I liked the mixture this book provided of present day and the past, it wasn't confusing at all. The academia content was nice as well. The romance was heavier towards the end. I wish it included an epilogue.

Cute, hopeful, and romantic!

Given Our History is a playful, lighthearted, second-chance romance featuring the intelligent, handsome Theodore Harrison, who broke his best friend’s heart when he never seemed to be interested in being anything more, and the spirited, driven Clara Fernsby, who is too busy trying to obtain her professorship and keep her life moving forward to ever open herself up for more heartache from the visiting scholar who once upon a time owned her heart.

The prose is fluid and warm. The characters are lovable, kind, and empathetic. And the plot is an uplifting, engaging tale about life, love, family, friendship, awkward situations, tender moments, self-discovery, happiness, community, and new beginnings.

Overall, Given Our History is a heartwarming, entertaining, enjoyable treat by Miller with oodles of endearing characters and small-town charm.

I loved this book. As someone who is a fan of history, it was really cute to see this relationship blossom and for the main characters to get a second chance!

I am a sucker for a second chance romance and this one was no different! I loved the academic setting vibes and enjoyed these characters together (but maybe didn't love them separately?). The one downfall of second chance romance is usually finding out that there's a "not-so-deep" reason for the initial separation, which is the case for this story. I also wanted a little more development of the character arcs. I didn't feel connected to them individually, but was able to root for them together anyway.

Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller
lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5

Cute, second chance romance. Perfect for fall with the academic setting. The pacing was a little slow and I felt like it took too long to reveal the conflict from the past. Also, this needed Teddy’s POV. And the ending was left too open for me to feel settled. (Clara is a details gal and we get none?? No epilogue?!)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my review!

Given Our History is a super cute, childhood friends to lovers and second chance romance. I adored Teddy as a character and thought the dual timeline storytelling was the perfect choice. At very beginning of the story was a little slower than I would’ve liked, but once Teddy and Clara started planning the gala, I was hooked! I could see from early on how much love there is between Clara and Teddy. He’s literally only a history nerd (self proclaimed) because Clara shared her own passion for history with him - IT WAS JUST SO CUTE!!!! The ending was everything I could’ve wanted for them and I loved how Teddy finally was ready to fight for Clara. I just love them so much and think there should be more hype around this book.

Thank you to Griffin, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

3.5 stars, round down

A quick and enjoyably cute contemporary romance. Dual timeline, childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance. I wish it would have been dual POV, I think that would have pushed it up to a 4 star rating for me.

Overall, I enjoyed this. I enjoyed that the main characters were slightly older than most contemporary romance characters are (late twenties/early thirties rather than early to mid twenties). I found that this added more depth as them being adults allowed for more character development in the present and not letting miscommunication be their demise as it had been in the flashbacks. I won't say there wasn't miscommunication, but they handled it like adults and talked through it to save their relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to be completely honest - I was expecting full blown fall aesthetic vibes based on the cover of this book, and it unfortunately did not deliver on that front. Even with the academia setting and the second chance vibes of Clara and Teddy meeting again after 17 years and falling in love... I was bored? I dunno. Maybe it was my slump that contributed to this, but at least for this round it wasn't for me. :(

Quick Summary: A second chance to get it right

My Review: Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller is a cute and cozy romance set on the academic stage. Released in August 2024, it is a perfect read for the season.

About the Book: "That boy might’ve been her best friend, but the man teaching HIST-322 is a total stranger."

Clara Fernsby and Theodore (Teddy/Ted) Harrison had been friends once upon a time. Unfortunate circumstances, however, caused them to disconnect. When a professional reunion of sorts happens upon them, they cannot avoid one another. What happens going forward will be all up to them.

My Final Say: I knew this book would be amazing, and I was not wrong! I absolutely loved it. It's the kind of book that tugs at your heart and causes all the feels. I liked Clara and Teddy so much. From the moment they met until the end of their story, I was wishing, hoping, cheering for them to get it together.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: 💖

Most sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for granting access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. It was an absolute pleasure to read this work. I look forward to reading more from this writer.

I absolutely died over this cover!!! All the perfect fall vibes. Unfortunately, the book itself fell short of my expectations. I would have preferred Theo’s POV to the flashback scenes, though I did enjoy the nostalgia. Overall, a very middle of the road read.

3.5 stars.

I liked this book. It was fun to jump into Clara and Teddy's past as they meeting again after so long. I think they were both sweet,

I did, however, not love this book. I found some of it to be repetitive, and it felt a bit long for the story. Some of it could have been cut down, and the story would still be good.

Overall, I did like this book, and I recommend it. I just didn't love it.

This book started so well.

We meet Clara as she embarks on her daily job as a professor, finding out that there will be a new professor coming into the mix, and it’s none other than her ex friend-colleague, best friend Teddy.

Obviously, history muddles up everyone’s minds and such when we meet with someone of our past. So they re-meet and the chemistry is instant. A truth that has always been there. We go through the motions of this relationship and move along as Clara and Teddy reintroduce themselves to each other.

I liked the premise but something fell flat for me. I have read a similar story to this and wish I had a blank slate to fully absorb this one.

I felt similarly about this romance as I did about Happy Place: there was not anything bad about it, but it also didn’t fulfill its potential in multiple ways, going in directions and lacking depth in areas that I would have done differently. I didn’t truly feel either of their passion for history, nor did I get any true grasp on either of the main characters depth in general, the main focus being almost entirely the up and down trajectory of their coming of age friendship, which felt quite shallowly explored itself. None of the characters felt particularly endearing, but not unlikeable per-say either. Overall, this book would’ve benefited from more passion, from the characters, and from the authorial perspective.

This was one of my most anticipated books for the fall, and it absolutely did not disappoint. My hopes were sky high and it was *wonderful*! Not only was the actual romance storyline incredibly swoony, but I also adored all the fall vibes. I highly recommend!

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“... to have some small part of you was better than having none of you at all.”

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this eARC. If you love second chance romances, alternating timelines, and the "right person, wrong time" trope, this is one for you to pick up. Would highly recommend to those who liked Julie Soto's story arc from Forget Me Not.

I myself am not typically a childhood friends to lovers fan, BUT to open that first chapter with them running into each other again because he was dating her old roommate? Sold. Needed it. I had no idea how far their friendship would span but to find out they met at camp as young kids made it so much more special to see their decades long journey.

I loved that this dealt with a slightly older cast. Most contemporary romances I see are casts of earlier twenty-somethings, but with Clara and Teddy being in their late-twenties/early thirties allowed for a larger conversation and more character development development. I feel like so many romance books are surface level--their lives and careers are easily uprooted and sacrificed for their love. With Clara and Teddy, its not a simple leap, hand in hand, off a cliff. It required communication as to what that means to the other person, fears of resentment, and whether or not the timing is right, and how that person would be able to handle finding a job in a new location. And for someone who hates the miscommunication trope, this book did it in a way I loved.

They're adult conversations. They're not sexy, they're complicated and sticky but they are important, and it's not simple.

I read too many contemporary romances. I sit at an office for 8 hours a day at a computer, so throwing a contemporary romance on in the background is easy. I miss a moment? not concerned because I typically can fill in the context. Given Our History was different. I found myself rewinding if I missed a moment. I found talking to myself in the car, yelling at these characters for the stupid things they were doing. I found myself falling in love with them and their story and will forever be angry at Teddy for walking out that day in the dorm. (Like bro, you didn't let her finish what she was saying and then ghosted her.)

When I read the aforementioned Forget Me Not by Julie Soto, I fell in love because it was a different narrative style. The break up was in the past and you are given this mystery of where it all went wrong to begin with. It was a formula I screamed about for an entire summer, forcing everyone to read because it was so different,. Finding a story with a similar arc brought me so much joy, and this is going to be my go-to recommendation for a fall cozy read. So happy to have a new insta-buy author.

I enjoyed the second-chance romance trope in this book, but I found it unengaging over the span of 300 pages. The characters, Clara and Teddy, didn’t appeal to me, and their relationship wasn’t well-developed. I liked Teddy as a character, but I felt that more insight into his relationship with Clara would have strengthened the story. While the plot was interesting, I was disappointed by the lack of depth in their six-year relationship. That said, the dynamic between Clara and Teddy was cute, especially with how they bonded over homeschooling, their parents, and Clara’s love for history. The miscommunication at the end of the book annoyed me, but at least they end up together and happy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the copy for an honest review.

4.5 stars

This book was really sweet. I loved the academia setting and the chemistry between our protagonist and the love interest. I think that’s what really sold me on this book.

I don’t always love a second chance romance or friends to lovers, but this couple oozed so much chemistry that I couldn’t not ship them.

I do think the stakes were pretty low and that made some of the drama not as believable, but it was still fun. And I liked the fact that there’s not really a third act break up. I’m so tired of those.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was the perfect cozy Fall read to jumpstart October! It quite literally felt like I was walking through fallen leaves with a pumpkin spice latte.

Is Fall academia romance a genre?!? If not, make it one! I loved Clara and Teddy! 2nd chance romances are rarely done right in my opinion and this one was cozy and perfect!

Read this melancholy romance if you like:
✨women in STEM/academics
✨second chance romance
✨right person, wrong time
✨friends to lovers
✨dual timeline

TRIGGERS:
✨beware of the MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

My thoughts 💭

👍🏼
•I am always down for an academic romance and love me some nerdy women in STEM!

•Theodore Harrison is the blueprint, baby and a top book boyfriend. I would have LOVED his POV in the book and think it would have really brought more feels.


👎🏼
•When Clara says, "one of our biggest roadblocks has always been communicating-" THAT RIGHT THERE-the miscommunication trope, especially when it last so long, will always bring a story down for me.

1 HYPE UP QUOTE:

"You're always there, Clara. In everything I do. You've always been it, for me."

"...love is the hard road. The person you're meant to be with is whoever you choose to be with. And you'll have to fight for it and make sacrifices for it every step of the way. You just have to choose someone who's worth all that trouble, and then you have to keep on choosing them, every day."

This is a cute romcom, with second chance. It follows Clara and Teddy, who knew each other from before, when Clara had fallen in love with Teddy. Now she won't let that happen again.