Aww what a romantic read! I thought this novel did a great job blending some drama and romance within the storyline. The characters were great and I enjoyed reading with them. This was my first read from Kristyn J. Miller and now I am a big fan!

Second chance is my favorite trope and this was a really cute! I liked the timelines and also couldn’t wait to find out what went wrong in the past. I think it was realistic and both characters had their own growing to do. I thought both main characters were very relatable and the chemistry was also really good too!

Wow. What a book! I wasn’t expecting to like it so much. The book was about Clara and Teddy ongoing 17 year old friendship/relationship. A falling out years ago lead them to stop talking to each other for nine years! Now, that Clara applied for tenor at the University she needed to prove herself to the school, Teddy a visiting professor was more than happy to help her with her project. Which begs the question for me on why he did that? Did he want to revisit their relationship? Clara had a hard time figuring out her feelings and needed to process them for awhile. The back and forth timelines made sense on letting me know the extent of their relationship. Though I was a bit nervous reading what happened in the past that lead to a drastic fallout. My dislikes were Clara’s parents. I thought it was sad that she didn’t have a social group growing up. Why didn’t her parents picked up on that? And being homeschooled doesn’t mean being antisocial! There were points in the story that I didn’t like Teddy. Some of his behavior and attitude towards Clara wasn’t fair. I did enjoy the parts of them rekindling their relationship. I thought they were adorable and sweet together. I also loved how supportive he was towards her goals. He never wavered from that. I loved how she finally chose to be happy. I wished the ending had a better epilogue. Like what happened in the next few months/years. I needed more. Overall, it was a really good second chance romance between two likable characters. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.

I'll be honest and say it was the cover that drew me to this book and I was surprised by what a great read it was!

-first love
-friends to lovers
-second chance love
-workplace love
-cozy academia

Second chance love isn’t my favourite romance trope, but I found myself rooting for these two. They din’t intentionally hurt each other, they just couldn’t get it figured out at the same time (and time zone).

I enjoyed the pup cultural references to the early aughts (oh Myspace. Do you still exist? Are you even out there somewhere?)

I didn’t mind the flashbacks. Every time we looked back, it was a little closer to the present. The big reveal of what ultimately drove our star couple apart for nearly a decade was a bit anti-climactic though.

The third act breakup. You know it’s coming, but it was getting a little late in the game. But dare I say, this is a couple that, may have, possibly, learned something from the past?? AND also, committed to not repeating past mistakes? What a time to be alive.

If you’re looking for a quick and cozy second chance love, pick this one up. (They get the extra pepper for location, location, location)

Spice Meter: 🌶️🌶️
Overall: ☕️☕️☕️☕️

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 4 1/2 out of 5

Given Our History was such a fun romance book! I loved how the book followed dual timelines, one of the Teddy and Clara growing up and attending sleep away camp for homeschooled kids and another of them as adults working together at a university! I think having the present day setting at college would make this a perfect book to read in the Fall! Clara and Teddy were so sweet together! Miller’s storytelling made this books quick and easy to read! I loved all the early 2000 references, especially the MCR and Twilight ones! If you enjoy the friends to lovers and second chance romance tropes, you’ll love this book!
Thank you for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for a review. This was such a. sweet one and I loved it so much! I absolutely love a Romance set within academia and throw in a second chance romance and it's even better!

Clara is a history professor at a liberal arts college who feels an obligation to take care of herittle sister and often puts herself on the back burner. She is working towards a tenured position when she unexpectedly ends up sharing an office with her teenage love, who is a visiting professor. The books goes back and forth between timelines as it details their relationship isn't the years and they find their way back to each other. I would recommend this one for sure! Thanks for the opportunity to review it!

I don’t know if it’s exhaustion, hormones, or just the way the world has been lately but I had to keep pausing this to cry 😂

Their friendship is so genuine and earnest, the way it grows is realistic and true and while they are both hurt by each other and by themselves, they’re also both willing to admit it (later).

Clara’s bone-deep grief at losing her best friend even though he is still out there living his life is so gut wrenching. The specific kind of sadness that comes with no longer being a part of someone’s life that you used to be so intertwined with is seeping through the pages.

But the way they come back to each other is also raw and real (if a little fast-tracked). I liked that njeitber of them said anything particularly nasty even if it hurt feelings - their fight was realistic to come back from. And the man being willing to follow HER anywhere for her career? We love a supportive trophy boyfriend 😂

#stillemo. I loved this! Very sweet and I loved that the MCs worked through their past together on the page. I don't really feel like I 'get' Clara but I still really like her and especially like her with Teddy!

loved this romance between 2 friends that become lovers. There is the start of the friendship and the present with them both being teachers at the college. she is up for tenue and he is a visiting teacher . they work and plan a gala and rekindle their love of each other. loved that they both loved history.

Super easy read, finished in a day. Really enjoyed it! Kept my attention- enjoyed the flashback chapters just as much as present day.

Pleasantly surprised by this book. I enjoy a childhood friends to lovers trope, and really enjoyed learning about Clara and Teddy's past relationship and how it connected to them in the present day. I thought the story was very well written. I am a Maryland to Texas transplant, so I really enjoyed how specific the author was in the setting of the book. She even threw in the name of a UMD dorm. It wasn't necessary but added a little something extra for the people who know the area. If you are looking for a very romantic less spicy read, I definitely recommend

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. The cozy leaves, college campus, the word "history" lol. I was pumped when I realized it would focus on history professors. I majored in history and always dreamt of being a history professor one day (sadly didn't happen), but this book allowed me to dream a little bit about it.

This is my first time reading the author's work. I thought overall it was pretty good, a quick easy read. It isn't necessarily totally smutty, but it definitely is an open door romance with a few sex scenes that are a few pages long. I'm not into open door romances, so I just skimmed over those pages.

The dual timeline flowed nicely, although I liked the present day better. You first meet Clara and Teddy 3 years before the present, then the present, and then back and forth between present and 16-17 years prior. I'm not sure the beginning chapter made sense to me. It didn't seem like it was too connected or bought more "meat" to the rest of the story.

The main characters were likable enough, although Teddy wasn't that attractive to me haha. I wasn't super invested in their relationship. My favorite part of the story was the history aspects, and the cleverness of that is what kept me going. I love how the author made it such a big theme and part of their relationship.

Overall, I gave it 3.5 stars because it's a nice quick read that I would recommend for a romcom lover.

I finished this author’s debut in one day, and I did the same with GIVEN OUR HISTORY. There is so much to love about this book! Miller’s storytelling has an effortless kind of flow about it, and she navigates the dual timelines (to a sweet summer camp setting! childhood best friends? I die) with a level of expertise that reminds me of Emily Henry’s HAPPY PLACE.

The characters had my heart—even minor ones like Clara’s very extra ex-roommate and her Plath-loving little sister. As a geriatric emo kid, I was giggling and kicking my feet at all the references to bands like My Chemical Romance and Hawthorne Heights, and the mix CDs that little Teddy made for Clara. Combined with the summer camp flashbacks, this was just brimming with nostalgia for me. I also really loved Clara’s openness about needing to use a vibrator during their first spicy scene.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. It is a slow burn, second chance romance. I really loved how they first met at camp. A quick easy read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. I really did try to like it, but it just fell flat in 6 areas:

1. Absolutely no chemistry between the FMC and MMC. It felt like they had no history at all, even through a friendship. They may as well have been strangers.
2. I’m not a fan of flashbacks, so the jumps to 16 years ago got a bit tedious.
3. Too much history with 90% of it being super boring. If you love history facts this may interest you, but most of it was nonsense or stuff I already knew.
4. Most of the side characters had bad attitudes, didn’t add to the story development, or were plain boring.
5. The first half of the book was just boring. I had to push myself to get through it.
5. The main characters were just flat. I felt like I didn’t get to know them. I almost had to reason to cheer for them.

I really wish I had liked this book. The cover is so pretty, I wish the story matched it.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

I stopped at chapter 5 (13%). I really liked chapter 1 and was getting into the story, but then chapter 3 did a time hop 17 years back that got so “toy-brand-dumpy” and nostalgic in the frustrating let-it-go sort of way that appeals to a very specific subset of readers. Come chapter 4, I didn’t really care for either of the leads, and then chapter 5 was a timehop again. Not for me, but people longing for the “good old days” will have fun with it. Three to four stars for the target.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

3 stars- First off I love the cover of this book, and that's what grabbed my attention with wanting to read it. I was also excited to read this book because I love the second chance trope. This was a cute, fast read for me. I wish there was an epilogue for this book to tie up the story in the future at the end.

Given our History by Kristyn J Miller

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

I cannot express this enough. I really, really love this book. I have never read anything by Kristyn J Miller before but I’m an instant fan.

I love any books about academia - romance, fantasy, dark academia, thrillers, historical fiction - instant read. When this book was offered to me (I can’t believe I’m being OFFERED books!) it was an instant EFF YES.

This book has dual timelines. It starts with Clara and Teddy meeting at a camp for homeschooling kids and their relationship (or lack of) in present day. The timelines progress as they alternately grow up and how they gradually become friends (cough, cough) again.

Read this if you love romance with the following tropes: second chance, academia, friends first, and strong female leads.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC 💙

Clara and Teddy reunite a decade after a friendship fallout, with Teddy assuming the role of a visiting professor at Clara's college. The narrative gracefully shifts between the past, unraveling the evolution of their friendship, and the present, as they attempt to reignite the connection while navigating awkward remnants from the past.

While initially immersed in the book's charm, a shift occurred in the second half that led me to a loss of interest. Certain elements felt repetitive or prolonged, causing a sense of disconnect and impacting my overall enjoyment of the story. This affected my appreciation for the latter part of the narrative.

Additionally, the chemistry between Clara and Teddy lacked the spark I had anticipated, contributing to a less fulfilling portrayal of their relationship. I wasn't rooting for them to end up together.