A review by catherineutz
Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth

4.0

I loved this book. A lot.

First of all, I am so thankful for Netgalley letting me read the ARC, and when this book releases on March 25th I expect each and every person who reads this review to go purchase it.

The only reason why this is 4.5/5 stars instead of five stars is because, while I love a good slowburn romance, this one was very, very slow. But the plot was strong enough that it was enjoyable regardless. Once I got into this book I could not put it down and I found myself up at 2am straining my eyes to read it. The pacing was incredibly fast and the plot was well thought out and suspenseful. I loved all of the mischief that the characters got into helping Aideen complete favors, and each of these favors were unique and not repetitive. As someone who typically reads fantasy and adventure for the adrenaline rush, I found my heart beating incredibly fast during some of the more suspenseful scenes.

I found myself falling in love with each and every one of the characters, especially Aideen, Meabh, and Kavi. Each of the characters felt like real, complex people who have many conflicts. They were incredibly well developed. The book, while lighthearted and hilarious, also dealt with many serious topics such as alcohol addiction, bullying, class differences, and friendships. The way that the author wrote the difficulty of letting go of an old friendship despite knowing the toxicity of it was incredibly well done and I could see my own experiences within that conflict. Kavi, Aideen, and Meabh have what must be my new favorite fictional friendship. Every time they had a scene together, I found myself beaming and trying to savor the rest of that scene until it ended. I loved how this book has a wlw romance, but it wasn't focused on coming out. It was just two girls who liked each other, but didn't really know how to navigate their feelings.

Some tropes to convince you to read the book: rivals (sort of, more like my best friend hates you) to friends to lovers and found family (a "rag-tag" group of teens getting into trouble. I loved it).