminology that not everyone is familiar with. Fortunately, neither are some of our characters so it is explained to us as much as needed to understand its purpose in the story.

I really enjoyed this story but the beginning was very difficult for me to get into. The first two chapters read like one big cliché and it was extremely frustrating for me. From descriptions of drunk college students at frat parties to love of lobster rolls on a Maine college campus, I feared the book was going to be surface level emotions and over simplified lessons. Thankfully, this was not the case and the characters stole my heart.

The book was a fast read. It would be perfect on an airplane, for reading on the beach, or to entertain yourself in a waiting room because it is easy to follow, quick to draw you in, and keeps you reading until the last conflict is resolved.

dnf 40%
I really wanted to like this book but I was so bored and did not care about any of the characters. I was excited for this book and found the premise to be very interesting but the pace was so glacial that I was just annoyed every time I picked it back up. At just shy of 300 ebook pages, is should have been able to read it in a single sitting but it took me about five days to reach 40%, so it was time to stop. I had the same issue with the previous book in this series so I think this author is not for me.