I was excited for this book and absolutely loved the cover. I wasn’t expecting the story to be as heavy as it was. Still, the challenges felt very realistic and kept me engaged in the story. I wasn’t a huge fan of all the past chapters but i thought it was a solid story. Caleb was very sweet but I wish the side characters offered a little more. The chemistry between the two characters was only okay and the issue that Emma faced seemed to resolve a bit too easily but other than that it’s a decent read. 3.5 stars.

Caleb and Emma used to be best friends until a sudden falling out led to them avoid speaking to each other at all costs. However, they can’t keep avoiding each other when they both have to confront a bully who’s targeting the new girl, Juliet. The ex-friends are both instantly drawn to Juliet and devise a competition to see who can win her over first.

I don’t know why the premise of two people competing over a mutual love interest ultimately for the other’s attention always sounds so compelling in a book description, only to be a bit disappointing in practice. To be fair, every character acknowledges how gross it is, but that doesn’t stop anything. Besides being slightly off-putting, it also doesn’t allow for the love interest, Juliet, to have a personality for most of the book because she’s only there to serve as a propellant for the two MCs relationship. Caleb and Emma seem to immediately fall in love with Juliet for no reason other than she’s pretty and so unbelievably ~quirky~. I understand why she felt so unconfident and was self-deprecating but it felt a bit grating to read, and I couldn’t understand why it was supposedly so endearing.

Like in Amanda Woody’s debut, They Hate Each Other, both MCs have heavy issues to deal with, and it’s nice to see how Caleb and Emma develop individually and support each other while working through everything. There were a few moments that made me laugh, and I know from THEO how funny Woody is, but I think maybe the whole quirkiness factor weighed that down in Exes & Foes. There wasn’t as much opportunity for their humor to shine through here.

My favorite character was hands down Caleb’s mom. She was about to make me cry with how loving, supportive, and caring she was, and I just really loved her. I also thought the friend group that started forming had a lot of potential, and I would’ve appreciated seeing more of them. Overall, I thought there were some sweet and interesting characters and dynamics that may have had more of a chance to shine with possibly a different handling of the premise and some further character development.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Exes & Foes by Amanda Woody is told from the point of view of high school seniors, Emma and Caleb, former best friends who haven’t spoken in four years since Emma cut him off without any explanation. When a new girl named Juliet moves to town and both of them find themselves attracted to her, Emma and Caleb strike up a competition to see who can win her over first. To spend time with Juliet, they are forced to endure each other’s company as well and pretty soon neither one of them is sure whether Juliet is the person they want to be with after all.
Certain aspects of this book were done really well; for instance, some sensitive topics such as emotional abuse by parents and friends as well as parental neglect were included and were handled with sensitivity and care. Sometimes serious issues are introduced into romances to explain characters’ behaviors only to be completely neglected or left on a surface level, but that was not the case here. Emma, Caleb, and even Juliet each had traumas that genuinely impacted their characterization and story arcs. From beginning to end, we got to see them open up about their struggles and work through them

Unfortunately, I did not feel attached to the characters. Caleb and Emma were fine as narrators but they were a little one-dimensional. Caleb was awkward, germaphobic, and kind and Emma was short-tempered, had low self-esteem, and was quick to fight anyone who insulted her or her friends. I didn’t feel like I knew anything about their personalities beyond that. Juliet was even more flat as the only information we got about her was that she was perky, talkative, and clumsy. Although these characters’ backstories and traumas were fleshed out well, who they actually were as people were not.

The couple of other side characters, Emma’s friend Alice and Caleb’s friend Jas might as well have not even been there as they were not developed at all and didn’t really contribute to the plot beyond filling out the friend group. However, I did love Caleb’s mom. She wasn’t present for that much of the book because she worked a lot, but she was such a supportive presence, not only in Caleb’s life but in Emma’s as well. It was so sweet to see her treat Emma as her own and assure her of her worth.

Emma and Caleb’s romance had some really sweet moments but overall I preferred them as friends. The way their relationship was written was very well-done in that I definitely believed in their history and the intensity of their feelings for each other. However, I think they had a lot to work through both as individuals and in terms of their relationship that should have taken precedence. I also thought they were a bit codependent. That might seem like a strange thing to say about two people who went four years without even speaking but the speed at which they became reliant on each other once they were back in each other’s lives and the degree to which they prioritized each other was a bit too much for two teenagers. This might be just a matter of personal preference but I’m not a fan of romances where the characters claim to not feel whole unless they’re together and that was the case here. I can understand highly valuing a person you love, especially for Emma and Caleb who didn’t have big support systems but ultimately that dynamic still doesn’t feel healthy to me. I think they should have built back up their friendship and focussed on themselves for far more time before entering a relationship.

That said, their chemistry was strong and I did really enjoy certain elements of their relationship. It felt realistic at the beginning when Emma and Caleb still claimed to not be friends but would constantly slip back and forth between arguing viciously one second to playfully bantering the next because their old habits were so ingrained in them. I loved the way they had each other’s backs even when they weren’t sure where they stood and that they accepted each other completely. I also loved the little things they would do for each other such as Caleb keeping Emma’s favorite ice cream flavor in his freezer or Emma bringing him his favorite candy when he was sad.

Their friendship/competition with Juliet could’ve been utilized better. It was nice that the three of them, along with Emma and Caleb’s respective best friends, formed a tight-knit group but so much of the book was spent with Emma and Caleb fighting over Juliet’s romantic affections (despite clearly being more interested in each other) that it felt like a plot device rather than a genuine friendship. Obviously, it was a plot device but if it was going to be such a big part of the book I wish the time would’ve been taken to more thoroughly develop Juliet as an individual as well as her friendships with Emma and Caleb rather than just using her to advance Emma and Caleb’s relationship. However, I absolutely loved the way Emma and Caleb listened to Juliet even when her interests differed from theirs and that they consistently assured her that being herself wasn’t “too much.”

Another significant theme in this book was bullying and I didn’t enjoy the way it was executed. It’s explained that Caleb has been bullied for basically his whole life largely because his mom likes to wear revealing clothes and bartends at a strip club. I’m not denying that bullying, even physical bullying such as pushing and fighting like Caleb experienced exists, or that people are sometimes bullied because of their parents. However, I found it hard to believe that high school seniors would go so far out of their way to make one person’s life miserable just because his mom wears tank tops and short shorts. Apparently, everybody Caleb ever went to school with outside of the main friend group made fun of him for this, beat him up, or attempted in some way to humiliate him and it felt like the kind of over-the-top bullying that occurred in 90s teen movies. There was a conversation towards the end of the book with Caleb’s mom about how it’s not a woman’s responsibility to dress in a way that makes others comfortable which was nice, but I wish it would’ve been included in a way that felt more natural rather than throwing it in as a response to a situation that was completely unrealistic.

This book was quick to get through and contained important messages and themes, as well as some very sweet moments of friendship but the flat characters, codependency in the romance, and overblown portrayal of bullying left something to be desired. If you’re interested in reading a young adult story that deals with parental neglect, emotional abuse, or difficult family dynamics I would recommend this one but if you simply want a cute young adult romance, there are more worthwhile ones out there.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was so good. I didn’t know if I would like this going in, but I would give this ten stars if I could. Caleb and Emma used to be best friends, but now they can’t stand each other. Caleb is a strict rule follower, and Emma is a wild rule breaker. To make matters worse, they both have a crush on the new girl, Juliet. Caleb and Emma decide to compete for Juliet’s affection, and whoever she kisses first gets to date her. Juliet, of course, is not in on this. Caleb and Emma’s plans are slightly ruined when Juliet seems intent on hanging out with them at the same time. Hanging out all the time makes the two of them remember how close they used to be, and how much it hurt when they stopped being friends. In their efforts to win over Juliet though, they might be slowly falling… for each other. This was so good. Added to my list of favorite books. It’s also by the same author as They Hate Each Other. I love chaotic disaster bisexual books.

I just finished reading "Exes & Foes" and really liked it. The story is about Caleb and Emma, who used to be best friends but drifted apart. Now, they're both interested in the new girl, Juliet, and make a bet to see who she kisses first. While the competition for Juliet felt a bit off, the real highlight was Caleb and Emma's relationship. Their backstory, why they stopped being friends, and how they slowly reconnect were well done. Emma's issues with her abusive mother and Caleb's struggles with his dad added depth.

However, Juliet's character felt pretty flat. Despite being central to the plot, she didn't get much development beyond being quirky and pretty, which was disappointing. The book would have been better with more focus on her.

The best part was Caleb and Emma's evolving friendship. Their banter, falling back into old habits, and ultimate reconnection were highlights. The diverse representation, including demisexual and bisexual characters, was great and well-handled.

Although the start was slow and some side characters needed more depth, "Exes & Foes" is a charming, heartfelt read. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a mix of rivalry and romance. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

A fun read when Caleb and Emma, who used to like each other, decide they both might like Juliet. Caleb tells Emma you always steal my girls. Caleb and Emma decide to compete for Juliet, and they agree whoever Juliet kisses first can ask her out. As time goes on and the three spend some time together, Caleb’s mom tells Caleb that Emma fell in love with Caleb years ago. What?! How did he not know this. Will this change the competition? Will Caleb and Emma get back together? Will one of them decide they really like Juliet?

Synopsis: Two childhood friends turned enemies realize they both have a crush on the new girl in school. Not wanting to lose to each other, they make a bet that whoever she kisses first gets to be the one who dates her.
Emma and Caleb used to be childhood best friends until the became enemies. When a new girl moves town they both realize they have an interest in her. So all bets are off when they make a bet to see who she likes better and whoever the new girl kisses first gets a shot at dating her. Little do they know that by fighting over her will only bring them closer together.

Review:
(slight warning here that this book does contain some heavy topics throughout that deal with homophobia and parental neglect.)
Loved seeing how inclusive this book was in the range it had for all of the different character personalities. Also love seeing bi and demi rep, as well as throwing in tension of bi people who are attracted to the opposite gender – I personally feel like we could use more stories of bisexuals where the messy girl gets together with the neat freak guy. This book was cute while containing serious topics that the characters had to deal with such as their their parental relationships, but each time they dealt with it they would continually show up for each other.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7EzhXsplsP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emma and Caleb have known each other for most of their lives. Beginning as best friends but in Grade 8 things were seeming to take a turn into romance when Emma cut Caleb out of her life completely. 4 years later they now both have a crush on the new girl, Juliet. They decide to compete for her to see who should date her. As they begin to hang out more again and fall back into old routines, old feelings start to reemerge that were buried for 4 years. Maybe now is the time they can talk things out and see what happens....

This was such a great read. It's a YA touching on topics including: single mom, bullying, runaway teen dealing with homelessness, and so much representation (bisexuality, queer, lesbian, ace/aromantic). Highly recommend.

It makes my heart feel so full to see LGBTQ rep in YA books. I wish that I had books like this as a teen, with complex queer characters - characters who don't always make the right choice, characters who are messy, characters who are allowed to have a happy ending. It's great to see a nonbinary character, specifically. Even as YA fiction is getting more and more inclusive, I don't see many trans and nb characters yet, so it's great when I do see that representation. I found this book both charming and heart wrenching at times. It's a lovely story, and I would definitely recommend it to YA readers at my job.

sadly I had to dnf this book because I couldn’t get into the story. the summary and the cover were really good & caught my attention but there was something about the characters that I couldn’t get past. they were a bit annoying & there were some phrases in the dialogue that made the story fall flat.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read this book early.This book is perfect for fans of childhood friends-strangers-to-lovers, healing from parental trauma, and themes of self-love and knowing your worth, definitely a worthy and wonderful read.

This was a funny, witty, and so, so real romance. Emma and Caleb are mere acquaintances now after a falling out in middle school. Now they both want the new girl, and decide to make a competition out of it. But the new gjrl, Juliet, throws a wrench in things and makes it interesting.

I was going to rant about this but I find I just don't have the energy. I was supposed to review this for Netgalley and the publisher, but I have a feeling they wouldn't want to see what I would originally have said. This is so disappointing, especially since I've enjoyed this author's other books. I just genuinely believe LBGTQ+ readers deserve better than the caricatures that were delivered here.

This was a sweet and fun bi4bi friends to enemies to lovers story. I didn't love it quite as much as Woody's last book, They Hate Each Other - the characters felt a little less fleshed out and the chemistry less compelling - but standing on its own, it was very sweet.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Cute YA with an enemies to lovers/second chance romance that also covers serious topics. Lots of representation and a focus on forging healthy relationships and creating boundaries with friends, families and romantic relationships.

A cute, breezy read, but I found myself frustrated with some of the characters and the tropes this fell into. I think it was just hard for me to buy into these characters disliking each other— it took me until they made the pact to even realize they didn’t like each other and that it wasn’t them fondly teasing. I enjoyed the bi4bi and nonbinary rep!

Thank you for the ARC!

I don't think this book was for me. I liked the premise but it got really hard to finish because of the dialogue and it got progressively less interesting for me personally. But I do feel people will generally enjoy this.

eARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review, thank you!

Rating: 3.5

It’s been a while since I’ve read a YA romance, but I’m glad I picked this one up. The characters and their struggles feel very real to the teenage experience a lot of the time. Emma and Caleb are former best friends who stopped talking four years ago for reasons Caleb is unsure of and Emma is unwilling to share. Both Emma and Caleb have a complicated relationship with a parent that they handle in different ways: Emma by fighting back, Caleb by making excuses and hoping for the best. They both get into altercations with Ian, the high school bully. And, of course, they both like the same person, Juliet.

The central premise of the book is their competition to see who can get Juliet to kiss them first, thus solidifying one of them as better than the other. They do both acknowledge that competing in that way is creepy, but they do it anyway, each trying to one up the other with alone time with Juliet, but ending up spending time with her together instead. This is where my biggest gripe with the book comes in, despite Juliet being the lynchpin of the plot, her character is honestly quite flat. We see her as the quirky, awkward, nerdy new kid who happens to be very pretty, and while we do find out more about her throughout the book, it doesn’t feel like enough to solidify her as a character rather than just a plot device. Considering the plot initially revolves around this competition, it’s a little disappointing that it could very easily be a competition over literally anything else and very little would change. My best guess is the author was trying to lean away from them doing anything that was actually creepy, and in doing so shied away from their own premise.

Where the book excelled was in the relationship between Caleb and Emma. Throughout the course of the book we find out how their friendship started, developed, and eventually ended. Emma’s reasons for ending the friendship make sense given the environment she was in and the trauma she was going through in regards to her mom. And Caleb’s response makes sense given his trauma surrounding his dad. It isn’t something they’re able to sit down and work out over the course of one conversation, but as they interact over several weeks, they start falling back into their old patterns from when they were friends. It’s clear that they’ll end up back together, but it had me rooting for them regardless of if it would be romantic or platonic.

Overall, I liked the book quite a lot. While I do think the premise fell flat, the strong characterization of the protagonists and their relationship carried it quite far. I would love to have seen better development of Juliet, but I did like what was established about her. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes a bit of rivalry and antagonism in their romances.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book just like I loved “They hate each other”. Woody does an amazing job of mixing a cute romance with serious topics being discussed. I would definitely recommend this book and read their future books to come.

Thank you to netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for allowing me access to this book. This was such a fun and quirky story. I loved the characters and their journey.