Looking for your next fall read? Look no further!

🍂Academia
🍂Dual timeline
🍂Fall vibes
🍂Friends to lovers
🍂Nostalgia (especially for millennials)
🍂Nerdy MMC and FMC (history professors)

I wish we got a liiiiiitle bit more of Clara and Teddy - I would’ve loved a cute little epilogue!

Overall, this was a sweet romance. If you like friends to lovers and want something with fall vibes, this one is for you!

I found Clara to be relatable, even if she was a little frustrating at times. However, I think this made her very human. I’m glad she grew as the book progressed.

Burned CDs, My Chemical Romance, worrying about text message costs, and Twilight? This book is for the millennials for sure. I felt so nostalgic reading the chapters set in the past, when Clara was in high school and college.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my eARC! Given Our History is out now!

I absolutely adore a well-done dual timeline, and this does it perfectly. I adored the nostalgia and felt it was perfectly done. I also adored Clara and felt like she was GENUINELY quirky as opposed to being the "not like the other girls" type. Theo also perfectly complimented her and I genuinely loved their chemistry and bond. The academia vibe was perfect for the end of summer, I loved this one!

Clara and Teddy met at a camp for home schooled kids when they were teenagers. Their friendship grew into a deep love but sometimes love comes at the wrong time. They end up separated from each other for years while pursuing their college degrees and careers. Can a twist of fate allow them to finally be together?

Clara has some emotional scars from her childhood that hold her back. Her storyline in this book forces her to face the facts that she needs to put herself first. I think the author did a good job showing how Clara could only see one possible outcome with her career often at her own detriment. Clara’s growth curve was well done. Teddy comes into the story fully formed. His only issue is that he wants to make things right with Clara. In some ways he is almost background noise. He helps Clara redefine her goals and to deal with her past emotional pain. I like where they ended up at the end of the book. There are a number of side characters that all add to the book. I didn’t think there was anything superfluous.

My one issue with the book is that it is forgettable. It was a nice, easy read but it didn’t make any impact at all.

This is a contemporary romance that take place in the then and the now. Both of the main characters are adults with careers. I might read more from this author in the future.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Clara and Teddy. They meet when they are kids going to camp. Clara tells Teddy that she will be his friend. They begin to call and text each other. They both go to college and study history. They have heartache and miss one another. Clara is working as a professor and Teddy comes to her college to be a visiting professor. They have an attraction that won’t go away. They fall in love.

I enjoyed how the relationship between Clara and Teddy played out over two timelines simultaneously. I rooted for them to both repair their friendship and fall in love.

A fun story about Clara Fernsby, a history nut working as a professor up for tenure at her small private college. Having been homeschooled, this shaped much of Clara's life as a young adult. The majority of her socialization with peers came at sleep away summer camp, where she met her best friend, Teddy. Until they weren't. After ten years of not speaking, Clara learns she'll be sharing her office with a visiting teacher... Teddy! The anxiety the main character felt was palpable, and so relatable. It's a feel good story that follows them as they navigate lives as adults. The ending felt a bit rushed and I would have preferred more closure there.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Kristyn J. Miller for the eARC.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Friends to Lovers
Second Chance
Teachers

Clara and Teddy's love story was cute to read. Clara wanting to get ten year to support her sister and doesn't go after her dreams and Teddy trying to figure out his life's career after a tragic that happened to his family. They're trying to find love after being friends.

I'm not a huge fan of reading the past and present because a lot of times it's hard to follow, but this was simple to read. It was an easy read, but nothing spectacular. Clara just pushes people away because she thinks that's what best and not communicating on how she feels, until finally she doesn't want to loss Teddy again.

It's a cute and fast little read if you're looking for a friends to lovers pallet cleanser.

Assistant professor Clara Fernsby is determined and focused on her dream of teaching history. Since the age of fourteen, she has pursued this goal relentlessly, overcoming all obstacles, including a significant relationship from her past. Her hard work pays off when she secures a full time teaching position at a university right after graduating, and she is now up for tenure.
However, everything changes when Theodore "Teddy" Harrison arrives as a visiting scholar for the fall semester. Teddy is a reminder of Clara's past, as they haven’t spoken since a falling out a decade ago. Their shared history at a sleepaway camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains resurfaces, where they exchanged books and music and fell in love as teenagers. At this point, they don’t really know each other anymore.
As they collaborate on a project and share drinks at a college bar, Clara finds herself falling for Teddy once more. Aware of their complicated history, she grapples with the possibility that he may not be interested. Yet, both heart and history have their own interpretations, and Clara is determined not to repeat the past. This novel's dual timelines juxtapose Clara and Teddy's early friendship with their present-day interactions. Readers witness their growth from childhood friends to strangers, and perhaps back to something more. I wanted to jump in and help them with their communication skills!
The characters of Clara and Teddy are compelling and relatable, making the reader root for their romance. The pacing is well-executed, and the emotional depth of their relationship adds to the overall charm of the narrative. The backdrop of academia and the transition from summer to fall amplify the cozy, romantic atmosphere. "Given Our History" is an engaging, heartwarming read that fans of second chance romances will adore. It's a perfect book for fall, and I recommend it for anyone looking for a light, enjoyable escape.

This was such a cozy little romcom with flashbacks to my childhood/college years. There was so much nostalgia: dial up, AOL, MySpace, and of course all the emo bands mentioned throughout 🥹. I’m still a sucker for emo music so I was all about it! This book was well crafted and told in present and past timelines telling a story through the years. I absolutely loved Teddy and Clara’s friendship, love story, and all of the bumps in between. I definitely recommend!

We love:
- Second chance childhood romance
- Cozy autumnal academia setting (that cover!!! The tweed!! The sweaters!!)
- A MMC who is direct, respectful, and communicative
- A FMC who knows her worth, professionally
- Tooth-achingly sweet teenage best friendship that provides a real foundation for an adult romance built to last.
- Dual timelines that pace the story well.

I’d read a book like this every time.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 4.5 stars rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so interesting! It kept me hooked from the first page. I was already recommending it to a few friends before I even finished the book.

Thank you so much to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller. This is one of those books that will definitely have you feeling all the feels! Oh my goodness, I loved it so much. It features one of my favorite tropes-second chance romance, as Clara and Teddy knew each other "in another life" and have reconnected, and although there is history there, they have both changed. It's like getting to fall in love all over again, who wouldn't love that? I was fully invested in their love story from start to finish, and I found myself rooting for them the entire time. I love the parallel stories and thought that was a brilliant way to tell us Clara and Teddy's story. This was also a refreshing palate cleanser and reminder of why I fell in love with the romance genre!

3.75 🤍 Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for an ARC of this book.
Okay yes!! I absolutely loved the setting!! Light academia, fall vibes. It was so cozy!!
Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes so i was really excited to dive into this.
Teddy and Clara were relatable, funny, and lovable. I loved them together so much!!
i loved all the little easter eggs through the chapters and how everything ending up connecting in the end. The writing was beautiful and very atmospheric.
It felt a little slow at times but I think it just helps it fit into that cozy vibe. Other than that, I really really enjoyed this read and will be definitely looking for more academia books to add to my tbr!

𝐀 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬-𝐭𝐨-𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭-𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐨𝐟-𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬?! 𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. (𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥-𝐞𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐞, 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐞𝐭𝐜. 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐧!) 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥-𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝑮𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥.

𝑮𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 (“𝐓𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐲”), 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧, 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠… 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐭.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒦𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝓎𝓃 𝒥. 𝑀𝒾𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓇, 𝒮𝓉. 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒾𝓃'𝓈 𝒫𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

What a sweet book! I really enjoyed this second chance romance. It has everything, childhood bffs, friends to lovers, and a dual timeline. The dual time line made this book as you can see how the decisions Clara and Teddy made led them to where they were in the present. The romance was so sweet and I loved the college professor side to this book.

The author did a great job making me feel like I was back on a college campus and I have to say I even imagined Clara and Teddy could be my professors! This was a great fall romance and I highly recommend. I look forward to reading from this author in the future!

I was hooked in the beginning with this one and was easily a 4 star for book! Also, let’s give a moment for the cover! It’s currently so hot and I cannot wait for the cooler weather.

Clara and Teddy are homeschooled kids that are sent off to summer camp. On a rainy day, playing a board game and trying to prove that Clara and her friend can win at trivia, Clara meets Teddy and declares that moving forward he will be her friend. Thus begins years of a tumultuous friendship.

During their teenage years, they begin to question whether what they feel for each other is more than friendship. Sadly their attempt at something ends up fracturing their friendship. Clara focuses her eyes on her future and what it can be. Growing up with tragedy striking her family, she’s firm on making sure she has an education and means to support herself. Years later, Clara ends up working at a college and is informed that she will be sharing an office with a visiting professor, her Teddy that she hasn’t seen or spoken to in 9 years.

The book goes from present to the past and I loved the build up in finding out what exactly had fractured their friendship. I also really enjoyed knowing behind the scenes of the academia world. I’m a sucker for second chance romance and miscommunication trope and this one definitely delivered but differently. Clara and Teddy were both set on their goals. Probably Clara a lot more than Teddy and I think that made her feel like she couldn’t have it all. In a way, she put all of her family’s burden on herself. There’s also the miscommunication trope but I didn’t find it annoying. It felt realistic given their age at the time.

Here’s what I would have liked: I wish we could have gotten a bit more about their relationship. I feel like they didn’t spend anytime as a couple in the book. I appreciated their friendship because that’s the foundation of any good relationship (imo) but I wanted a bit more of what made them work as a couple. And more communication once they were working it out. Also, the spicy scene after the gala….🫠. I actually had to reread it a couple times because I wasn’t sure what I had read.

Though the second chance romance trope is one of my least favorites, my absolute devotion to academic romance outweighed my misgivings about this book.

This is a book where the MCs were childhood friends as teens, and had baby crushes on each other as teens. My biggest complaint about this book is that their grown-up feelings for one another are based on those teenager feelings they had years ago. But, I guess as far as a foundation goes, it's better than nothing. And they did grow up and mature throughout the story. There is a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding that happens (another one of my cringes), but I really liked Clara as a character, her initial immaturity aside. She is witty and funny and does grow into her maturity.

Overall, a quick, uncomplicated read great for this time of year. (Cover love!)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc of this book.

The fall vibes were everything. Not to mention, I would be best friends with Clara. She's a vampire-loving, MCR-listening, super nerdy history professor <333
More importantly, this romance felt very grounded in reality and it was a breeze to read. Clara and Teddy are two highly educated individuals in their early 30s who actually act like their age. Their relationship was sweet, low-stakes, and respectful, which is SO REFRESHING. The only downside to me was the dual timelines from when they were teens, but that is purely a personal issue. Despite my objections, I still found moments of their younger interactions adorable.
These two nerds were made for each other!

I love second chance romances, so I was really excited to read this! I loved the flashbacks to when Clara and Teddy were growing up. Their friendship was real sweet and they both felt very relatable.

It took me longer to appreciate the present day timeline. Clara felt very immature for a ~30 year old woman, and I wanted to get to know Teddy better. It felt like the current relationship between Clara and Teddy got a little bit stalled because we weren’t supposed to know their entire history yet.

Once we finally got more scenes of them together, I really enjoyed their relationship! They were both funny and supportive of each other. Clara’s little sister was also a great addition to the book - I loved the humor she added! Also - is trivia a big trend in romcoms right now? I’m not mad about it…I love the competition and the funny trivia team names! 😂

All in all, this was a solid second chance romance with good fall vibes!

Given Our History was such a sweet romance for fall! If you like the friends to lovers and second chance romance tropes, and a bit of an academia setting, this is a good one. This book is told in a single POV but with a dual timeline. In the present day timeline, FMC Clara Fernsby has always been very career-oriented and is working toward reaching tenure as a history professor. She’s told that for a short time during the fall semester, she’ll need to share her office with a visiting professor. She soon realizes that the professor she’ll be sharing an office with is her old summer camp best friend, Teddy, who things had ended badly with as friends started turning into more when they were younger. With the dual timeline, I also really enjoyed getting the history of Clara and Teddy’s relationship.

I haven’t read many academia-focused adult romances, so I felt like this book was unique in that respect. I’m also a big friends to lovers trope fan and enjoyed watching the evolution of Clara and Teddy’s relationship. I liked Clara’s character and felt like she was very relatable—balancing being career-focused, while still needing to remind herself that she can still be successful while also enjoying life outside of her job. Some of the history humor in here, given that Clara and Teddy are both history professors, was cute. As a 90’s/early 2000s kid, I also appreciated all the nostalgic things that painted the picture of the historical timeline: Myspace, burning CDs, and the issues with dial-up connection, anyone? Ha.

If you’re looking for a fall romance, I’d recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.