I loved this one! I think the marketing it as "Never Have I Ever" meets "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" is so spot on. I see myself recommending this to so many high schoolers. I don't even have any other words for this one, because I sped through it within a couple hours.

ANN LIANG HAS DONE IT AGAIN BECAUSE I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE READING THIS BOOK! I was genuinely screaming and giggling and kicking my feet in the air throughout the book because of how absolutely hilarious and fun this book was!

Sadie was a bit too relatable with her "pathological people pleaser" personality and having her grow and be more herself and let go of the fear that people won't like her was so freeing to me! I really love seeing personal growth like that, especially as it relates to being an immigrant kid. I really enjoyed the family aspects and the interesting sibling relationships in this too.

Of course, I LOVED LOVED LOVEDDDD the romance! Julius was so funny and Sadie and Julius's "hate" to "frenemies" to "love" arc was truly as iconic as Sonny and Chad from Sonny with a Chance. It packed all the punches and I loved every single bit of second hand embarrassing moments which equaled out with the perfect swoony lines!

Absolutely would recommend and can't wait to read again!

I haven't read many YA romances since I was of that demographic, but the cover and synopsis for this book fully grabbed me, especially in light of the interest in romances among some of our students. I Hope This Doesn't Find You not only scratched that YA romance itch, but also ended up prompting me to reflect deeply on myself and how I resonated with some aspects of the main character. While obviously there were aspects of the character that I don't personally relate to (like her background as a Chinese-Australian), I really enjoyed seeing those aspects celebrated and fully explored; at the same time, the character's drive to succeed and people please in order to protect and uplift those around her, especially her single mom, reminded me so much of my own childhood. It hurt to see her struggle with it, and I felt euphoric to see her grow and learn to be vulnerable with and get support from her mom, brother, friend, and love interest. Some scenes and lines struck me so deeply that I cried through the rest of the chapter. All this is to say, I Hope This Doesn't Find You succeeds on so many levels: as a cute YA romance, as an OwnVoices story that prioritizes and represents the characters' identities and backgrounds without it being the focus, as a coming of age story that shows extreme tenderness to two extremely high achieving but insecure, prickly but vulnerable, immensely relatable protagonists.

Honestly, I'm wondering if I need to get more into YA romance. While I have no doubt this is a standout, it makes me wonder what I've been missing out from in the genre!

Personally, I didn't vibe with this book. I think the comparison to 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before', while understandable from a marketing standpoint to appeal similar audience, only emphasises their similarity in plot, making Liang book pale in comparison. Also, while I didn't 'feel' the chemistry between the main leads, I thought the writing itself was good, albeit leaning toward cliches.

Describing my appreciation for Ann Liang's I Hope This Doesn't Find You as a mere enjoyment would be an understatement. This delightful romantic comedy had me fervently turning pages into the late hours of the night, my exhaustion overridden by the compelling narrative. It masterfully embodied the essence of the enemies-to-lovers and rivals-to-lovers tropes, interwoven with the intricacies of high school romance.

The narrative was charming and heartwarming, and I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of my affection for both protagonists. Anticipating potential cringe-worthy moments or frustration with the main heroine's journey, I found myself pleasantly untroubled. The author skillfully heightened the tension, maintaining a gripping storyline that never made me uneasy about the characters or their choices.

Ultimately, I awarded this book a resounding five stars for its captivating plot, endearing characters, and its ability to keep me utterly engrossed. A delightful, carefree read, I wholeheartedly recommend this book for its effortless charm and sheer enjoyment it brings.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To say I enjoyed I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang is an understatement. This fluffy rom-com had me kicking my feet late at night, refusing to put it down even though I was exhausted. It completely encapsulated enemies-to-lovers, rivals-to-lovers, and high school love.

It was sweet and endearing and I was honestly surprised how much I loved both characters. I expected to have way more second-hand embarrassment or to find myself annoyed with our main heroine as she stumbles through the obstacles that move the plot forward, but I didn’t feel either way. The author did a great job of raising the stakes and keeping me on the edge of my seat without making me uncomfortable with the characters or their decisions.

Overall, I gave this book five-stars because I loved the storyline, was endeared to the characters, and found myself unwilling to put it down. This book was lighthearted, easy breezy, and just plain fun—I would highly recommend it.

I find that I have outgrown YA romances at this point in my life. BUT THIS ONE. My big age didn't matter when the characters were so cute and the romance was so wholesome. I suggest your pick this up.

Academic enemies make for some interesting banter and laughable moments in Ann Liang's latest YA novel, I Hope This Doesn't Find You. The fun characters draw you in and keep you entertained throughout the novel. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

I don't understand people who want to write ya fiction without an even basic understanding of how young adults think. The idea that these "smart" kids can only hold one (fairly unobservant) idea in their little pea brains at once absolutely destroys what would have been a cute-ish story.

I didn't finish this book because I did not like the characters or the writing style. The writing and dialogue sounded British, but they're Asian American teens in America. The main character is completely unsympathetic and unlikable. Her supporting cast doesn't seem much better. Ideally, there's character development and growth that will make them more likable. Unfortunately, the writing style did not make me want to find out more.

5 stars-

Boy was I THRILLED to receive an arc for this book. It made my entire day. My entire week. Miss Ann Liang had been dropping those teasers on the gram and the suspense was building, like there are very few books I’ve waited for in as much anticipation as I waited for this one, and I thought there was no way I’d be able to get an arc. BUT I DID. And it lived up to every damn expectation. I’m writing this review weeks after finishing the book and just thinking about it is making my day again. THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. I LOVED IT SO SO SO MUCH.

I never know how to describe the premise for romance novels because they all tend to sound the same based on premise but, (as usual with Ann Liang), this book is so much more than just your average romance novel. It’s academic rivals to lovers and that’s honestly the long and short of it but when I tell you that these two actually HATE each other like they are ACTUALLY rivals I mean it and that is so rare honestly !!! And it all goes down with some good old-fashioned forced proximity. Who could complain.

When I tell you this book made me sick I MEAN IT. The ending had me in pieces. I was sobbing, I was grinning, I was blushing, I was kicking my feet. Julius Gong THE MAN THAT YOU ARE. I need him in a way that is concerning to feminism. (When he literally tells you he hates you…phew 😅)

This Time It’s Real is one of my all-time favs, and while I loved this one from the start, for most of it I still thought that I preferred This Time It’s Real. (Me and Eliza are like this 🤞🏼 fr) But the ending of this one completely sealed the deal—I’m not sure where I stand now. I love them both equally, in extreme amounts, at the very least. With all that said, all the things there are to love about This Time It’s Real (so many things) carry over to this book. Real, personable characters who explore deep, complex conflicts. Authentic dialogue and teenage behavior. Complex family relationships. BANTERRRR. And the occasionally world-shattering quote.

Do yourself a favor, and read this book. That’s all.

I Hope This Doesn't Find You is a great enemies to lovers YA book. I was immediately sucked in by the consequences of Sadie's social world finding out about her secret hate emails, and had to keep reading to find out what happened.

I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang is a captivating and heartfelt love story. It is a poignant and charming tale, woven with undeniable tenderness. The concept of fake dating in the story evokes both epic swoons and deeply heart-melting moments. Moreover, witnessing Eliza's transformation from a self-contained individual to a self-assured person is beautifully empowering. I eagerly anticipate delving into more of Ann Liang's captivating works.

Ann Liang does it again!! I have no idea it’s possible to consistently pump out so many outstanding, butterfly inducing books. Everything about this was absolutely fantastic and there wasn’t a single dull moment while reading.

Each of the characters are all so lovable and feel human in the best way possible. In some parts, it almost felt as though I was reading about myself with just how relatable Sadie Wen is. Everything from her personality to her habits, demeanors, and ever her obsession with being a people’s pleaser, I’ve never felt more represented by a fictional character. Julius Gong!! Where do you find someone like him in this world?? His character is fresh, and interesting despite still possessing many of the commonly lovable traits you expect in a popular YA lead. All the details added to his character only increased his attractiveness(physically and mentally), and I want nothing more than to meet someone so intelligent, prideful, and competitive and yet impossible to not love. It’s his small gestures and the feelings that he hide which really make him so much better as well.

Their relationship was absolutely amazing. The interactions between Sadie and Julius never felt dull and I loved how it was still filled with so much competition and teasing even as feelings bloomed. There were so many moments between them which left me smiling like an idiot and jumping around like I was a happy little kid again. For the C-Drama lovers, this whole book felt like a written drama in the best way possible. With every interaction between the two, you can’t help but feel lonely!

It’s absolutely amazing being able to watch Sadie develop and grow to become more confident in herself while having to also face her classmates. This book is filled with so many moments that are exhilarating and fresh, as well as those that’ll tug at your heartstrings. I would definitely recommend everyone check out this book once it releases next year!!

I really enjoyed "I Hope This Doesn't Find You". I don't typically read young adult romances, but I found that the witty, biting banter drew me in rapidly. I didn't think I'd love the trope of accidental letters sent out to the entire student body/targeted audiences ala To All The Boys I've Loved Before, but I found that this book hooked my heart and drug me right in. It is a book that will make you fall in love, experience heartache, and cry all at the same time. It makes you believe in pure love.

We all deserve a partner that will call us their favorite cardigan and we deserve to have our voices heard. I Hope This Doesn't Find You reminds us that to be human is a beautiful thing.

I'm convinced I'll love every book that Ann Liang writes. This was an amazingly slow burn and I loved Sadie as a main character because she is so relatable as both a people pleaser and perfectionist. The story felt well paced. Something I've noticed in more recent YA romances is the way they are set in and described in geographical locations that are easily recognizable, dropping pop culture references everywhere. That's not to say a book set in New York talking about TikTok and Starbucks is bad, but what I enjoyed about this book was how the setting was timeless. It was somehow both universal and unique at the same time, because Woodvale as a high school is fictional but is situated in a broader sense within the United States, with references to Berkeley and Harvard, but it's not a generationally focused narrative. This is merely an observation, but it definitely enhanced my reading experience, and I loved this book!

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the digital advanced copy!

Dear Ann Liang,

I’d appreciate it if you would stop using your time-traveling powers to observe me as a high schooler. Blatantly copying my personality into a book is kind of creepy.

Sadie is the perfect student, daughter, and school captain. She goes out of her way to make sure no one can hate her. Yet, beneath that perfect facade is someone breaking under the weight of self-imposed expectations. Her only stress reliever is hate drafts, most of them directed toward Julius Gong, her academic rival. That is until all her emails are accidentally sent to the whole school. When all her schoolmates shun her, Sadie is desperate to regain favor. Julius is the only one who seems to appreciate the real her, even as he continues to be a thorn in her side.

Ann Liang doesn’t know how to write a bad female main character. Sadie was too relatable; it was like reading about sixteen-year-old me. She craved being loved and valued by everyone, even people she hated. In her head, love and usefulness correlate. When things went wrong, she immediately took the blame and apologized to keep the peace. This innate desire to please formed when her dad left, and she thought she was the cause. Everything she did was for everyone else, her own needs and wants put aside. Her stress rubbed off on me when her drafts were accidentally sent. It also convinced me to buy a physical diary and delete all my hate drafts from my email. Despite the chaotic repercussions of her misstep, she grew from the incident and learned to stand up for herself.

While Julius wasn’t my favorite Liang love interest (Henry Li for life), his and Sadie’s interactions were hilarious. I wasn’t completely sold on how they became enemies, but the level to which they hate each other was quite funny. They are both very snarky and downright hateful towards each other. No insta-love for these two. I enjoyed watching them go from hate to respect, then something more.

So why only three stars?

While I love what Ann Liang has created, it’s repetitive. I Hope This Doesn’t Find You was a wash, rinse, and repeat of her other novels. Yes, you could chalk this up to Liang finding her niche, but there are different things you can add so your books don’t read the same. All of her books are academic rivals to lovers, perfectionist protagonists, and boys who fall first. Even the dialogue was giving me a weird sense of de ja vu. At this point in her career, I would like to see her branch out, whether through a new setting, genre, or flavor of characters, I don’t care. She is a great writer and has the potential to write books for different audiences. I knew going in the I Hope This Doesn’t Find You had a similar synopsis, but I was still hoping for something fresh.

If you are a die-hard fan of academic enemies to lovers, and like Liang’s previous works, don’t worry, you’ll like this one too. I just felt dissatisfied at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Ann Liang never misses, but she continues to deliver in this newest novel. The story of Sadie will resonate with teens and adults who have ever struggled with feeling like they are enough, and those who poured themselves into being the best. Rivals-to-lovers has never been so potent. Sadie and Julius pop off the page and bring you right back to your high school days. Recommended for teens 14 and up, as well as anyone looking for a romance that is a real roller coaster of emotions. Give to fans of dramas like True Beauty.

The enemies/academic rivals banter you've been looking for!

Sadie and Julius are the co-captians of their school and - naturally - cutthroat, unforgiving, vicious academic rivals.

Sadie takes her frustration out on Julius by writing him angry emails about how she'd like to throttle him and how annoying it is that his hair looks so soft. She keeps these emails saved in the draft folder of her email. Until all the emails she wrote Julius, along with a few to some teachers and other classmates, get sent to the entire student body.

If you really love the enemies to lovers trope, you will not be disappointed. The quick, witty banter that Liang is so good at writing is at it's best in this novel. These two seem to really genuinely hate each other, and yet... that chemistry is UNDENIABLE.

Along the way we also get a heart warming look into family, friendship, academic pressure and all the pressures we put on ourselves. An addicting, swoon worthy, read that I finished in an afternoon because I couldn't put it down.

(5 stars)
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this digital review copy!

Let me first preface with something I’m sure many of us can agree with: Ann Liang never misses. Ever.

Something about her writing style is so captivating I could literally drown in it. I finished this book in one day (as was the case with This Time It’s Real and If You Could See the Sun) and I absolutely love it. I related to Sadie’s character so much- the complexity of her flaws, her drive and passion, her fascinating need for external validation- that oftentimes I found myself predicting her own words or actions. What I love about Liang’s writing is the fact that she has this innate ability to create characters that feel truly human- in every sense of the word- that represent so many people in her diverse reader demographic.

Sadie’s character development is logical, and it’s the type of development I found myself paying overt attention to. There’s a large emphasis on family, and I specifically enjoyed how, although usually cliched, the theme of adhering to conventionality is something that feels very fresh in this book.

Julius is such a remarkable character, if not one of my favorite MMC from a YA novel I’ve read this year. He’s competitive, but obviously, we see him grow to care deeply for Sadie (if he hasn’t already from the start lol). His scenes with Sadie don’t feel flat or forced, and their interactions feel natural and make me giggle and kick my feet (sorry not sorry).

My only real complaint with this book is that it is definitely! not! long! enough! While most (if not all) parts felt realistically paced, I couldn’t help but feel that some other parts did feel slightly rushed (but not enough to change my views overall). 100 more pages definitely would not have hurt if it meant that we got to see more SadieJulius scenes.

In the best way possible, my favorite part of Ann’s books are the closing lines- they always leave you with something to spend the rest of your day pondering over, and I would totally attend a workshop from Ann on concluding your writing properly.

I will most definitely be picking IHTDFY up when it comes out in February. This is some gold right here, especially for all of my rivals to lovers enthusiasts out there.
2024 is about to be ANN’s year!! I CANNOT wait to see where she goes with her other books. All the best to her and her team!