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A review by onceandfuturebooknerd
How You Get The Girl by Anita Kelly
4.5
*takes a deep breath* I think I found another absolute 2023 favourite AND so far one of the top spots was already taken by Something Wild and Wonderful. I don't know, I guess 2023 is just a total Anita Kelly year for me! 🩷
How You Get the Girl is a total banger, a soft love story that also packs quite an emotional punch and heaps of self discovery (should've known at this point, Kelly hits the nail on the head every time). This third book rounds up this romance trilogy perfectly and all the little cameos made my heart so happy!
In this story we follow Julie, a basketball coach questioning her sexuality (ace? Where on the spectrum? Bi? Lesbian?) and trying to figure out where her life is going. When her path crosses with Elle Cochrane, her young adult NWBA idol, a new foster parent to her player Vanessa, and soon her new assistant coach, things turn upside down. After an unexpected heart-to-heart, Elle offers Julie a fake dating scheme so Julie can try to figure out what she is comfortable doing with a romantic partner - but fake scenarios quickly turn into real feelings. Can they make this faux practice relationship work? Should they?
Julie and Elle are EVERYTHING! I loved their relationship, but I also loved them as individuals, how they had their own personal struggles and while talking about them with one another helped, they had to resolve some things and come to terms with them on their own. From Julie struggling with her sexuality and her career, to Elle still trying to find her feet after abruptly ending her basketball career ten years ago and trying to be the best foster parent to her cousin's daughter.
I also loved that we had so many cameos of characters that were so vastly important to both Julie and Elle, but that we've also known from before - give me as much Dahlia, London, Ben and Alexei content as POSSIBLE (and Elle fangirling over the former two! 😂) And they weren't only there as "props" - they had their own struggles and triumphs and it was absolutely amazing seeing how their lives unfolded after their books.
Basically, this romance trilogy is one of the best I've ever read and I am now desperate for more Anita Kelly books! I am here for all the wholesome queer love stories, that also delve deep into trauma, mental health struggles, figuring out your sexual orientation and identity, different aspects of relationships - familial, platonic and romantic, etc! I highly recommend the whole trilogy - it truly is a beautiful celebration of queer love and a must read for any romance lover! 🥳
How You Get the Girl is a total banger, a soft love story that also packs quite an emotional punch and heaps of self discovery (should've known at this point, Kelly hits the nail on the head every time). This third book rounds up this romance trilogy perfectly and all the little cameos made my heart so happy!
In this story we follow Julie, a basketball coach questioning her sexuality (ace? Where on the spectrum? Bi? Lesbian?) and trying to figure out where her life is going. When her path crosses with Elle Cochrane, her young adult NWBA idol, a new foster parent to her player Vanessa, and soon her new assistant coach, things turn upside down. After an unexpected heart-to-heart, Elle offers Julie a fake dating scheme so Julie can try to figure out what she is comfortable doing with a romantic partner - but fake scenarios quickly turn into real feelings. Can they make this faux practice relationship work? Should they?
Julie and Elle are EVERYTHING! I loved their relationship, but I also loved them as individuals, how they had their own personal struggles and while talking about them with one another helped, they had to resolve some things and come to terms with them on their own. From Julie struggling with her sexuality and her career, to Elle still trying to find her feet after abruptly ending her basketball career ten years ago and trying to be the best foster parent to her cousin's daughter.
I also loved that we had so many cameos of characters that were so vastly important to both Julie and Elle, but that we've also known from before - give me as much Dahlia, London, Ben and Alexei content as POSSIBLE (and Elle fangirling over the former two! 😂) And they weren't only there as "props" - they had their own struggles and triumphs and it was absolutely amazing seeing how their lives unfolded after their books.
Basically, this romance trilogy is one of the best I've ever read and I am now desperate for more Anita Kelly books! I am here for all the wholesome queer love stories, that also delve deep into trauma, mental health struggles, figuring out your sexual orientation and identity, different aspects of relationships - familial, platonic and romantic, etc! I highly recommend the whole trilogy - it truly is a beautiful celebration of queer love and a must read for any romance lover! 🥳