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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
academic rivals to lovers! this was endearing and cute... since the story happens around the characters' graduation, i thought it would be fun to read this book after i graduated high school. my rating might be biased because there were parts about feeling the uncertainty of leaving everything you've grown used to that kinda hit close to home...
the setting was cool (i love it when people run around and explore the city hehe), and i think the characters felt real. the dialogue was natural and there were actually things that the characters said that i swear i've heard a friend (or honestly myself) say before. there were only a couple of instances where i cringed but i don't know if that was me or the book LOL... it was also cool to read about how they connected over their cultures and supported each other. i think the story also had an appreciative view of the romance genre, books and words in general~
the setting was cool (i love it when people run around and explore the city hehe), and i think the characters felt real. the dialogue was natural and there were actually things that the characters said that i swear i've heard a friend (or honestly myself) say before. there were only a couple of instances where i cringed but i don't know if that was me or the book LOL... it was also cool to read about how they connected over their cultures and supported each other. i think the story also had an appreciative view of the romance genre, books and words in general~
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 3!
I like the premise of the book. It’s pretty obvious (if you keep track of what I read) my favorite trope in romance stories is enemies to lovers. I was a big fan of Neil and Rowan’s relationship prior to the game. I love a classic academic rival story. I also loved how each chapter began with a primary document about Rowan or Neil from their past. The author does an awesome job of keeping it relevant, but also not trendy or too pop-culturey that it won’t hit in a decade from now. They were great!
I did not love the setting being over the course of only 24 hours. I did not think it gave enough character development. I would’ve liked to see this change from past to present (maintaining the primary documents).
The entire senior class “Howl” game is an awesome concept, but the rivalry with Savannah fell flat and didn’t really seem developed enough.
I didn’t truly believe in Rowan and Neil’s chemistry, and I was also tired of reading the same descriptions of him being a “fiery red-head” with “so many freckles” who was “exactly the same height” as Rowan. It got old.
Anyway! This is about 18 year olds, and although it’s considered YA, the sex scene at the end was a bit too steamy for my liking (if being advertised as YA). Maybe I’m just a prude.
I like the premise of the book. It’s pretty obvious (if you keep track of what I read) my favorite trope in romance stories is enemies to lovers. I was a big fan of Neil and Rowan’s relationship prior to the game. I love a classic academic rival story. I also loved how each chapter began with a primary document about Rowan or Neil from their past. The author does an awesome job of keeping it relevant, but also not trendy or too pop-culturey that it won’t hit in a decade from now. They were great!
I did not love the setting being over the course of only 24 hours. I did not think it gave enough character development. I would’ve liked to see this change from past to present (maintaining the primary documents).
The entire senior class “Howl” game is an awesome concept, but the rivalry with Savannah fell flat and didn’t really seem developed enough.
I didn’t truly believe in Rowan and Neil’s chemistry, and I was also tired of reading the same descriptions of him being a “fiery red-head” with “so many freckles” who was “exactly the same height” as Rowan. It got old.
Anyway! This is about 18 year olds, and although it’s considered YA, the sex scene at the end was a bit too steamy for my liking (if being advertised as YA). Maybe I’m just a prude.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is my second time reading this book but it’s 100% one of my top five fav romance books like it’s just so adorable to see how their rivalry turned into something else as they teamed up and helped eachother. Also unrelated but hearing what that girl, Samantha (or wtv the freak her name was), was saying about Rowan and like how her family doesn’t need money bc they’re Jewish and implying by pointing at her nose was diabolical and unbelievably disrespectful. Anyways finding out that Neil is also Jewish and also just finding out his entire background and his reason for being so hard working and dedicated in school was amazing and obviously sad. Like hearing about his dad not cool and then the similarities that Rowan and him never knew they shared . Anyways um he is one of my book boyfriends bc why is he actually so hot? Or is that just me? Idk but I love him and yes they do have some annoying moments of miscommunication but hehe I love them and I love Rowan and her fam and I love Neil. Omg and Rowan’s dynamic with her family and how they’re all readers is so sweet and omg Neil’s family too is like omg I wanna cry they’re all so cute I love them. I freaking love this book and it’s such an easy read, I never find myself stuck within the book.
2.5/5
this book wasn't bad, i enjoyed reading it honestly. i liked the pacing and it was definitely a great page turner. however, I do have a couple of problems with the book that I can't set aside.
first, the amount of repetition. why was rowan's coffee stained dress mentioned so many times? we were there when it happened, that was more than enough. the amount of times it was brought up was just unnecessary. and rowan would not SHUT UP about loving romance novels. i understand you didn't feel accepted by ur friends and family for liking it, but you never defended them or yourself until now. but seriously, rowan's love for romance books did not need to be mentioned every 10 pages. it got tiring and I even rolled my eyes every time it was mentioned. i know t.t.t is a romance book, but still. i don't want a romance book to have romance novels as a main topic. i would prefer to see neil and rowan build their bond more.
secondly, rowan wasn't a likeable main character. she constantly hated on white male authors and preferred more poc and lgtbq authors and would even make fun of neil for reading books by white men. im saying this a poc as well. the hate against them was unnecessary. white male, poc, and lgbtq authors can coexist together- as long as there is a balance. i personally even try searching for books made by poc and lgbtq authors as well, but rowan's distaste was just weird. this point is related to my third reasoning but I'll get to that.
neil was right, rowan self-sabatoged a lot. one thing I wasn't able to get past was rowan being pissed at kirby and mara for having a vacation plan without her. her being upset was valid, but why was she blaming and being passive aggressive towards them? it was a FAMILY VACATION kirby was having and ofc since she's dating mara, kirby's parents invited her? you can feel left out, but rowan should've understood that kirby and mara are DATING so they obviously would do stuff without her. they didn't even properly discuss summer plans together as a group. i would've understood rowan more if there were already solid plans made for 3 of them. but it was out of their control as well, it's not like kirby asked her parents NOT to invite rowan. im glad they made up after though, but that fight could've easily been avoided if rowan was more mature about it.
rowan had a weird attitude towards neil as well. she frustrated me so much, I don't even know where to start. she "called out" neil for "mansplaining" when he literally just dropped a random fact- he was not mansplaining. the yearbook thing and how she reacted when she found out neil had her name for the HOWL game? she seriously overreacted a bit. i get her for being upset and thinking that he kept her in the game to eliminate her afterwards- but thinking EVERYTHING was fake? after he told you deep secrets he barely told anyone? rowan, you're smarter than this.. and her telling neil "he's just like his dad" was a low blow and not true at all, he didn't even do anything remotely similar to what his dad did. i couldn't pity her no matter how guilty she felt. neil forgave her too quick in my opinion. imagine telling someone how you truly feel about your father and they use it against you. and she could not take a joke. when neil jokes about being surprised that rowan wasn't a virgin, she got worked up over nothing? it was clearly a harmless joke.
and third, the book felt performative. poc and lgbtq authors over white male authors. sex talk. the forced diversity and activism. i cant even. i sighed everytime any of those were mentioned. i agree, diversity is important. it makes people feel included and gives them a sense of belonging. However, it reaches a point where the diversity feels forced and unauthentic. i agreed with a lot that rowan mentioned, but again, it was repetitive. say it once and that's enough. it doesn't need to be shoved down our throats. you could really see the author's political and societal beliefs through rowan- which is something I honestly didn't find fitting for a book that was marketed as an "academic rivals to lovers" romance book.
but despite all that, I still enjoyed reading the book when it focused on neil and rowan. they were cute together I won't lie and they had lots of sweet moments- whether they were grand or small. i really didn't think highly of the book till maybe 100 pages towards the end where it really made up and focused on the neil and rowan playing HOWL. i couldn't stop reading.
i did like the judiasm representation the most out of all the things rachel lyn solomon mentioned. she's jewish, so it makes sense she added it into the book, which im glad she did. she tackled how small antisemitic remarks/jokes actually had a big effect on jews and even showed us readers their traditions. it was nice and interesting to read about.
overall, this book isn't the best, but neither is it the worse. im in the minority where I don't really love this book, but I feel like this book had potential to become a favorite if it weren't for the stuff I mentioned. it was still a fun read though, but I wouldn't recommend it to others if they asked. I've been wanting to read this book since 2021/2022, so I am a bit disappointed that I didn't enjoy the book as much as a wished I would.
this book wasn't bad, i enjoyed reading it honestly. i liked the pacing and it was definitely a great page turner. however, I do have a couple of problems with the book that I can't set aside.
first, the amount of repetition. why was rowan's coffee stained dress mentioned so many times? we were there when it happened, that was more than enough. the amount of times it was brought up was just unnecessary. and rowan would not SHUT UP about loving romance novels. i understand you didn't feel accepted by ur friends and family for liking it, but you never defended them or yourself until now. but seriously, rowan's love for romance books did not need to be mentioned every 10 pages. it got tiring and I even rolled my eyes every time it was mentioned. i know t.t.t is a romance book, but still. i don't want a romance book to have romance novels as a main topic. i would prefer to see neil and rowan build their bond more.
secondly, rowan wasn't a likeable main character. she constantly hated on white male authors and preferred more poc and lgtbq authors and would even make fun of neil for reading books by white men. im saying this a poc as well. the hate against them was unnecessary. white male, poc, and lgbtq authors can coexist together- as long as there is a balance. i personally even try searching for books made by poc and lgbtq authors as well, but rowan's distaste was just weird. this point is related to my third reasoning but I'll get to that.
neil was right, rowan self-sabatoged a lot. one thing I wasn't able to get past was rowan being pissed at kirby and mara for having a vacation plan without her. her being upset was valid, but why was she blaming and being passive aggressive towards them? it was a FAMILY VACATION kirby was having and ofc since she's dating mara, kirby's parents invited her? you can feel left out, but rowan should've understood that kirby and mara are DATING so they obviously would do stuff without her. they didn't even properly discuss summer plans together as a group. i would've understood rowan more if there were already solid plans made for 3 of them. but it was out of their control as well, it's not like kirby asked her parents NOT to invite rowan. im glad they made up after though, but that fight could've easily been avoided if rowan was more mature about it.
rowan had a weird attitude towards neil as well. she frustrated me so much, I don't even know where to start. she "called out" neil for "mansplaining" when he literally just dropped a random fact- he was not mansplaining. the yearbook thing and how she reacted when she found out neil had her name for the HOWL game? she seriously overreacted a bit. i get her for being upset and thinking that he kept her in the game to eliminate her afterwards- but thinking EVERYTHING was fake? after he told you deep secrets he barely told anyone? rowan, you're smarter than this.. and her telling neil "he's just like his dad" was a low blow and not true at all, he didn't even do anything remotely similar to what his dad did. i couldn't pity her no matter how guilty she felt. neil forgave her too quick in my opinion. imagine telling someone how you truly feel about your father and they use it against you. and she could not take a joke. when neil jokes about being surprised that rowan wasn't a virgin, she got worked up over nothing? it was clearly a harmless joke.
and third, the book felt performative. poc and lgbtq authors over white male authors. sex talk. the forced diversity and activism. i cant even. i sighed everytime any of those were mentioned. i agree, diversity is important. it makes people feel included and gives them a sense of belonging. However, it reaches a point where the diversity feels forced and unauthentic. i agreed with a lot that rowan mentioned, but again, it was repetitive. say it once and that's enough. it doesn't need to be shoved down our throats. you could really see the author's political and societal beliefs through rowan- which is something I honestly didn't find fitting for a book that was marketed as an "academic rivals to lovers" romance book.
but despite all that, I still enjoyed reading the book when it focused on neil and rowan. they were cute together I won't lie and they had lots of sweet moments- whether they were grand or small. i really didn't think highly of the book till maybe 100 pages towards the end where it really made up and focused on the neil and rowan playing HOWL. i couldn't stop reading.
i did like the judiasm representation the most out of all the things rachel lyn solomon mentioned. she's jewish, so it makes sense she added it into the book, which im glad she did. she tackled how small antisemitic remarks/jokes actually had a big effect on jews and even showed us readers their traditions. it was nice and interesting to read about.
overall, this book isn't the best, but neither is it the worse. im in the minority where I don't really love this book, but I feel like this book had potential to become a favorite if it weren't for the stuff I mentioned. it was still a fun read though, but I wouldn't recommend it to others if they asked. I've been wanting to read this book since 2021/2022, so I am a bit disappointed that I didn't enjoy the book as much as a wished I would.
This is a cute YA with a compressed timeframe which reminded me of The Sun is also a Star. It's also a tribute to Seattle, with a group high school seniors on a scavenger hunt while also playing some flag football type elimination game.
I got a little annoyed with the main character, her self-absorbed worldview and cluelessness, but she improved over time. Overall, it was a fun read.
I got a little annoyed with the main character, her self-absorbed worldview and cluelessness, but she improved over time. Overall, it was a fun read.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated