4.5/5

I smiled the whole dang time and for so many reasons, so just like Wren does in the book, let me give a list of why i think this was great :

1. ASEXUAL AND QUEER REPRESENTATION. ❤️
2. Wren is a fantastic main character. I think he was so fun to follow and i enjoyed his chaos alot. I seriously could read a 12 books series of Wren’s adventures without getting bored. I love him. His voice and narration were really refreshing.
3. i laughed out loud SO MANY TIMES. This books is hilarious👌🏻 and Wren says/thinks the funniest things.
4. The romance was adorable. Yes, very, very predictable, but i would have been pretty pissed if it went any other way. I love the relationship in this one. It made my heart so happy 🥰 The menu tasting scene was both awkward and cute and i live for these moments.
5. I really like the side characters too. Wren’s best friend Ryan was fantastic and i think we deserve a full Ryan book (please🥹).
6. Writing style was excellent 👌🏻
7. There’s chickens and that should be enough to convince you.

Not gonna lie, i was really sad to finish this one because i was having such a good time with it.
Extra points for the cover. 🥰

Things I liked about this book:
1. Wren, the main character is an asshole... and he is very aware of it (I got a thing for grumpy characters, leave me). And ultimately, he tries to be nicer.
2. He hates Leo for an absolutely stupid (hilarious) reason, although he later realizes he actually didn´t hate it, it was more like he was jelous and has kind of a crush on him.
3. Good comedy and no absurd fights. As a matter of fact, there are no fights at all. And this I liked especially, because I´m tired that in YA books when there´s a plot of enemies to lovers the characters quarrell about the most useless stuff just for the sake of drama. Well, that´s not the case here.
I loved that it came to a point when Wren tells Leo he doesn´t like him (not for fighting purposes, just a matter of fact comment), and Leo took it calmly. They are never at a war with each other, even if they don´t get along at first.
4. Excellent Asexual representation (I want more of this, pls).
5. Also loved the sense of humor on this one.

Things I didn´t like about this book:
1. Um... That I didn´t know this author...? (don´t worry, I´ll fix this later)

I loved Aces Wild by this author, so I knew going into this book that I would love it. I’m asexual and demi-bi-romantic so i related to Wren a lot. This author has a gift for writing ace characters and I loved the story from start to finish.

This book was so incredibly sweet, funny, and entertaining. I genuinely could not put it down without finishing it. Much of my love for this book stems from my love for Wren himself. He is a fun character with a lot of depth and complexity. I appreciated the asexual representation. Especially his being asexual and NOT aromantic. I find that most asexual representation is also AroAce representation, and that is just not everyone’s story, so it was refreshing to see how it was represented. Wren is complex in his self-confidence, his expression, and mostly his fears which stem from a sad point in his life.

The additional characters were all lovely and likable. The format of the book told through Wren’s narrative and text exchanges was easy to read and enjoy. The plot itself was predictable but nonetheless entertaining. I felt that the “pop cultural” references to social media or Star Wars were very believable and not a forced attempt to get down with the teens (as we often see in YA).

This was a genuinely sweet story with loveable characters, an entertaining plot, and a glimpse into the lives of those dealing with grief, sexuality, or adolescence in general.

I will be recommending this book to anyone who will listen as it is easily my favorite I’ve read this year thus far!

˖*°࿐5 glowing stars

‘Wren Martin Ruins it All’ follows Wren as he tries to demolish the Valentine’s Day dance, a plan which promptly fails. It was just an overall DELIGHT. If you’re in the mood for an asexual romcom reminiscent of RWRB (because everyone should be), then it is perfect for you. The one-sided rivalry/crush was so first prince coded idc.

This book is such a quintessential romcom I’m actually smiling just thinking back at the scenes. First off, Wren is the most perfect narrator. He’s genuinely funny and it’s very rare for me to find a book where I laughed as much as I did here. Also, this is exactly how you write a flawed character and make them likeable. I was rooting for Wren despite how chaotic and messy he could be.

The writing was so charming, which also ties into Wren’s narration. The romance was also just as charming and had many of the tropes that make stories like this so fun. I’m a sucker for tropes and cheesy plots like this, so this was my stuff right here. I did feel they could have concealed some things better (romance wise) because they were pretty obvious from the start, but that’s spoilery, so I won’t get into that.

Also, I started this because of the ace rep and that was super cool as well! It’s very casual, with the MC already having figured this out and it still playing into the story.

Overall, if you’re looking for a silly queer romcom with an ace MC, this is the book you need in your life. Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Did I see every single twist in this book coming from page 10? Yes.

Did this negatively impact my enjoyment of it in any way, shape or form? Nope.

The characters were absolutely likable and charming, Wren and Leo in particular. Their banter and Wren's internal monologue were so fun that they made me actually laugh out loud several times, which basically never happens when I'm reading a print book.

This also featured one of my favorite romantic tropes ever: (technically spoilers, but you absolutely see it coming early on): <spoiler>falling in love with the same person twice without knowing it's the same person. The identity issues! The pining! The confirmation that those people are so perfect for each other they'd love each other under any circumstances! It's peak romance, flawless, no notes.</spoiler>

The book is a coming of age story in addition to a romance, and focuses on Wren dealing with his grief over the death of his mother. This storyline was delicately and realistically drawn. Related to this storyline, content warnings for: death of a parent, grief, mention of cancer and cancer treatments.

I wish the story had gone more in depth about Wren's asexuality. It's not quite the story of someone who just happens to be asexual: Wren's hatred of the Dance (which kickstarts the story) is partly rooted in his belief that people won't want to date him due to his asexuality and so he resents the focus on an even so rooted in romance. At the same time, this insecurity is resolved and brushed away very quickly.

Overall, though, this was a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it!

Wren Martin has a goal for his senior year: use his unexpected spot as student council president to abolish the Dance, the legendary school dance on Valentine's Day. He's frustrated that the school administration won't put money toward fixing things like the hole in the auditorium stage, and he's frankly just not interested in school dances at all. His plan is immediately thwarted by his vice-president and nemesis, Leo Reyes, the too-tall and too-talented and too-perfect star of the award-winning robotics team (the only other thing the administration cares about other than the dance). Leo suggests that the council approach the company behind the app Buddy (for making anonymous platonic connections, but generally used for dating) to get them to sponsor the dance in order to use the funding on school infrastructure. And since everyone else on council agrees, Wren is stuck having to help plan a dance he doesn't want.

Though he's not interested in dating, Wren decides to download the Buddy app and tries to find evidence to support his skepticism. What he doesn't expect is to make a match with someone from his school -- and to enjoy talking with him. In fact, it feels like they might be... flirting? And Wren might... have a crush? And maybe the dance wouldn't be such a bad idea?

This book really captured the chaos of senior year, between activities and social life and plans for after high school and friends and crushes and EVERYTHING. Wren is a really prickly character at first glance, though the reader quickly learns what has affected his outlook on school, life, and Leo Reyes. He's got a wonderful, supportive best friend in Ryan, but she also doesn't let him get away with some of his more unreasonable stances. And Leo starts off as the perfect student who inspires your jealousy but ends up as something so much more. There's good, positive LGTBQIA+ representation, particularly ace/aro, among the characters.

You'll find all the typical teen angst and miscommunication and conflict in this story, but you'll also find something to warm your heart. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you, Peachtree Teen and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

thanks to net gallery & holiday house / peachtree / pixel+ink for the free earc in exchange for a fair and honest review!

so i already know i will be thinking about nothing other than this book for the foreseeable future. this book is just so perfect, from the miraculous ladybug-like identity reveal concept to some of the most realistic characterization of a high schooler i've seen in a long time in wren. i stayed up later to finish this book than i have in a long time, and i regret absolutely nothing. the way sensitive information was handled in this book was fascinating in the most positive way, and in between the cozy atmosphere the book paints i learned so much about society as a whole. the only negative thing i can come up with is that some plot devices are used for a very limited purpose, but are then repeatedly brought up after the fact, despite the limited use it had in the first place (ex. the honesty thing between wren and leo). despite this, the general lgbtq and especially ace representation is definitely above par, and the lack of any problems arising due to a characters queerness added even more to the already cozy nature of the book. i will be repeatedly recommending this to friends after its release date, and i'm very excited to see how this book does. i'm rooting for it.

note: there is a formatting error on page 165 in which a paragraph that should be formatted as a normal paragraph is formatted as a text message; it interrupted my reading slightly and i hope to see that fixed in the final version.

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. It was so achingly realistic and made me so emotional.

Wren Martin Ruins It All has the asexual representation that I’ve been searching for. Wren’s story is much like my own, both with the asexuality and the grief. This story portrays grief in such a delicate way, while also showing how much it affects the decisions someone makes.

I LOVED the plot. The Buddy app??? So cool. Seeing the work that they put into the dance was fun. Ryan and Wren’s friendship was so enjoyable. Their dynamic was great. Leo easily became my favorite. Wren, however, will always hold a special place in my heart. Will never forget how much I laughed and cried during this book.

Overall, this book may have just become one of my top 10. I will probably always recommend this book now. Thank you NetGalley and PeachTree Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

omg I loved this book so so much, it was so sappy and sweet while also tackling grief and the fear of change. this book was just filled to the brim with tropes that were so so cute, i was giggling and kicking my feet the whole way through. i genuinely had sooo much fun reading this!!!!
i absolutely loved wren and leo, wren is such a fun narrator, he's so annoying yet so incredibly endearing and so so relatable. I did feel really bad for leo every time wren was mean to him though, I imagined him looking like a kicked puppy every time and I definitely understand why maggie hates him so much.
The dialogue between the two flowed natrually and I loved the heart to heart moments they had, especially their conversations on grief and regret.
I loved how the author seemlessly combines the romance aspect and the personal issues that they're both facing. it actually contributed to the romance and their issues weren't just a side plot to the romance.

some things I would change:
- I would've wanted more of an epilogue, or a longer chapter of how their relationship is going and how their dynamic has changed. I mostly just want to see them doing sappy romantic things together (I know the book is already really long but still.)
- I also think the Reveal could've been a bit longer., maybe a bit more emotional, I thought it was kinda weird that leo is just. completely fine with dating wren after he apologizes and none of his earlier reservations on it apply anymore.
- I wish there were more interactions between leo and wren where wren's not being mean to leo, especially after wren realizes his feelings.
- the formatting: I don't know if this is just the kindle version but the text conversations were aligned really weirdly and some texts were red for no apparent reason. I also caught a couple typos.
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for an eARC

Everything seemed to be going wrong for Wren, but it was actually going so right.

This was such a CUTE read! It had me laughing so much and kicking my feet at Wren's antics. Wren was such a sarcastic and fun character, that you just have to love him. The romance was also so charming and sweet. In the end, I think this book was closer to a 4.5, but it made me just so happy while reading it that I'll round it up to a 5.

Looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5*

this book was so good!
wren was relatable and funny and leo was so sweet. i also loved the background character especially maggie and ms. little.

thank you netgalley for the e-ARC!

This book was such a fun and quick read! Wren is a bit chaotic and oblivious, which could have made him an annoying self-centred character. But that was not the case, I liked him a lot and it was fun to read the story from his point of view and see his character growing and understanding himself better.

The also enjoyed the storyline (even though overall there were no big surprises for me) and the way it was written. It was wonderful to read about an asexual character that just was living his live. Wren does struggle a bit with his identity, but it is not a big plot point. I do also appreciate books about aspec characters figuring things out, but it also was great to read about one that already is more secure in his identity.

There were only two tiny things I hope can be changed before the publication:
- When in the beginning it is discussed, why the Valentines Dance is not very inclusive, I would love to also see the word Amatonormativity, not only Heteronormativity. Later in the book aromanticism is also mentioned, but I would like to see it already in the beginning. When Wren talks about how the event is difficult for asexual people, it would be even more so for aromantic people
- at one point it is shortly discussed that aspec people are often excluded in queer spaces. On the same page, the abbreviation LGBT (not LGBT+, LGBTQIA+, or something similar more inclusive) is used. It would be great if that could be changed.

But that are only minor points, overall I loved this cute story and would recommend it to everyone in the mood for a YA romcom!

This is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2023!! WREN MARRIN RUINS IT ALL is full of humor, heart, and flawed/relatable teenagers. I was absolutely charmed by it and hope Amanda DeWitt writes more ace romcoms because these are incredible and very much needed!!