Really liked the adhd rep and the forced proximity aspect of their relationship. I love that they turn into rivals and the overall romance was just so irresistible. The humor was perfect and had me laughing. Very fun lighthearted queer romance. Must read

Cute book! I liked how Pride and Prejudice was adapted into this story.
It was lovely seeing the mental health representation because I think it was well done.
Overall a brilliant book

Thank you to Scholastic | PUSH and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. When I re-added this to my Goodreads list, I saw this was a Pride & Prejudice retelling which I did not clock at first but can see the similarities with some characters and situations therein. The look into the life of Lou and her unmedicated ADHD definitely feels real for all of the challenges of "trying harder" not being feasible and how it also affects her friendships and relationship with Isabel. There is a lot of regional knowledge that I bet is amazing for those who know Liverpool but did also work for me to learn more about the city. Overall, this was a good book that flowed well. 3 stars.

In this fun LGBTQ+ enemies to lovers story, readers follow Lou, who is struggling with her recent ADHD diagnosis and her crush on new girl Isabel, and Isabel, the new posh girl at school with secrets that lead to her being guarded and private. As their rivalry grows with their new tutoring relationship and their continued proximity, Lou realizes that she does not, in fact, hate Isabel, but the secrets the two girls are hiding are making their friendship (and chance at something more) difficult unless they realize what is keeping them from their happy ending. Primarily focusing on Lou’s perspective, readers will love this new queer romcom novel and the fantastic world that Leanne Egan has brought to life in her brilliant new title. The characters are the absolute star of the novel because of their complexity and difficult natures, while their tension and chemistry really draws readers into this fantastic new story. The location, too, is a fantastic backdrop to Lou and Isabel’s different personalities and perspectives, and it really gives them the chance to shine as individuals going through their own journeys. Fantastic, powerful, and entertaining, this novel has a great heart and a great queer voice that readers will love and enjoy.

I didn’t make it very far in this book and I never felt the urge to pick it up when I was ready to sit down and read. This is going to be a soft DNF for me I might come back to it later. I am giving a rating but it does not reflect how much I liked or didn’t like the book.

I loved this sapphic YA novel! The queer representation and portrayal of a character with ADHD were enough to get me interested and I was hooked the whole way through. I especially liked Lou. Though I am American, the British slang was easy to figure out and I ended up not even noticing it as much the more I read. I loved the Liverpool of it all as a fan of LFC, too. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a lovely exploration of realizing you are not quite as straight as you though you were . . .
Starts with Pride and Prejudice vibes, but then deepens into exploring being in a relationship while still finding your place in the world and who you are.
Well balanced discussion of dealing with ADHD on a day to day basis and deciding what will work for YOU to fit into a neuro-typical world.

Whiplash. Lover Birds is the perfect adage about never hearing anything good about yourself when you eavesdrop. The miscommunication in this story was so frustrating, but I could see how it could happen, especially at that age.

Leanne Egan gives us a slow burn romance with lots of snark. It also deals with issues of shyness and what being queer means to not only the individual but people around you. There are plenty of movie references to smile at.

It actually isn’t until I’m writing this that I realize that I don’t actually have a lot to say about this book. It was okay. It’s a light…I went to type romance and I guess I don’t agree with my writing (chuckle). It’s Elle’s story and she’s realizing more about herself. Add in the fighting flirtation (which I love and Elle is too clueless to recognize (chuckle)) and it makes it a good read.

Lover Birds was in my opinion, a knockout of a YA sapphic romance novel.

Both of our main characters were truly so dopey and flawed and human and I really found myself seeing parts of teenage (and even adult) me in both of them. Despite their tendencies to be clueless at times, they had excellent chemistry and the banter never missed!

The ADHD rep felt so real and feeling seen in that way wasn't something I expected in a queer YA romance! I absolutely loved this book and surely will be adding it to my at home queer library.

The Liverpool setting and fierce friend group add an immersive flavor to this queer coming-out Rom Com which uses Pride and Prejudice as a framework for the story. The exploration of ADHD has a major role in Eloise's development and was handled honestly through a neurodiversity-positive lens, while Eloise's exploration of her sexuality initially resists labels, feeling authentic and messy in the best way. While the Pride and Prejudice framework may offer little easter egg moments to the most committed Austen fans, the retelling is so rooted in the contemporary YA space that it reads well without any prior knowledge. (I actually didn't pick up on the Pride and Prejudice connection until 3/4 of the way through, at which point I felt a little silly since so many names lined up.)

🐤 Lover Birds Review 🐤

Highlights:
🐤 Enemies to lovers
🐤 Sapphic teen romance
🐤 Sixth form (HS senior year) setting
🐤 Pride & Prejudice-inspired
🐤 ADHD rep
🐤 Tutor-tutee dynamic
🐤 Classism explored
🐤 Misunderstandings galore
🐤 Importance of friendship

Lover Birds reminds me of everything I love about Becky Albertalli and Alice Oseman. It captures the messy, sweet, and relatable emotions of sixth-form life with an engaging enemies-to-lovers arc. I appreciated the story’s authentic ADHD representation and exploration of classism and how they affected the characters’ relationships and lives. Misunderstandings and the importance of friendship play central roles in the story, making it as much about personal growth as romance. It was exactly what I needed to break my reading slump.

Content warnings: sexual harassment, homophobia, emotional abuse (side character), drinking (note: drinking age in the the UK is 18).

Eloise (Lou) and Isabel as basically polar opposites. Which immediately leads to them clashing from day one, or so Lou thinks. But, with Lou's unmedicated ADHD (Her choice) and her teacher's concern for her success, she finds herself being tutored by her newest enemy, Isabel. As they work together, things start to smooth over, which Lou realizing maybe her initial impression wasn't the most accurate.

This tale features friendship and relationship drama, coping with your own brain, and standing up for what, and who, you love, even if it gets hard.

I thought these characters were a lot of fun to follow, though some of their actions were a tad infuriating. I also really appreciated the ADHD representation, as we got some fun non-cis things thrown in there too. Overall I had a fun time with this book, and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a neurodivergent lesbian romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for an e-ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
This book stole my heart and squeezed it, and I mean this in literally the best possible way. I mean it. The angsty teenage pinning, the awkward longing that teenagers seem to just all inherit. Their little found family that had me cackling, screaming, and crying within the same breath at times. I honestly would love to see the story continue with the side characters in this book. But gosh I relate so much to Eloise so much. As someone who was diagnosed later in life with ADHD (20), i totally understand the frustration of not understanding why you can't do things that seem so simple for everyone else to do. And I can also understand not wanting to have to take meds to function, especially as a teenager. And I'm so happy we got to see so much growth with both Eloise and Isabel. Even the background characters grew throughout the book. I truly love this book so much and highly recommend it if you want to swoon for days.

60/100 or 3.0 stars

This was a cute YA sapphic romance. I think it can be a great book for people who are looking for that kind of storyline. It also has really great ADHD representation in here. Unfortunately, outside of those things, the story is pretty basic and not memorable for me, however, I am not the target audience which definitely changes my enjoyment of the story. To be honest, if it were not for the great representation overall, I would have probably not finished this one.

TW: Homophobia, Underage Drinking (drinking age in the UK is lower than in the US), mentions of blackmail

Elouise aka Lou is from Liverpool (where this story takes place) and from what I gather, she is a junior in high school. Isabel aka Iz is from the posh side of London and finds her world upended when she has to move to Liverpool. Lou is given the task of showing Iz around the school so she could get familiarized with it. From that moment on, Isabel is giving Lou continuous glares and is constantly cold to her even though Lou and her group of friends try to welcome Iz into the group.

It takes one day at the beach for Isabel to let a little ray of sunshine through but she closed that door as quickly as she opened it. This understandably leaves Lou confused. There is undeniable sexual tension between Isabel and Lou but do they realize it?

I really enjoyed reading this book. This book had a lot of distracting things going on, in a good way. It kept the book flowing from the first page to the last. Not only did the author build the relationship between the main characters but the author gave a glimpse into high school life. There was a side story with some of Lou’s friends who were having issues of their own. Lou was also fighting with her own demon, ADHD. All of those pull together nicely to give a story with heart.

I know that I was able to relate with this book, especially with Lou because ADHD is not a joke. I wish when I was in high school, it wasn’t so taboo and people weren’t afraid to have their kids diagnosed. Diagnosed as an adult and seeing signs and thinking back when I was in high school, I really could have used the help. I felt for Lou because I experienced the same things but I’m glad she had the support there for her to help her get through.

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley and from the Author Leanne Egan for my truthful review.

A story about a girl with ADHD and a girl who comes and changes everything. Lou’s always been the way she is, living life the way she wants to. Even though she struggles she doesn’t want that to change, especially not with ADHD medications. When Isabel moves into Lou’s class, and the teacher puts them together as study buddies, things start to change for Lou. Her thoughts on sexuality, and how her ADHD affects her.
I’ve never read a book that so accurately depicts how my brain works. Like it’s crazy, the similarities I am to Lou and how her brain works. I’ve never seen a book with this kind of representation and I absolutely loved reading it (even if it made me overthink life sometimes…). This book helped me realize that one day my person will be there for me, and that is incredibly rewarding for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collin’s for an eARC of this book.

Really fantastic enemies to lovers story! Perfect as a light read with a great dynamic between the main characters

This book was a delight from start to finish. From the queer frenemies-to-lovers storyline, the friendship bond between 5 schoolgirls, the love of a place and where you're from, the insight into someone adjusting to their ADHD and wrestling with how to manage, and the shifts from judgement to radical acceptance of all things. There was school drama, friendship drama, relationship drama, family drama, but it was all sorted and talked through, and the slow fall between Iz and Lou was so sweet.

Cute rivals to lovers romance between Liverpool native and posh new girl from London. Great representation of ADHD and the struggles behind school focus, deciding to medicate, and the physical and mental strain it can cause. This book is great for anyone looking for a sweet lesbian romance that ALSO talks about the importance of close friendships and just how hard it can be when those platonic relationships are on the rocks. Add in the love for Liverpool history and sites and you've got yourself one great page-turner!

Thank you to Scholastic and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Lover Birds follows Lou, a teenager in Liverpool who meets new student Isabel from London and despite their differences the two can’t help but unknowingly fall for each other.

I loved this book. By the third chapter, I had trouble putting it down and was excited to see what Lou and Isabel would do next that in terms of how definitely not gay they were for each other. The enemies/academic rivals to lovers worked really well and thought the perfect amount of time was spent on the enemies/rivals part. I also really liked all of Lou’s friends, and Isabel’s friend Wil and her brother Benji. It was a big group but I think they all were very needed in the story and I enjoyed their side plots almost as much as the main story. I’m really not a fan of the miscommunication trope in books but it made a lot of sense with Lou and Isabel considering they didn’t communicate very well from the start. I did think the book slowed down a bit once Lou and Isabel started fighting in the second half and I didn’t enjoy that bit quite as much as the rest of the book.

Overall, I think this was a great YA romance and such a great and unexpected Pride and Prejudice adaptation!

Thank you Scholastic and NetGalley again for the chance to read this.