Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
I LOVE friends-to-more romances, and this one didn't disappoint. Neighbors + best friends + opposites it was all so well done. I thought the love triangles were too messy for those who aren't cool with that in any way, but otherwise it was well crafted and enjoyable.
Thanks to the author for giving me an advanced copy.
This is one of the best YA books I read this year. Harper, a high schooler, has sworn off love after working at her mom's bridal studio. I loved getting the glimpse into this world. It's her mom's passion and there's a good balance here of figuring out how to run the business side and yet still be a teenager. Harper also swears off love because of all she has witnessed in her work. But Firkins knows how to write such a well crafted love triangle. I loved Felix and Theo. She can't resist love even though she thinks she doesn't want it because these characters are so genuine. I honestly didn't know who Harper would end up with, and I would've loved to see her end up with either of the young men because they both were such lovable characters.
Along with the teen love, there's also lots of vocab words in here because Harper needs to do well on her SATs. This adds a depth of fun word play to the different characters. This was a joy to read, and I can't wait to read more from this author.
This is one of the best YA books I read this year. Harper, a high schooler, has sworn off love after working at her mom's bridal studio. I loved getting the glimpse into this world. It's her mom's passion and there's a good balance here of figuring out how to run the business side and yet still be a teenager. Harper also swears off love because of all she has witnessed in her work. But Firkins knows how to write such a well crafted love triangle. I loved Felix and Theo. She can't resist love even though she thinks she doesn't want it because these characters are so genuine. I honestly didn't know who Harper would end up with, and I would've loved to see her end up with either of the young men because they both were such lovable characters.
Along with the teen love, there's also lots of vocab words in here because Harper needs to do well on her SATs. This adds a depth of fun word play to the different characters. This was a joy to read, and I can't wait to read more from this author.
Friends to lovers is superior and no one can tell me otherwise.
Theo and Harper have been best friends since childhood. They have never seen each other as a romantic interest, but soon after dating a classmate, Harper finds herself filled with strange feelings towards Theo, while he also sends mixed signals towards her. Could this undermine their friendship or be the start of something more...
Let's start with the basic fact that this book is TROPE CITY. There were so many clichés in this book but for whatever reason, I found myself captivated instead of annoyed. Nearly every cliché in this book I can explain away:
i) Theo is extremely air-headed, quirky, and eccentric. That only made him more endearing. I found myself rooting for him instead of being annoyed as I usually am with these kinds of characters. I think it's because it's so common to see female characters written this way, that seeing a male character behave this way made me find him adorable. There's something so funnily subversive about a teenage boy who's hot and ripped think and act like a 4th grader. Plus, his eccentricity is never brought up in comparison to anything else; he's never said to be "different" because of his interests, they're just part of who he is, and I appreciated that.
ii) The scene where characters have to share only one bed was my FAVOURITE part of the book. The "will they, won't they" tension was ELECTRIC. I felt like the author really took her time to understand the situation and deliver a resolution that felt satisfying but also real. Whenever I think back on this book my mind immediately goes to this scene, because I was so invested in the tension being delivered here.
iii) The miscommunication situation that happens in the end made the payoff that much more exciting to read. Yes it was annoying to see them not confess, but SO SATISFYING to see them get together when they actually do. I was giggling like a kid when we got to the confession scene. Speaking of which, the final scene was one of those chasing after a crush in the rain at the last moment and grandly confessing your love and there's a big sweeping kiss and I was SO giddy with excitement reading it. I know many people would find this sort of conclusion annoying, but I loved it.
But I think the main reason why this book worked so well for me was that the plot (mostly) stayed within the realm of reality. There were some plot contrivances, but nothing too over the top that would make me want to throw the book against the wall, as is often the case with many other romances. The decisions made here felt real and what real people would actually do in those situations. Plus, the characters are imperfect and do make some bad decisions, but grow and learn from them. The page number was also pretty good, straddling the tight line between delivering tension, while also not making it go on for too long unnecessarily. Like I said, the tension was my favourite part of the whole book so clearly the author must've done something right.
However, I should warn people who go into this not expecting TOO much out of it. It is a YA romance and so obviously some more complex topics are avoided, some decisions are made purely because the plot requires the characters to make them, the side characters are barely developed at all, and sometimes the character interactions do feel far fetched. But at the same time, I still really loved it! I didn't care about any of the lack of explanations and just DESPERATELY wanted Harper and Theo to get together.
Reading this review back, it sounds less like I'm making a case for this book and more so like I'm just gushing about how much I personally enjoyed it. Which I suppose was inevitable given that so much of reading is based on subjectivity. This is one of those books that had the perfect storm of all the tropes I liked (friends to lovers, himbos, big cheesy romantic gestures) and I read it at the perfect time when I needed some fun escapism. I can't guarantee that everyone will love it, but I personally did and that's good enough (for me anyway).
Theo and Harper have been best friends since childhood. They have never seen each other as a romantic interest, but soon after dating a classmate, Harper finds herself filled with strange feelings towards Theo, while he also sends mixed signals towards her. Could this undermine their friendship or be the start of something more...
Let's start with the basic fact that this book is TROPE CITY. There were so many clichés in this book but for whatever reason, I found myself captivated instead of annoyed. Nearly every cliché in this book I can explain away:
i) Theo is extremely air-headed, quirky, and eccentric. That only made him more endearing. I found myself rooting for him instead of being annoyed as I usually am with these kinds of characters. I think it's because it's so common to see female characters written this way, that seeing a male character behave this way made me find him adorable. There's something so funnily subversive about a teenage boy who's hot and ripped think and act like a 4th grader. Plus, his eccentricity is never brought up in comparison to anything else; he's never said to be "different" because of his interests, they're just part of who he is, and I appreciated that.
ii) The scene where characters have to share only one bed was my FAVOURITE part of the book. The "will they, won't they" tension was ELECTRIC. I felt like the author really took her time to understand the situation and deliver a resolution that felt satisfying but also real. Whenever I think back on this book my mind immediately goes to this scene, because I was so invested in the tension being delivered here.
iii) The miscommunication situation that happens in the end made the payoff that much more exciting to read. Yes it was annoying to see them not confess, but SO SATISFYING to see them get together when they actually do. I was giggling like a kid when we got to the confession scene. Speaking of which, the final scene was one of those chasing after a crush in the rain at the last moment and grandly confessing your love and there's a big sweeping kiss and I was SO giddy with excitement reading it. I know many people would find this sort of conclusion annoying, but I loved it.
But I think the main reason why this book worked so well for me was that the plot (mostly) stayed within the realm of reality. There were some plot contrivances, but nothing too over the top that would make me want to throw the book against the wall, as is often the case with many other romances. The decisions made here felt real and what real people would actually do in those situations. Plus, the characters are imperfect and do make some bad decisions, but grow and learn from them. The page number was also pretty good, straddling the tight line between delivering tension, while also not making it go on for too long unnecessarily. Like I said, the tension was my favourite part of the whole book so clearly the author must've done something right.
However, I should warn people who go into this not expecting TOO much out of it. It is a YA romance and so obviously some more complex topics are avoided, some decisions are made purely because the plot requires the characters to make them, the side characters are barely developed at all, and sometimes the character interactions do feel far fetched. But at the same time, I still really loved it! I didn't care about any of the lack of explanations and just DESPERATELY wanted Harper and Theo to get together.
Reading this review back, it sounds less like I'm making a case for this book and more so like I'm just gushing about how much I personally enjoyed it. Which I suppose was inevitable given that so much of reading is based on subjectivity. This is one of those books that had the perfect storm of all the tropes I liked (friends to lovers, himbos, big cheesy romantic gestures) and I read it at the perfect time when I needed some fun escapism. I can't guarantee that everyone will love it, but I personally did and that's good enough (for me anyway).
This was a quick easy read that I couldn’t put down!! Harper works to teach her long time best friend Theo how NOT to fall in love with every girl he meets, in exchange for some vocabulary help for her upcoming SAT. Throughout their anti-love dating lessons, Harper realizes she’s fallen in love with someone, but is it too late? Follow Harper on a roller coaster of emotions with this read!
At the very beginning I felt Harper was relatable. She’s smart and funny. She is cynical about love after having witnessed bridezilla after bridezilla lose their minds in her mom’s dress shop. However I quickly became less than impressed with her when she accompanied her friend Theo into their Treehouse of Safety, where no one is allowed to poke fun at one another, and she proceeds to mock him for being upset over a breakup. Not cool. At best that’s really bad friending, and at worst a total violation of their code (which somehow goes completely unacknowledged by either character). So, yeah, that didn’t make a whole lot of sense and made me feel disappointed in Harper. And for most of the book she continues to be dismissive and a little judgmental of Theo and his “nerdy” interests. By the end, Harper redeems herself a bit in this regard and learns a lot of lessons but not without leaving damage in her wake.
I’m not a big fan of stories that have a MC dating someone - a very *wonderful, thoughtful and kind* someone - the entire time only to have this person get dumped and have their heart broken for the You’ve Always Been Here But I’m Only Just Noticing You Now best friend. There’s better ways of doing the Friends To Lovers trope, imo. So this really wasn’t for me.
However there were several points that I did like a lot. I appreciated how much trust and respect there was between Harper and her mom. They had an amazing relationship that you don’t see often enough either in real life or in fiction. It’s nice to see a good example here.
Another thing I loved was that all parties (Harper, Felix, Theo, et al) were never not respectful to their partners while on dates and in intimate situations. There was always active listening going on and continuous consent seeking. A+ on that. Despite initial communication problems (mostly for plot purposes) there were plenty of examples of good communication happening in relationships.
The behavior demonstrated by the teenagers in this book (especially the boys) was impressive, like when both Theo and Felix were open with Harper about their feelings. And when Felix put a stop to an intimate moment with Harper when he realized she wasn’t as emotionally invested in their relationship as he was. I definitely want my teen reading books that model these kinds of healthy, respectful behaviors. Not only do we *not* see toxic behavior where there could so easily be plenty, but we get actual proper healthy examples of the right ways to do things.
I’m not a big fan of stories that have a MC dating someone - a very *wonderful, thoughtful and kind* someone - the entire time only to have this person get dumped and have their heart broken for the You’ve Always Been Here But I’m Only Just Noticing You Now best friend. There’s better ways of doing the Friends To Lovers trope, imo. So this really wasn’t for me.
However there were several points that I did like a lot. I appreciated how much trust and respect there was between Harper and her mom. They had an amazing relationship that you don’t see often enough either in real life or in fiction. It’s nice to see a good example here.
Another thing I loved was that all parties (Harper, Felix, Theo, et al) were never not respectful to their partners while on dates and in intimate situations. There was always active listening going on and continuous consent seeking. A+ on that. Despite initial communication problems (mostly for plot purposes) there were plenty of examples of good communication happening in relationships.
The behavior demonstrated by the teenagers in this book (especially the boys) was impressive, like when both Theo and Felix were open with Harper about their feelings. And when Felix put a stop to an intimate moment with Harper when he realized she wasn’t as emotionally invested in their relationship as he was. I definitely want my teen reading books that model these kinds of healthy, respectful behaviors. Not only do we *not* see toxic behavior where there could so easily be plenty, but we get actual proper healthy examples of the right ways to do things.
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
As soon as I requested and received this arc, I looked at the title and the cover and immediately expected a cheesy rom-com that would make me smile, but wouldn’t be all that memorable. I have never been more wrong in my life. How To Not Fall In Love follows Harper Jamison, a girl who, after working in her mother’s bridal shop and witnessing way too many wedding meltdowns, has fallen out of touch with the idea of true love, or even love in general. Her best friend Theo, however, falls in love too easily, and usually finds himself nursing a new heartbreak every week. So Harper offers him something; lessons on how to not fall in love. But as he starts taking her words to heart, she learns to open up her heart to the wild world of being in love.
This book was AMAZING. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. The first thing I loved was how the author didn’t have conflict where there usually is conflict; for example, unaccepting parents, enemies, expectations. Instead, it was a normalized healthy atmosphere. I saw one review talking about how they loved the amount of sex positivity from the parents in this book, and I wholeheartedly agree. It was such a nice change to see a supporting parent who helped their child through absolutely everything.
I loved how not one person was demonized. There was no villain in this book. There was just two kids trying to figure out what they wanted. It made me really happy. Speaking of, I LOVED the other relationships in this book, namely Harper and Pippa. Their friendship was absolutely golden, and (as I said earlier) didn’t have that conflict element that many authors put into friendships. I also loved Harper’s relationship with Felix, and I loved how he wasn't slandered whatsoever.
Now onto the main relationship; Harper and Theo. I’ve never been a friends to lovers kind of person, but this book has changed my mind. It was messy, fun, and so dynamic. I loved how they weren’t a picture perfect relationship, and how it was made very clear that there were issues. But they fit together so well. I loved both of their characters individually as well. I absolutely ADORED Theo. I love characters like him; the attractive yet completely nerdy type. Absolute gold.
Plot-wise, this book was still perfect. Like I said earlier, I expected a cheesy rom-com, which meant I expected a cliche plotline. This was anything but. The tropes were insane, and I was not expecting some of the twists (trying not to spoil, so I’m leaving it there). It was such a welcome change.
Overall, this book blew me away. It is so much more than just an average, cheesy, cliche rom-com. It’s dynamic, funny, fast-paced, and an amazing depiction of complicated, modern love. If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would. Absolutely worth it.
As soon as I requested and received this arc, I looked at the title and the cover and immediately expected a cheesy rom-com that would make me smile, but wouldn’t be all that memorable. I have never been more wrong in my life. How To Not Fall In Love follows Harper Jamison, a girl who, after working in her mother’s bridal shop and witnessing way too many wedding meltdowns, has fallen out of touch with the idea of true love, or even love in general. Her best friend Theo, however, falls in love too easily, and usually finds himself nursing a new heartbreak every week. So Harper offers him something; lessons on how to not fall in love. But as he starts taking her words to heart, she learns to open up her heart to the wild world of being in love.
This book was AMAZING. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. The first thing I loved was how the author didn’t have conflict where there usually is conflict; for example, unaccepting parents, enemies, expectations. Instead, it was a normalized healthy atmosphere. I saw one review talking about how they loved the amount of sex positivity from the parents in this book, and I wholeheartedly agree. It was such a nice change to see a supporting parent who helped their child through absolutely everything.
I loved how not one person was demonized. There was no villain in this book. There was just two kids trying to figure out what they wanted. It made me really happy. Speaking of, I LOVED the other relationships in this book, namely Harper and Pippa. Their friendship was absolutely golden, and (as I said earlier) didn’t have that conflict element that many authors put into friendships. I also loved Harper’s relationship with Felix, and I loved how he wasn't slandered whatsoever.
Now onto the main relationship; Harper and Theo. I’ve never been a friends to lovers kind of person, but this book has changed my mind. It was messy, fun, and so dynamic. I loved how they weren’t a picture perfect relationship, and how it was made very clear that there were issues. But they fit together so well. I loved both of their characters individually as well. I absolutely ADORED Theo. I love characters like him; the attractive yet completely nerdy type. Absolute gold.
Plot-wise, this book was still perfect. Like I said earlier, I expected a cheesy rom-com, which meant I expected a cliche plotline. This was anything but. The tropes were insane, and I was not expecting some of the twists (trying not to spoil, so I’m leaving it there). It was such a welcome change.
Overall, this book blew me away. It is so much more than just an average, cheesy, cliche rom-com. It’s dynamic, funny, fast-paced, and an amazing depiction of complicated, modern love. If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would. Absolutely worth it.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a sweet and hilarious romance between friends to lovers.
Harper and Theo are childhood friends, they are neighbors, grew up together and shared the cutest memories, but they cant more different, Harper doesn´t believe in love and is guided more by her head than by her heart, meanwhile, Theo, literally is a knight with shiny armor who can play the accordion and write poems
I loved all the characters, they are realistic. likable and a little quirky. Harper is a smart girl and a hard worker, she helps her mom with her bridal shop and wants to study business to help her with finances, she has a strong relationship with her mom, who trusts Harper and gives her good advice when she needs it.
Theo is adorable, he always gives his heart and does big things, not afraid to be different and be true to himself. And Pippa is a great friend, her personality is very colorful and bright, everyone needs a Pippa in their life.
It's summer, Harper is too busy for a serious relationship, but she doesn't mind the idea of a summer love affair, and Theo, on the contrary, he wants the HEA. Both will go through a series of adventures and misadventures, especially Harper, her head and feelings can be a mess and she needs to focus and think about what she really wants.
It's fast-paced, if you want something cute, laugh and relax this is ideal
Harper and Theo are childhood friends, they are neighbors, grew up together and shared the cutest memories, but they cant more different, Harper doesn´t believe in love and is guided more by her head than by her heart, meanwhile, Theo, literally is a knight with shiny armor who can play the accordion and write poems
I loved all the characters, they are realistic. likable and a little quirky. Harper is a smart girl and a hard worker, she helps her mom with her bridal shop and wants to study business to help her with finances, she has a strong relationship with her mom, who trusts Harper and gives her good advice when she needs it.
Theo is adorable, he always gives his heart and does big things, not afraid to be different and be true to himself. And Pippa is a great friend, her personality is very colorful and bright, everyone needs a Pippa in their life.
It's summer, Harper is too busy for a serious relationship, but she doesn't mind the idea of a summer love affair, and Theo, on the contrary, he wants the HEA. Both will go through a series of adventures and misadventures, especially Harper, her head and feelings can be a mess and she needs to focus and think about what she really wants.
It's fast-paced, if you want something cute, laugh and relax this is ideal