This book is absolutely delicious.

Rival trivia nerds competing on Jeopardy deny the sparks between them. When asked to compete in an ultimate champions tournament, they team up to try to beat the number one player.

You will not be able to put this one down. Maxine and Teddy are the epitome of opposites attract. The line between flirting and fighting might as well not exist as the banter is SO good. The heat between them will have you sweating! The trivia facts were also a fun inclusion and there is some really great ADHD representation that highlights how everyone learns differently.

This is one of my new favorites of 2024 and I’ll be thinking about this one for a while. I highly recommend you pick this one up. Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for the advanced copy, all thoughts are my own.

A buttoned-up professor and a high school dropout prove opposites do attract in this latest delight from Jen Comfort.

Teddy is all about lists and order. Maxine’s trivia intake is fueled by wherever her ADHD “superpowers” lead her. When her “Max Heart” strategy ends Teddy’s record-setting run on Answers!, a trivia show similar to Jeopardy!, she doesn’t expect to see him again, but Answers! isn’t quite done with this pairing yet.

A chance to defeat all-time undefeated Answers! champion Hercules McKnight in an Answers! tournament against the other biggest Answers! winners brings the two rivals together again. They agree to help each other prepare in order to take down McKnight.

THE BANTER. THE CHEMISTRY. THE PROXIMITY. I could not get enough, y’all. So, so good.

And HE FALLS FIRST!!! (I just love it when he falls first.)

Also, I know I already mentioned THE CHEMISTRY—yes, the all caps there is intended—but it bears repeating. *Stops to fan self*

On a more serious note, I adored the neurodivergence rep here and sincerely appreciate how Comfort captures the experience of having a brain that works differently from what’s considered to be neurotypical.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an advance copy of the book from Montlake and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

This is both a love story and a love letter to trivia and game shows, and I absolutely adored it. Two rivals who hate their attraction to each other slowly discovering that surface impressions are not the be-all and end-all? Check. A deliciously-paced plot that builds to a perfect conclusion? Check. Sharp, flirtatious banter? Oh good grief, check. I definitely appreciate this author's sense of humour and the way she portrays Teddy and Maxine with such detail and depth, and I suspect this will remain one of my favourite books of the year.

I really loved this rom-com, Jeopardy inspired, rivals to lovers story. Jen Comfort does an amazing job with characters that may be unlikable in the beginning, then she shows us how amazingly complex people can be and how sometimes the toughest exteriors hide and protect the softest hearts.

Maxine is brash and bold, brilliant with a huge chip on her shoulder. Teddy is quiet, brilliant, cautions and a little nerdy, but gives off some serious SBD energy (or “early 2000’s book-cover viscount behind a pair of glasses”). And I loved how he completely fell head over bow-tie for Maxine from the beginning. Maxine has to learn to trust, and Teddy has to learn to take a risk and it was so much fun seeing these two grow throughout the story.

Maxine has ADHD (as does the Author related in the Author’s note). I really loved how much care was used to convey how ADHD is just a different way that brains work and learn. Showing some of its amazing strengths and how traditional learning is not well suited to brains that are neurodivergent.

There were a few moments in here that I picked up some Ursula from Little mermaid quips around greed and wealth that made me grin (It wouldn’t cost much, a trifle really, poor unfortunate soul.)

All of this is set against the backdrop of the game show. All of the training and game strategy was so fascinating to read. There is so much more to it than I realized.

4.5 rounded to 5 stars for me!

This book was hilarious, so much fun, and ridiculously cute. I really loved Max and thought that her character provided humor in a way to create comedic moments throughout the book but also show the depth of her character as she used humor as a way to deflect. Max has always had to take care of herself and her sister because her mother had a gambling problem. So trust and emotions are something that doesn't come easy for her to share. I also really loved Teddy. He was such a straight arrow and did everything by the book, it was kind of funny. Bringing him and Max together created the perfect recipe for disaster. Now add in the sexual tension and the feelings they have for each other and it was chefs kiss. This book was the perfect mix of swoony and entertainment. I was swept away by the love story and reading about Max and Teddy, but the plot and the game show aspect was so much fun. I haven't read a romance book like this in awhile, and i really loved it.

Jen Comfort has now become an auto-buy author for me! This book was such unique story and pulled me with the fun characters that are a little weird but so lovable.

Read this for:
- Rivals/Enemies to Lovers
- Forbidden Love
- Forced Proximity
- Neurodivergent Rep
- Opposites Attract
- Roommates

This story is one of two rival game show contestants competing on a Jeopardy like show who instantly have a connection and fall for one another. I loved the creative spin in this book because I haven't read anything like it before.

I got sucked in to this one and was captivated by Maxine and Teddy's verbal sparing and chemistry. The nerd speak is big in this one with all the knowledge the two of them had and it was glorious to see them banter back and forth and drop all of their intelligent quips.

The ADHD rep in this book is phenomenal. You really get inside of Maxine's head and understand the challenges she faces and the strategies that do help her. I loved that Teddy didn't make her feel bad about that in her personality and only tried to help support her and her learning.

The way they each were able to help one another grow was really lovely. Also the chemistry between them was palpable, and there were some scenes that really heated up the page. The map learning.. #iykyk

I really enjoyed how the whole game show played out and the ending. I don't want to give an spoilers but I found it perfection!

If Jen Comfort writes I will read it! This one gets ALL THE STARS!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of her book. All opinions are my own.

WIL is possibly the best book Jen has written to date and her two previous books are BEYOND amazing so like, what is there to say?! Jen is known for having unlikable, over the top heroines; characters struggling with their own internal demons. We've met an astronaut and an actor, a former Broadway diva and the lead singer of a German glam rock band. But in WIL, Jen brings it down a notch, giving us a college professor and a woman with a very diverse job history, trying to deal with her ADHD, who some would say is drifting through life. Maxine would disagree and so do I. Oh and they also happen to have won massive amounts of money from a trivia quiz show.

From the moment Teddy meets Maxine, he is GONE. She is massively attracted to him but they are competing on a game show and since both of them cannot win, some feelings get hurt. Brought together ​a​ year later by the trivia game gods, the two agree to train together for their own separate reasons when they realize they must defeat the "big bad." As they train together, they slowly let their guards down. Maxine is carrying a lot of pain from her past hurts and often offers up her "weaknesses" right away so others cannot use them against her first. She also makes some assumptions about our sweet but stodgy Teddy and his life, not realizing that there is so much more to him. Teddy has his own secrets and pain and when it's revealed. Oof. My heart. I ugly cried. Like U-G-L-Y I had no alibi​. But Jen writes these scenes in such a ​careful, comforting, beautiful way that just shows you what a talented​ writer she is. She has a way of writing her characters to be completely relatable and in this book there's an extra level of understanding because they are in fact just like us, with the same struggles and insecurities.

So to pun the title "What Is Love?" Love is what Jen poured into this book. Love is seeing yourself through the eyes of someone you love and discovering that you are, in fact, wonderful just the way you are. Love is finding someone who never says that you're too much/not enough--but just right. Love is this GIFT of a book from JCo to Romancelandia.

What is Love is a fun tale that shows how an unlikely duo can help one another shine, see the good in each other, and of course beat the bad guy. The unique premise set expectations early - this would not be a boring story. It was zany with characters that at times felt cartoonish, but the dual point of view let us see the reasoning behind such over the top behavior - be it stuffy or immature. Both of the main characters possessed good hearts underneath their masks, and you can’t help but root for them and their burgeoning love. The plot and side characters were enjoyable and anchored the main characters as the story evolved.

One critique I had was that Maxine’s ADHD dominated her character. Almost every internal motivation was rooted in her ADHD, and her behavior was at times too over the top to be explained by it. Having read the author’s note where Jen Comfort shared that she has ADHD, I can see Maxine as an exploration of things that feel out of one's control, and a chance to look at it in a forgiving light without blame or shame. But also having ADHD and not feeling so defined by it, I felt it took up too much of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to friends.

Oh mylanta! If you are even questioning a teeny bit if this is a book for you, the answer is YES. I can’t imagine a world where this book doesn’t tickle a fancy. Enemies to lovers. Banter. Grumpy-Sunshine. Neurodivineness.

WHAT I LOVED MOST:
A lovable and entertaining cast of characters, even beyond the MCs. Maxine is an ADHD goddess and I loved every moment in her POV. Teddy is the most squishable, squashmallow of sexiness. And all the other crazies joining in this trivia contest bring their own quirks and I l delighted in it all.

Holy Brilliant Banter Batman. Witty, neurodiverse, hot, nerdy banter. Like, take your normal zingers and add a crap ton of humor and TRIVIA. I learned things!

Good girl. Do I need to say more? These words were sexy as hell and were also in the name of behavioral science.

FAVORITE QUOTES:
“Don’t be alarmed. It’s a completely natural mineral, often used in sunscreen.” (For Teddy, the relaying of trivia was flirting.)”

“Definitely not the public school system, which, as far as Maxine was concerned, was designed to suck children’s souls out to make space for robot parts.”

“No. And don’t call my instructors McDaddies. That’s weird and gross and super outdated.”

“Her irises reminded him of a murky, wooded pond being illuminated by a perfectly angled ray of sunlight, revealing the lush, hidden biome flourishing below the surface.”

“Liquor smarter, not harder! Teddy, do you want one?” “I would rather have every word on my gravestone misspelled.”

“Repeat it,” he instructed. “Caspian Sea.” Her voice trembled. Her nipples were aching points. “Largest lake in the world.” “Good girl.”

If it’s not already obvious, this is a 100000% recommend from me. I don’t re-read often, but this is for sure a future comfort read. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this as an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This one is for the nerds who love it piping hot. And for the Jeopardy or trivia lovers. The premise sparkles with such a unique approach to the link between MCs, and I luxuriated in all the blatant nerdery. I had the absolute JOY of hearing Jen Comfort speak at a recent festival, and she talked about gender-swapping her characters as a means of refreshing a story. The way she writes Maxine with typically masculine position in their relationship is so inventive (she’s pulling him out of his shell, she’s almost a “bad boy” in her past) and attractive! I’ve read many a book with neurodivergent (ADHD, autistic) characters, and the way Jen portrays Maxine feels both authentic and whole. Too often ADHD characters are written as just constantly hamstrung by their “challenges” or really self critical about their “failures,” but Maxine’s ADHD literally created her trivia success and she shows up as her true self throughout the story. The spice is *CHEF’S KISS* AND the details of how the scenes go down are SO UNEXPECTED and fresh. I could not love this book more, and the HEA was perfectly sappy, a perfect contrast to their spicy back and forth.

So, not only did this feel a little like YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER with the sharp-edged one-upmanship between these two rivals, it also felt like what you'd get if YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER and BEACH READ had a baby. And maybe that won't make sense until you read it but.. I hope it does, actually, make sense. Because I couldn't shake that feeling. Which isn't to say this isn't very much it's own thing. So maybe it's not a baby but some generational ancestor down the line. I'm overthinking this. Let's move on.

I find I can easily be moved to feel emotion even if I'm not enjoying a book. Why? Because, all evidence to the contrary, I'm an ooey gooey marshmallow. But what is a lot harder is for me to be genuinely entertained and moved to laughter. And yet that's what happened here.. a lot.

This might also be one of the few romances that had multiple zesty romance scenes that I didn't feel inclined to skip over. Oh, and yes, fitting for a rivals match-up with high stakes, things get hot and intense and heavy allll the way through. Enjoy. And you're welcome.

But okay, let's try and make this a real review, shall we? If you're looking something that has heart, heat, and humour, you can't go wrong here. The trivia and game show setting was very entertaining and educational, the opposites attract element made the rivalry even more engaging, and also I might never think of bodies of water the same way.

My one complaint might be that I wish we'd maybe spent a little less time rehashing Maxine's backstory and neurodivergence because it felt a little overplayed by the end but other than that? This was exactly what I needed to break up a few thrillers and, maybe, also, in general.

If you like your romcoms to have bite and a side helping of flirting and fighting and f-- (I'll leave that last f to your imagination), plus trivia!, I would definitely recommend.

** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

3.5 stars
This is an entertaining, fun read. Teddy and Maxine are interesting, relatable, intriguing, entertaining, complex characters. Teddy intrigued me and the more that we got to know him the more I liked. There were times when I really liked Maxine and times when I really didn’t like her. It made for an interesting reading experience. I enjoyed the premise and how it played out – especially the ending to the quiz show tournament and for the romance. I enjoyed the enemies to lover aspect and much of the banter. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story. I enjoyed the family and friends aspects and the roles they played in the story. There were aspects of this story that felt dragged out, but overall it’s an enjoyable read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What is Love? is a cleverly written, smart rom-com. Jen Comfort's humor is not for everyone and may miss the mark with some... but not this reader! I loved the high heat and high intelligence. Great combo and great chemistry.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Maxine and Teddy are former winners on a game show called Answers! who are brought back together to compete in a championship tournament. Teddy is a meticulous and conservative player, while Maxine leans into the chaos and her natural talents - betting large and buzzing in even when she doesn't know the answer. Before the tournament, they come to an agreement to teach the other some of their skills/strategy and not to give into their intense chemistry.

This book is just really really fun - a true romp! I loved both characters - the banter, snark, and hotness were on a new level and I just ate it up! This book is HOT even if a fair amount of the sex happens off page (don't worry the scenes that are there absolutely scratch that itch). I think Jen Comfort is really good at creating sex scenes that move a relationship forward (iykyk - I'm definitely talking about sex on the stairs). The characters both have backstories that affect them but also don't overwhelm the plot/story here, which I really appreciate.

If I thought more about this book, do I think there were maybe some pacing issues and perhaps a little too much relationship development happened off page? Yeah, probably. But honestly I don't care. I still had so much fun reading that I was able to overlook those tiny little issues I had.

Read this for:
- Rivals to lovers
- Gameshow setting
- Trivia!
- Spice
- ADHD Rep
- Sexy Studying
- Praise

This book also gets a special shout out for one of my absolute favorite opening lines ever - it really hooks!! Thank you to Montlake and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily

A delightful rivals-to-lovers novel for anyone who is even moderately interested in Jeopardy. The chemistry between Maxine and Teddy is electric from the very first page. I especially enjoyed the mental health rep for ADHD with Maxine, as it gave the obstacles between the couple a deeper meaning. I was slightly less interested in the shenanigans with the game show, but it’s only because I kept wanting to get back to the (incredibly hot) study sessions between Maxine and Teddy. I’m excited to return this one frequently.

I loved this book!! It was fabulous and well done. The characters were on point and I thought the plot was well developed. I would recommend this book to others.

I wish I could scream from the rooftops about how much I adored this book. Rivals competing on a Jeopardy! esque TV show who have major Pride and Prejudice energy??? I could not put this one down.

This book has:
•A game show setting that is perfect for fellow Jeopardy! lovers 🎤
•The rivals to lovers and forced proximity tropes
•ADHD rep ✨
•Opposites attract, and the boy falls first! The leads couldn't be more different, but that doesn't stop them from falling head over heels in love 👩‍❤️‍👨

This book was such a unique and fun rom-com! Thank you to Montlake and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

Okay so all vibes let's go. I snagged this arc so fast, thanks to years of watching Jeopardy with my dad and absolutely thrashing him at the home game. I didn't think I'd get to it this early, but I picked this book up, ironically, as a distraction from exam nerves. Yes. I did, in fact, accidentally pick up a book that was heavy on studying to help me wind down when it was too late to continue studying. And it was absolutely the right call.

If you're someone who's always been a little nerdy, if you watched Jeopardy from childhood, and/or if you have ADHD and never learned a study method that works for you, this book will feel like a bear hug. I related so heavily to Maxine's ADHD struggles with imposter syndrome. I did not sign up for heavy feelings, I picked up a romcom! But seriously, this delivers the romcom vibes while also providing some much-needed commentary on elitism in society in general and in education specifically.

I also really love that Teddy was so multidimensional. So often, I find that intelligent characters are given that ONE trait, as if that's an entire personality. Teddy is a little myopic up front, but I really appreciated the way he was slowly revealed, and I was rooting so hard for him by the end.

Basically, I probably would've read this in one sitting if I wasn't working 12-hour days this time of year, and I still read this in less than a week. Impulse control? We don't know her. This book was exactly the fun, neurodivergent romp with a big heart that I needed in my life right now.

This book was so much fun set in a Jeopardy-style trivia competition. I love how the author handled neurodiversity and aging parents with humor and heart. In a lot of recent 'romance novels,' the vibe is brought down by heavy subjects, but not here. These added to the story rather than checking boxes. Maxine Hart had an untraditional upbringing and has ADHD. She's also incredibly confident and driven. She is hoping to inspire neurodiverse kids that just because they learn a different way doesn't mean they can't be trivia champions. Teddy Ferguson is a seemingly posh academic who was on a hot streak until Max upended his life.

This author is a master of the prickly FMC--clearly putting up walls and antagonizing her love interest to protect herself. Her MMCs don't know what hit them, but boy do they enjoy being hit. A passage I particularly liked: "Teddy wondered how she couldn't see it. That he'd happily let her ruin his entire life--if only she'd stay in it afterward."

Seemingly at odds, Ted and Max team up to try to beat the number one champion. They each bring important strengths to the table and of course the chemistry is incredible. As Teddy puts it: "She was the Dr. Frankenstein oof his soul, and he lived and breathed by the electricity generated when their minds clashed."

There is a bit of push and pull as Ted and Max resist their 'urges,' but once they go all in, it's wonderful. Highly recommend for fans of Jeopardy, genuinely funny romantic comedy, and big characters.

As a two-day Jeopardy! champion, I was so excited to read this book! Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Jen Comfort for providing a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m not a fan of insta-love, so I wasn’t all in on this story after the first couple of chapters, but I really enjoyed the way the relationship developed over time and the characters’ feelings deepened past the initial infatuation. I loved the portrayal of the trivia world - it felt real, not parodied. I loved the exploration of how different characters felt about the pursuit of knowledge.

I’ve gone back and forth a few times between 4 stars and 5. There are some plot contrivances that weren’t fully sold, but the ending genuinely surprised me, I believed in the relationship, and there were some fantastic lines. Recommended!