I loved this book! It was very academic & intellectual in its writing & presentation! I loved the will they, won’t they aspects of the storyline! Although I felt that the story moved a little slow at times, it was a classic friends to lovers trope that I thoroughly enjoyed! I loved that she added elements of intrigue by making this relationship go through its trials. Ultimately true love always prevails & I enjoyed seeing how her & Teddy were able to find their way back to one another 💖

I had high hopes for this one female history professor who actually loves history sign me up. However Clara didn't act like the 30 something professor she's suppose to be. To me she acted younger than my twenty something sister. It's like she got older but never really matured. And she kept trying to fit in with the older male professors by not being herself. I get it its a male field. But it still felt like she could find a better balance. And holding a grudge for something that happened when they were in college.

This was a big flop for me unfortunately. For the first 30% I was really vibing with it, and then it felt like a sharp right turn off a cliff.

The main character was so robotic, it was difficult to read. I wanted to DNF more than once and regret not doing so!

A cozy fall romance that you'll fall head over heels for! I normally don't love second chance romances but this was handled so well!

This is a second chance romance between two former young lovers, so you get a dual timeline between present day and an exploration of their history and former romance.

Clara and Teddy first met at summer camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Both were homeschooled and found a connection through a shared love of literature and music. Over the years their friendship grew into love, but they had a falling out ten years ago and haven’t spoken since.

Now Clara a history professor at a private liberal arts college in Maryland — her dream job — and she’s finally up for tenure. Her world is turned upside down when Theodore is brought on for the fall semester as a visiting scholar in her department.

He may have once been her best friend, but Professor Harrison seems like a total stranger to Clara. However, as the two spend evenings working on a shared project over drinks at a college bar, Clara quickly realizes how easily she could fall for him all over again.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance! With second chance romance being a favorite trope, have read a lot of different executions of this plot over the years. Liked but did not love this one, thus the 3.5 (rounded to 3 stars). That being said, would definitely read this author’s works again!

Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller was a heartwarming second chance romance that follows a dual timeline for Clara and Teddy. First as teenagers attending homeschool camp together to teaching at the same university. While there was some angst I felt it was light, this was more cozy romance for me and read like a warm hug. I just adored it, perfect for fall!

Thanks SMP Romance for the gifted copy.

Given Our History
3.5 🌟

This is a sweet autumn hug. Clara and Teddy met as teens in a sleep away camp primarily for home schooled kids. Then they meet again as professors when Teddy is assigned to share Clara’s office as they work on special projects. We get a dual timeline which adds such a depth of history to these two as they grow.

It is a bit of a genre bender with romance of adults who once shared a unique bond as kids. The banter and internal second guessing is so relatable. Both introverted nerds and it’s such a happy book.

There is something poetic about two kids who were home schooled become university professors.

This book took me by surprise. It's a friends to lovers romance, but with the backstory telling the history of the romance. I love the academic setting, as well.

Cute fall vibes. Love the chemistry between the characters. The teacher trope was nice. Would recommend…….

Have you ever read a book that you struggled with because you had too much in common with the main character? For me, that was this book. Like Clara, I am in my late twenties and have recently finished a Ph.D. Many of the things she realizes about academia are things I struggle with in my daily life. Does that mean it's an accurate portrayal of academia? Yes. Does it also mean I am not a completely objective reviewer in this case? Also yes.

I did enjoy seeing Clara and Teddy's relationship in the past. I liked seeing their connection grow and as we are similar in age in was fun to see her experience with technology I grew up with. It was well-written and compelling. However, I got frustrated with how indecisive Clara seemed to be about having a romantic relationship. It felt believable to me when she was 18 but by 30 I found it a bit frustrating.

I recommend this book if you like second chance, particularly dual timeline, and if you like reading books in an academic setting. If tenure applications give you anxiety go ahead and skip this one.

best friends clara and teddy find themselves coworkers years after their falling out. being thrown back into each others lives, they’re given the opportunity to explore what could have been. while i live a second chance romance, it took a little too long to get the full backstory. would love to find out what’s next for clara and teddy. thank you st. martin’s press for this arc.

When we meet Clara Fernsby, her life is going exactly as she had hoped it would. She has wanted to be a history professor for as long as she can remember and has landed a tenure track position at a prestigious university. Her life is turned upside down, however, when Theodore Harrison joins the faculty as a visiting professor. Theodore (Teddy) is Clara’s ex best friend and the first boy she ever loved. They haven’t spoken since a falling out 10 years ago, and his presence now is an unwelcome one. Things go from bad to worse when Clara is asked to share an office with Teddy, but Clara feels like she has to play nice, especially since she’s up for tenure.

I love a good second chance romance, especially when it’s combined with the childhood best friends to lovers trope. It was so great to watch Clara and Teddy get reacquainted and realize that all of the old feelings were still there, and I was particularly interested in the author’s use of flashbacks to show how Clara and Teddy first met at a camp for homeschooled kids and how their relationship evolved, and of course what ultimately drove them to break up. I thought it was so sweet that Clara was actually the one who inspired Teddy’s interest in history and I equally loved how steadfast Teddy was when it came to his feelings about Clara. Some of Clara’s choices, both past and present, frustrated me at times, but I was still rooting for her to come to her senses and realize what a great team she and Teddy made.

If you’re in the mood for a wonderful second chance romance story with all of the fall and academia vibes, you won’t want to miss Given Our History!

I love a good academic romance.

Clara Fernsby is an assistant professor who is finally up for tenure. Theodore Harrison is brought on as a visiting scholar. Surprise - these two have history. Clara is not thrilled to see Teddy, his arrival brings up major issues in the past. Ten years ago their friendship ended due to a falling out. While Clara would rather avoid Teddy, they have to work on a project together that brings them both back to their feelings that they left in the past.

Told through a dual timeline, you learn about who they were in the past and who they are today.

I received an ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5⭐️ - This sets out to be a cute fall second-chance romance between two former best friends who had a major falling out. It kind of gave People We Meet on Vacation vibes because of the split timeline, and going back and forth following their adventures as kids and the present timeline.

I enjoyed the first half, but unfortunately it went downhill from there for me. The main character felt really flat and boring to me, though I did like her relationship with her sister. It felt like nothing really happened in the second half, and we were just dragging on. It also seemed like the timelines were mismatched at times, which took me out of the story. There were also a handful of scenes where I really hated the choices the author made - like the post gala scene and the home-for-thanksgiving scene. Just please no?

I really did enjoy the author’s first book so will probably give them another chance. But this one really fell flat for me.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This is a homeschool love story that will make you fall in love with the world of academia, sleepaway camp, and appreciate the early 2000s. I seriously never read a story that the two main characters are homeschoolers who fall in love, because IRL I married a homeschooler and so many of Clara and Teddy’s homeschool adventures reflected that of my spouses. He too had a hard time with colleges accepting his grades due to the fact that he was homeschooled his entire adolescent life.
That aside, I really did enjoy the story. Clara and Teddy were the best of friends until they drifted apart, but can time truly separate these two? Clara is such a headstrong, smart, witty, and talented character that I was rooting for her no matter what happened in the story or what risks she decides to take for academic career and her lovelife. Kristyn Miller does a fantastic job painting Clara’s character arc and personal growth throughout the pages of this story.

Overall, Given Our History was a delightful read that captures the heart of friendship, the risk of taking second chances, and the importance of opening your heart regardless of what history has taught you. I can’t wait to read more books from Kristyn J. Miller ❤️📚

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC

Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller was, frankly, a great romance to pick up near the beginning of fall. The story is a second-chance romance between two academics—childhood friends who grew up, fell in love, then had a falling out. Clara and Teddy know each other better than they know probably anyone else, but the timing has never been quite right, and fears over not repeating their parents’ mistakes have held them back. I loved the dual time line quality of the story, getting glimpses of their past and well as getting to know them in the present as their adult selves. Having many close friends and family members in academia, I loved that element of the story, and I felt like Miller captured the collegiate atmosphere wonderfully. It was also nice and spicy—eventually. It was a slow burn, but well worth it in the end.

Thank you to SMP Griffin for my advance review copy.

The cover of this screams FALL and it did not disappoint. This was such an easy and lovable read that I finished majority of it in one sitting. The multiple timelines between past and present not only gave so much backstory to the characters, it helped me understanding their relationship in real time. This book is marketed as a second chance romance and ugh, it does that SO very well. It’s this beautiful representation of who is meant to be in your life will be.

This was the perfect read to get me in the mood for fall. As someone who wants to be a professor, I loved the academic setting and the characters. I also really enjoyed the dual timeline.

ARC Review
DNF, but I don't like rating books I don't finish, so it gets a 2 here and I won't rate on Goodreads.
I had HIGHHH hopes for this one. But at 38% in, nearly chapter 12, I just couldn't do it anymore. I was so bored. Super disappointed that this book wasn't for me