This story was so cute. I loved the flashbacks that is shows of the two main characters starting from when they are kids..I love how accepting the kids in the story are if each other's sexuality. I couldn't put this story down. I love that even though Emma broke Caleb's heart he still is there for her and she does the same. Fantastic

Exes & Foes didn't quite live up to my expectations. It's always a bummer when a book you've been excited for isn't what you hoped it'd be but Exes & Foes did pick up by the end and I really enjoyed the last part of it.

I really enjoyed this. I also learned a lot!! I am a bit older and so many gender and sexual terms are a bit new for me. This story actually help me define some of those and I really enjoyed the characters!! Their struggles felt genuine.

A perfect book! Amanda never disappoints. I laughed and cried and felt all the emotions for the characters the entire book. A superb sophomore novel for Amanda.

I found this to be a really fun, and refreshing read. The characters were very likable, and they were written quite well in my opinion. I thought the story flowed well, made sense, and did a good job of not rushing things too much. The story also managed to delve into serious topics with its characters as well, and it never felt as if the story was clashing with itself. I would definitely read more from this author, and I wouldn’t complain about a sequel if the author felt there was more story to tell with these characters.

Now this isn’t to say that everything is perfect, I felt that maybe there were perhaps too many flashback chapters. Towards the end of the book, I felt like I just wanted to stay in the present timeline rather than continually going back. However, this is just a minor gripe. I also feel like Juliet’s sexual & gender identities could have been explored more, but again that is still just a minor gripe from me. Some would perhaps even accuse me of nitpicking.

I really enjoyed this story, and would recommend it to everyone. 4.5/5 stars & leaning toward 5.

There are many stories within this book. A parent - child relationship. A sister's relationship. Friendships. And romantic friendships. All of these were great stories on their own and when you wove them together they made a complex intriguing read.
The character development was so well done. You really felt like you knew them and could almost guess how they would react. I loved how the author didn't make any simplistic solutions or unrealistic expectations. It made you really think about how teens could be in these situations.
It's worth your time to read.
Enjoy!

I enjoyed this book! The competition was okay, but I found myself preferring the portions of the book and conversations that didn’t revolve around it. These characters definitely acted like they were in high school, which they are, so I didn’t have any issues with some of the more immature responses and choices. I thought they both did grow and mature throughout the book, which I really liked.

I really loved both MCs best friends, maybe even a little more than the MCs! I like that they were not afraid to call their friends out and thought they were very funny.

a satisfactory ya book that explores multiple different topics with grace.

this book follows emma and caleb, two ex-best friends who compete for the affection of the new girl at school, juliet, but slowly falling for each other as the competition continues. this premise definitely is light-hearted and i could see this being a rom-com, but it also delved into some deeper subjects as well, such as the complex relationships around family.

i thought the characters were the strongest part of the book; they're all so different and real, like these could be real people! i really liked emma; she was fearless, confident, and a good friend, even though she's going through so much by herself. caleb was a good character as well; he's not as loud and out there, but i loved his quiet style of caring and how he was always there for emma.

the pacing started slow, i'm not going to lie, but progressed more smoothly as the book went on. the writing was okay; i wasn't like moved or anything but i thought it was decent!

3.5 stars rounded up! it was a light romcom with good chemistry and enjoyable characters!

thanks to netgalley and penguin group for the arc

I really wanted to like this book. It looked like it would be a fun rivals-to-lovers, but I just couldn’t get into it. DNFed a quarter of the way through.

If you need a light hearted rom com this is the perfect book for you.

Full disclosure, I am an adult. Like an old-lady adult. Like almost 50. And I do love YA. But I don’t know if it is my age but some things in this book are either red flags or just don’t make sense to me. And maybe what seems cool to influential YA readers might not be so cool in real life. But hey who am I to judge?! I grew up on Sweet Valley High.

Anyway this book is very current. It always throws me off when I read about someone who prefers them pronouns because I always have to go back and try to find out who they are. Oh wait, them is one person. So confusing!

All in all it was a good diversion.


Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Emma and Caleb used to be best friends until Emma suddenly cuts off all communication with him in eighth grade. Now seniors in high school, they discover they both have a crush on the new girl, Juliet, so they decide to compete for her. Whoever Juliet kisses first gets to date her. Unfortunately, Juliet seems to only want to hang out with them as a group of three. Though they start as icy toward each other, Emma and Caleb soon fall into a familiar rhythm as they restore their friendship and previous romantic feelings return (or possibly never left). Only... they both have feelings for Juliet, right???

I loved both Emma and Caleb as individual main characters. Emma is fierce, protective of those she loves, and refuses to take shit from anyone, even those in positions of authority. Even though she can see the inherent worth in others, she struggles to see her own self-worth, constantly being torn down and belittled by her mother. She's combative, but she also oozes a certain kind of vulnerability (sorry for the weird imagery the word 'oozes' provokes, LOL). Caleb is so tender and caring; his love language is most definitely acts of service. He used to make Emma lunch every day, he stocks his freezer with mint chocolate ice cream (even though he hates the flavor), he cleans her car for her, and he wakes up early to do some much needed repairs on her car. He wants to see the best in people, gives them chances that they might not deserve, and believes they have changed for the better, even when they continue to walk all over him (like his dad). I thought Emma and Caleb's relationship was sweet, and I enjoyed getting glimpses of their past to understand who they were to each other.

I didn't think Juliet was as well-developed. She is quirky and bubbly and clumsy/klutzy and cries at any confrontation. She felt like a caricature or skeleton of a character. I also didn't like or appreciate how Emma and Caleb talked about Juliet, like she was some prize to be won and not an actual human being with human emotions and free will. They never even CONSIDERED that Juliet might not be interested in them, which seemed out of character for Caleb. It's obvious that they became more interested in and attracted to the competition than they ever were in Juliet. Which just feels icky. I have to cut them some slack, though, because they are teenagers doing teenager things, learning and growing through making mistakes (like this one).

I liked They Hate Each Other way more than this! But that might just come down to personal preference. Read this for the amazingly diverse queer rep (like, we're talking multiple letters of the LGBTQIA+ acronym, haha) and tender romance! But definitely also check the content warnings before diving in, because there are some pretty heavy topics covered.

Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers for the advanced copy of this book!

Representation: bisexual (main characters), demisexual (main character), aroace (side character), BIPOC (side characters), nonbinary (side character), lesbian (side character)

Caleb and Emma stopped being friends years ago but when Emma publicly defends Caleb, who was defending Juliet, against a bully, they enter each other’s orbit again.
Brought together by this incident and the quirky Juliet Emma and Caleb make a bet about who can get Juliet to kiss them first.

This cute YA novel was very slow at the beginning and picked up in the last third, so if you like the premise keep reading!

⭐️3.5⭐️

I loved how dynamic all of the characters were in this book, both main and side characters were full fledged and so easy to picture in my head. It really was a testament to “you never know what someone’s going through” as well, every character had their own challenges and things going on that made it all the more realistic. Also loved how much representation there was!

The concept of Caleb and Emma being friends to enemies and fighting over Juliet while also slowly falling for each other again was so so much fun. And all the situations they got themselves into was goofy and fun to read and, once again, so easily vivid in my head.

My biggest complaint is I didn’t feel anything with the characters. I was definitely rooting for them and invested in seeing them together, but I never got butterflies for any of their moments unfortunately.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for a copy to review.

I LOVED this book. Emma and Caleb are so cute. There were a few scenes that kinda didn’t make sense to me but overall really loved the writing. Id recommend to anyone and read more from the author in the future.

4.5 stars

This was another enjoyable book by Amanda Woody. It had a bit of a slow start, but ended up picking up and being very enjoyable. I loved both characters. Emma and Caleb were amazing and when they were together, even better! I loved seeing them interact with their banter and their hints of feelings. That’s the thing that is so great about enemies (or in this case ex best friends) to lovers that I love! I felt for both of them with all that was going on in their lives. They both had their own struggles and huge personalities but they worked so well together. I also loved the side characters. Juliet, Alice, Jas, and Caleb's mom they were all great! All of them fit so well with the story and again had great personalities. Such an enjoyable cast of characters. Enough about the characters and a little more on the plot. I liked it. The who competition bit felt a bit icky but I really liked how it played out in the end. It was really well done for an icky concept haha. Overall a great read and I can't wait to see what Amanda comes up with next.

Content warning: neglect, emotional abusive parent, runaway, bullying, homophobia, aphobia,


Thank you to @penguinteen for an ecopy in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars

♡ Hurt/Comfort
♡ Second Chance
♡ Emotional Growth

This wasn’t fully what I was expecting. While I liked the friendship and the second chance vibe it had it was just honestly really slow-paced for a good portion of the book. Getting to know Caleb and Emma and their complex history for more than half of the book. Ex-best friends who could have easily been more—falling for the same girl and placing a bet that whoever the girl kissed first got to date her… obviously things don’t go as planned. Not going to lie I thought this was going to go in a poly relationship route but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. I did like the demisexual and aro/ace representation though, the characters in general all had depth and good development as the story progressed.

Though there were a few things that felt a bit out of pocket. Emma randomly getting hit by a car for example then just getting up like nothing happened. The whole scene seemed unnecessary. However, the last few chapters seemed to get better, the book ended on a good note, and the humor was lovely!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, Penguin Teen, and Viking Books for Young Readers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spice Level: mentioned (off page)
Angst Level: 💧(1/5)
POV: Duel, First Person
Release Date: 23, July 2024
Rep: Demisexual (Main Character), Bisexual (Main Character), Aro/Ace (Side Character), Mental Health, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC

⚠️ Content Warnings:
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Car accident, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Body shaming

This was one of the cutest friends to enemies to lovers books packed with lgbtqia+ representation. You get snippets of the past that help to understand why there was a rift and when there's a "competition" for another's heart... what better than to have their friends stage a reverse set up! I love how no matter what our two MCs have always held on to a love for one another, held onto knowing they are who they are because of the other. Nothing erased that.

cute little YA romance - love the diversity!!
I did not like the competition for a person's attention/affection. altho they addressed this in the book by the characters, it still rubbed me the wrong way

This book was adorable! I was wanting a fun, relaxing book and this was it, I loved the quirky cast of queer characters and the plot was so much fun and not predictable at all. I adored Caleb and Emma and loved that the traditional gender roles were flipped upside down. This was such a well-written story and I’d love to see more with this cast!

I loved Amanda Woody's debut but this book unfortunately didn't work for me. Like in THEO, both Emma and Caleb are dealing with intense home situations in this book, but I don't feel like the characters are well fleshed out beyond their traumatic home lives. It's especially hard to get to know them with their mutual crush, Julia, in the mix, as she dominates many of their interactions but doesn't add much to their character development.

I also found it hard to relate to the former friends narrative. They're high school seniors and were friends in 8th grade, but act like they still know each other intimately. Somehow this doesn't jive for me. Kids change so much between middle school and high school that they should be practically strangers at this point, but there's not much mention of how they've grown or changed in the time or what they've missed in each other's lives.