This had a lot of potential, but it really fell flat for me. I found it utterly boring. Two childhood friends to enemies unknowingly end up staying in the same apartment for college. Normally I would love this but I found the characters to be so boring and barely anything happened the entire time. It wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read, but it really disappointed me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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

Brookes has planned her uni experience down to a T. Moving to Melbourne, she is happy that she's found a home with Harper, who seems to be a little messy, but someone she can live with. She can't wait to meet her other roommate, Jeremy, and discover what the house rules are. However, Jeremy turns out to be Jesse, her former best friend and high school nemesis, and the one person she wished to never see again. To top it all off, there's only one house rule: 'no unnecessary drama'! Brooke is in for a hell of a ride.

I've not read a book by this author before, and didn't really know what to expect going into this book, but I loved it. I listened to the audio book while out walking, and there were moments when I would have looked like an idiot, grinning to myself over how cute Jesse and Brooke were. They came to the agreement to be civil with each other for Harper's sake, but as they spent more time living together, particularly watching The Vampire Diaries, their former friendship came back, and it was clear that the feelings they had for each other when they were young teenagers had never really gone away. I wish they had spoken about the 'incident' sooner, and about their real feelings for each other, but it was beyond cute! I think I have a copy of Nina's debut book somewhere, so I'm going to dig it out and get right on that as soon as!

This was such a cute book. Very typical enemies to lovers, however still kept you captivated and wanting to know what happens next. Very sweet and cute.

This is a new favorite book that I immediately wanted to listen to again as soon as it was over. The audiobook is fantastic and perfectly narrated by Maddy Withington. Brooke is an amazing character and I loved her right from the start. Jesse is such a fun standup guy and bring so much wit and humor to Brooke's scheduled organized life. I just adored the two of them together and I can't wait to get a physical copy for my favorites shelf.

I thoroughly enjoyed Nina Kenwood's sophomore novel, Unnecessary Drama. Her trademark ability to show the main character's voice stood out once again. I laughed out loud multiple times listening to Brooke's thoughts and empathized with her anxiety. The audiobook narration was wonderful and I look forward to listening to many more of Kenwood's books.

A cute, sweet and lighthearted enemies to lovers trope. Just the type of book I needed this week! I loved the character delopment and the narrator. Thank you NetGalley and McMillan audio for this ARC!

I love Nina Kenwood, and I enjoyed this new romance by her just as much as It Sounded Better In My Head. I like that the protagonists are college-aged, and the conflicts between family, friends, exes, and love interests felt so relatable. Brooke is such an endearing and funny lead, and I felt myself rooting for her from the start. I also appreciated the anxiety representation through her character. Her relationship with Jesse is such a sweet slow burn, and the chemistry and banter between them is really on point. Nina Kenwood also develops family and friendship relationships so well, and I loved the found family that Brooke forms through Jesse, Harper, and their new friend group. I can't wait for NIna Kenwood's next book; I love living inside her characters' heads!

Type-A, neat, over-thinkers unite! If that describes you, then you will see yourself all over this book and like me, laugh at the ridiculousness that is our personality type at times. Brooke is definitely an exaggeration of my personality but I laughed so much at her inner monologue because I have had some of the same thoughts myself over the years. This is a slow burn, friends to enemies to roommates to friends to love story and I really enjoyed it. I can see how Brooke might drive some people crazy but I loved how Jessie loves her where she is and the growth and forgiveness in their relationship as well as in Brooke’s relationship with her sister. I laughed a lot, felt sadness and hurt for her at times but enjoyed the journey.

I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed the narration. I thought the narrator did a great job with pace and voicing as well as the general tone of over-thinkers like myself. I loved having an Australian accented narrator for a book set on Australia.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook via NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

Romantic Content: Closed door
Trigger Warnings: Split family/divorce, alcoholism
Language: Infrequent but occasional

Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood is a delightful enemies-to-lovers novel that combines charming character development with a sprinkling of romance. Eighteen-year-old Brooke finds herself sharing a house with her high school nemesis, Jesse, during their first year of college. With a "no unnecessary drama" policy in place, Brooke plans to silently endure their living arrangement, but life has other plans.

Kenwood skillfully captures the experience of leaving home for the first time, portraying the unexpected complications of college life. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Brooke and Jesse adds excitement and anticipation to the story, as their tension gradually transforms into something more. The characters are multi-dimensional and relatable, growing and evolving throughout the narrative. Brooke's journey from a rule-following helper to embracing spontaneity and Jesse's hidden depths provide depth and engagement.

The writing style is casual and engaging, with a balanced pacing that keeps readers engrossed. While some plot moments may feel predictable, the engaging characters and their dynamics make up for it. Unnecessary Drama is a delightful read, offering a light-hearted and entertaining experience for fans of romantic comedies. I would rate it 4 stars.

*ARC review*

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for sharing a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a perfectly charming book. I loved the narrator. I think it captured young adult romance so well. Brooke has a lot of untreated mental health issues. I wish someone in her life would take notice and get her some help!

I thought Brooke and Jesse had good chemistry. There are definitely some frustrating moments and times where Brooke becomes a bit too much. Then you see how things are with her sister and you understand. Some of the subplots get dropped a bit but the main storyline is good and I enjoyed it a lot!

Overall this was a fun and easy enemies to lovers read. Recommend if you are looking for something short and cheerful. The narration was nicely done and got the tone of the story.

At first I really connected with the MC, Brooke. The struggles and worries that come when moving out on your own for the first time. I got young Monica Gellar (Friends) vibes from Brooke and I loved Monica! But, after a while her behavior was just too much. I seriously feel like she had an undiagnosed disorder. I am a plan for the worst type of person. But Brookes constant second guessing, questioning, and self-doubt kind of got annoying.

The other characters in the book were nice and supported the story without taking away from it. I do wish There were more moments between Brooke and Jesse (love interest). The build felt rushed but I think was developed enough for the length of the listen. (7.5hours)

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners for the audiobook version of this book. I am not compensated for the review in any way. Everything I write is my own personal opinions.
This was a fun read. Brook is the classic good girl goin off to college for her first year. Once in her flat the only rule is No unnecessary drama. Everything is going good until she finds out one of the flat mates is her nemesis from high school. The story goes on about some trial they endure and eventually they end up falling in love. It was fun read.

Fun and cute, a great YA rom com. I haven’t read many YA rom coms so I don’t have much to compare it to, but it’s definitely one of the best I’ve read. Yes, the characters were a little dumb, but they were likable and fun. I just wish we had gotten more one on one time between the two mains to bring the chemistry up a bit.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of unnecessary drama.

I’m all about trying new authors. I just don’t think this YA book worked for me. I couldn’t connect with Brooke. I thought she was very insecure and whiny.

The narrator was good. And the audio was really quick.

I could definitely see this being a fun comfort read for a lot of people; it's one of those books you can sit back and enjoy, knowing that nothing awful or heart-wrenching is going to happen (aside from some romantic drama). It's a book to coast through, enjoying the humour and sympathising with the main character. The author does a good job of hitting the new adult category spot on, as this doesn't read like a YA book, but has the humour and shenanigans of a college romance, which is exactly what it is. Sadly, I don't think this is one that'll stay with me in a year's time, but I certainly had fun while I was listening to it.

Title: Unnecessary Drama
Written by Nina Kenwood
Narrated by Maddy Withington

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

This book is a modern day novel that seems like something a current Jane Austen wrote it. It’s great.

The girl: Brooke, 18, is going to university, and she is wracked with anxiety that runs away and leaves strands of worry confetti behind her wherever she goes. She’s smart, mature, insightful, helpful, and a great housekeeper of sorts - she cooks, she cleans, labels, fixes messes, and solves mini medical emergencies.

The guy: Jesse, 18, is also starting university. He, Brooke, and Harper are new housemates. The rules are simple and include “No unnecessary drama.” Jesse is laid-back, kind, insecure, good-looking, and charming. He’s a good artist.

Brooke and Jesse have an early shared teen dramedy that involved friends to enemies drama.

I found myself laughing, snorting, crying, and chuckling all throughout this awesome Aussie based book.

If you’ve ever been the awkward teenager on either side of a simple, but devastating wrongdoing - you will easily sympathize with both characters.

I love this story because it’s messy, quirky, full of missteps, and nowhere near logical or grown up. It’s a story so believable that it could be someone’s true story.

If you ever longed for a modern day Pride & Prejudice - this book is for you.

Overall: Two thumbs up. Excellent novel. Great narrator. Fabulous author! Encore! Encore!

Unnecessary Drama (audiobook) by Nina Kenwood is a charming and witty New Adult novel set in Melbourne at a co-ed share house where the rules are simple: "no pets, no romance between housemates, and no unnecessary drama". The narrator brings this enemies-to-more storyline to life with excellent pacing and expression. I listened at regular 1.0 speed and it was perfect, which is rare (I usually speed up audiobooks to 1.25 speed, but that was too fast for this listen). This is the perfect summer beach listen!

This was a thoroughly enjoyable upper YA romance! It was, at turns, laugh out loud funny, painfully relatable when it came to Brooke's anxiety spirals, and delightfully romantic. I wouldn't say this is true enemies to lovers since its clear from the beginning that our romantic leads have feelings for each other. This is more of a second chance romance with a fun fake-dating plot thrown in for fun. There's a lot of second-hand cringe embarrassment that results in true belly laughs as Brooke manages the new experiences that come with adulthood.

The cast of characters in this book was wonderful and so fun. All of Brooke's friends and family are complex people that leap off of the page. She has a complicated family, with a distant alcoholic father and an older sister that she fears will follow down the same path.

Overall this is a fun, light read that will have you laughing out loud!

Lived up to the name, tons of unnecessary drama. Great writing, great characters, i definitely enjoyed the premise, just a little too over the top.

This was an adorable coming of age friends to enemies to lovers—and a most excellent sophomore novel!

Brooke is an over thinker and tries to plan for everything—but what she couldn’t plan for was that her former friend turned nemesis, Jesse, becomes her roommate when they both end up and the same house share where one of the main rules is no unnecessary drama!

Brooke is adorable and relatable and the environment she grew up in and at he relationship with her father have led to her being cautious in everything she does. I am a sucker for characters that are tied to the book world—librarians, readers, booksragrammers/BookTokers/booktubers, publishers, editors, booksellers, authors, but most of all aspiring writers.

I loved the storyline, I loved that while there were serious undertones there wasn’t so much trauma that I was emotionally wrecked, and I loved the narrator! Definitely a book I will be recommending and I’ve already gotten my hands on Nina Kenwood’s first book which has jumped to the top of my TBR! Definitely and author—and a narrator that I will be watching for in the future.