oh hello representation!! this phenomenally well done enemies to lovers KILLED ME. i love these kids so much it pains me, the way mental health was treated in this book is going to make SO. MANY. people feel seen and appreciated, as well as serving as a perfect queer romcom for alllll ages 💖 i can’t wait to read her next book!

This was adorable! A tender reminder of just how tricky it can be to navigate the typical struggles of adolescence on top of a mental illness and trying to determine one’s sexuality. This was a delight to read.

This UK enemies to lovers YA sapphic romance story, follows both Isabel Williams and Eloise Byrne as they navigate the streets of Liverpool and sixth term at their public school. Isabel moves to Liverpool from London for her mother’s job and is not happy to be leaving her old life and friends behind. Which is why when she meets Eloise, she cant help but criticize everything about her, from her weird accent to her constant running mouth. Nothing seems to impress or even make the posh, stuck up, Isabel smile. Heart pulsing and plagued with an endless amount of frustration, Eloise can’t seem to understand why her ADHD is more out of control than usual and why the new girl is constantly on her mind. If they could just stop trying to one up each other and get over this childish rivalry, maybe Isabel and Eloise could actually be what the other needs. A steady hand to hold, a boost in confidence, a lesson in the humble department, and above all else, learning how to trust someone else with their heart.

The biggest hurdle for me was that both Lou and Isabel started out as unlikeable characters and that never really changed for me by the end. I hated how Lou almost always looked for the worst in people and hardly gave Isabel a chance to change her mind once she determined Isabel to be a stuck up, posh, bitch. I also didn't like how self centered Lou came off and how little she seemed to care about her friends even though they were clearly struggling. The one thing I did appreciate about Lou though was her very realistic feelings and management/struggle of her ADHD. She was at least honest and upfront about her symptoms, habits, and hesitation with taking medication. Isabel had a big hill to climb with her judgmental, better than everyone, personality. I particularly enjoyed the scenes where Lou showed her around Liverpool and she learned to appreciate her new home. Even though she was extremely shy and embarrassed easily, I felt like she was too overcompensating by picking fights with Lou and not telling her the truth about her feelings sooner. The banter between them was funny at first, but then it got old real quick and I just wish they could have moved past that stage faster and we could have seen more of them with their feelings for each other. So therefore for me, the chemistry and believability of the relationship was hard to get behind because they spent more than half the book bickering and are almost polar opposites.

The side characters were for the most part good, except I wish some of them would have been a bit more fleshed out. For example why does Jas think she always has to be a mediator and feel the need to keep the group together? Why is Mel always studying so hard? Why is Lily so stubborn and self centered? Why did it take so long for Katie to reveal her real feelings to any of her friends? Why is Henno such an ass? Why is Benji so happy and the total opposite of his sister? Why is Wil so amazing and Caroline such a bitch? Clearly I have several unanswered questions that I think could easily have answers to but much of the details we were given weren’t exactly helpful towards figuring out backstories and motivations. I did, however, love the conversations revolving around friendship and how important it is to have people who support you and have your back, especially in times of need. Sometimes it's hard to accept new people into such a tight knit friend group, but I was glad to see them very welcoming of Isabel. It felt very realistic between the boy troubles, school stress, personal drama, and navigating new relationships.

Something I wish would have been explained at the beginning before reading were all the UK public school references that are completely different from the U.S. For example what does sixth term mean and what are A-levels and why does it take a whole year to prepare for them? In terms of the pacing I think the beginning was way too slow and once it did pick up, I didn’t like how fast Lou and Isabel seemed to 180, like they spent the whole first half bickering and practically hating each other, and then all of the sudden they are fully into each other. Besides the excellent ADHD representation and realistic friend group drama, overall, the story just fell flat for me, mostly because I was unable to fully get behind Lou and Isabel’s romantic chemistry.

As a fan of Pride & Prejudice who is fascinated by the process of adaptation, I end up reading a lot of Pride & Prejudice re-imaginings, and this was one of the best I've read in a while. Egan did a good job hitting the important elements of a Lizzy & Darcy-inspired romance while knowing when to let this unique story take precedence over making it a strict beat-for-beat retelling. It was also refreshing to see a British book picked up by an American publisher without the setting being changed because Liverpool is such an important aspect of the book. I also really appreciated the way Lou's ADHD journey was incorporated into the story. A Lizzy Bennet-inspired character having rejection sensitivity just makes sense.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free arc!

I have a mixed review of this book, an enemy to lovers romance novel. I enjoyed the setting of a school in Liverpool, England and learning new English phrases. The author gives a good portrayal of a character with ADHD through the main character, Lou. The relationship between Lou and Isabel develops in an interesting way.

However, at times, especially during the first third of the novel, the story gets bogged down in details about issues within Lou’s friends group, without an understanding of what is really going on. (That is revealed later in the book.). Lou’s character is well developed. Since the book is written only from her point of view, at times, the storylines of other characters feel a little bit flat. The story would probably have been better developed with multiple points of view.

I love enemies to lovers, so make it queer AND specifically sapphic, and you've got my attention. LOVER BIRDS by Leanne Egan was exactly what I would've wanted for a story like this and I loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and PUSH for the advanced copy!

I adore this spin on the classic Pride and Prejudice tale. Even though NetGalley provided a synopsis that was a bit off, I was hooked by the description and wasn't disappointed. Isabel and Lou's journeys together and separately exhibited such care that I was wholly invested in the story. All the kudos to author Leanne Egan for her honest portrayal of ADHD and its complexities. The addition of the LGBTQ+ representation added another layer to this YA rivals to lovers story that also included a wide range of supporting characters that you come to love. Overwhelmingly enjoyed!

Thank you to Scholastic | PUSH and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

fantastic choice if you’re a fan of heartstopper! i loved the banter and the tension between isabel and lou, as well as the ADHD and LGBTQ rep. had a bit of a hard time believing lou being *that* clueless for *that* long, but other than that, this is a great debut novel!

early on in this book, i learned that i know absolutely nothing about the british school system.

adhd representation in girls is so nuanced and this book did such a good job of discussing it and the tumultuous process of being okay with medication. as a girl with adhd, i rarely found characters to relate to with a confirmed adhd diagnosis, so this healed something in my soul.

when i tell you i stayed up WAY past my bedtime to finish this in one night… i rarely sacrifice my bedtime. i finished this book at 2:00 am.

A very engaging and thought-provoking read and one of the most helpful/illuminating ADHD reps I've come across. Caveat - I'm neurotypical so what I found helpful in explaining how the mind of someone with ADHD might work may or may not present as authentic to someone with the diagnosis. (Mx. Egan does not specify in their bio whether ADHD is their lived experience.) I also really appreciated how Lou's feelings about taking medication was handled, Deciding whether or not to take medication can be an incredibly personal and nuanced decision, and Lou's journey here felt really authentic and, I think, could be helpful to many readers. Of course - I loved Lou. Who wouldn't? And her love for her friends, her city and her mum was delightful. I was relieved and happy that she and Isabel came back together and that Lou didn't have to compromise the things she loved about herself for that to happen.

I was initially drawn to Lover Birds for the ADHD representation (okay, and the enemies-to-lovers plot), and it really delivered! I can definitely see teenagers recognizing Lou as a mirror for themselves as they learn more about their diagnosis and different ways to cope. Lou is a flawed character (and so are her friends), but that is part of what makes her so endearing as a narrator.

The tension between our two leads, Lou and Isabel, is set up brilliantly from the beginning. I wish that later in the book there had been just a bit more communication or perhaps something from Isabel's POV in order to make things click together a little more, but I still had a lot of fun reading this. I think many teenagers would feel incredibly seen when reading Lover Birds, whether it's for the friendship dynamics, the coming out plot, or ADHD representation.

Such a cute sapphic YA! I loved the Liverpool setting, and the teens in this book felt very realistic, IMO. I appreciated that this was a different take on coming out than you typically see. Although I don't have ADHD myself, Lou's experience felt very reminiscent of my family's and students' experiences. I'd recommend!

3.75⭐

I really think Isabel was done a disservice by not having a POV. And that’s not something I am likely to say (because I’m very much a “one POV or omniscient, never multiples” kind of person), but seeing her from without paints her in a bad light and leaves her whole half of the relationship and various issues feeling rather unresolved.

Did I still get uncharacteristically happy when they first admitted their feelings for each other? Yes. It’s always my favorite part of a queer YA romcom because it’s so freaking adorable. Just that moment when a character feels seen, possibly for the first time ever, and cherished for who they are, when they realize something new about themself or when they take the risk and it’s rewarded… it’s heartwarming, even for grouchy old me.

Buuut was I lowkey rooting for them to stay broken up during the third act breakup? Yeah, kinda.

This book personally was not for me. I didn’t really care for the FMC so I couldn’t get into this book. Thank you for opportunity to read it.

Lover Birds by Leanne Egan is a heartfelt and quirky romance that soars with charm and originality. Egan’s unique storytelling and lovable characters create a delightful tale of love, self-discovery, and second chances. With its light humor and emotional depth, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys romance with a whimsical twist.

4.75 stars rounded up

*This* is enemies-to-lovers banter done right! I loved the setup for Lou and Isabel's relationship. Their back and forth was fantastic, and I really enjoyed the side dynamic of the friend group. This gives modern Sapphic YA Pride and Prejudice vibes, and it was so much fun. The author did such a good job with the conflict because I couldn't see how it would be resolved, but the way it was worked out ended up being just right.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Wow! What an amazing young adult book. There were so many parts of this book that I loved. The interaction between the friends was perfect and very true to their ages. The struggles they were going through were very relatable for 17 year olds. I loved the how they all supported each other even when they didn’t agree.

I loved getting inside the head of the main character. Watching her figure out her feelings was very natural and I loved the journey she took to get there. Also, I loved loved loved the ADHD representation. I don’t have ADHD, but my wife does, and the struggles of the main character are all things I have seen/heard from her. I can only imagine how much this representation would mean to someone with ADHD.

And finally… the relationship between the MC and LI was perfect. The struggles they had did not seem to be thrown in just for drama. They made sense with the flow of the story and didn’t come out of nowhere like in some books. When things were good between them, they were so sweet together. I loved how they helped each other become better versions of themselves.

If you like YA books, this is a must read!!

interesting and fun romance, would recommend. it's super cool! 4 stars, tysm for the arc. looking forward to more books.

I did not expect to love this as much as I did. First book in a long time that I've fallen for; I never read YA but this one's an exception. The progression of the story moved along at a good pace and the development of the characters, especially the two FMCs was slow and purposeful. I especially loved the ADHD rep which was factual without sounding like a WebMD article. As someone with ADHD it all felt so spot on and made it easy to see myself in that character. Overall a great read and highly recommended.

Lover Birds is the perfect book to get you out of a reading slump. The slow burn is full of (gay panic) moments and moments of sapphic yearning between the two main characters. One of my favorite things is the ADHD representation and how authentic Eloise’s journey felt with navigating her friendships and relationship. There were so many funny, heartfelt moments and I’m excited to see what the author does next!