rivals to lovers? Always an auto buy for me, and I loved this. I've historically loved the authors other books, so I was really looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint.

This was such a cute read! I nearly finished it in one day, because it was hard to put down! Love, Off the Record follows Wyn and Three, 2 freshman competing for a place on their university newspaper. I felt like they had great chemistry, and this was a super fun read. I think the author did a great job capturing that bewildering time as a college freshman when people deal with imposter syndrome and try to figure out their place in a new world. I would definitely recommend this one!

Thanks to NetGalley, Samantha Markum, and Spotify Audiobooks for the chance to read and review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one. It's got an enemies/rivals to lovers situation going on with a fat MC.

I feel like there's a little bit of a disconnect with what age group this book belongs in. This is a college-aged book which means that it is a new adult. This is NOT young adult. I see some things in the reviews that make me believe people don't quite get that. There is hinted at explicit sexual content in this book as well as a bullying / humiliation kink kind of thing going on. None of it is like explicitly stated in those terms except in a joking way but there's definitely submissive vibes from the male love interest which I was here for. I fucking love submissive men. Something about saying fuck you to patriarchal standards of masculinity. I'm here for it.

Anyway, this book is about these two college freshmen who are working at one of the college newspapers as grunts or like interns. They both are vying for a paid position at the end of the semester and spend the semester trying to one up each other on their stories and then realize maybe they need to work together. There's also an internet connection at the same time via a campus selective dating app.

I really liked every element to the story. I liked both of our main characters, I loved the newspaper article element, I loved the dating app conversations, I loved the fat representation, I loved the friend group and the discussions about what friendship means etc. This book has a lot going on and it all works.

I loved this book! The banter was excellent & this was a rivals to lovers that felt realistic & natural.

This book is YA but it is written in such a way that people looking for a Romance book with no spice will enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Wyn is desperate to get awarded the reporter position at the university newspaper, but to do that she needs to beat Three, the handsome but highly annoying boy who likes to push all of her buttons. The two of them keep trying to outsmart each other, which only leads to more bad feelings between them. Meanwhile, Wyn starts messaging anonymously with another person (also anonymous) and they start falling for each other. This theme is not a new one, and every reader knows exactly where this is headed. The writing was good, and the story was enjoyable. Teens who want to read about characters in college will find this a fun one.

College journalist hopefuls, Wyn and Three, are immediate rivals for a coveted position at the University paper. Out scooping the other means everything. But between their rivalry, classes, Wyn's insecurities with her weight, and a potential love interest through the campus' anonymous dating app, Wyn has a lot to juggle as a Freshman.
My nerd came out big time. The title is so stinking clever and once it clicked (within the first chapters), I just got sucked into it and had the best time. I loved the banter and epistolary elements. Samantha's coming of age stories are delightful and I will keep coming back for more.
I won the book in a giveaway and tandem read it with the audio. Either format was an equally enjoyable experience.
Thank you to the author for the giveaway win and to Spotify and NetGalley for the alc. All thoughts are my own.

An updated, university-set cross between The Hating Game and You’ve Got Mail, I first settled into this cute book happily because it reminded me so much of my own freshman year experience that I was convinced it was set at my alma mater. When it became clear that it was heavily based on another campus, I was left impressed by how universal yet personal the author managed to make the narrative. While not deep or a master work, I do think that Markum tackles some sensitive issues of modern times in a realistic way, and is able to make this trope-laden romance seem genuine and realistic.

If Samantha Markum has a million fans, then I am one of them. If Samantha Markum has ten fans, then I am one of them. If Samantha Markum has only one fan, then that is me. If Samantha Markum has no fans, then I’m no longer living.

THIS BOOK! I don’t know how to convey how much I loved this book! I have been searching for the feelings I felt while reading back in 2022 (after rediscovering reading) and THIS gave me those feelings of absolute joy and like I couldn’t put the book down for even a second! I literally sat in my car in the rain while reading it because I didn’t want to go inside and be distracted.

I really need to read more YA romance, especially if it’s like this book! Do you want a book where the main characters threaten to strangle each other but really end up kissing? If so, READ THIS BOOK! The tension was honestly masterful. It made me laugh and feel giddy and it was just so amazing! Their tension was palpable that it was practically leaping off of the page. Hate to love has never been so sweet! I also love how that tension led to them feeling like two halves of a whole, rather than in other books where the relationship doesn’t feel like a payoff. Basically, their lovey dovey moments were just as good as their death stares at the beginning!

I need to rant about how much I love Three. He’s just like a puppy that was made mean by his former evil owners that I want to take care of and make a happy puppy! In Doe’s book, I kind of loved how they weren’t the couple because that felt too easy for both characters. They were too similar in the ways that wouldn’t have made them a terrible match. Which is why I LOVE that each of them did find their good match that balanced them out while also still giving them that challenge that each of them craves! And now Three gets to be adorable with Wyn in this book! There were so many times that something Three would do would have me swooning, awwwing, kicking my feet giddily, etc. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that Hayes reveal scene just because it broke my heart for him and how much he clearly already cared/loved Wyn!

Wyn is the book character that I wished I had read about my freshman year of college. Like Wyn, in retrospect, I think my lack of self-esteem would often push people away because I just couldn’t fathom how people would like me if I barely liked me. I loved watching the people in her life slowly work their way into her heart while she slowly started to let them in. I also loved the usage of mental health and therapy. I think if I had seen therapy normalized like this in media when I was 18, I would have been better off in life!

Samantha Markum’s writing is also so clever. Even with this being single POV, she does such a good job at conveying the actions and emotions of the other characters ( especially Three) without letting Wyn know what’s truly going on. It makes the book feel more like a movie that I’m experiencing from all of the characters rather than just Wyn. I also think that she does such a great job at adding layers to the characters that make them feel so real. For example, her lore about the relationship between Three and everyone from the other book. Like how in this book, (slight spoiler that I’ve decided is headcanon)” by him stating that he seems to have a thing for girls that hate him, he’s implying that he had a thing for Doe, who ended up being another person that chose Wells over him. But then she wrote him Wyn, who always wanted him first, she had just pretended not to.

I really liked the narrator’s voice! She was perfect for Wyn!

Overall, this is the best book that I’ve read this year. It’s made me feel in a way that I have not experienced since the era of my life when I read Doe’s book two years ago. I’m rediscovering why I rediscovering reading and I can’t thank Samantha Markum enough for helping me with that!

(Side note: this review is very very long in part because of how much I loved this and in part because I saw my review for Doe’s book (which I keep referring to that way because of the SMP strike) and found it horrifyingly lackluster since it’s like a paragraph and doesn’t even mention my love for Wells or Three.)

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this and will be picking up a copy as soon it releases. 💕
It was well written and I really enjoyed my time reading it. I really enjoyed the narration

Rating 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was such a delight! I loved Wyn’s character so much! Being a plus sized woman, I could relate to her insecurities a lot, and even though I’m a lot older than her, I found her very inspirational. Three was my favorite character though. There’s something I love about a snarky male protagonist, and Markum hit his character on the nose. I’ve read in other reviews that he’s a character in one of Markum’s previous novels so you know I need to go back and read that one now.

I love when love interests are competitive in romance novels, and Three and Wyn take the cake on this trope! The banter between them was spot on! The setting of a college newspaper worked perfectly, and I really liked the use of mixed media and including the dating app as a mode of communication. It worked so well, and even though I knew what was going on, I loved when Wyn figured it out and how the author wrote this part of the story.

I was so impressed by the audiobook narrator, Ellen Quay as Wyn. She voiced this book flawlessly and brought this story to life. This was the first audiobook I’ve listened to with her as a narrator, and I look forward to listening to her again. This book is a young adult romance, and I really think Quay is perfect for this genre.

This was my first novel by Markum, and I will definitely be checking out her backlist. If you’re a fan of young adult novels, like I am, then I highly recommend adding this one to your TBR.

4.5 ⭐

By far one of my favorite contemporary Romances I've read this year. This is also one of the first books that reminded me of my university experience, including the crazy roommate getting kicked out of our dorm. The romance felt so realistic and cute. I loved all our characters and the writing was really easy to read. Overall it was really easy to fall in love with the story and the characters. I think it's a really cute read!

I really liked the narrator! Ellen Quay really brought the story to life.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for an audio copy for an honest review!

This was a fun listen! I don’t choose YA very often but I really enjoyed the characters. They were both so strong and yes so vulnerable. Thr overall story was good and the audio was done well! Definitely an author I would check out again.

I loved this rivals-to-lovers romance. Wyn and Three have great banter as they compete for the same position on their university newspaper. It’s snarky, but you can feel the underlying tension. Their games of sabotage on each other were highly entertaining!

As Wyn and Three scramble for the perfect story, Wyn discovers a campus dating app and finds her “perfect match” on it. She feels comfortable sharing her fears, insecurities and family background with this mystery man.

But what happens if they meet her in person? She’s been rejected because of her weight before. And then what about these nagging feelings for Three?

This has so much about campus life, roommates, and friends that it took me back to my
college days. It's a fun story full of mystery, laughs, and young love.

Thank you, @tlcbooktours @spotify and @sam.markum for a spot on tour and a gifted audiobook.

Thank you @simonteen for a gifted book.

Enemies to lovers and a slow burn? Sign me up! These are two of my favourite tropes and Markum wrote them very well. The main characters were well written, likeable, and believably flawed. A little bit of spice to keep it interesting but not enough to have to bump it up from its YA category. Super fun read!

An enemies to lovers YA romance, Love, Off the Record by Samantha Markum had all the right ingredients to write a winning book! Wyn and Three are fighting for the same spot in their college newspaper, and they're willing to do whatever they have to win even if it means sabotage. When a huge story breaks it's going to take both of them to track it down, but along the way, life gets messy. A story about finding yourself, friendships and romance; Love, Off the Record was a well paced, engaging read that made me want to keep listening.

Thank you Spotify Audiobooks for the gifted copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Spotify Audiobooks, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Samantha Markum, and Ellen Quay (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Love, off the Record in exchange for an honest review.

This novel certainly has a young adult feel but is also excellent for a new adult audience too, as it follows Wyn in her freshman year of university.

With a Lord of the Rings fanatic father, Eowyn is named after one of the strong female characters from the fantasy series. The Lord of the Rings plays a major part of her parents adventurous Renaissance fairing lives. Being a college freshman, Wyn doesn't really need everyone knowing her full name, unless she truly makes friends, but she sees herself as friendless, and often blames being overweight on the choices others make when it comes to including her.

Despite her self-image issues, which she will hopefully see her own beauty at some point, Wyn is determined to be the top writer for the university newspaper. She just has to beat Three, a contender for the position. In their shenanigans to sabotage one another to get that top spot, they end up spending more time together than they first expected. Wyn starts to have romantic feelings for Three, but there's no way he can ever like someone her size, right? Not to mention the whole rivals for the newspaper position. Their relationship, whatever form it may take, will all come down to a major drug-dealing story they plan to unfold, but who will get their story straight first? And will Wyn accept that she is beautiful and lovable just as she is?

This is a really great young adult/new adult stand-alone novel exploring college life and self-image. There is an important lesson therein, as society sets its own standards of beauty, when people should be setting their own for themselves. 

I enjoyed the audio narrator and loved the moments that truly made this more of a romantic comedy than anything. The toil Three and Wyn are willing to exact on each other for the top spot is ridiculously hilarious at times. And there's a goat. You will like the goat. Everything about the goat chapter is so perfect. Love, off the Record is truly an icon of a novel fit for teens and even enjoyable for an audience exploring life in their twenties.

This was a fantastically written rivals to lovers. There was so much tension between Wyn and Three and I just ate it all up. The only thing that would have made this book absolute perfection in my eyes is if I could have gotten into Three’s head with his POV. That being said, the lack of his POV did not diminish my enjoyment. I enjoy books with the college experience and this book did not disappoint. While the rivalry between the MCs was a key component of the story, other key takeaways are the development of new friendships and character growth. Wyn’s character makes significant strides in development. She knew what she wanted and was working towards it, but as she chases stories, she discovers much about herself and what she really wants with journalism. Friends have always been on the periphery of Wyn’s life and they begin to take centre stage as she allows them to take root. Another major struggle of hers is that she mentions being comfortable with her weight, but I saw little evidence of that, as her insecurities hold her back quite a bit. This is something we also get to see growth in.
I really enjoyed my reading experience with this one. The audiobook is very well narrated. The narrator did a good job of making Wyn’s character real for the reader. I recommend this book to anyone trying to break out of their shell.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Spotify for a copy of the audiobook. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

I am personally now of the opinion that Samantha Markum is an exceptional writer. Not only that, but she is brilliant at capturing precisely what readers need from character connection. It’s such a rare and amazing combination that I was honestly so thrown—in a good way!—when I realized that this was the second book of hers that had accomplished this for me. While I may have felt somewhat silly, slowly realizing I recognized Three from somewhere before my suspicion became so much that I finally checked to see if the author for This May End Badly was also the impressive mind behind the story I was now reading.

<i>Love, Off the Record</i> is one of the more clever books I’ve read this year. It’s very much centered around the love story, but done so in literally the perfect way. <i>This</i> is how you write characters hating each other but connecting anonymously online. <i>This</i> is how you build tension with banter and slow burning connections. <i>This</i> is how you have your characters learn the truth. Every single step of the way I found myself applauding the writing and the decisions Markum made with regard to her characters and their story.

Each beautiful chapter, wondrous page was <i>everything</i> I have been missing from stories with similar premises. Wyn and Three just have this charm together that truly pulls you in and makes you fall in love. I’m so glad I was able to sit with these two and their story. It truly is an exceptional tale of growth, perseverance, love, purpose, and even adventure.

Believe me when I say you will not regret picking up <i>Love, Off the Record</i>.

Finally, I adored the narrator of this book. She really did a fantastic job of bringing Wyn and Three to life, keeping me eager and enticed to stay with these wonderful characters for hours on end.

Thank you to Spotify Audiobooks for the gifted audiobook

This was such a great read. I loved the Hating Game, and this did not disappoint. It was very cute and witty. I think I would have liked it better as adult, instead of YA. It was still great.

This was a cute and witty rivals to lovers romance. I really enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. I also appreciated the plus size rep and discourse as well as destigmatizing mental health services. Thank you to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for this ALC.