"If we want to write, if it calls to us in the dark of night, if it's in our very bones, then we should face down the inevitable heartbreak and do it anyway. Because nothing else will ever feel as nourishing to our souls. Making art, she says, requires courage and fortitude."

Things I adored:

🇦🇺 Melbourne Setting
🚺 Ovarian Cyst Rep
🍬💖 Sweet Romance
😂🎁 His "apology" presents
👩‍❤️‍👨 Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Fake Relationship

Okay, I did not see this one coming! I did not expect to relate to this book as much as I did and I simply adored it! And it's not just because my name is Brooke as well. Lol. I've been having a bit of a rom-com reading slump and this was absolutely perfect! So sweet, funny, and lighthearted with some great representation thrown in. As someone who has been battling ruptured ovarian cysts recently, that scene in the book really hit home and I loved that it was included in a romantic comedy! Thank you to the author for this aspect of the book!!! 🙌 It was so nice to feel seen and I loved how Jesse took care of her. I just simply loved Jesse. No male toxicity there and it was SO refreshing! He was a caring gentleman and it was great to see! I also connected with being out on your own for the first time, her writing journey, and even Brooke's dreaded ex, Tristan. There were so many well done "embarrassing" moments that hit home and also so many funny ones as well. It made the book so relatable and I can't wait to check out more by this author! Thank you for bringing not only fun, but relevancy to your novel!

Also, the narrator was incredible! The inflections made the book's humor pop! And it wasn't over done!!! Thank you for a great listening experience :)

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher, author, and narrator for an advanced copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own.

Two books before this made it to the top of my queue, I read a women-in-STEM–themed romance that didn't live up to my expectations based on reviews from my bookish friends, in part because I was disappointed in the lack of maturity of the female main character. [I will definitely get that book's publication data and my rating posted on my blog eventually, but am leaning against actually reviewing it.]

In Unnecessary Drama, by contrast, Brooke seems *appropriately* immature and insecure as she enters university and finds herself sharing a house with two others, including an estranged childhood friend, Jesse (given name Jeremy).

The book's humor ranges from lightly snarky to laugh-out-loud funny. Particularly funny to me was Brooke's internal monologue—as well as subsequent dialogue—as a fake dating scenario suddenly takes shape at a bar where Brooke and friends run into her ex, who broke up with her for another girl. My partner—who only recently has been seeking and enjoying my fiction recommendations—even snickered at the snippet I read to him.

This generally lighthearted YA romance includes LGBTQ representation. A note for people for whom the following is a sensitive topic: it also includes some family strife in the form of parental abandonment/lack of physical and emotional involvement and support.

Of course, I won't be spoiling anything by confirming that there are happily-ever-afters, or at least happily-for-right-nows.

3.66⭐

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected August 8.

Unnecessary Drama is my first novel by Nina Kenwood. The story follows 18-year-old Brooke Williams who has moved into a house to attend university in Melbourne. As this is her first time living away from home and she has a type-A personality, she is anxious to have it all go well. She wants to be liked, especially by her housemates, Jesse, her former best friend turned nemesis, and Harper, the granddaughter of the landlord. Their house has one main rule of “no unnecessary drama,” which means no fights, tension, or romance between them. As Jesse and Brooke had a falling out, the house rule is going to be easier said than done.

Brooke is very much the “mom friend” who can seem uptight and anxious at times. She seemed aware of herself in her head, yet she still wanted to enjoy herself. This was an interesting version of a coming-of-age story as it follows Brooke’s journey. Getting into Brooke’s head took a bit of time for me, but I can see many readers connecting to her sooner. She has a rough relationship with her alcoholic father that plays a large part in her journey. There is a lot going through her head at any given moment, so she has a lot of ups and downs throughout the story. I enjoyed how the author wrote this character as she may not be directly relatable to every reader, but she will be relatable on some level to the rest. As she lives with Jesse and needs to face her past, it was nice for the two of them to get to know each other again. There is hurt from the past, but it does develop into something deeper. There is romance in the story that slowly grows over time.

As I listened to the audiobook, I enjoyed the narrator and thought she did a great job portraying Brooke. As the story is told from her POV, the narrator did a great job with her inner thoughts and actions. Her personality/actions seemed right for someone her age, but I could see her being annoying on some level to those older. The characters are interesting, but the plot is okay, but overall, it is not as multi-dimensional as I expected. For me, this was a decent read, but I feel it needed a little more depth to make it feel well-rounded. The novel was an easy read and I greatly enjoyed it on audiobook. It was engaging enough where I could multi-task while listening yet still understand the story. This was a great introduction to Kenwood as an author and I would love to continue to read more from her in the future.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

This book was cheesy and predictable, and I absolutely adored it! As an anxious overthinker, I loved Brooke’s character traits, and how she is aware of them as well. I’d love to read more about both Brooke and Jesse’s families. Super quick and fun read!

I adored this book! I was a little unsure at the beginning due to the MC being neurotic but she definitely grows on you. I was laughing outloud during several parts of this book. The blind date... I had secondhand embarrassment for Brooke. I loved it.

Brooke is hoping for a new start to try and reinvent herself at Uni. A house with flatmates she doesn't know, a new town... but then one of the flatmates turns out to be Jesse. The boy she has hated since she was 15.

I loved all Brooke's quirky thoughts. I loved how she recognized her issues and eventuallygrew enough confidencein herself to face them.

The narrator did a fantastic job and kept my interest the whole book. I will definitely be recommending this book!

Brooke and Jesse are a really sweet pairing and I think their second chance romance is cute. Brooke has some really deep anxiety and this book is written to go through every single one of her anxious thoughts. As a person with anxiety, the way it was written really induced my anxiety and led to an unpleasant reading experience. I think all the inner dialogue of Brooke was too much and could have been cut back dramatically and without compromising the story. Jesse was the perfect MMC and I could’ve used more backstory and depth from him. Overall, this is a sweet and clean romance, but may be triggering for people with anxiety. 3⭐️, 0.5🌶

This was a cute read, with fast progression. I can't really say that it made me "feel" anything, but it was an enjoyable HEA modern romance story.

There wasn't a ton of character development or build up, which may make it feel a bit flat for constant readers. On the upside, it's got a small cast and is pretty easy to follow with minimal attention needed. Would make a solid travel or light beach read for the end of the summer.

I'm a big fan of enemies to lovers romances but unfortunately this one ended up being just okay. I really enjoyed Brooke and Jesse separately but never did feel the chemistry between them. I almost wish they had ended up being just good friends. I love when mental health issues are depicted, like Brooke's anxiety but I found myself feeling stressed-out myself while listening to the audio book. The enjoyed the scene at the bar when Brooke's ex-boyfriend comes in and her and Jesse fake date.

Overall, it was cute but as a married 36 year old, I don't think I'm in the right demographic to really appreciate it. So I recommend for the 18-25 age group.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners for allowing me access to the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I could not seem to get into the narration for this one and so I had to DNF. I was also approved for the ebook version, I plan to try that instead since I do still want to continue with the story.

Oh my goodness, this book is SO cute. At first I was irritated with Brook’s narcotic behavior and felt it was a bit far-fetched, but her quirky inner-monologue really won me over. On that note: the audiobook narration was excellently done. I felt so sad for her loss of friendship with Jesse, her strained relationship with her dad, and her constant need to care for the people around her (especially her care free sister).
The pacing and character development in this book was excellent. It’s a sweet, clean romcom and I definitely recommend it. Love the Melbourne setting and, even though the main characters were freshman in college, it didn’t feel too young to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook in exchange for honest feedback

This story was very cute, unfortunately it wasn't for me! It was well done - I think the premise of the story was solid! I couldn't quite connect with the characters, and I found it hard to listen to sometimes. Especially in the beginning where one whole chapter is dedicated to being scared of a mouse in her room.

Overall, it was a cute and funny rom-com :)

This book was mid tier. It was enjoyable but dragged on at times. I enjoyed the reader and they kept me engaged and interested. It’s predictable but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment

Okay okay....this book was pretty stinking cute. This book had the opposite effect of most in that it drew me in immediately but I found the end to be a bit more dragged out.

There's so much cute, awkward, quirkiness to this book and to Brooke. After witnessing such horror in her family from alcohol abuse, she has found herself pretty straight edge. Not because she truly thinks it's a horrible thing but because she likes to feel in control of herself. Kudos to her for that!

"I will never be fun, drunk, chicken soup girl. I know that and everyone else here probably knows it too."

The tension between Brooke and Jesse as they try to maneuver around their new home while avoiding one another so that Harper doesn't catch on is thick.

This book brings to light the troubles of simply wanting to fit in. Recreating yourself and the things that you're willing to say and the people you are willing to hurt.

I got through this audiobook in 24 hours as it was such an easygoing read. I would recommend this for my closed-door rom-com lovers!

This was a cute, light-hearted high school enemies to lovers, first year of college roommate romance. Set in Australia, the book features Brooke and Jesse who find themselves sharing a dorm as they navigate their first year away from home in this coming of age new adult love story. Good on audio and recommended for fans of authors like Rachel Lynn Solomon. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I have been on a romance reading spree and this book was such a feel good romance novel. I instantly loved all of the characters and Brooke was very relatable. Brooke moves out and ends up with two roommates and one of them is a guy that they know nothing about. When he moves in, it turns out that she does know him and they used to be friends. This book gives you all the feels of the first time you leave home and you are on your own to make decisions on your own. The roommates have only three house rules and the biggest one is no unnecessary drama. She learns a lot about herself throughout the book. The characters you meet throughout are all so much fun and will remind of some of those who you knew at eighteen. I can't wait to recommend this book to all of my patrons who love these romance novels!

This read a cute book. Not sure that I would get it again but I definitely will recommend it to my followers

Brooke is the mom in her friend group. It’s her first year away for college and she’s navigating living on her own. The house has one rule: no unnecessary drama. Until one of her roommates turns out to be Jesse, her childhood enemy. Will they get along living together or will it be a bunch of drama?

This book actually made me laugh out loud multiple times. I loved the writing and connected with Brooke’s college experience (or uni if you’re Australian).

Thanks Net Galley, Nina Kenwood, and Flatiron books for the ARC! Pub date 8/8/23!

I really enjoyed this story. The characters are in their first year of university, so even though it is a young adult novel it doesn't read very young. I always am looking for more university setting books, and this one was great. It is also set in Australia, which is a setting that I haven't read a lot from. I enjoyed the narrator's accent and how she delivered the story. I was fully engaged with this audiobook and finished it very quickly.

This was my first Nina Kenwood book, and I enjoyed it. I laughed along at all the embarrassing moments Brooke went through. The way her inner monologue captures each detail of all her awkward moments, cause yes, there are more than one or two moments. I could easily become friends with someone like Brooke.
Student housing has one rule “no unnecessary drama,” so you KNOW there will be nothing but drama throughout the story. Even while trying to hide the drama, it causes drama.
This book would make a hilarious television show.
I give it a 5-star rating.

I had a hard time connecting to the characters in this romantic comedy, which felt a little too predictable.