AHHHHH!!! I'M SO EXCITED - thank you NetGalley and Tor for sending me this eARC and granting me the opportunity to read even more from one of my favorite authors of all time - Alexene Farol Follmuth (otherwise known as Olivie Blake)~ ✨🌟💫 I was absolutely with My Mechanical Romance when I first read the eARC back in 2022, so I'm super excited to continue alongside Alexene's foray into the YA genre. I just love her style of writing, it's absolutely beautiful every time. Her characters are all very layered and distinct in their individual personalities, the emotional beats always hit, and I feel like she does a great job of *showing* as opposed to simply *telling* in her works. Can't wait for the official release date for this one and would definitely recommend it out to others, no question!

Not sure if I can fit all my love for this book in one review but I CAN TRY!! Our two main characters: Vi- angry at her tabletop group (based off of Dungeons and Dragons!) of incels along with her bestie who won't listen to her ideas, and Jack- football star who's cocky attitude led him to a season-ending injury. They end up being a team on the MMORPG Twelfth Knight, but Vi doesn't want anyone to know her well-known and successful male character is actually her, so she pretends to be her twin brother. When Jack starts bringing real life into their chat, Vi's lies become a bigger burden than she ever expected..!!!

Vi- or Viola- is a girl in fandom, constantly being harassed and belittled by the men and boys who think women have no place there. This causes her to make her online persona on the MMORPG Twelfth Knight a man. (I have had to do this too!! This is common!! It sucks!!). I can't stress enough how refreshing it was to read a book where the main character went through the same thing that so many non-men go through on online fandom spaces. Vi is always angry at the world because of the treatment she faces online, and her anger plays a huge role in the story. The way her anger was portrayed was incredibly done.

One of my favorite parts of this book was finding a way to tie together football and gaming. The two seem very different, but as the book progresses, we see the similarities. I'm into gaming and care very little for sports, so seeing them compared was very interesting.

This is grumpy x sunshine, but the girl is the grumpy which I LOVE and haven't read before!! Also, if you know me you know that the miscommunication trope is one of my least favorite tropes on the planet! But the way that the author does it in this is so beautiful and I wish it was done this way more often. No spoilers! But I loved it.

I don't want to spoil anything in this review, but the representation, the female rage, the nerdiness, the references, all made this book so special to me. Thank you thank you thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC! 5/5 stars.

"I don't want to be considered beautiful without being seen as capable, too."

YA romcom Shakespeare retelling? grumpy x sunshine? mistaken identity? endless nerd content? I was so excited to read this book and I was NOT disappointed.

It did take me a little bit to get into the story. On the surface, both of our main characters can come off straight-up... unlikeable. Viola is abrasive and Jack is a little too 'Mr. Popular.' But that only made their growth and getting to know them that much more impactful. This book is full of characters who leap off the page with distinct voices and depth, side characters included. (Bash and Olivia, my beloveds<333) This is one of those YA books that I think will appeal to readers of all ages. The characters authentically feel like teenagers - they are flawed and messy and just trying to figure things out - but also deal with issues that are universal and relatable.

I also loved just how much was packed into this book. Twelfth Knight is so much more than just a romcom, it's also a coming-of-age, with social commentary and a love of nerd culture smoothly weaved in. This novel explores everything, from video game and fandom culture, social and parental pressures, misogyny, sexuality, family dynamics, and so much more, all without losing its humor and heart. The romance isn't the sole focus, which may not be for everyone, but I thought worked well for this story.

As for the romance itself, the slow burn was, in my humble opinion, perfection. It felt so real and unrushed and believable, which isn't always easy in a contemporary 'enemies to lovers' setting. I loved every second of Vi & Jack's interactions.

I fully expect this book to take the internet by storm because it's just so darn QUOTABLE! There were so many lines that just hit perfectly that I wrote a LOT of them down, and the banter was laugh-out-loud-worthy. I hadn't read any Olivia Blake/Alexene Farol Follmuth before, but the writing was so excellent that I will absolutely be picking up everything else she's written.

My actual rating is 4.5 stars, but rounding up because I had so much fun reading this. Literally read this book in one sitting and could not put it down.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and tor teen for the arc in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy for myself!

This book took me by surprise! It took me a bit to get into this book. There was a lot of game niche specific terms that I didn’t understand and I thought Jack was unappealing. So to anyone that feels like that in the first 10% of this book, KEEP GOING.

By the end of this story, I want to get some friends together and sign up for a tabletop style game. 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. I felt myself not wanting to put this down. I was itching to find out what would happen to these characters and how the story would shape out.

There was 𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 in this story. As a fellow angry girl, I loved Vi. I felt so understood and seen by her character. Although this is about a romance, it was also about so much more. A coming of age, trying to find yourself and what life is really about story. Seeing Jack’s world fall apart post-injury and then open up to all that life has to offer while going through all his feelings was so incredibly authentic. There are so many great developed supporting characters in this book. We got a glimpse into everyone's world and it just made me like this story even more.

There was 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙏𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙛𝙩𝙝 𝙆𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙑𝙞 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠’𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 which was interesting to watch unfold. I felt like it brought more dimension to each of their individual characters. Vi was learning how to let people in and Jack was gaining perspective.

This is this first story where I really want their to be rating percentages between 4 and 5. I want to give this book 5 stars based on how much I loved it, but because the beginning was slower and I wasn’t as hooked immediately, I’m giving it 4 stars (true rating is 4.5).

“No, I think we’re lonely. Like, as a species.” “So what does that mean” “That we can like who we are and like being alone and still want to feel connected”

“When she loves something, she loves deeply, thoughtfully, and generously, and she gives back what she gets, tenfold.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the arc!

This was a solid, fun YA romcom. A nice palette cleanser from the most stressful book club book I’ve ever read.

For a little while I thought Vi was absolutely insufferable, but then I remember I was probably the exact same way as an ambitious, high-achieving teenager. Which, to me, just makes her a well-written character.

I really enjoyed the evolution of Vi and Duke’s dynamic over the course of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the eARC of Twelfth Knight in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this book. I binged the whole thing in less than 24 hours and was unabashedly smiling at my kindle the whole time. Twelfth Knight ticked a lot of boxes for me. I love a good Shakespeare retelling, making it high school rom com style? *chef’s kiss* The characters were extremely likable and relatable to me as an ex-student athlete and current fantasy loving nerd. Lovers of grumpy-sunshine, fun banter, and heartwarming tales…look no further.

Content warnings: sports injury

Jack "Duke" Orsino's whole life is football, so when an injury takes him off the field during his senior year he struggles with who he is without the game. A friend tells him to play a game called Twelfth Knight to take his mind off of his injury. Jack's sucked into the game and stays up late at night playing.

Viola Reyes has a fight with her best friend and is feeling lonely. She turns to her favorite MMORPG Twelfth Knight for comfort and is shocked to see her school's injured star quarterback in-game. But she's playing as Cesario, her favorite male character from the TV show War of Thorns. She lets Jack Orsino believe that she's a guy, but when asked for her name she panics and says she's her twin brother Sebastian.

Viola and Jack are the warring heads of the school's activities board, but Viola's been doing most of the work since Jack was a popularity vote and doesn't actually help. But Viola begins to warm to him when he pours out his soul to her in their in-game chat. Only Duke doesn't know he's talking to Vi. Will he find out before she tells him?

Both Duke and Vi are well-developed characters, which was unexpected in a geeky teen romance. Recommended for YA readers who are into gaming or fantasy.

Representation: Latina main character, African-American main character

Very peak wholesome in the form of --
💫 very soft enemies to lovers
💫 besties online in an RPG (they go on quests together while having heart to hearts!!!!) and enemies irl (the president and vice president of the student council)
💫 she learns to let people in / he explores his passion and identity
💫 friendships, old and new!! <3

TWs - misogyny and mild sexual harassment by classmates and peers, sports injury

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

If gaming be the food of love, play on.

What a great adaptation of Twelfth Night! Twelfth Knight modernizes the original Shakespearean plot and brings in BIPOC and queer representation. In my opinion, this greatly enhances the story and made the plot twists a lot more believable (especially compared to other pop culture representations of the same story). The idea of using an RPG as the basis for the identity swap is very interesting, and allowed for a truthful exploration into the world of toxic fandoms.

I could viscerally feel Vi's anger - the feeling of being so frustrated, but unable to communicate or understand your own feelings was exactly correct. She was written in such an honest way that I could say I knew this person growing up. Twelfth Knight is the first book by Alexene Farol Follmuth (also writes under Olivie Blake) that I have read, and her character building and writing style was so easy to consume and drew me in so quickly that I look forward to diving further into her author catalogue.

Overall, an excellent young adult read and I would highly recommend!

This is my second book by Alexene/Olivie that I’ve read. In this book she tackles the divide between the popular kid, Jack who is a jock, and the not so popular, Vi who’s in all the AP classes and on the social committee. Vi is shy at school and lives under the radar of Jack until the popular kid becomes the head of the social committee and has an accident which means he can’t play any more. They begin hanging out at school but do not like each other but they become close friends when Jacks friend introduces him to Twelfth Knight, a game all things knights, mages and mythical objects. Vi knows she’s playing with Jack but Jack doesn’t know it’s Vi. Will Jack find out it’s Vi in the end?

4.5/5 - “The game isn’t the dice. It’s who’s with you at the table.”

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Normally, I’m not super keen on YA books, but Olivie Blake is an autobuy author and a Twelfth Night retelling involving RPGs sounded right up my alley - and I was not disappointed at all.

This is a book that 15 year old me would have devoured just like I did at 32. Being a woman in a fandom atmosphere my whole life, I understood the tough exterior that the main character Viola portrays. Not knowing how to navigate the space as yourself and feeling the need to mask to fit into the community rather than feeling accepted for who you are.

The story is not only about learning who are, but also ACCEPTING who you are and realizing that those around you who care about you will accept your quirks - despite how weird you may think you are.

This book resonates with me in a way I was not at all expecting and it touches on very real topics that invoked a deep discussion in my household and with other friends of mine.

I’ve said it before and I will forever say it: Olivie Blake NEVER misses.

"Twelfth Knight" by Alexene Farol Follmuth is a clever retelling of Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night" which is actually my favorite of his plays. I would recommend this for people who like:
-MMOs
-Dungeons and Dragons
-Comic con
-early 2000s romantic comedy

Viola is a nerdy gamer who tends to rub people the wrong way. This includes the president of her school, Jack, whom she is vice president with. She has very few friends, but when she is online she isn't judged as an opinionated girl because she plays as a male, C354R10, on her favorite game "Twelfth Knight". She is free to speak her mind and put boys in their places as the game character.

Jack is a football player who is incredibly popular until an injury takes him out of the game. To help distract him from being unable to join his friends, one of his old teammates introduces him to "Twelfth Knight". He creates a username that easily identifies him as himself and happens to run into Viola in the game, having no idea who she is.

This book has a lot of call backs to the play, handles mistaken identity well, and had me smiling and laughing throughout. I highly recommend it for any fan of the play and any new reader as well.

I genuinely loved every minute of reading "Twelfth Knight!" I am typically a romantasy reader, but slowly becoming more of a YA rom com convert with books like this (though almost exclusively when the MCs are a little nerdy because 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦). I was delighted to be approved for this arc because last year I read "Master of Death" by the same author (under the pen name Olivie Blake) and LOVED it. Like it was one of my favorite reads of 2023... getting back to this beautiful book's review.... Firstly, this is a modern Shakespeare retelling of the play by the same name but in a high school setting with the most perfectly-scripted grumpy x sunshine pairing this side of the Messaline goal line (not sure if this statement works football terminology-wise as I'm only semi-fluent in sportzboi jargon much like Vi). The banter and the butting heads between Vi & Jack had me hooked as soon as we were introduced to them and their dynamic. Not to mention the growth in both characters that happens from the beginning to the end of their story on a personal-level was phenomenal. Both Vi & Jack are cool people to start, fighting their own metaphorical "knights," but they grow so much as people through the way they push and encourage each other in and outside the MMORPG game they play together online (also cleverly titled "Twelfth Knight"). So many important topics and themes are touched on in this book (loneliness, self-discovery, trust, purpose, identity... just to name a few). Also, I have to say the nerds are nerding in this read in ALL the best ways. Being a cosplayer who attends cons semi-regularly, I felt immeasurably validated by Vi's excitement and all the prep work she went through to go to MagiCon. Vi is 1000% who I want to be when I grow up (I'm 27). But seriously, she is such a strong, independent woman who has had to construct a lot of mental and emotional walls to protect herself from the outside world and can I just say I think many of us can relate to that? Loved that though she changed over the course of the book, she stayed true to herself and her ideals always (just a few of those self-constructed walls fell in the process). In summary – if you couldn't tell – I loved this book for so many reasons. Can't wait to pick up a beautiful, sprayed-edge copy in June when it releases!

I also plan to post a review to my Instagram in the next 2 weeks, as well as a TikTok singing my praises ☺️

I received this book as an E-Arc through Netgalley... This review is solely based on my opinion and taste .

Have you ever read a book and found yourself fan-casting the entire story as you progressed? This book honestly begs to be adapted to the big screen. As someone who was a 90s teen, I came up during the era of great teen movies, and this story could rival some of the best!

The lead characters in this book were written so well and honestly that I could easily see people, myself included, relating to who they are. The girl who carries too much responsibility, keeps truths and vulnerabilities about herself locked inside, and is viewed as difficult by others who take zero time to actually get to know her. The guy who is viewed as only good at one thing by everyone, including himself, who has never had the chance to explore what exists outside of his well honed talent and really doesn't even know himself or what he wants out if his life.

The character arc that both of the leads go through felt natural and honest without hitting the "cheesy" factor that some teen novels end up reaching. The story that developed between the leads was sweet and endearing without feeling rushed or forced. The relationships and friendships that developed throughout the story felt plausible and realistic.

This book is a definite must read and must recommend to others!

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book at all, even though I adored the last book ‘My Mechanical Romance’ by this author. It could just be because I don’t know much or care about video games, but this didn’t interest me at all. I couldn’t find it in myself to care about the characters or plot. I couldn’t get invested in the story, it’s like some critical piece was missing. I’m so disappointed by this, as it was one of my most anticipated books of the year. That being said, I still will read the next book this author publishes.

Okay, so right off the bat, this heavily reminded me on 10 Things I Hate About You, which is arguably one of the best teen movies of all time. If not, THE best teen movie of all time.
While I don’t think that this book is THE best teen book of all time, I’d say it has a fair chance of making someone’s top 10. It probably would have made mine if I’d read this as a teen. The MC’s character development is something that would have really helped me to read at aged 14. Seeing an angry, prickly teen girl be angry and prickly, and remain so throughout the book while figuring out how to navigate her friends and evolving familial relations would have spoken to me in a way that quite possibly would have changed my outlook on myself. Even at the ripe old age of 24, I feel seen in a way that’s hard to come by. Some days it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by anger, and it’s even harder to feel as if I’m a person capable or deserving of love when I constantly feel as if by being assertive and caring little about others opinions on me makes me come across as mean or spiteful.
I felt seen in this book, in the FMC Vi, as I felt seen in Kat of 10 Things. Prickly, angry, assertive girls getting to be prickly, angry, and assertive. Girls who get seen for themselves, and loved nonetheless. Girls who don’t have to change to fit the narrative, who don’t stop being prickly, angry, or assertive because they fall in love. Rather, girls who get to explore a new facet of themselves as they come to trust and love their MMC’s.
In this book, there is Jack, who at the beginning, unfortunately falls a bit under the careless-teenaged boy/weaponizer of incompetence area. I didn’t like that he only did his job to get Vi to do something else for him, though is understand it was necessary within the plot—both in terms of character development and to get the story rolling within the premise. Which is great! You’re not supposed to like it. If I didn’t sympathize with Jack because of the circumstances that initiate his part of the story, I don’t know if I would have been as invested in his story. As someone who had to drop out of their competitive sport in their final year of high school, there is something hopeful in Jack’s story, though his recovery and re-entry to his sport is left as a forgone conclusion (and mine wasn’t :(:(:( ), the development in his outlook on life was admirable as he tried to figure out what to do. The terror of entering adulthood while banking on one outcome, and having the certainty of it taken from you is something so terrifying it’s hard to read about. I don’t think it was fully explored in this book, for how intimate and character driven it was, but its effects were ever present.
Overall, had a blast, and hope this marks the return of the heyday of teen romcomedies, in literature and in film. Adaptions of classic literatures, updated and remade over to better exemplify modern and diverse experiences.

I absolutely loved this retelling of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night! The banter between Vi and Jack was perfect and I found all of the characters loveable, except Antonia but I understand her case lol. This is the type of book my 16-year-old self needed to read. To know it was okay to want to take up space in areas dominated by men. My Kindle is now filled with highlights because I agree with all of the rage Vi was feeling.

First, thank you to Netgalley and tor teen publishing group for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"𝘐'𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘶𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶"

Twelfth Knight is a YA romantic comedy reimagining of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." The grumpy-sunshine, geek-jock pairing you need in these trying times.

Viola Reyes, class VP and imaginative fantasy gamer, is tired of how inadequate everyone around her is. Jack Orsino, star quarterback and class president, is lost after an ACL tear renders him unable to play for his final season. As Jack starts playing the MMORPG Twelfth Knight to fill his time, Viola -who unbeknownst to Jack is playing as his partner, Cesario- realizes that they may have more in common than she initially thought. As much as she likes to keep everyone else at arm's length, Viola will have to ask herself how far she will take the ruse, and if she's capable of letting others in.

This book is a beautiful coming-of-age novel that, in my opinion, felt very relatable - almost too relatable! Viola is so closed off to the world and viciously unconcerned with other people's opinions, or so she claims. I felt very seen by her character- she's very close to what I imagine I was like in high school (shoutout to teenage girls. God's toughest soldiers). Ultimately, her story is so compelling because, as the reader, you understand how much she's fucking it up, and her self-sabotage is a train wreck you can't look away from.

As much of a rom-com as this book is, it's equally a love letter to fandom and geek feminists everywhere. I won't spoil anything from the book, but I will say that one of the greatest moments of my life as a young gamer was the moment I realized that Samus Aran takes her helmet off and her face was revealed- and I realized that my brother and I had been fighting each other for a chance to play as her (her!!) for years. I've been chasing that high ever since and so, yeah, this was a very cool read for me!

I know I waxed poetic about Viola, but there's so much to love about all the characters and their growth over time as well. And the banter! It wouldn't be an AFF/OB book without incredibly witty banter. Plus, for the romance lovers out there you get some really classic rom-com moments that are the cherry on top.

I hope you pre-order or check this book out when it comes out later this year, and I hope you love it as much as I do!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a light-hearted, cute and cozy YA romance. Grumpy/sunshine l, enemies to lovers. The nerdy feminist gamer girl and they popular football star. It was a really cute read I definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The age of Vi and Jack is such a vital age in development. I think this will hit home for anyone who reads it. I have a feeling we were all at least one of the characters in this novel that we relate to. We all made mistakes and we continue to learn and grow from them. I enjoyed the game aspect of it because I think down everyone has some nerd traits in them and it's ok to accept that, it's not bad or something to be ashamed of. I would recommend this book to all ages, because sometimes we forget we were also that age once.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me the ARC for an honest review. Truly thankful.