Miscommunication, Second Chance romance. A unique premise that takes place almost entirely at their 20th class reunion. Rachel was the girl most likely to succeed in high school, and even though it’s been 20 years, she still remembers those who were her biggest competitors. She has a not so glamorous life in the entertainment industry, and she has just been laid off from her job. She finally made the trades, and it was because of her layoff. Her friend (who is an actress) hired her short term to be her assistant, getting coffee and laundry. This allows for her to stay very close to the entertainment industry and to make it seem like her life is a bit more glamorous than it is. Just in time for her 20th reunion, she reconnects with Danny,. They had one special moment in 2023, and then nothing came of it. Not that she thinks about that much anymore.

There’s a lot of nostalgia in this one, depending on where you were around 2003, you will see and hear a lot of things that jump off the page and make you laugh. It’s really the details. I’m not a big fan of the miscommunication trope typically, but with teenagers they have miscommunication just about every day. I liked the way that in my copy the parts from high school were in bold print, allowing me to understand when we were in the past. There aren’t chapter headings that say the years, or “then” chapters and “now” chapters.

Rachel is not at all boring, she really is flawed yet likable. You’re rooting for her and you understand why she is trying to embellish her career to her former classmates. If you like a second chance romance, pick this one up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Avon for the ARC. Book to be published February 18, 2025.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the E-ARC. This was such a easy read. Rach and Danny met in high school via AIM I love this and how it reference it so much through the story because those were the days. They see each other at their 20th year high school reunion where lots of crazy and funny unfortunate things happen. The story goes back and forth where we see how the MCs relationship progressed.

I have tried to read this book on multiple occasions. I’m not sure if it’s the writing or the characters, but something just isn’t jiving with me. I’m going to go ahead and shelf this as a DNF, I apologize. Hopefully I will be able to return to it and try again in the future. Thanks!

This book was a nice read, starts off as a flash back to high school (back.in the AIM days) to now. Rachel meets Danny online as a teen they pretty much become best friends. Now years later and having not seen Danny in years Rachel heads to her 20 year class reunion. Trying to live up to her school expectations (girl most likely to) her world seems to be falling apart and then she reunites with Danny. She doesn't know what to do.

5/5 stars: This is Tieu's stand-alone which is a BIPOC Steamy Romance that follows a recently laid off film industry exec who reluctantly agrees to attend to her 20th HS reunion where she reconnects with her former frenemy and the two rediscover their romantic feelings. With flashback chapters to 2003, Tieu's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. Rachel and Danny are both great characters and I enjoyed seeing them dealing with their individual personal issues, come to terms with the past and finally get their HEA. The romance is top notch with plenty of swoony banter and the OPS sex scenes are incredibly steamy. Additionally, Tieu's humor hits just the right spot. And I have to say I loved the throwback to AOL's AIM chat. While there are plenty of heartfelt and lighthearted moments, Tieu does takes on some sensitive subjects; so take care and check CWs. Overall, I great frenemies-to-lovers romance; highly recommend!

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

This was a fun single POV romance featuring a high school overachiever who finds herself suddenly let go from her company during layoffs and feeling lost in life and who finds herself reunited with her first crush/love at their twenty year high school reunion. Second chance romances are some of my favs and this was lighthearted, cozy and featured older MCs which I really enjoyed too. Great on audio narrated by Natalie Naudus (my absolute fav!) and perfect for fans of books like Reunion by Beth Reekles or The hookup plan by Farrah Rochon. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this book even more than I expected to. On one hand, it's simply a high school reunion. On the other, it's a chance to prove something to yourself or everyone you went to school with. Sometimes you need both. I love the nostalgia of the early 2000s mixed with the dose of reality that we get in the present. We can't change what we did, but we can change what we do.

friends with slight crushes who stopped talking to each other over a misunderstanding meet again at a high school reunion

rating: 2.5/5 ⭐️ | spice: 1/5 🌶️

i wanted to like this book so badly. so let's start with the good first. as a chinese-american, i was excited to read something where i could relate to the main characters. even as a zillennial, i felt nostalgia for some of the things incorporated like the AIM chat rooms and the pop culture references. i'm not from LA, but am familiar with the area, so it was also nice to relate in this way. but the biggest thing i could relate to was the family dynamics of an asian household and rachel's need to strive for perfection and success in tangible ways like awards and promotions. it also hit me extra hard because i'm also going through a period of my life of unemployment and feeling like i'm behind with my life falling apart. so it was nice to finally read a main character that i could relate to.

but as a romance book, i felt that it was a bit lacking for me. the writing felt a little juvenile, more like i was reading someone's fanfic instead of a book with proper editing. i didn't really feel the chemistry between the main couple throughout most of the book. it felt a little too forced, even in the flashbacks where we were supposed to get the most tension. rachel's lustful thoughts also just seemed so random to me that it threw me off a bit. it also didn't feel realistic that a misunderstanding of twenty-years could be resolved so quickly and calmly, even if it was a small misunderstanding. i normally live for a second-chance romance, but this really just felt like a barely acquainted strangers-t0-lovers instead.

i would recommend this for anyone looking for a quick romance read with a relatable experience of growing up chinese-american in the 90's.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was an adorable "second chance" rom-com. I am not sure how I haven't read a Julie Tieu book till now...it looks like I have been missing out on a great author. Danny and Rachel are a beautiful couple and I loved watching their love blossom in this book. If you like high school romance movies or movies where the character goes back to high school like Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, I definitely believe you will swoon over this book! I can't wait to see what Julie Tieu writes next!

Thank you to Avon Books and Netgalkey for the opportunity to read an early copy of Julie Tieu’s latest book.

This was my third read from Julie Tieu - I really enjoyed my first two reads from her, Circle Back + Fancy Meeting, so I was eager to try this one.

I think it had an interesting premise - girl who was voted most likely to succeed and currently in a bit of a mid life evaluation, faced with her 20 year reunion. What would compel her to still go after recently facing a lay off and uncertainty? Why the chance to reconnect with her one time friend and missed connection love interest from hs of course.

The night ensues into a comedy of errors type scenario, but also a chance for Rachel to reconnect with Danny (the one who could have been). Lots of early 00s references- highly relatable for those of us of the that coming of age era. Flashes between the present and the past where you get more insight into the Rachel and Danny dynamic.

While I liked the book, it was not my favorite of those I’ve read from the author. There were aspects I enjoyed but it took a bit to get into the story for me, and the pacing didn’t flow for me as well prior reads. I also didn’t connect with our two mains in the same way I have other characters in past reads. Not a perfect fit for me, but overall, still an easy, fun read to pass an evening. I look forward to trying more from the author in the future.

Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

"The Girl Most Likely To" follows Rachel Dang, who got "The Girl Most Likely To Succeed" in high school. A few days before her high school's 20th reunion, she is laid off and is forced to become an assistant to her friend Nat, who is on the rise in Hollywood. Rachel wants to go since she feels stuck and is wondering about the guy she used to have a crush on, Danny Phan.

Be forewarned, this took a while to get going. I ended up liking it in the end, but there were so many weird stop/starts in this one that I kept thinking okay, this must be the end, and nope, here's more pages to get through. I do think the chapters ending and shifting over to IMs that Rachel and Danny sent each other in high school was a bit annoying after a while though. I just wanted the book to get going. We already know they had not talked in 20 years, I really didn't want to keep reading old IMs to each other. It also didn't give me a sense of their connection to each other. When the story shifted to the present, it was much better IMHO.

I think that Rachel and Danny were interesting characters. I think there was too much information tossed out there about Danny's backstory at one point I was just confused and went with it. Other characters such as Rachel's family and her best friend Nat were developed really well. Heck, even the kids they grew up with you can see what made them the smart one, the geeks, etc. I have only gone to one reunion, I think it was my 15th, and a lot of people were still hyper focused on high school for my taste. I haven't gone to one since. This book though was a fun little look at what happens to those we think are going to succeed.

The ending was really good and I liked it. Tieu may sure it did end on a HEA.

Rachel Dang was voted Most Likely To Succeed in high school. She went to a good school and has been working hard ever since. She's devoted the last 11 years of her life to a streaming service, so it was quite a surprise when she is quickly let go with no warning.

When she finds out about her upcoming 20 year high school reunion, she decides she wants to go, after all, she's being put in the 'hall of fame'. They don't know that she's jobless. She also sees this reunion as an opportunity to reconnect to her long-lost friend Danny.
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High school reunions are always a good idea...in theory. In reality, it's a handful of people drunk around a casino pool....or maybe that was just mine.

Julie Tieu has written a quick little romance/enemies to lovers/2nd chance novel and I'm sure people will enjoy this. It's an opportunity to think about ones own missed opportunities. To me, someone who is 2 years away from her 30th reunion, it read a little young. I think young adults will enjoy it, but as usual, it's not my taste.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was at times laugh out loud funny, very cute, and completely relatable! I really enjoyed this one A LOT! Everything worked. Loved the froends, family, and romance...it was all *chef's kiss*.

The Girl Most Likely To by Julie Tieu

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: February 18, 2025

Here’s the thing: I enjoyed The Girl Most Likely To, but I feel like it just missed the mark. It was good, but it wasn’t great. Something was missing, but I can’t quite figure out what it is.

That being said, I really liked how fast paced it was and how it took place over one night. The pacing and timeline structure allowed for an easy, quick read. Reading Rachel’s anxiety about going to her 20 year reunion is kind of how I feel about going to my 10 year reunion. What if I spill punch on myself? Will I remember every cringy thing I did? The answer is likely yes.

Not to mention the early 2000s references! AOL chat rooms? Internet cafes? Give me some hit clips, a Von Dutch hat, and take me back to the early aughts. I LOVED reading about Danny and Rachel’s time as teenagers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for a digital copy of The Girl Most Likely To!

This is a book for millennial dreams. I know most of us have our 20 year reunion coming up and have considered whether or not to go. Rachel also gets fired the same week of the reunion and becomes her best friend's assistant which becomes serendipitous.

This is also a second chance love story, trope which is one of my faves. Majority of the book takes place the night of the reunion where Rachel and Danny go on this wild hunt for the reunion and while there they disclose a lot of their unspoken feelings and trauma from high school. Then Rachel has more of a breakthrough moment because she realizes all she did because of her parents and being a child of immigrants weighed so heavily on her than what she really wanted to do.

I really loved this story more than Julie's first. It was such a love story to my millennial heart. It was really the breath of fresh air I needed right now.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review, as always, all words are my own.

This was an interesting read. I don’t think I’m the target audience. I don’t usually like one night romances. And this was not an exception. The pacing was a good except for the car accident. I can’t imagine continuing your night like she did after filming wrecking her car.

I loved this book - love everything by Julie Tieu. The vibes are slightly older 30s female lead, usually too responsible and too ambitious and work-obsessed, mixed in with the high school nostalgia we all get at this age. I loved the Asian American in So Cal setting - a bit like the Netflix series Beef.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve had mixed experiences with Julie Tieu’s books in the past, with her previous book being an outright DNF because I just couldn’t get into it. But I had high hopes for The Girl Most Likely To, which were mostly met, although some of my recurring issues with Tieu’s work do appear again here.
I love a book that can effectively capture the nostalgia of the early 2000s and the earlier days of the Internet, where AIM was the primary form of online communication. This absolutely captured the novelty of that, even if that element was primarily relegated to flashbacks. But this, combined with the concept of revisiting the past via a high school reunion, was quite fun.
I liked Rachel for the most part, and she’s in a very interesting place, having been laid off at her job and now trying to open herself up to new opportunities. I love the idea that she had originally been this super-smart, “Most Likely to Succeed” type, with very detailed plans for how her life was meant to go, but now she’s reassessing. As someone who barely had a plan then, and whose life is in shambles now, I think it’s great to see that even those who seem “together” can end up feeling lost when their plans fall apart.
The romance with Danny is really cute, and I liked the juxtaposition of their dynamic back then, with her being meant to rub off on him as his “smart friend,” vs, now, when he’s successful and she’s “funemployed.” They have cute romantic chemistry, and while I can’t say I was super-blown away, I do like them together.
I like the concept of the story largely covering one night, encompassing their high school reunion activities. But given those parameters, I expected a little more structure and purpose. And while I wasn’t expecting something super-high stakes, this approach where neither had much to lose in the grand scheme of things impacted the pacing of the story and my investment in the book overall.
However, while I found this book rather underbaked, I can see the appeal. In the event you’re in the mood for something fairly low-stakes that happens to be by an Asian author/include Asian representation, this is the perfect read for you…especially if you also happen to enjoy books that tap into the nostalgia of the 2000s!

This book is so cute and fun! Rachel and Danny’s reunion is full of funny moments, sweet vibes, and just the right amount of drama. It’s perfect for anyone who loves a good rom-com with a second-chance twist. Loved it! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I really liked this sweet little romance by Julie Tieu. I loved the representation of Asian-Americans. So often the concept where most of the plot happens in one day misses its mark but Julie did a great job. I did find Rachel to be a little annoying sometimes with how self absorbed she was and I did think the plot dragged a little, but overall a good read.